Restaurant Concept Development

TARTINE'S CORNER

2012-01-27T16:22:00.000+07:00

tar·tine (tär-tn) -noun-

A French open-faced sandwich, especially one with a rich or fancy spread.
The target market of a "Tartine's Corner" does vary greatly according to location.

However, it is vital you put in the basic market research to begin with so you know the market you are likely to serve.

Remember, not only is starting a business a major life-changing decision, it is also a major financial investment.

As a result, you will need to make sure you are fully aware of the commitment you are about to make and what is involved...

In this case, I am might be able to outline:
* How to attract more customers and keep them coming
* Interior design and decoration of your tartine's corner
* Efficient production methods
* Selecting the right staff
* The legal requirements for running a tartine's corner
* Food hygiene standards
* How to monitor and order stock
* How to price your products

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all of your emails.

2012-01-20T01:42:00.027+07:00

GONG XI FA CAI

HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS LUNAR NEW YEAR

THIS BLOG IS TEMPORARILY UNDER (RE)CONSTRUCTION

But for your daily dose of Food, Beverage and Hospitality Trends, from South-East Asia and beyond...

... you can follow me on twitter and/or facebook.

RESTAURANT & HOTEL FOOD TRENDS FOR 2012

2011-12-16T08:54:00.003+07:00

Courtesy of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman

Baum + Whiteman are creators of high-profile restaurants around the world...

Their predictions follow:

1. - WHAT’S THAT CRUNCHING SOUND? As the economy crawls sideways, like blue crabs at the shore, mom-and-pop eateries will be hit the hardest. Each time a big national chain cuts its prices, or flings a million half-off coupons into the market via social networks, independent restaurant numbers will take a dive.

2. - THE WHOLE WORLD ON A PLATE. Look for excitement at the lower end of the market where devil-may-care entrepreneurs are piling flavors from all over the globe onto a single dish. Gastronomically, everything goes. Bite into a sandwich of chipotle pork chop with burnt sugar glaze, carrot kimchee and tarragon mayonnaise, and your taste buds will announce that these flavors came from a global Mixmaster... This is what’s emerging: A multi-ethnic, multi-sensory dining experience where flavors clash on purpose.

3. - A WIDENING “FLAVOR GAP”: The menu items discussed above contain ingredients and multi-ethnic combinations that are alien to your local Panera Bread or Pizza Hut or even Five Guys -- because chains’ financial stakes are so high, they’re compelled to serve the fewest number of items to the greatest number of people.

4. - INSTEAD OF BREAD: Stretching for even more differentiation, look for sandwiches piled on things other than bread. Arepas, for example. Flattened tostones. Bao. Waffles. Rice cakes. Think of KFC’s notorious Double Down calorie bomb… but with more inventive ingredients.

5. - INNARDS AND ODD PARTS: We said it last year … and we’re saying it again: Tongue – lamb and beef -- and gizzards are hot. They’re moving up from ethnic neighborhoods (think Mexican and Korean tacos) and onto menus of upscale restaurants... Even fancy places will discover that they can sell tongue tacos at the bar and izakaya-style gizzards on skewers, and pigs’ ears and ox tails will show up on white tablecloths.

6. - IN A PICKLE: House-made vegetable and fruit pickles will appear on more and more menus as chefs concoct ever more complex ways of making these preserves.They’re not your grandmother’s pickles -- chefs are going global with additions of Asian fish sauce, Mexican peppers, ginger, yuzu, smoked paprika, star anise. Some are selling bowls of their own pickled products as individual menu items.

7. - AT LAST, KOREAN HITS THE CHARTS: Thanks largely to food trucks, Korean food has entered the American lexicon. Bulgogi, kimchee, kalbi, bibimbap are all the rage in Wednesday food sections, which means that shelter magazines will start running dumbed-down recipes in 2012 and we wouldn’t be shocked to see Korean-inflected fried chicken appearing on some chain menus.

8. - NO, EVERYONE’S NOT BROKE: About a quarter of America’s population is still happily working and another large chunk has a bit less – but not nothing – to spend, and after deep psychological retrenchment they’ll be returning to restaurant life. They’re not burning money, but they’re still having fun spending. And when they do, they’re seeking fun, interesting food and a sense of adventure. From this, we see the following:

8a - Comfort food hits the wall: When the recession hit three years ago, Americans gravitated to “crisis food”: homey roast chicken, soothing meat loaf, voluptuous mac-and-cheese, unchallenging sushi, and the Holy Cheeseburger. Now we’re bored by gastro-nostalgia. Instead, we’re demanding new taste thrills and culinary invention. Mac-and-cheese is being reworked with pork rillettes, or with chicharrones for crunch and braised pork necks for depth; or it is being stuffed into sandwiches along with fried chicken or chicken-fried steak.

8b - Early drinking , late night dining: People making sales and service calls, and supervisory staff, are spending more time in their cars, so they’re shifting social times to cocktails at four and dinner at ten. That’s because they’ve only chatted and texted with colleagues also scattered on the highways, and 4 p.m is a logical time to rendezvous somewhere, unwind with a cocktail and maybe have lunch that was missed earlier.
8c - Round things that go pop in the mouth: Kimchee- and-parmesan-filled arancini, fried goat cheese balls, spherical falafel, meat balls of all kinds, bacalao croquettes, crispy oxtail risotto balls – all of them dropped briefly in the fryer and served with multi-ethnic sauces and dips – are becoming hot-hot sharable bar food. They’re contemporary, drink-friendly finger food and no one seems to mind the calories.

9. - BEER GARDENS: Outdoor or indoor/outdoor, beer gardens will boom around the country, – especially from restaurants and breweries with unused backyards, oversized parking lots or available rooftops. The bigger the better. Good, cheap beer, often at five bucks a pop, and unchallenging food like pretzels, hot dogs and burgers, draw crowds seeking a fresh air alternative to indoor bars or lounges. Movable roofs and warmers make them year-round businesses.

10. - WHEELS COME OFF FOOD TRUCKS: Dozens of food truck operators will open brick-and-mortar shops in 2012. Many will put their vehicles on the block; others will attempt to run both businesses. The reason is clear: There’s more money to be made in storefronts now that food trucks – pioneering in social media marketing -- prove that eccentric menus have great market potential, and after the trucks create strongly branded identities that attract customers and satisfy wary landlords.

11. - CHOCOLATE DIRT: THE FORAGERS ARE COMING! A few years back, an unknown chef at restaurant Noma, in Copenhagen, created a strange series of tableaux on his dining room tables, using tree bark, pine needles, lichens and other things normally grazed by reindeer... Molecular gastronomy hasn’t exactly evaporated, but now you might get trampled by dozens of upscale chefs rushing to harvest dinner from the underbrush and under rocks – or assembling dishes that looked like they might be untamed gardens.

12. - JAPANESE CRAFT BEERS will gain a following.. They’re already is making inroads on beer-centric menus and Asian-inflected restaurants and they give lots of local artisan brews a good run for their money.

13. - FORGET SKYSCRAPER ARCHITECTURE. Chefs are shifting from stacking food as high as possible to stringing out ingredients in caterpillar-like lines along oblong or rectangular plates. This may looking like “dribble art” but at least it keeps the flavors separated. Ceviches, tartars, sushi and sashimi primarily, with salads as the next frontier.

14. - PERU GAINS MOMENTUM: Peru’s food is cross-pollinated by Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and Andean flavors and cooking techniques. It is the source of the world’s most exciting ceviches and tiraditos (another raw fish dish), and it is where pisco sours come from... We predict that this is the next cuisine, so you need to know about causas, lomo saltado, aji amarillo, anticuchos, cuy (you know … whole roast guinea pig, legs, head and all) and tiraditos, along with vibrant, acidic fruits and juices that go into their unique raw fish preparations.

15. - WRONG ON HAMBURGERS: We predicted last year that “gourmet burgers” would peak in 2011. But they haven’t and we may be premature. Seems that a new burger chain launches every few weeks without regard for the growing density of competition.

16. - THREE CAUTIONARY TRENDS:
(1) Misuse of words like “artisan” and “heirloom” and “local” will pollute their meaning, especially as chains co-opt them for marketing slogans. Adding a whole grain to factory bread doesn’t make it “artisan” and not all misshapen tomatoes are “heirlooms” from “local” growers. “Green” and “sustainable” are in this category, too.
(2) There’s a looming oversupply of farmers markets.
(3) Too many chefs are smoking too many foods

Starting from now, you won't hear from me again... Until the second part of January 2012
BEST HOLIDAY WISHES AND CATCH YOU NEXT YEAR!!!

BUT FOR YOUR DAILY DOSE OF FOOD, BEVERAGE & HOSPITALITY NEWS FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND BEYOND...
YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

WHO IS LAZYGOURMET?

2011-11-11T08:08:00.002+07:00

First of all, I have to confess that I love this business!
My first job was at age 15, peeling potatoes and washing dishes in a family run brasserie, Belgian Ardennes. Despite this ominous introduction to the industry, I caught the "restaurant bug" and went on to get my culinary arts diploma, from Tournai Hotel School, Belgium.
I have been in and around the business for almost as long as I can remember, running members clubs, resorts, institutional operations and major unique events.
At one time or another, I have made a living doing every job in a restaurant.
I have also been providing ideas and advices to food and beverage operations, all around Australasia, for the past 15 years.

I have learned a lot in my career -some by doing things right, some by doing things wrong and some by watching and working "shoulder-to-shoulder" with the more innovative and influential operators in the industry.
It seems that the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know...
Still, I have managed to gain a fair understanding of what makes restaurants work and gained an ability to pass that understanding along to others.

Now I hardly consider myself an "expert" in the industry. When I was in my mid-twenties, freshly graduated from Lausanne Hotel School, I thought so ; but now I cringe when people use that title. I am, however, an incurable student of the business as well as an insatiable guest.

Because I have a creative orientation, I seem to be able to come up with new restaurant ideas that work. Because, during my numerous travels, either business or leisure, I actively look for better ways to do things, I have some methods and developed some cultural attitudes that enable me to eliminate most of the problems that typically drive operators crazy!

I am talking about incredibly potent, common sense approaches to food and beverage services management that I was never taught anywhere in my career. I can share this with you, build them into your business from day one and teach you how to use them to get want you want.

The following materiel, you will find on this blog, deals with the issues involved in developing and/or maintaining a successful Restaurant Concept. Of necessity it is a bit generic, but it should give you a better idea of who I am, what I have done and more important, what I can do for you.
You will also get an idea of my outlook on the industry.

If my philosophy seems compatible with yours, we can discuss how we might work together. But more about that later...

I always get excited by a new project and really love the whole development process. Concept development involves balancing the strengths and limitations of the site against the competitive climate in the market considering the expertise of the operator and the budget available for the project.
I have helped a number of people (including myself!) get restaurants off the ground and I am convinced that the long term profitability of an operation is determined in the development period.

My sole intention in undertaking any assignment is to deliver documents and professional services which genuinely provide benefit to you. Toward this end, I will complete the assignment at the lowest cost and the fastest possible manner consistent with accuracy and revelance. I will maintain an open dialogue and, where appropriate, provide weekly progress memoranda.

In the performance of all duties and activities, I will act solely as your consultant. My fees are independent of, and are not in anticipation of, any equity or management position with a commercial venture which might result from an engagement.
Therefore, I want to make sure you understand not only what we have done and how to do it, but why it works. It is critical that you will be able to maintain the new results over time without me, because I do not want to create a dependent relationship with anyone.
My goal is to work myself out of a job as quick as possible. This why my work usually involves some degree of teaching and counseling. Knowledge is more powerful than ignorance, but understanding is more powerful than knowledge. What you understand, you can maintain.

I guarantee you will be delighted with the manner in which the engagement is conducted and the quality of the work produced. I will do whatever is necessary to be sure this project exceeds your expectations.
I will adequately support all my conclusions and recommendations. I do not guarantee that the results of my research will prove any particular point.
I do guarantee to approach the assignment as if I were doing the work for my own account.

And now, where do we go?
The next step is to get specific about the results you want to see and what assistance you want to be sure it happens. Contact me and let's talk it over ; then organize a premiered meeting.
There is no charge or hidden expenses for this initial free consultation.

In order to build a responsible budgeting and vigilant operations management ; I usually walk -when needed- through the following:
- Site Assessment, Financial Projections and Feasibility Studies ;
- Menu Concept Creation, Enhancement and Development ;
- Bar and Wine Cellar Management, Oenology Basic Knowledge ;
- Kitchen Concept, Work flow, and Production Cycles ;
- Branding, Merchandising and Artistic Context in Hospitality ;
- Destination Marketing, Promotions and Creative Events Management ;
- Human Resource Guidelines, Staff Training and Management Coaching ;
- Service Excellence, "Savoir-Vivre", Gastronomy and History of Taste ;
- Pre-opening Operations Strategies and Operational Review ;
- Trends in the Hospitality ;
- Competitive Winning Global strategy

If we agree to work together, I will prepare an engagement letter that outlines -into phases- our agreement on the work to be done, the desired results, the timing and the projected budgets for fees and expenses. This allow us to cancel the project at any time we determine that is not feasible.
If you concur, we will schedule a time to get started. I can promise that you will find the relationship profitable.

In the case of operational studies, I guarantee that implementing my recommendations will, within twelve months, generate additional cash flow in excess of minimum twice the fees expended. If not, whatever additional work is required to meet that goal will be provided without charge and without question.

A solution that does not work is no solution at all. I do not think you should have to pay for something that do not work, anymore that I would expect guests in my restaurant to pay if we had not given them a great time.

Privacy is important to me... and I assume it is to you, too. Rest assured that I will never release your contact, proprietary or financial information to any third party for any reason. Period...

In previous posts, I shared some thoughts and ideas on Restaurant Concept Development focusing on service excellence and creative marketing; and how I might be able to help you reach you professional goals in less time an with less effort.
Regardless of whether we establish a working relationship or not, I think you will find the information helpful.

AND FOR YOUR UNREVEALED DAILY DOSE OF FOOD, BEVERAGE & HOSPITALITY NEWS FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA AND BEYOND...
FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

THE "BIG TABLE" SOCIETY

2011-04-29T01:55:00.005+07:00

Courtesy of Tim Hayward

(First published in "Financial Times": April 2 2011)

For as long as mankind has practised institutional dining, a defining characteristic has been the large shared table. In monasteries, college halls, barracks, factory and school canteens, we ate sitting at the communal board. Even in taverns and inns, one dined at the “table d’hôte” – the host’s table.

There were sensible reasons for this. Food was easier to transport from the kitchen, diners could pass dishes among themselves and the members of the order, faculty, class or mess benefited from eating together. Communal tables had a ritual quality celebrated in what we still call “banquet-style” dining.

It was only with the arrival of restaurants in the 18th century that things changed. Even in the years before respectable women could dine publicly, there were private rooms for assignations, booths in which business could be conducted or just separate tables that ensured no one needed to break bread with a member of another social order.

Alan Yau started the resurgence in 1992 when he reintroduced long shared tables at Wagamama. Refectory eating seemed appropriate in the literary atmosphere of the first Bloomsbury branch, with the sterile lines of the room echoing a certain monastic asceticism.

Since then many restaurants, gastropubs and coffee shops have opened with a big table as a design feature. In some, such as Ottolenghi, shared plates and shoulder rubbing seem intrinsic to the modern middle-eastern aesthetic. In others, Giraffe, for example, it’s all about convenience (and possibly an ability to hose down the place once the last child has left). In a few, it’s offered to those dining alone – a kind of holding pen for the hopeless, where the staff can put awkward individuals who might otherwise take up a whole, high-tipping two-top.

On one hand it says something special about a place to have a communal table – something about democracy and informality. On the other it flies in the face of our national characteristics of reserve and privacy. It’s a bold diner who doesn’t feel the faintest flicker of ‘rabbit-in-the-headlights’ panic when presented with the choice. Is this seat too creepily close to the girl reading the paper in the corner? The psychology and geopolitics of the tabletop can be exhausting before you’ve even sat down.

It seems unlikely that anyone would sit at the big table if a private one were available. It’s just so un-British to sit with strangers. There’s no denying that it suits the restaurateur though. Forcing people together means fewer wasted seats and less of the camping-out that punters might regard as a leisurely meal, but adds up to lost revenue.

For all that, there’s something comforting about sharing a table – it reminds us of the exquisite urban experience of being simultaneously alone and in a crowd. For better and for worse, it looks like the big table is back to stay.

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

AND FOR UNREVEALED REGULAR DOSE OF FOOD, BEVERAGE & MORE FROM BANGKOK AND BEYOND...
FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

FOOD IS THE ATTRACTION: CULINARY TOURISM

2011-03-04T01:40:00.006+07:00

A unique food and drink experience has the power to lure tourists like museums - recreation and shopping.

Culinary tourism is the hottest niche to emerge within the travel industry in years because dining is one of the best ways visitors can get to know a new and exotic locale.

Because regional foods and recipes are a major part of what makes one place different from another, restaurants should create unique and memorable food and drink experiences to build excitement and develop a competitive advantage.

Your restaurant may already be contributing to culinary tourism in your community without even knowing it. Culinary tourism includes any unique or memorable dining experience that a traveler encounters.

Who are culinary tourists?
A culinary tourist can be a visitor who has traveled to town specifically to dine at your establishment. A culinary tourist can also be a business traveler who decides to dine at your restaurant.

Nearly 100 percent of tourists dine out when traveling, and dining is consistently one of the top three favorite tourist activities.
There is a high correlation between tourists who are interested in wine/cuisine and those interested in museums, shows, shopping, music and film festivals and outdoor recreation.

Unlike other travel activities and attractions, cuisine is available year-round, any time of day and in any weather.

What can your restaurant do to promote culinary tourism?
It’s important that your restaurant take full advantage of your region’s culinary tourism opportunities by establishing itself as a unique and memorable dining destination that locals will refer visitors to and tourists will want to return to again and again.

Here are four ways to foster culinary tourism:

Novel notions
One of the main philosophies that drive culinary tourism is the idea that tourists can get something at your restaurant or in your town that they can’t get back home. Your restaurant should capitalize on this idea by identifying a local or regional specialty and creating your own version of it.

Few restaurants in the world provide guests a retreat into a sanctuary of imaginative art, wine and cuisine like Siam Winery, in Hua Hin Hills, an independently-owned food, wine producer and art gallery which features a three-course menu that changes daily and a showroom of locally-produced art and wine selections from a small production boutique winery.

Chef demonstrations or in-the-kitchen chef training are two other ways to create an unforgettable dining experience for guests by showcasing a famous chef or locally-grown or manufactured ingredients. Even sitting at the chef’s table located directly in front of the kitchen can provide a memorable experience for guests.

Show locals love
Your local client base can be your restaurant’s greatest culinary tourism ambassadors. One of the top questions tourists ask locals when visiting a new place is, “Where’s a good place to eat around here?” If you build loyalty with locals, chances are they will direct tourists to visit your restaurant.

Band together to beef up business
When it comes to culinary tourism, don’t view other restaurants as competition. Partner with other local restaurants to create a culinary event that will benefit your city’s entire dining scene. Call it “Tastes of (insert your town’s name here).” Together restaurants can make a larger impact than one restaurant could afford individually.

Bottom line benefits
Culinary tourism has the power to create cooperative marketing opportunities for local restaurants and build name recognition for your restaurant regionally and nationwide.

Name recognition often opens the doors. Your restaurant may consider organizing cellar door sales or create their own line of customized products that can serve as another major source or revenue.

If executed correctly, culinary tourism can put your restaurant “on the map” and make a huge economic impact on your restaurant and community.

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

FOR YOUR UNREVEALED REGULAR DOSE OF FOOD, FROM BANGKOK AND BEYOND...
FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

100 THINGS RESTAURANT STAFFERS SHOULD NEVER DO

2011-02-11T10:42:00.003+07:00

76. Do not ask if a guest is finished the very second the guest is finished. Let guests digest, savor, reflect.

77. Do not disappear.

78. Do not ask, “Are you still working on that?” Dining is not work — until questions like this are asked.

79. When someone orders a drink “straight up,” determine if he wants it “neat” — right out of the bottle — or chilled. Up is up, but “straight up” is debatable.

80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab.

81. Know what the bar has in stock before each meal.

82. If you drip or spill something, clean it up, replace it, offer to pay for whatever damage you may have caused. Refrain from touching the wet spots on the guest.

83. Ask if your guest wants his coffee with dessert or after. Same with an after-dinner drink.

84. Do not refill a coffee cup compulsively. Ask if the guest desires a refill.
84(a). Do not let an empty coffee cup sit too long before asking if a refill is desired.

85. Never bring a check until someone asks for it. Then give it to the person who asked for it.

86. If a few people signal for the check, find a neutral place on the table to leave it.

87. Do not stop your excellent service after the check is presented or paid.

88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.

89. Never patronize a guest who has a complaint or suggestion; listen, take it seriously, address it.

90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests.

91. If someone complains about the music, do something about it, without upsetting the ambiance. (The music is not for the staff — it’s for the customers.)

92. Never play a radio station with commercials or news or talking of any kind.

93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn.

94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist. If someone doesn’t like Frightened Rabbit or Michael Bublé, you have just ruined a meal.

95. Never hover long enough to make people feel they are being watched or hurried, especially when they are figuring out the tip or signing for the check.

96. Do not say anything after a tip — be it good, bad, indifferent — except, “Thank you very much.”

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her.

98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments.

99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy.

100. Guests, like servers, come in all packages. Show a “good table” your appreciation with a free glass of port, a plate of biscotti or something else management approves.

Bonus Track: As Bill Gates has said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” (Of course, Microsoft is one of the most litigious companies in history, so one can take Mr. Gates’s counsel with a grain of salt. By the way, grey sea salt is a nice addition to any table...)

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

100 THINGS RESTAURANT STAFFERS SHOULD NEVER DO

2011-02-04T06:40:00.002+07:00

51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It’s not a secret or a trick.

52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets.

53. Do not let guests double-order unintentionally; remind the guest who orders ratatouille that zucchini comes with the entree.

54. If there is a prix-fixe, let guests know about it. Do not force anyone to ask for the “special” menu.

55. Do not serve an amuse-bouche without detailing the ingredients. Allergies are a serious matter; peanut oil can kill. (This would also be a good time to ask if anyone has any allergies!)

56. Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.)

57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment.

58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested.

59. Do not leave place settings that are not being used.

60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts.

61. Do not stand behind someone who is ordering. Make eye contact. Thank him or her.

62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You’ll make people nervous.
62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long.

63. Never blame the chef or the busboy or the hostess or the weather for anything that goes wrong. Just make it right.

64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices.

65. Always remove used silverware and replace it with new.

66. Do not return to the guest anything that falls on the floor — be it napkin, spoon, menu or soy sauce.

67. Never stack the plates on the table. They make a racket... Shhhhhh!!!

68. Do not reach across one guest to serve another.

69. If a guest is having trouble making a decision, help out. If someone wants to know your life story, keep it short. If someone wants to meet the chef, make an effort.

70. Never deliver a hot plate without warning the guest. And never ask a guest to pass along that hot plate.

71. Do not race around the dining room as if there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency. (Unless there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency!)

72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared.

73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon.

74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish.

75. Do not ask if someone is finished when others are still eating that course.

Last Part is coming up next Friday...

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

100 THINGS RESTAURANT STAFFERS SHOULD NEVER DO

2011-01-28T01:37:00.001+07:00

26. Never assume people want their white wine in an ice bucket. Inquire.

27. For red wine, ask if the guests want to pour their own or prefer the waiter to pour.

28. Do not put your hands all over the spout of a wine bottle while removing the cork.

29. Do not pop a champagne cork. Remove it quietly, gracefully. The less noise the better.

30. Never let the wine bottle touch the glass into which you are pouring. No one wants to drink the dust or dirt from the bottle.

31. Never remove a plate full of food without asking what went wrong. Obviously, something went wrong.

32. Never touch a customer. No excuses. Do not do it. Do not brush them, move them, wipe them or dust them.

33. Do not bang into chairs or tables when passing by.

34. Do not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers.

35. Do not eat or drink in plain view of guests.

36. Never reek from perfume or cigarettes. People want to smell the food and beverage.

37. Do not drink alcohol on the job, even if invited by the guests. “Not when I’m on duty” will suffice.

38. Do not call a guy a “dude.”

39. Do not call a woman “lady.”

40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad.

41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do.

42. Do not compliment a guest’s attire or hairdo or makeup. You are insulting someone else.

43. Never mention what your favorite dessert is. It’s irrelevant.

44. Do not discuss your own eating habits, be you vegan or lactose intolerant or diabetic.

45. Do not curse, no matter how young or hip the guests.

46. Never acknowledge any one guest over and above any other. All guests are equal.

47. Do not gossip about co-workers or guests within earshot of guests.

48. Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.

49. Never mention the tip, unless asked.

50. Do not turn on the charm when it’s tip time. Be consistent throughout.

To be continued...

And for your daily dose of f&b related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

100 THINGS RESTAURANT STAFFERS SHOULD NEVER DO

2011-01-21T01:16:00.006+07:00

1. Do not let anyone enter the restaurant without a warm greeting.

2. Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar.

