HeadHunterBrian's Rants & Raves

How to Manage Inventory for Increased Efficiency and Profit

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:52:20 +0000

Here's another post from Greg McGuire at The Backburner:

As a restaurateur, you probably struggle with inventory on a regular basis. Balancing walk-in space, fast-selling menu items, and slow moving items can create a constant headache. Some of your product moves quickly, some does not, and inevitably some ends up sitting in the walk-in for far too long.

That sitting product is costing your restaurant money, because you’ve already invested money in it but you aren’t seeing any return in the form of sold entrees to customers. Even worse, it’s taking up room in your walk-in while it costs you money. So how to turn frozen product into dollars in the cash register? Some tips to help you manage inventory:

What do you need? What do you already have? It’s very hard to manage inventory when you don’t know what you’ve got and what you need. More than likely you use a POS system to help you manage existing inventory and to track sales so you know what you need more of. However, it’s important to supplement any POS tracking with a regular manual inventory of your stock. That way you can double check what the software is telling you while also checking that food quality has been maintained. A regular inventory schedule will also let you track trends in your inventory, like items that sell better or worse seasonally and product that you consistently have too much or too little of.

Get creative with what you’ve got. Once you identify the food products you’ve got more than enough of, you need to think of a way to move that product from walk-in to plate. That means getting creative. Develop specials and supplemental menu items that feature your excess product at a sale price. This strategy has multiple benefits: it adds some variety to your menu, it turns sitting product into dollars, and it can provide a little easy market research.

Variety and selling product are pretty self-explanatory. The most exciting benefit is testing new items made from product you already stock on your customers. You never know when you’re going to stumble across a hit that really sells well. When you do, adding it to the menu is easy because you already buy the product and you know how to prepare it. The best part is, you’re taking extra inventory that was sitting around and moving it out the door, all while giving your customers something new to rave about.

Effectively managing and utilizing your inventory first takes accurate data. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can apply the best of your creative process to maximize the efficiency of your kitchen. The opportunities the extra product lying around your freezer represent an exciting way to hone your menu into a selling machine with very little waste. And once you get your restaurant operating at that level of efficiency, better sales, and better profits, will follow.

Greg McGuire blogs about the foodservice industry at The Back Burner, which is written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant equipment and other food service supplies.

Coupon Blizzard Comes to Restaurants

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:44:36 +0000

Restaurants and their managers are in the middle of a revolution - a couponing revolution that is happening on a faster pace than many traditional businesses may be used to.

What’s happening? Web sites like Groupon and Living Social have started a stampede to what’s called “social couponing,” in which deals are brokered by the sites, offered to their daily subscribers, but only become active if orders from customers reach a certain threshold.

Since Groupon.com started the trend and Livingsocial.com followed suit, both with nationwide offerings, others brands have followed. Walmart is experimenting with a similar feature, but the fact that Google tried to buy Groupon could launch coupons into the stratosphere.

What does this mean for restaurants? As easy targets for couponing sites, restaurants are going to get approached by more and more sites, all the way down to the regional and neighborhood level. Many newspapers, television stations and local media companies are also stepping into the social couponing market. Will restaurants have to deal with every coupon salesman who comes through the door?

Restaurant managers and owners are going to have to develop the business savvy to negotiate the best terms available. An additional pressure will be to deal with the many customers coming in with these deals and making sure they get the best experience possible, so the coupons function as the loss leaders you hope them to be.

The marketplace will eventual sort through the contenders and pretenders in the coupon sphere, but until then make sure your management team understands how to deal with their sales people as well as the many patrons waving their printout from the web when they walk through the door.

More on restaurant marketing in Web 2.0 world: Read Here

Hollywood's Restaurant Managers and What They Teach Us

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:01:30 +0000

Joy Paley is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on electrician school for the Guide to Career Education.

Restaurants are a huge part of American popular culture. In movies and on TV, restaurants are the scene of first dates, where friends go to relax and hang out, and where many an unfortunate soul has dinner with their in-laws. While these restaurants may exist only on screen, as restaurant managers, we can still learn a lot from their triumphs and foibles. Here are five famous restaurants that exist only in Hollywood, and the good and the bad lessons they can teach us.

Merlotte’s Bar and Grill

Merlotte’s is nearly a fixture of every episode of True Blood, HBO’s hugely popular vampire series. The bar, owned and managed by Sam Merlotte, is a magnet for the weirdos of the town of Bon Temps, including vampires and shape-shifters.

Unfortunately, Sam often forgets the crucial restaurant manager maxim of customer service, by routinely hiring employees that are openly rude to the customers. Some of these saucy waitresses end up dead, due to their lack of common courtesy to the rather eccentric patrons. Outside of Bon Temps, you can’t expect your customers to off your employees in the event of terrible service, and it’s your job as a restaurant manager to keep your staff in line with the message you want to send to your patrons.

The Max

Who can’t forget The Max, from Saved by the Bell? While the snazzy, laid-back, TV restaurant is probably a lot more impressive than most teens’ actual hangouts, real-life restauraunteurs can take a lesson from Max, The Max’s eponymous manager. He knew his target market, and he did he all he could to bring those teens in. Max let Zach have a telethon out of the restaurant to raise money for the school radio station, and he also had The Max host school dance contests. Max recognized that he could do more to create loyal teenage customers than just serving food.

Chotchkie’s

In the movie Office Space, Chotchkie’s is equivalent to your neighborhood Chili’s or TGI Friday’s, run by the completely clueless Stan. Stan reminds all of us restaurant managers how we need to respect our employees, or we’ll end up driving away all the good ones. While customer service is key, constantly railing on your employees about minor details like wearing enough “flair” (buttons on their suspenders) is only going to cause their service to drop and a lot of resentment to accumulate.

Shenaniganz

Yet another TGI Friday’s restaurant wannabe brings to mind an obvious but crucial managing lesson: cleanliness. In the movie Waiting, Dean, a waiter at Shenaniganz, must decide if he’s going to commit to the restaurant biz for life, or if he’s interested in something more. Meanwhile, the uptight manager Dan has no control over what is happening in the kitchen, as the vomit-inducing “cook’s special” is being whipped up for some arguably deserving customers. Shenaniganz reminds us how, unlike Dan, a great manager monitors cleanliness standards as if his own family were eating there on a daily basis.

Luke’s Diner

Luke’s Diner of the TV show Gilmore Girls is a lucky establishment: it’s the only restaurant in town, so customers keep coming back, no matter what. In Luke’s world, the key managing rule of consistency isn’t so important. When he’s feeling pissed, patrons get thrown out over the smallest complaints, but during other times, he caters to their every need. In reality, though, restaurant managers should be wary of Luke’s example. Customers will only keep coming back if you have a consistent track record of great food and service.

Digging Deeper to Discover Employees’ Personalities

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:22:16 +0000

How deep should an organization dig to make sure they find the right employee?

