All Blog Posts Tagged 'restaurants' (201)

Baltimore restaurants and bars raising money for Haiti’s earthquake victims

The food service industry never ceases to amaze me with their generosity in spirit in times of tragedy. The devastating earthquake in Haiti has left many dead, many homeless and many missing. How can your hearts not go out to these people, to their children?

Get the whole story HERE

Added by Dara Bunjon on January 17, 2010 at 9:27am — No Comments

A front row seat at the ‘ballet’: a New Year’s education

Even those of us who’ve been writing about the foodservice industry all our lives often don’t realize what it takes to make the dining experience happen seamlessly, but last night I had the amazing opportunity to have a seat at the table and simply watch as the extraordinary ‘ballet’ of New Year’s Eve took place before my eyes in my neighborhood restaurant, Navy Yard Bistro.

We’re lucky – those of us who live here because not only is it a beautiful, historic and special place to be,… Continue

Added by susan holaday on January 1, 2010 at 7:28am — 3 Comments

Operator Top Ten Food Trends for 2010

Experimentation nation, umami, and food with benefits are just three of the top 10 trends to watch in 2010, according to the experts at The Food Channel®. The website released its top 10 for ’10 today based on research conducted in conjunction with CultureWaves® and the International Food Futurists®. This year’s list identifies the significant food movements consumers, foodservice professionals and manufacturers should watch in the coming year.

“This year we are seeing a return to… Continue

Added by The Food Channel on December 24, 2009 at 8:42pm — 2 Comments

Call me the poster girl for "cooking at home hazardous to your health"

A recent open letter from the National Restaurant Association in Nation's Restaurant News seeks to rally the industry around a proposed campaign to "debate the notions currently going unchallenged in the public forum" - notions suggesting consumers can save significant sums by eating at home.

While it's true that the mass media - TV, talk show hosts, etc. - has promoted this theory, it's not clear how well their message has resonated with consumers. According to NRA, research shows… Continue

Added by susan holaday on December 21, 2009 at 2:32pm — 7 Comments

Let's Play Repeater

It's a game everyone is playing today. Most marketing is a repeat of someone else. What ever happened to originality? Today we all have Twitter and Facebook. Is yours really that much better? The fact is we are all becoming white noise to our target audience. Although it makes sense to keep up with the Jones', it's only a matter of time before they are ahead again. Remember to ask yourself one question. "How do I stand out from the competition?"

2010 could be the year you become the new… Continue

Added by David Callahan on December 11, 2009 at 6:55am — No Comments

Social Media Marketing in the Restaurant Business - Guest Posting

"I’m often asked about the story of my little steakhouse, Caminito Argentinean Steakhouse, in Northampton, MA. It’s not often that I write about our full story. Well, recently I was asked to contribute a case study to the WOMMA Metrics Guidebook. I thought it may provide for an interesting read for you and may give you some insights or be helpful to you for application into your… Continue

Added by Jeffrey J Kingman on December 8, 2009 at 10:42am — No Comments

Out of sight... you know the rest.

Chances are you're excuses for not marketing are the same reasons you should be. Whether you are too busy or hurting for business, advertising strategies should always be in progress. Have you ever seen McDonald's or TGI Fridays taking time off from being in the public eye?

There is an old expression I'm sure you're familiar with. "Out of sight out of mind". As soon as a patron leaves your establishment no matter how great you're food, amenities and servers are, you are out of their sight… Continue

Added by David Callahan on December 4, 2009 at 11:20am — 1 Comment

Non-Operator Cursing as the customary dialect in the restaurant industry

I pride myself not to curse in the exchanges I have with my co-workers during the shifts that we share. The job is already stressful enough and disrespecting eachother (especially when under stress) only opens the door to exacerbation of violence in the workplace (keeping in mind that the restaurant industry ranks high in the USA for death in the workplace by homicide).

The link below is an example of the language often used in the… Continue

Added by Paul Paz on December 1, 2009 at 1:00am — 5 Comments

Non-Operator Guns in bars law overturned - Should we also arm the staff?

Our industry ranks high in the US labor force when it comes to death in the work place. Given the stresses of the job, in all positions, what's the practical benefit of arming the customers when imbibing their favorite alcoholic beverage? Interesting points made in the editorial column below.

Any thoughts?

Paul

Guns-in-bars ruling is a win for tourism industry

BY GAIL KERR • TENNESSEAN.COM - NOVEMBER 22,… Continue

Added by Paul Paz on November 22, 2009 at 3:15pm — No Comments

Non-Operator I Thought Restaurant Chains Understood Cost Control

Burger King franchisees, who are suing their franchisor over a $1 double cheeseburger promotion, say they are losing 10 cents or more per sandwich and are challenging the parent company’s ability to set prices.

The chain’s National Franchisee Association in Atlanta, Ga., which represents about 80 percent, or 5,200 locations, of Burger King’s U.S. franchise base, filed a suit this week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of… Continue

Added by Barry Chandler on November 17, 2009 at 11:11pm — 1 Comment

Nobody wants a free a dessert!

