September 2009 Blog Posts (114)

Non-Operator Where’s Your Healthy Listing?

A rise in the number of dieting diners has lead many restaurants to provide them with healthier options. And why wouldn’t they? In an industry where 3 in 4* adults are trying to eat healthier when eating out, and about 60%** of diners reporting that healthfulness affects where they dine, the “healthy menu option” is almost a crucial move depending on your target market. But how do you really put yourself out there and let these calorie counters know the good stuff you have to offer? Try the… Continue

Added by Alyson Mar, RD on September 30, 2009 at 4:45pm — 1 Comment

Non-Operator A watershed moment ..or why our industry NEEDS to be on the web

I spend a lot of windshiled time and The BBC News is my late night friend... With the two tsunamis and earthquakes of the past 50 or so hours this may have slipped through the cracks .....

Our industry nees low cost high impact marketing and this proves how much potential it has

check the link...

The genies is not out of the bottle yet....we just brushed it… Continue

Added by Bill Bridgmon on September 30, 2009 at 4:17pm — No Comments

Non-Operator New alternatives for old school thinking

I can think back in the not to distant past and recalling trips to open air markets..

The simple and splendid chore of seeing the green grocers' and asking where to find specific ingredients was mine as the executive chef. I welcomed it ,learned from it , and miss it sorely .

With the abiliry to get most produce year round it takes away some of the seasonal mystique. But today I found a digital green grocer...

this link is to National public radio's site and a story… Continue

Added by Bill Bridgmon on September 30, 2009 at 4:09pm — No Comments

Should food handlers wear gloves?

With flu season starting we are all much more conscious of taking precautionary procedures for cleanliness, especially around food preparation. Being a part-time foodservice worker, I am extremely aware. A recent story by Juliet Bodenitz-Rich, a food safety experts answers the questions with a surprising answer.

Read the full story at the Dining… Continue

Added by Dara Bunjon on September 30, 2009 at 11:24am — No Comments

How are you marketing your restaurant in this economy

I like to hear from you on how you are marketing in this economy. With over 900,000 restaurant location through the united states, what are you doing that is helping your restaurant. This will help others who are struggling?

Research shows it’s not a good idea to eliminate marketing efforts during a down economy just to save money on your bottom line. Did you know that McGraw-Hill Research found that companies that maintained or increased their marketing efforts throughout the… Continue

Added by Ola Ayeni on September 30, 2009 at 5:00am — No Comments

Non-Operator People Are Searching Online to Find Restaurants

How important is your restaurant's web presence?

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, in 2008 over 72.5% of the U.S. population was online (that’s OVER 220 MILLION Americans), and 70% of them use the Internet everyday. This means that most of your customers are looking for restaurants online, and many of them use Google to find a good place to eat.

I don't know if you are aware that Google has recently introduced a local search feature that detects… Continue

Added by Jose L Riesco on September 30, 2009 at 4:00am — 3 Comments

Non-Operator Bacon: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

The name derives from the old German word “bacho” meaning buttock. The USDA defines it as "the cured belly of a swine carcass" (other reason not to let the government craft your menu descriptions). “It” is, of course, bacon. Once consigned to nestle next to breakfast eggs (when bacon is served, eggs are present 71% of the time), sit crumbled atop baked potatoes and be the “B” in BLT’s, today bacon is literally and figuratively everywhere in the food universe:

U.S.…

Continue

Added by Mathew Mandeltort on September 29, 2009 at 3:00am — 7 Comments

Human Beings Are Like Bees by Denis Waitley

In a way, human beings behave like bees. If you place several bees in an openended bottle and lay the bottle on its side with the base toward a light source, the bees will repeatedly fly to the bottle bottom toward the light. It never occurs to them to reverse gears and try another direction. This is a combination of genetic

programming and learned behavior.

Put a bunch of flies in that bottle and turn the base toward a bright light. Within a few minutes, all the flies will have found… Continue

Added by Ola Ayeni on September 28, 2009 at 2:43pm — No Comments

Non-Operator Restaurant Marketing Strategies Book for Sale in Amazon Now

Today was a very intense day.

First, I had a very interesting interview/conversation with Jenna Lloyd. She is an online marketing consultant and copywriter who just launched a very interesting offer for restaurant owners and managers. It is is called My Internet Manager and it is basically a hands off approach to online marketing aimed to restaurant owners and managers.

So we talk for 1 hour and 15 minutes about online marketing, how to use social media to… Continue

Added by Jose L Riesco on September 28, 2009 at 1:07pm — No Comments

I need your help, I need you to vote-Dining Dish nominated

A number of you are new to Dining Dish, you know me more as the Dining Examiner. I am a foodie gone awry. I love all things food from preparation to dining, to restaurants to covered dish parties, to what's hot and what's not - please enjoy following my rants, raves, reviews, recipes and reminiscences.

It is an honor to be nominated for best food blog in the Baltimore region for Mobbies award, it is even better if I could win. There are some… Continue

Added by Dara Bunjon on September 28, 2009 at 12:17pm — No Comments

Non-Operator Birthdays are a Great Excuse to Attract New Guests...