More and more, companies are taking some rather deep steps to determine if their next important hire is someone who is going to fit well in the present and the future.

Personal finance guru Dave Ramsey is one of the experts touting this approach and some of the steps he takes may seem extreme. But if you are looking for a long-term, loyal and high-level restaurant employee, you could consider adding these steps to a more intense screening process:

Checking their budget: Ramsey finds that since finances cause so much stress for employees in their personal lives, it’s best to check their budget. Ramsey says this way he gets a true sense of not only whether the organization is paying enough (some prospects will accept a job event if doesn’t pay enough to pay their bills). Seeing how the numbers work out for them - and also how they manage their own finances - can give a great sense of whether the employee will have peace of mind while working.

Interviewing spouses: This again is a case of taking it to the next level. Interviewing spouses can give you a sense of the true character of an employee, and it can also give you a glimpse into how distracting or complicated their personal life may be.

Reviewing their goals: Getting to the nitty-gritty of a potential employee’s ambition is helpful as well, no matter where they would fit in the restaurant hierarchy. Ramsey recommends finding employees who have clear, defined goals that are laid out in achievable time-sensitive parts. Someone without clearly defined goals may just drift through your staff.

These steps go above and beyond standard hiring exercises to be sure. But if you’re looking to take your restaurant to the next level that only high-achievers or honest and driven workers can take you, then you are going to have to shake up your mindset. Ramsey has laid out a blueprint to do just that.

5 Tips for Constructively Managing Customer Feedback Online

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:54:48 +0000

Guest Post from Kate Willson at College Crunch

Not too long ago, HeadHunterBrian posted an article about a case in which the popular review site Yelp was used as a vehicle for extortion. While this is a pretty extreme scenario, Yelp and other sites like it are quickly becoming the most important source of customer feedback and word-of-mouth advertising. Positive reviews are always great to receive, but negative reviews can be more helpful for the growth of your restaurant as a whole. Here are a few ways to deal with negative feedback tactfully, along with a couple of pointers for understanding how you can transform both poor and laudatory reviews into a positive learning experience.

1. Try to respond to as many reviews as possible, both good and bad.

The importance of having a strong presence online cannot be underestimated. You can be sure that no matter how big or small your establishment is, people are talking about it online. Joining the conversation shows that you are a restauranteur who cares about her clients.

2. Don't get defensive or offer excuses.

In our personal lives, whenever we are attacked, whether or not such negative comments are fair or accurate, our first inclination is to be dismissive or offer excuses. This is the least constructive way to deal with negative feedback. Even if you think a reviewer is simply off his rocker and just wants to vent, always respond thoughtfully. Be sincere by apologizing to the reviewer that they had such a negative experience and assure them that you are taking their words into consideration. Avoid business buzzwords like "we apologize for the inconvenience", which makes you sound more like a corporate drone trying to do some damage control. Assume a conversational but respectful tone in order to convey sincerity.

3. Understand that an overly negative review isn't the end of the world; disgruntled, whiney customers are out there, and there isn't much you can do about them.

Aside from apologizing and offering assurances of improvement, you can't really do much about an unfair review. Know that these sorts of tirades typically seen on Internet forums come with the territory, and they won't have a very serious impact on your business, so don't panic or take it personally.

4. If you notice patterns in negative reviews, take pains to look into these areas that need improvement. Report online the changes you've made.

The best thing about feedback whether positive or negative is that it gives you a way to improve your operation. If you see that customers tend to be complaining about the same thing, do some serious looking into the problem. Once you've implemented changes, report these improvements on your website, blog, or other social media outlet. Turn negative reviews into positive learning experiences.

5. Thank customers for positive feedback, and do so sincerely.

Positive feedback does not merely serve the purpose of making you feel good. It lets you know what you're doing right. Continuing to perform well on your strong points is what gets you recognition, more new customers, and a solid base of loyal, returning customers. In this light, carefully listening to positive feedback is just as important as listening to negative feedback.

As noted on this blog and elsewhere, the review culture of the Internet is here to stay. How you manage these spaces of customer interaction can make or break your business.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.

What is Your Restaurant Management Team's Media Diet?

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:37:17 +0000

If "You are What You Eat"...

The world of work is changing, both in how companies interact with their customers and with their employees. But are the potential management hires you talk to about important jobs at your restaurant keeping up with the latest? While it may not be a make-or-break question in an interview, finding out just what kind of media a job candidate is consuming will give you quick insight into what they know about managing, marketing and other elements of your business.

But instead of asking a potential manager about what the last book they read is, ask them to explain their daily media diet.

The book on their nightstand will give you a glimpse at what they are learning - heck, a majority of adults aren’t reading any books after they graduate from college - but their daily intake of information is going to speak volumes about their interests, their focus and the importance they put on being on the cutting edge. If all they do is check their Facebook page and the scores on ESPN, they might not be bringing much to the table to help your restaurant, but here are some blogs and websites which should perk up your ears if they mention them:

* Seth Godin (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/) : Godin’s blog is renown as one of the best spots on the Web for thoughts about business organization, marketing and customer satisfaction. Godin has had best sellers recently with “Tribes” and “Linchpin”, but is now focusing all of his insight online.

* Tom Peters (http://www.tompeters.com/): The Godfather of radical business thought, Peters puts out pithy videos, blog updates and videos to push the limits of how a business can succeed. If a potential employee has discovered Peters, they’re serious about work.

* Smartbrief (http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp): This website provides subscription email newsletters about the latest information in a variety of fields, from social media to accounting to the restaurant industry. Subscriptions can quickly fill up an inbox, but provide trend information that a savvy potential employee won’t want to miss.

* Fast Company (http ://www .fastcompany .com /): A magazine that covers the full spectrum of business in the Web 2.0 world, including innovations in customer service, design and retail. Of all the many business magazines out there that a would-be employee could pick up, Fast Company is out ahead.

Now, a really smart restaurant manager applicant might do enough research to read this blog (on how to get promoted: How to Get Promoted in the Restaurant Industry.

It never hurts to ask. We consume so much content on the web, TV and our phones. How it’s consumed shows where expertise and interest intersect.

Restaurant Managers - Social Media Savvy or Sloppy?

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:32:48 +0000

Is Your Restaurant Management Staff Social Media Proactive or Reactive?

Delicately handling customer service issues has always been a skill restaurant managers have had to develop to be effective in their roles.

Comforting complainers and fixing flaws in guests’ orders put all of the skills a manager has to the test. Successful managers are the ones who have a good mixture of quick thinking, empathy and a personal touch.

But what happens when the world of restaurant customer service goes digitized? Will you have a manager who is savvy enough to know how the world is changing online and that even a quiet dining room could be booming with customer complaints?

Restaurants are slowly but surely getting into the social media game, some using it as the main thrust of their marketing campaigns, while others are still in the dabbling phase. But no matter what the philosophy of your business is, the managers that you hire should have their eyes on the future and at least have some understanding the role the Internet plays in customer service.

