November 2008 Blog Posts (110)

Non-Operator 10 Ways to get your great employees to quit

10. Broken Promises: They applied for the job because you promised “flexible hours,” but it turns out that “flexible hours” means that they are flexible to work the hours you need them. Not that you are flexible for the hour they have available.

9. Lack of Recognition: Don't give them any positive feedback for fear they might ask for a raise.

8. Given All the “Dirty Work”: When it comes to job assignments, you give the worst jobs to her best people because they can be… Continue

Added by Mel Kleiman on November 30, 2008 at 11:47am — 4 Comments

Some wise thoughts about chefs

Marcella Hazan, the well-known food writer, has some wise words about "chefs" in her op-ed column yesterday in The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/opinion/29hazan.html?scp=1&sq=No%20Chefs%20In%20My%20Kitchen&st=cse

The word "chef," she observes, has come to replace "gourmet cook" in the minds of foodies and others, blurring its meaning as a job title for a professional who runs a kitchen's "brigade" but may or may not actually cook.

It's a… Continue

Added by susan holaday on November 30, 2008 at 10:06am — 4 Comments

Cost Containment versus Responsible Management

In this topsy turvy world of economic disasters and tragedies, I am noticing what can only be described as "pushing the panic button" happening more and more frequently. What I am referring to is this: in a season of the hospitality industry that is traditionally slow, in the wake of the media's proclaimation of economic doom, we are suddenly making decisions that could potentially harm our business for years to come. Changing the units operating hours, cutting back the staffing to bare… Continue

Added by Darnell R. Franze, Jr. on November 29, 2008 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

How to Write a Blog Post-In Pain English

Not all of us are familiar with how to post a web log (blog). According to wikipedia, A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Blog is short for Web log. Blogs are publicly available… Continue

Added by Michael L. Atkinson on November 28, 2008 at 10:25am — 1 Comment

Non-Operator R is for Rehab

This week's column is intended to address only one type of abuse problem. Having no personal background in chemical imbalance problems -- apart from caffeine, smoked salmon, and dark chocolate -- I can’t opine knowledgeably on the problems created by those activities. However, I have spent time in the dark netherworld of debt (and, unavoidably) equity capital abuse.

Given the extremes of the current capital market, and the growing effects on consumer spending (and therefore on… Continue

Added by Rod Guinn on November 28, 2008 at 6:00am — 3 Comments

The Art and Soul of Thanksgiving

This is a post from Floored!, the official blog of NRA Show 2009. I hope you enjoy it!

Some of us are jetting home for the holidays. Others are sticking around and heading to Art and Soul for some food, folks and…

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Added by restaurantdotorg on November 27, 2008 at 7:00am — 2 Comments

Non-Operator Excited to be here

I've been a fairly active member of TRN's social network and am excited to find myself here.

My name is Connie Baugher and I hold the highly esteemed position of head bottle washer, marketing & sales at One Fat Frog Restaurant Equipment in Orlando FL. We do keep a regular blog at www.restaurantequipmenttogo.com.

Added by Connie, One Fat Frog on November 26, 2008 at 10:57am — No Comments

Non-Operator Food Contamination: What's Really Covered?

Insurance carriers offering restaurant insurance have specialized endorsements specifically tailored to the restaurant industry.

Food Contamination is a generic term used in many of these endorsements. A close inspection of the policy provisions will reveal that the first party coverage (your income, your property) provided for food contamination can differ significantly from one insurance carrier to another.

Many policies first party coverage for food contamination will… Continue

Added by Patrick Nolan on November 26, 2008 at 4:58am — No Comments

Non-Operator Workers Compensation: Who Really Pays for Your Loss?

Workers Compensation premiums typically represent a significant portion of a restaurants property and casualty insurance cost. Premiums can represent as much as 50% or more of the total annual cost.

What you ultimately pay in premium is determined by the losses you incur. Incurred losses are the sum of the losses your insurance company has paid plus the amounts they expect they will have to pay to settle and close your claims.

The development of your workers compensation… Continue

Added by Patrick Nolan on November 26, 2008 at 4:33am — No Comments

Say Thanks To Our Troops Here!

Click here to Say Thanks.

Something cool that Xerox is doing.

If you go to this web site, LetsSayThanks you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq . You can't pick out who gets it,… Continue

Added by Michael L. Atkinson on November 25, 2008 at 9:12pm — No Comments

Links for Thanksgiving

A noncomm thanksgiving: what institutional operators are cooking for the holiday -- Restaurants & Institutions

Turkey ideas -- Restaurants & Institutions

A back-to-basics Thanksgiving menu -- The Food… Continue

Added by Dani on November 25, 2008 at 2:08pm — No Comments

White House Chefs: Sensitivity not Fame

Would you want someone with an astronomical ego cooking your food (not to be confused with gastronomical)?