About 1/2 of all restaurants have a birthday rewards program for existing customers...you know..."tell us your birthday and we'll send you a coupon" kind of thing.

Unfortunately, most restaurateurs don't realize that birthdays are a great (mostly untapped) way to reach customers who have never been to their restaurant.

In fact, birthdays are the most celebrated holiday on the planet, and almost 70% of Americans go out to eat at a restaurant to celebrate!

Here's… Continue

Added by Rod Brant on September 28, 2009 at 10:18am — 6 Comments

Non-Operator Starved for Comps: Burger King $1 Cheeseburger Promo Coming, High Stakes

The Burger King $1 doublecheeseburger campaign starts nationally on October 19. For Burger King, its high stakes. For the QSR sector, its a way to detect whether the $1 value focus will actually payoff.

In its August 25th earnings call, CEO John Chidsey indicated they were happy with the early $1 double results in about 40 markets. Earlier this year, Burger king and its franchisees failed twice to come to agreement to promote it, and these must be test markets or company… Continue

Added by John A. Gordon on September 28, 2009 at 9:49am — No Comments

Non-Operator Restaurants & Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace

This past weekend a peer in another state contacted me requesting advice on what to do and how to handle an employee who was regularly intoxicated while on the clock.

The GM is the offending employee.

The last straw was the GM, during the shift, approaching a table that a waiter was describing the details of one of the features to the seated guests. The GM barged into the moment declaring the employee was incorrect. The GM then presented their own version of the… Continue

Added by Paul Paz on September 28, 2009 at 1:44am — 25 Comments

Non-Operator The Rule of "Sameness"

In today’s difficult and challenging times, slick facilities and trendy foods are simply not enough for long term viability in the restaurant business. There must be a real foundation in operations. Clean restaurants, consistent food & liquor cost, well managed labor costs are not accidents, nor are they achieved because the manager is a nice guy. Such achievements are only realized through consistency of operations.

Consistency in operations including employee development only… Continue

Added by Jerry A. Heilpern, CFBE, FMP on September 27, 2009 at 11:22pm — 2 Comments

Creative Social Media On The Cheap

Think Like A Musician

Musicians amaze me. A lot like a good chef, they are consumed with creating wonderful things. On the flip side, they need to expand and massage their fans, satisfy them and bring in revenue. The similarities are unique; a restaurant also needs to expand and massage its customers, satisfy them and bring in revenue.

With only 10% of affordable fine-dining restaurants using social media, I thought an introduction to how musicians have… Continue

Added by Jeffrey J Kingman on September 27, 2009 at 10:42pm — 3 Comments

Restaurant nightmares, the unexpected

As in all businesses, one should think of the ‘what if’ this happens what should we do, to be prepared. In the restaurant business the ‘what if’ could mean staff not showing up, someone getting ill in the restaurant, plumbing issues, fire, no water, no electricity, someone choking – these are all realities and many restaurateurs will tell you they have lived through many of these if not all.

Read the complete story at the… Continue

Added by Dara Bunjon on September 27, 2009 at 4:54am — No Comments

Chefs rappel 23 story building for charity

I have often talked about how the people in the foodservice industry do so much for charities. I think I know two chefs that have gone over the edge or soon will be. Chefs Jerry Edwards and John Walsh of Chef’s Expression Catering have agreed to rappel the 23 story Silo Point Tower

For the full story read the Dining Examiner

Added by Dara Bunjon on September 26, 2009 at 11:53am — No Comments

The Small Business Guide to Text-Message Marketing

The New York Times recently published an article titled "The Small Business Guide to Text-Message Marketing". If you're a small business looking at new innovative and effective marketing methods, text message (SMS) marketing is the way to go. Let's review --

1. Don’t even think about doing it the illegal…

Continue

Added by Vitaliy Levit on September 26, 2009 at 10:17am — No Comments

The Big Enigma : Hospital "cuisine"

As the designated weekend FohBohist, my blogs are supposed to be light

and sometimes off the subject of food or restaurants.

I thought I would take a break and bring up a topic, that, as far as I am aware, has not been covered on FohBoh. The subject is hospital cuisine.

Like airline food, hospital food has had its share of jokes, questionable concerns, and even to the point of "don't discuss" .

I have had my sahre of hospital food in my lifetime, as I am… Continue

Added by Keith Bernhardt on September 25, 2009 at 1:00pm — 13 Comments

DAWG Talk: Lessons from the Dog - One Candidate's Perspective

(Guest post by Kimberly)

I’m a Greek Mathematician. Actually, I’m not, but today I did have a “eureka” moment.

Having been in the real-world (whatever that means) work force for 15 years, I’m confident in my skills and abilities and that I’m the best at what I do. I’ve consistently been gainfully employed during these 15 years and have worked for a total of three companies in this time span, earning awards and exceeding expectations at each of them. What was my experience… Continue

Added by David Rose on September 25, 2009 at 12:03pm — No Comments