July 25, 2006 at 10:51 am · Filed under Advice, Free, International, Internet, Reference, Resource Site
As a restaurant owner, you can never tell where you might find useful advice. Here are some resources provided by restaurant associations around the world:
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
sample article titles:
Top 20 factors for success in the restaurant business
Choosing an effective accounting or cost management software for your restaurant
Estimating the value or worth of your business
Controlling alcohol spillage and shrinkage
link: Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Restaurant & Catering Australia
sample article summaries:
March/April 2005 – SALE AWAY – A POS system is a valuable tool to keep orders charged, stock counted and customers satisfied
May/June 2005 – CALL TO ORDER – The must have accessory by the wait staff is electronic order pads but are these handheld units as functional as mounted terminals?
May/June 2005 – UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE – An Auckland restaurant has found that an out-of-date website can be very expensive.
link: Restaurant & Catering Australia’s Technology Update
related link: Restaurant.org’s list of international restaurant associations
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July 24, 2006 at 3:48 pm · Filed under Advice, Energy, Free
excerpt:
“We at Jean’s Restaurant Supply want you to succeed with your business venture and rising energy costs are on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Inefficient, or inefficient use of, food preparation equipment is the second-largest energy drain on your restaurant’s profits.
So here at Jean’s Restaurant Supply, we have compiled some energy-saving tips for your commercial ovens, stove/cook tops, fryers and broilers. In doing so, we hope that with the implementation of some of these energy-saving tips, your energy bill leaves you with some profits still on your plate…”
source: “Restaurant Equipment Tips: Are Energy Costs Eating Up Your Restaurant’s Profits?” by Patty Gardiner (chef2chef.net)
links of restaurant energy efficiency tips and advice:
Restaurant Energy Tips (Energy Star)
Boosting Restaurant Profits With Energy Efficiency (Flex Your Power) [pdf]
Restaurant Energy Saving Tips (EnergyIdeas.org) [pdf]
Energy-Saving Solutions for Restaurants (SempraEnergy) [pdf]
Energy-Saving Tips (SempraEnergy)
Restaurant Energy Conservation & Efficiency Tips (PermaFrost)
Restaurant Energy Analysis (NPPD)
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July 22, 2006 at 9:45 am · Filed under Free, Internet, Manager, Reference, Resource Site, Web Site
AllFoodBusiness.com has an incredible list of links to free restaurant checklists, forms, and posters for owners and managers. This site is a wonderful resource for anyone in the restaurant business and deserves further exploring. They have collected links from all over the internet and made it easy to find information.
sample titles:
Restaurant Market Analysis
Guidelines for Storing Frozen Foods
Manual Dishwashing Procedures Poster
Employee dismissal form
link: AllFoodBusiness.com’s Restaurant Forms and Checklists
You may need a free Adobe Acrobat PDF reader to view some of the documents.
The site is filled with free articles, resources, and advice. It is a site that is using the internet to help all restaurant owners improve their operations and share knowledge.
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July 21, 2006 at 9:58 am · Filed under Advice, Customer Service, Free, Marketing, Resource Site, Tools, Waitstaff, Web Site
“FHG International Inc., is a Canadian based boutique consulting firm specializing in the foodservice, franchise and hospitality industries.
…FHG has worked with clients to developed successful restaurant, franchise and hospitality businesses, conduct operational reviews, feasibility studies, market research, corporate restructuring, strategic planning, master planning, valuations and litigation support.”
link: FHG International’s Article Archive
sample titles:
Menu Planning: A Systematic Methodology
Marketing By Design
Service Timetable – A practical guide to efficient service
also available for free:
Book – “Restaurant Staff Service Tips”
Software – “MENUMANAGER©”
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July 20, 2006 at 1:17 pm · Filed under Advice, Blog, Internet, Marketing, Newsletter, Tools
excerpt:
‘Recently I was in a seminar styled meeting and the topic was the art of the email. When I went in I thought I was aware of most of the email tricks. The guy who was leading the email discussion was a magician. He knew how to design an email so people respond.
He spoke of the psychology of the email and we discussed what gets people to respond. And, he had minimalized the science so non-tech people, like us, could get behind our key boards and accomplish something without the fear of failure staring us in the face. It’s a great, quick, easy, smple, rapid, yada, yada, yada, way to promote.
