Friday, December 30, 2011

Top 10 Restaurants Heaven Stories of 2011

 With 2011 coming to an end Restaurants Heaven takes a look of its most popular stories of the last 12 months. Below aer our top 10 stories of 2011 from restaurantsheaven.blogspot.com

1. Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
2. 10 Ways you can use QR codes to promote your restaurant business
3. Apps every restaurant owner should take advantage of
4. 10 Tips on how to WOW your restaurant's customers
5. How restaurants owners or managers can increase customer satisfaction
6. 3 Must have Facebook apps for your restaurant
7. How your restaurant can make a difference this Veterans Day
8. 11 Thanksgiving ideas for every restaurant to show your customers you care
9. 7 Tips on attracting new customers for your restaurant
10. 5 Steps to build successful private party and catering businesses

Happy New Year to all!






100 Marketing ideas for your restaurant Part II

 Learn how this 100 marketing ideas can put your restaurant on the right track. If you missed Part I you can read it here.

51. Become a guest speaker
52. Magazine ads
53. Radio spots
54. News worthy press releases
55. Organize charities
56. Food bank donations
57. Sponsor local teams
58. Club and local business association's memberships
59. Organize cooking classes
60. Well trained stuff
61. Guarantees
62. Coupons
63. Contests
64. Special events
65. Branded entertainment
66. Cooking workshops
67. Location
68. Video e-cards
69. Merchandise
70. White label companies
71. Vehicle advertising
72. Comment cards
73. Monthly promotions
74. Spying on your competition
75. QR codes
76. Landing page
77. Personalized cups, napkins, plates, to go bags, etc
78. Holiday marketing
79. Holiday menus
80. Organize wine classes
81. Offer taste classes
82. Offer free food or drink samples
83. Network in and outside your food industry
84. Send tips and advice bulletins to your customers
85. Write industry based book
86. Advertise on travel brochures and maps
87. Sponsor a portion of a freeway or highway
88. Offer your product in school or non-profit fund raisers
89. Team up with a non-competing business in your area to offer a package promotion
90. Be accessible
91. Start podcast
92. Create an annual award and publicize it
93. Get a memorable local or toll-free phone number
94.  Create window displays in locations away from your restaurant. Airports, hospitals, and large office buildings occasionally have display areas they rent to local businesses
95. Release your own food truck
96. Visit trade shows
97. Set trade show booth
98. Word-of-mouth promotions
99. Customers and employees testimonials
100. Satisfied customers

Thursday, December 29, 2011

How to make your restaurant stand out this New Year's Eve

 To make your restaurant stand out this New Year's eve think outside the box. Here are a couple ideas that can help you put a twist on your restaurants' specials. Happy New Year to all!
1. Create a cooking kit of your most famous restaurant dessert or appetizer. You can give it out to your customers or sell them on your website.
2. Organize a cooking or mixicology class featuring New Year's eve specials.
3. Organize end of the year food donation drive for your community.
4. Hold a contest for the most creative edible ornaments or decorations for the New Year and reward the winner with a special New Year's eve dinner.
5. Offer free champagne at midnight or small door gift prizes to your customers.
6. Create and serve only New Years inspired dishes or drinks in certain colors such as gold, silver, or white.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

100 Marketing ideas for your restaurant Part I

 As a restaurant owner you should be aware of all the marketing ideas around you which can be easily used to the advantage of your establishment. Here are a couple ideas to get you going on the right track. Notice how most than half of them are free.
1. Yourself and your stuff
2.. Marketing plan
3. Personalized calendars with your image or logo
4. Personalized envelopes or stamps
5. Business cards
6. Thank you cards
7. Personal messages or emails
8. Postcards
9. Flyers
10. Community bulletin boards
11. Outside signs
12. Street banners
13. Billboards
14. Window displays
15. Table placements
16. Door hangers
17. Well design website
18. Value story
19. Gift cards
20. E-gift cards
21. Newsletter
22. E-mail marketing
23. Direct marketing
24. Loyalty programs
25. Referral programs
26. Bounce back promotions
27. Text-messaging coupons
28. Facebook fan page
29. Twitter account
30. Linkedin account
31. Google + account
32. Business blog
33. Foursquare
34. Opentable
35. Google places
36. Yelp
37. Trip advisor
38. City Search
39. Urbanspoon
40. Zagat
41. Allmenus.com
42. Forums
43. Chat rooms
44. Articles
45. E-books
46. Webinars
46. Youtube
47. Viral marketing
48. Free seminars
49. Free consultations
50. E-mail list building
To be continued in Part II

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

10 Low cost restaurant marketing ideas for the Holiday season

 With the end of the year just around the corner, many restaurants have to be extra imaginative with their marketing efforts especially if they want to stay on top of their customers minds this Holiday season. To help you increase your restaurant sales and referrals, we have listed this ten proven low cost marketing ideas that can help any restaurant succeed this Holiday season.
1. Customize Holiday cards with your restaurant logo or pictures of your restaurant and your employees
2. Personalize envelopes or stamps with your restaurant image or logo
3. Personalize cookies or chocolate with your logo and serve or give out as a gift to your customers
4. Create a video e-card, incorporate a subtle use of your restaurant's products, and publish the e-card on your website, blog, twitter account, Facebook fan page, or your newsletter.
5. Create "31 days of your restaurant food specials" and feature a Holiday inspired dish each day
6. Make a real life or digital Christmas tree and decorate it with goodwill messages posted on snowflakes from your customers and stuff, make presents from your restaurant's products or merchandise, create edible ornaments, and if you have pictures of your customers taken through out the year hang them on the tree to remind your customers why they choose your restaurant
7. Make your own restaurant calendars and give them out to your customers as holiday gifts
8. Let your customers submit their favorite holiday recipes which you can publish on your website along side your own restaurant recipes.
9. Publish free downloadable "Restaurant Survival Guide" for your customers
10. Organize end of the year food donation drive for your community

Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all our Followers, Fans, Users, and Lurkers!
We are thankful for all of you, all your feedback, and support!
Wishing you peace, joy, and goodwill this season!!!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

How restaurants can avoid the Discounts trap

 With the holidays just around the corner, many seasoned restaurants tend to discount their services or products as a way of doing business, but for small and start up restaurants straight discounting is usually a ticket to financial disaster. Playing the discount game, usually means going into your own company every day to price yourself right out of business. To help you avoid the discounts trap, we have listed this three tips:
1. Know your margins at all times and look into lowering them where you can like negotiating better deals with your suppliers.
2. Add value instead of discounts. This can be as simple as providing incredible customer service to your guests.
3. Leverage your current resources and look for ways to increase your profit like expanding your delivery or catering services.
 Remember, don't fall into the trap of thinking that without discounts you won't have sales. Keep this tips in mind, and let other restaurants run themselves out of business.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

6 Ways for restaurants to celebrate their customers this holiday season

 With only four days to Christmas and ten days left to the end of this year, it is only natural to look back and be thankful for all the amazing things 2011 has brought to your restaurant business. This time of the year, is the perfect time to show everyone who has contributed to your restaurant success, especially your customers, your appreciation. Here are some great ideas of how to celebrate your  customers this holiday season.
1. Spotlight your customers on your website, Facebook fan page, or your twitter account by posting pictures of different events you held during the year and your customers' participation in those events (with their permission of course). Thank your customers for their loyalty, repeat business, and support through out the year.
2. Enlist the help of famous local chef or a celebrity chef (if you can) and reward them with a private consultation or a private dinner prepared by the chef.
3. Offer tickets to a local winery where your customers can learn and try different wines.
4. Give out chef's table service.
5. Offer 1 year free subscription to Food and Wine magazine.
6. Give out a holiday inspired free Family meal to-go.
 There are many other ways to celebrate your customers this holiday season, so let your imagination run wild. Let us all remember this holiday season how to be thankful!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Monday, December 19, 2011

How to cut flank steak the right way

Learn how to cut flank the right way. The Cooking Club of America presents Chef Andrew Zimmern as he shows you his techniques of how to make the perfect cuts every time.

Friday, December 16, 2011

How your restaurant can turn daily deal buyers or bargain hunters into loyal customers

   They say that daily deal buyers or bargain hunters chase deals or deeply discounted offers, that usually they don't spend beyond their deal, and that as a restaurant owner who wants to keep the shirt on his back, you should stay away from such buyers. What if we tell you that you can capitalized on this trend with little or no competition? Find out how this 6 tips can help your restaurant turn daily deal buyers or bargain hunters into loyal customers.
1. Offer more than the perceived value of the deal.
2. Offer an invitation to your next sampling event to expose the customers to you other menu items.
3. Train your employees how to redeem daily deal coupons, how to upsell, and how to effectively promote your restaurant business.
3. Involve your new customers and ask for feedback on the given deal, what you could you have done better, or anything else you can think of that can help you gather useful data.
4. Offer email sign up for special deals like birthday dinner coupons, promotions, or discounts.
5. Send out your monthly restaurant newsletter to your new customers with useful information such as food articles, pictures of your new food menu items, or any other restaurant specials being offered for the month.
6. Once you had the opportunity to get to know your new clients, give them what they ask for just exceed their expectations.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

3 Things every restaurant can learn from daily deal sites

Offen daily deal sites like Groupon and Livingsocial entice small business owners with the ability to reach large groups of prospective clients. Unfortunately,  altering traditional retail discounting can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Learn how you can better protect and prepare your business by studying these 3 things which every restaurant can learn from daily deal sites:
1. Plan ahead- anticipating the cost of a social discount can be crucial for your restaurant success since daily deal offers can easily stress capacity. If for example you oversell your product or overbook your restaurant you risk to be operating on low margins which can lead to a financial loss.
2. Turn your daily deal clients into a full paying customers- have a step by step marketing plan in place from capturing customers demographic data, to emails, social media presences, and more.
3. Shop around for the best daily deal sites for your needs- you can't assume that one daily deal company is better than another. Instead find a platform that matches your restaurant's marketing goals. Daily Deal Media is a company that tracks close to 600 daily deal sites and how they perform which can be extremely helpful when you are making your decision.
  Social sales can be an important component especially to a small business market just keep in mind if you decide to give daily deal sites a shot to do your homework and to prepare accordingly.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Top 10 Hottest Menu Trends for 2012

 Learn what the National Restaurant Association found out after surveying nearly 1,800 professional chefs - members of the American Culinary Federation - on hot trends on restaurant menus in 2012. Local sourcing and children's nutrition are among the hottest trends.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

10 Ways negative comments, posts, or reviews can be used to your restaurant's advantage

 Today our social driven society compels most restaurants to avoid any negative responses from customers and/or employees. Negative comments, post, or reviews are usually frown upon and perceived as damaging to a restaurant's reputation. However as unbelievable as it may sound, negative criticism can be used to a restaurant's advantage. Learn how your restaurant can take control and turn an unpleasant situation into a success story. Negative comments, posts, or reviews can:
1. Increase credibility which can minimize the risk of appearing superficial and pushy.
2. Increase customer engagement and readership which can offer more exposure to positive posts.
3. Create personal connections and dialogues with your customers.
4. Opportunity to improve products or customer service.
5. Opportunity to prevent any potential future problems.
6. Minimize employees' turnover.
7. Decrease employees' training expenses.
8. Increase customers' loyalty.
9. Increase restaurants' productivity.
10. Increase restaurants' profit.
  However keep in mind that too many negative posts just like anything in excess can be more harmful than helpful. Keeping diligence in delivery, response and editing if possible are highly recommended for a successful restaurant venture.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Affordable consumer research tools for restaurants

