June 2009 Blog Posts (120)

Good causes prove to be great recession-busters for restaurants

Recent economic turmoil is forcing restaurants to get creative.

The saying, "adapt or perish" is true now more than ever: KFC now offers grilled chicken, Pizza Hut has pasta, and Morton's Steakhouse has a $5 burger.

But another (warmer, fuzzier) way that restaurateurs are combating the recession is by hosting charity events, where part of the proceeds go to the cause.

Indeed, many… Continue

Added by Dani on June 4, 2009 at 8:03am — No Comments

Values Based Leadership

I got the chance a couple of weeks ago to attend the CHART Regional meeting in Louisville, KY at the enormous and expansive Papa John’s Corporate Campus. What a great opportunity to network and I got to meet some “internet” faces. It is always so cool to come face to face with people you blog and twitter with daily. No pun intended but people are so much larger than life in person!

I got to meet Jeff McLanahan, and Terry Mayhem from Papa John’s. Also one of my favorite e-learning… Continue

Added by Andy Swingley on June 3, 2009 at 7:44pm — 10 Comments

Ice cream that doesn't melt but becomes pudding

Can you believe an ice cream that instead of melting turns to pudding? Well Cold Stone Creamery has developed the new product. I don’t know about you but I’m curious to see the ingredients in this item, aren’t you?

Read the whole story at the Dining… Continue

Added by Dara Bunjon on June 3, 2009 at 12:34pm — 2 Comments

Benefits To Having an Engaged Workforce

When I first started FohBoh it became clear, very early, that the center of our plate was human resources, training and development. The power of an engaged workforce is compelling and perhaps The key success factor in running and sustaining operations. With all due respect to food, and i love food, service is how a restaurant differentiates itself. I have personal experience with both happy, engaged employees and unhappy, disconnected employees. I prefer the former.

Here are… Continue

Added by Michael L. Atkinson on June 3, 2009 at 9:41am — 7 Comments

Non-Operator Five MORE Critical Points of Contact in Your Restaurant

By David Scott Peters

TheRestaurantExpert.com

In an article I wrote for my June member newsletter, I offered five critical points of contact in every restaurant. Each point of contact revolves around the idea that you only get one chance to impress a customer. Then you have to keep impressing them every time they come back.

The first five points of contact were:

1. First impression outside your restaurant, such as advertising

2. Facilities

3.… Continue

Added by David Scott Peters on June 3, 2009 at 2:30am — 1 Comment

Non-Operator Choosing Glassware for Restaurants

Whether you have a restaurant which prides itself on serving home-cooked meals in an elegant setting, or if you cater more to a group of hungry patrons which prefer to be served gourmet delights, the quality of restaurant glassware that you will use will add greatly to the image that you want your food establishment to project.

As such, it does pay if you will use restaurant… Continue

Added by WaldoWares on June 2, 2009 at 10:39pm — No Comments

A Rose is a Rose... Unless It's a Peach

When summer hits, there are few things that satisfy as much as a juicy bite into a crisp, sweet piece of fruit. It is all the more satisfying in the peak of its season. And as June shyly raises her head, the sweetest season for peaches begins.

The peach, also known as the Prunus Persica, actually originated in China approximately 4,000 years ago. Belonging to the same family as the rose, the first few generations of peach were far from the fist-sized, abundant fruit we call the peach… Continue

Added by Terrence Lee on June 2, 2009 at 4:53pm — 1 Comment

How newspapers and restaurants are a lot alike

I opened my door this morning automatically to see if the paper was there and it was! It came as a surprise because I'd had a big go-around with The New York Times recently about their newest rate increase which I felt was too much. I've had two 'promotional' rates in more than 25 years of being a subscriber and felt I deserved better. I called to cancel and hung up. They called me back - surprise - they want their subscribers to stay and renew!

So we haggled a bit and I agreed to… Continue

Added by susan holaday on June 2, 2009 at 12:26pm — 7 Comments

Non-Operator What's Next....You Need to Decide!

So, we’ve traveled the road of the break up together from the feelings of being inadequate and let down when she says it’s time to just be friends, all the way through the roller coaster of single life and have found that perfect mate…now what?

In the last blog I talked about how to “stay hitched” knowing that being married is sometimes even harder than being single…it take perseverance.

In terms of perseverance personally, one of the things that I have been told by many… Continue

Added by Matt Smith on June 2, 2009 at 10:21am — No Comments

Change

You'd have to be living on another planet to not notice that we’re going through big changes in our lives.

