How to Pick the Right Restaurant Consultant
by Howard Riell
Big picture or the tiny details. When considering a doctor or lawyer you might ask whether you need a generalist or specialist. Each approach has its pros and cons, and as with so many things in the restaurant industry the best answer is usually the one tailored to your operation's specific situation. This article explains your options when choosing a restaurant consultant. . . .
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How to Help Your Kitchen Staff Develope Their Skills
by Chef Joe Abuso
Climbing the Ladder: One of the worst and undeserved stereotypes that the hospitality industry endures is the false perception that it offers nothing but low-paying, boring, dead-end jobs to people who have no better options. Ask anyone who has been a member of our fraternity for any length of time and the overall impression you'll get is just the opposite. . . .
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How to Use Weekly Prime Cost Tracking in Your Restaurant
by Joe Erickson
Operators who monitor their prime cost - the combined cost of food, beverage and labor - on a weekly basis, as opposed to just once a month, typically add anywhere from 2 to 5 percent or more to their bottom line. Restaurants that use daily and weekly systems to control costs create a culture of awareness that permeates throughout the staff. . . .
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The Pros and Cons of Going Franchise or Independent
by Howard Riell
As a startup restaurateur, are you more interested in "putting your own stamp" on your business or buying into a proven brand? Not every independent restaurant owner can make it - or would want to - in a franchise system and there are creative individuals who can create their own restaurant concepts from scratch. This article will help you determine which is a better fit for you. . . .
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How to Take Your Restaurant Products to Retail
by Amelia Levin
Restaurants have been hit really hard over the past few years and have been searching for alternative revenue streams. Selling your food products at retail may be the answer. This article will describe the process and potential pitfalls of bringing restaurant products to retail. . . .
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How Independents Win Concession Contracts and Make Them Work
by Howard Riell
Over the last decade, large concession management firms have sought out local, popular independent concepts to include in their managed facilities. Local diners find that their favorite burrito place has a presence at the ballgame, or airport or hospital. Exciting, yes, but taking a local restaurant and translating its concept to a stadium concession, for example, is an operational feat. . . .
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How to Create a Winning Restaurant Business Plan
Many RO.com members site that having a sound business plan was the single most important ingredient in making their new business a reality. During the startup phase, your business plan will have a direct bearing on your ability to get a loan, obtain investors and even secure a lease. Learn how to prepare an impactful restaurant business plan. . . .
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Six Ways to Drive Sales during Seasonal Slumps
by Joe Abuso
Keeping your restaurant full during certain times of the year can be a challenge as we all deal with the ebb and flow of the business cycle. To get large groups of new customers through your doors during the slowest times of the year, think outside the normal scope of your operations. . . .
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Clean Enough to Eat Off Of
by Joe Abuso
Few things can bring your business to an immediate, grinding halt more effectively than actually hurting customers with your food. With all this in mind, let's look at the issue of kitchen sanitation in a practical way, broken down into 10 critical points that will be easy to apply in our restaurants. . . .
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How to Calculate & Track Your Marketing ROI
by Joe Erickson
Restaurant operators may differ on how they market and promote their restaurants, but nobody wants to throw money down the drain. Learn how to plan and track your marketing investment dollars so that you can clearly determine what marketing activities are worth repeating and which ones should be modified or dropped. . . .
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Traits of Effective Multiunit Operators
by Howard Riell
As soon as you become multiunit -- even just going to two restaurants -- all of a sudden you need to be able to use systems and methods of measurement that are of an entirely different nature. . . .
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When to Raise Prices and How to Do It
by Joe Erickson
Many restaurant operators worry that raising menu prices will scare away customers - especially in uncertain economic times and in the age of rampant discounting by chains. This article explains strategies and illustrates techniques to assist you in knowing how and when to implement this necessary, sometimes unavoidable step to improve profitability. . . .
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Becoming a Great Kitchen Manager
by Joe Erickson
Here we provide a proven checklist of the various kitchen management systems and forms necessary for a kitchen manager to be successful. Whether you are in the the start-up phase of a new restaurant or you've been in the business for decades, this checklist provides an exhaustive and timeless resource for every restaurant kitchen. . . .
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How to Create a Culture of Service In Your Restaurant
by Amelia Levin
When the most recent recession hit, restaurants had to make some serious changes to their budget, costs, menus, operations, branding and more. Regardless of these changes there have always been two constants to enduring success: great food and great service. . . .
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The Downsides and Upsides of Curbside
by Amelia Levin
Once the exclusive territory of fast-food purveyors, curbside service has expanded its advantages to casual concepts of all sizes, and independents -- even upscale -- are figuring out how to build sales by offering convenience with curbside pickup. Here's how. . . .
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