Restaurant And Business Advisor

Small Business Marketing Tips

2011-11-22T14:12:00.000-08:00

To plan and execute a effective marketing strategy is a huge challenge for any small business. Here are my suggestions and a brief strategy for each.
1) FACEBOOK a low cost way to market your business, with over 300 million users, very powerful platform to build a presence for your business, If you dont have a facebook page get one immediately. Best thing to do is look at your competitors and see how they run their pages. Keep up with updates and ask your fans what they like to see. Ask them about what promos they would like to see engage with them.
2) Twitter another tremendous marketing platform just like facebook. Its a must for your business just tweet about your business and acknowledge good customers. Use tweetpic to send pictures of products from your phone. Some marketing personal prefer twitter to facebook doing both is a must.
3)Blog although most people focus on social media. Blogs continue to offer great value for small businesses. Decide on a focus for your blog and write great content for that focus. People will enjoy it and next thing you know you have a ton of followers and you become a guru. I recommend wordpress.
4) LinkedIn is a business oriented social network for professionals and its huge with over 500 million users all over the world.You can network with specialist in your field and meet new people in other fields of work. LinkedIn is one of my favorites everyone is very professional and friendly. Go to the groups page and join the groups that you know you can contribute good information to. I often connect with LinkedIn contacts thrue Skype.
5) Participate on other peoples blogs. I know it sounds time consuming but the payback is amazing. Remeber it takes time to build a reputation and establish credibility. This will get people to notice you and come to you for advice or job prospects. Good way to get going with participating is to leave a good comment on the blogs that connect to your business. No spamming your business or yourself, its time to give praise and a smart educative comment . Dont show the writer up. Send writer a email and ask them if they interested in guest writing for you or can you write for them.
6) Youtube is write up there with all the social networks. The great thing about youtube is you can do a power point presentation or use your webcam and record yourself giving useful information or showing of your products. The worlds the limit.

Depending on what your business identity is there are other things to look out for Google Places, Foursquare, Yelp are a few left out. There is always a new one coming out to help build your business. Just follow the 6 listed and keep up with them everyday and within a year or two you will be amazed how much exposure your business and you have recieved, not to mention the comtacts you have. thxs again Phoenix Arcadia business specialist Jeff Killeen

The 5 Reasons Why Groupon Like Company's Are Bad For Your Restaurant

2011-11-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Anybody thats thinking of doing a groupon like coupon or feature for your restaurant. PLEASE READ THIS NOTE and understand the 5 problems you will encounter .
1) Deals are discounted 50% off retail price. Example $15 for $30 worth credit. Sounds great but we are giving 50% off of which groupon keeps half of the sale. Business owners are keeping 25% percent of what they normally make on any sale.
2) Attracts the wrong customers for your business. Most restaurants that have done these deals complain that the new customers are just out for the deal and will spend as little as possible to redeem the voucher. You will encounter lower tips and rarely will you turn them into good returning customers.
3)Too many customers to soon. The power of group buying can rally enormous numbers of people to your business. Its good to earn new sales, but the high traffic in a short period can be a recipe for disaster for a business thats not prepared. Man power issues, customers suffering with waiting times or food not coming out quickly. Results can effect your online ratings like yelp and word of mouth by unhappy customers is never good.
4) Lower profit margins, forget about making any profits from customers that buy the deal. Most businesses that feature these deals are lucky to break even. Remember your making 25% of what you normally take in.
5) No customer addresses gained. The single most important thing in the restaurant business is capturing your customers email address.
I agree with this article completely, as i have featured groupon with my restaurant and it was the worst marketing move i have ever done. Pleae understand the problems before you commit to these deals. I would like to point out that these deals are very helpful for companies (insurance, accountants etc) for gaining new clients.

thxs Jeff Killeen "phoenix arcadia business specialist" Facebook link

Business Identity.. Who are you?