Some of the changes like the economy and employment situation are really hard to swallo.

Other changes, like the ones happening on the technology front, make me feel like I just won the lottery...like the fact that I can run my business from my iPhone.

“It’s not the strongest or the most… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on June 2, 2009 at 8:38am — 10 Comments

What Your Customers And Employees Get With Online Ordering

Internet has become omnipresent, so it’s not surprising that Americans widely utilize it to simplify their personal and professional tasks. Internet technologies have impact on every sphere of our lives and it continues to change the way we work, the way we communicate with each other, the way we make purchases, and now even the way we eat. Thus, restaurant industry successfully utilizes Internet technologies to increase productivity, cut down on costs and improve relationships with… Continue

Added by Trevor Seemann on June 2, 2009 at 7:41am — 4 Comments

Non-Operator Social Networking - online and off!

Social Networking -- online and off

Wikipedia: A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, sexual relationships, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.…

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Added by Margie Tosch on June 2, 2009 at 7:21am — No Comments

Non-Operator The flip side of going green - "green wash" ... and, care to take the no more bottled water pledge?

The flip side of going green - "green wash"

... and, care to take the no more bottled water pledge?

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The recent 'green' articles have generated a huge response from you, so obviously this is a subject that is important to many. Even so, I promise next week there will be a new topic!

One thing that caught my eye was the flip side of going green -… Continue

Added by Margie Tosch on June 2, 2009 at 7:17am — No Comments

Non-Operator Eating Green Part II

Green Eating Part II

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Last week's topic of the large amount of waste involved in quick service take out struck a chord; I heard from a lot of you! (For all the comments,…

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Added by Margie Tosch on June 2, 2009 at 7:15am — No Comments

Non-Operator Eating take out and going green: are both possible?

Last week I had some late meetings - meaning I would not be getting home until after 8PM. My boyfriend decided to make things easier and stopped at Pollo Loco on the way home, to grab something quick for dinner. I am not (never have been) much of a quick service or take out kind of girl, so my experience here is limited.

I have to say I was happy to see the food though - I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I opened… Continue

Added by Margie Tosch on June 2, 2009 at 7:10am — No Comments

Non-Operator David vs Goliath, Big Wine Goes after Small Retailer

Industry giant Ernest & Julio Gallo is suing a Seattle retail wine & specialty food retailer over pasta. The Spanish Table, which operates four retail locations, opened their Seattle store near Pike Place Market in 1995. This January, owners Sharon Baden and Steve Winston received a letter from a lawyer representing EJ…

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Added by Margie Tosch on June 2, 2009 at 7:06am — No Comments

2000 blog views + a crash course in online networking

We hit 2000 blog views on Wordpress today, so I thought it would be a good time to thank all of our readers, and talk a little bit about social networking and the restaurant industry.

As an "evangelist" of social networking, one of the ways I try to encourage those around me to participate is by telling them, "as long as people are talking about you online, you might as well join the conversation."

Granted, there are a… Continue

Added by Dani on June 2, 2009 at 6:47am — No Comments

Increasing Gift Card Sales: Are You Getting Your Fair Share?

Not too long ago, the only time I received gift cards was as a stocking stuffer during the holidays or as an add-on to a larger gift-wrapped package. Times are changing and today, in many cases, the cards are simply replacing the packages. As of 2008, gift card sales have accelerated to reach nearly $97 billion dollars nationwide annually. With the increase in popularity, every restaurant and retailer from a single site mom and pop store to large global brands are recognizing gift cards as a… Continue

Added by Jessica Lundberg on June 1, 2009 at 10:24am — No Comments

Harnessing the Power of Word-Of-Mouth

Word-of-mouth is coming on stronger than ever, thanks to the influence of social/emerging media. In fact, to the world outside foodservice, one would almost think it’s a new or novel idea. However, those of you marketing your restaurants to patrons have always known the power of WOM. At Noble, we call it WOMP (TM) or word-of-mouth power, recognizing that this oldest of marketing tactics is now turbo-charged.

We intimately know the damage just one disgruntled customer can do. But, by… Continue

Added by John Scroggins on June 1, 2009 at 7:44am — 5 Comments

Social Networking

Wikipedia: A social network is a social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchange, friendship, sexual relationships, kinship, dislike, conflict or trade.

Everywhere you go people are talking about it - and doing it: social networking. And although most of the talk is about online…

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Added by Margie Tosch on June 1, 2009 at 6:21am — 1 Comment