3. Never refuse to seat three guests because a fourth has not yet arrived.

4. If a table is not ready within a reasonable length of time, offer a free drink and/or amuse-bouche. The guests may be tired and hungry and thirsty, and they did everything right.

5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.

6. Do not lead the witness with, “Bottled water or just tap?” Both are fine. Remain neutral.

7. Do not announce your name. No jokes, no flirting, no cuteness.

8. Do not interrupt a conversation. For any reason. Especially not to recite specials. Wait for the right moment.

9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition.

10. Do not inject your personal favorites when explaining the specials.

11. Do not hustle the lobsters. That is, do not say, “We only have two lobsters left.” Even if there are only two lobsters left.

12. Do not touch the rim of a water glass. Or any other glass.

13. Handle wine glasses by their stems and silverware by the handles.

14. When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right.

15. Never say “I don’t know” to any question without following with, “I’ll find out.”

16. If someone requests more sauce or gravy or cheese, bring a side dish of same. No pouring. Let them help themselves.

17. Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.

18. Know before approaching a table who has ordered what. Do not ask, “Who’s having the shrimp?”

19. Offer guests butter and/or olive oil with their bread.

20. Never refuse to substitute one vegetable for another.

21. Never serve anything that looks creepy or runny or wrong.

22. If someone is unsure about a wine choice, help him. That might mean sending someone else to the table or offering a taste or two.

23. If someone likes a wine, steam the label off the bottle and give it to the guest with the bill. It has the year, the vintner, the importer, etc.

24. Never use the same glass for a second drink.

25. Make sure the glasses are clean. Inspect them before placing them on the table.

To be continued...

And for your daily dose of f&b related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

RESTAURANT & HOTEL FOOD TRENDS FOR 2011

2010-12-10T12:56:00.001+07:00

Courtesy of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman

Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. are creators of high-profile restaurants around the world...

Their predictions follow:

#1 Old Italian is Newly Respectable: All those old Italian chestnuts, from meatballs to all-you-can-eat spaghetti nights are getting new focus. Fancy sandwich shops and Artisan pizza boutiques are spreading everywhere, many adding mozzarella bars to their menus, making the stuff in-house and serving it still warm.

#2 Good News at the Top: Business will return to upscale restaurants, especially contemporary ones. Average spend may not rebound fully, and lunches will still be weak, but at least seats will be filled at dinner – and not necessarily with coupon-bearing bargain hunters who are something of a plague among recession-battered mid-priced casual restaurants.

#3 Stealth Competitors Creeping Up: Drug stores and convenience stores are ramping up their food departments with newly conceived fresh “grab-and-go” departments. These stores are already loading up their front-of-store reach-in refrigerators with packaged salads, sandwiches and sweets.

#4 Bricks-and-Mortar vs. Meals-on-Wheels: Food trucks, trawling for customers across the country, are driving restaurant owners nuts. They have big competitive advantages: low investment, no rent, no air conditioning, no utilities hookups, no real estate taxes, no dining rooms or waitstaff, no reservationists… and marketing costs reduced to Twitter and an iPhone. Look for more restaurant operators and big-name chefs to supplement their businesses by chasing after customers with their own trucks.

#5 Korean Food and the Nothing-Is-Sacred Taco: This will lend legitimacy to Korean flavors, and bulgogi, bibimbap and kimchee will enter our gastronomic lexicon. But the wrapper will become more important than its contents: Look for an outburst of outrageously creative multi-culti tacos, soft and hard, from fast food to haute cuisine.

#6 Popsicles going global and artisan -- and what it means: These niche items are becoming trendy. Gourmet ice pops are popping up filled with all sorts of exotica – mostly small batch products riding the wave of “fresh” and “locally made.” Keep an eye out for ingredient combos like these in new wave cocktails, house-made sodas (another small trend), house-made salad dressings, …etc

#7 Making Customers Unwelcome: Economically gun-shy consumers increasingly will face an unwelcome mat rolled out by restaurateurs trying to save a buck here and there. Look for more restaurants putting no credit card signs in their windows; eliminating reservations; upping the price of wines-by- the-glass while these wines appear nowhere on the list; no tablecloths; trying to ration the time people can occupy a table.

#8 How Does Your Garden Grow?: Increasing numbers of people will pay $2 for a holy tomato at burgeoning farmers markets, or a buck for an organic egg; and upscale hotel chefs will tend heirloom vegetable gardens and beehives on their rooftops to feed their fancy clientele. Watch out for restaurant “snacks” to swell up, people buying multiple snacks during the day will actually skip a traditional meal, knocking their nutritional intake seriously off- kilter.

#9 Breakfast All the Time: Morning food business grew fast when the economy went to hell; and then leveled off. But so many chains will jump into the business that we predict excess serving capacity before 2011 is over. At the other end of the price spectrum, soft slow-cooked eggs are appearing all over upscale restaurant menus. Runny eggs on pasta, on pizza, on braised meats, on truffled toast as stand-alone first courses; breaded and fried poached eggs on salads...

#10 Grits will leap from morning food to an all-purpose starch – part of another trendlet: down-home southern cooking. Shrimp and grits could well be the dish-of-the-year .

#11 “Free From”: Gluten-free menus will grow this coming year , but allergy sufferers aren’t the issue: Consumers are increasingly convinced that anything added to food is objectionable – and phrases like gluten- and lactose- free somehow sound healthful and reassuring, and perhaps organic – even though this is irrational.

#12 Wife Swapping … but with Restaurants: Kitchen swapping. Big name chefs will trade kitchens for a night or two which keeps life lively for diners as well as chefs. Some chefs now have permanent one-night stands, taking over humble dives or diners once every week. Often with only one or two dozen seats, snagging a place at these popups will become something of a status symbol and a culinary adventure.

#13 A Sandwich By Any Other Name: Last year it was gussied up hot dogs and gourmet hamburgers. This year it’ll be sandwiches over the moon but they’ll be called something else. Tartines have grown from a slice of bread with a simple spread to fancy open-face sandwiches with $15 price tags. Seeing success with far-out ingredients, several big-name chefs are toying with their own very upscale sandwich shops.

#14 Past Their Sell-By Date: Artisan hot dogs with inventive toppings will be on the downslide. Gourmet hamburgers will peak; too many players in a crowded field. Slapping bacon onto everything will be so-last-year. The novelty of increasingly expensive pork belly will wear off. Cupcakes will peak.

#15 Going Collaborative: Conventional reservations and marketing programs will be bypassed – so will old-media critics without new platforms –. Location-based “here’s-where-I am” sites are grabbing hold of what used to be restaurant-generated promotions. This could create irresistible pressure on restaurateurs who haven’t got their own mass to push back.

BUZZWORDS FOR 2011: Coconut water, awash in a mythology of good health; bourbon, for people who actually like booze; cucumbers, lavender and hibiscus, especially in cocktails; upscale food courts; umami along with stealth use of miso; sangria with new twists; peppadew; fancy poutine, a Canadian calorie bomb, could have a US trend life of a year; macarons, not macaroons; whoopee pie; Korean spicing and condiments; pesto variations; newfangled machines vending fresh fruit and vegetables; designer donuts imitating froufrou cupcakes; meatballs; burrata; tacos with global and wacky fillings; convenience store cuisine; artisan ice pops; “free from” food labels; popup restaurants; fregola, a pasta from Sardinia; Greek yogurt; ever-larger “snacks” and multiple snacks replacing meals; meatless Mondays; reinvented grits and down-home Southern cooking; and isn’t anyone tired yet of black kale?

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

LAST MINUTE WAYS TO USE CHRISTMAS TO GROW IN 2010

2010-11-19T07:30:00.000+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A last post, this year, from lazygourmet...

This year, the Christmas spirit will not come easily to many people. But there are many thoughtful, personal ways to use the season to build stronger links with customers. For some, it could be the start of a valuable, long-term relationship with your business.

Make this the season of list building.
Call it your database or Christmas card list - it doesn't matter so long as you grab a name, email, mobile number and basic preferences - do they want to hear about new wines, new bands, new food or football nights? Spam is when people are sent information that doesn't interest them - taking care with how you gather data at the beginning avoids this and will make your list much more responsive. Constant Contact makes it easy to run.

Chase down previous bookings.
If you haven't heard from them, phone, fax or write - this year needs much more assertive promotion. If you don't have someone on staff who is confident on the phone, ask a wine rep to do it - they know how!

Write and Send a Card.
Almost any card will do, and who said it has to be your handwriting? This is SO powerful, because it's usually unexpected. Use your booking list and some spare waiter time to get it done before December.

Promote Gift Hampers.
For corporate customers and for 'friends who have everything'. Raffle one every week to bring it to everyone's attention - the profit margins can be excellent if you include a 'secret ingredient'.

Sell your clothing and merchandise like a real gift shop.
So many lost opportunities when the display, pricing and packaging is last-minute or stuffed in a corner. These are great gifts for last-minute giving - do you have a stylish t-shirt available?

Poke some fun at the economic gloom.
A low-cost wine becomes the Recession Red, or design a Banker's Banquet package that looks flash but keeps the cost affordable. Better this than the Discount Desperation Deal.

Promote community spirit with a charity donation.
Groups such as World Vision and Oxfam have 'gifts' that builds lives - school books, a goat or a water pump. You may like to organise a group donation from your business.

Create a Wishing Tree.
Make it out of cardboard and ask customers to write a Christmas wish on it - a home-made feel makes it more genuine. Customers have an opportunity to share their thoughts, and you show that the business is about more than just sales and money.

Consider your non-Christian customers.
Depending on where you are, there may be a large number who don't celebrate the religious festival, but want to enjoy time with friends.

Share your Top 10 Best and Worst Lists for the year.
'10 life & death excuses why customers were late for a reservation', '10 Best Selling Cocktails' etc - keep it fun.

Be firm about deposits.
The booking is only confirmed when the money is paid. Many groups will also accept having to pre-pay for the entire group which cuts down on no-shows. Offer the best value in town, then make sure customers show you respect.

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

TARTINE'S CORNER

2010-10-01T01:18:00.012+07:00

tar·tine (tär-tn) -noun-
A French open-faced sandwich, especially one with a rich or fancy spread.

As a "Tartine's Corner" operator you will be no stranger to hard work and long hours. However, not only is this business demanding, it is also just as rewarding.

Market research is essential if your business is to be a success. While identifying your market is not a precise science, there is more to market research than just assuming your customers will be anyone who is hungry.

The target market of a "Tartine's Corner" does vary greatly according to location. However, it is vital you put in the basic market research to begin with so you know the market you are likely to serve.

Again, location choice will be a large factor in the type of customers you are likely to draw from the surrounding area.

Your equipment needs will also have to be considered. One obstacle for new business owners is finding the cash to buy the equipment required to set-up the business. You may have a list of the equipment you need but not enough capital to cover the expense.

You will also have to be aware of food handling regulations and hygiene standards and abide by them.

Remember, not only is starting a business a major life-changing decision, it is also a major financial investment. As a result, you will need to make sure you are fully aware of the commitment you are about to make and what is involved.

We will help you to arm yourself with the appropriate information. Information that is accurate, up-to-date and applicable to your individual circumstances.

We will also outline:

* How to attract more customers and keep them coming back
* Interior design and decoration of your soup bar
* Efficient production methods
* Selecting the right staff
* The legal requirements for running a soup bar
* Food hygiene standards
* How to monitor and order stock
* How to price your products

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

SOUP BAR

2010-09-03T01:09:00.009+07:00

Soup is in.
It is healthy, nourishing and inexpensive.
Open a small soup bar in almost any food court, arcade or shopping centre and watch the customers queue for a bowl or a take-away cup.

Profit margins are high in this business and it is possible to start off small, building the business as more profits are made.

Location is a major factor to consider when starting a soup bar. In fact, the target market of a soup bar does vary greatly according to location.

However, it is vital you put in the basic market research to begin with so you know the market you are likely to serve.

For instance, if located on a busy thoroughfare in a business/city district, young adults and business people will comprise the bulk of your customer base during weekdays, especially during lunch times. There will be a small percentage of older people as well as young. Weekend traffic will include more young people and families.

Understanding what is involved in the daily operation of a soup bar is also imperative. Since you are dealing primarily in food, it is important that preparation techniques are sound and all food served is of high quality and appearance.

It is also important that you abide by the necessary health standards and obtain the necessary licence required to run a food-based business.

All this and much more will be outlined by our services. We will investigate market potential, what to consider when choosing business premises and location, what equipment you will need, what to consider when it comes to costs and stock, how to effectively operate your business and the tax and legal issues you should be aware of.

Remember, not only is starting a business a major life-changing decision, it is also a major financial investment. As a result, you will need to make sure you are fully aware of the commitment you are about to make and what is involved.

We will help you to arm yourself with the appropriate information. Information that is accurate, up-to-date and applicable to your individual circumstances.

We will also outline:

* How to attract more customers and keep them coming back
* Interior design and decoration of your soup bar
* Efficient production methods
* Selecting the right staff
* The legal requirements for running a soup bar
* Food hygiene standards
* How to monitor and order stock
* How to price your products

And for your dose of regular food related news clipping:
FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MYSTERY GUEST by lazygourmet

2010-06-14T01:54:00.019+07:00

As an entrepreneur first, I understand that every business owner or manager will arrive at a place where they have questions without answers...

When that time comes, we seek help outside ourselves!

This is often with friends and peers – other business owners in many cases...

... but when the amount of attention and knowledge required becomes extensive, it may be time to hire a restaurant consultant or coach to bring new light and expertise to the situation.
Fresh eyes and ears can open up a world of improved service and up selling solutions.

At one time or another, I have made a living doing every job in a restaurant...
I have also been providing ideas and advices to food and beverage operations, all around South-East Asia, for the past 15 years!

WHO IS LAZY GOURMET?

I do guarantee to approach the assignment as if I were doing the work for my own account.

HOW CAN I HELP YOU?

Consultants are expensive if they cannot solve your problem (and keep your money!) or if they come up with wrong answers...
Consultants are also expensive if they come up with the right answer and you ignore it!

HOW EXPENSIVE?

My goal is to work myself out of a job as quick as possible. This why my work usually involves some degree of teaching and counseling.
Knowledge is more powerful than ignorance, but understanding is more powerful than knowledge. What you understand, you can maintain!

You cannot afford to retain me if you are not willing to take my own advice!

Related Post: BE YOUR OWN MYSTERY GUEST

Being on extensive consultancy missions, this blog will start again by the beginning of September...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS, PERSONAL AND ESSENTIAL ARTICLES ARE UNDER LABELS & IN THE ARCHIVES ...

And for your dose of regular news clipping: FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST

2010-05-14T01:05:00.011+07:00

THAILAND CRISIS SPECIAL NEWS CLIPPINGS...
REGARDING THE DAMAGE DONE TO OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY!

More Thailand, Much Cheaper
You may have heard it, Thailand’s tourism industry is again suffering thanks to our red brothers promising a bright future and pure democracy. As a “side effect” there’s a flare up of civil unrest with reds hurting their very own people, upcountry migrant workers. Because, however looked at, as a result many tourists and business travelers have canceled or reconsidered their travel plans to Thailand.
To be continued @ "Absolutely Bangkok"

Some 1,500 food venues in BKK close on rally
Food sales at our members in Bangkok are falling by 70 per cent. Those with many branches have transferred employees to unaffected areas, but many standalone shops have laid off their workers.
To be continued @ "The Nation"

Bangkok: Tale of two cities
I think when Conrad Hilton used the words “location, location, location” to describe the most important attributes for a hotel, he probably didn’t mean it in the context that is being played out in Bangkok today.
To be continued @ "The Transit Cafe"

Phuket hotel occupancy in "massive decline"
Hotel occupancy in Phuket – currently at 40%, when it should be 70% at this time of year.
To be continued @ "Phuket Gazette"

Red-shirt protests give Bangkok hotels the blues
The ongoing anti-government protests throughout Bangkok, Thailand, by the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, commonly known as the red shirts, are having a significant negative impact on the city’s hotel performance. Daily data from STR Global, the leading provider of market data to the world’s hotel industry, shows the immediate impact while monthly trend data shows a marked resilience by hoteliers in the Thai capital during the last few years.
To be continued @ "Hotel News Now"

More Hotels, Restaurants Down Shutters in Bangkok
At least four luxury hotels located near the protest site at the Rajprasong intersection, and Silom area have confirmed they would be shutting operations for a short period even as the number of restaurants downing their shutters is increasing.
To be continued @ "ehotelier"

But let's finish on a better note:

Thai tourism resilient despite Bangkok protests
Flight searches to Bangkok for summer travel remain at normal levels despite ongoing political unrest in Thailand.Despite warnings from the British FCO which is currently advising against all but essential.
To be continued @ "4Hoteliers"

Being on extensive consultancy missions, this blog will start again by the end of June...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS, PERSONAL AND ESSENTIAL ARTICLES ARE UNDER LABELS & IN THE ARCHIVES ...

And for your dose of regular news clipping: FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST

2010-04-30T01:45:00.001+07:00

RESTAURANT DIGITAL:
Facebook - Coming to a Restaurant/Hotel Website Near You
By 4Hoteliers

DESTINATION MARKETING:
Bangkok: Tale of two cities
by the Transit Cafe

REVENUE MANAGEMENT:
More Hotels, Restaurants Down Shutters in Bangkok
by E-hotelier

HOTELS:
Navigating the Hotel Star System
By SFGate

TRENDS:
Taking the Dining Experience into New Heights
by Ehotelier

Starting from now, I will only post hospitality industry news clippings once a month...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS ARTICLES ARE UNDER LABELS AND IN THE ARCHIVES ...

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST

2010-03-26T01:40:00.011+07:00

RESTAURANT MARKETING:
5 Key Principles Of Restaurant Marketing
By Restaurant Commando

SERVICE EXCELLENCE COACHING:
Why customer feedback is crucial to the hospitality industry?
by Eat Out

DESTINATION MARKETING:
Ubud Best Asian City
by Ehotelier

REVENUE MANAGEMENT:
Is There Money To Be Made After Hours?
by Running Restaurants

HOTELS:
The Master List of Worldwide Hotel Openings in 2010
By Hotel Chatter

TRENDS:
Pod Hotels Feature Capsules, Cabins, Igloos & iPods
by Inventorspot

Starting from now, I will only post hospitality industry news clippings once a month...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS ARTICLES ARE UNDER LABELS AND IN THE ARCHIVES ...

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST

2010-02-26T01:56:00.001+07:00

RESTAURANT MARKETING:
Simple Tips On How To Grow A Restaurant VIP Club
By Restaurant Commando

SERVICE EXCELLENCE COACHING:
On Service in Paris
by Croque Camille

BRAND MARKETING:
The Sanctity of Restaurants
By Accidental Hedonist

DESTINATION MARKETING:
How Cheap a Holiday in Thailand is?
by Thai-Blogs.com

REVENUE MANAGEMENT:
Top 10 Revenue Management Opportunities for 2010
by Hospitality Net

HOTELS:
The Master List of Worldwide Hotel Openings in 2010
By Hotel Chatter

TRENDS:
The “New Normal” in 2010: five trends to watch
by Jan D. Freitag

Starting from now, I will only post hospitality industry news clippings once a month...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS ARTICLES ARE UNDER LABELS AND IN THE ARCHIVES ...

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not take any comment but I will reply to all email.

MONTHLY NEWS DIGEST

2010-01-29T02:03:00.006+07:00

RESTAURANT MARKETING:
Wake Up -- Your Customer Does All The Work!
By Restaurant Report & RunningRestaurants

SERVICE EXCELLENCE COACHING:
Basic Restaurant Customer Service Do's and Dont's
by Topserve Consulting

BRAND MARKETING:
It’s 2010 – Where is Your Brand Going?
By Ehotelier

DESTINATION MARKETING:
The 31 Places to Go in 2010
by The New York Times

REVENUE MANAGEMENT:
Top 10 Revenue Management Opportunities for 2010
by Hospitality Net

HOTELS:
10 Unusual Hotels Around the World
By Hotel Design

TRENDS:
10 crucial consumer trends for 2010
by Trendwatching

Starting from now, I will only post hospitality industry news clippings once a month...

BUT MY OWN PREVIOUS ARTICLES ARE IN THE ARCHIVES ...

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have any comment but I will reply to all email.

RESTAURANT & HOTEL FOOD TRENDS FOR 2010

2009-12-18T12:21:00.010+07:00

Courtesy of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman

Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. are creators of high-profile restaurants around the world...
Their predictions follow:

#1 NEW PRIORITIES FOR BEATEN-UP CONSUMERS: Too many restaurant and hotel execs are grappling with pre-recession consumer issues, while people today are expressing entirely new – and more complex - sets of concerns. These concerns might tamp down consumer spending for another five years – and are difficult for hotel and restaurant professionals to deal with. Why? Because what worries people today no longer reflects abstract and idealistic pre-recession issues. Now people are focusing inward.

#2 PUTTING FOCUS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MENU … because that’s where the emotional resonance is! Look for more creative snacky things, more small plates, more portion options … things sized for one, for two, for a crowd. This isn’t just a “small plates phenomenon” … because it isn’t about the size of the plate: Sharing is the key … sharing responds to consumers’ needs for comfort and safety, for intimacy and friendship.

#3 UPSCALING THE DOWNSCALE: No question that consumers are trading down. Steakhouse sales slipped 25%-30% since last year, and $100 bottles of wine gather dust. Predictably, hamburger and hot dog sales are on the rise but not because they’re cheap. What’s important is that consumers are using these vehicles as trade-up treats! That’s what’s behind the explosion of “gourmet” hamburgers smothered in the likes of manchego cheese and Iberian ham; or fanciful hot dogs served with goat cheese and guacamole; or french fries revved up with parmesan cheese and truffle oil. Consumers are trading down in order to trade up!

#4 FRESH = LOCAL = HAND-MADE = SAFER = BETTER
The words “organic” and “natural” are so diluted (polluted, actually) by big-brand food companies that they’re being replaced in consumers’ minds by “fresh” and “local” and “hand-made.” That’s why farmers markets are catching on everywhere even though food there costs more than at chain retailers: People are looking for edibles they can trust, and for food communities that stand personally behind their products.
Restaurants and hotels are spotlighting house-made or locally-made bread, artisan-cured salami, chef-pickled vegetables, locally- butchered beef, honey from nearby hives, food purchased from regional farms.

#5 FRIED CHICKEN IS THE NEW PORK BELLY: Fed up with globs of pig fat from undercooked pork belly? Say hello new-fangled fried chicken -- crisped in all sorts of inventive ways by lowly diner cooks and exalted chefs alike. Ahead of the curve: Korean fried chicken, invisibly coated, amazingly flavorful and fried twice for ultra-crunch, moving out of traditional Korean-towns into mainstream neighborhoods. Global players from Southeast Asia are eyeing the US market, their birds fragrant with lemongrass, fish sauce and warm spices.

#6 PUTTING IN “GOOD” ADDITIVES INSTEAD OF TAKING OUT NASTY ONES: After years of purging their food of such “nasties” as transfats and other greases, preservatives, sodium (still work to do there), and artificial flavors and colors … food companies now are scrambling for additives that make you healthier and more beautiful. Savvy restaurateurs ought to take note of shenanigans like adding omega-3 and plant sterols to breads to alleviate stress and lower cholesterol; antioxidants and pro-biotics to goose your immune system; vitamins to already adulterated bottled water; collagen to dried fruit (you can’t make this up) for women sidestepping the ravages of aging; and various unpronounceables that blunt your appetite so you’ll(maybe) lose weight!

#7 THEY LAUGHED WHEN WE SAID “TONGUE”: Last year, some bloggers said we’d gone bonkers by predicting that tongue – beef and veal – would be hot in 2009. Well … here’s the Offal Truth: For 2010, it’ll be tongue (including lamb) and oxtail along with beef and pork cheeks, chicken gizzards, tripe, and other innards and odd parts.

#8 LOSING CONTROL OVER LANGUAGE: Hotels and restaurants no longer control what’s said about them … or who says it. The old experts … travel and food journalists … are disappearing, along with their newspapers and magazines. Instead, authority is dispersed among the Instant Opinion Makers: bloggers, texters, twitterers, facebookers,... who broadcast “buzz” and bad news to a million gullible people in the blink of an eye. So we’re swapping good gourmet-journalism for dubious opinions.

#9 SWEET TO BITTER TO TART: A decade or so back,palates made a profound shift from sweet to bitter – which explains the rise of strong coffee, dark chocolate, broccoli rabb, Brussels sprouts and other bitter food. There’s been another, quieter shift, from sweet-sweet to tart-sweet. That’s why chefs are now pickling their own vegetables to serve with newly trendy rich and fatty meats.

#10 MENU CHURN: A crummy economy and declining consumer traffic forces restaurants to poach each other customers by stealing competitors’ top menu items. This happens all the time in a copycat industry, but it has accelerated. Fast food chains are adding up-priced imitations of gourmet burgers. Pizza chains are suddenly becoming pasta, sandwich and chicken wings specialists. Specialty juice chains fight back by adding pizzas and flat breads. Look for juice bars and smoothie bars in fast food and fast-"en-cas" outlets in 2010.