2011-11-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

In many ways, your business is like a person. It has to have a personality, values and vision. You can dress a man or woman to look a certain part, however, it does not take long to find out that good looking person in the business attire knows what he or she is doing.The best part about dressing and playing the part. Eventually it becomes intergated into your personality.
I believe that having or building a solid brand is the key to longevity in any business. Based on my experience in the restaurant industry with many owners and operaters. A strong brand reflects the owners personality and vision. The most successful businesses i know or watch have long term vision and have a desire to produce something important and needed. The businesses that are out to make quick money come and go quickly. Businesses that love their vision and know there sense of purpose in their community are the successful survivors in these tough economic times.
Its often easy to lose our personality, vision and values in this fast paced world, when things are going fast and your working like a mad dog . Take time to sit back and answer these questions. Whats important to you? What kind of experience do you want your customers to have and take away with them? What are you known for? Whats your mark that you leave on your community around you?
In these tough times with upset americans and marches and economic woes, distrustful politicians. We can always ask these questions to ourselves and manifest them into our business and build something important , successful, rewarding to our community.
Thanks for following my page .
Jeff Killeen Phoenix/Arcadia Business Specialist

Interenet Marketing Small Businesses

2011-11-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

When doing internet marketing for small business, you have to run an even tighter and more planned campaign than if you were doing it for a large business. The smaller the business, it seems, the more tightly the plan should be. Large companies have a much larger advertising budget, so even if their online marketing strategies aren't very successful, traditional advertising can make a huge difference for them.

But smaller businesses typically don't have thousands of dollars to spend on the more common forms of advertising. Online marketing often becomes the main thrust of the marketing campaign, so it's necessary that it's done very well.

An advantage that small businesses can have over large corporations when it comes to marketing online is that they're more likely to have a very focused niche. While large companies have niches, too, sometimes larger companies market a variety of products and services over a very broad customer base. Then marketing each individual niche has to be a separate campaign.

When internet marketing for small business, you'll probably only have to worry about one very specific niche. You'll know exactly what your customers are looking for, and can focus on filling that need with every aspect of your marketing plan, instead of having to spread the campaign over several different groups of consumers.

Internet marketing for small business, because of the smaller budgets, often doesn't involve heavy pay-per-click advertising. The cost involved with PPC ads can end up being quite high with not necessarily a very big return. If you have a specific budget set up for PPC marketing, then by all mean use it, but monitor the returns very carefully so you can abandon keywords that aren't working and focus on those that bring in the customers.

Search engine optimization is an excellent method of internet marketing for small business. There can be expense involved if you pay a marketing expert or an SEO service to handle this branch of your marketing efforts, but the money spent will probably be well worth it. This is also where many small businesses fail.

They don't make sure their content is optimized for the search engines, so it's very difficult for someone to find them unless they're searching on the company name. People search for what they want, though, not the company that might have what they're looking for. So internet marketing for small business should always include a plan to get your website higher in the search engine rankings on the best keywords for your company.

Part of the search engine efforts should involve getting other websites to link to yours. Search engines don't just take keywords into account, but they also pay attention to a website's popularity with other sites. The more sites that link to yours, the more valuable your information is according to most search engines. These methods of internet marketing for small business can get a small company's website ranked well ahead of a corporation's, all while spending much less money on advertising.

How to get customers easier than you think

2011-11-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

by "Phoenix arcadia business specialist" on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:41pm