 When it comes to entering a new market, expanding, or launching a new product it is financially imperative to gauge customers' demand and feedback through market research. Until recently such service was extremely expensive for many restaurants. Fortunately today, we have the opportunity to take advantage of affordable research tools that can help any restaurant gather important and trustworthy market research data on targeted audience. Find out how your restaurant can take advantage of this service:
1. uSamp provides custom targeting as well as predefined consumer list with 6.5 million global panel members. You can target your audience by country, business-to-business, or a specific industry such as food. Results are provided in real time, so you can observe your data as it comes in.
2. AYTM allows you to create surveys on the go which can be send to your own list or AYTM panel of 4.5 million people. You can choose a targeting criteria such as gender, or geographic region, and you can include images and videos. Results come within 24 hours.
3. GutCheck enables you to conduct 30-minute one-on-one video interview with any of the 3.5 million members consumer panel. Targeting can be done by age and income, and results are usually ready in 48 hours.
4. Zoomerang is another well known research tool that allows surveying your own list as well as their 2 million panel members using more than 500 targeting criteria.
5. SurveyMonkey is best known for enabling you to send online surveys to your own list, but it also offers custom surveys which can be send to SurveyMonkey panel of hundred of thousands responders.
 Finally keep in mind, the most important thing will be to determine which research tool will best suit your restaurant, so before you use any of the services listed test each tool to compare cost effectiveness.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

How restaurants can create personal connections with customers

 Nowadays it is not always enough to create and promote your restaurant product and service. The most successful restaurant ventures are the ones that connect with their customers on a personal level, as it is known people like to buy from people they like. In this six tips guide, we reveal how to create personal customers' connections at your own restaurant.
1. Get to know your customers- using your customers names, asking about details they shared in previous conversations, or just remembering how your customers take their tea, or what temperature they like their stakes can make a world of difference.
2. Ask questions- before you launch into a hard sell, take the time to ask questions. It's easier to show your customers you can fulfil their needs if you know what they like or what they are looking for.
3. Wow your customers- to stand out from the competition and win your customers business you have to hook them somehow. You can consider for example sending a "Thank you" note for choosing your restaurant for their special occasion, and also take the opportunity and invite them back to celebrate with you.
4. Reveal something about yourself as a restaurant owner or your establishment that customers can relate to.
5. Listen to your customers- listen to what your customers have to say about your restaurant or your product.
6. Have patience- making lasting personal connection with customers can take time. Arm yourself with patience, properly train your stuff on your products and services, and never stop improving.

How to temper chocolate the right way


 Learn how to temper chocolate the right way for dipping any of your favorite fruits, cookies, pretzels, and more, demonstrated by chef instructor Peter Greweling from The Culinary Institute of America.

Friday, December 2, 2011

11 Traits to a successful restaurant leader

  Most restaurant owners work hard on their concepts, services, or finances, but they don't think much when it comes to leading their own employees. It is true successfully guiding a team through the ups and downs of running a restaurant can be one of the greatest challenges a small-business owner can face. Leadership is one of the areas that many restaurant entrepreneurs tend to overlook, but as it turns out anyone with determination can develop such qualities. Learn how this 11 tips can guide you to develop successful restaurant leader traits.
1. Make yourself available to your employees, this will enhance employee's self-expression
2. Treat your employees as you want to be treated which can easily build company's loyalty, lead to low cost training, and good will for your company
3. Listen- be at all times open to listen to your customers and employees, so you can learn more about how to serve them
4. Embrace changes
5. Be your own brand ambassador- when you believe and you are excited about your products and/or company, your employees will be excited too
6. Challenge and engage your team
7. Communicate effectively
8.Know your obstacles and when to take risk
9. Learn how to delegate responsibilities
10. Credit your employees for the work they do
11. Believe in your team and help them win 

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

How to fire your restaurant employees the right way

 When you have your own restaurant, you'll find out sooner or later that one of the unpleasant realities of running a business is that occasionally not all of the hired employees will fit into your restaurant culture. Firing employees is never easy. This is the reason why preparation and knowledge is crucial. Learn how this five guidelines on how to fire your restaurant employees the right way can help you when faced with such a dilemma.
1. Prepare any needed paperwork or written warnings such as performance or menu knowledge reviews if any.
2. Have a witness such as an active manager observe the proceedings.
3. Be specific, state the reason of termination, and make your message clear and concise as possible.
4. Allow time for digestion after you give your employees the termination notice.
5. Do not apologize, answer any questions truthfully, but avoid debating on any issues.
6. Have system in place to ease the firing process which can be helpful with final pays or any other questions the employees may have.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Preventing employees' theft in your restaurant

 Employees' theft is real and something that most restaurants have to deal with at one time or another. Theft can take on many forms, including giving away free food or drinks to stealing customers' credit card information, or food and alcohol. Find out how this tips can help you minimize or altogether prevent employees' theft in your restaurant:
1. Track food or/and liquor inventory weekly- having proven product control systems in place can not only help you better track your inventory but will also show commitment to your establishment.
2. Make sure that your restaurant has lockable and secure back doors.
3. Give your bartenders or main servers tabs where they can ring up free drinks or desserts. At the end of the shift have your employees pay half of the bill up to a certain amount, and let them be responsible for 100% of the bill over the specified amount.
4. Treat free drinks or appetizers just like any other customer comp. Have your employee ring up all products given away on the register, so you can track how much is been given away.
5. Have anti-theft policies in place and the employees you catch stealing charge for the missing products.
 Keep in mind: it pays off to take the time to hire good and responsible people. Once you've done that give them latitude to use their professional judgement and you might be surprised by what you find out.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Using social media to take over your competition

 In the restaurant industry knowing your competition is just as important as knowing your own business. Find out how keeping an eye on the competition through social media can help you not only get an edge but also help you take over your competition.
1. Can you add a new future?- is there anything that your competitors' fans are complaining about. Is something missing and can you include it into your own restaurant?
2. Do you promote enough?- is there anything that your competition is successfully promoting? Find out what it is and how you can implement it into your own campaign.
3. Do you connect with your customers' emotions?- is there any specific emotions that your competitor's fans are connecting with in regards to the products or services being offered. Can you convey the same or even stronger emotions?
 Keeping up with your competitors' social media outlets can not only boost your marketing efforts but can give you an insight to important operational techniques that can be extremely valuable to your restaurant success.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Apple Turnovers

 Delicious, yet so easy to make. Anyone can do these classic apple turnovers!


Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
  3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  4. Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned. Cool completely before glazing.
  6. To make the glaze, mix together the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Adjust the thickness by adding more sugar or milk if necessary. Drizzle glaze over the cooled turnovers.               

Courtesy of MAU-COLUMBUS

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

5 Thanksgiving ideas for every restaurant to show your employees you care

 Thanksgiving is not only a family holiday, but a time to show how thankful we are for all the amazing things in our life. It is also an ideal time to show our own restaurant employees how much we care about them and how grateful we are for the work they do. Find out how this 5 tips can help you this Thanksgiving make a difference in someones life.
1. Send handwritten Thank you notes to all your employees, suppliers, or vendors and tell them how much you appreciate everything they do. If you want you can name specific qualities in them that you admire.
2. Throw an Appreciation lunch for all your employees and their families.
3. Create certificates of Appreciation and encourage your employees to vote and nominate each other for the award. Then organize a ceremony to present the certificates to the honorees.
4. Organize "30 Day thank you " box and each day of November write down a reason why you are thankful for your stuff. On Thanksgiving let your employees read the notes you have written.
5. Invite your employees to Thanksgiving dinner.
 Remember without your employees or customers your establishment won't be where it is today. Show your appreciation and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

How to brine a turkey


If you want a moist and flavorful turkey this Thanksgiving, find out how this brine tips from the Culinary Institute of America can help you accomplish that. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

7 Tips on attracting new customers for your restaurant

 Attracting new customers can cost restaurants four times more than keeping existing ones. Nevertheless, there is nothing greater than seeing that new customers turn into a loyal fans and ambassadors for your establishment. Learn how this 7 tips can help you attract new customers for your restaurant.
1. Capitalize on your advantages- knowing what your customers like the most about your restaurant can give you a great advantage when it comes to dealing with new customers since you can easily tell them what to expect like "The best food in town" or "More yummy for your munny".
2. Give a worthy offer- give your customers an offer they can't refuse for example if you position your restaurant to be "The best food in town" then deliver. You can easily offer a food challenge: "If it's not the best food you've ever had, your next meal is on us".
3. Examine your restaurant and your services in a new way- think about all the ways you can implement your restaurant services like attracting customers that does not like to dine out. You can easily offer them online recipes or weekly meal plans for the whole family.
4. Train your stuff and provide excellent customers service- make your customers' experiences with your restaurant positive and memorable, so they can always come back.
5. Network effectively- instead of trying to pass as many business cards as possible, try to cultivate relationships and give referrals to other people first.
6. Take advantage of referrals and be proactive- instead of waiting on your existing customers to refer someone to you, ask for the referral. Tell people your ideal clients and ask for their help in finding those clients.
7. Give free useful information- you can offer information that will be helpful or solve your customers needs or problems by participating in a cooking classes or workshops.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Creative ways to promote your new restaurant

 We all have been there at one time or another: in a desperate need of advertising and promotion for the opening of our new restaurant. Find out how this 20 creative ways can put any new or existing restaurant on the map.
1. Use Twitter to get in touch, follow, and create relationships with the most influential people in your area. On the day of your grand opening invite them to be a VIP guests.
2. Design creative campaigns on your Twitter and Facebook fan page and give away behind the doors tours of your restaurant.
3. Start a blog and provide valuable information about the restaurant industry, your restaurant milestones, share pictures, as well as any problems you endure before the grand opening of your restaurant.
4. Become a member of your local associations for example your chamber of commerce or any other restaurant associations in your state.
5. Sponsor local teams.
6. Fund any local trunk shows.
7. Attend restaurant events, create relationships with like minded individuals and potential customers.
8. Attend any networking events in your area and spread the word about your restaurant.
9. Visit trade shows, give out your business cards, and share the news of your new restaurant.
10. Advertise on billboards.
11. Invite your local news channels to cover the grand opening of your restaurant.
12. Write an article for a local magazine.
13. Hand out promotional materials with your restaurant information and opening date to friends and associates.
14. Volunteer to teach a local class.
15. Mobilize your family and friends to share your business cards or pamphlets to potential customers.
16. Offer free dinner at your restaurant for a prize at a local contest.
17. Donate food to local charities.
18. Hold an event outside your restaurant.
19. Sponsor local non-profit fund raisers.
20. Create relationships with bloggers and other website owners by contributing useful information or material.