#11 MEET YOU AT THE SUPERMARKET: The frequency of meals eaten away from home was sliding even before the global economic collapse – in large part because fewer women are working -- but accelerating numbers of consumers are re-discovering their dining room tables.

#12 CATERING TO KIDS: It’s no accident that kids’ menus are popping up on chain restaurants: The recession did it.Look for more kids-eat-free restaurant promotions, more emphasis on healthful kid’s menus, and more “adult” things for kids to eat along with their food-savvy parents.

For the complete report and other bright ideas: www.baumwhiteman.com

And starting from now, you won't hear from me until the end of January...

SEASON GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES TO ALL OF YOU...

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have any comment but I will reply to all email.

RESTAURANT OBITUARY

2009-11-27T01:25:00.010+07:00

'The (insert name of restaurant)

The (insert name of restaurant) was opened on (insert date and year) by (insert owner). Through the years the restaurant and its employees were major contributors to the growth of the local community. (insert owner) also owned and operated (list other properties and locations).

The (insert) was well known for its products and services, and how management appreciated the contributions made by its employees. Many young people returned each summer to work, later furthering their education with the help of the restaurant, and returning here to open their own businesses.

The property was always impeccably maintained, invitingly so. People came from near and far to enjoy their outstanding food and personalized service. It was awarded the (insert brand name) 'best restaurant of the year' award in (insert year/s).

The restaurant was also consistently listed among this city's 'best places to work'. Wages were above the industry average attracting the best applicants to our area. Benefits were appealing and many of the staff stayed for decades, in turn contributing to this area's growth and success.

The restaurant was frequently remodeled ahead of competitors to maintain its reputation as an industry leader. Local construction companies rather than out-of-the-area contractors were used bringing needed revenue to numerous small businesses here. Over the years the owner, (insert name) and many of the restaurant's management staff were cited by the local chambers of commerce, not-for-profit service organizations and churches for their volunteer activities and notable contributions.

No details are currently available as to why the restaurant closed. But it will be missed - by many.'

Would your restaurant's obituary read similarly? Would it even be missed? Or would anyone really notice?

Would anyone attend the funeral service for your restaurant? Would they mourn its passing by recounting their favorite stories and experiences? Or would they simply say 'good riddance'.

If you're looking for purpose, creating a mission statement, developing an organizational service culture, setting goals, or establishing management-employee relations policies and procedures, I suggest the best place to start might be at the end - by looking and working backwards.

Perhaps the answer to create a good business reputation begins by deciding what you want to be said about your hotel when it's all said and done - by writing your restaurant's obituary.

If your restaurant close tomorrow... will anyone care or miss you?

Related Post: Restaurant Myths

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have any comment but I will reply to all email.

RESTAURANT MYTHS

2009-11-13T01:03:00.010+07:00

I own a restaurant!
Nothing will conjure up looks of envy and awe faster than those four words. People assume (which you should never do because it makes ASS out of U and ME) that owning a restaurant is fun and exciting, a great way to make money and perhaps even become famous. Well, I am here to tell you that owning a restaurant is a lot of hard work more than anything else. While there are definite benefits to being your own boss, there are serious drawbacks as well. Let’s clear the air and dispel some of those pesky restaurant myths that keep popping up.

1. It’s a Wicked Fun Job!
While fun is what you make of it, it would be a bit of a stretch to assume that the restaurant business is all fun and games. It’s more like work and stress. Owning a restaurant means you will be at work a majority of the time, especially in the beginning. Do you like weekends, holidays, and your kids’ birthdays? Well too bad, because chances are you get to work those days. Case in point, those are work days!

2. I’ll be Rich!
No. Stop right here. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. In fact, you’d better pay that $200 out to payroll, work permit, sales tax, insurance, rent, mortgage, food purchases, liquor purchases, utilities, repairs, ect… Get the idea? Restaurants can earn a lot of money. However, they spend almost all that they make. A restaurant owner can earn a decent living (read = not rich) but only if he or she intends on working in the restaurant. Many people think they will open a restaurant and draw a paycheck, without actually cooking, managing or waiting tables. This may work in the beginning, but restaurants can’t support dead weight for very long. If you don’t plan on working, don’t plan on getting paid.

3. I Love to Cook, so I Should Open My Own Restaurant, Right?
Maybe. The fastest way to ruin a favorite hobby is to make it your living. Of course, doing something that you truly love can also inspire you to work harder. Keep in mind though, that cooking for close friends and family is not the same as cooking for strangers who are plunking down hard earned money for your food. Even if friends and family say you should open a restaurant, remember, they are your friends and family and not the most impartial of judges. Try catering a few small parties (for non-friends and family) before taking the leap into opening your own restaurant, to get a small taste of the food business.

4. I Will Have a Place to Hang Out With my Friends!
Frankly, to me this is the most irritating of all myths. If you want to hang out with your friends, build a bar in your basement or throw a party. Don’t invest thousands of dollars into a business you have no intention of overseeing. And you won’t be overseeing anything if you are hanging out with your friends, drinking and watching football. No one is going to care about your restaurant as much as you do. And if you don’t care, then why should your staff?!?

5. I am Going to be Famous!
I admit it. I was totally fantasizing about being the next Food Channel Star. I also fantasize about winning Lottery, buying a Scottish castle and keeping company with Charles and Camilla. It’s a fantasy, not a reality. And I’m not in the restaurant business to get famous. I’m in it to make a living.
Celebrity chefs like are everywhere these days. They have two or three network shows, cookware lines, commercials, food lines as well as popular restaurants. But they didn’t start out famous. They started out with…here it comes…hard work! While its fun to pretend you might make it big in entertainment as well as with your restaurant, chances are, you will have to settle for being an everyday "Joe". And that is okay.

6. Just because you are a success in one business doesn’t mean you will be successful as a restaurant owner.
Gordon Ramsay pointed this out with the owner of an over-the-top rural English pub. The owner had been hugely successful in other ventures, (he took Gordon on a tour of the grounds in his private helicopter) but couldn’t figure out why his restaurant was doing so poorly. Gordon, in his wonderful lack-of-tact style was quick to point out to most obvious flaws…menu, kitchen staff, wait staff. The owner didn’t take kindly to any of Gordon criticisms at first. Eventually he came round and followed Gordon advice (like they do in every episode Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares) and he and his restaurant lived happily ever after.
The big problem with this particular restaurant owner was his pride. He thought because he was successful in other areas, he would naturally be successful in the restaurant business, despite having zero experience in it. When suggestions were made to change his menu and his marketing approach, he balked. He took the suggestions as a personal affront, rather than much needed business advice.

7. Everyone Will Flock to Your Restaurant
During another viewing of Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon is getting the low down on the history of the restaurant he will be helping this week. The owner mentioned how successful his grand opening was. He said people, many of whom were friends, loved it and they all said they were coming back. He was very excited. Unfortunately his friends were big fat liars.
If you build it they might come. Or they might just say they will come. Or they might show up once and never come back. I don't mean to sound well...mean, but people will lie to you without thinking twice, if they think that is what you want to hear.
Friends, family, coworkers, even general acquaintances are great for support, but not a substitute for real demographic research and market analysis that is needed to open a successful restaurant.

8. Just Because You Work in a Restaurant Doesn’t Mean You Should Own One!
Working in a restaurant before owning one is preferable in this industry. It is the only way to really understand how a restaurant operates, in both the front and back of the house. But just because you have worked in a restaurant doesn’t mean you are ready to own one. Being an employee is very different than being an employer.
As an employee, you can go home after your shift and not worry about how the restaurant is going to make its rent. Or how your going to pay the electric bill if you have another slow weekend. You aren’t thinking of ways to trim labor costs or improve the menu. Owning a restaurant is a 24/7 job. It never goes away. It is always with you. Whether you want it there or not.

“So who should open a restaurant?”
Well, I'll tell you who I think make the best restaurant owners. People with who are tenacious. People who don’t give up, even when common sense is screaming at them to do so. People who really believe that they can be a success. People who are patient. Because, despite stories on the Food Channel, success does not come overnight in this business, if it comes at all.

Related post: Restaurant Openings

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have any comment but I will reply to all email.

WHAT IS HOSPITALITY?!?

2009-10-30T10:00:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's (another) Friday!
A few more tips from lazygourmet...

Hospitality is much more than word today, it has become an industry that runs the danger of becoming too high tech, with too little high touch.

Hospitality should have many adjectives, but many of us cannot precisely define it.

Hospitality means providing service to others, yet not being cast as a servant.

Adjectives that should apply to Hospitality include:

Attentive, courteous, amiable, cordial, agreeable, gracious and welcoming.

Hospitality also means demonstrating consistent excellence and quality in people skills (staff and guests), product and ambiance.

It should also mean profitably providing value and worth at any price level, while demonstrating your own unique points of distinction.

Hospitality should be smiles, trust, caring and sharing your operation’s success, regardless of you job title.

Most of all, Hospitality should be a “place”, where people can still be exceptional individuals, where they can extend their own personality and style.

Hospitality is a place and a feeling where one can build their own self-esteem and pride, by providing positive memories and experiences to our guests.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have any comment but I will reply to all email.

And also, due to extensive travels and engagements... Starting now, you will get my posts on the second and the last Friday of each months.

START PLANNING FOR CHRISTMAS

2009-10-09T01:28:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's (another) Friday!
A few more tips from lazygourmet...

It may seem very early to start thinking about Christmas but it's going to be more competitive than ever this year.

December is the most profitable time of the year for all hospitality businesses but this year will be bleak for many. With redundancies on the rise and tighter budgets than ever, attracting those profitable office parties is going to be tough and key to many's survival.

This year, the Christmas spirit will not come easily to many people. But there are many thoughtful, personal ways to use the season to build stronger links with customers. For some, it could be the start of a valuable, long-term relationship with your business.

Make this the season of list building.

Call it your database or Christmas card list - it doesn't matter so long as you grab a name, email, mobile number and basic preferences - do they want to hear about new wines, new bands, new food or football nights? Spam is when people are sent information that doesn't interest them - taking care with how you gather data at the beginning avoids this and will make your list much more responsive. Constant Contact makes it easy to run.

Chase down previous bookings.

If you haven't heard from them, phone, fax or write - this year needs much more assertive promotion. If you don't have someone on staff who is confident on the phone, ask a wine rep to do it - they know how!

Write and Send a Card.

Almost any card will do, and who said it has to be your handwriting? This is SO powerful, because it's usually unexpected. Use your booking list and some spare waiter time to get it done before December.

Promote Gift Hampers.

For corporate customers and for 'friends who have everything'. Raffle one every week to bring it to everyone's attention - the profit margins can be excellent if you include a 'secret ingredient'.

Sell your clothing and merchandise like a real gift shop.

So many lost opportunities when the display, pricing and packaging is last-minute or stuffed in a corner. These are great gifts for last-minute giving - do you have a stylish t-shirt available?

Poke some fun at the economic gloom.

A low-cost wine becomes the Recession Red, or design a Banker's Banquet package that looks flash but keeps the cost affordable. Better this than the Discount Desperation Deal.

Promote community spirit with a charity donation.

Groups such as World Vision and Oxfam have 'gifts' that builds lives - school books, a goat or a water pump. You may like to organise a group donation from your business.

Create a Wishing Tree.

Make it out of cardboard and ask customers to write a Christmas wish on it - a home-made feel makes it more genuine. Customers have an opportunity to share their thoughts, and you show that the business is about more than just sales and money.

Consider your non-Christian clients.

Depending on where you are, there may be a large number who don't celebrate the religious festival, but want to enjoy time with friends.

Share your Top 10 Best and Worst Lists for the year.

'10 life & death excuses why customers were late for a reservation', '10 Best Selling Cocktails' etc - keep it fun.

Be firm about deposits.

The booking is only confirmed when the money is paid. Many groups will also accept having to pre-pay for the entire group which cuts down on no-shows. Offer the best value in town, then make sure customers show you respect.

It really is crucial to start the process now and, don't forget, deposits paid now are a useful and sometimes much needed addition to cash flow.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

And also, due to extensive travels and engagements... Starting now, you will get my posts on the second and the last Friday of each months.

WHY YOU TRULY, SINCERELY NEED TO LOVE YOUR CLIENTS?!?

2009-09-25T20:30:00.007+07:00

(adapted from JOSE L RISCO @ www.myrestaurantmarketing.com )

Your clients go to your restaurant looking for an experience.

They are looking for a sentiment, a sensation.

They want to feel special (we all want to feel special, don't we?) and if you are able to provide them with what they crave the most, this simple fact can totally transform your business.

Eating is a social event that we normally enjoy surrounded by other people.

A frustrated client for sure will not come back, he will probably tell all his friends how bad the place is, and recommend to everybody who crosses his path to avoid it like the plague.

Most restaurants spend lots of money trying to attract new customers to squeeze from them all the money they can, for as little effort as possible.

If you want to really succeed, if you want your restaurant to be a place where people want to come back time and again, you need to be different.

Most restaurant owners fall in love with their place, their own food, their own atmosphere, they think that they have the coolest place in town...

Do not make this mistake; instead, fall in love with your clients.

Nobody wants to recommend or revisit a place where his experience was less than excellent and studies show that people's opinions have four times the credibility of any other form of promotion.

You need to re-engineer your place, your staff, and your whole business around your clients. The point of your entire place, of your entire business existence is to make your clients happy.

And because of this, think about your other clients: your employees, your food providers.

Work with them as well. Put them at the center of your efforts.
They are a very important part of your business.

If they do not perform your whole operation will fail.

Related Post: Ten Ways to Improve your Restaurant Service

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

TEN REASONS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA

2009-09-18T01:01:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A few more tips from lazygourmet...

Been hearing the buzz about social media but not sure how to make it work for you?

New construction, conversion, or re-flagging restaurants can make great use of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other social media tools... Here are a few ways to do it:

1. To Replace the Boring Old Newsletter. Rather than sending out a monthly newsletter to update your clients, create a Facebook Fan Page for your new restaurant. Use the status update tool to do just that - update your fans about the status of the restaurant's construction or conversion. No detail is too minute - people really are interested in the hand-woven wall covering - but don't overwhelm. Once a day is plenty.

2. To Compound the Power of People. Whether you like it or not, your staff is using Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and everything else. Rather than fight the inevitable, put the power of their connections to good use. When you hire new employees, send out announcements to your fans and followers. Then, have your new hires invite their friends to become fans of the restaurant.

3. To Record History Painlessly. Post photos of construction progress to Flickr or a photoblog. While you wait for corporate to approve your official images, direct potential clients to these shots so they can start to visualize the finished product with you. Take and post pictures of clients on site tours, then email the link as a follow-up. When you're ready to put together the opening day slide show for the staff, you'll have lots of images to use.

4. To Supplement (or Replace) Printed Brochures. Even the most beautiful artist's renderings of your dining room are useless after opening day. Save money and paper by uploading your latest PowerPoint to a service like SlideShare. You can point interested parties there with a link and make real-time changes. Bonus: you avoid storing, and then throwing away, boxes of outdated rack cards later.

5. To Establish Your restaurant as an Expert. i.e.: Is your restaurant positioned to corner the market on wedding parties? Begin to establish your credibility before you open by posting wedding party planning tips. Link to vendors who do great work, and post pictures of their cakes and bouquets. In short, be a part of the conversation, and contribute valuable information - not just sales pitches.

6. To Get Customer Feedback Before You Mess Up. Many, many policy decisions are made by two people drinking coffee on no sleep three weeks before opening. Rather than waffle or deal with backlash later, open the discussion to your fans. You may not follow their advice (no, I don't think we'll allow beer sales to 13-year-olds), but you will get some interesting perspective.

7. To Find Out What Your Clients Care About. Lots of new restaurant partner with a local charity to make contacts and generate buzz (in addition to giving back). Ask your local tweeps (followers on Twitter) for ideas so you can gauge how well your support will impact your strategic goals.

8. To Set Yourself Apart. Regardless of the supposed ubiquity of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for business, most restaurants either don't do social media or don't do it well. You have to be a part of the conversation rather than spitting out a sales pitch with every status update. If you get it right, you will be one of the few.

9. To Crack Yourself, and Your Fans, Up. Everyone appreciates a mental rest stop. There are zillions of hospitality-focused diversionary websites out there. Post an occasional link to one of them. Even if you're the only one laughing, you'll still be laughing, and you can use as much of that as you can get while opening a restaurant.

10. To Humanize Your Business. The point of using social media for your new restaurant is to humanize the business and create an emotional connection with your fans. Trying to create a "template" for social media is like building a snowflake factory - at best, you're boring, and at worst, you fall apart before you even hit the ground. Be real. Really.

Related Post: Ten Ways to Engage your Facebook Fans

Interesting Read: The new reality of Facebook marketing

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

TRUTHS ABOUT CUSTOMERS...

2009-09-11T01:30:00.001+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

courtesy of Jay Levinson and Amy Levinson

You may think you know why your customers buy from you but there's a good chance they buy for reasons other than the reasons you think. Or they don't buy for reasons that may escape you.

People seek a wide array of benefits when they're in a buying mindset. If you are communicating any one of those benefits to the people who want them this very instant, you've virtually made the sale.

People do not buy because marketing is clever, but because marketing strikes a responsive chord in the mind of the prospect, and its resonance makes that person want the advantages of what you are selling.

Your customers do not buy because they're being marketed to or sold to. Instead, they buy because you help them realize the merits of owning what you offer.

They often buy because you offer them instant gratification -- such as I sought when El Nino flexed his muscles and my roof began to leak. Sprinting to the yellow pages, I called the one roof repair company that offered emergency service, for there I was, smack dab in the middle of an emergency.

It was an easy decision for me. The company offered just the benefit I needed. I was in the market for a specific benefit and there it was, grinning up at me from the directory. If the company's ad heralded their new roofing materials, I would have ignored it.

Like most people, I was looking to buy a benefit, not a feature. Everybody knows that. But the truth is that people don't always buy benefits. They buy a whole lot more:

They buy promises you make. So make them with care.
They buy the promises they want personally fulfilled.
They buy your credibility or don't buy if you lack it.
They buy solutions to their problems.
They buy you, your employees, your service department.
They buy wealth, safety, success, security, love and acceptance.
They buy your guarantee, reputation and good name.
They buy other people's opinions of your business.
They buy expectations based upon your marketing.
They buy believable claims, not simply honest claims.
They buy hope for their own and their company's future.
They buy brand names over strange names.
They buy the consistency they've seen you exhibit.
They buy the stature of the media in which you market.
They buy the professionalism of your marketing materials.
They buy value, which is not the same as price.
They buy selection and often the best of your selection.
They buy freedom from risk, granted by your warranty.
They buy acceptance by others of your goods or services.
They buy certainty.
They buy convenience in buying, paying and lots more.
They buy respect for their own ideas and personality.
They buy your identity as conveyed by your marketing.
They buy style -- just the kind that fits their own style.
They buy neatness and assume that's how you do business.
They buy easy access to information about you, offered by your website.
They buy honesty for one dishonest word means no sale.
They buy comfort, offerings that fit their comfort zone.
They buy success; your success can fit with theirs.
They buy good taste and know it from bad taste.
They buy instant gratification and don't love to wait.
They buy the confidence you display in your own business.

It's also important to know what customers do not buy: fancy adjectives, exaggerated claims, clever headlines, special effects, marketing that screams, marketing that even hints at amateurishness, the lowest price anything (though 14 percent do), unproved items, or gorgeous graphics that get in the way of the message.

Jay Conrad Levinson
The Father of Guerrilla Marketing
Author: "Guerrilla Marketing" series of books with over 14 million sold; now in 42 languages

www.gmarketing.com
www.guerrillamarketingassociation.com

"Because the purpose of business is to create client, the business enterprise has two -and only two- basic functions : Marketing and Innovations"
Peter Drucker-In Search of Excellence-

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

TEN WAYS TO IMPROVE RESTAURANT SERVICE

2009-09-04T01:56:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

There are many, many ways to improve restaurant customer service.

Approximately 50% of the time it is plain, good "common sense" that will help one achieve excellent restaurant customer service.

Here are 10 Ways To Improve Restaurant Service:

1. Hire better hosts and hostesses, meaning those who can do more than smile and offer rote salutations. When gauging hospitality
skills, look for five traits in your employees: "1)extremely nice;
2)intelligent; 3)infused with an extraordinary work ethic;
4)empathetic; 5)emotionally self-aware".

2. Tell your waiters that when taking orders it is not imperative
that they congratulate each diner for their brilliant selections;
it comes across as insincere. And it's even worse to congratulate
just one person sincerely, as it makes it seem as though everyone
else at the table ordered crap.

3. Have waiters refrain from repeatedly asking how things are, if
everything is okay, and so forth -- and especially from
interrupting conversation to do so. A simple "Let me know if I can
get you anything" uttered at the beginning of the meal will suffice.

4. It is likewise unnecessary to query whether we'd like more
water; if the glass is empty, just fill it. On the other hand,
please do not have workers replenish water glasses each time a sip
is taken.

5. Waiters should not remove one diner's plate while others are
still eating, and at no time should they scrape leftovers from one
plate onto another and stack them while at the table.

6. Assign someone to inspect flatware more closely for smudges and
stains, and to check wine glasses for soapy odors.

7. If at all possible, keep service stations away from tables --
it's nerve-wracking to be seated next to one.

8. When things go wrong, make them right. Was the wait for a table
unduly long? Was a dinner order fluffed by the waiter or kitchen?
Was a diners' entree returned for being improperly cooked, and did
that result in the person having to dine after everyone else was
near finished? Make a generous gesture to the offended group so
they leave the premises delighted rather than disgruntled.

9. Do not abandon diners after dessert is served. Have waiters
remove empty dessert plates in timely fashion and to ask their
guests if they would like the check. If the response is
affirmative, it should be brought promptly and the waiter should
stay relatively close by to pick up the payment when ready.

10. Hire better dining room managers, meaning those who can do more
than make token stops at each table to ask if everything is all
right and then quickly move on. Performing the job with aplomb entails keeping a keen, roving eye on the room,
being aware of the progress of each table, and orchestrating
solutions to problems as they arise -- such as getting a check to a
table of impatient diners whose waiter is bogged down.

Related post: Staff Scheduling

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

RESTAURANT COACHING AND CONSULTATIONS, GOOD IDEA?

2009-08-28T01:00:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Every business owner or manager will arrive at a place where they have questions without answers. When that time comes, we seek help outside ourselves. This is often with friends and peers – other business owners in many cases.

But when the amount of attention and knowledge required becomes extensive, it may be time to hire a restaurant consultant or coach to bring new light and expertise to the situation.

Having worked as both a consultant and a consumer of consulting services, I have thought long and hard about the issues that are important to a successful coaching program. How can you as a restaurant owner get the information and action needed, at a fair price?

Know what you want in advance.

Having open ended and vague descriptions of what you need accomplished will take consulting time and increase cost unnecessarily. The first thing you should do before inviting a third party into a situation is taking a moment to flesh out the details of what you need. From there, spend a few moments to formulate a series of definite, concrete questions that can be answered with specific plans.

In many cases this simple process will bring answers to light that you had not thought about prior.

Simply take a few moments to remove emotions from the situation… relax… and reconsider the possibilities. We can evaluate circumstances with a fresh set of eyes.

This is what I mean ask yourself: “If I was a consultant coming into MY business, what are the first things I would talk about?”

The times you should absolutely hire a consultant is when you are asking questions and cannot think of the answers. If the answers require extensive research, you will have to decide if it is worth the time. It may be that a consultant could help you accomplish it better and faster. BUT at least you will have specific questions to ask them.

Look for consultants with specialized knowledge.

The reason is that many “restaurant consultants” are entirely clueless about topics that can increase your business and profit margins. Marketing is a great example. Technical subjects are another. Do not let a generic restaurant consultant fool you into thinking they can handle all topics equally – as mentioned, always look for real-world experience for YOUR needs.

However, if the subject is purely operational, it is a good idea to find someone who has run restaurants similar to yours AND been very successful at it.

Get a detailed written proposal.

You have your questions – ask how the consultant intends to deliver their advice, what guarantees are involved and how fees are affected.

Before hiring, CHECK THEIR ANSWERS! I have seen it more than once – someone answers questions point blank (like they know what they are talking about) but when fact-checking comes into play… well… it was all made up. It is important to make sure advice given is sound across the board, and legal.

Many consultants will fill their proposals with marketing-lingo (often senseless garbage) and attempt to push things you do not need. Avoid this. You have specific needs, get specific answers. Only allow up-sells and additions to the proposal after you consider whether it is actually needed. Do NOT decide on the spot, with the consultant in front of you.

Restaurant consultation prices.

There are basically two forms of pricing: hourly and flat-fee. Consultants with hourly fees should be avoided if your questions were difficult to formulate, or if you are unsure of specific needs. What tends to happen is they can milk the hourly fee.

I recommend offering consultants that get paid by the hour the opportunity to be paid at a flat-rate to address specific situations. If they address the situations satisfactorily, then invite them for their normal rates.

Top consultants are usually paid by the hour (some by 10 minute segments!). If you are dealing with those widely considered to be the best in their fields of knowledge, that is expected. What also comes with these types of people are satisfaction guarantees.