I like humble people myself. Those low-down types who've got it goin' on but don't feel the need to create a cult figure out of themselves. (As opposed to wannabes who seem to be the ones who turn themselves into something larger than life).

Not sayin' that the likes of Bobby Flay, Giada or Rachael do that, but here's what's true: they are definitely not in line for… Continue

Added by Judy "the foodie" Asman on November 25, 2008 at 10:13am — 3 Comments

Thanksgiving Prep Timesavers

According to the National Restaurant Association, one in 10 Americans (11 percent) celebrate Thanksgiving Day by dining in one of the nation's 935,000 restaurants, and more than half (53 percent) of consumers use restaurant-prepared takeout items for all or part of their Thanksgiving Day meals.

It's probably a little late to suggest ways to promote your restaurant or cafe for Thanksgiving; if… Continue

Added by OnTop(r) on November 25, 2008 at 9:55am — No Comments

Non-Operator Success comes with hard work, results and personal mastery

Perhaps like me you remember the old marketing piece for a famous business magazine that relayed the story of two men who went to work for the same company at the same time and over a lifetime of work one became the CEO and the other a low level department head. The premise of the advertising message is that applying what this particular publication taught made the difference. The advertisement goes on to say something to the affect that while one went to work for the company the other worked… Continue

Added by Mark Frank on November 25, 2008 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

Indianapolis City Market

I noticed a fellow FOHBOHer posted some photos of the Minneapolis City Market, and it reminded that I have some photos from the market here in Indy.

It's just undergone a massive renovation, and has brand new vendors, a farmer's market every Wednesday, and even a test kitchen for live demos...not to mention some of the best food and entertainment in Indy, so it was definitely a fun experience. Enjoy!…

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Added by Dani on November 25, 2008 at 8:03am — No Comments

Stop yelling. Marketers need to be leaders of tribes.

I'm a huge fan of Seth Godin and his latest book tribes. I'm definately apart of his tribe. I'm servicing my nasty addiction and writing this blog at the local Starbucks. The service team here, lead by an awesome Store Manager have a latte tribe in this local community. I'm also in that tribe.

Here's a few things I've learned from Seth about tribes.

Traditional marketing - is about yelling at a crowds – think tv and radio ads. The successful companies of the 21st century… Continue

Added by Amanda Hite on November 25, 2008 at 7:19am — 2 Comments

It was roasting day.

Here I sit listening to the roaster hum, and Sandy curse the flame for going out.

She roasted last week and yesterday after we closed. We tasted some Colombia that she roasted yesterday. It was a little too fruity for her tastes, but I thought it was ok. I would like to see a bit more caramel in the flavor. It did go a tad sour once cooled.

Flame didn't go out yesterday, so she thought it was perhaps some moisture in the drum. Wonder why it is doing this… Continue

Added by Bj Davis on November 24, 2008 at 1:13pm — No Comments

A time to think about gobblers

It’s almost Thanksgiving – but what I’ve been thinking about more than turkey dinners are the turkeys whose greed got us into the current economic difficulties we’ll be facing for some time ahead.

“Greed is good,” said a movie character back in the ‘90’s. An era of free-flowing money and excess has now come to an abrupt and ugly end with millions of Americans facing severe problems - potential loss of a home, job layoffs, plant closings, etc.

It wasn’t, I would guess, much easier for… Continue

Added by susan holaday on November 24, 2008 at 9:43am — 4 Comments

Thanksgiving Travel Caution

All,

Much of the east coast will be experiencing rainy and snowy travel prior to Thanksgiving. For all of you traveling in the east and anywhere else for that matter, pay attention to the weather and allow plenty of time.

We often are rushing around and driving while preoccupied with thoughts of all that we have to do for the holidays, so please, be present. Pay attention on the road, look out for the other guy, and don't become a statistic.

Cheers!

Added by Matt Urdan on November 24, 2008 at 8:48am — 2 Comments

Marketing in a down economy

Here's a bit of research I've been doing on marketing during tough economic times.

1. Trim the fat

Instead of focusing on how bad things are, try to identify opportunities unique to periods of economic recession. Let's face it-- we rarely make changes when things are going well. According to an article from Experience Thread, "during good times, fundamental problems are frequently ignored, like…

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Added by Dani on November 24, 2008 at 7:57am — 4 Comments