No matter how engaged your restaurant is in the social web, (Here’s a blog post I’ve written earlier this year about the impact on the industry: Read Here) don’t hire someone who doesn’t understand anything about the online world of guest service.

A new restaurant manager, especially one who is going to deal with customers on the front line and be able to satisfy the dissatisfied, has to bring some knowledge to the table about the use of social media by consumers.

Customers who are highly engaged in the social web are now using their phones as the No. 1 way to voice complaints about customer service. They may not say a peep about it out loud to a waiter, host or manager, but they will let their friends and followers know. And for highly influential users in small and mid-sized towns, that could blow a hole in your business that you never saw coming.

When interviewing prospective managers, ask them what they know about not just Twitter and Facebook, but review sites like Yelp!, check-in sites like FourSquare as well as YouTube, LinkedIn and others. What you are looking for is not so much expertise, but that they have an understanding of how the web is impacting the business. If they shrug their shoulders or say that they are going to just ignore it, it could be a sign of their level of concern for seeking out and correcting any problems that their diners have.

What they should talk about is listening. The social web is best for that, even you if your business’ level of engagement is not very active. You and your managers should be keeping their ears out for any issues that arise, whether that is from someone sending their food back to the kitchen or someone Tweeting a message about not having any napkins.

Restaurant Managers Solve Problems

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 17:16:39 +0000

How to uncover a valuable problem solver

Is there one major quality that stands above all the rest when it comes to hiring a capable restaurant manager who will give you more business and less headaches?

How about problem-solving?

Sure, it may seem a bit abstract, but the ability to identify problems and figure out viable solutions are often the difference between success and daily frustration struggles. But how do you uncover this gem of a skill as you search for a top-notch manager? The best way is to have conversations and look for clues in your top candidates.

For instance, when you first turn your eyes to internal employees, seek out those who have shown the skills of adaptability and improvisation on the job, especially those workers who have found ways to save themselves time in processes. Now, those employees may not be going “by the book” in how they cook products, clean the restaurant or cater to customers, but they may be doing you a favor by eliminating inefficiencies - saving you money. What if you gave them a larger landscape to work on? Could they make your entire operation better by seeing something upper management doesn’t?

When interviewing potential restaurant managers, don’t let them get away with just speaking in the most general terms about their past employment or in what they would do for you. Keep track of sticky situations in your restaurant and how your existing staff took care of them. Play those scenarios out for the prospective manager. How unique their answers are will reveal their problem solving abilities. If someone has a totally original idea on how to tackle an issue that has been dogging you for a long time, that should stand out to you.

Online there are many tools for ferreting out these problem solvers. Sites like psychologytoday.com give you access to many simple test to discover creative problem solving. An example can be found here.

Companies like Microsoft and Google that have become infamous for throwing all sorts of crazy questions and scenarios at the job applicants. Here’s what Microsoft has to say about creative problem solving.

Don’t be afraid to make the questions you have for applicants more difficult. Those who really want to work for you in a leadership role will work toward an answer. Even if it’s not exactly right (and it’s best to ask a question that doesn’t have a definitive right answer, let it be open to interpretation), then you will be able to see how their mind works.

Your ideal candidate should be a problem solver who is well-rounded, understands how to communicate, how the world is changing (like how technology like Skype works, my blog on that here) and how all that benefits your restaurant.

Beware the Fine Line HR Walks When Researching Potential Candidates Online

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:09:39 +0000

SMART POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES WILL KEEP THEIR ONLINE LIVES ON THE UP-AND-UP

Finding the right restaurant employee used to mean checking references, analyzing work history and hoping for the best. But now, thanks to the ocean of information available online, prospective candidates are sharing more data about themselves than they may realize. So the question becomes, how deep should an employer look into information that a prospect shares online -- whether they know it’s public or not.

Looking at what the web says about a potential employee could be seen as either savvy research or Internet snooping. A survey by Careerbuilder conducted in August 2010 said that 21 percent of companies say they use the web to research potential employees. That number is pretty low compared with the amount of information out there about employees. LinkedIn pages are a great place to start to reconfirm job histories, but it’s sites that open up the whole of the social web to you that provide information that could sink a prospect. Social search sites like Socialmention.com, Addictomatic.com or even Facebook and Twitter’s internal search sites will be able to give you a glimpse at what a potential restaurant manager is doing with their online life.

And that’s where it gets tricky -- and into potentially deep legal waters. If you read a potential employee’s public Facebook profile and don’t like the antics that you see there - maybe the language or an irresponsible photo - that could give you pause about whether you think they are ready for the responsibility of helping to run your restaurant. (On the other hand, if they are ready for a promotion, they should be following some of the tips I outlined here.)

But what if you don’t like their friends, their church, their politics? What if you see that they have 15 kids and two other part-time jobs? Those discoveries, even though they are made public for the World Wide Web to see, aren’t something you should be using to make hiring decisions.

That’s why background research on the web forces hiring managers to walk a fine line. Once you research a potential employee’s online life, look at the topics they are talking about as well. Just as an applicant shouldn't be slinging mud about their last employer during a face-to-face interview, they also shouldn’t be slinging any virtual mud about them online. Patterns like these will show up in tweets, Facebook mentions or blog posts. It shows how sloppy or diligent someone is about their online speech.

Enough stories have been told these days about employees getting fired for what they say on the Web that anyone submitting a resume should be smart enough to clean up their online act.
But if they haven’t, that should still speak volumes about what they think of their personal brand and how they might handle yours.

How to Get Promoted in the Restaurant Industry

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:18:13 +0000

7 Tips for Getting That Restaurant Job Promotion

Are you ready for the next level in your restaurant career? What do you do next to get noticed for that promotion? Below are 7 keys to your next promotion.

Quantify Your Accomplishments - Your results and outcomes tell a very telling tale about your performance. Are any key metrics better on your shifts/in your store/in your markets? Labor productivity, labor cost, food cost, turnover, check average, drive-thru time, add-on sales, Guest Satisfaction Survey results…these are all quantifiable results. “Decreased labor by 4%.” “Reduced prep waste by 12%.” While you’re not personally responsible for every improvement or cent saved, you should take some credit where some of the credit is due.
Speak Up for Yourself - Yes, this will involve self-promotion, a little blowing of your own horn, but do it anyway. Nobody cares as much about your career progression as you do so let your supervisors know what you’ve accomplished.
Tell Your Supervisor You Want a Promotion - Many restaurant leaders don’t lay awake at night trying to figure out how to best promote their people. You need to speak up and say, “Look at what I’ve already brought to the table for the company. I’ve demonstrated my leadership skills on the last menu rollout. I am ready to move into a larger role. What do I need to do to do that?”
Apply for Open Positions - I know, “Duh!” But, a lot of people sit on their hands, assuming their boss already knows them and if they haven’t been offered the job without asking for it, that must mean that she doesn’t want you in the job. Maybe, but unlikely. Apply for the position! Apply for it internally through your supervisor first and apply for it externally through the corporate website, etc.
Take on Additional Projects - “I need someone to head this project,” says your boss. That’s your clue to step up. Someone to take track the boss’ markets comp trends, lead the new Local Store Marketing program, Lead the next staff meeting. Volunteer and be seen!
Ask a Peer for Help - Food always creates a willing helper. Ask someone who sees you in action to meet outside of work for lunch. Share your career plans with them. Ask for their opinion on what your strengths are and where your opportunities lie.
Update your resume - This task will help you to more clearly specify and quantify your accomplishments. Plus, it’s good to keep your resume updated, especially since you’re going to be applying for higher positions!