Gut feeling.

Many restaurant owners do not consider the chemistry factor – how they get along with the person they are about to share intimate details of their business with.

To get the most out of your coaching and consultations, it is always best to have a good gut-feeling with the person. If there is ANY sense of discomfort, or things just do not seem 100% during the introductory period, then stop. Move on.

One very important thing to consider is, would you hire the restaurant consultant to be a part of your team full-time? They are working FOR YOU, remember.

Related post: How expensive are consultants?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all email.

DESTINATION MARKETING

2009-07-17T01:39:00.027+07:00

Lately, there has been plenty of discussion about Koh Phangan and its potential for luxury ecotourism. New hotel projects are in the works all over the island.
Despite all the talk, hope and speculation, Koh Phangan has little history of high end tourism success and no clear plan for success.
Success is defined differently by many involved in these discussions, but more worrisome is that few agree on what defines failure.

It is never to late for a positive reaction.
Here are the Five Deadly Sins of Tourism that Koh Phangan must avoid:

1. Hyper-growth =Rushing Into Mistakes

Rome was not built in a day, and neither was tourism to visit the ruins of modern-day Rome. A tourism infrastructure requires planning, training, rules and regulations. I am not a big fan of government and especially local authorities, but in the case of tourism, there at least needs to be some zoning and long-term thinking that is enforced with smart laws. Koh Phangan is growing at such breakneck pace, we all have concerns that some of the areas with greatest tourism potential are being overrun with the most expedient projects, many of which have zero concern for long-term effects on ecology, economy or logistics.

2. Copycat = Loss of Culture

Koh Phangan tourism development today lacks much that resembles anything uniquely Southern Thailand. Despite a culture that is as rich and wonderful except its "world famous fullmoon party", too much of the present development borrows on played out ideas from elsewhere. Thai people are far too creative, artistic minded and proud to have their tourism landscape hijacked by unoriginal, cookie-cutter projects.

3. Eco-Unfriendly = Not Sustainable

Whether its an over crowded Haad Rin, water front mega beach hotels, record breaking swimming pools or a tendency to look the other way while projects drain mangroves…it is pretty clear that Koh Phangan is not attempting to mimic Koh Chang's archipelago (Koh Kood comes to my mind) success as a perceived “green” destination.

4. Service-untrained staff = No Return Clients

It is difficult to find a truly service-oriented business in Koh Phangan. Even harder still to find one that can cater to clients who do not speak English. Koh Phangan faces an uphill battle on both fronts, with a shortage of labor trained in foreign languages and fewer still familiar with the adage that, “the customer is always right”. Service training and language skills are not the only challenges facing Koh Phangan’s aim at becoming a tourism mecca; the island has a glut of public holidays that occur during peak tourism months. Good luck to the politician who tries to resolve that delicate issue.

5. “All-Exclusive” Projects = Angry Locals

Koh Phangan entrepreneurs cannot forget to include locals and local culture as part of its future tourism . Development must not mirror the walled in “all-exclusive” disasters of Phuket, Samui, etc. where locals do not actively mix with tourists and exchange culture, ideas and memories. Walling out locales is the fastest way to create resentment toward tourists who traveled all the way to meet and know them.

Despite these pitfalls, having resided five years on the island and still a regular visitor, I do believe fiercely in Koh Phangan’s potential. I will outline my suggested solutions to the possible issues above as well as WHY I am betting on Koh Phangan, in future posts.

Interesting read: What Will the Tourist Be doing in 2030?

Related post: Food is the Attraction: Culinary Tourism

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

This blog does not have comments but I will reply to all (non-anonymous!)email.

And starting now, you will not hear from me again until the end of August...

TEN WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUR FACEBOOK FANS

2009-07-10T01:53:00.008+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

By Susan Deluzain Barry

After you've set up a Facebook fan page, you still have to have something to say! As you build your community of fans, keep in mind that relentless pitching will get you laughed off the virtual stage. Remember, today's fans just might turn into tomorrow's customers, or, even better, your unpaid word-of-mouth sales force. Make sure that you're talking about what they want to hear.

1. Set up comprehensive Google Alerts to deliver the latest news to your inbox. Try topics like "business travel tips," or "things to do in [your area.]" Everything you get won't be wort posting, but you'll get some tidbits that will interest your fans.

2. Use an aggregator site like AllTop.com. This site pulls together tons of resources on tons of topics, and it lets you build a page of content feeds that interest you.

3. Encourage fan photos, videos, and stories. It's often illuminating to see your property through someone else's eyes, and people love to tell their own stories. Think about a free night for the best photo or story featuring your restaurant/resort.

4. Put yourself in your fan's shoes. Don't post something that you would be annoyed to read from your least-favorite business, much less your most-favorite. More than a couple of posts per day, and more than a couple of sales pitches per week, and you will get ignored.

5. Schedule 30 minutes a week for content brainstorming. Put it on your calendar, and spend the time writing down as many things as you can come up with to post about. Take notes and memos when you think of things, and ask your co-workers to help.

6. Use your page for value-added promotions. Don't just ask your followers to visit your new website; give them an exclusive discount rate code to use for upcoming soft dates. Your fans should benefit from paying attention to you - with first dibs on news, offers, and events.

7. Ask questions. The fans of your restaurant/resort want to help you determine your next steps. Ask them to help you choose which charity you'll support this quarter. Take a poll about what time the pool should close. And, PS, actually care about the answers.

8. Don't be afraid to court controversy. Take an issue that inspires passion - like resort fees or early departure charges - and ask your fans what they think. Create a space where people can debate - just try to keep yourself above the fray.

9. Be funny. Everyone appreciates a mental rest stop. Post occasional links to diversionary sites that you like, or tell crazy stories about your place - there's no shortage. Don't be afraid to court hoteliers as fans with inside jokes, either; every time a front desk clerk comments on your posts, they get spread to people you might never reach.

10. Don't fake it. Your fans can tell whether you are sincere about being part of their online community. Social media is at its best when it lifts the curtain to show the human side of a business. Cut the corporate speak, and connect.

About Susan Deluzain Barry:

Susan Deluzain Barry worked as a hotel Director of Sales and Marketing for ten years, opening and reflagging Four Points by Sheraton, Sheraton, Westin, and W properties.She now helps businesses use social media as the owner of Hive Marketing and writes about her adventures at www.entrepreNEW.blogspot.com.
You can follow her on Twitter @hivesusan, become a fan of Hive Marketing on Facebook, or email her personally at susan.barry@hive-marketing.com.

Related posts: Restaurant Marketing Inaction

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

STAFF SCHEDULING

2009-07-03T01:18:00.009+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!

And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Restaurant service staff scheduling is crucial and closely tied to
excellent restaurant customer service.

In every way, a balance must be achieved by matching the dining
room service labor needs to forecast business, and would like to
offer two concepts that can improve restaurant dining room service
immensely.

The first concept is the "on call waiter" who can be scheduled for
any shift necessary. The "on call waiter" function is to call the
restaurant about 1/2 - 1 hr. before the work shift commences food service to see if he/she is needed to come in and work that
particular shift.

The "on call" function is useful in many ways as in the case of
outdoor dining where business literally depends on the weather. If
the weather is right for outdoor seating, the "on call waiter" will
be asked to come in to work. If it's raining, then the "on call
waiter" will not be needed, though the phone call to the restaurant
should still be made. Basically, if the staff is sufficient for
that restaurant shift, then the "on call waiter" will not be needed.

Another useful function for the "on call waiter" is when there is
an extremely important event scheduled, and there can be positively
no staff shortages for that event. Simply by communicating properly
and timely over the telephone, the dining room will be covered
saving the service staff time and the restaurant wasted payroll.

This system is flexible, and should be used with common sense, not
haphazardly. Depending on the situation, there can even be more
than one "on call waiter" for a shift, and by the same token, you
may not even use an "on call waiter" for many of the work shifts.
Every restaurant must figure out what system works best for them,
and make the adjustment.

The second restaurant service staff scheduling concept is the "maintenance runner" which works best when there is more than a food runner working per shift. Once again, this concept will prove how proper staff scheduling is directly tied to improving dining room service.

In a small restaurant, there may be only one food runner needed for
the shift taking food from the kitchen areas to the dining areas.
He/she is responsible for keeping those dining areas and floor
areas clean, since it is be part of the side work.

If this side work does not get done, it is obvious where the blame
lies. (Technically it's everyone's job to keep the restaurant
clean, but it's ultimately the food runner's job to keep the
service/ kitchen areas, waiter food prep areas, and floor areas
clean.)

Now, on the other hand, a large restaurant that uses 3 runners per
shift is definitely bringing a higher volume of food from the
kitchen areas to the dining areas. So, things will get a bit
messier because of the added food traffic. To compound the problem,
with more than one runner, things will get confusing as to whose
responsibility it is to keep the above restaurant areas clean.

The simple solution to this headache lies within the restaurant
service staff scheduling. Simply put "maintenance runner" on a
pre-designated schedule spot, and rotate fairly. For easy labeling
on the schedule, a simple MR abbreviation next to the name or
shift--- and it's good to go for each needed shift.

The "maintenance runner" will ultimately be responsible for the
sweep up and wipe-up jobs-especially before and after each shift.
Cleanliness, especially floors, will also lessen the risk of bodily
injury such as slippage from an unclean floor.

These simple dining room service scheduling tips will help ensure
that the restaurant is properly staffed while maintaining safety
and sanitation.

Related post: Keep your Staff Happy

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

FOOD AND MENU PRICING

2009-06-26T01:40:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Menu pricing is one of the most important decisions for any restaurateur. It may look easy, but the fact is that you cannot price it simply by your intuition. It requires consideration, observation and asking certain questions. For instance, do you remember your last visit to a market or a mall as a buyer? How many goods had an acceptable price enticing enough to motivate you to make a purchase? In reality, pricing must be an amount that someone else is ready to pay for your service or product.

Creating a restaurant menu is tricky business. Not only does it involve selecting attractive and popular dishes, but also pricing them competitively. Pricing is important not only to make the business profitable, but also to offer good value to customers to win them over.

Tips on Pricing the Food Items Let's see how to price the food items on the menu:

* Generally, successful restaurants keep the food costs in the range of 27 to 32% of food sales. These percentages can be higher or lower depending upon the type of restaurant. However, to be more accurate, it's best to compare your cost percentage with restaurants having similar menus and services.

* While calculating the cost of food, all ingredients must be included. Work out the cost of each recipe for each menu item and don't forget to include things, like spices and garnishes in the cost.

* Your recipe costs for items and sales prices will determine whether your food cost is in line with the industry averages. This will also help in monitoring your performance and analyzing problems and trends.

* Ideally you should be able to determine a consistent overall food cost which, when combined with proper pricing, will positively impact on your profitability.

* It's also important to remember there are other costs of operating a restaurant that need to be taken into account to determine optimal pricing for menu items. These include the cost of labor, rent and debt.

Tips on Pricing Alcoholic Beverages Now, let's see how to price the alcoholic beverages on the menu:

* Beverage costs are generated in the mid-20% range of beverage sales. As for food, these can be higher or lower. Fine dining establishments may run up to 40%. On the other hand, restaurants serving draft beer may run as low as a 15% beverage cost. So, it's important to find out the industry averages by comparing your cost percentage to restaurants with similar menus and service levels.

* Beverage costs, like food costs, must be constantly monitored, by comparing with previous performance, with other restaurants and the industry averages. This will help you to competitively price the items and increase profitability of your total operation.

* Although you'll need to cater for normal taxes, you must be clear about additional taxes in your local jurisdiction, as they may impact beverage pricing.

If you take the above factors into account while pricing the items on your menu, you'll certainly succeed in running a profitable restaurant.

Related post: Financial Strategic Thinking

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

MARKETING PLAN FOR SUCCESS

2009-06-19T01:22:00.008+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

A marketing plan for restaurant success is essential for attracting new customers to your eating establishment and for promoting repeat business. An effective marketing plan should incorporate several components to attract a broad range of people and be measurable so you can track its results.

Once a restaurant is open and doing well, a marketing plan for restaurant fluidity ensures a healthy profit. Your marketing plan can be a combination of direct mail, promotions, community activities, and effective and traceable advertising. In-house promotions are also effective, such as themed dinners or early bird specials.

A marketing plan for restaurant business includes programs that promote repeat business. For example, a marketing effort that honors customers on their birthday with a special promotion encourages a larger group of diners to join in the celebration. This leads to more people knowing about your restaurant, which in turn, leads to more referrals.

When developing a marketing plan for restaurant stability, evaluate the dynamics of your overall business. This includes identifying your market, comparing your competition, defining your customer base, exploring other customer based opportunities, implementing focused marketing efforts for new and repeat business, identifying your competitive edge, determining menu price points, and implementing up-sell strategies.

A marketing plan for restaurant lifecycles should address busy and slow months. Establish a marketing budget in proportion to your sales. A good range is 3% to 6% of sales. Have a marketing plan that includes advertising in all mediums, as well as promotions on-site, at special events in the area, or in partnership with a charity or other company. Get to know your local media and find ways to encourage free press. Think creatively and consider every opportunity a way to market your restaurant.

A marketing plan for restaurant development can include targeted mailings, coupons, customer loyalty cards, an e-newsletter, a website and gift certificates. Gather customer's emails in the restaurant or through your website for an email marketing campaign. The email campaign can inform customers about specials, send them holiday wishes, or offer them incentives for dining with you on certain nights. Consider efforts that will better connect you with the customer so that they feel part of your family and want to support you.

A marketing plan for restaurant continuity should be easy for all staff levels. They are the ones with direct contact with diners, so they need to be an essential part of carrying out any type of marketing effort.

A trained staff is the best marketing strategy because they set the tone for a customer's experience and whether they will return and refer your restaurant to others. Enhancing customer expectations through the dining experience is an inexpensive marketing effort.

Related posts: Restaurant Marketing Inaction

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT CLIENTS?

2009-06-12T01:53:00.013+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

As much as we try to please our customers, sometimes we encounter people who -for one reason or another- display negative behavior.
What can a restaurateur do to avoid a confrontation with these people in your establishment, and how do you neutralize (and perhaps eliminate) their disruptive behavior?

This is not an easy task.

It might help you to remember: most of the time, these people are using your restaurant or your employees in order to vent their personal frustrations.
Sometimes people come to your place bringing along their emotional baggage. It would be great if they could leave it at home, but unfortunately, they do not.
You always must try to always maintain your cool. Keep your emotions out of the discussion and think about your other customers. They do not need to have their experience spoiled by witnessing an unpleasant public argument.

There are three basic types of difficult people: the Critic, the Chatty and the Vociferous. What follows is some advice to help you identify and deal with each type:

1. The Critic
This person likes to put down anything and anybody. They will criticize minor mistakes and pick apart your food, your staff, etc.
How can you deal with them?
These people will wear you down if you keep listening to their continuous complaints about everything - from the way your napkins are folded to the temperature of the food to a two-minute delay in the delivery of their appetizers.
You must remember that these complaints may be directed at your place or your staff, but the root of the dissatisfaction is not in your restaurant. These people are just venting their unhappiness and negativity at your establishment.
Ask your waiters to try to diffuse the negativity by responding with understanding and saying something positive. For instance, if your Critic claims that the food is cold then your staff can respond by saying, "I am sorry about that. I will bring it back to the kitchen, warm it up and get it right back to you."
Remind your staff to always be positive in their attitude, and not to take the criticism personally. Critics thrive in conflict and they look for it.
You owe it to your other customers to keep a nice, relaxed ambiance. If they see that, despite these complaints, your staff is trying to correct the situation and keeping a positive attitude, they will value your place even more.
Please notice that I am talking here about a person with a pattern of negativity, not an angry customer that may be reasonably upset because of a specific dining issue.
Always try to listen first to your customers if they are angry. They may have a reason that can be easily solved. Listen to what they have to tell you, and try to come up with a satisfactory solution. This often diffuses their anger and leaves everybody happy.
However, if you see that these people are purposely disruptive, politely ask them to leave your place and suggest they come back when they feel less upset. Tell them something like: "I am sorry you are not enjoying yourself. Perhaps you should leave tonight and we can start over another time. Since you have not enjoyed your time here, your meal is on the house."
Although you may feel tempted to get your money from these ungrateful people, don't charge them for the meal. This will likely start a big argument or allow them to make another negative comment.
These people are looking for an excuse to validate their negativity, and asking them to pay while inviting them to leave will provoke their fury. They will make a scene, and will make the dining experience very unpleasant for the rest of your clients. You can't win this battle.
However, if you ask them to leave with no charges you lose the cost of the food and drinks, but you save the reputation of your restaurant and you ensure that other diners will recognize your willingness to accommodate your disruptive Critic.

2. The Chatty
This person will try to keep your staff always entertained by asking them questions all the time, telling them stories about themselves, etc.
This could be OK if you have a slow day, but it can be very disruptive to your operation if your place is busy.
The Chatty person is very curious and loves to talk (especially about themselves), so they will take any opportunity to talk to your staff, to you, to anybody who wants to listen (or even those who do not).
How can you deal with them?
If you see that these people are disrupting your employees' work flow, you can tell your staff to politely say, "I am sorry, I know that you have something interesting to share, but we are very busy today and I need to serve other tables. Perhaps you can come back on Monday nights, when we have fewer diners and it is less hectic, and I would have more time to talk with you."
They should get the point. If not, you may also intervene occasionally by approaching the table and giving a direct instruction to your waiters to attend to another matter or serve a different table. Then say a couple of nice words to these customers and excuse yourself with a smile.

3. The Vociferous
This personality type engages in disruptive behavior in public. Most of the time, they will talk very loudly while dining so that the whole restaurant can hear them.
This type is probably the most problematic because he or she is disrupting other clients who are looking for a pleasant dining experience, but doesn't act with harmful intentions.
How can you deal with them?
These types are simply craving attention. They love to be the life of the party and be recognized by everybody.
It is not easy to deal with these individuals. They may get upset if you ask them to lower their voice or act less obvious since this could be their opportunity to really be the center of attention that they so much crave.
Although there is not much we can do about this behavior, one solution that may work is to move the dining party to a different, more secluded table.
You can tell them that your other clients enjoy listening to your background music, and since they are having such a lively conversation, perhaps sitting at the corner table will be a great solution for everybody. That way, they will have more privacy and the rest of your customers can enjoy their background music.
Also, if your place is not full, and/or if they refuse, you may offer to move nearby diners leaving a space of empty tables around them. This way they will realize that their loud conversation is not really appreciated by the rest of the clients and perhaps they will lower their voices voluntarily.
To conclude, you must try always your best to be polite when dealing with difficult customers. Remember that these people are bringing their own problems and issues to your place, and your restaurant and staff are just the vehicle through which they vent their frustrations.
Distance yourself from the emotions involved in dealing with them and, if your negotiations with these people fail, invite them to leave your restaurant.
Do not charge them for their meal. You will lose a meal but they disrupt your business further.
Above all, remember to always put the well being of your staff and your other clients first. If you see that these disruptive people become threatening or violent, do not hesitate to call the police and let the authorities deal with the problem customers.

Fortunately, most of the people are nice and appreciative of good food and service. The disruptive clients are an annoying minority that needs to be dealt with. Having some tools to work with these people will help you run your business more smoothly.

Related post: Truths about customers

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

RESTAURANT MARKETING INACTION

2009-06-05T01:53:00.013+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Sometimes I get frustrated, really frustrated, and I will tell you why.

Restaurateurs contact me all the time, looking for restaurant marketing information and solutions. Most of them know that their restaurant marketing is not working. Many understand that good marketing can be the make it or break it solution to their lack of customers, and they all really want to find a solution to their problems.

But then, when I offer them solutions that really work, even when I provide them with a specific plan and guidelines to improve their business, they do absolutely nothing about it.

Many restaurant owners and managers prefer to pay sales people to run traditional advertising that does not work:

* Ads in newspapers and magazines
* Blanket mailing of coupons to the wrong target audience
* Yellow Pages ads
* Radio ads
* Etc.

Instead of taking control of their own marketing and spending a few hours of their time implementing marketing strategies that work. This is what frustrates me.

I personally suffer this when I am consulting with many restaurant owners. I teach them the techniques, they acknowledge them and recognize that they make sense and should work, and then... nothing happens. They are so busy running their daily operations (even if the restaurant is half-empty), and complaining about the economy that they do not have any time or energy left to take any action and improve their business.

There are so many free marketing tools available to restaurateurs such as:

* Opening a free group/fan page in facebook.com to promote their restaurant.
* Create an account in Twitter to send hourly promotions to fill in empty seats.
* Create a formalized referral system. One of the cheapest and most efficient ways to bring back your quality clients.
* Use special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries to attract customers (and they will come with their friends and/or families)
* Capture people's name and email in their websites so that they can follow up and email them special offers, etc.
* And many more...

You would think that these techniques: free or very inexpensive to implement, and extremely effective, would be the main focus of their restaurant marketing right?

Well, not really...

The sad reality is that restaurateurs still prefer to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars in very ineffective marketing, and the only reason why they do this is because they do not have to get involved.

They just pay somebody to take responsibility for their marketing, and keep on running their operations hoping for the best.

This also gives them a really good excuse to complain about the economy, the market conditions, etc.

Fortunately, this does not happen to all restaurateurs. Some of you really take charge and think strategically about restaurant marketing. And this is good.

Whether we like it or not, the reality is that without solid and strategic marketing, your restaurant (regardless of how good your food or service is) will not attract the necessary clients. You should think of marketing as a key element in running your business. It is as important as your food, as important as your service. You cannot just ignore it and hope for the best.

There, I feel much better already...

Related post: Winning website Strategies

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

Interesting read by Seth Godin: Is Marketing an Art or a Science?

AVOID MICRO MANAGEMENT

2009-05-29T01:18:00.007+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Micro managing may make you feel in control but in reality you are only hurting yourself and the company.

It only limits an employee’s ability to be innovative and creative. This can cost the company thousands of dollars because it is the creativity and innovation of your employees that maximize the profitability of your company.

Micro Management is often just a symptom of ineffective planning, too much compassion and the inability to judge performance and develop bench strength. Developing a strategic plan for your company is a very effective way to address any or all of these challenges. I often tell my clients that the most valuable part of a strategic plan is the development process itself.

Running a company with a shoot from the hip mentality often encourages micro management and does not allow employees to develop their skills and maximize their potential.

One of the many warning signs is a high turnover rate. The reason is simple; good employees just won’t tolerate micro management and they will leave to find employment that will challenge them and help them grow.

1. Try to understand your lack of delegating skills. If you keep things too close to the vest because you fear losing control, you may need personal coaching to help you understand that empowerment and delegation will actually increase your control as it provides you with more time to plan and work on strategic issues.

2. If you lack trust in your employees remember the statement --- “Employees won’t start trusting you until you start trusting them”. If you absolutely can not let go; ask yourself why you hired the employee. In the end if you can’t trust them you need to replace them. If you find you can’t trust any of your employees than you need help in developing your leadership skills.

3. Create a skills assessment inventory for every key employee. Supplement that exercise by creating a training and development matrix to improve the overall competency of the organization. Include yourself in the assessment. Communicate the purpose in a positive fashion to the employees.

4. Consider doing a 360 review that includes you as a leader or create an anonymous survey for employees to rate the entire management team, including you, and the company culture itself.

5. Utilize your skills assessment to make sure you have the right people in the right seats and identify future potential leadership.

6. Stop answering questions and start asking them. When an employee asks you what they should do, ask them what they think they should do.

7. Search for projects, issues or challenges that you would normally tackle and create a project team or empower an individual to solve the problem. Do this even if you think you have the answer.

8. Let your employees fail. The hardest thing to do is to watch an employee make a mistake. But, unless the mistake is life threatening or is going to cost the company thousands of dollars, it is a better learning process if the employee learns from his own mistake.

9. Provide more than just skill training and product training. Create an employee development program for those employees that show potential for future stardom. This development program must be based on empowering these employees to make tough decisions. Intern programs are also effective as a platform for development.

10. Results happen in various ways. Remember, you may have a specific way of doing things but it may not be the only way. As long as the employee is getting the results expected, give them praise. Your way may not be the best or only way.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK LESS AND GET MORE DONE?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

WINNING WEBSITE STRATEGIES

2009-05-22T01:41:00.014+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

To win in this next coming season, you will need your restaurant's website to contribute to your reservations production. So, here is a countdown of the Top Ten Tip-Offs that your restaurant website needs attention.

It's time to seek advice from a Hospitality Internet Specialist, when:

10…You do a generic search and can't even find your own website.
9…People see your website and can't tell if your place is in Rayong or Ranong.
8…That template you used to make your site, looked good until you published it.
7…Your home page takes longer to load than "Apocalypse Now".
6…People click a link on your site and nothing happens.
5…People see your website and assume it was designed by a tagger.
4…People need a GPS device to navigate your super cool website.
3…You think Meta Tag is a cool game kids play in elementary school.
2…Your site is so out-of-date, the photos still feature shag carpeting.

And Number 1…
You're the owner and, even you, don't refer people to your website.

