As restaurant consultants, we are often in a position to offer advice…and to hear some zingers of both good and bad advice that restaurant owners have been given. As entrepreneurs, restaurant owners often seek advice from friends (whether in the industry or not), family members, vendors, and guests. Restaurant owners who need the advice are […]
The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard for Restaurant Owners Read More »
For restaurant owners and general managers, the process of creating a restaurant employee developmental plan is very similar to writing quarterly goals – only there are no predetermined categories. The action steps should have many of the same characteristics as the steps in achieving goals. They should be SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.
The general manager of a restaurant is the most crucial position in the entire business. The chef usually gets the glory, but the general manager is responsible for keeping the restaurant operating consistently, ensuring guest satisfaction, hiring and developing the staff, delivering budgeted profits, and driving sales growth. A good general manager can keep an
6 Secrets to Hiring the Best Restaurant General Manager Read More »
Did you know that an empty seat can cost you between $.45 – $1.50 for every minute it remains open? Incorporating a restaurant optimization program allows a restaurant to create a system that will streamline service operations with measurable financial results. Over 75% of service issues are caused by an inefficiently run front desk. Double-seating
How to Maximize Restaurant Seating Read More »
We all know the importance of the first impression and how we’re impacted by someone’s appearance, demeanor and general interaction with us. Crowd review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor have built companies that allow folks to vent their praises and critiques of service providers. Much of the commentary on these sites is about first impressions.
6 Things Your Host is doing to Turn Away Customers Read More »
What’s love got to do with it? Asking the question “is there any place for love in business?” is like asking “is there any place for people who care?” We all believe relationships that have longevity are rooted in love and mutual respect. Since most businesses, including restaurants are built on groups of relationships it
Why Love is the Magic Ingredient for Restaurants Read More »
When opening a restaurant, it seems only right to document and put in place a structured training agenda that will aid your kitchen managers and chefs in the training of themselves and their staff. Perhaps you hire a consultant, like Blue Orbit, or you have someone on your staff who loves documents, spreadsheets and calendars just
Restaurant Opening: The Essential Kitchen Training Documents Read More »
For some reason many in our midst seem to have uncanny insight into the legendary failure rates for restaurants, regardless of whether they have actually worked in or owned a restaurant. Ask almost anyone on the street what they think about a restaurant as a viable business and the lore comes spilling out: “Opening a
Top 10 Restaurant Killers Read More »
Up until now, I’ve shied away from an important topic that each restaurant owner (I don’t care how big or small) needs to take seriously – the Employee Handbook . The info I’m giving you may mean the difference between keeping your restaurant open and successful or closing the doors forever because of one small
The Employee Handbook (it’s more than a coaster) Read More »
There are plenty of things that cause restaurants to struggle including poor location, the wrong food for the wrong area, bad lighting, uncomfortable seats, smelly beer-soaked floors, difficult parking, or even embezzlement…. to name a few. Our list below, however, focuses on things that are not so obvious that we know to be critical to
Top Ten Mistakes Made By Restaurants Read More »