We all know what a pain it is these days trying to get customers to spend money. But there are some pretty easy methods that work that give you that "why didnt i think of that " thought. One thing i noticed running the Tee Pee restaurant is what is my image in the community or where do i fit in the community. These methods can help your business get mass amounts of customers.
First thing to do is take a drive around your business a half mile circle and see who's established or what kind of business is there around you. Do you have younger people , is there older people that live your area.. Are there doctors offices , commercial businesses and schools etc.. What im trying to say is what can you do to cater to these peoples needs get some money out of them.
Working with schools and teachers has been one method that really gets things going when you feel like your slowing down. Go to the districts and say i want to make my name a presence with the schools in the district. Offer them a discount item, vip card etc. Remember they are teachers unfortunately they dont make a killing with there salary but as a group they can bring some good profits in to your business. Team fundraisers these can be a royal pain in the butt with parents and school officials. My official stance on fundraisers is you have to come to me and give me sales then i will give you a percentage of the sales. I usually make a coupon up and send it to the district and then to the school they have a weekend or special day to use this. I save the coupon and record the subtotal sale they still pay the tax and at the end add up the sales and give 15-20% back to school and district. I use district because they have all the schools more people, more exposure to your deal.
There is so much more i can go on with that really does not cost you and arm and a leg. I just dont want this article to turn into a book. thanks so much i can go on and on with secrets.. jeff killeen killeen12@gmail.com Facebook page link check us out

Save Money On Your Draft System

2011-11-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a great new system that controls the waste of beer. The amount of money you save is overwhelming.. Check out TurboTaps

Boost Your Clientele's Orders

2011-10-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

For most in the restaurant business, the bar plays a disproportionately large role in overall profitability. Beverage sales in casual and tablecloth restaurants nationally average about 25% of gross revenue and account for more than 50% of average net profits. While developing a beverage program that consistently operates at that profitability level is challenging, it becomes much less daunting when you have a better idea of what makes your clientele order certain products and pass on others. Get a handle on that and you’re well on your way to success.
With that in mind, Nightclub & Bar magazine and the VIBE Conference earlier this year commissioned Mike Ginley, co-founder of Connecticut-based Next Level Marketing, to conduct a consumer-research project. Ginley interviewed more than 500 people who frequent casual restaurants and had ordered beverage alcohol on-premise within the past 30 days. What he uncovered in the study about drinking preferences has direct bearing on this subject.
It may come as a surprise, but only 29 percent of the consumers surveyed said they typically know what they’re going to drink before arriving at a bar or restaurant. That means 71 percent of consumers make up their minds after they arrive at a venue. For consumer over 40 years old, 85% reported deciding what to drink just prior to placing their order.
According to Ginley’s research, 90 percent of consumers read drink menus in a bar or restaurant and, 28 percent of them — including a third of survey participants under the age of 40 — use drink menus to decide what to order. More than 80 percent of consumers said drink prices should be listed on menus, followed closely by descriptions (68%), pictures (50%) and listings of the brand-name products used in making the drinks (40%).
On average, 27 percent of consumers said they typically order whatever drink is being featured with special promotions, while 21 percent said they’re influenced by what other people in their group are drinking.
Another significant order influencer is drink promotion within a restaurant’s food menu. Roughly 25% of consumers reported they decided to purchase a specialty drink they saw while pursuing a food menu, which dovetails perfectly with the growing trend of pairing food items with cocktails, wines and beer.
The research also looked at attitudes toward premium brands. Just less than 90 percent of those surveyed strongly agreed that cocktails made with premium brands taste better than those prepared with house brands. When asked how much more they expected to pay for premium products, the consumers said on average $2.42 more for premium beer, $3.19 more for premium wine and an additional $3.20 for a branded cocktail.
Finally, according to the research, the best way to prompt guests to order new drinks is by offering small samples of them. More than half of the respondents said sampling a drink beforehand was most persuasive.
Dynamic in-house marketing is a proven means of driving incremental beverage sales. Why leave money on the table? Promote what you want guests to order and reap the rewards.