Some things in life are self-explanatory and other things take some time to understand and implement. Given enough time and specific interest, any general manager or restaurant owner can learn to develop and implement a workable Internet marketing program. Of course, finding the time and developing the interest most often prevents this from happening. During hard economic times like this, time is not our friend. Loss of time could mean loss of opportunity.

It's a common scenario to hear "we can do that ourselves" and the usual response is "of course, you can", but, in reality, it rarely happens. The problem is that the road to success is littered with good intentions; that road can be bumpy and twisting, but you need to get to the success end of the road, as quickly as possible.

It All Has a Familiar Ring to It

Many times, it's more cost-effective to put tasks in the hands of an expert to get things done, quickly and properly. The time and efficiency factor looms big in the decision to collaborate with a specialist. Can you do these things yourself? Sure, but will you?

What Kind of Help Can you Get?

The difference between hospitality website design and website development lies primarily in the way one views the use of the Internet. For a long time, the focus was directed towards simply having a presence on the Net; many people knew that it was a smart thing to do, but most of us had no clue as to what the potential might be.

As the popularity of using the Internet to research and book restaurants/hotels increased, more hospitality professionals discovered the virtues of search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising. In many cases, this was the total extent of their Internet marketing programs…until now!

Today, a good Internet marketing program includes site market positioning, revenue management, search engine regional marketing, link strategy, package marketing, promotion creation, email promotion mailings, guest comment referrals, website design optimization, and more. Your collaboration with an Internet specialist should go far beyond simply having a website designed and published.

Marketing your hospitality business on the Internet is a complete process; it begins as a collaborative effort with an Internet specialist to position your restaurant within the marketplace. Work with a specialist to develop a complete marketing program for the Internet.

Only one question remains, can you do it yourself? Of course you can, but will you and how long will it take?

Related post: Restaurant Email Marketing; Restaurant Online Marketing

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

COMMON SENSE IS NOT ALWAYS COMMON PRACTISE

2009-05-08T02:15:00.004+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Restaurants on average spend about 6 percent of their revenues on marketing efforts to lure new customers and retain existing ones.

Most of these campaigns depict a restaurant staff that is prepared to meet or exceed your every need as a hotel guest. Even so, guest satisfaction survey results oftentimes contradict the notion that a restaurant employee will be ready, willing, and able to serve.

Ready

Readiness to perform the job consists of tangible things like the tools necessary to perform the job as well as intangibles such as the atmosphere or “mood” of the workplace which is shaped by a variety of factors including: employee treatment issues; morale; leadership, etc.

Managers need to be thinking about readiness daily and even hour-by-hour during the shifts they supervise. Managers work among a society of “boss watchers” who are always looking for cues. “What they see is what you’ll get.” If employees detect management’s skepticism about a corporate initiative, then they too will be skeptical. If management acts with indifference toward customers, then employees will feel justified in doing so as well. What they see is what you’ll get.

Willing

Motivation and enthusiasm are important traits of guest contact employees and, as compared to knowledge and skills, are not developed during the orientation and ongoing training process. An employee’s willingness to demonstrate a positive attitude at work and to enthusiastically serve the customer must be assessed during the hiring process.

Whether through the use of an applicant assessment such as Gallup’s StrengthsFinder or through a behavioral interview (i.e., asking questions of the applicant that are intended to elicit how he or she actually, as opposed to hypothetically, performed in given situations in the past), attitudinal characteristics that support an organization’s service mission such as the willingness to go the extra mile or be team-oriented must be validated prior to hiring the job candidate.

Able

Employees always bring skills and abilities to the workplace. These have been developed in previous jobs, school, and through life experiences. It is the employer’s role, working with the employee, to ensure that one’s knowledge and skill levels increase throughout his employment experience. Oftentimes, training occurs more formally and less frequently such as classroom training. Training is more effective when it is presented less formally and more frequently such as on-the-job training, observations, feedback, etc.

It’s not uncommon for inconsistencies in one or more of these areas to contribute to a lackluster service experience for the customer. Regardless of where the problem lies, your customers expect for employees to be ready, willing, and able to provide the same level of service implied by your marketing consultant.

Related post: Keep Your Staff Happy

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK LESS AND GET MORE DONE?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

RESTAURANT ONLINE MARKETING

2009-05-01T01:07:00.011+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Although many restaurants have a web site, most are really rather lame - displaying only a couple of photos of their place and simply posting their phone number for people to make reservations.

This is adequate, but a web presence should mean much more for restaurateurs than just showing some information. And yet, most of the restaurateurs are doing next to nothing to promote their business online.

A web site is a great vehicle for you to communicate with your existing and potential clients, so why are most restaurateurs not using their website more to do their online marketing?

There are probably some reasons, likely including the lack of technical knowledge and Internet experience of many restaurant owners. But having a solid web presence doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. Online marketing is a great way to cheaply advertise and promote your business if you follow these 10 rules:

1. Have a clean and easy-to-navigate website. Hire a web designer if you need to, but make sure that you know how to update your site. Some restaurant owners outsource all their web services, including updating and maintenance of the site. This is a big mistake - since you should be posting information frequently, and relying on an external partner means delays, inaccuracies, etc.

2. Don't choose form over substance. This is a mistake that many web masters/designers make. Just because they can use fancy flash intros, with music and sophisticated graphics doesn't mean that these effects should be used. There is nothing more annoying than visiting a website looking for information only to suffer through a distracting and totally useless Flash movie. Remember, your website is there to provide your clients with valuable information, and to collect their information so you can include them in your database. Any other effects are redundant.

3. Post meaningful information often on your site so that people visit frequently to check out your updates. For example, you can announce special events that you are hosting, such as charity dinners, wine dinners, new menu items, etc.

4. Give something away in exchange for contact information and create a database. This is very important - since the more names and email addresses that you have from your clients, the more you can use this information to send messages with promotions, gift certificates, discount coupons, etc.

Not only this is a great way to capture new clients, but the marketing cost for you is zero. If it doesn't work, you don't have any expenses. If it works, you have a potential client for life. There is no downside here.
You can add an optional field for Birthday, where you capture ONLY the month and day (so people won't be afraid of divulging personal information). This will be really useful for you to use when sending gift certificates or discount coupons whenever a birthday is coming soon. Not only will you attract the birthday person, but they will bring along friends and/or family as well, since birthdays are usually social events.
Also, please don't give coupons away if people don't register. You want to capture as many names and emails as possible.

5. Post some videos and photos of your place, but don't post them in the main page. Some people like to know what to expect before they go to your restaurant but they don't want to get annoyed if they have already been in your restaurant and are looking for only certain information.

6. Add an online booking module so that people can make reservations directly through your website. This adds convenience for your clients since they can book right there and then, plus it's also convenient for you since you know who is coming ahead of time and can make arrangements to have the appropriate number of staff, etc.

7. Offer a map and directions to your location. This is very easy by integrating modules from Google or Microsoft Maps, Mapquest, etc. Your webmaster will know how to do this if you don't know it yourself.

8. Create a monthly or quarterly newsletter and post it on your site. You can write about your staff, your dishes, if you have an ethnic restaurant, you can write about the country or the region where the food comes from, some fun information, etc. The point is to keep your place fresh in the eyes and minds of your clients.

9. Post a recipe (or even better, a short video with your chef cooking some signature dish). This will make your place unique and special. You can post this video also on YouTube with a link to your site increasing your exposure even more.

10. Send emails to the people that you've captured via the opt-in form from your website as well as any other email addresses you've collected. Remember, you need to give your existing clients some incentive for them to give you their names and email addresses, so that you can add them to your database. Email marketing is a vehicle in its own so I was talking about this one in more detail in a previous post.

And remember, your website should be an extension of your restaurant. It should reflect your vision, your strategy and your values. You don't want people coming to your place with an expectation from your site, and leaving disappointed because you didn't deliver the dining experience that they were looking for.

Always think about your clients when you add content to your site. It is there for them, not for you. If you follow my easy steps, your site will be much better than your competitors' - and your marketing will improve considerably.

Related post: Restaurant Email Marketing

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

HOW TO AVOID SALES STAGNATION?

2009-04-24T01:01:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Restaurant Marketing experts contend that there are four ways in which hospitality businesses can improve their financial performance. None of these ways are mutually exclusive, so you can try any combination of these four variables at any given time and in any order of importance:
1. Increasing sales volume (getting more customers to your venue)
2. Increasing price (put up your prices on your menus)
3. Cutting costs (decrease your food, beverage and wage costs)
4. Increasing the average spend (get your customers to buy more every time they buy of you)
Combining price and sales volume will no doubt post increased revenue. Cutting costs will also result in savings.

Restaurant marketers (i.e. you the business owner or manager) mistakenly assume that the only means of increasing sales is to net more customers.

While its true that selling to more people will definitely make your sales go up, there can also be several other, more innovative ways of increasing turnover, such as increasing frequency of sales to the same customer or making higher value sales to him/her.
It does follows that turnover also increases when customers spend more each time they buy from you (increasing spend) and when they do it more often (increasing frequency).
McDonald's used this technique to great aplomb when it taught its sales force to prod customers with the seemingly innocuous poser:
“Would you like fries with your burgers, please?”
A simple question like that, marketers testify enabled the snack food giant to increase its turnover worldwide by $19 million a day!

Hence the four variables that impact sales in any business are:
1. The Prospects, i.e. the number of people who express an interest in doing business with you (people that call your or look at your web site etc...)
2. The Conversion Rate, i.e., how many actually buy from you and become your customers
3. Their Average Spend, i.e. the average amount that each customer spends when they buy from you.
4. Number of Transactions or Frequency of Sales - The number of times, on average, that customers buy from you in a year
If we were to express these four variables as a mathematical equation, it would look somewhat like this:
Sales = Prospects X Conversion Rate X Average Spend X Number of transactions
Clearly, sales can be increased by improving any combination of these four variables.

Now let us examine each of these sales drivers more closely:

Increasing Sales:,
Buying decisions are seldom made on the first contact. In fact, according to the National Sales Executive Association, US, you can increase your sales by up to 80% simply by following up on the same, old customer!
Here are some statistics from their survey:
2% of sales are made on the 1st contact
3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact
5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact
10% of sales are made on the 4th contact
This implies that 80% sales are made on the 5th-12th contact!
In other words, that’s the amount of time, energy and resources that you have to spend on ensuring full conversion rate from every prospect!
Increasing your conversion rate can increase sales substantially, especially if you are starting from a low base. So how many pieces of marketing do you need to send from your restaurant?

Increasing Frequency:
This is by far the most powerful sales driver. You have already attracted and converted a prospect. A more formidable challenge is selling to the same customer over and over again. This is well worth your time and effort as research indicates that it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it costs to re-sell to someone who has bought from you before. So, even if you are unable to sell to the same customer, do lot of and cross selling. Turn him/her into your brand ambassadors and through him/her sell to his/her friends, family and colleagues.

Increasing Spend:
In marketing parlance, this would imply up-selling. The Average spend from a customer can be increased both by cross-selling and up-selling. Cross selling simply means selling customers a different but related product, in addition to what they asked for.
This is as simple as up selling to a more profitable and higher prices menu item.

Increasing Price:
Realizing that the increasingly affluent and demanding consumer now comprises a very large spending force at the top end in all developed economies, clever restaurateurs have subtly began to increase price on the same value of product. This strategy is being effectively deployed across sectors in the food and beverage industry.
Price increase however is a risky strategy and should be resorted to only when there is a perceived (if not real) enhancement in the value of the product in the consumer’s mind. This can very effectively be done through a media blitz, before and after announcing a price hike that presents you as a very exclusive, well differentiated brand from the low-priced, run-of-the-mill competing products.

Related post: Bringing New Customers to you Restaurant

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

STOP WHINING AND START LEADING

2009-04-17T01:24:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Inspired by an article from lifehack.org

We all know people who suffer from "Victimitis" — the poor-little-me syndrome whose verbal symptoms include: "They are doing it to me again," "There's nothing I can do," "It's all their fault."

Indeed, many supervisors and middle managers agree that Victimitis is a big problem at work.

Unfortunately, they don't recognize the extent of their own infection.

Looking right past themselves, they look for ways to change everyone else. They aspire to lead but end up demoralizing their own teams and frustrating themselves by choosing to be disempowered by their bosses. They give away their power by believing that they don't have any. They unwittingly fall for the cult of heroic management — the notion that leadership comes down from on high.

These middle leaders could energize their teams and organizations. Instead they Dilbertize their workplaces by living in Pity City and modelling helplessness and cynicism. They often complain bitterly as they wait for their boss and others higher in the organization to open doors for them. But they don't realize that the handle is on the inside.

It's all too easy to point fingers upward and shake our heads in disgust. It is much harder to point our finger at the mirror as another potential source of our leadership problems. As journalist and author P.J. O'Rourke puts it: "When we do find someone to blame, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's licence."

Research on high-performing organizations that adapt rapidly to change increasingly points to the crucial role of middle and lower managers.

European Institute of Business Administration professor Quy Nguyen Huy found that at companies making lasting, effective changes, middle managers are far better than most senior managers at leveraging informal networks and staying attuned to employees' emotional needs.

He also discovered that the successful ones manage the continuity between extreme inertia and extreme chaos during turbulent times.

In his book Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge, Geoffrey Bellman challenges upward-looking managers: "You may be thinking, 'But someday I will be in charge of the committee [or agency or division or team] and I will change things!' Well, think again. That's akin to getting married with the plan to start changing your spouse immediately after the ceremony."

Instead, they need to practise upward leadership now. Here are some tips:

Try to better understand the bigger picture that your boss and those above you in the organization are operating within. Do you know what keeps them awake at night? What their key goals and priorities are? Don't wait to be told — find out.

Take the initiative to keep communication channels open with your boss. Set your top five goals. Get your boss' input and adjust accordingly. Meet periodically to review progress and reset priorities. Ask, "What do you think I should keep doing, stop doing and start doing?"

Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Are you a reactor or leader? Does your attitude and do your actions just reflect the temperature of your more-senior managers to the people in your part of the organization? Or do you try to readjust and change the temperature?

Focus most of your own and your team's energy on those things within your control. Pick carefully the areas or changes you would like to influence. Figure out how to let go of those things or circumstances over which you have no control. Not doing this just increases everyone's misery and creates paralysis. The poet Longfellow was right on when he observed: "I have found that the best thing to do when it's raining is to let it rain."

Learn how your organizational game is played. Any group of five people or more is political. Politics involve relationships, trust, power, persuasion and influence.

Build networks and coalitions, especially if you're trying to influence significant change. Work with those people who are ready to move forward and build momentum with you. Don't fixate on the fence-sitters, naysayers or resisters. Involve your boss where appropriate.

When it's the right thing, be the leader and do what needs to be done. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.

Seize the learning opportunity. We can all learn what not to do from an especially bad leadership example.

As our organizations struggle with change, we can either be navigators, survivors or victims. Our leadership response doesn't depend on our position; it depends on our choices.

In dealing with a bad boss or weak leadership further up the organization, take Leonard Schlesinger's advice:

"It's not up to you to change your boss, but you can change your situation. You can do this in one of three ways: impose or relax constraints on the situation, work your way around the situation or get out of the situation."

Related post: Understand your Real job

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN MANAGING RESTAURANTS

2009-03-27T01:57:00.013+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

When it comes to restaurant operations there are two schools of thought in restaurant management: one watches dollars go down the drain, while the other watches dollars come in the front door.

Managers who follow the first school of thought tend to spend their time doing hands-on tasks usually assigned to hourly employees, with the goal of creating higher bonuses for the managers. Managers who follow the second school of thought tend to spend their time building sales and managing the hourly employees; this group works toward an end result of higher wages for the employees — although this is sometimes at the expense of a lower monthly bonus for the managers.

During my time as a manager/waiter/prep-cook/expediter at a major London restaurant chain, it was debatable whether I was actually a manager or an over-paid key employee. My time was so equally divided between cooking and cleaning that managing the restaurant only happened after the doors were locked. The bonus structure of the restaurant was such that bonuses were paid even if sales goals for the month were not met, providing that the Income-Before-Occupancy (Net Operating Income) percentage met the budget. Consequently, every general manager believed that, in order to secure their monthly bonuses, it was advisable to “send the most expensive hourly employees home first” if there was any hint that the restaurant was having an “off” month.

There are three problems with this approach to management:
First, a restaurant’s most expensive hourly employees are usually the most valuable (or at least they should be!).
Second, once the manager sends the hourly employee home and takes over the employee’s station, he or she has now become the highest-paid hourly employee working a particular station.
Third, hourly employees often rely on working 40-plus hours a week to make ends meet.

Nothing is more frustrating to an employee than having a manager’s self-interest impinge on his or her own livelihood. Two of the most disconcerting days in my management-training period were spent washing dishes for ten hours each day. I couldn’t fathom why the restaurant owner believed that it made economic sense to have the dishes washed by me — an exempt employee paid a $26,000-per-year base salary — rather than by the usual non-exempt employee paid minimum wage of $4.75 per hour. At my hourly rate, it was costing the restaurant an additional $7.75 per hour to have the dishes washed. In addition, the usual dishwasher had an unexpected two extra days off that week.

It is a given that a restaurant manager must know how the restaurant’s product should look and taste, as well as how to prepare the product in order to help out during “crunch” times. Nevertheless, a manager needs to ask himself who is running the restaurant if he is in the kitchen. If a manager is spending all of his time in the kitchen covering an hourly paid position, then no one is out front making sure that the customer is being properly served. It is my contention that managers should be on the floor building sales, not in the kitchen making sandwiches. The simple fact is that restaurant managers are hired to lead and motivate employees, increase guest retention, and solve problems.

Managers need to ask themselves, “Am I being pro-active or reactive?” The manager who is on the floor using his or her personality by conversing with guests and maintaining a visible profile is the manager who is working for the long-term. This manager is more aware of the happenings in the restaurant and more apt to remedy customer complaints. It is a fact that people are dining out more than ever before, and that they expect to be entertained as well as fed. Managers who are on the floor creating an upbeat, inviting, positive working environment create an atmosphere that guests will enjoy, guaranteeing their return. These managers are being pro-active.

The manager who is sending employees home early at the end of the month to make budget is being reactive to his own financial needs, and not the needs or expectations of the guests. The down side to this approach is exponential. Employee morale runs low at the end of every month because an employee is not working the hours needed to meet his or her own personal monthly budget. This low morale typically results in a higher employee turnover rate since employees are likely to seek jobs where they have a greater likelihood of attaining pay for 40 hours per week, whether it is the first or last week of the month.

Higher turnover equals more training; more training equals fewer dollars to reward good employees; losing good employees results in lower guest retention because many people like to go to a restaurant where they see the same employees time after time; as a result, if a favorite employee leaves, some guests may follow. Higher sales always equal happier employees. The wages of servers and bartenders are directly linked to higher sales; the wages of non-tipped employees will also benefit from higher sales since the restaurant will be able to increase wages as a result of the higher sales.

Which school of thought does your management style fall into? If you are in the first school, I urge you to think twice about sending hourly employees home early to increase your bonus. If you are in the second school, keep up the good work; you are likely to have both happy employees and satisfied customers, which is a goal that is common to all restaurants.

Related posts: Keep your Staff Happy, Financial Strategic Thinking

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

2009-03-20T01:48:00.010+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

So you have a nice restaurant with good food and service, and yet the dining room is not always full. You spend quite a lot of money in marketing and wonder why it's not working for you.

Well, let me tell you, there are many other restaurants with good food, good service and a nice ambiance, so your place might not be as special in the eyes of your customers as you want it to be.

Put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Why should they come to your restaurant rather than visit one of your competitors?

Well, the truth is that if you stand out from other local options, they probably won't.

You need to think hard and long about your place and what it makes it special or different from any other restaurant. And believe me, it is different. No two restaurants are the same (except in the case of franchises, which - by definition - want to look and operate exactly the same).

So what makes your restaurant special or different?

You need to articulate the essence of your restaurant, the essence of your offering, so that people will know why they should come to your place instead of your competitors. This is called your Unique Selling Proposition (or USP for short).

You need to create and announce a USP that identifies your restaurant and makes it a unique establishment.

So how can you do that? Don't worry, I will help you out. Just follow these easy three steps and you'll be on your way to creating your own USP:

1. Make a list of the real benefits or advantages that you currently offer to your clients.

Think about what's special about your restaurant. Is it your food? Your wine selection? Your service? Your location? Your decorations? Do you offer live music? Do you have a large menu selection? Open kitchen? Etc.
Ask your customers, your employees and your providers what makes your restaurant special or different. Perhaps you have a unique recipe that people really appreciate and come to enjoy, or perhaps your chef comes out of the kitchen and greets the clients, or you have bilingual servers who can communicate with foreign travelers in their native languages.

Some aspects that can help you determine your USP are:

* A wide variety of dishes in the menu
* Unique, ethnic meals or menu items
* Restaurant especially designed to accommodate families (with a play area or toys or entertainment for children, etc.)
* Reasonable prices
* Quality of the food
* Originality of the dishes
* Impeccable presentation
* Excellent service (good is not good enough: it must be excellent to make an impact!)
* Wide wine selection or special hard-to-find wines
* Wide beer selection or special hard-to-find beers
* Specialty cocktails
* Open kitchen where people can see/talk to your cooks
* Beautifully decorated place
* Live music
* Candles on the tables
* Cloth linens
* Original art on the walls
* Any other distinct advantage that you may have or can provide that your competitors don't provide.

2.- Make a second list of benefits or special things that your competitors offer but you don't.

For example, do they have a big place and your restaurant is small? Do they offer a full bar and you don't? Do they have a super-chef with a reputation that you cannot offer? Do they have an excellent location while your place is out of the way?

3. List the ways that you could improve upon your competitor's unique advantages.

If their place is big and yours is small, you can use this to your advantage by stating that you offer "A unique experience in a cozy atmosphere where you'll receive very personalized treatment".
Or the opposite - if your place is large, you can say "We have facilities large enough to accommodate your office party or your special occasion".

Or you could compensate for not having a full bar by offering an extensive and excellent selections of wine.
If you have a great location, say that you are "conveniently located in the middle of the city, within walking distance from..."

Or if you are out of the way, you can always say "our restaurant offers free parking and it's worth it the trip, since you'll surely enjoy an extraordinary dining experience"...
You get the idea, right?

So write down the top five advantages and/or differentiators that make your place unique. Then combine them into one short sentence or phrase.

This will become your USP

Once you come up with your USP, write it down, review it and edit it several times to make it as clear and complete as possible.

Write your new USP in a one-paragraph statement. You may have problems expressing it concisely and clearly. It may take a few paragraphs. That's OK.

Now you need to edit down all the fluff (trim the fat), and focus on the core message until you have a clear and unique USP that people will recognize and immediately identify with your restaurant. It needs to become one memorable sentence.

Share it with your employees; share it with your clients. Announce it to the world by using it in all your marketing and sales materials...

Remember, attention spans are getting shorter these days, so your USP must be short and memorable.

If you follow some of these techniques, and come up with a powerful and memorable USP, you will be ahead of your competitors who simply announce their restaurants in the most traditional ways.

People respond to short and remarkable messages. If you can articulate the essence of your place in a few precise words, and consistently use them to promote your business, you should be able to stand out from the crowd.

Related post: Be your own mystery guest...

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

KEEP YOUR STAFF HAPPY

2009-03-13T01:52:00.003+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Let's face it, staff are one of the most important aspects of running a successful hospitality business. While recruiting the right staff is essential (and sometimes difficult), retaining staff can be even harder. This is particularly true in the hospitality industry where staff turnover can tend to be high.
Keeping your staff happy will not only make them likely to stick around for longer, but you will find that happy staff are more productive which has a positive effect on your profits.

Don't panic! Keeping your staff happy isn't necessarily about being the most lenient employer with the highest wages. lazygourmet looks at the ways you can work to keep your staff happy and create a better workplace.

Communicating with your staff

Communicating with your staff is important for many reasons. It is your opportunity to gain insight into how they feel their work is progressing as well as to ensure staff are kept up-to-date with policies, issues and day-to-day events in the business. This in turn has the effect of making your staff feel involved and provides them with an opportunity to have an input.

As well as regular one-on-one talks when you can with your staff, there are also methods of communication you can establish to make sure that communicating with your staff is regular and efficient.

Team meetings are a great way to ensure that your staff are kept informed and involved with what's happening with the business. Staff can use this opportunity to provide you with their feedback.

You can also use team meetings as an opportunity to provide with training such as new legislation or new policies for the business.

Organising team meetings can be a difficult process. It is best to organise them at the beginning or end of a shift and if attending staff are no rostered on it can be a good idea to provide incentives such as food and drink to reimburse them for their time.

As well as staff meetings, staff notice boards can be a good way of providing staff with information about upcoming events, industry newsletters and so on. The trick with notice boards is to keep them updated and eye catching to help ensure you can capture the attention of your staff.

If your hospitality business is large, you may want to consider developing your own internal staff newsletter featuring achievements from staff (both inside and out of work), upcoming events, policy updates and so on. Staff could be incentivised to contribute to the newsletter and photos etc could also be included. This is a fun way to keep communicating with your staff.

Whichever method you employ to communicate with your staff, the most important thing is that staff are also given the opportunity to have input and involvement. Keeping your staff feeling like they are involved in your business is a key step in helping to keep your staff happy.