Monday, November 14, 2011

11 Thanksgiving ideas for every restaurant to show your customers you care

 No doubt Thanksgiving is the time to give back and be thankful but it can also be a stressful period as much as joyful for a lot of families. Learn how this holiday your restaurant can not only show your customers how much you care but also how to help some people enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner without having to worry over every little detail.
1. Organize cook off for best Thanksgiving inspired dish.
2. Design and offer to your customers 5 course Thanksgiving menu.
3. Organize charity Thanksgiving food drive for your community.
4. Send "Thank you" emails or postcards to your customers and include holiday coupons.
5. Post Thanksgiving cooking tips and recipes on your blog or website.
6. Hold a "30 Reasons why I love (include the name of your restaurant)" contest. Ask your customers to post all the reasons why they love your restaurant on your Facebook fan page for a chance to win Thanksgiving meal for up to 8 people.
7. Collaborate with other restaurants and organize pie eating contests or corn mazes and offer the winners gift certificates to your restaurant.
8. Fund local Thanksgiving benefit concert.
9. Hold a Thanksgiving decorating contest for your restaurant and offer the chance to win gift certificates to your establishment.
10. Compile a list of the best wines to pare with traditional Thanksgiving dishes and post the information on your website or any of your social media outlets.
11. On Thanksgiving Day invite your customers for a special "Thank you" ruffle where the winner will have the chance to win "Free appetizer for a year" or "Free dessert for a year".
 We hope this Thanksgiving you have many reasons to be thankful for!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Pumpkin Roll

 This is an easy pumpkin roll dessert that tastes amazing!


Ingredients:
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter or grease one 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.
  2. In a mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth. Evenly spread the mixture over the prepared jelly roll pan.
  3. Bake 15 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
  4. Remove cake from pan and place on tea towel (cotton, not terry cloth). Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
  5. Prepare the frosting by blending together the butter, cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and vanilla.
  6. When cake is completely cooled, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling. Roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and slice into 8-10 servings.               

Courtesy of Jackie Smith

Thursday, November 10, 2011

How your restaurant can make a difference this Veterans Day

 On a day that comes only once in a 100 years, 11/11/11, every restaurant will have the opportunity to contribute to the lives of those who served or currently serve us every day. Recognizing their sacrifice this Veterans Day, we have listed 10 ideas that can inspire any restaurant to make a difference in the lives of our military personnel.
1. Offer your customers for every dessert or appetizer they purchase, to donate a portion of the sales to USO or Wounded Worrier Project.
2. Create a specialty Veterans Day menu and drinks and give discounts to veterans, active military soldiers, and their families.
3. Follow Applebee's example and give out free meals to veterans.
4. Organize Veterans Day charity for your community.
5. Make and give out Veterans Day coupons.
6. Put up a board in your restaurant where customers can leave a "Thank You" note to soldiers.
7. Offer free cooking classes to veterans and their families.
8. Organize and collaborate with other restaurants in your area to help educate and advice veterans or retired soldiers how to better prepare for a job in the restaurant industry.
9. Contact and donate food to local charities involved in Veterans Day events.
10. Become a sponsor at a local Veterans Day event.
 What would you do this Veterans Day to honor those who fought or are still fighting for us?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

4 Free chat services for restaurant owners

 Are you in the process of expanding your restaurant or working with clients or suppliers in different states and looking for ways as a restaurant owner to save on costly telephone bills? Then this 4 free chat services are for you which are not only going to save you money but will also give you the opportunity of a real time dialogue.
1. Skype- offers video and audio conferencing as well as instant messaging system
2. Gmat- great chat service that allows to check in with your employees through out the day rather than schedule individual meetings. Fantastic advice for user messaging, calling or video conferencing as long as everyone on your team uses Gmail.
3. Facebook chat services- good for quick chats rather than formal meetings but an excellent free chat tool.
4. Google+  - allows a unique chat function with Hangouts where limited number of users can sign into a hangout to share ideas and conferences.
 Let the savings begin!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

5 Steps to build successful private party and catering businesses

 In today's economy it is no surprise that restaurant owners turn and search how to maximize their restaurants' revenue potentials. Many successfully look beyond the dinning rooms of their restaurants and branch out to private party and catering opportunities which can be of great benefit to any restaurant bottom line. Find out how this guidelines can help you build successful private party and catering businesses.
1. Focus your efforts- set specific revenue goals and booking objectives for the week, month, quarter, and year. Learn the needs of your guests and your restaurant capabilities.
2. Invest in the necessities like systems, infrastructures, and the people you hire.
3. Aim your marketing efforts to the right individuals- marketing to those with decision making power is the key to attracting new business.
4. Seek and take advantage of opportunities- train your stuff to sell catering and private party spaces, and use your restaurant to advertise your cooking capabilities. Also utilize your website and all of your social media outlets.
5. Underpromise and over deliver- accommodate request that can be achieved because consistency in  service is the key to building positive reputation for successful catering and private party businesses.

Monday, November 7, 2011

How restaurants can create successful loyalty programs

 Used properly, loyalty programs can be one of the most successful tools for restaurants when it comes to increasing profit. The key to successful loyalty programs is in understanding who your best and loyal customer are and the products they are interested in. A good loyalty program focuses on:
1. Rewards- tangible elements such as free drinks, free appetizers, coupons, etc
2. Recognition- you can offer different level of services for your customers for example if you offer VIP memberships at your restaurant you can offer to those members upcoming monthly specials, special holiday discounts, or free wine classes.
3. Relevance- create individualized experiences for each guest.
 Remember loyalty programs can be incredibly helpful and can offer your restaurant the opportunity to build close relationship with your customers.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

How your restaurant can rock social media

 Today as more and more customers turn to social media for their everyday needs, restaurants have to not only become more involved with all social media plug-ins but have to be creative with the tools they use when it comes to beating the competition. Here are couple of suggestions of  how your restaurant can utilize social media, and at the same time build meaningful relationships with your customers.
1. Respond to customers' complaints
2. Respond to customer service inquiries
3. Repost or retweet customers reviews or posts
4. First release of promotional events
5. Allowing customers to buy tickets or reserve a spot to special events
6. Allowing customers to order a meal
7. And last but not least book a table