Kid Rock Urges Guys to Get Off the Couch and Out of the House to "Unleash" for a Bold Night Out

2011-10-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

CLERMONT, Ky. -- Jim Beam and Kid Rock are building on their long-standing relationship by partnering to help music and bourbon fans alike get out of their boring day-to-day routine and into a night where they can "Unleash Their Spirit" with the Brand's newest bourbon, Devil's Cut.
The award-winning musician and Devil's Cut came together this weekend and scoured Twitter to find guys 21+ talking about their dull weekend plans. Building off the newest innovation, Devil's Cut Bourbon, and its unique production process – that unleashes liquid trapped within the barrel wood – a handful of unsuspecting guys were sent a personalized video from @JimBeamOfficial with special instructions on how to "amp up" their night straight from a rock star who can unleash with the best of them – Kid Rock.
Five lucky fans were challenged to "Unleash Their Spirit" with Kid Rock. He dished out five all-inclusive VIP trips to his concert in Atlanta next month to Twitter users who were in most need of a bold night out.
"Devil's Cut is the go-to premium bourbon for situations when guys are forced to make the bold choice - do I go home and hit the sack, or go out and kick it up a notch?" said Rob Mason, Director, U.S. Bourbons, Beam Inc. "Because of his bold personality, Kid Rock is the perfect person to urge guys to make that choice to go out with their buddies for what could be an unforgettable night."
Devil's Cut "Unleashes"
What makes Devil's Cut stand apart from the other bourbons – besides the bold but balanced and smooth taste – is the unique production process that goes into every bottle of the bourbon. The name plays off the bourbon-making term "Angel's Share" – the portion of liquid lost from the barrel due to evaporation. After aging, some of the whiskey is left trapped within the wood of every barrel. Jim Beam extracts that bourbon trapped deep inside the wood and calls it the "Devil's Cut" – the antithesis of the Angel's Share.
After blending the extracted bourbon with extra-aged Jim Beam, the result is a bold, premium 90-proof bourbon with deep color, aroma and character—designed for those times when you just need to "Unleash Your Spirit." Devil's Cut is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $23.99 for a 750ML bottle.
Unleashing Devil's Cut Throughout 2011
Beyond the Kid Rock partnership, Devil's Cut is supported by a robust media campaign that includes strong print and online presence to support the product launch and the "Unleash Your Spirit" promotion*. The promotion is giving bourbon fans the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a trip to New Orleans to be a part of Mardi Gras 2012 and ride the Devil's Cut float with Maxim models. Devil's Cut fans can enter the promotion at www.jimbeamdevilscut.com/unleash or by texting "UNLEASH" to 66937 from now until December 3, 2011.
For more information about Devil's Cut, go to www.jimbeamdevilscut.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JimBeam.

