Featured Blog Posts – April 2009 Archive (54)

Used Restaurant Equipment And Your Business

If looking to buy Restaurant Equipment you may be considering the option to buy used. Know what your getting into before jumping in head first. Used restaurant equipment has many pros and cons. I will examine a few of these.

PROS: You save money! Used restaurant equipment can be nearly half the price of that same new product. More often than not, used restaurant equipment isn’t so old. Many restaurants go out of business within the first two years leaving many units available for… Continue

Added by Todd Norton on April 30, 2009 at 6:33am — No Comments

Non-Operator Panic??? Mexico City closes 35,000 restaurants until 5/5/09

Steve Paterson alerted FOHBOH on the threat of the Swine Flu to our industry. His warnings are coming true!

The actions yesterday by Mexico City government is a scary response!

Paul

Mexico City closes 35,000 restaurants until 5/5/09

Mexico City Orders Restaurants Closed on Flu Concern

By Carlos Manuel Rodriguez bloomberg.com… Continue

Added by Paul Paz on April 29, 2009 at 7:09pm — 3 Comments

Non-Operator Sleeping with an Ex....

I know that our sex lives are usually kept well out of the public eye, but even though I feel like the H.S. gym teacher assigned to talk about it, we need to broach the subject when talking about break ups. Don’t worry, we’re not talking about what happens if your office romance goes array, you can read Penelope Trunk's blog if you want to know how that works.

As a young person dating, I… Continue

Added by Matt Smith on April 29, 2009 at 1:37pm — 2 Comments

Do I need to remove the pig over the dining room table?

I have a large and very cute pink pig balloon from the recent Cochon 555 event in Boston floating over my dining area table. He's losing helium fast. Does he have swine flu?

A friend jokingly told me yesterday: "Get out fast! You're in danger!"

This silly question is intended to point out the ridiculousness of the mass media's approach to a serious story - an approach that can only intensify the public's fear and even, perhaps, incite panic as government officials track… Continue

Added by susan holaday on April 29, 2009 at 5:13am — 2 Comments

Restaurants a vital ingredient in life —- and economy.

Gave me a "warm fuzzy feeling" thought you'd all enjoy it as well!.

By George McKerrow Jr. George McKerrow is CEO of Ted’s Montana Grill and a founder of the Georgia Restaurant Association. Find original print at For the Journal-Constitution find original print on http://tinyurl.com/c2se4v.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Funny thing about hard economic times. Life actually goes on. We still fall in love, celebrate anniversaries, graduations, birthdays and life-changing… Continue

Added by Sarah on April 28, 2009 at 11:18am — 2 Comments

Guest Post: Chris Reed's "Keeping Right"

Chris Reeds (link) blog post "Keeping Right" is one of the BEST post I've read lately" (way too good not to share).

I hope it inspires you like it did me to continue to live life in the "Left Lane".

Guest Post Written By Chris Reed

You’ve seen it. You’re… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on April 28, 2009 at 5:30am — 3 Comments

This is Why Interactive Media is Winning the Game

I just read an article in the April 27th issue by Dina Berta of Nations Restaurant News about how restaurant companies and employees are using social sites for interactive communication. How more companies are changing from intranets to web 2.0-type technologies (online networks and communities) as a way to engage and better communicate. Nice article, Dina. Great subject matter too, because its leading edge. In fcat, it's changing how we communicate. It's also something FohBoh has a pretty good… Continue

Added by Michael L. Atkinson on April 27, 2009 at 12:41pm — 10 Comments

Management Challenges Become A Daily Routine

A lot of things have transpired at work since my last feature post, two weeks ago.

The restaurant that I manage, a mall-based food court concept, has steadily been declining due to the decrease in traffic at that particular center. As I expected, my boss has been broaching the idea that he would like for me to consider moving to a busier location. Being somewhat resistant to change, I guess I have been putting off the inevitable. As it… Continue

Added by Bill Baumgartner on April 26, 2009 at 7:34pm — 5 Comments

Swine Flu can have a serious impact on Restaurant and Travel related business

UPDATE....PAY ATTENTION!

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

No more kidding with ManBird Pigflu.

2009 H1N1 is what it's called and it's officially a Global Pandemic Threat.

Headlines first, then commentary...

Current level of influenza pandemic alert raised from phase 4 to 5

www.who.org

First U.S. Death reported. (Heartbreaking)

CDC says "The more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more… Continue

Added by Steve Paterson on April 25, 2009 at 8:17am — 45 Comments

Chicken Market Expectations

The chart of the week is various chicken market trends for the next 11 weeks. It’s been well documented that chicken producer margins have been historically poor leading to a downturn in chicken production. So just like economists look at prior economic recessions and not any other normal year to gauge the current recession we are in, I have a tendency to model expectations for the current chicken markets comparing them to other years where production has been cut. And the latest year that we… Continue

Added by David Maloni on April 24, 2009 at 12:08pm — No Comments

Higher Fees are Coming

Interchange & Access Fee changes are coming and restaurants with small ticket sales will experience a greater impact from these changes.