If all else fails, call me. Maybe I have the perfect opportunity for you with one of my clients!

Read here for Current Restaurant Leadership Jobs.

Can I Get a Side of iPad to go?

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:29:50 +0000

Restaurant in Australia puts Menu on iPad

This is very cool! A Sydney restaurant, Global Mundo Tapas, has replaced their old printed restaurant menus with iPads, allowing you to order your meal via touch screen device v.s. flagging down a hostess to find your server when you're ready.

The menu provides all the information a standard restaurant menu does (items, prices, etc.) but also allows you to check out a picture of the dish (putting a little more pressure on the kitchen to strive for proper presentation). The "iMenu" can also suggest food and wine pairings. When you've decided what you want, you send the order wirelessly to the BOH.

While the servers still need to bring the order to your table, I bet the iPad doesn't ask for a smoke break in the middle of the rush or try to skate out on sidework at the end of the shift! "I rolled my silverware, I swear!"

Does your brand do anything this cool currently? I'd love to hear your comments below.

Read more about Restaurant Industry Trends.

Read here for Current Restaurant Leadership Jobs.

You Have the Right to Remain Spineless

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:54:53 +0000

Restaurant Manager "Arrested" for Coddling His Staff

I talk with restaurant operations leaders all day long. When I ask them about their management style, one of the phrases I hear too often is "I'm a hands-on manager" and it causes my lip to curl sometimes. Yes, there's a time and place for getting in the trenches with your staff to dig out of the weeds. But when I pry further into what these restaurant managers mean by "hands-on", I discover that many times they're describing a style that treats their staff like babies, incapable of knowing what to do much less executing in a difficult situation.

My wife pointed out something in an email newsletter recently from Pastor Rick Warren dealing with this common issue in leadership. He said, "People respond to responsibility. But if you treat them like babies you'll have to diaper them the rest of your ministry." Now, translate "ministry" into "job", and you get the jist of what I'm talking about. Where your restaurant staff is capable of performing while you conduct the performance...let them! Putting on your cape and jumping in too soon to save the day communicates to them that you don't trust their abilities to perform, assess, and come out the other side in victory. Sometimes, "hands-off" is a better course of action. Do your "hands-on" thing in your training and coaching time. If you need to, have someone handcuff you (see video) and trust your staff to do what they're trained to do!

Read here for more Restaurant Manager Career Advice.

Read here for more Restaurant Manager Best Hiring Practices.

Stolen Statues, Identity Theft, and the Dine & Dash

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:34:16 +0000

Is Your Restaurant Security Adequate on All Fronts?

A recent security camera video of 3 saggy-pants morons stealing a 300 pound, $6000 Big Boy statue (video below) from the front of a soon-to-be-open restaurant got me mad, and it got me thinking. I got mad because I know this is all too common an occurrence in restaurants. And I started thinking that with the struggles the restaurant industry has been through in the recent recession/depression, you as restaurant leaders most likely have seen an increase in theft in and around your stores. Is this true in your experience?

I'm talking about:

Restaurant employee theft by fraud - identity theft, floating bev's from one tab to the next in your POS system
Guest theft by falsehood - Dine and Dash, false complaints about quality of a 90% eaten item, your cool new ramekins leave with the to go box
or Theft by stranger - robbery, burglary, or vandalism

It's tragic that we're often shocked when someone exhibits integrity and we accept a lack of integrity as the norm, whether in the workplace or elsewhere.

Leave your comments below.

Read here for more on How to Deal with Restaurant Employee Theft

How to do a Skype Interview: 5 Tips for Acing the Online Interview

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:36:14 +0000

Skype Interview Tips

As the current job market continues to open up and restaurant brands begin to grow and hire, there is still an air of caution when it comes to hiring costs. One way some of my clients are saving both time and money in the interview process is to conduct their out of town restaurant job interviews via Skype.

Most of you know Skype as an internet based program that allows for real-time voice and video communication over your PC or laptop with a webcam. More and more, restaurant hiring managers are conducting initial job interviews over the free service rather than flying a candidate in to meet in person until further into the interview process. This saves both time and travel expense until a more certain match is determined.

For some candidates interviewing for a leadership position in restaurants, interviewing via Skype is simple and less stressful than a face to face interview, but only if you prepare in advance.

Here are some tips for preparing for a Skype interview:

First, remember that this is an interview - Prepare just as you would for a face-to-face interview. Research the restaurant concept thoroughly. Know your resume well and have a copy in front of you. Read and understand the job description of the position you’re interviewing for. Prepare your answers to the most common restaurant interview questions. Have your questions for the interviewer written down as well. You can read more interview preparation tips for restaurant interviews here.

Interview in a professional environment - Make sure the background in your home or office is clean and professional. You want to create the right impression about yourself, which means you don’t want the interviewer to be staring at the piles on laundry hanging on your StairMaster while you describe your proactive organizational skills and how one of your joys in life includes physical fitness.

Dress in a professional manner - You should dress as you would if you were interviewing in person. This means both the top and bottom half should be properly dressed. Don’t just wear a business top while sporting your comfy sleep pants and Sponge Bob slippers. It won’t feel right to you and heaven forbid you should have to stand up at any point during the interview! Read more on funny interview Faux Pas here.

IT Checklist and Troubleshooting – Well before the interview test all your equipment. Turn on your computer and verify that your Internet connection is working and the Skype program is running as it should. Turn off any scans that may be scheduled so your PC or laptop doesn’t lag. No IM, chat or Twitter either! Test your web cam, speakers, and microphone as well.

Eliminate Distractions - Any outside noise will distract you from your interview so eliminate all that you can. Turn your cell phone off as well as the TV and radio. Close your windows so the neighbor’s yippy little “purse dog” doesn’t interrupt you. And put your own pets in a different room. Make sure your family knows when you’ll be interviewing so they won’t enter the room to tell you the toilet’s backed up. Avoid distracting the interviewer by minimizing your movements. The images on Skype can be a bit jumpy.

Let me know what other Skype interviewing tips you have by leaving a comment below.

Do You Use "Mushroom Communication" in Your Restaurant?