Nobody wants a free a dessert!

Independent Restaurateurs have long embraced advertising discounted deals to grow their business. Consumers have been lining up for ‘Free’ and ‘half off’ for decades. Deals have been legendary in their quest to rope in more business. The consumer has become more discriminating in our recent economic climate and many restaurants have put out the same old deals, like 10% off a dinner check in hope of enticing diners into their place. Other restaurants… Continue

Added by BOG Tonight on November 3, 2009 at 11:42am — No Comments

Non-Operator Not Quite Time for Change

You may or may not have read about the recent study from New York University that showed that menu labeling laws in New York City are not having an effect on the total number of calories ordered in fast food restaurants. The law in NYC has been in effect for over a year now, so it’s fair to assume that most New Yorkers are pretty use to seeing these numbers. But the results of this study show that the numbers aren’t quite having the effects they were hoping for, at least not yet.…

Continue

Added by Alyson Mar, RD on October 14, 2009 at 5:00pm — 13 Comments

H1N1, restaurants and Elmo

I’m in a line at a fast food restaurant when the cashier opens up the top of her shirt puts her face in it and sneezes. What I thought was disgusting was really much better than her sneezing out into the public space. I guess she never watched Elmo on where one should sneeze.

Check out videos and the rest of this story about what restaurants can do about H1N1 - full story at… Continue

Added by Dara Bunjon on October 10, 2009 at 4:40pm — No Comments

Don’t Look Back.......Appell Pie Sept. 2009

As published in Today's Restaurant www.trnusa.com

“Try explaining Twitter to a 40 year old. The best way I think of it is it is like a bull horn over the internet. You can broadcast a message to anyone who is listening (following) via the internet. Hell it took me a year to really figure out how and why to use it and I deal with technology everyday.” How’s that for an opening? I didn’t say it, it was written by Andrew Fickert, who is the CEO of CommunityMenu .com on a Social Network… Continue

Added by Howard Appell on October 3, 2009 at 7:14pm — 1 Comment

Denver TastePromoters, "Let's Spread The Word On Your Food Establishment"

Denver 'TasteCasting' utilizes social networking and social media by combining great people and good food to benefit the many food and drink establishments in our area. If your establishment is looking to spread the word about a grand opening, new product, new… Continue

Added by Kyle J. Soltesz on September 20, 2009 at 11:04am — No Comments

Operator Honestly Deceiving: Being Real with the Restaurant Consumer

From the moment we are born we are marketers.

It starts with ourselves and manifests into some other form down the line. No mater what business direction we end up taking, let’s face it, we are marketing.

Before we have learned to walk and talk, we are trying to get through to those higher beings in our lives. The ones who have all the answers and can give us what we want. We learn to market our needs by distorting our… Continue

Added by Ty Sullivan on September 14, 2009 at 7:22pm — 4 Comments

Social Media Use By Restaurants (NYC, SFO & PDX)

Social Media Use By Restaurants (NYC, SFO & PDX)

Initial Results of New York, San Francisco Bay Area and Portland OR Markets

Chalkboarder.com is compiling the results of an exhaustive study of social media use by the restaurant industry nationally. Some preliminary discoveries are very intriguing.

While the entire study encompasses sixteen (16) major metropolitan areas, we’d like to share initial results from New York, Portland Oregon and the… Continue

Added by Jeffrey J Kingman on September 10, 2009 at 12:04pm — No Comments

Inhospitable at what cost?

This is an industry that has, at its heart, hospitality and many years ago, the National Restaurant Association had as a slogan, “We’re glad you’re here.”

Somewhere along the way, that spirit got a bit dampened. Not that the industry is no longer hospitable, by and large. But somehow, in the flush years, some began to be less focused on being glad the guest was there and more focused on reaping the benefits of the visit.

And so it was that this summer, a woman with a… Continue

Added by susan holaday on September 1, 2009 at 6:11pm — 3 Comments

Non-Operator Longhorn Steakhouse: Lesson In Being Remarkable

Why don’t most restaurants understand that it’s the little things you do that make a huge difference? At the Longhorn Steakhouse in Asheville, our steak wasn’t perfect. Too much fat for the cut.

Immediately our server noticed it and said, “this has too much fat, let me take it back and get you a new one.” Then the manager came by to offer his apologies. Much to our amazement, he had also comp’d the steak. He certainly didn’t have to do that.

Lesson: It’s the amazing things… Continue

Added by Joel Cohen, RestaurantMarketing.com on August 26, 2009 at 4:55am — 9 Comments

The symphony of a great restaurant

Da dada dum – da dada dum – we all know how the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth symphony transport the listener to new levels, expressing the very being of the composer and all that has made him who he is.

Such is the case as well with an amazing meal. From the moment of arrival and greeting to the first sip of a beverage and through the myriad flavors and nuances of each course, the diner becomes one with the chef. The connection is sensual and even erotic, as well as… Continue

Added by susan holaday on August 25, 2009 at 6:57pm — 7 Comments