Here are a few tips:”
source: “The Art of the Email” by John Foley (The Restaurant Blog,Jul.19,2006)
related links:
Marketers still ignoring e-mail best practices (thewisemarketer.com)
Article: “Jump Start Your On-line Marketing With An E-mail Newsletter” (techwaiterbell)
Tool: Restaurant Newsletter/Email Marketing Services (techwaiterbell)
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July 19, 2006 at 9:24 am · Filed under Advice, Article, Competition, Free, Internet
excerpt:
“Are your competitors marketing more effectively than you? What is their pricing strategy, and how are they changing their menu? Why do people visit them instead of your place?
Here are 8 sure-fire methods to keep you up with what’s happening in the marketplace.
1. Visit their business, of course. If you’re well known, arrange for someone you trust to visit. Keep it friendly, and let’s not pretend they haven’t done plenty of ‘market research’ on your business…”
source: “8 legal ways to spy on your competition” (ProfitableHospitality.com, Jul.2006) [public access til Aug.3]
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July 18, 2006 at 9:22 am · Filed under Advice, Internet, Resource Site, Training, Web Site
“Tip20!com is the internet’s number one resource for service industry information, tipping practices and industry standards. Please select the category below that suits your needs. Please feel free to browse all categories and give yourself an education in all of the different pieces that make up restaurant and bar industry.”
link: Tip20!com
Article archive includes the folliowing titles:
Scheduling Basics for Restaurant Managers
Scheduling for Slackers
Office Romance
link: Tip20.com Article Archive
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July 17, 2006 at 9:16 am · Filed under Blog, Competition, Free, Internet, Resource Site, Web Site
excerpt:
“Springwise scans the globe for the most promising business ventures, ideas and concepts ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation. Ferociously tracking more than 400 global offline and online business resources, as well as taking to the streets of world cities, digital cameras at hand.”
link: Springwise – Food & Beverage ideas
sample posts:
Happy Healthy Meals
Dessert-only Restaurants
Indian Fast Food
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July 16, 2006 at 8:19 pm · Filed under Competition, Financial, Free, Newsletter, Research
excerpt:
“For full-service restaurants, an increased focus on strategies that drive check averages, such as promoting sides, appetizers, desserts and adult beverages can help to drive not just revenue growth, but also profitability, as many of these items have higher average margins than do the main entrées. Align the incentives of servers and line managers with selling activities that will drive profits.
For those not in the Top 100, unit growth remains important to drive to a position of better economies of scale. In addition, look hard at opportunities to improve processes in the back of the house. While smaller chains do not have the buying power of large chains simply due to size, they do have the opportunity to hold a tighter rein on operations due to size. For many chains, there is significant opportunity to take cost and inefficiency out in this area, which can be a major profit-driver…”
source: “Public Company Reports” by Technomic (MarketBrief, July 2006)
“MarketBrief provides chain restaurant operators with research-based analysis of key industry developments. Access to past issues is offered free of charge by logging into this section of our site.
MarketBrief is produced by Technomic, Inc., the leading provider of consulting and consumer research to the restaurant industry.”
link: Amex MarketBrief Newsletter
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July 16, 2006 at 4:58 pm · Filed under Advertising, Article, Equipment, Financial, Media
excerpt:
“Bringing outside advertising to your customers can bring revenue to your restaurant.
OOH (Out Of Home) Vision Networks (ovn), an advertising and marketing firm, has partnered with Helius, Inc., a business-class data broadcasting company, to pump video advertisements into more than 100 retro diners in the Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey areas.
OVN CEO and President Craig Presser doesn’t mince words about the possibilities of this new advertising strategy. “It’s an exploding market, not even an emerging market,” he says. “Whether you’re in casual or quick-service, you’re going to see place-based media on screens.”
The chrome diners, which seat about 200 and are located in affluent areas, have been outfitted with five liquid crystal display televisions strategically located in order to grab the attention of as many patrons as possible.”
source: “Ads With That?” by Quinn Bowman (QSR, Jul.16,2006)
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Tips WaiterBell: Advice, Ideas, and Resources for Restaurant Owners 