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:34:09 +0000

Success in Restaurants Requires a Unified Team

I'm a big fan of Financial Freedom Evangelist Dave Ramsey and his debt-free-no-credit-card platform on which he teaches. My wife and I are two-time graduates of his Financial Peace University, having wiped out most of our debt and all of our credit card debt.

Dave's also a pretty funny guy. His down-home, Tennessee styled quips will keep anyone listening to him. He wrote a little piece on Team Unity as it relates to the workplace and I thought I'd share it (abbreviated) as all five points he covers hit home for anyone in a leadership role in restaurants.

Poor Communication - Dave describes many leaders' styles of communication as Mushroom Communication, "Keep them in the dark and feed them manure." Successful teamwork within your restaurant must include a culture of effective communication.
Gossip - He describes gossip as discussing anything with anyone who can't solve the problem. Always discuss any negatives "up the chain of command" to someone with the power to do something about it. Discuss positives "downward", giving recognition and reward on the front lines, where it's most deserved.
Unresolved Disagreements - They will destroy unity. Whether the leader is unaware or refuses to confront the situation, the team will lose. A good restaurant manager will act quickly to diffuse disagreements.
Lack of a Shared Goal - This is caused when a leader doesn't adequately cast the vision for the team. Measure everything the team does by the mission statement and broadcast the unified communications accordingly.
Sanctioned Incompetence - Dave says unaddressed destructive attitudes will quickly demoralize a team. Don't tolerate a team member who will not do their job.

Effective leadership in restaurants requires that you address these issues in your store often and consistently. And remember, if you're leading and nobody's following, you're just taking a walk!

Workplace Bullying Has No Place in Restaurants

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:52:13 +0000

Do You Tolerate Bullying Bosses in Your Restaurant?

I just read Ron Lieber's post in the New York Times about getting kicked out of Marc Forgione's restaurant last week for standing up for the staff he was yelling at in full view and earshot of the guests. Ron says he went to the kitchen and told Chef Marc that he was disturbing the guests, was mean, and to stop the workplace bullying. The chef then came to the table, had words with Ron, a guest, and asked him to leave.

While chefs loudly dressing down their staff is nothing new, particularly Gordon Ramsay wanna-be's, I don't believe tradition makes the behavior anymore acceptable. What was particularly interesting were some of the cowardly comments made to Mr. Lieber's post.

There were some who commented that he should have kept to himself in a situation that overtly warranted a level of intervention, both for the sake of the person being verbally attacked and for the sake of the dining experience. It amazes me that, when presented with a situation where they only have to imagine the right thing to do, people can be so cowardly that they can only imagine "looking the other way".

Bullying has no place in a restaurant setting or any other place. I pray that I'm "professional" enough to come to the aid of someone being abused, attacked or otherwise mistreated.

Use Restaurant Promotional Items to Market and Build Sales/Loyalty

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:34:23 +0000

Will Your Restaurant Guests Pay to Advertise for You?

Here's a restaurant sales-building/marketing idea used very successfully by a concept I used to work for. Use promotional items both as a revenue center and a method to market your restaurant. Whether you own a pizza restaurant, a family casual concept or a high-end steakhouse, giving or selling your guests your own restaurant's branded promotional items and products can be an effective and inexpensive way to keep your restaurant's name in front of your patrons when they're not in your dining room.

Imprinted restaurant promotional items such as glassware, t-shirts, hats, even branded children's toys can remind them of their last great visit to your restaurant, prompting more frequent future visits. If your guests are raving fans, they will even pay to advertise your brand to others! Some brands such as Hard Rock Cafe and Eskimo Joe's have built very profitable retail empires doing just that.

Promote these items in your restaurant, both as add-on sales and as giveaways to regulars or for special occasions. If appropriate to your concept, when giving away promotional items, make it an event for all guests to see, prompting their interest as well. You can also use the items as giveaways for local store marketing programs. The local community groups who solicit freebie donations for their causes will be happy to spread the word for you as well.

If you’re considering using printed promotional items to market your brand, do your due diligence first and check out several companies that specialize in promotional items for restaurants. Identify a reputable company that you can order promotional items from, one with good references that uses quality products. You don't want to associate your name with cheap or dangerous materials. Have fun and good luck!

For more restaurant marketing ideas read these posts.

Know What You Need When Shopping for the Best POS System for Your Restaurant

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:56:23 +0000

Do You Have the Best Point of Sale System for Your Restaurant?

In today’s restaurant business, the restaurant POS system you choose to put in place is critical to your brand’s sales growth and cost reduction. Choosing the best restaurant POS software and Point of Sale systems is crucial because the right choice will allow your management team to streamline restaurant operations. The right Point of Sale system can help restaurant managers increase their staff’s efficiency, reduce their store’s labor costs, increase the staff’s upselling opportunities and help protect against food loss through fraud and other means.

If you’re still manually taking your patrons' orders and passing hand-written tickets to the kitchen you’re asking for errors, misread tickets, lost orders, and restaurant fraud. All this translates to loss of sales and repeat business. However, with the right POS software for your restaurant brand, you can monitor numerous metrics through real-time reporting.

Part of the process of deciding on the ideal Restaurant POS system for your concept includes determining what metrics you want to measure, whether multiple location reporting is necessary, the initial cost layout for your new POS system, and the type of POS hardware you want to employ.

POS Reporting:

Most restaurant POS systems can provide time and labor-saving reporting of both front of house and back of house administrative metrics. (Labor, Check Average, Food Cost, Add-Ons per server, Product Mix, etc.) Determine what level of reporting you want available to you and whether that reporting needs to be accessible remotely (i.e. the corporate office or support center) as you choose the perfect POS software for your restaurant.

Initial Cost Layout:

Consider the ROI and the speed at which that will occur when considering which POS system to choose. The least expensive may not be the best long term choice for your restaurant if the features and ease of use don’t equate to optimal cost savings and increase of sales. Also, be aware that some POS systems will let you use their POS hardware for free as long as you are using their software system. And most POS system quotes are free.

Types of Hardware:

Choices of restaurant POS hardware you want to consider will include the order entry method. Will you use a keyboard, touch screen, or hand-held device to input the orders?

Also, what type of printers will you use? Impact printers are almost a thing of the past but are still an option. Thermal printers using thermal paper are much more common and lower maintenance (fewer moving parts).

What security features do you need on your restaurant’s POS system? Do you want an integrated check reader to verify bank information? Or will you need a magnetic strip reader for restaurant credit card transactions and employee clock-in/outs? How about a cash drawer for cash back transactions in the bar or at a cashier station? There are even fingerprint ID readers that can help prevent time clock and ordering fraud.

While this is not an exhaustive list of considerations, it should help you begin your search for your restaurant Point of Sale system with a basis for your decision.

How to Advertise Your Restaurant on Google for Free!