Incentives

Incentive is a great way to encourage staff to keep motivated and working hard. Incentives don't always have to be monetary and sometimes the best incentives are more about recognition.

If you are looking to include incentives to help keep your staff motivated you need to be clear about what it is you are trying to achieve. Are you trying to improve sales of a particular item? Fewer sick days? Better time management? Whatever it is decide first what the measures of success will be and choose a reward that reflects the values of your staff. You also need to be clear about whether you want the whole team to be rewarded or one person in particular.

Incentives such as sports events, nights or days out as a team etc can be great way to reward your staff as well as provide a great team building experience at the same time. Whatever incentive you choose, recognising your staff achievements is a great way to help keep your staff happy.

Turnover

No matter what you do to keep your staff happy and motivated, staff turnover is an inescapable part of the business. Clearly the higher the turnover, the higher the cost to you as an employer.

In most cases, where staff morale is high the turnover tends to be lower so staff communication and incentives can go a long way in helping you keep your staff turnover down.

Providing reasonable wages and working hours and providing your staff with career advancing opportunities can also help to keep the turnover down. But remember it all starts at the beginning so make sure you employ a stringent recruitment process so you can find the right staff with the best fit for your business and they'll be likely to stay with your business for longer.

Related post: How to Address the Guest Experience with your Staff?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

COOPETITION IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

2009-03-06T01:39:00.000+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

Have you heard the term Coopetition? If not, you'll hear it soon. It is causing quite a stir in the marketing circles.

So in case that you are not familiar with the term, let's start by defining coopetition. If we look at Wikipedia, we find the following definition:

"Coopetition or Co-opetition is a neologism coined to describe cooperative competition. Co-opetition occurs when companies work together for parts of their business where they do not believe they have competitive advantage, and where they believe they can share common costs. For instance, the cooperation between Peugeot and Toyota on shared components for a new city car for Europe in 2005. In this case, companies will save money on shared costs, while remaining fiercely competitive in other areas. For co-opetition to work, companies need to very clearly define where they are working together, and where they are competing."

Long-term business success comes not solely from competing successfully with other restaurants but also by working with them to your advantage.

Coopetition is part competition and part cooperation. When restaurants work together, they can create a much larger and valuable market that they ever could by working individually. Restaurants can then compete with each other to determine who takes the largest share of the potential customers.

A good example of restaurant coopetition is when there is part of a city or town that has a large number of restaurants concentrated in a relatively small area. If you look at this from a traditional business point of view, it looks like this is a bad idea.

Why should anybody open a restaurant in an area already full of restaurants?

However, the reality is that all this abundance of places to eat, attracts customers who may just go to the area without any specific restaurant in mind until they arrive and make their decision over there. This is where the competition starts.

The restaurants with the best ambience, or the best sounding menu, or the best quality/price or funny enough, with the most people usually bring the most customers...

There are many other typical examples of coopetition such as:

* Food courts: All the restaurants are together in places like shopping centers, etc. sharing tables, trays, cleaning services, etc. Again, they all bring customers to the same spot (cooperation) and then compete for their business (competition).
* Advertising: sometimes restaurants group to put together a food magazine or a restaurant flyer where they all pay and contribute (both in money and in content) to the publication.
* Special food events: Sometimes several restaurants organize food events where they all contribute with food or food stalls. Because of the participation of many restaurants, many people attend these events (there is usually music involved and often many other activities as well).
* Etc.

As you can see, these are some of the possibilities for coopetition. However, there are some other intriguing ideas for you to consider. Here you have a few to think about:

* Cross-Promotion with restaurants that offer different food than yours. Often you don't compete directly with other types of restaurants. If a person is in the mood for Italian food, for example it won't go to an Indian restaurant, or viceversa.

Perhaps you can join forces with restaurants in your area that have other styles of cuisine, and together create a coupon book that you can distribute to the regulars of all the participating restaurants. Or maybe you could create a discount card that your customers could use in any of the restaurants in your area. This will attract more customers to your neighborhood.

* Cross-Promotion with restaurants that offer the same kind of food than yours. But that are not located near your place.

Again, usually people prefer to go to restaurants that are near their homes or workplace. If there is a French restaurant nearby and they are in the mood for French, they won't travel far to a different French restaurant... at least that this other French restaurant is so superior that it is worth it the trip and this where the competition kicks in.

So what can you cross promote? Well, if you have an ethnic restaurant, you could create a newsletter sharing printing and perhaps distribution costs to clients of all the restaurants involved. The newsletter should cover articles about the foods, culture, geography, etc. of the restaurant's native country.

But what if your restaurant is an all American place or an Irish pub? You still can have trivia, etc. about the specific States, some local recipes, etc.

* Join Forces to negotiate better deals for linens, food providers, bulk printing for menus, etc. Imagine that you talk to the owners of nearby restaurants and you make a deal to use the same basic distributors for common things like linens, candles, dishwasher maintenance and supply, garbage and/or grease disposal, exhaust filters, printing menus, etc. You could then get a volume discount from these distributors and everybody will benefit.

These are just some quick examples of coopetition. Joining forces with your competitors could be a win-win proposition. Just be smart about it and think about areas where both of you could benefit.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

WINE DOES WONDERS FOR YOUR RESTAURANT

2009-02-27T01:52:00.014+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Not only does excellent Wine and Wine Service add class and sophistication to a restaurant, but it also adds to the food experience, increases the bottom line, etc., etc., etc.

Below is a great article from a Wine expert, courtesy of Jennie Willis.

This article is almost a crash course for the Wine beginner, and actually a great, quick education for waitstaff, especially the White and Red varietal characteristics.

The Basic Wine Essentials

Whether you are serving it to your guests while entertaining, using it to create luscious dishes, or simply enjoying its' company, whatever the occasion, this libation reigns the kingdom of fine indulgence and has been doing so for centuries. The conception of wine has been dated as far back as 8000-4000BC in Mesopotamia.
Having thousands of years to further perfect the wine making process, this sexy beverage is a palate pleaser like no other providing a continuous adventure for pleasure seekers in this arena where no bottle is quite like the other. Each and every wine has its' tale to tell, so indulge and listen carefully, for this libation is quite capable of taking you to places you have most likely never been before!

Wine is an enormous subject that is constantly evolving which can often lead to intimidation. Where do you begin? The important thing is that you do! The enormity of wine is not justification for not trying any, but it is reason to be shy about it. So let's get down to the basics and get you on your way to a life happily filled with wine!

Creation:

Wine is created through the fermentation process of crushed grapes. Grapes are pressed to release their juices which are combined with yeast to initiate the fermentation process. This process converts sugar into alcohol and concludes once the alcohol reaches such a level as to kill the remaining yeast. This yeast is naturally occurring in the skin of grapes but is rarely used in today's wine making process as isolated yeast strains now exist that can not only act as a fermentation catalyst but contribute a unique styleto the wine as well.

What's in a name?

Every wine is derived from either a single grape or from several. These grapes are also referred to as "varietals". Each varietal has a unique name which in turn represents certain characteristics. A wine characteristic refers to anything that reflects a resemblance to a scent, taste, or flavor and also includes mouth feel such as the weight of the wine when on the palate. Let's use the chardonnay grape as an example. Chardonnay classically presents characteristics of citrus, pear, and pineapple to fig, honey,vanilla and butter. This wine can also be characterized as being full and rich, or simple and crisp. This variance in characteristics is what makes wine so mind-blowing and mind-boggling!

There are several factors that contribute to the final result of a wine. Geographic location of where the vines are planted, the weather of that region, the vines themselves, soil conditions and of course the actual wine making process. With all of these factors considered it is understandable why someone who may enjoy one chardonnay, may not enjoy the next. All the more reason to not give up and keep on trying!!

All varietals exude certain characteristics which can aid in determining one wine from another. This differentiation also contributes to your own approval and disapproval of certain wines.
Some are light bodied and fruity, others are full bodied and earthy, whatever your style, there is bound to be a grape varietal that will satisfy.
Our chart below is an excellent tool to use when purchasing and/or tasting wine. The left column represents several popular wine varietals while the right column displays typical characteristics of that particular varietal.

White Varietal Characteristics:

Riesling-Light; Sweet/dry. Tangy, fruity. Citrus, apple, pear, melon, nectarine, peach, apricot.
Gewurztraminer-Light; Sweet, dry. Grapefruit, lychee, apple, nectarine, nutmeg, clove, ginger, spice, floral.
Semillon-Med-Full; Often rich. Lemon, lime, honey, butter.
Chenin Blanc-Light; Off dry. Peach, pear, quince, melon, herbal tea, mineral.
Viognier-Light-med; Floral, honey, apricots, pear.
Sauvignon Blanc-Light-Med; Citrus, gooseberry, lemon, melon,herbal, bell pepper, grassy.
Pinot Blanc-Light-Med; Dry, crisp.Citrus, apple, pear, melon, sweet pea.
Pinot Gris/Grigio-Light; Fruitier and soft. Citrus, apple, pear, peach, melon, honey, vanilla.
Grigio; Crisper, more citrusy.
Chardonnay-Med-full; Dry, rich. Citrus, apple, tropical fruit, fig, honey, hazelnut, butterscotch, butter, popcorn.

Red Varietal Characteristics:

Gamay-Light; Tangy, fruity, cranberry.
Pinot Noir-Light-Med; Cherry, strawberry, clove, mint, truffle, cloves, smoke, sage.
Sangiovese-Med; Sweet and sour, dark cherry, tobacco, earthy,almond, herbs, tea.
Barbera-Med-Full; Ripe red fruit, currant,cherry, herbal.
Cabernet Franc-Med; Dry, berry, fruity, herbal,smoky.
Grenache-Med; Black fruit, anise, smoky, herbal.
CabernetSauvignon-Med-Full; Cherry, plum, currant, pepper, bell pepper,cedar, vanilla, mint, chocolate, tea, tobacco.
Shiraz/Syrah-Full; Raspberry, spice, black pepper, blackberry, plum, tar.
Zinfandel-Full; Juicy, robust, jammy, berry flavors, spices.

Red vs. White:

So what's the deal with color? We all know wine to be red, white,and rose, or blush as some call it, but the juice is really all the same!
Have you ever looked at the flesh of a red grape before?
It is the same as a green grape, therefore if wine exists in a variety of hues then the color must come from....of course, the skin!
Often white wine is made from red grapes, in fact, most great champagne would not exist without, so don't be fooled, pink grapes do not exist!
Yes, red and white grapes appear the same in juice form but when their skin is added to the wine making picture a whole other story begins!

The many gorgeous hues of red evident in red wine is a result of allowing red grapes to ferment with their skins, however color is not the only thing affected by the skin of a grape. I am sure you have tasted a wine, a red wine in particular that makes your mouth pucker; an astringent sensation on the palate if you will. What you experienced is known as "tannin".
Tannin is a natural substance found in the skins, stems, and seeds of grapes.
You can experience this sensation in young whites however it is more commonly found in red wines. Allowing the juice to ferment with skins will in turn generate a higher level of tannin to exist in the resulting wine. It is no secret that many people have a preference for either white or red wine.
A very tannic wine is often a reason for dislike especially if you are new to wine. There are several varieties associated with being quite tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo, Syrah, Petite Syrah,Zinfandel, are to name a few however in the game of wine you will not know until you try!
Every wine will possess its own unique color. A wine's color can reveal its story, and to experienced blind tasters, provide necessary clues in pinpointing a correct assumption.
Each grape variety generally exudes a certain range of hues however age and wood barrel aging will also have an affect on color. So evidently there is much more to color than just red and white!

Wine is an endless educational journey even for those most experienced in this subject so it is vital to explore and try new and exciting wines as often as your time allows!

So get out there, get tasting, and have fun!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

FINANCIAL STRATEGIC THINKING

2009-02-20T01:51:00.017+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

We can disagree about when things started to go wrong, but the one thing we can all agree on is that the way you perceive and think about your business needs to change if you are to either start, or continue to build success long term.
The days of "you build it and they will come" have gone - if they were ever really here to begin with (another debate for later).
What is necessary now in operating a food service business today is the need to think, plan and act more strategically than you ever have before.
To ask more complex questions and find deeper, more long term answers than you have probably ever done or felt the need to do.

So based on this notion and the work I have been doing with my most successful client through this economic tumult, I would like to propose some areas with which to start.

1. Realize that you have to think long-term continually and not short term constantly.
You have to begin to take a long hard look at your business and determine if there are parts of it you need to let go. Is your catering business really giving you the ROI you need or was it just something that you thought could compliment your dine-in success but really hasn't? Do you really need to hire a GM in order for you to focus enough on having the conversations and doing the work necessary to drive your future success? Is it time to get some help with your marketing or to fine tune your concept to help guests (and yourself) really understand who you are (in your guests perception not yours) and what it is you need to offer (versus what you want)? And to whom you need to offer it? Do you have that business plan (marketing plan?) that helps guide you on a daily basis or is it just something gathering dust on the shelf? Are you just flying by the seat of your pants, reacting to things that happen to you?

2. Prepare to do battle.
People's fears over the economy and for some, the realistic need to cut back on spending isn't going to subside tomorrow. What do you need to do today, tomorrow and the next day, to not just deal with it but to take advantage of it by reconfiguring your business to succeed in spite of it? How can you decrease your break-even point instead of just cutting costs on a shift-by-shift basis as you encounter things you can do without? How do you configure your service and pricing models to add value to the guest experience in a more creative and innovative way that guests respond positively to, without further decreasing margins or diluting your brand? How can you heal the damage already done so that it doesn't become a weak spot moving forward? What hiring, retention and coaching processes need to be begun, changed or done away with entirely in order to be able to change your culture as deep and fast as necessary in order to achieve long-term success?

3. Start to look at what your market will look like in 6 months - a year - two years from now.
How will you fit into it? Will you? What do you need to do now to make sure you succeed in such a market? Are you keeping track of trends? How can you get better at it? Can you improve your networking with the right business minds in your community and market to be able to pick up on unmet needs or opportunities that you need to take advantage of? If you were to open your restaurant 6-12 months from now, would it be the same one you have now? What would you change? Why? Why not now? Will your competitors be the same or will you encounter others? Do you have a plan to constantly and holistically reevaluate your business in order to keep ahead of everyone else? What do you need to do to take the next step and become the trendsetter yourself?

4. Develop your game plan now.
Stop looking at labor, food, rent and training as costs and start to look at them as investments in your success. Measure them as diligently as you do your financial returns and scrutinize not their need but their effectiveness and begin to demand more accountability out of yourself and your staff in reaching your goals. Create a marketing plan that allows you to be able to measure results more efficiently and effectively and that creates the seamlessness and momentum, necessary to make 2+2=5, or 6, or even 7. What can you attack structurally, that can yield you better returns? Shouldn't you revisit that lease to make sure it reflects true market rents given the economy and occupancy rates today? Can you afford to still pay prices from years ago? Have you kept up with demographic shifts in your market? Do you need to move your business to better reflect your proximity to your target market? Do you need to revamp your pricing, menu, production or service processes to be able to add more value to the guest experience you offer?

5. Be more calculating in your risk taking, but don't become risk averse.
Are you making smart purchases that reflect true market pricing or are you still paying for someone else mistakes? Are you renegotiating your vendor agreements to take advantage of lower prices? Are you rebidding those agreements? When is the last time you re-engineered your menu? Is now the time to open that next location in order to consolidate and expand your market share? Or to take advantage of your competitors misfortune? Are you capitalizing on your past success by leveraging your credit levels and terms? Is there any investment you can make to leverage your knowledge of your market or your streamlined operations and gain market share external to your existing business? Is it time to open that BBQ business to capture an altogether different market than your upscale full service venue?

6. Prepare yourself to change with your change.
Are you keeping up on industry trends and best practices? Are you devoting enough time to growing yourself in order to be the best you can be in order to help those around you be the best they can be? Are you investing in your "A" players enough so that they continue to see you as the only place they would ever want to be? Are you trimming the "C" and "D" level talent form your ranks in order to improve not only your operations but also your effectiveness as a leader? Are you raising standards instead of lowering them? Have you purged your business of any "just getting by" or "just surviving" thinking and actions? Or are you continuing to subsidize million dollar mediocrities?

Simply reacting to your circumstances may have allowed you to keep up so far. This isn't true anymore. The competition on the other side of this purging will be fierce; any decision to maintain the status-quo will only end in disaster for you and your business.
Be proactive by developing your strategic thinking skills and put them into action to help you build a better business and a better life for yourself. You deserve it.

Related post: Understand your real job, Would you like to work less and get more done?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

BE YOUR OWN MYSTERY GUEST...

2009-02-13T01:40:00.014+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Strategic Planning is formulating immediate as well as long range goals to make your restaurant run more efficiently.
A start is to step back and look at your operation with the eyes of your customers. If you can learn to see what your clientele sees in their first few minutes, you'll know more quickly how to start to improve your operation.

What do your customers see when they look at the exterior of the restaurant?
Can your signs be seen easily, and do they tell a truthful story about what you have to offer inside? Look at your building:
Is the paint peeling, are the window panes spotless or spotted?
Is the garbage area well hidden and covered? How about the grounds?
Do you step over potholes in the paving, are there gaping cracks with weeds coming through the sidewalks?
In rainy season does the water form puddles in front of the main entrance way?
Are there cigarette butts and gum wrappers in the shrubbery?

Now enter as if you were a customer:
Is the main entrance door easily seen?
If there are several entrances, can you identify the one to use?
When you walk inside, can your eyes adjust easily so you can see where to go clearly?
Is there a sign telling you either to "wait" or "please seat yourself"?
If any of the following apply to your place, can you find the way to the host station, buffet line, or the order area for fast food?
If there's a crowd waiting to be seated, can you see empty or uncleared tables ahead while the crowd stands and waits?

Is there confusion over reservations, is the waiting line organized for human beings?
Do you hear comments like "We've been waiting over an hour already, and they told us it would be only a few minutes wait"!
Are the waiting people relaxed ? or resigned ? or angry?

Start looking for things that will quickly turn you off as a customer:
As you play a customer being directed to your table, does the carpeting look clean and attractive or just plain stained and shoddy?
Are the public areas neat and clean with adequate lighting?
Are your china, glassware and flatware sanitary as well as shining bright?
Bad sanitation can certainly affect your patron's trust and confidence in the wholesomeness of your food. Washrooms are an immediate indicator of sloppy housekeeping which is usually associated by the patron with indifference in food handling and preparation.

How about your menu?
Are there "typos" and write-ins inside and ketchup and mustard stains on the outside?
Actually ask yourself, "Does my restaurant look first class or second rate?"

When you are finally seated at your table, look and listen:
Do the customers seem to be enjoying themselves? Is there "happy noise" or do you hear clatter and clanging from the kitchen and service pantries? Finally, watch your employees. Are they working effectively as a team or are they "chasing their tails?" Do they speak pleasantly to one another, as if they enjoy working together, or do they pass each other with indifference or with actual hostility?

By acting as your own customer you'll be amazed at what you'll really observe about your own operations. You will be able to develop a long list of areas that need improvement.
This activity of "looking within one's own work space" is an activity often performed so well by an outside consultant -as myself!- who looks at your facility with "fresh eyes".
Whatever means you use to achieve the introspection for a clinical analysis of your operations, this is a first step in strategic planning.

Related post: Restaurant coaching and consulting, good idea?

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

20 CUSTOMER SECRETS...

2009-02-06T01:30:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Profitable Hospitality in 2009, Customers rule as never before, and smart operators will be really paying attention.
Guests will share their secrets, if you take time to listen. How many of these ring true...and what's your response?

1. My busy life means I have the attention span of a goldfish. If you don't keep in touch, I will forget you exist.

2. When I refer my friends and they have a great time, it makes me look smart - I like that!

3. I love it when you play good music - your staff know how to use music to create atmosphere.

4. I like to get treats that no one else does - at least let me think that they don't!

5. If you say it's the 'best coffee in town', make sure you deliver - otherwise you're just spouting hype like the big advertisers.

6. We will forgive slowness once or twice, but when it's more than that, we assume you don't care.

7. I really don't want to hear excuses when things go wrong - they're usually not convincing.

8. Thank me for my business, or the referrals I send you - if you don't, I assume I'm not important to you.

9. Your staff make personal phone calls when the boss is not looking - is that really OK?

10. Some staff don't charge us for all our food and drinks - I think they assume we will tip more.

11. I don't mind paying a little more for quality. But when you cut quality to save money, I'm usually the one who suffers.

12. We know who your worst service staff are, and we wonder why you keep them?

13. I would like to give you feedback (positive or not), but prefer not to do it in person. Please allow me to do it online.

14. I like your 'all inclusive' function packages that don't make me feel I will be short-changed.

15. I also like the way the banquet menus make me feel I got more for my money, not less (like at so many other places)

16. Your website looks old-fashioned - is that the impression you really want to give?

17. I can't stand the way some staff try to 'hard sell' me - it actually turns me off ordering extras.

18. Using your bathroom is not very pleasant, and it makes me wonder about your kitchen.

19. I want to eat better, but none of your healthy options are very interesting - is it that hard?

20. I don't like wearing glasses when I go out, and that means I can't read your menu - why does that have to be my problem?

21. (one more) My diet will always be forgotten when I see good chocolate. Can you please serve the best and most wicked chocolate treat available - I will pay!

Are there more? Ask your staff to share a secret they think a customer would tell if they were asked anonymously...a powerful discussion to plan for the new year review.

Related post: Truths about customers...

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

HOW TO ADDRESS THE GUEST EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR STAFF

2009-01-30T01:31:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

We are all Consumers, and your Staff, no matter the type of Hospitality business – lodgings, restaurants, attractions, entertainment or retail – understand authenticity, appeal to the senses and the role of expectations in framing and delivering on the Guest Experience. But, sometimes, you, the Owner/Manager, must synthesize and bring it home to your establishment and recommit your Team to your message and business.

The more they know and are aware, the better they can forge the proper relationship and rapport with your Guest. It is about behaviors!

This is a helpful diagnostic template for your discussion:

I. Construct a Model and dimensions of the Guest for your Business.

* Each Experience is unique, yet can show some similarities – the unexpected, the thrill, the added touch, the additional effort, etc. Have your staff share their own Experiences and identify what was special, out of the norm, exceptional, etc.
* Talk about what your Guest Feedback mechanisms are saying. You have gained this powerful information from Comment Cards, on-line Surveys or Shoppers and Assessment Companies, even Social Commentary.
* Have your Staff create a Demographic Profile of your Guest: their age, sex, race, professions, etc. A forty year old female professional requires a different approach than that a twenty two year old college student.
* Identify the local competition, for you are all after that same slice of business and Consumer. Expand this to a 30-50 mile radius, discussing the advantages and negatives of your specific business and the community in which you reside. Throw in a word or two about Chain or Flag companies and their benefits (standards, few surprises, a known entity) versus those of the independents and their chance to promote the differences.
* Talk about what is happening in the Marketplace and with each of us personally. The Landscape has changed dramatically. The Economy suffers mightily, our savings have been decimated, our disposable income has shrunk and our decisions of what to spend and where are under intense scrutiny. Understand, your typical Guest is bloodied and bruised.

II. Have your Staff help create Your Guest Profile from the above discussion. No doubt it would include, but not limited to, some of the following your Guest is seeking:

* Value for the money
* Safety/Sanctuary
* Comfort
* Excitement/Entertainment/Fun
* Respect
* Feeling Special

III. Identify a Strategy, which, given the vagaries of the Marketplace, should be: “Retain the ones who love you and turn them into raving Ambassadors”. Why, you might ask?

* It is easier to retain an existing Customer than attract a new one, and
* Good news travels quickly on the Hospitality Grapevine (as does bad news).

IV. Draw that Tripod which frames any Guest Experience:
Facility, Product and Service. Emphasize that the Experience is influenced by:

* All the senses (sight, smell, sound, touch and taste). Have your staff identify examples which evoke these reactions, hopefully within your type of business.
* Expectations, either diminished or enhanced by First Impressions. These could be from your Web Site, collateral material in the community, what people have said, or the actual time spent on your property or venue.

V. Take each of those Guest Experience Aspects and elaborate:

* Facility: Take a hard look, externally and internally. On the outside: from the parking lot, to landscaping to walkways to building siding and paint. On the inside: from the walls to the carpet to the furniture, look at dirt, grime and stains. Consider your ambiance (an enhancement or distraction): music, air conditioning, noise (conversational or kitchen clamor) level and lighting. The condition of your Rest Rooms can be a deal breaker.
* Product: Unique Selling Point (U.S.P.), you need a decent & unique product as part of you mystical mix. No matter what you are selling (rooms, food and beverage, tickets to ride, tee shirts or culture), your product must have some value, definition and reliability. It may be based upon preparation, like a fine meal, or architecture, like a serpentine water slide or design, like your guestroom suite or thread count for your linens. Do not forget the power of presentation: the cleanliness and amenities in your bathrooms, or the creative ensemble of your Chef’s specialty or your merchandising of moccasins.
* Service: Not only the great equalizer but also differenciator. This is the stabilizer of the tripod, and, when the other two legs begin to tremble or bend, Service provides the girder to greatness. Service is built around “touch points”, our interactions with our Guest and the opportunity to shape a relationship which can be memorable. It first starts with how our Staff present themselves to the Guest – personal hygiene, cosmetics, jewelry, perfumes and the state of the uniform. Every Job Classification has Key Elements to the proper performance for that position. Some are mechanical (table setting, keying-in information, stocking shelves). Others (transactions, if you will) involve the rapport we establish with our Guest (the order-taking by our Server, the check-in by the Front Desk, the Welcome at Reception, how a complaint is handled). Take your Staff through these steps, establish standards, behaviors and protocols, practice these all the time, and then be ready to talk about Rewards.

