Featured Blog Posts – July 2008 Archive (99)

My First Blog

I am addicted to blogging. In reality, i started to blog when i was 13 years old when my parents sent my brother and i to a family therapist. She recommended that, if i wasnt able to verbally communicate my thoughts and feelings, that i get a pen and notebook and just burn out the ink. I did so, and havent stopped yet.

I keep blogs on numerous sites including my myspace page and blogger.com.

I want to start a blog on here for just work. I want it to include my feelings… Continue

Added by Michael Kaplan on July 31, 2008 at 10:08pm — 3 Comments

excited to be a part of this great community

While attending our Company's recent GM conference our guest speaker spoke of this new online community with such great regard that I had to join. I am looking forward to networking and staying in the know with the help of this great resource.

Make it a great day.

Added by Todd on July 31, 2008 at 8:41pm — 3 Comments

How To Stop the Waiter from Spitting in Your Food

Steve Dublanica, aka The Waiter, has just published a new book, “Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter.”

He was interviewed by Matt Lauer, on NBC’s Today Show this morning.

When asked what three things really ticked off a waiter, he responded: (1) customers who talk on their cell phone...especially while s/he is trying to converse with them or explain the daily specials. He felt (and so do I) that it was just plain rude… Continue

Added by Roy MacNaughton on July 31, 2008 at 1:06pm — 44 Comments

Have high gas prices hurt your business? Or maybe Helped?

I am curious, as to the overall effect of higher gas prices. I was in a Longhorn yesterday talking to the staff. They said business was up from last year! Others have been doing well. Others have not! How about you?

Added by John Gani on July 30, 2008 at 10:14pm — 2 Comments

It's a new marketing world...and the jargon

Take a minute to catch up on all the new jargon in the world of "word of mouth marketing"

Buzz Marketing: Using high-profile entertainment or news to get people to talk about your brand.

Viral Marketing: Creating entertaining or informative messages that are designed to be passed along in an exponential fashion, often electronically or by email.

Community Marketing: Forming or supporting niche communities that are likely to… Continue

Added by Robert Hale on July 30, 2008 at 1:59pm — 8 Comments

chef pick-up lines.

we don't get out much, but when we do, watch out. fuego!

am looking for suggestions on how chefs can pick up those in the greater public.

sure i could date a waiter or a host, ~~but i don't want to look like i believe my own hype. it's so 5 minutes ago. it's been done. and done. I am not a Food Network star.~~ but i want to look beyond the doors of a restaurant.

what do you think of these:

"Need your knife sharpened, baby?"

"Looks like…

Continue

Added by Shuna fish Lydon on July 30, 2008 at 1:19pm — 3 Comments

Pest Control

What are suggestions to solving the flys and noseems which plague every eating establishment. I would love to hang a fly catcher over every table but that would only last for one night before I close my doors for good!
Some spray at night. How best to do that? Solutions?

Thanks,

Bill Higgins

Added by Bill Higgins on July 30, 2008 at 12:57pm — 4 Comments

Top 10 Reasons you should join the Group Talent Revolution

10. It will raise your cool status on FohBoh

9. Will be posting video blogs in the group over the next 90 days

8. There’s a cool gen y test you can take that will either make you feel really cool or really old

7. The group is full of paradigm busters that will change the way you think and behave with talent

6. There’s a synthesized generational smorgasbord of idea’s and perspectives

5. There’s 13 discussion’s going right now that will funky… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on July 30, 2008 at 9:06am — 5 Comments

Staying Ahead of the Curve....Without Losing Your Mind...

So, how does your team stay ahead of the training curve? Do you develop new programs roll them out and let them go? Do you partner with your leaders for buy in before you put together programs? Do you ask you people the programs are meant to target what they are looking for?

HOW DO YOU MOVE YOUR COMPANY FORWARD WITH BITE???

I know that this is the age old question! Each team has a different dynamic with different working parts and different means ($$) of getting their… Continue

Added by Amanda Vroom on July 30, 2008 at 9:00am — No Comments

Pizza Delivery Driver - Employment of choice?

As with all food delivery businesses, gas prices are affecting our ability at Papa John's to recruit and retain delivery drivers. While tips are usually good for those drivers with adequate hospitality skills and we do have incentives for our delivery drivers, we are always on the lookout for creative ways to attract and retain delivery drivers.