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:21:56 +0000

Use Google to Advertise Your Restaurant Online for Free

Any restaurant looking to grow their traffic would want to show up on the first page in Google search results when potential customers are deciding online where to eat. Many major restaurant brands spend large amounts of their restaurant marketing budgets to appear on Google's first page results by advertising using Google Adwords pay-per-click online marketing campaigns. For example, a restaurant brand (advertiser) may pay $2.00 or more each time someone clicks on their ad to achieve the top ad position when a potential restaurant guest searches for “Italian restaurant Dallas”. This obviously prohibits many smaller operators from using this online restaurant marketing strategy to any great extent. What if there was a way to appear on Google results for free? There is, and Google asks you to do it.

The Google Places is a way for smaller local restaurant brands to provide information about their concept locations. Google Maps uses this information to better deliver more relevant findings in their search engine results. The best news is you can use this comprehensive online marketing tool to advertise your restaurant on Google for free.

Besides listing your restaurant location, you can add other information including your phone number, web address, email address to build a restaurant email marketing program, a description of your concept, what category your restaurant is in, what payment options you accept, and your hours of business. You have the option to add pictures and even video. You can also choose to provide either printable and mobile phone coupons or both. You can even track the stats on your listing. See how many viewed your listing, what actions they took, and where they came from.

Here's how to get your restaurant listed:

    *   Go to http://local.google.com

    *   Click on “Put Your Business on Google Maps”

    *   Sign into your Google account, or sign up for a free one.

    *   Click on the “Add New Business” button.

    *   Add your restaurant's information.

Your results will begin to appear in the “Local Business Results” map that Googlers find at the top of their search results.

For a list of other online directories and search engines with maps to list your restaurant on, read Michael Hartzell's guest post here.

Taco Bell's New Green Menu? It's just funny, folks!

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:05:43 +0000

Yum! Brands Joins the Green Restaurant Movement?

I came across this video on The Onion satirically interviewing Taco Bell during "Green Week" about their supposed Green Menu, an environmentally friendly menu that "takes no ingredients from nature". Now that's low impact!

Tacky? Yes. True? No. Funny? Admittedly yes, to me anyway. Write me if you like, it just made me laugh.

Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature

Restaurant Marketing Goes Hyperlocal

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:01:28 +0000

Restaurant Local Store Marketing Goes 2.0

Here's another guest post on restaurant marketing from Greg McGuire over at The Back Burner:

There’s a new movement afoot in the urban centers of this country. It started sometime last year and is still in its infancy, but given enough time, it could become the next MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter of the social media revolution.

It’s called “hyperlocal” social media. One of the pioneers of the movement, Everyblock, provides all kinds of information about every single block in a city, from restaurant reviews to police reports to foreclosure information. A more recent, and for restaurateurs a much more intriguing, option came online earlier this year. Foursquare describes itself as 50% friend finder, 30% city guide, and 20% nightlife game.

It works like this: as you patronize your favorite local haunts, you “check-in” with Foursquare, which allows you to see if friends are nearby and post tips/information about the venue you’re currently in. The more you check-in, the more “badges,” or awards, you get. For instance, you can become the mayor of certain bar or club if you check-in the most times from that location in 60 days.

Tech-savvy restaurants and bars caught wind of the mayor and other Foursquare badges and started advertising to this ready-made customer base, offering free drinks and other comps to the Foursquare mayors of their establishment. Most people had no idea what the heck a mayor was, but those that did quickly spread the word to their friends, and it turned out to be a hot way for restaurants and bars to market themselves effectively to their hippest customers.

In general the hyperlocal movement is beneficial to the food service industry because it provides a real time medium through which restaurants can advertise to their customers. For now, Foursquare and the inevitable copycats that are forthcoming will be largely limited to big urban centers like New York, Chicago, and L.A., but it’s not that farfetched to imagine a hyperlocal medium of one kind or another servicing communities of all sizes.

For those of you who are located in ultra-competitive large urban centers, you can’t afford to ignore this new phenomenon. If you haven’t already, start advertising to your Foursquare customers. Offer some sort of discount to regular customers. Some have gotten creative with the scheme, like putting the word out through the web application that anyone who barks like a dog on Thursdays gets a free drink. Others ask to view their customer’s iPhone to verify they have actually checked-in at their restaurant.

No matter what your scheme, Foursquare can become an important vehicle for driving buzz and traffic to your front door. For the rest of us, located outside the super hip downtown scene of the big city, we can only shake our heads at the pace of technology and wonder when these trends are coming to our neck of the woods.

Greg McGuire blogs about restaurant marketing and management at The Back Burner, which is written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant equipment and other food service supplies.

Read more restaurant marketing posts on HeadHunterBrian here.

Restaurant Recovery is on the Spring 2010 Menu Roll Out

HeadHunterBrian — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:09:47 +0000

Restaurant Industry is Seeing Signs of Hope

Flowers are blooming and business is booming (or starting to) again in the restaurant industry!

From Nation's Restaurant News:

Analysts see start of restaurant recovery

After more than two years of slow sales and anemic guest traffic for restaurant operators, Wall Street analysts say a recovery in consumer spending may finally be here.

"We officially declare that 'the restaurant consumer recovery' began in March 2010," said Cowen & Co. analyst Paul Westra in an analyst note this week.

Westra said same-store sales appear to be rising at restaurant chains, a phenomenon he witnessed in 2003 as the industry came out of a recession. Following a gain in same-store sales in May 2003, restaurant stocks jumped 45 percent over the next year.

In particular, Westra said "polished casual-dining" chains like Darden Restaurants Inc., which owns the Olive Garden and Red Lobster, are likely to benefit from baby boomers' preference for dining in "high-end" environments. He said chains that can capitalize on those preferences could take diners away from "mass-casual" competitors as the economy improves.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Larry Miller agreed that a recovery may be imminent, if not already in progress. In a note to investors earlier this week, he said consumer confidence rose for the second straight month in the RBC Consumer Outlook Index.

He also noted that the company's monthly survey of restaurant spending in April showed that 16 percent of consumers plan to spend more at restaurants over the next 90 days, versus 14 percent in March. The percentage of respondents who plan to spend less in the same time frame has also shrunk.

The positive comments come on the heels of several quarterly financial reports showing major improvements in sales and earnings for the first quarter of 2010.

On Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday Inc. reported its best quarterly sales in three years, with same-store sales at company stores dipping just 0.7 percent for the quarter ending March 2. On a call with investors, chief executive Sandy Beall said same-store sales were slightly positive in January and February despite bad winter weather.

The sales improvement coincides with an effort by the company to attract more higher-end customers. Ruby Tuesday has been rebranding itself with a new menu that focuses on entrees that will bring its average check from $12 to a range of $12.50 to $14.50, Beall said Wednesday. That effort first began in 2007.

