May 2012 Blog Posts (64)

The phone I grew up with was clunky and served just one purpose — talk to someone. My monthly costs were high, and long distance calls were expensive. If something broke… major trouble. Today I have an iPhone. I can do a million tasks on it easily and intuitively; apps make it infinitely customizable; and while I may pay more each month, the expense is pegged to my usage- to my satisfaction.

The POS is a nerve center of a restaurant but no matter how much improvement you drive…

Reported by foodem.com, the online wholesale food marketplace-

Almond milk continues to be all the rage among those looking for alternatives to cow’s milk. 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant, while another…

My daughter, who is 3 going on 26, came across an Easter card as we were cleaning our house this weekend and as some children might, exclaimed the obvious, “Oh look Dad, it’s Jesus!” “That’s right honey” I replied, “And do you know who His Daddy is?” “It’s Zeus.”

Clearly, she needs a…

CMO's Guide To The Social Landscape. Developed once again by 97th Floor, an SEO, social media, and viral infographics firm, the latest social media infographic welcomes five new members to the roster. Time will tell whether they give heavyweights such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn a run for brands' advertising dollars, but incumbents including Pinterest and…

The common professional dines out on average about five times per week. They start by getting an espresso and a bagel in the morning. They may grab some burgers at lunch time. Then they go out for a nice, sit-down dinner in the evening. The restaurant career business is a booming industry for any job seeker, and once employed, there is usually nowhere to go but up. There is a lot of room for advancement in the restaurant industry, as long as one has the right attitude and knows…

Reported by
foodem.com, the online wholesale food marketplace-

This week’s recipe brings back one of my favorite childhood memories involving another one of my favorites, peanuts. If you like nuts, peanuts in particular, then you’ll love this.

I’ve always been a big peanut lover, from eating PB&Js for lunch to snacking on honeyed…

This past winter I did a consult with a 40 seat restaurant in a rural New England community who was looking for some additional marketing ideas. They had tapped out on as much online and offline marketing as they could do. They had also gone ahead and been progressive, and had gone to local business around them, met the owners and employees and offered incentives to come in to dine.



While the restaurant was keeping its head well above water, the owner wanted to be busier during…

I have spent a lot of time thinking about a restaurant company’s worst nightmare - The Brand Gap.  Executives work hard to evolve their brands.  Some need a complete make over.  Others continue to tweak and tinker to make sure their brands remain relevant in an ever-changing marketplace.  They spend hours in meetings reviewing research, analyzing data and conducting focus groups trying to ensure their concept has a point of difference that resonates with consumers.…

Foodservice business relationships change over time as the executive chef or buyer gets to know the foodservice distributor and suppliers' sales representatives. This leads to a better understanding of expectations and performance capabilities. 

One difficulty, from an ethical standpoint, is taking favors or gifts, starting with an exchange of pricing information about a…

Reported by foodem.com, the online wholesale food marketplace-

A few weeks ago, we took a look at the summer hiring frenzy, particularly in the restaurant industry. Currently, there are almost 13 million individuals in the restaurant industry, with an additional 200,000 openings to come, as forecasted…

A job seeker interested in a career in hospitality will likely be wondering about how to get hired for a position with a top restaurant. It might seem tough, but there are no real secrets involved. The restaurant industry works just like any other industry, with the only difference being that what a restaurant sells is a combo of great food and superb service. Naturally, there are expectations of anyone eyeing a restaurant career. Of course, being good at what you do is…

At the American Hospitality & Lodging Association (AHLA) Hotel Industry Leadership Panel earlier this month, a panel of veteran hotel executives concurred that, although no dynamic or dramatic upswing is on the horizon, the sector as a whole will enjoy moderate growth and gradual improvement over the next two years. Demand is up, supply is tight, local governments are helping with development projects, and staying one step ahead of…

Reported by foodem.com, the online wholesale food marketplace-



Peter Drucker, the legendary professor credited with inventing the discipline of business management, once said:



“The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it’s…

In May, a weakening in the restaurant space was felt.  Domino's ( DPZ), Ruby Tuesday's ( RT), Red Robin (RRGB), Wendy's (WEN), even McDonald's (MCD) April same store sales numbers disappointed.  Jamba Juice (JMBA) was great (+12.3%, a true “pop”), Tim Horton's (THI (US) and Jack in the Box (JAC)K good, Carrol's (TAST) improving. Discussions of weather, leap year/day/weekend, gasoline prices, competitive intrusions, and changes in TV, couponing timing or focus dominated the…

There is a recently completed study on the work habits of Millennials that might surprise employers. The study was done by MTV, and before you shrug it off, think — who better to get honest feedback from a younger generation?

Let’s examine the results as they apply to foodservice and the upcoming restaurant workforce.

Culture

In a briefing with…

A restaurant career is an extremely viable option for a job seeker nowadays. Given the popularity of eating out today, more and more opportunities are opening up to those looking for insights about how to get hired. The restaurant industry is catching up with the healthcare industry and any job seeker who can’t seem to get a lucky break would do well to consider the possibilities of a restaurant career.

For the job seeker, here are the basics…

You have probably seen the Domino’s commercials about them adding mobile ordering apps to their business to help them increase sales.  According to NPN, about 83% of innovators and 72% of early adopters order from restaurant apps weekly.  Big restaurants may make this process seem easy, but for smaller business creating an app for their restaurant it can seem like a daunting task. …