19May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business.
Traditional marketing for restaurants used to include door flyers, print ads, hired PR, and e-mail campaigns. However, technological advancements over the last several years have expanded the ways in which a restaurant can market its services. Recent popular marketing trends include the use of mobile applications by restaurant owners. There are certainly a lot of mobile marketing opportunities available on the market. However, because the notion of mobile technology marketing is so new, many restaurants do not feel comfortable around mobile technology and thus do not fully utilize it. Here are a few ways in which mobile marketing applications can help a restaurant:
Collect Data. Ask your customers to join your loyalty program by texting them via their mobile phones. You can import an existing list of customer phone numbers into a text-messaging software or mobile marketing application of your choice. You can also organize your customers under various lists and groups. Customers can easily unsubscribe from this service by sending a text message. Once you built your list, you can send out mass texts whenever you need to communicate with your patrons.
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17May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Equipment Maintenance & Tips; Recession Tips & Tricks.
Handling ice properly at a restaurant is as important for customers’ safety as properly handling food. In fact, restaurant employees should be trained to treat ice as food. Improper ice handling can be a cause of many unwanted consequences, such as contamination, poisoning, poor taste of ice, etc. Here are some important ice handling procedures to ensure restaurant’s customers are treated to the healthy and tasty ice product:
Clean Ice Machine regularly to avoid any mineral deposits and slime building up inside the ice machine. Poorly maintained ice machines usually have much lower efficiency, higher energy consumption, and produce low quality ice.
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14May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Equipment Maintenance & Tips; Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business.
Restaurants usually have to deal with a lot of transactions every day, including cash and credit cards. Without proper procedures, any restaurant can be at a great risk of robbery or security breaches by outsiders or employees. Being aware of potential security risks and ways to avoid them is critical in preventing any kind of criminal activity from occurring. Here are the most basic security tips applicable to restaurants:
Surveillance Systems. Installing high quality surveillance cameras is an important element in ensuring the best security for your restaurant. Prominently placing cameras both inside and outside the restaurant building will reduce chances of any criminal activity. Post warnings inside and outside, broadcasting that your facilities are equipped with 24/7 surveillance cameras. Not only will the presence of cameras and warning signs help prevent potential thieves from attempting to rob your place, it will also reduce the occurrence of employee theft and various internal security breaches.
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13May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business.
Each year National Restaurant Association (NRA) surveys professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation to keep up with food and beverage trends. Here are some of the most popular modern trends related to alcohol beverages according to NRA’s Chef Survey:
Locally Produced Wine and Beer. Until recently, locally produced wine and beer were frowned upon by restaurant owners due to their perceived poor quality. Besides, local wine and beer products were not able to withstand fierce competition from more well-known and established wineries and breweries, and they didn’t have the adequate sales force to drive the sales. However, as local wineries and breweries begin to emphasize their uniqueness and build reputation, restaurant owners are more open to try locally produced alcohol and support local wineries and breweries.
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10May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business.
Online restaurant reservation systems allow diners to make reservations for free in real time. Such systems automate the restaurant reservation process and simplify table management for restaurant hosts. There are several major online reservation platforms that are widely used today. Here is an overview of the 3 most widely-used reservation systems:
OpenTable.com is the most popular and prolific restaurant reservation system due to its reach, speed, and super-friendly user interface. This website is connected real-time with thousands of online reservations systems at OpenTable participating restaurants. Because this online reservation system is real time, using it can be a great advantage to an average consumer, as there will always be last-minute cancellations and diners can often snag such last-minute table reservations at great, hard-to-reserve, restaurants. OpenTable.com provides reservation services not only in the US, but in many foreign countries, as well. Read the rest of this entry »
7May2010
Posted by Crystal under: News; Restaurant Business.