Kona Grill Inc. also announced earlier this week a same-store sales improvement for the quarter. The casual-dining chain said same-store sales fell 2.5 percent for the first quarter ended in March, an improvement from a 9.6 percent decline in the year-ago quarter and an 8.1 percent drop in the fourth quarter of 2009. The company added that same-store sales jumped 3.6 percent in March, the first positive result since February 2008.

Restaurant Boys & Girls, the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train!

How to Get Your Restaurant Internet Marketing Started

HeadHunterBrian — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:22:54 +0000

Free Restaurant Internet Marketing Tips

Guest post by Michael Hartzell -

How a restaurant business does its marketing is backwards vs. the old days.

Phone books are quickly becoming an antique form of reference and search engines are now the dominant tool for the consumer to find the business of choice.

This change took the power away from the restaurant business doing advertising and moved it into the hands of those who are “searching”. No longer can a restaurant owner list their business in one place to have people find it. Now the search words or phrase chosen by the potential guest have the power. (Even if the words are misspelled, mixed up or irrelevant)

Many restaurant businesses are behind the curve with knowing how to leverage the new tools as the culture in the 21^st century continues to fragment and leap forward. This is not new since so many small restaurant businesses are still reliant on the basic telephone, the dish machine, the oven, the grill, and a four button cash register to account for the sale.

To keep up with the rapid changes there is a cost (even for the “free tools”)

Investment of capital for latest and greatest tech
Learning curve for leadership/ownership which takes time (or outsourcing to experts)
New procedures and training materials implemented for the staff

Since each new change may require investment of time and/or money and the future has a guarantee of even more change, more new technology and more diversity then the aspect of investing into the latest gadget, widget, or tool seems to be like chasing a chicken in the barnyard. Around and around with what seems very little likelihood the chicken will be caught. Is it worth it? This might especially be true for SEO as well. (Search Engine Optimization) as the game is in constant flux and the competition very aggressive.

Regardless of the “chasing a chicken” scenario where a restaurant owner/manager may never feel like they can gain control, there are basics which can be added to any restaurant which will help improve their chance of getting found and thus gain more business. (Even those restaurants behind the curve in the sticks should take heed)

Should a restaurant owner “Google” their own business (for instance: Chinese Restaurant Seattle) there will be directories listed on the first couple search engine results pages. At the very least, being in the directories which show up on the first couple of pages is a basic first step in the right direction to gaining an online presence. Many of the directories are free since the added information adds value to their online service. Yes, it requires time to set a business up in these directories but once complete, only small adjustments will be needed. Be sure to note the directory sites since changes may occur in the business. (Hours of operation, etc) Also, it is very important to note the “type of business” so that those who search for you will be more likely to find you.

Secondly, every major search engine has maps and business directories in which a restaurant owner can include their business for free. It is simple enough to do, require no html, programming or coding.

The trend for mobile devices, GPS and cell phones to provide mapping and local search options will make the listings on the search engine maps more important.

Here is a partial list of directories and search engines/maps to gain a better online presence..

PNW Marketplace http://directory.pnwmarketplace.com

Google Maps http://www.google.com/local/add

Bing https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx

Mapquest http://mapquest.com

Yahoo https://local.adcentral.yahoo.com/locallistings/us/i2

Yelp http://www.yelp.com

Yellow Book http://www.yellowbook.com

Yellow Pages http://www.yellowpages.com

Judys Book http://www.judysbook.com

City Search http://www.citysearch.com

Dex Knows http://www.dexknows.com

Insider Pages http://www.insiderpages.com/

Local Directory http://www.locald.com/Washington/Seattle/

Yellow Bot http://www.yellowbot.com/

Super Pages http://www.superpages.com/

Yahoo http://dir.yahoo.com/

Dmoz http;//www.dmoz.org

BOTW http://www.botw.org

GoGuides http://goguides.com

Be sure to add Industry specific directories (which will show up for on the first couple of pages of your search results)

Lastly, to know when a restaurant is mentioned on the internet (with comments, etc) is a way to listen to guests be happy (or mad). Guestpulse (http://guestpulse.com) offers a free service as does Google with Alert Services (http://www.google.com/alerts). Both send information directly to your inbox which saves a restaurant owner or manager the search.

Outsourcing the services is an option for getting the work done. Virtual Assistants can be had for a fee (one option I recommend is Today’s Admin (http://todaysadmin.com). Other outsourcing options can be found at http://www.michaelhartzell.com/outsource.

This does not necessarily get a restaurant’s website SEO’d but the purpose is to get found by whatever means necessary. Directories with a link back to the restaurant’s website is a good first step to getting found.

Identity is more important than ever. Gluten free menu, meeting rooms, waterfront views, parties, or the very specific type of cuisine are all part of the search terms and phrases. “Restaurant”, “Café”, “Coffee Shop”, “Breakfast Diner” give way to very specific terms. (This does not change the branding or name of the restaurant; it simply expands on the description). For instance I am a BIG fan of “corn fed beef”. I am always looking for local Seattle restaurants with one of my favorites.

Here we covered the aspects of:

Gaining an online presence with directories and maps
- Find directories on the first pages of search engine results
- A starter list is provided
- Sign up for free alert services via Guestpulse and Google Alerts
- Have an identity and the terms people will be using to find what you have (cuisine, specifics)

Following a few of these tips can move even the least internet savvy business owner forward with an online presence without spending a pile of cash. No website? At the very least, get listed on the directories and maps for search engines.

What keeps you as a restaurant owner or manager from moving forward with a better online presence?

Michael Hartzell

Business Success Guide.

Author of “10 Magic Marketing Tips” at www.magicmarketingtips.com. With over 20 years in the restaurant business and many success stories about doubling & tripling sales via local “guerrilla” marketing. Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, Coach, Speaker, Business Success Guide. Book soon to be released: “You? Own a Restaurant? How Ready Are You?”

Contact: contact@michaelhartzell.com http://www.michaelhartzell.com/restaurant-marketing

Read another post on Twitter for Restaurants here and more restaurant marketing posts here.

Brinker is a Shrinker... again!

HeadHunterBrian — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:37:14 +0000

On the Border will no longer be a Brinker concept. Golden Gate Capital has reached a buyout agreement with Dallas based Brinker International, (the parent company for Chili's) for the On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina chain.

A Golden Gate affiliate, OTB Acquisitions LLC, will take control of the brands 160 restaurants both nationally and internationally. Brinker will provide the necessary support services to On the Border through the end of the fiscal 2011 year.

Brinker reports that On the Border saw same store sales drop 4.7 percent in the second quarter, which ended Dec. 23, 2009. The deal is expected to close by the end of the fiscal year.

Neither company has disclosed the purchase price yet.

"The Day the Dollar Menu Died" or "Obama, get out of my Wallet!"

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:28:35 +0000

Did the New Healthcare Legislation Just End My Value Menu Visits?

I'm going to miss it. The Value Menu, Dollar Menu, call it what you will but I will miss it. Now that Save & Closehealthcare reform legislation has passed, I suspect my occasional guilty indulgence at my favorite fast food haunts will now cost me more.