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

5 Unconventional tips on how to find a job in the restaurant industry

  Finding a job in the restaurant industry can become a challenging task. That's why this 5 unconventional tips are here to guide and provide you with ideas on how to conquer this issue:
1. Use family and friends- give them your business cards, so they can hand them out to people they know or meet who maybe hiring.
2. Network- keep in mind that every new person you meet may become potential employer, so provide creative information about yourself and the type of employee that you are.
3. Promote yourself through Facebook, Twitter, and/or Linkedin- ask your professional and personal references to record a 2 to 3 min videos of your achievements instead of the traditional letter of recommendations. To make the videos unified you can ask them to answer a few questions such as: "what are your best qualities as an employee", "what are your strengths", "would they recommend you to a future employer", and "would they hire you back if they had the chance". Once you have the videos, you can upload them to your page and urge future employers to take a look what other people think of you as an employee.
4. Offer freebies- you can  offer your future employer, of course if you can afford this, to work for a week for free. In this way you'll have an opportunity to showcase your best qualities as an employee and possibly find out for yourself if this company is a good fit for you as well.
5. Collaborate- consider collaborating with other businesses such as print houses or wine stores to pass your business cards to the appropriate future employers. You can do the same for them and distribute their own business cards where on the back of the cards they can print your name or a discount they are willing to offer to potential customers.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Ideas for Halloween cookies

If you are looking to try something different this Halloween instead of the usual chocolate and candy, then you would love these easy recipes for the whole family! Happy Halloween to All!

Friday, October 28, 2011

What can every restaurant do in a case of a large party "No Show"

 We've all been there once or twice in our restaurant's careers: taking a large party reservation, preparing for the party, stoking up on food items, over stuffing to assure that kitchen and service run smooth, and then when the time comes for the party to arrive only to be slapped with the regretful "No Show". Find out how you can prepare yourself for the unwelcome "No Show" which every restaurant owner dreads:
1. Confirm reservations- train your hostess to confirm reservations up to the morning of the reservation date for evening bookings and the night before for morning reservations.
2. 30 minute rule- do not hold tables more than 30 minutes. This way you can free the tables you've put together for your lunch or dinner crowd and still make some profit.
3. Use your dining area- if you have a dining area that you use for banquets or overflow seating you can seat your large parties there. This will free your regular tables for service. You can also schedule servers specifically for this parties, and if there is a cancellation you can always send the extra servers home.
4. Deposit- you can take a deposit for the reservations which easily can be applied towards your guests' bill, and in case of "No Show" you can always keep the deposit for your troubles.
May we all never have to experience again another reservation "No Show".

Thursday, October 27, 2011

How to create safe environment at your restaurant

 Most restaurant owners know that more often than not it comes down not only to the quality of employees you hire but also to the way you manage them. Find out how this 10 tips on how to create safe environment at your restaurant can help you not only better understand your stuff but your business as well.
1. Build relationship of mutual trust
2. Change the way you think about your employees
3. Do not assume ask specific questions
4. Reward good performance
5. Provide constructive feedback
6. Make debates and decisions transparent
7. Share restaurant's objectives and goals
8. Communicate change properly
9. Trust your employees with responsibilities
10. Hold your employees accountable

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

15 Halloween ideas for every restaurant to increase their profit

 Halloween is not only a fun night for people of all ages to celebrate but can be an excellent time for restaurants to market their business and products. Don't miss out on this huge opportunity this year instead take advantage of this Halloween ideas that can help any restaurant increase their profit.
1. Give out candy with your restaurant logo.
2. Create Halloween inspired food specials.
3. Create Halloween inspired drink specials.
4. Offer spooky discounts on all of your restaurant gift cards and a special incentives like a free appetizer or a dessert if your customers use their gift certificates by Halloween night.
5. Hold a competition for the best carved pumpkin with your company logo and give out free coupons or discounts.
6. Hold a contest for the scariest twitter slogan for your restaurant which you can feature for the whole month of October. To the winner, you can give free gift certificate to your restaurant or free dinner for two.
7. Organize best Halloween costume contest for all of your customers and give out free drinks or a free appetizer to the winners.
8. Offer special Halloween versions of your merchandise.
9. Make Halloween coupons valid only for Halloween eve and Halloween day.
10. Send Happy Halloween emails and/or cards to your customers and include a 10% discount, free Halloween inspired appetizer, or a dessert.
11. Organize a Halloween cooking class for kids and their parents in your community where they can make popcorn balls, candy apples, or any other Halloween theme desserts.
12. You can use the names in your already existing customer database and hold a raffle. To the selected winners, you can send "Thank you" treat bags filled with candy treats, certificates for dinner, or discounts for your restaurant merchandise.
13. Run a week long trick or treat event in which you can offer special deals each day for parents and their kids alike. On Halloween night you can stay open late and give out candy to the kids and restaurant's coupons to their parents.
14. Hold an online contest at your website by hosting trivia Halloween legends contest.
15. And last but not least: have your customers submit their favorite ghost stories to your restaurant Facebook fan page, and then allow the rest of your customers to vote for the scariest one. You can give out gift certificates to the winners.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Apps every restaurant owner should take advantage of

 If as a restaurant owner you are constantly running here and there to find ways how to grow your business, it is not a surprise you may feel disconnected from your business. This is why your smart phone should be your weapon which you can easily turn into an organized business center especially if you are taking advantage of these apps:
1. Square.com- this app will allow you to accept credit cards on the go. There is no monthly fees or contracts. You will be charged 2.75% per transaction, and will receive a free card reader. This is a great tool for those restaurant owners who are looking to receive payments anywhere.
2. Proongo.com- helps you track receipts,  your mileage, credit card transactions, and also allow time tracking. This app can assist you with all your expenses and business transactions and can put you in great advantage when it comes to your taxes.
3. Evernote.com- helps you take a photo of a business card, clip web pages, jot or record a note, and more. This is a great app for any restaurant owner looking to maintain business contacts or important information.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Things to consider before opening a second location for your restaurant Part II