If you were/are 18 or older and looking for a job, what perks/incentives might entice you to consider a job as a pizza delivery… Continue

Added by Jeff McLanahan on July 30, 2008 at 7:37am — 2 Comments

Oregon Pinots: Plenty of Personality

Finally! My chance to go to Oregon Pinot Camp had arrived. “Camp?” My friends’ incredulous faces stare back at me. “Your work takes you to Oregon to drink wine for four days?” Well…..when you come right down to it, yes! Every year 50 of Oregon’s wineries band together and invite over 250 wine/hospitality professionals to explore Oregon wine country.

In the last thirty years, Oregon’s pinot noirs have gone from being unknown to receiving international acclaim from industry… Continue

Added by Agi Toth on July 29, 2008 at 2:32pm — 6 Comments

The top three 'sins' of a startup

Over at the popular networking site LinkedIn one fella asked a very thought-provoking question — "What are [the] top three 'sins' of a startup, from your experience, one should avoid?"

Here are some answers, in no particular order:

- Failure to clearly define target customers

- Not understanding your profit and cost drivers

- Not having a clear purpose and vision of the company

- No strategic business… Continue

Added by restaurantdotorg on July 29, 2008 at 8:12am — 4 Comments

How you manage your time?

I am a college student who loves to make my life busy. I feel like i am sick whenever i didn't have anything to do.

I am a student who does some part time job such as essay writing. Why? First, i love writing; second I love to make myself busy (hahaha).

I too am a blogger. And so…

Continue

Added by Camille Davis on July 29, 2008 at 12:18am — 7 Comments

More Sick People Go To Work (But Not If Congress Can Help It)

NPR's Morning Edition corespondent Joanne Silberner posted (7/28/08) a news article entitled "Why Do Sick People Go To Work? Unhealthy Fear"

Basically, she reports that more people are coming into work sick, according to a new poll conducted by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. The article goes on to explain that they arrive at work ill because of increased… Continue

Added by Mark D. Dion on July 28, 2008 at 4:22pm — 1 Comment

Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour?

Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out.

I wanted to share this story from the Washington Post written by Gene Weingarten

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

It's a fascinating account of how people only let in what they want. This can come back full circle to building your brand. No matter how much money you spend on mass media telling… Continue

Added by Robert Hale on July 28, 2008 at 1:13pm — No Comments

The Most Important Word in Marketing.....

Many restaurateurs believe that if they have built what they think is the very best steak or pizza, French, vegetarian, chicken, pub or you-name-it restaurant, the public will beat a path to their door.

Wrong.

‘Best to forget about that ‘Field of Dreams’.

There are too many food service outlets and not enough customers. There are too many choices too. The customer is both King and Queen.

The competition is brutal.

Being… Continue

Added by Roy MacNaughton on July 28, 2008 at 12:49pm — 6 Comments

Calif. Trans Fat Ban: State vs. Feds

It appears the Governator and Calif. Assemblyman Tony Mendoza (Dem.) are celebrating the victory of the legislation banning trans fat. This past Friday, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the law into action, making California the first in the U.S. to take statewide action with regard to this issue.

The legislation, proposed by Mendoza, goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2010 and "will ban restaurants, bakeries and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing… Continue

Added by Judy "the foodie" Asman on July 28, 2008 at 9:30am — No Comments

Outtakes from the edge

I enjoy Zagat.com's 'Outtake of the Week' feature. They are sometimes downright hilarious, although they are mostly negative in nature. After all, as many of us know, satisfied customers aren't as likely to share their thoughts as unsatisfied ones.

That said, my favorites include the following:

"Could someone do something about the uniforms?… Continue

Added by restaurantdotorg on July 28, 2008 at 7:41am — No Comments

If you are adding a new menu item, how do you price it?

Should you start with an intro price? Should you go with menu price, or maybe the market price? McDonald's just intro'd the new Southern Chicken Sandwich (Chik-fil-a style) and sent out free sandwich flyers with a purchase of a coke. I thought that was very aggressive and not sure that if I were a McD's franchisee that I would be happy with this kind of intro. Whaddya think?

Added by John Gani on July 27, 2008 at 5:10pm — 2 Comments

Non-Operator FohBoh Site Updated

Hi Everyone,

We just published a new software upgrade that includes the following:

You can now rearrange the widget boxes on your profile page (mostly) to your heart's content! Want to place Photos or Blogs at the top of the page? Easy. Just position your mouse over the title bar and move it. The setting will be remembered. You and others visiting your page will see the change immediately.
Discussions interface has been simplified and…

Continue

Added by FohBoh on July 26, 2008 at 10:38pm — 1 Comment