With the passing of Obamacare comes a requirement affecting some 200,000 chain restaurants nationally who will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-thru's. The new law, which applies to any restaurant with 20 or more locations, directs the Food and Drug Administration to create a new national standard for menu labeling, superseding a growing number of state and city laws. The cost to the restaurant industry to implement this has to be passed on to the consumer.

Now I'm all for easy access to information, particularly when it comes to my health. But, honestly, I don't darken the doorstep of a QSR restaurant with the intent of eating healthy. Do you? Really? I go to satisfy a craving for something tasty and high in calories. (I'm betting Obama does too). Something that, if eaten in excess, would make me thankful for the soon-to-be-required healthcare offered to me by my employer to avoid a $2000 per employee fine. You see, this is another provision that will impact the foodservice industry, thus making my beloved Dollar Menu a thing of the past. I'll miss you, McChicken for a buck!

Hostage Crisis! Yelp Abusers Misuse the Service

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:02:13 +0000

Is Yelp the "Restaurant Mafia"?

With the ongoing growth of social media as a way to "get the word out" continues to grow, the seedy side always seems to rear its head. For those not familiar, Yelp is a popular online review site which contains word of mouth reviews, mostly of restaurants. The search results for Yelp tend to rank very high, meaning a post by a guest about your restaurant, whether good or bad, will often show up very readily in Google.

I read about an attempt to hold a restaurant hostage so to speak by very subtly issuing a threat to a restaurant owner. It seems a guest of the restaurant was dissatisfied with their experience in some way and called to complain. No problem so far, any restaurant operator worth their salt would want the opportunity to correct an issue. But here's the disturbing part, once the restaurant manager had apologized and made the reparations that seemed appropriate for the situation, the guest then made an attempt to extort a "ransom" from them by asking for a larger gift card amount in exchange for the hostage-taker not going on Yelp and giving them a bad review.

The negative Yelp review, as well as the positive one, is online forever for all to see. As many brands in the restaurant industry depends heavily on word of mouth advertising, a lot of them seem to fear a negative review on Yelp. And some opportunists have clued in on this and tried to take advantage of this fear.

I would, however, welcome all reviews whether good or bad, and respond online appropriately. A professional and caring response to a poor review can lend more credibility to your operations than can 100% positive reviews.

Don't be held hostage by this type of internet extortion, but use it as an opportunity to show your customer base that you are willing to make things right for your guests.

Life is good when it's Win, Win, Win!

HeadHunterBrian — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:13:12 +0000

So last week I placed another District Manager with a top QSR franchise group client I work with who is acquiring a 40+ unit DMA in the southeast. They asked me to find someone with previous experience

with their brand who was not currently working elsewhere for the brand. While not an impossible task, it does limit the candidate pool quite a bit!

While it took a few weeks of recruiting, I was able to present several strong candidates. As we moved the process along and the finalists were determined, one candidate stood out as the best choice for my client. Not only did this candidate have the brand experience they were looking for but he also had the strong results and outcomes that my client was looking for.

A job offer was extended by my client through me and the candidate excitedly accepted. Several days later, within minutes of each other, both the candidate and the client called me to thank me for the job I had done for them. The candidate was very pleased that I put him in contact with a growing restaurant franchisee with tremendous career opportunity. The client was happy with the speed and diligence at which I worked to recruit the restaurant leader they needed. He then gave me a job order to find them someone in a larger role for a higher position in the group!

It was a win-win-win situation all the way around. I love my work!

Restaurant Marketing - Asphalt Highway and Information Superhighway

HeadHunterBrian — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:59:19 +0000

Is Your Restaurant Marketing "2.0 Compliant?"

I just read a blog post by Aaron Schoenberger over at The BrainchildGroup about the increased use of Social Networking by restaurants trying to attract more guests through the doors in 2010. Many restaurant brands have successfully fostered a more personal relationship with their customer base by interacting with them through different Social Media mediums. Beyond restaurant email marketing, blogs, Twitter, and YouTube all have enabled restaurant concepts in all segments, from QSR to family casual to fine dining, to engage and entice their following in a way that could not be achieved otherwise.

Some brands have even gone so far as to forgo some of the more traditional methods of advertising their restaurant concept in order to focus their marketing budget in this arena. Naked Pizza, for example, advertises their Twitter handle on their outside signage in lieu of their phone number.

The "old ways" of marketing are still alive and well though. Growing up as a kid, we took our vacations cross-country in the South by car. I remember reading every Stuckey's billboard, mile after mile, promising me a pair of Native American made leather mocassins or a huge bag of broken cookies if I would "Exit in 52 miles". Every sign counted down the miles to the next location, creating an ever-increasing need in me for whatever a pecan log roll was!

Today, the family and I were enticed the old-fashioned way. A billboard on the side of the highway. As we took a family drive, we saw a sign along I-40 letting us know the Cherokee Trading Post was up ahead, and they offered Buffalo Burgers on the menu! The old memories, along with lunchtime hunger, drew me irresistibly to the Rest Stop/Gift Shop/Native American Art Gallery/Restaurant. Only my oldest son and I tried the Buffalo Burger, which is okay, but we all enjoyed a time we would not have otherwise without that billboard.

So as restaurants move forward with the new marketing models and start to travel the information superhighway, they ought not neglect the old standby "asphalt highway" methods while they're at it.

Read more restaurant marketing posts here.

Psst, Can You Keep Your Restaurant's Trade Secrets?

HeadHunterBrian — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:23:31 +0000

Are Your Restaurant's Trade Secrets Safe?

I read in Forbes today where KFC keeps Colonel Sanders' original 1940 hand-written secret recipe under some high-tech security. To protect their trademark Original Recipe, they built a new home for it in the way of a 770 pound digital safe surrounded by 2 feet of concrete, complete with 24 hour surveillance and motion detectors. It occurred to me that that level of security is warranted because the loss of the exclusive use of it would do KFC irreparable damage.

As a leader in the restaurant industry, whether you're at the General Manager, District Manager, VP or COO levels, you probably have access to some level of proprietary information you're expected to keep confidential. I know as a restaurant recruiter, there is a lot of sensitive information that my clients and candidates have entrusted me with.

Do you hold the responsibility for maintaining confidentiality of your concept's secret restaurant recipes? What would be the ramifications to your brand if the secrets were made known? What about the damage to your own reputation? What measures do you take to keep those "trade secrets" a secret? Share your comments, but not your secrets!

Placed Another Restaurant Manager with an Awesome Client!

HeadHunterBrian — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:29:02 +0000

I love this part of my job! I just placed a fantastic restaurant leader with one of my best clients in Kansas. He's a tremendous people developer and sales driver and my client is growing by 15 new restaurant openings this year.

It's awesome when I get to be a part of matching the right candidate to the right client for a win-win-win situation! Time to ring the bell and do the happy dance!