 Opening a second location for your already existing restaurant can be quite a challenging task for any restaurant owner. To help this process as previously discussed in Part I are listed, what we consider foundation question which all owners should answer and then formulate a solid plan on how to accomplish them before committing to a life changing decision such as opening a second location for their restaurant. In Part II of "Things to consider before opening a second location for your restaurant", we outline what we believe every restaurant owner should concentrate their efforts on such as exhausting all valuable options of profitability in the already existing locations. Keeping this in mind, we have listed 3 ideas that can provide as much or even more profit potential than a second restaurant at a fraction of the investment and risk.
1. Establish a birthday club- this is a great promotional incentive to bring customers into your restaurant especially on specific day of the month.
2. Direct and expand your efforts on outside catering and/or delivery- if you are not already doing this you should. Catering and/or delivery can add profitable revenue to your restaurant's bottom line.
3. Add new dining area for banquets and overflow seating. This can be a sizable investment, but will cost you much less than a new location with less risk and can offer you a great way to increase your sales and profit.

Friday, October 21, 2011

How to handle customers' complaints

 Every restaurant at least once had to deal with customers' complaints. The most important thing to remember however is not how many complaints a restaurant has received but how it responds to them. Instead of taking it as a personal attack, consider complaints an opportunity to improve. To help you with this we have listed some tips on how to handle customers' complaints.
1. Show them you care -thank the customer for making you aware of the problem.
2. Apologize- offer sincere apology and don't become defensive.
3. Tell your customers how you are going to fix the problem- customers really don't care why a certain problem has happened but rather what you are going to do about it now that you are aware of it.
4. Invite them back- remember you goal should be to turn the disappointed customer into a loyal one. You should invite them back and can always offer a gift certificates, coupons, or discounts for their next visit. This is a fantastic opportunity to redeem your restaurant, so use it to your advantage.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

3 Steps on how restaurant owners can minimize job burnout

 One of the greatest occupational hazards for restaurant owners is job burnout since more often than not owners take on too many functions and responsibilities which can lead to long hours and most of the time no personal life outside of the restaurant. Find out how you as a restaurant owner can minimize the effects of job burnout.
1. Take all inventory and evaluate all the functions you currently perform.
2. Identify the right stuff that will be capable of completing the tasks.
3. Teach and train the employees to perform the work.
This tips may sound simple but once you relinquish some of the task you currently perform to a well trained stuff, you may find yourself with enough time on your hands to actually spend more time with your family or concentrate your efforts on more important matters like growing your business for example.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

This is a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust.
A must try!


Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
  3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
  4. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.               

Courtesy of Renee

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Things to consider before opening a second location for your restaurant Part I

 Opening a second location for an existing restaurant can be the single most difficult decision a restaurant owner can make. Having two restaurants can not only create new operating and management challenges many owners don't anticipate, but can put to risk not only the new restaurant but also the already existing one as well. Since this is a broad topic we have broken it down to two parts. Part I of "Things to consider before opening a second location for your restaurant" concentrates on what we call foundation questions which we first think each owner should answer and then build a solid plan on how to accomplish them. Part II of these series gives details on the areas we believe a restaurant owners should concentrate before opening a second location. So here are the things we think every owner should consider before making this life changing decision:
1. Consider the time, resources, and risk entailed in opening a second restaurant, and if possible talk to other owners who have already opened a second location. What have they learned? What would they change?
2. Look into your projections, they should be realistic. Then take your worst case scenario and make it your best case scenario, and ask yourself can you live with the results?
3. Do you have systems in place already set up that have been established to work?
4. And last but not least ask yourself: have you exhausted all of your existing options of profitability in your operation?
To learn more read Part II...

Monday, October 17, 2011

3 Must have Facebook apps for your restaurant

 Today most restaurant owners know that the world's largest social network, Facebook, is a great tool for expanding and strengthening your customer base. One of the best things on this social giant is its huge apps directory which can be of great help for restaurants when it comes to traffic, sales, and brand awareness. To make selecting the right apps an easy process, we listed what we consider top 3 must have Facebook apps for your restaurant business.
1. RatePoint- this app allows you to utilize your already existing customers to gain new ones. It gathers reviews and testimonials and generate an overall rating for your services which can help you build customer loyalty.
2. Promotions- this app combines coupons, contests, giveaways, and sweepstakes and creates interactive campaigns which can be priceless for brand awareness and for engaging your restaurant customers.
3. RSS Graffiti- great app that can save you time especially if you have multiply sites since it connects with your RSS feed and posts on your wall. Accordingly, all you need is a blog or a website that has an active feed.

Friday, October 14, 2011

What is UGC and 3 ways how it can benefit your restaurant

 UGC or User Generated Content is a content added to a website exclusively contributed by online users which can be a dream come true for most restaurant owners. Because the work is done by the online users and the content is free, your site has the potential to grow constantly which can be a great way for restaurants to expand on their brand. We also have found that a great way to stimulate UGC content for your restaurant website is by including a "reviews" section or by asking controversial questions. These methods can encourage your restaurant customers to send feedback about anything you are interested in collecting more information about like customer service or menu items. Using UGC is a great way for restaurants to:
1. Generate original and free content for their site which can save them time and money
2. Help them establish customer loyalty
3. Strenghten their restaurant presence on the web
 However whether you decide to implement UGC into your restaurant website or not, keep in mind that as you business continues to grow using creative solutions like UGC can only benefit your restaurant on the long run.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

