NRN's - Operational Spotlight

New revenue streams help restaurateurs retain valued staff

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

As at most eateries, business at Asiatique Restaurant is down a bit. Yet the bottom line hasn't weighed as heavily on the mind of co-owner Pabs Sembillo nearly as much as the fear that some of his employees might leave.

Sanitation standards a must in good times or bad

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

When business is slow and managers cut staff, crews often complain that it's a challenge to maintain sanitation standards.

'Dine and dash' scams abound in tough times

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

For as long as there have been restaurants, customers have been stealing meals. Known commonly as a "dine and dash," guests leave without paying, stiffing operators on the victuals, servers on their tips and leaving both parties asking why.

POS terminals need sanitizing, too

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

For servers already loaded with side work, cleaning a touchscreen is just one more task on a lengthy list, said Thomas Kapfhammer, general manager at Rocky's Italian Grill in Jeffersonville, Ind. But with servers' hands moving from dirty plates and glassware to money, to doors and to the POS terminal, it's a necessary step.

Pending wage boost provokes minimal outcry from operators

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

The pending federal minimum wage increase to $7.25 per hour appears to be ruffling few feathers as its July 24 effective date nears.

Experts warn that cost cutting should not compromise food safety

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

When the federal minimum wage hike takes effect July 24, some operators could be tempted to slash labor to protect profits. But stretching staffs too thin can make for sloppy sanitation, especially at the close of a shift, say those in the know.

Chipotle turns curses of online ordering into blessings

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

In selling online ordering to the restaurant industry, tech providers have promised and delivered a sales tool that saves labor and streamlines the traditional ordering process.

Simple food safety still applies to high-tech ordering and delivery

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

When the Murphy Adams Restaurant Group bought Mama Fu's Asian House from Raving Brands nearly two years ago, chief executive Randy Murphy — already a Mama Fu's franchisee — wanted to add online ordering and delivery to the 14-unit chain's service options. Murphy believed customers would use both, and there was little competition in the fast-casual segment for either service.

Operators: Call centers still relevant despite online ordering advances

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Chris Bright may not be a scientific genius, but the president of 88-unit zpizza says he smartly recognized chaos theory at work at his Newport, Calif.-based chain two years ago.

After the call, operators keep food safe during delivery

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Call centers are terrific for handling phone orders smoothly and accurately, but their very necessity means a restaurant operation likely has a delivery operation. And when food leaves a restaurant's premises, there's always the potential for product contamination due to temperature changes between preparation and consumption — or even worse, deliberate manipulation.

Pizza Patrón learns to fill customers' need for speed

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

At Pizza Patrón's 2007 franchisee conference, founder and CEO Anthony Swad unveiled a drawing of the company's store of the future: a freestanding, pad-built 1,200 square-foot unit with a veritable three-way freeway of distribution points: an exterior order window, an inside order counter and a drive-thru window, the chain's first.

Rapid turnover helps keeps food safe at Pizza Patrón

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

When it comes to inventory management, everyone knows FIFO means "first in, first out." But when it comes to food safety at Pizza Patrón, FIFO could also mean "fast in, fast out."

One Flew South's chefs must maneuver in tight quarters

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

As the old saw goes, it's the little things that most often defeat us, not the big ones. Chef Todd Richards knows this lesson all too well.

Airport security rules call for stepped-up food safety methods

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Last year when chef Todd Richards was planning a new restaurant, One Flew South, he and his partners wanted to include a sushi bar. The bar would be a dining room showpiece, and its food would help accent the restaurant's "southernational" blend of southern and international cuisines.

Exec panel tackles operations, green strategies

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Operational efficiencies, green initiatives and strategies to offset economic woes were key topics of discussion at a recent roundtable that brought together eight foodservice executives from all industry segments. The event, sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive Co., was held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., during Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference.

Fine-dining spots adjust ops to add delivery

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Twenty years ago The Popcorn Report predicted work-weary Americans would someday begin “cocooning,” huddling at home with family for quiet meals and entertainment. And amid the gloom of the recession, that prophecy has proven true, but not necessarily for the sake of feel-good family time. Folks are cost-cutting as much as cocooning at dinner, and that means fewer seats are filled at restaurants. But some operators also see it as a fresh opportunity to explore or grow their delivery service.

Delivery poses unique food-safety challenges

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

November 10 2008 Delivery poses unique food-safety challenges Steve Coomes It’s one thing to manage food safety from the kitchen to the dining room, but it’s another matter to ensure that delivered food is still safe. The food de

Ops show their flexibility in offsite kitchens

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

Think you're up for an operational challenge? Strap on one of these.

When off-premise, set up the sanitation station first

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

A golden sun sets over a verdant field, while birds lazily pick at the leavings of a just-harvested vegetable patch. Fat dripping into a wood fire sends out smoke-signal clues about the night's meaty main course, and the clink of glasses ends as 85 place settings are completed for this evening's bucolic farm dinner setting.

Domino's delivers with ops tweaks for subs

Steve Coomes — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:44 GMT

When Domino's Pizza started delivering Oven Baked Subs from most of its 5,000-plus domestic stores in August, the pizza delivery giant instantly became a sandwich delivery behemoth. The move could bite into the bottom lines of quick-service and fast-casual sandwich specialists, and that pleases Domino's franchisee Dave Melton immensely. In a quick-service market where Subway now sells pizza, it's time to turn the tables, he said.