Mother’s Day is one of the most popular occasions to eat out, and a large percentage of Americans choose to dine out on this day at some of the best US restaurants. In fact, taking a mother out for dinner is one of the most popular gifts on Mother’s Day, after flowers and holiday cards. On Mother’s Day many restaurants offer special menus, bargain prices, free drinks, and other excellent deals. Here are a few tips on how to best celebrate Mother’s Day at your dining establishment:
Festive Brunch. Brunches are so popular on Mother’s Day; they often get sold out well before the actual holiday. Providing your diners with a great Mother’s Day brunch experience will not only increase your sales – it will ensure future strong bookings and increased customer retention. Make Mother’s Day brunch an enjoyable and relaxing experience for your patrons by proper planning and preparation. Decorate your restaurant, using flowers, centerpieces, ribbons, and other decorative items. The brunch menu can contain traditional items, such as waffles, pancakes, omelets, French toast, or Eggs Benedict. You can also offer an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet, with carving stations and complimentary Champagne. Alternatively, you can offer 3 or 4 course brunch, including more sophisticated items, such as oysters, Eggs Benedict Florentine, prime rib, or King Crab.
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6May2010
Posted by Crystal under: News.
Gayot is one of the most popular online resources featuring expert opinions regarding the best restaurants, travel destinations and lifestyle in general. Gayot provides professional reviews of restaurants, hotels, spas, wine, cookbooks, fashion, etc., helping consumers make the best entertainment choices based on the expert opinion of the savvy restaurant critics and lifestyle experts. For Mother’s Day, Gayot has published the list of the best restaurants for Mother’s Day Brunches. Here is an overview of several of them:
A Voice Columbus, New York City, NY. The restaurant is located within Time Warner center in New York City, in the vicinity of major shopping areas, theaters, hotels, and other restaurants. A Voice Columbus offers contemporary Italian cuisine, with executive chef utilizing seasonal ingredients and adding a modern twist to traditional Italian dishes Menu offers classic Italian meals, such as ravioli, cavatelli, pansotti, and pappardelle, among many. For Mother’s Day, this restaurant offers three-course prix-fixe special brunch menu.
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5May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Recession Tips & Tricks; Restaurant Business.
Every restaurant should implement an effective training program to teach their employees basic selling techniques. Servers’ function should be not just to serve food, but enhance customer experience, effectively sell menu items and increase restaurant’s profits.
Server Training. Teach all new employees the basics of selling. Training should also include educating your servers about menu items, including detailed knowledge of ingredients and preparation processes. When servers know more about menu items, they will be able to provide more persuasive and sincere recommendations to customers and, thus, increase sales. Another way to train employees is to have new servers follow along the experienced ones and learn by watching. Identify your best servers, use them as trainers, and compensate them accordingly.
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4May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Restaurant Business.
Having an employee manual is one of the best ways to train your restaurant’s staff and keep them informed of the restaurant’s policies and procedures. A written employee manual is designed to teach your employees how to do things correctly in a restaurant setting and how to provide the best possible customer service. A good manual at the very least should contain the following information:
General Policies. Define how employees should answer the phones and provide your staff with the exact phrases you want them to use when greeting guests on the phone. Prohibit harmful activities, such as smoking in the kitchen, food preparation area, or in front of the customers. You may also prohibit personal phone calls during business hours. Define the exact dates that employees get their paychecks and your policy towards advances.
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3May2010
Posted by Crystal under: Restaurant Business.
If the restaurant’s staff is not familiar with issues surrounding food allergies, dining at a restaurant may turn into an unpleasant experience for people with food allergies. Such individuals may experience a range of symptoms if they consume foods containing allergens. These symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling, hives, abdominal pains, and many others. In severe cases, people with food allergies may experience a potential fatal allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, which leads to a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and, sometimes, death. This article provides an overview of common food allergens and some tips on how to safely prepare and serve food to restaurant’s guests:
Common Food Allergens. Food allergy is an abnormal response of a human immune system to a particular food, when the body perceives that food to be harmful and generates antibodies to fight it. Some of the most common food allergens are fish, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, milk, eggs, and soy. In addition to allergies, some people have certain types of food intolerance. Food intolerance, unlike food allergies, does not involve immune system response. Instead, food intolerance is simply body’s inability to digest a particular food, which is why it is important to be aware of common types of food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance – individual’s inability to digest milk products and gluten intolerance – inability to digest a protein in wheat.
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