Featured Blog Posts – November 2008 Archive (69)

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

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 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

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

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

A sad day for all of us....

I just saw this post on my RSS feed of Roy's blog...if you knew Roy, you know how much he will be missed.

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Roy MacNaughton.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and business associates.

We will miss his big heart, infectious laugh, boundless enthusiasm and great passion for helping others through his profession as a Marketing Expert in the… Continue

Added by Andy Swingley on November 23, 2008 at 7:09pm — 21 Comments

Amanda Hite is lying on a fake green apple on the floor of my loft.

As we speak, Amanda Hite is doing what she does best....she is giving of her time, talent and passion to help someone create their ultimate career lifestyle. Totally giving of herself, she puts her all into the process...whoever happens to be the lucky recipient of her attention needs to beware....Amanda is radically present with you and she asks you to do the same. She tells you up front that the process takes deep soul… Continue

Added by susan fawcett on November 23, 2008 at 4:09pm — 2 Comments

Spanish Wines

Most of us know Sherry and Rioja, some of us have even heard of the Duero Valley, but who amongst us is familiar with Aire'n? This, the most widely planted grape in the world, is only planted in a million acres in the center of Spain, the world's third largest wine producing country. From Albarino, Tempranillo, Moristel, Prieto Picudo, and even Sauvignon, Spain grows and vints a huge variety of varietals most of which are native only to the Iberian Peninsula.

After centuries of… Continue

Added by Joe Ferri on November 21, 2008 at 7:56pm — No Comments

A branding ?......What Will Citi Stop Doing?

What Will Citi Stop Doing?

Citi's announcement that it'll fire 52,000 people begs a basic question: what will it do to its brand?

No, I don't mean the impact of the bad news. Every business other than Wal-Mart and your local pawnshop seems to be in trouble these days. I doubt that anybody will switch their checking account because their emotional attachment to Citi has been damaged by the bad news.

However, there may well be customer defections based on what… Continue

Added by Robert Hale on November 21, 2008 at 9:16am — 2 Comments

Season’s Eatings (Allergy-Free): Yes, Food Allergy Sufferers Can Go Home for the Holidays and Not Go Hungry

You’re craving the turkey, the stuffing, and grandma’s cranberry sauce recipe—but you don’t want the coughing, eczema, and stomach problems that come with them. Don’t despair, says food allergy expert Terry Traub. With a little planning and some helpful recipes, you and your family can enjoy a delicious (and safe) holiday season.

The holiday season is here. Time to deck the halls, trim the tree, and most importantly, fire up the oven. For most Americans, the holidays mean… Continue

Added by Dottie DeHart on November 21, 2008 at 7:43am — No Comments

Where's the Chicken?

The chart of the week is Broiler Egg Sets. First we remember that broiler eggs are typically set 10 weeks before the chick hatched from the egg comes to slaughter for the US chicken supply. Thus broiler egg set data is a solid indicator of forthcoming chicken production levels. As the chart suggests, chicken production cutbacks will likely intensify soon. The current 6 week moving average for broiler egg sets is 8% less than last year which suggests that chicken output could trend 6% plus below… Continue

Added by David Maloni on November 20, 2008 at 10:16am — No Comments

Cold Weather Brings Out the Hot Drinks

We're on the verge of the holiday season, and the chillier weather over much of the country means more customers are ordering hot beverages either as a warm-up before their meal or as an after-dinner treat.

Hot beverages can be a dangerous item in food service -- and not just because they might fall in someone's lap. As I've outlined so many times, aerosol whipped topping can't stand the heat, so it can quickly… Continue

Added by OnTop(r) on November 20, 2008 at 9:15am — No Comments