VI. What’s in it for me?

One reality is continued employment, whether it be full-time, part-time, contractual or shift work. Secondly, for those who are eligible for commission or gratuity, there is the opportunity for acknowledged reward. No matter their position in your Business, certain Staff behaviors will enhance prospects for a memorable Guest Experience:

* Smile. This simple facial contraction sets the stage for relationship building. It shows you care, are accessible and welcoming. Plus, a smile is contagious! Steady eye contact is helpful, too.
* Simple courtesy. A “Thank you”, “Yes, sir”, “May I get that for you”, and “You are welcome” is almost as foreign as Chaucer’s English.
* Optimize the “touch points”, without being overwhelming or overbearing. Be aware of the Guest dynamic – perhaps it is an intimate dinner, or a business discussion, or the Guest is in a rush.
* Knowledge of your Product.
* Knowledge of your area or community. We are all Ambassadors, and we hope our current Guest returns.
* Opportunity for Up-selling and Cross-selling – their chance to “accessorize” the experience results in a higher check, tab or receipt.

The above Guest Experience Template does not answer all the questions or concerns of today’s Hospitality Manager. However, the discussion and the participation which occurs is invaluable and will place you in a favorable posture for the changing Hospitality marketplace.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

BRINGING NEW CUSTOMERS TO YOUR RESTAURANTS

2009-01-23T08:08:00.006+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

When restaurateurs like you appoint me for a first consultation (which is always free!), at that initial meeting I ask the following question:

What's your biggest challenge as a restaurant owner/manager?

And this is the number one answer from a significant number of restaurateurs every month:

"To bring new customers to my restaurant."

It looks like a logical answer, doesn't? Who doesn't want to have lots of new people walking through your door? However, if I continued to my manage my restaurant - and after everything that I know now about marketing - my wish/challenge would be different. It would be something like:

I want my existing clients to come back to my restaurant over and over.

Does that mean I don't want new customers? Of course I do, new customers are new opportunities to convert into repeated clients, but targeting your marketing efforts towards getting new clients shouldn't make up the bulk of your expenses or efforts. So what do you need to do?

I will explain to you by presenting a hypothetical exercise:

Let's imagine that we have two restaurants with similar capacity. We will call them Restaurant A and Restaurant B.

For the sake of simplicity we use $ and assume the following parameters are common to both restaurants:

· The average price per meal is $25
· The profit margin per meal is $10
· The marketing investment for both is $5,000

Now the differences are:

Restaurant A invests all the $5,000 in bringing in new customers.They invest the money in a very successful campaign and produce coupons, direct mailing, etc. When the $5,000 marketing dollars are over, they brought to their restaurant 1,000 new customers. Pretty good, eh? Five dollars per customers is an extremely small investment towards bringing in new clients.

Restaurant B does things differently. They spend the same amount of money ($5,000) but instead of expending the entire amount focusing on bringing new clients via advertising, they decide to invest all the money in their existing clients to bring them back over and over. They will also give them incentives for their friends and family members so that they can also come in and try their restaurant.

Who do you think will do better? Let's do some numbers.

Restaurant A invested $5,000 and brought 1,000 people who will give a profit of $10 each so they made a total of $10,000 profit or a 50% return of investment. Not bad.

Restaurant B focused instead on bringing back their existing customers via a formalized referral system. They gave 100 of their best clients four gift certificates: one for them to come back again and three others to give to their friends and family members so that they can try your restaurant for themselves. These gift certificates give them 50% off of their entire meal.

Now, remember, an average meal only cost Restaurant B $15 since the other $10 is profit as we mentioned before. When you offer a 50% discount, in reality it will cost you $7.50 per meal.

Also, when you give somebody a gift certificate, chances are that they won't come to your place alone. Most likely they will bring some company to enjoy their meals with. Let's assume that for each $12.50 (50% of the price of the average meal) that you give away, you bring back two people. Now, your cost is $3.75 for each. Wow! It's even better than the initial investment. But that's not all, three things are also happening here:

If the people don't use the gift certificates when they dine, you're not losing any money, making this investment a sure thing (versus spending money on advertising that can't guarantee you any results)
New visitors will come predisposed to like your place; after all, your restaurant has been recommended by a source that they trust more than any other restaurant review - their friends or family members who gave them your gift certificate in the first place. If your restaurant offers great food and service, they'll likely come back again since they felt that not only did they get a good deal because of the discount, but you can also give them a gift certificate for themselves plus three extra for their friends to try your place. This is called viral marketing since they are spreading the word about your place.

Do you see how this goes? You can invest a lot of money to bring new people to your place that may never come back, or you can spend less money to create a referral system that will bring people wanting to eat at your place, and with a solid predisposition to having a great time. These techniques will, if you stick to your system, bring in new repeat clients and also will establish a referral system for you and your place.

In these times of economic crisis, every single marketing dollar that you spend needs to be leveraged to bring you the maximum amount of profit. Be wise and think strategically before spending your hard earned money.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

RESTAURANT OPENINGS

2009-01-16T07:56:00.009+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
And this is a new post from lazygourmet...

Opening a new restaurant is always a challenge for everyone involved. One can think of openings as an organizational test that involves site selection, building, legal issues, the HR department, marketing, operations and trainers. Does your organization have an overall philosophy around opening?
Determining how your organization views opening will help you determine how to plan your training schedule. What is your organizational philosophy? How much rope do you have?

When I start a training program for a restaurant opening, there are a number of factors I take into consideration all the way from pre-opening to evaluation of the training afterwards. I will share with you the steps I follow for a successful opening.

Construction-Your Best Friend: One of the practices I have had the most success with is to get acquainted with the construction crew and make sure you are both speaking the same 'language.' Find out if you have a company construction supervisor, or if the construction is handled by an outside firm. Does your construction department know what you need to conduct an effective training program?

You need to know their timelines and the construction sequence of events. Remember, if they are in your way, you are in their way, too. If they say, 'The build-out will take 18 weeks,' you need to find out exactly what it means, whether you'll be able to start training, or if there is two weeks to go after the 18 weeks before move-in can happen. Make the construction department a real ally so that the building is ready when you want to actually start the training.

If You Have a Training Program... If you have a training program in place, you need to examine your standard hourly training program to see if it fits the new restaurant. Your standard program most likely contains time frames for menus, POS and steps of service study. The time allotted for 'standard' training should be comparable to your opening plan-give yourself enough time to adequately train your crew. One-on-one training topics can generally be covered in a small group format and the traditional 'follow' steps can be simulated via a role play scenario. You shouldn't have to dramatically alter your basic training design just because it's an opening. Remember, it's only an opening to you, not necessarily to your guests. The skills your staff needs are the same on day 1 as they are on day 100.

Trainer Selection and Training: Who trains at the unit level in your organization? Where do your trainers come from? Do you advertise internally or recruit trainers? Is training a pre-requisite to becoming a manager? What is the image and appearance that your trainers project? Remember, what makes a good restaurant trainer doesn't always equate to a good new store opening trainer.

I get a list of potential trainers from the managers, but before I make them trainers, they attend a multiday 'Train-the Trainer'. The training is not focused on operational skills. Training is very experiential. It's a competitive atmosphere. Look for trainers who have leadership skills and the ability to work on a team. Your assessment should extend beyond classroom activities.

I take the group out to dinner and observe their appearance and how they conduct themselves. It's important to know who is representing you. Be sure you institute some kind of weaning process.

Benefits of Small Group Method: Small groups are ideal for openings-no more than eight to ten people. Think small groups when it comes to scheduling training and writing training programs. What I like to do is schedule a day training session and a night training session. This has a dual purpose of accommodating new employees who may be students or have another job. My hidden agenda is that I know I'll have smaller groups by splitting the restaurant group in half.

With small groups, trainers have a smaller ratio of trainer to student. It's easier to give feedback to managers since it's easier to observe individual behavior. It's harder to hide unacceptable behavior and easier to spot those who aren't paying attention or making a lot of mistakes. Small group training also helps develop trainers.

High School vs. Elementary School: There are two 'schools' of thought for training groups for openings. One uses the high school approach where there are a number of teachers for different topics, the other is the elementary school approach where there is one teacher for many subjects.

I advocate the elementary principle. It has the advantage of allowing the trainer to get a much better feel for the people in their group. The trainer can then provide the management team with information on how well each individual is performing. You have a better chance of 'weeding out' a bad hire. One teacher who spends a lot of time with people can give better feedback. And, it provides more development for the individual trainer who has to be more engaged because they are required to complete an evaluation of each individual.

Dress Rehearsals: It all starts with staffing. We schedule our dress rehearsal as if it were a normal night of work. If the normal cooking line has 6 people, we don't practice with 10, we practice with 6. If you do practice with more people than normal, you can inadvertently teach them to be unproductive.

During dress rehearsals, you will always have to consider your marketing department's requests for events like 'pass-around' or catered events. But it is better if you do practice as you play as much as possible, to try to make it as realistic as possible. Have people order off the regular menu. Argue for a dress rehearsal that is as close to the real restaurant experience as possible. Again, you need to know the organizational philosophy.

Who's In Command Here? In an opening scenario, you need to know who is the decision maker on the floor, decide what authority trainers have, and what gets deferred to managers. It is important that even before you get started that everyone is on the same page. Have clear definitions of authority and responsibility. Separate what the trainers can correct i.e. skills, versus what the managers need to correct, i.e. behaviors.

Role of the Management Team: During the training period, the managers should not be integral to the training program. Let them know that they should rotate and pay attention, but shy away from giving them significant training roles during the week of training. Manager's tend to get pulled away for tasks (important and otherwise) and that can disrupt your schedule. Divided loyalty can end up happening with employees trying to please the managers instead of paying attention to training. The manager's role should be that of an observer and enforcer.

Transitioning to Operations: You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. One of the hardest parts of opening is trying to decide how long the trainers stay. There can easily be the attitude of 'Don't worry, they'll be gone soon, then we can do what we want.' It's hard to determine how long the trainers stay and to evaluate how long the opening training impacts the operations. Operations have to be sure that operations will be ready for the exit. There needs to be a good exit plan.

Measuring Results: It's important to measure the results of training. I zero in on two measurements: the guest satisfaction indicator or service score often known as the mystery shopper, and the hourly turnover rate. Shy away from using sales or profit as a measurement of your training. You don't have control over sales or profit, but you do have control over your training. Don't shirk your responsibility as a trainer, but be realistic-stick to things you can control. The measurement of training effectiveness should be agreed upon ahead of time.

Who's Paying for this Mess? Determine early who will be responsible for which expenses. Determine how you define opening expenses, what is capitalized, what isn't. For example, if the management team will be there six weeks earlier and will have petty cash and be allowed to purchase items, who will be responsible for monitoring costs? Be realistic in your expenses, not extravagant when considering items like trainer accommodations. Determine who plans versus who approves expenses, It all loops back to what your organization philosophy is. Opening training doesn't start nine days before the opening. It really starts ten to twelve weeks out.

Waiting a week to open so that you can have a 'guest ready' ready building that allows you to practice like you play costs sales dollars. You must make your case that the dollars lost will be made back by limiting the sales erosion off your peak numbers by being able to deliver a positive experience to more of your guests during your first few weeks of business, especially those experiencing your concept for the first time.

If you can prevent even five percent of that sales loss, then you will recapture the money you spent on training over the first few weeks of business.

Related post: Soft Opening?!? Grand Opening!?!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

TOP 10 FLAVOR TRENDS 2009

2009-01-09T08:30:00.008+07:00

Source : Flavor & The Menu magazine.

Casual, comfort flavor cues will be driving restaurant trends in 2009, predicts Flavor & The Menu magazine, in its annual selection of Top 10 Flavor Trends.

Consulting with a team of restaurant industry experts, Flavor & The Menu's editors forecast, among other menu trends, a French-cuisine comeback in the form of more approachable (and affordable) bistro and brasserie fare, an "urban" expansion of traditional, widely-accepted barbecue flavors and formats, and beer informing a new culinary evolution of restaurant concepts and menus.

Flavor & The Menu magazine is a foodservice publication acclaimed for taking a flavor-focused approach in its original coverage of flavor trends and menu-development strategies. Most culinary trends originate in restaurant kitchens, and Flavor & The Menu editors select the leading menu influencers they predict will have the broadest appeal and the most influence on menus in the years to come.

"With restaurant visits and check averages in decline, restaurants are looking to tap into new growth opportunities," says Cathy Holley, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief. "As chefs explore ways to differentiate their menus and create cravable offerings, especially in an unsteady economic climate, many of these trends will factor into their menu-development strategies."

Flavor & The Menu's Top 10 Trends for 2009:

Top Culinary Trend - Tapping Beer's Potential: Now that beer is the new wine, thanks to a flood of new craft beer products and imports, chefs are creating menus that match beer lists in their complexity and casual-yet-sophisticated approach to pub food. Beyond the usual pretzels and peanuts, these post-modern pub menus present hearty food that's designed to pair with beer.

Top Concept Trend - Barbecue Branches Out: A wave of new barbecue restaurants is introducing consumers to more sophisticated interpretations of classic barbecue-shack specialties with a difference - upgraded with signature sides, more interesting preparations and full wine lists and cocktails. This "urban barbecue" approach will offer chefs opportunities to bring barbecue's flavors, techniques and presentations beyond its established boundaries.

Top Comeback Trend - French Bistro: After years of being overshadowed by Asian and Latin fare, classic French bistro cuisine is being taken up by leading chefs looking to bring their culinary vision to a more approachable and moderately priced style of dining. These new-generation bistros sport a bustling energy and broadened appeal to bring a new generation back to French food.

Top Menu-Making Trend - Snack Attack: The appetizer-entree-and-dessert meal progression will never be the same; from small plates and wine-bar menus to fast-food "fourth meals" and handhelds, snacking offers an affordable way for consumers to sample and share interesting new foods.

Top Ethno-Cuisine Trend - Asian Noodle-Mania: From Japanese ramen and soba chains establishing beachheads in the U.S. to Asian-American chefs like David Chang offering upscale takes on classic noodles, and a proliferation of blogs dedicated to the quest for the perfect bowl of noodles, there's a whole lot of slurping going on.

Top Sauce Trend - Fruitful Finishes: From simple salsas to classic reductions, chefs are turning to fruit as a base for signature sauces. These include chunky compotes and smooth coulis, infused vinegars, gastriques, jams and fruit butters. These inventive sauces are becoming a great way for chefs to better utilize fruit in savory dishes, while intensifying flavor profiles in desserts.

Top High-Impact Ingredient - American Artisanal: After a wave of interest in European cheeses, American chefs are turning their attention to the growing domestic cheese scene. American cheesemakers are coming into their own, crafting Euro-style adaptations and their own signature creations.

Top Buzzword - Farm: "Farmers market" is the new mantra, as chefs seek to distinguish their menus and establish a culinary connection with customers. A farm-focused approach complements back-to-basics cooking styles, including pickling, curing and other artisanal crafts, while ingredients like natural beef and cage-free eggs satisfy cravings for wholesome foods and simpler times.

Top Beverage Trend - Latin Refreshers: Thanks to an interest in all things Latin, restaurants beyond the South American and Mexican niches have started serving licuados (fruit shakes), aguas fresca ("fresh water," or juices) and cheladas. Even sangria is experiencing a renaissance, with new fruits and distinctive presentations.

Top Dessert Trend - Italian Inspirations: With Italian restaurants holding a larger share of the American heart, it stands to reason that dessert menus would expand beyond predictable mainstays like tiramisu. And they have: We're seeing custardy panna cotta, indulgent gelato, soothing budino (Italian-style pudding), homey polenta cake, and semi-frozen specialties known as semifreddo.

Related post: Restaurant & Hotel Food Trends for 2009

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

RESTAURANT & HOTEL FOOD TRENDS FOR 2009

2008-12-12T09:52:00.018+07:00

Courtesy of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman

Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. Are creators of high-profile restaurants around the world for hotels, restaurant companies, major museums and other consumer destinations. Based in New York, their projects include the late Windows on the World and the magical Rainbow Room, Equinox in Singapore, the world's first food courts, and five three-star restaurants in New York. Their predictions follow ...

DUST OFF THOSE MEATLOAF RECIPES...TOUGH TIMES ARE HERE!

The global economic meltdown is forcing profound changes in the hotel and restaurant world. Costly frills are out. Wanton indulgence is now bad manners. Here are 13 major trends to look for in the year ahead.

1. THE BISTROS ARE COMING, THE BISTROS ARE COMING!: Restaurants, especially hotel restaurants, are lagging economic indicators: They take so long to design and build that a turn in the business cycle catches them flatfooted.
Because they're lagging indicators, whenever you see first courses costing more than last year's main courses; whenever you see waiters dressed in name-brand clothing that you can't afford; whenever restaurant designers are featured in consumer magazines; and whenever you see corks popping on triple-digit wines like there's no tomorrow - that's when you know tomorrow has arrived.
So all those new restaurants that recently were hell-bent for opulence and dripping with luxury will now be part of the cyclical "bistro-ization of America." And if not bistros, look for "osteria", which are the Italian equivalent.

2. ON THE HOTEL END, there had been a single-minded focus on luxury targeted at expense-account types who, more and more, are getting pink slips instead of bonuses. What's more, high-margin business banquets and private parties are being canceled (stockholders are hissing mad at corporations spending $500 a head for lavish dinners), making big dents in hotels' food and beverage profits. So the days of foie-gras and truffles are over for the foreseeable future and culinary ambitions are tumbling. As menus are downscaled, and dining rooms "bistro-ized", one wonders how consumers will react to eating coq-au-vin and mashed potatoes in inappropriately extravagant and glitzy dining rooms. Look for clever disguises covering over last years' excessive opulence.

3. ALSO ON THE HOTEL END, a very large question: Will those Big Deal Hotel Restaurants carrying the names of Absentee Star Chefs become economic albatrosses, or will they indeed prove to have stable drawing power? We look for fewer hotels turning their restaurants over to star chefs. The cost of building these things often outstrips potential profits, and when times get tight, hotels can do without. Besides, we're running out of star chefs.

4. ITS "COMFORT FOOD" TIME AGAIN as people attempt to escape the ravages of the Dow. Exotic seafood topped with micro-greens and frou-frou is out of bounds in the face of 401(k) deprivation, so the old standbys are coming back. But, as with men's ties, not in quite the same way. Yes, MACARONI-AND-CHEESE ... but also certain Asian pasta dishes (such as PAD THAI and sesame noodles) for their equivalent creaminess without the palate fatigue; and RIGATONI CARBONARA for the same reason. SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS will make a roaring comeback ... but with creative meatballs.

5. CHICKEN SOUP loyalists will have more than noodles and matzo balls to choose from, as comforting ASIAN NOODLES IN BROTH edge onto menus (look for Pho from Vietnam, Ramen from Japan, and Laksa from Malay peninsula).

6. We'd be surprised if TURKEY LEGS don't pop up on menus around the country, as well as lots of BRAISED AND FRIED CHICKEN - this time in various ethnic flavorings, particularly from twice-fried Korean chicken chains that are growing in popularity wherever you find concentrations of Korean expats. Also on the comfort food front, watch for MASHED POTATO VARIATIONS - combined with creamy and pungent cheeses, for example, or with multiple winter vegetables: potatoes and pureed cauliflower, potatoes and parsnips with a bit of bacon, potatoes with butternut squash and ginger ... all the right creative comfort flavors and textures to dress up a homey meatloaf.

7. BREAKFAST at any time of day will become the new comfort food. Grits, waffles or steak and eggs for lunch and dinner.

8. EATING LOWER ON THE HOG - OFFAL IS EXCELLENT: Last year we predicted a great upswing in innards and odd parts, and this year we'll see even more. Guanciale (pigs' cheeks), pigs' feet, tripe, lardo (cured pork fat), artisan salami, beef cheeks, tongue, neck meat, oxtails ... and chicken livers taking the place of costly foie-gras.

9. TINKERING WITH THE MENU: Casual dining chains are confronting their worst fear - that customers, pummeled by the meltdown of their pensions, will no longer drive an extra mile for the same mozzarella sticks they can get just down the road. These chains - whether Applebee's or beleaguered Bennigan's or TGIFriday's and their look-alike - have rushed back to their test kitchens seeking ways to distinguish their food from the pack of copycat competitors. The danger these giant companies face is that they may all - as they've repeatedly done in the past - come up with similar solutions. The upside, if they really can distinguish themselves, is better choice at better prices for the consumer.

10. LUXURY RESTAURANTS that got away with $75-and-up price-fixed dinners will be unbundling their menus, allowing cash-strapped patrons to control their checks by ordering a la carte. A la carte restaurants will add low ball price-fixed dinners to their menus, hoping to attract people by offering bargains. You'll see more and more placemats, and costly tablecloths will disappear as owners cut costs; linen placemats will give way to paper ones, and many restaurants will actually serve meals on bare tables. Watch for overpriced wines and cocktails to start slumping, too; those $12-$15 drinks are still profitable at $9.

11. EVEN BETTER FOR CONSUMERS: Smug owners who've treated customers as supplicants will turn ultra-friendly -- "Yes, sir, you certainly can share that main course." Many Americans will suddenly find tables available during normal dinner hours rather than a 6:00 or 9:30. Hotels in particular, will need radical staff retraining.

12. Look for an UPSURGE IN SMALL PLATES offerings as operators seek to add lower price points to their offerings. HAPPY HOURS will become relative bargains as hotels and restaurants hope customers will order lots of small plates instead of dinner; but those prices will have to fall, too (five bucks for two deviled eggs might not cut the mustard).

13. UNDERGROUND RESTAURANTS: There will be big growth in "black market" restaurants this year ... one-night-only unlicensed dinner ventures staged by skilled home cooks (and occasional professionals) in warehouses, garages, cellars, vacant nightclubs and personal dining rooms. With ambitious menus, these dinners are by invitation only ... word spreads via blogs, text messages, notices on Craiglist. Prices vary from pretty expensive to pay-what-you-like, menus offer no choices, and often it's BYOB - giving guests great reasons to uncork their treasured Burgundies.

For the complete report and other bright ideas: www.baumwhiteman.com

Starting now, you won't hear from me again until the second part of January...

BEST HOLIDAY WISHES AND SEE YOU IN 2009!

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

UNDERSTAND YOUR REAL JOB

2008-11-28T08:30:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

Some of the most powerful management concepts are also the most simple. Here is a "blinding flash of the obvious" for your consideration:

As managers, I believe our job is not to run the joint, it is to teach our staff how to run the joint! You will never be able to move on to new projects (or get away to spend more time with your family) unless your crew can assume responsibilities that presently fall to you . . . and the only way they will be able to do these new jobs is if someone teaches them.

Think about it. If you are doing something that someone on your staff is capable of doing - and you are not giving it to them to do - that is disrespectful. Disrespect will quickly destroy the working relationships in any organization. Not passing tasks along may also deliver the message that you don't think the other person is capable of doing it. Reluctance to let loose of tasks, especially routine tasks, could be seen as your way of keeping the power in your own hands. In any case the organization suffers because qualified people will leave for jobs where they can advance their skills. At the same time you perpetuate the overload that leads to management stress, exhaustion and burnout.

Take a look at your day and see where you are spending your time. Do you spend hours doing the schedule? There is no law that says you have to do it, only that a schedule needs to be done. If you have it down cold, or if it is driving you crazy, teach someone else on your staff to do it! After all, at some point in your career someone had to trust you with the job for the first time. It will be a relief to you and a job upgrade for them. The same thinking applies to other typical manager jobs like taking the inventory or doing the ordering. There is no reason why someone on your staff, with a little coaching, cannot handle these duties as well as you can and it is not hard for you to keep score on how they are doing.

As a start, identify three activities that presently occupy your time - jobs that others on your staff are already capable of doing. Verify that these folks are willing to take on the new responsibilities and then give the jobs to them. Check in with them for awhile to make sure they understand what they are doing. Don't insist that they do everything exactly the way you would. All you are really looking for is consistency of results. If they can get the same or better results without breaking any laws, why waste energy insisting on the manner in which that happens?

When you are comfortable that the new tasks are being well-handled, identify three of your common tasks that other folks in your organization are capable of learning. With your new-found free time, start teaching them!

The results of this process are simply wonderful! You will be taking jobs that are wearing you down and giving them to people who will get excited about them! You continually reinvent your own job which tends to keep you fresh and excited. Your staff will become more confident, more skilled and more involved in the success of your operation.