Bar Design by robert plotkin

2011-10-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever worked behind a bar on a busy shift, you already know there is no such a thing as a perfectly designed bar. Ill-devised layouts and poorly placed equipment can prove to be insurmountable obstacles and leave bartenders incapable of performing their duties behind the bar in a timely and efficient manner.
While there’s no such thing as the perfect bar, some layouts are much easier to work with than others. Every misplaced step a bartender takes costs the bar money in lost productivity. Operational folks are passionate about the logistics of drink production: how the workstations are configured, where equipment is placed relative to the workstation and how the inventory is merchandised. They are, after all, responsible for ensuring that the facility is designed to operate at peak efficiency; anything less negatively impacts revenue and service.
However, from a design standpoint, the bar is the central focus of the front of the house. The structure dominates the overall interior design and, therefore, falls within the operational staff's purview. They are, after all, responsible for creating ambience and visually delivering on the promise of the concept. Where the bar is placed, the shape of the structure and the traffic flow around the bar are crucial design considerations.
“The management point of view really is the prioritized melding of both the operational and interior design perspective,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, vice-president of food and beverage for Intercontinental Hotels. “Add a few curves to a bar for affect and you could wind up adversely impacting drink production, delaying service, increasing labor costs, detracting from the ambience, snarling traffic flow or undermining the concept.”
Etcheberrigaray contends that subsequent decisions pale in importance to choosing the design and physical shape of the bar. “Nothing one does can overcome a poor choice in terms of design. The physical layout of the bar largely determines the placement of equipment, liquor displays and workstations, which, in turn, dictates the speed at which bartenders can make drinks and provide hospitable service. A difference of 3 feet one way or another may not seem like much when you’re deciding where to position a glass-washer, but it can add up to hundreds or even thousands of extra steps for bartenders a week. That’s a lot of wasted time.”
What is the most operationally friendly bar design? Which best allows bartenders to quickly make drinks and service the guests? Which layout is most visually appealing and the most efficient use of space? Tackling the debate head-on, we polled beverage veterans regarding their take on these issues.
Engineering in Speed
Scott Young is a celebrated bartending trainer. Having spent the majority of his life behind a bar, the Vancouver native — owner of extremebartending.com — knows a workable bar design when he sees it.
“I think most bartenders would rather work a linear bar, one with a workstation positioned every 10 to 15 feet or so," he says. "This configuration allows unrestricted views of the guests and permits them to move freely behind the bar.”
Young adds that the most effective bar design is one that guides guests to where we want them, instead of forcing bartenders to constantly run back and forth wasting steps and precious time. He points out that efficiency of movement is crucial even behind slower bars. The time wasted on drink production is always better spent on service.
A linear bar allows for unobstructed vision of the patrons seated at the bar and often can be worked by one bartender in non-peak hours of business. The design also is the easiest of the various shapes in which to position equipment, outfit with workstations and properly merchandise inventory. It typically requires less square footage to accomplish the same volume of business and accommodate the same number of bar stools as other shaped bars.
“Linear bars are, unfortunately, the least interesting and appealing shape from a design standpoint,” suggests Tracy Finklang, corporate beverage manager at Rock Bottom Restaurants. “Working an exceptionally long bar, where to get from one end to the other requires marathon-type endurance, poses its own unique challenge.”
A proponent of the linear bar is Mark Grossich, CEO of New York-based Hospitality Holdings, whose portfolio of contemporary cocktail lounges include The World Bar in Trump Tower, Carnegie Club in CitySpire Centre and the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Terminal. “In addition to being faster to work, linear bars afford bartenders with optimal face-to-face time with guests. From my point of view, there’s nothing more important than that.”
Horseshoe and oval bars also require constant movement on the bartender’s part to ensure all of the patrons seated at the bar receive proper service. These bars also are the most labor-intensive. Horseshoe and oval bars require more bartenders to work during peak business hours to provide the same level of service and are the most difficult in which to adequately position equipment and merchandise inventory.
David Commer of Commer Beverage Consulting and former T.G.I. Friday’s beverage director believes oval bars are faster for bartenders.
“It’s easier to survey what’s going on at an oval bar and provide outstanding service to the guests," he says. "The close proximity of workstations, equipment and inventory at an oval bar facilitates drink production and speed of service.”
A Room with a View
It’s interesting to note that up until about 60 years ago, the classic linear or “L” shape bars in America and Europe all incorporated large mirrors behind the bar. Etcheberrigaray believes that the mirror is crucial to the design. Without it, guests seated at the bar can only watch what’s happening behind them by turning around on their stools. That puts their backs to the bartenders and that’s bad for business. Drop the mirror, doom the design.
“In addition, bartenders rely on that mirror to extend their field of vision and catch reorder cues without turning around,” says leading restaurant consultant, Bill Main. From the patron’s perspective, Main believes the best bar shape is the oval or horseshoe. "They both create a sense of privacy, while still allowing guests to scan the room easily. People-watching is a great American pastime. Horseshoe bars have a high ‘see and be seen’ quotient.”
On a more pragmatic level, Main states that curved counters tend to engage people, while straight edges tend to repel.
“Customers gravitate toward curved kiosks in airports 20% more frequently,” he says.
Mark Grossich has built and operated cocktail lounges that featured all of the various bar designs mentioned.
“In the final analysis, I think this discussion renders down to ‘form follows function,’ or more specifically, form follows the optimal floor/furniture plan for the space,” Grossich says.
So go ahead and advocate putting an oval bar in a square space or a linear bar in a round space. You’ll catch an earful either way.

