November 2011 Blog Posts (41)

What: Rewards, Challenges and Legal Risk in Social Media and Online Contests, Sweepstakes and Prize Promotions webinar 

 

When: At your convenience, between December…

A few months back I had the privilege of becoming online friends with Dave Reynolds and RickieTyler, two of the radio DJ’s at 997 FM in Campbell River, British Columbia. We are all part of the #usguys Twitter chat gang and nearly every morning Dave is kind enough to play me a request for some abstract song I torture…

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill at South Coast Plaza is rolling out its new seasonal menu December 6, “spicing” up the winter months with its unique blend of comfort food with a California kick.  Among the new items are a southwestern meatloaf featuring a blend of beef and pork with a spicy kick and served with au gratin potatoes, a winter vegetable medley and topped with a sweet onion herb demi-glaze and crispy onion rings; blackened chicken with boursin crab cake served with au gratin…

Your interview process is worthless unless it empowers you to hire the best cultural fits for your company.  Though every company culture is unique, screening for the “Five C’s” will reveal most of what you need to know to determine a cultural fit:

• Character

• Competence

• Consistent behavior

• Communication…

We’d like to welcome Michele to the FohBoh team! Michele joins as a senior at San Jose State University studying public relations. She is a restaurant industry veteran serving at popular restaurants such as Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, Black Angus Steakhouse, and Chili’s Grill and Bar.  Michele will be assisting the social media and community management…

Ten years ago “Google” was only a noun. Five years ago “friend” became a verb. Social media is rewriting how we interact — and it’s happening in every aspect of our lives. Twitter transformed how we get our news; Groupon revolutionized how we consume; Foursquare revamped how we ‘check-in’; and now, social media is redefining how we hire.

Human Resources saw the emergence of Job Boards around a decade ago; they allowed employers to reach a wider talent pool, easier than ever…

We are always so grateful for the wonderful reviews we receive from our customers. Over the weekend we received a very nice note from Aaron M. He wrote:

I LOVE Georgetown Bagelry. I go to college in NOLA but GB is always one of my first stops when I get back in town. It’s always the…

The Food…

Two weeks ago, I attended the Restaurant Finance & Development Conference put on by the Restaurant Finance Monitor and Franchise Times.  I heard good things about several of the speakers and panels, but can’t comment, as I spent all my time in one-on-one and small group meetings.  I can, however, relate the following observations:…

Have you harnessed the power of your local community?

Every day, restaurant owners across the country have people knocking on their doors looking for donations to support local causes. Those causes could be the local Little League team to a person looking to support a family member in need. How do you react to these people coming to your business?

The easy way is to tell them NO!…

New York Magazine’s food blog Grub Street published a recent post that attempts to simplify a common source of dining controversy: Splitting…

It is a quote applicable to many things, one of which is making the best use of social media within your…

I just had a very interesting conversation with a marketing manager at a regional chain a few days ago. She was pretty savvy about restaurant marketing in general and loves the notion of connecting online with her guests. She is in love with social media. In fact, she admitted that she is addicted to TweetDeck and that little tone that bleeps every time a new message arrives. 

It's a neurotransmitter that some researchers have linked our cultural obsession with social media –…

As spotted by TheDailyWhat, these are two burgers currently being offered by the restaurant BLT Steak DC:

 …

No two diners are the same, but like any groups, different styles of diners may have similar nutrition needs during dining.  Here are some of the groups and trends that I have observed: 

The Business Lunch Crowd: 

• Who they are:  If you operate in a metro area you know them well.  Smartly dressed, they either come in to grab a quick desk meal, or come in and sit down for a business lunch/meeting.  Whether in a group or on their own, one thing is…

Be careful with your price point. Some restaurant owners are not being careful with their pricing. Your guests are educated, they know how much things cost. When they don’t they can find out in 20 seconds by visiting Google.

Restaurant Stuff- the Independent’s Advantage

You are the owner or manager of an independent restaurant, café, deli, food place …whatever.  The chain restaurants are eating into your livelihood.  They are big, you are small; big has many advantages.  We know what these advantages are, we think about them often.  Let’s forget about them and focus on the…

"Seriously?”

As soon as I read this first word of the text from my sister I knew I had to raise my shields.

“Your own Facebook page with 260 friends? With mutual friends? And not ONE of your…

Looking for a job is a job, and a hard one. The good news is that you are an expert on the subject matter of every interview…you. You also face the challenges of preparation and logistics. Here are seven simple ways to ensure your interview is successful. I didn’t promise painless and easy, but it is simple.

1. Start Preparing a Week in Advance

One of the first questions many interviewers ask is “What do you know about us?” If you blow that one, you fail. Be…

Last week Google + opened up brand pages on their platform. When a new social platform comes to play I usually ask two questions to determine whether or not I want to add it to my social media strategy or recommend it to clients. Can this platform reach people that I am not reaching now…