Every week I speak with restaurant owners in many parts of the country. In each conversation, they tell me of their concerns in running their restaurant business. In each of these conversations they all expressed many of the same concerns and they revolve around these five issues: Growing sales and reducing cost. Rising food cost […]
With food costs rising every week are your restaurants profits taking a hit? Almost every day there is something in the news about the price of something going up. Beef, pork, dairy, and coffee are all going up. As a restaurant owner, what is your strategy to handling these increases? Some chains will be raising […]
How do restaurant operators look at the cost of marketing? The NRA’s guidelines for restaurant marketing says that restaurants should allocate anywhere between two and four percent on restaurant marketing. Do restaurant owners follow this model when budgeting for their business? Like many families, the budget sometimes goes out the window when juggling expenses. The […]
Is reputation management part of your restaurant marketing strategy? Recently, I was on an extensive road trip for the better part of the past month. Many nights in hotels and most of my meals in restaurants. Ah the glamour of business travel! One thing I have seen in most markets that I visit is that […]
As we go into a new year, restaurant owners should be developing their restaurant business plan for operational efficiency and marketing strategies to increase sales. A recent study of restaurant owners in Columbus Ohio cited the top five concerns to be dealt with in 2014. Outlined below are their thoughts. How will I increase sales and […]
2013 is done! 2014 is here…. Now what will you do? At the beginning of every year it’s always good to take a step back and see what worked and what did not work over the past year in your restaurant. Here are four quick easy categories to help you figure out your restaurant business […]
I know, I know…. You are just preparing for the busy holiday season and planning for 2014 is the last thing on your mind. Unfortunately we all know that time goes so fast and January of 2014 will be here in no time. Do you want to come out of the gate fast, or start […]
Veterans Day has come and gone for 2013. Many restaurants have taken that day to honor our veterans for their service to our country. That is great way to show your appreciation for their service to us as a nation. I happened to visit a local restaurant on Veterans Day that had been saying their […]
Think about it…. How many times a week does somebody knock on your door and ask for donations from your restaurant? One…Three….Ten times a week? Restaurant owners I have spoken to about this topic seemed annoyed with all of these people asking for donations. Yes, it can be a hassle, yes it can cost you […]
I find it truly amazing how large the portion sizes are at most restaurants! For some restaurant owners this may be a strategy to help your restaurant get know. Large portions…. cheap prices. But to those restaurants have they ever considered the impact on the profitability of the restaurant? This past week, my wife and […]
Statistics say that over 50% of diners participate in a least one loyalty program? Is your restaurant playing in the game? Restaurant marketing is evolving very fast with the aid of technology gains. Yet some restaurants are still using old fashioned punch cards for their customers. While punch cards can achieve some of the same […]
Last night I went out for dinner to a local restaurant and had my meal on their outdoor deck. It was a great night, about 70 degrees, no wind and just a great night to sit out and enjoy a meal. During the course of the night, the owner “Dutch” stopped by our table to […]
Last week my travels took me to Nashville Tennessee to work with one of my clients. It was a good trip but one thing struck me clearly, the power of NCAA Basketball on the local economy. The NRA reports that business in the restaurant industry was off dramatically during January and February. My clients have expressed […]
An interesting week it has been! Several of my conversations this week centered on whether restaurant owners trust their food distributor. Surprisingly, each distributor I spoke with said….. No they don’t and with good reason. Do food distributors create this sense of mistrust? Broken promises, missed deliveries, and questionable billing issues are some of the […]