A few words of caution before you start:

There is a difference between delegation and abdication. Never turn anyone loose unless they have been thoroughly coached or they may panic and fail. As a world-class manager, you want to make sure they are successful in their new work. Failure will not help anyone. You may want to do a job until you have mastered it before you turn it over to someone else. In some cases, where you know that you just do not have the temperament for a particular task, delegating it to someone who does may work out better for everyone. It is OK if your staff knows more than you do.

Don't delegate to people who don't want the responsibility. Not everyone wants to advance and it is futile to force activity on someone who does not want it. If you have a history of successful transitions and people are comfortable that they won't be set up to fail, they will be more eager to take on something new - particularly if you reward their achievement.

Reflect the new job responsibilities on the paycheck. You have to deal with the question of "what's in it for me?" It is only fair to reflect someone's increased contributions to your profitability on their check. If you don't give for what you get you will not find many volunteers for new duties. Don't view delegation as increasing costs. Rather, see it as a way to break you loose to identify more ways of increasing revenue. Even if delegation does nothing other than give you time to have a life (!), any additional costs will be more than offset by your own increase in productivity.

Expect mistakes A "mistake" only shows you the extent of a person's understanding. We all slip a few times when taking on new challenges. Since no one likes to fail, making a big deal of an error will only destroy the desire to learn and add another "rule" to the book. Approach your job as a coach would ("This is good, that is good, let's work on this part now.") and you will do fine. Bear in mind that you, too, are also learning - in this case, learning how to delegate successfully - and you should expect a mistake or two yourself as you learn how to do it effectively.

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

RESTAURANT EMAIL MARKETING

2008-11-21T08:00:00.010+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

Many of you will shake your heads when reading the title of this article. After all, you are in the restaurant business not in the email marketing business, right?

However, let me tell you something that may shock you: you are in the sales business. If you don't sell your food and beverages, nothing else counts, so you need to apply the same marketing and sales techniques that the rest of commercial businesses use.

Email marketing is one of the most effective communication and promotion vehicles on the Internet. 90% of Internet users and 56% of all clients use email on a regular basis (source: E-marketeer. August 2006). Restaurants can benefit from email marketing because it's fast, direct, cost-effective, and builds loyal relationships with your clients. Restaurant email marketing is perhaps one of the lowest cost marketing vehicles available to the restaurant industry to book tables and to build customer relationships. High quality email campaigns can deliver effective messages that drive action - and clients to your restaurant.

Email marketing can be a tricky proposition. People hate email spam, and often they delete email messages that they don't think are useful or interesting to them. For your email campaigns to be truly effective, they have to be managed properly and conducted in a professional manner. This article provides restaurateurs with some practical tips for conducting effective email marketing campaigns that maximize their return on investment.

If you want your restaurant email marketing to be effective, it's important for you to develop a targeted, permission-based database. Email addresses can be collected either on your restaurant's website or at your place when your clients are visiting. Let's look at both:

1. Collecting Emails on Your Restaurant Website:
Create an opt-in form on your website so that visitors can sign up for specials and promotional offers. (If you don't know how to do this, ask your website designer to do it for you.)
Once your visitors hit "send" on the opt-in form, they receive an email confirmation stating that they have been added to your mailing list. If they are not interested in getting your emails, they can simply "unsubscribe." You need to give your clients always the ability to easily unsubscribe from your emailing list if they see that your emails don't give them enough value.

2. Collecting Emails at Your Restaurant:
In addition to collecting addresses on your website, you can also collect email addresses at your restaurant. Approach satisfied clients at the end of their meals and ask them for permission (on an opt-in card) to get their email addresses so that you can send them information, discounts, coupons, etc. via email.

If you have done your homework and have provided your clients with a memorable dining experience, they will most likely willing to share their email address with you.

This is very important now: Enter the client's information directly on your website form (or ask somebody from your staff to do it for you). By following this process, you assure that all the information is collected in the central database, and that they are legitimate email addresses following the opt-in process.

Now what are you supposed to do with all these addresses ?

When you send emails, please try not to make them an obvious sales pitch. People hate to be told what to buy or where to go for a dinner. Instead, use email to communicate with your clients as follows:

1. To promote one specific special event or item in your restaurant. Please don't abuse the frequency of the announcements or people will soon ignore your emails, even when you really have something important to say. I would recommend sending out one message a month or less. Sending more often than that could alienate many people in your list.

Some examples could be a special event or gala hosted to raise money for charity, a special wine dinner, etc. You can also announce holiday specials such as Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

2. To send a birthday present to some clients. What better way to touch your best clients' hearts than opening an email with your best wishes and an electronic coupon valid for a free meal?

Not only will they appreciate your thoughtfulness but they will also probably redeem the coupon, and bring along lots of family and/or friends to celebrate at your place!

Please notice that if you have the mailing address of your clients, it is better (and classier) to send them a printed coupon with a personal Happy B-day letter or card. You can have these cards pre-printed and just add a personalized note with the name of your client. Use email only when this is the only contact information that you have about your clients.

3. To send interesting information about your restaurant. Perhaps you have a new chef or you've introduced a new line of dishes or desserts, etc. Again, don't abuse the connection by sending trivial information that nobody but you cares about. Always think from the client's perspective: would this news be interesting for them?

4. To send discount coupons to a group of clients on some special occasion. Perhaps you've captured information about some of your clients' anniversaries. This is a great occasion to email them, congratulating them and offering a discount if they celebrate it at your place. Other special occasions may be new jobs, promotions, name-days (very popular in some countries. You can check a traditional calendar to see the name dates and associate them with some of your best clients), professional "mixer" days (attract clients from the same professions so that they can mingle and network), etc.

5. To ask for feedback. Ask clients about a new dish that you've just introduced, perhaps new decor or some event that you are thinking of. Faithful clients will appreciate the opportunity to give you feedback and participate in the improvement of their favorite restaurant: yours!

As you can see, restaurant email marketing can be used very effectively to bring clients back to your restaurant and keep your place fresh in their minds, so that they will book your place instead of somebody else's when they think about their next meal out, especially if you give them the motivation via discounts or gift certificates.

With your email campaigns, you will also build stronger relationships with your clients and they will have an opportunity to give you feedback that you can act on and improve your restaurant. It is a win/win situation for both of you!

Good luck and happy emailing!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

SOFT OPENING?!? GRAND OPENING?!?

2008-11-07T08:00:00.010+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

The arguments for either one are missing the point. It’s not one versus the other.

Doing just the soft opening is silly. It like saying, “Well, let’s see if this whole restaurant thing is for me. If enough people find out about me, I guess we’ll keep on cooking.” You quit before you started. And when you did start, you did it with a severe handicap to your competition.

On the other hand, starting out with a bang and succeeding in attracting a lot of people fast could be as bad. Your kitchen may implode on the very first night. The logistics get intricate and the sparks fly when you have 50 four-tops sitting there for 2 hours waiting for their plates to come out. Ugly.

The correct answer is, you need a soft opening followed by a grand opening 3 or 4 weeks later. The soft opening gives you a chance to work out all the logistical kinks, train the staff, tweak the menu, and really understand who you want to attract as a customer. This way you are in a position to hit a home run on the night of the grand opening.

That’s why soft opening first, then grand.

Also, the idea that there can only be one Grand Opening for a restaurant ever is totally, utterly, absolutely false.
You can — and should — have as many grand openings as you want and need.
Once it gets too repetitive, you can call them “special events”.

And this is when the calendar becomes your biggest friend!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

FIX THE SYSTEM NOT THE PEOPLE

2008-10-31T22:30:00.007+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

Let's say you have a man named Boy working in the pantry and he is starting to notice that orders often take 20 minutes or more to get out of his station. Now he is aware of the fact that you want the food out in fifteen minutes (determined by your own standard) and so he has two options - he can either keep quiet, hoping you won't notice or come to you and report the delays.

If you are the sort of person who sees failures as resulting from the performance of people, you are likely to blame Boy when you learn of the excessive processing times. If Boy suspects that you are apt to say something like "Thanks for telling me that, Boy. There obviously is a problem here and I think you are the problem. Since you seem unable to meet our standards, you are fired.," you can be sure that Boy will never open his mouth! Don't laugh, variations on this scene happen all the time.

If you choose to see operating problems as people failures, you virtually guarantee that no one on your staff will ever tell you about an operating problem! In this environment, not many folks will "rat" on their co-workers because they will figure that it is management's job to know what's going on and they do not want to be responsible for someone else losing their job. Certainly no one will report a problem that is a result of their own inability to perform if making that report is likely to be professional suicide!

The predictable results are that guest service suffers, operating problems are perpetuated, the "them and us" attitude is strengthened and your conscientious workers are more likely to become disenchanted. All of this will eventually show up as reduced sales volume, lower morale and increased turnover.

On the other hand, if you were to look at operational breakdowns as failures in the system, you would actually encourage people to bring you any "bad news." With this mindset you would greet Boy's report with enthusiasm and gratitude - enthusiasm because he was taking responsibility for the success of the operation and gratitude because he had provided an insight into where the operation might be failing to deliver the desired level of service to your guests. You might then sit down with Boy to explore where the system might be weak and see what suggestions he has on how to change the system to fix the problems.

There are a number of possible breakdowns in the system: Perhaps the menu is heavy on pantry items and the station is overloaded. Maybe there is an item so complicated to prepare that every time someone orders it, the entire production flow jams up. Perhaps necessary supplies are kept in an inconvenient place. Perhaps there is a needed piece of equipment that is missing or malfunctioning.

Perhaps orders are garbled when they come in from the dining room because the service staff doesn't understand how to use the new implemented system. Every time an order is not clear, it might take a lot of additional discussion with the service staff to sort it out and get it right. Perhaps Boy can't read and has been trying to keep you from finding out.

If the problem lies with Boy's inability to perform, it is still a system failure. If Boy was not properly trained, if he doesn't understand what you want him to do or if he doesn't understand why it is important, you need to re-examine the effectiveness of your training and supervisory systems. If the standard itself is unreasonable given the labor you have scheduled, you may need to re-examine your staffing system or reconsider your means of setting standards.

If Boy is not physically or mentally capable of doing what the position demands or if Boy is otherwise the wrong person for that particular job, he may be more productive in another position. You need to look for where the job assignment system broke down in allowing him to be assigned to the pantry in the first place. If Boy is the wrong sort of person to be working in foodservice at all, a problem in your staff selection system allowed him to be hired. But the problem is always in the system, not in the people.

When you look for failures in the system and not for failures in people, it makes it safe for your existing staff to tell you where the snags are. First of all, they are the people most likely to know where things are not working properly and getting them involved means that the burden of keeping the train on the tracks does not fall entirely on the management. That in itself can be an overwhelming relief!

While it is easy (and tempting) to blame individuals for operational problems, it is never productive. The problem is not with your people. All they did was ask for a job - you are the one that gave it to them! This is not about pointing fingers or assigning blame but if you regard any lapses as your responsibility you can do something about them. If problems are always someone else's fault, you will only continue to be frustrated, spin your wheels and perpetuate the same old problems.

So how can you move your organization to a point where people feel free to open up? If you have been a control-oriented manager who has always assigned blame and tried to keep your staff firmly under your thumb, it is going to take some time to regain their trust and confidence. It will be difficult but it can be done. It helps to remember that for managers to do their jobs properly, they do not need to have all the right answers, they simply must be able to find the right answers.

Here are some management qualities that will help you establish this dialogue with your staff and start to change things for the better:

Listen to your staff, but not just to what they say. Listen with curiosity. Listen with humility. Listen for the feelings behind the words. Listen for insights. If you are willing to put your own judgement and opinions on hold and be "dumb as dirt," it will help you keep an open mind and help your staff feel better-heard. You might learn something as well!

Consider what they have to say because they are closer to most problems than you are and they have a different perspective on what is happening. Remember that their observations are just as valid for them as yours are for you. There is incredible wisdom and insight available in your staff if you are courageous enough to place more value on preserving your business than on preserving your ego.

Acknowledge their contributions because what gets rewarded is what gets done. I would encourage you to consider some sort of reward to acknowledge how much you value reports of failures in the system. In my experience, people are eager to become part of the solution when they get rewarded (with your gratitude if nothing else) for identifying areas that could be working better.

Act on what they tell you because nothing validates people's opinions more than taking action on their suggestions. This is not to suggest management by committee, but don't pass up a good idea just because you didn't think of it first. If people see that something actually happens when they share their ideas and observations, they gain hope, the "them and us" distinction starts to fade and most will take extra care to be sure they only suggest ideas they know will make things better.

By eagerly seeking out breakdowns in the system and welcoming information that points out where the company is falling short of its goals or failing to meet its standards, you become much more approachable. An open, appreciative, non-judgmental attitude will encourage everyone in the company to get involved. In addition to creating a smoother-running organization, you will also reduce your own workload, foster teamwork and improve job involvement. Your good people will be more inclined to stay and help fix things and less inclined to give up hope and leave out of frustration.

I always found that when I tapped the talent available in my staff, it was easier to spot the real causes underlying our problems. Better yet, it was easier to identify how we might need to change things to make the problem disappear!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

WHO IS THE TARGET MARKET FOR YOUR RESTAURANT?

2008-10-24T22:30:00.005+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

This may be the most important question you can answer when designing a restaurant concept. It is definitely the most important question to answer when creating a marketing plan.

One of the biggest mistakes restaurants make is trying to appeal to everyone. If you think that your target market includes everyone, you are setting yourself up to fail. If you want to be successful in any business, especially the restaurant business, then you need to define who it is that is most likely to buy your products, and focus your concept to appeal to that defined market.

First off, let me tell you what a target market or target demographic is and what it isn’t.

A target market IS the portion of the population most likely to buy what you are selling.

A target market ISN’T the portion of the population you want to sell your food to.

Do you see the difference? You must realize that your target market picks you, you don’t pick it.

When creating a plan to market your restaurant, focus on these points:

1. Realistically define what type of person is most likely to enjoy what you want to offer.

2. Assess whether that particular demographic works or lives in large enough numbers within 3 miles of your location to support your concept.

3. Make sure your marketing is communicated in a manner that demographic can understand, and broadcast via a medium that demographic uses.

Here is how you use those points to build your marketing plan.

Point 1: Realistically define what type of person is most likely to enjoy what you want to offer.

This isn’t the time to be politically correct. You need to examine gender, age, race, religion, income, background, prejudices and sexual orientation among other things if you want to get a clear picture of who you should be marketing to. No matter who you want as a customer, kosher Jews and Muslims aren’t going to eat at your BBQ joint. Lower income Asian families aren’t going to eat at your bistro, and upper income, white yuppies aren’t likely to visit your diner in the hood. If you have a “quiet” atmosphere, don’t expect to attract families of any type. If you have a “noisy” atmosphere, don’t expect seniors.

Until you throw political correctness out the window and truly define exactly who is most likely to eat what you offer, in the atmosphere you are offering it, at the price you are charging for it, you aren’t ready to move on to the next step.

Point 2: Assess whether that particular demographic works or lives in large enough numbers within 3 miles of your location to support your concept.

Once you know who it is that is truly most likely to buy your food, you’ll need to consider whether or not they live or work in large enough numbers in your area to support your business. This is a feasability exercise. With this point, you are determining whether or not it is even possible for your idea of a restaurant to make it in the location you are considering.

If your concept appeals to low income seniors on a fixed budget, you shouldn’t be putting it in an upscale shopping center surrounded by neighborhoods full of high income families. You also don’t want to open a bistro appealing to high income white people in the ghetto. While these examples seem obvious, I’ve seen many restaurant make the mistake of putting their concept in an area where their target market does not live or work in great numbers.

A good rule of thumb is to only consider the initial 1-mile and 3-miles radius around your restaurant when evaluating the presence of your target market. Whatever the sex, age and income of the persons most likely to eat your food, those persons need to be living or working in great numbers within a 1 to 3 mile radius of your restaurant. The closer the better. On to the next point.

Point 3: Make sure your marketing is communicated in a manner that demographic can understand, and broadcast via a medium that demographic uses.

Email marketing isn’t going to produce customers for a breakfast diner appealing to seniors. Radio ads on an easy listening radio station aren’t going to bring in 20 and 30 year old hipsters. If you haven’t defined who it is most likely to buy your food, it’s not likely you are using marketing mediums most likely seen/heard by your most likely customers.

In marketing, you must use the language your target market understands. Speak your target market’s language and only create offers that target market values. $10 off a meal isn’t going to attract high income middle aged married couples, but a complimentary bottle of wine with any food ticket over $50 might. While any demographic appreciates a good deal, each demographic has a different set of values. What is valued by middle class high school kids won’t be the same as what is valued by humble German country folk. The language each of these groups understands will also be different.

Communication with your potential customers is just as important as communication with your employees. If you are speaking a language your customers don’t understand, or designing offers your target demographic doesn’t value, then your marketing will be a big waste of money. If your current marketing isn’t working, there is a good chance your doing one of these two things.

I hope I’ve driven home the importance of defining your target market. Marketing can be an expensive undertaking, but if you define exactly who it is you should be marketing to, you can greatly reduce the cost involved in reaching the customers most likely to eat at your restaurant. With the right approach, you can not only compete with chain restaurants with big marketing budgets, you can beat them.

#Question of the month#

When every restaurant serves good food, how do you become the favorite in your neighborhood? By applying hospitality and community marketing concepts!

Want to learn more?

michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

CREATING SERVICE EXCELLENCE

2008-10-17T22:30:00.004+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

In a fast paced, dynamic environment like a customer facing group, there is potential for great wins and some losses as far as attracting, gaining and retaining customers go.

So who is responsible for customer service?
Anyone who touches the customer, either directly or indirectly is providing a level of service.
This includes the people in such varied roles as: product planners, IT staff, shippers, billing clerks, human resources and service team members.
Bottom line: service is everybody's responsibility.
The service chain includes all people and functions that link up to final delivery to the customer.
To find out who is in this chain begin at the end: who delivers the product to the customer? Then ask who provides a product or service to that person? Continue tracing it back to the originator. You now have your service chain.

It is critical that everyone in the service chain know the impact of their actions.
Each person in the chain should focus on creating excellence in the following areas:

1. Create customer focused processes, not company focused processes. If what you are doing is done to make the internal processes work better and not better for the customer, how long will they be with you? Your customer wants to know that you put them above the inner workings of the company. Focus your efforts on your customers; then let the internal processes follow.

2. Respond to your customers inquiries quickly. Statistically the longer it takes to respond, the less likely your customer is to deal with you in the future. And remember, for every 1 customer that tells you they are dissatisfied there are 24 more out there that will never tell you something is wrong. But they will tell their colleagues and friends. And that hurts business, one way or the other.

3. Keep a positive service delivery attitude. It's a moment by moment attitude choice: you can present yourself positively, or allow yourself to get caught in the stress of the day. Don't be fooled: your customers hear what kind of day you are having.

4. Ask your customer how you are doing and Listen to the response. It's important to stop and check in with your customer. Ask how you can serve them better or better meet their needs. And then Listen to what they tell you. Respond to what they say.

Did you notice the capital L in the word Listen? That word is so very important, as is the action that goes with it that we decided it deserved a capital.

5. Treat your customers with respect and integrity. This goes for customers both within your organization and outside it. Imagine what it would be like if all the interactions you ever had were based on mutual respect and integrity...

So you get the point: focus your efforts on your customer; make them feel special by listening to them and solving their problems.
Be their champion and treat them well. Customers see it, feel it, know it and want to share it. So go ahead, make their day. Show them how you feel about them. It will make both your day and theirs a better one!

I hope this article was informative for you!

#Question of the week#
"If you had to close tomorrow, would anyone miss your restaurant?"

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413

CREATING A MANAGEABLE MENU

2008-10-10T22:30:00.004+07:00

Thanks God It's Friday!
A new post from lazygourmet...

Today, what I really want to talk to you about, is how to create a manageable menu for your own restaurant. There are three main factors I think you should concentrate on when you are putting together your menu.

1. Your limitations
2. Your customer’s desires
3. Your financial needs

Notice that nothing in that list refers to ‘what you want’ to serve. To tell you the truth, it’s not important what you want to serve. For more on that, check out Don’t give your customers what you way.

Your limitations

First things first. Something you’ll see in a lot of independent restaurants is owners or chefs trying to do the impossible by offering a larger selection than their equipment, facility, ability or staff can handle. You need to realize that these things limit what is possible out of your restaurant. You can’t just go and write your dream menu without considering the factors that will affect your ability to produce the food on that menu.

Your menu selection needs to be limited to only the number of items that you have the equipment to cook. It also needs to have items that spread the work load across the different stations and equipment in your kitchen. If you have 10 different saute items, and only 4 burners, you’re going to keep a lot of people waiting for their food. People NOT being served quickly means that tables aren’t turning, and you aren’t serving as many people during your rush that you can. In most restaurants, at least 80% of the day’s revenue comes from the rush periods where you are putting through as many people as you can possibly serve. If your huge selection means you can’t serve as many people during a rush, then you won’t make as much money as you could.

Your menu should also be limited to only the number of items you have the storage room to store ingredients for. If you’re working with a two door reach in cooler and a top loading, three foot wide deep freeze, you’re not going to be able to offer all those fun creative dishes you learned to make in culinary school. Limited storage space means limited menu. You can make the most of your storage space by getting multiple orders per week, but even then, you’ll have to watch your space. There has to be a spot for everything, and stuffing more things in a cooler or freezer than was meant to be in there means you don’t have quick access to it in a rush, which means slower service and less money as we’ve already covered.

Your ability may be the first limitation you want to consider. Just because you are the best at cooking whatever it is you think is your specialty, doesn’t mean you’re good enough at teaching other people to produce it to your high standards enough to feed a huge angry mob. It also doesn’t mean that people are going to think whatever you’re cooking is as good as you do. You need to be honest with yourself and work within your limitations. Cook what you KNOW how to cook, not what you’ve seen other people cook. If you’re not an expert on everything on your menu, it will show. Maybe your customers won’t know how to verbalize it and let you know that your food really stinks, or maybe they’re just to nice to say it, but it will still show in the ever decreasing number of guests you’ll serve.

Your staff is another limitation you have to take into account when creating a menu. You can’t produce haute cuisine with minimum wage cooks. Every market is different for hiring talent. Every manager and chef is limited by their own ability to find qualified help. If you can’t find help that can make a two egg hollandaise in a job interview, then you don’t need to have hollandaise on your menu. Limit your offerings to what your staff is qualified to prepare.

Your customer’s desires

If you want a menu that works, it has to work for your potential customers. Whatever idea you have about introducing some new, awesome cuisine to a market that hasn’t seen it yet, forget it. People rarely eat what they don’t understand. I know you think your idea is different, and the food you want to bring to the area is soooo good that people just HAVE to love it, but you’re most likely wrong. Unless you have tens of thousands in marketing dollars to educate a new market enough to create an interest in a new type of food, you’re not likely to bring them in. People try new foods based on buzz. When it starts to get popular, people try it. When it gets to be the “in” thing to eat, people try it. Until your target audience knows about the food you’re going to serve, they won’t have an interest in it. How can they, they don’t even know what it is? Find out what your customers want, not what you want them to eat. Make your menu about them.

Stick to foods your customers are familiar with. A good place to start is at the local farmer’s markets and grocery stores. See what meats and produce the markets carry. Those are the things people in that area buy. Those are the ingredients they know and are comfortable with. If you can find items that are even grown locally, all the better. If you have to have everything flown in from some exotic far away place, people in your area aren’t likely to know what it is or even care. Sure there are some adventurous people out there like me that love to try anything new and interesting they can get their hands on, but we are the exception, not the rule. I checked my ego long ago to make myself realize that it’s not about me, it’s about whoever I’m feeding.

Once you’ve made it about your customers and figured out what they want, create a signature item in each menu category. These signatures items should speak to your unique selling point, and really communicate to your customers what you are all about. I also suggest that you make the the highest gross profit items in their respective categories.

Your financial needs

You’re wasting your time if you’re not making money, so naturally a manageable menu is one that gives you enough money to pay your bills. While I’m not going to go into detail about pricing in this article, I am going to make the obvious point that you’re in business to make money.

When creating a menu, you need to consider how much every item on your menu costs to make. How much does every person who walks through your door cost you in overhead to serve? How much profit do you need to make for this restaurant venture to be worth your while? These three financial considerations combine to give you the information you need to set the prices on your menu. From there, you just have to keep your price points competitive for the market, and make sure your food offers a good value for what it is. Your food doesn’t have to be “the best”, but it does have to be worth what you’re charging.

Pricing your menu by a budgeted food cost isn’t an effective method of ensuring you will collect enough money to pay the bills. You need to consider every cost of running your business including the rent, insurance, utilities, equipment, maintenance, small wares, labor, taxes and benefits to name a few. All together, the other costs of running your business make up a lot larger part of your financial picture than your food costs do. You have to estimate all these, determine how much you need from every customer to cover these, and price your menu based on all the costs of doing business, in addition to profit.

I hope this article gives you a couple things to think about before creating your menu. Just keep in mind that big menus equal big waste, big theft, big product costs, big ticket times, and big service issues. Less is more. A small focused menu that accurately conveys who you are and what your restaurant is about will make more money than any big menu. I only have to bet my reputation that I’m right, you may have to bet your business you’re not wrong.

#Recipe of the week#

Want to learn more?
michelpiton@gmail.com
+66(0)877733413