While minor adjustments have been made to the Interchange fees that issuing banks earn; the real story this spring are changes to fees earned by MasterCard and Visa. Beginning in April 2009, MasterCard will increase its Acquirer Access Fee for processing by 270% by raising this per transaction fee from $0.005 to $0.0185. In June 2009, Visa will… Continue

Added by Ty Hardison on April 23, 2009 at 6:12am — No Comments

Non-Operator The Sports Bar Mystique

Occasionally, I will have lunch or dinner in a "sports bar" or similar environment. I don't drink, but sometimes, like to watch a sports event and relax. Many of these establishments have several televisions and programs, from which to choose.

I am somewhat confused, though, and the concept of such an environmetn (sports bar) is something of an "enigma".

It seems, that all the televisions inthese places, are placed on mute, and the patrons are stuck, listening to a radio… Continue

Added by Keith Bernhardt on April 23, 2009 at 2:49am — 4 Comments

Non-Operator Single and Ready to Mingle...The Break Up Blog Continues!

You have to remember the "out of gas" trick!

After the grieving is done, it’s time to jump back on the market! Although I haven’t been without a job since I was fourteen and haven’t been dating for the last six years, after the shock of being dumped wore off, there was a certain thrill in the air for going out and doing some job dating.

It takes some confidence to get back out on the dating scene after a good relationship goes… Continue

Added by Matt Smith on April 22, 2009 at 2:22pm — No Comments

Going Green

I love doing my part to combat global warming! Since its Earth Day, I feel compelled to write this blog to share with the FohBoh community and to reflect on what I have done in the past and what I am doing now to do my part to be green.

I grew up in a very organic environment, where fruits and veggies were grown in the backyard garden and "put up" for the winter so we would have our own produce year round. My favorites were Silverqueen Sweet Corn (we had half an acre dedicated to… Continue

Added by Kim on April 22, 2009 at 2:14pm — 3 Comments

Why restaurants will survive

A friend of mine and I were having dinner last night in a Vietnamese restaurant in Boston when he inadvertently told me exactly why restaurants are going to survive this recession...at least those that are doing a good job and offer value to the customer.

"Restaurants," he declared, "are my kitchen."

Brilliant - and so true!

Several generations have now been raised in this country that do not know about cooking. However, many of them are dedicated "foodies" -… Continue

Added by susan holaday on April 21, 2009 at 8:41am — 3 Comments

Chef Gordon Ramsey: Passed his Eat-By-Date?

Chef Ramsey suffered his latest set-back last night when his 3-star Michelin restaurant dropped out of the world's Top 100 dining destinations.

Yet his protege, Marcus Wareing, who opened his new restaurant at London's Berkeley Hotel, after an acrimonious split with GordonR, his former mentor and friend, has made a dramatic entry in the list at No. 52.

Good to see… Continue

Added by Alan Williamson on April 21, 2009 at 8:39am — 6 Comments

Non-Operator 10-reasons why Susan Boyle inspires us

Susan Boyle’s story went viral last week. USA Today had an article that listed the 10-reasons why millions around the world connected with her. I couldn’t help but compare how so many of waiters, as service providers, are guilty like those who profiled Ms. Boyle.

The reverse is also true... how many of us are the Susan Boyle of our industry that deliver extraordinary service that is unexpected, unnecessary, unwarranted, and/or undeserved (I heard this line from FOHBOH member Bob… Continue

Added by Paul Paz on April 20, 2009 at 11:04am — 4 Comments

3 Simple Ways to Hook Up Your Restaurant to the Web-Twitter-Blog-Facebook-Thingy

Okay, okay, you've finally broken down and decided to get in on the social media train. I welcome you and you can relax because it's not too late, and it's not too hard. Each of these technologies are unique, but they all have the common goal of connecting people. In your case, it's connecting you and your restaurant to your guests. So let's get started...

#1 - Twitter

Set up…

Continue

Added by Jeff Schacher on April 20, 2009 at 10:51am — 7 Comments

Non-Operator Is Diner Hijacking The New Trend ?

At two separate restaurants in New Jersey a man approached diners and asked if they wanted anything further or were ready to pay.

They paid in cash.

He never returned.

He wasn't employed at either place.

He'll soon be taking orders at the County Jail.

Added by Paul Green on April 19, 2009 at 10:54pm — 1 Comment

Non-Operator Taking Control of Your Restaurant Marketing

In these days of doom and gloom I hear many restaurateurs complain about how slow business is and how the clients are spending less and less money dinning out.

However, as the saying says, "Times of crisis are times of opportunity".

If your business is slow, perhaps this is a great time to re-evaluate the efficacy of your marketing. Eliminate dead wood in your marketing expenses and start investing your money smartly in marketing that really works (and you can prove that… Continue

Added by Jose L Riesco on April 17, 2009 at 9:18am — 12 Comments