New Technology Hubworks

2011-10-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

I really fine this amazing and something to look at for the future of the restaurant industry. I'm still an old school person. And like to have servers but this could pick up slack for a busy place. Imagine the money you could save in your weekly payroll. Its worth checking out.

Sell Whats Hot ..

2011-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

always capitalize on whats hot with the younger generation.

sell the capt Morgan drinks at a slightly cheaper rate. watch the sales improve.

There doing a great job with these commercials targeting the younger generation.

What do your customers see

2011-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Take a look at your place what do you see? Whats my decor look like? These are questions you have to ask yourself . One the main keys to a restaurant or bar to make it and survive is its look. That is the number one thing a customer looks at when they walk in the door. If they walk in see Budweiser posters and banners all over the wall what do you think their impression is gonna be. DIVE BAR ,DIRTY RESTAURANT.
Some easy ways to fix this problem, paint some walls , mirrors do wonders they open up the place and above all things clean and keep cleaning. Get your staff to take pride with cleaning watch how clean your place will stay. Don't ever clutter the walls, have everything transition nice and smooth.

These things are brief but overlooked alot.. we will cover decor and restaurant identity in later posts.

Quick Business Guideliness

2011-10-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Most restaurants get so caught up with saving pennies that they are losing lots of dollars.

Clean restaurant or bars are a must. Dirty runned down makes people not trust the food.

Makes sure to have drink menu, gets people to buy higher priced drinks.

Exposure to facebook and twitter is a must, free advertising .

Evaluate your area what is your places identity to the area that you operate in. What can you do to help be a part of the area.

These are some of my ways to evaluate and help bars and restaurants. feel free to get back to me
at killeen12@gmail.com for free consultation or advice

Best Handheld Marketing Gadget..

2011-10-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Menu Profit Analysis

2011-10-19T01:25:00.000-07:00

Reasons For Restaurants Success And Failures

2011-10-19T01:12:00.000-07:00

Ways To Promote A New Restaurant

2011-10-19T01:02:00.000-07:00

- There are many ways to promote a new restaurant depending on the type, location and your budget for marketing. Give yourself at least three months serving up good meals before getting into some serious marketing, as you will want to get all the "bugs" out and make sure your restaurant is operating at full steam. You want the word to get out about your restaurant, but you want that word to be a positive one.
Website
- Design a simple and easy-to-read website, keeping in mind that people want basic information. Make it easy to navigate, as people are generally impatient and want quick answers. Include a sample menu, location and directions, as well as a brief history of the restaurant and an introduction to the owners. The website should encourage people to visit your establishment and give them information about special features, menu items and perks that you have to offer.
Marketing starts with hello
- Greeting your new customers will set the tone for their dining experience. The person who greets the customers should be attractive, friendly and warm. Train your help to answer the phone with a friendly and inviting voice, and an eagerness to answer questions.
Advertising and Public Relations
- Send out a news release announcing the opening of your restaurant to local newspapers. Check all online restaurant lists and get listed on as many as possible. Today, people go online for information about their favorite types of restaurants. After your restaurant has been running for a few months, you may want to advertise in newspapers and local magazines, and ultimately place ongoing ads in those publications.
Grand Opening
- Grand openings work well for new restaurants, and should be planned with a specific budget in mind. Have the opening after you have been open for three months, and be sure to get free publicity from local publications. Greet as many people as possible, make sure you are well-staffed and be sure the place is spotless and festive.
Promotional Items
- Drop off items with your restaurant's logo and information. Post-It pads with pens are well-received as people use these everyday. Pass these out to customers during your first week in business or on a continuing basis. Always have your name, address, phone number and web address on everything you give out.
Freebies and Discounts
- How wise is it to offer discounts or freebies in your restaurant? There are good points and bad points in offering special deals. Initially, it can bring in new customers, but once they take advantage of the specific bargain, they return expecting the deal to continue indefinitely. Offering good food, good service and a cheerful atmosphere make good sense for creating a succesful restaurant.