10 Tips on how to WOW your restaurant's customers

 Today many restaurants struggle how to not only attract new customers but also how to retain existing ones. The secret has always been in impressing your customers in such a way that your restaurant name stays on top of their mind at all times. Keeping this in mind, we listed 10 tips to help restaurants WOW their own customers.
1. Train your stuff not only on proper service and menu, but also on food service habits such as insuring that cold food is served cold, hot food is served hot, and always making sure that glasses and plates are clean of any food residue or water stains.
2. Go the extra mile and always anticipate your customer wishes. For example, if your customer is drinking coffee and is due for a refill, instead of asking if he needs more anticipate his wish and refill his cup.
3. Instill teamwork- just because every server is responsible for their own section it doesn't mean that his coworkers cannot help with the clearing of dishes or the refill of beverages. All customers should be given equal attention and care.
4. When your guests make a reservation, train your stuff to take down the guest name and the occasion for the reservation (if any). This way when your customers arrive, they will be addressed by name, escorted to their table which should be decorated for the specific occasion, and the guests given the appropriate attention and service.
5. Set up birthday club for your customers and send out birthday cards, notes, or dinner coupons.
6. Establish loyalty programs and reward your guests for being loyal customers by giving out coupons, discounts on special events, or awards.
7. Acknowledge all of your customers, especially the returning ones- get to know your guests better than your employees do, show them you care, and create "at home" feeling.
8. Provide clean bathrooms. Having a immaculately clean restrooms that are also stylishly decorated with mouthwash, lotions, fresh flowers, or over sized mirrors, is a very affective way to show your guests how much you care about them and how serious you are about cleanliness in all area of your restaurant.
9. It's all in the details. Sometimes small things matter the most such as dining on a clean tablecloths, drinking from spotless glasses, having enough napkins and silverware, attentive stuff, timely  service, consistent and great tasting food, etc. Keep in mind that these things matter more than incredible designed restaurant.
10. Make "Welcome" and "Goodbye" memorable. Since customers remember the first and the last minutes of service more than all of the rest, make sure to leave a sincere lasting impressions.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

10 Ways you can use Twitter to make your restaurant successful

 Twitter has come a long way since its launch in July of 2006. Today Twitter is not only an online social networking and micro blogging service, but it is a way for businesses like restaurants to share their messages to existing and future customers.This is why we have gathered this 10 tips on how restaurants can use Twitter to become successful such as:1. Promote specials
2. Promote your menu
3. Hold customer contests
4. Promote seasonal and special events
5. Post job openings
6. Give out coupons
7. Promote your restaurant
8. Keep customers informed of any changes your restaurant may be undergoing
9. Rally your existing or future customers around shared passions for food or the restaurant industry
10. Help you build trust and customer loyalty

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

10 Ways you can use Facebook to your restaurant advantage

 Today most restaurants are aware that maintaining a social profile is a necessity. That being said there are ways you can use social networks like Facebook as a marketing tool to your restaurant advantage, and here are 10 tips on how to accomplish that.
1. Promote specials
2. Promote your menu
3. Collect feedback on service, food quality, menu design, restaurant design, interior or exterior of the restaurant, etc.
4. Give out coupons
5. Hold customer contests for slogan, menu items, specials, etc.
6. Post a job opening
7. Share your restaurant to the world through pictures and videos
8. Collect customers' reviews and use them as testimonials for your restaurant
9. Make valuable and lasting community connections by sponsoring local baseball or football teams
10. Build trust and customer loyalty by posting useful information

Monday, October 10, 2011

10 Ways you can use QR codes to promote your restaurant business

 QR codes or Quick Response codes have been used since the mid 90's in Japan where the code were invented. In other countries QR codes are finally becoming popular as the use of Smart phones continues to grow. Don't be left behind instead find out how you can use QR codes to your restaurant's advantage. You can:
1. Post it on your website and direct customers to Google maps for directions to your restaurant.
2. Post it on your menu and direct your customers to your website where they can rate your menu items.
3. Post it on your napkins or beverage coaster and direct your customer to your website where they can purchase your merchandise.
4. Use your QR to generate more "Likes" on your Facebook fan page.
5. Use it to share video of your restaurant or snippets of your customers testimonials.
6. On flyers and posters instead of interactive media ads.
7. On your business cards which can direct customers to your online website.
8. On to go and take home packaging.
9. Use it to direct your customers to downloadable media such as e-books of your restaurant recipes.
10. Use it to generate links to all of your social sites where customers can connect with you.

Friday, October 7, 2011

What are QR codes and why you should use them in your restaurant business

 A QR code stands for Quick Response code, and it's a 2D matrix bar code first designed by the automotive industry in the mid 90's in Japan. Created to allow its contents to be decoded at a high speed, this code consists of a black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. As the use of Smart phones is continue to be on the rise, QR codes are becoming more and more popular. They are quite simple to use, in fact if you have a camera-enabled Smart phone you can scan the QR code and gain an immediate access to information such as links, web addresses, emails, phone numbers, or images. Basically QR codes are an amazing bridge between your offline and online world, and you can implement them quite successfully into your restaurant business. You can easily use them for directions to your restaurant, to direct customers to your website, to stimulate the growth of your Facebook fan page, to share videos of your restaurant, etc. Even creating QR codes is easy, and you don't need to hire a specialist. There are services out there like Delivr, QR Stuff, or QRifier which can assist you in the creation process and will allow you to choose the type of content appropriate for your restaurant needs. Remember whichever service you choose don't forget tracking and statistics are necessary tools which will help you measure the success of your QR codes, so you might want to insure that your QR generator provides this service. You can even use a generator that has a color palette and customize your code. It's all up to you, and creativity is the name of the game.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Five easy steps to clean and organize your business email as a restaurant owner

 Being efficient should be the goal of every successful restaurant owner. Let's face it you can't afford to waste your time, and messy mailboxes can add a lot of unwanted noise. Save yourself the headache and take advantage of this guides for cleaning and organizing your email box.
1. Email time- schedule a specific uninterrupted time of the day to process all your emails, or you'll find yourself going over your email all the time.
2. De-folder- having too many folders can eat up a lot of your time since you have to sort your mail each day. Instead use just a couple of folders like Follow up/Attention- for work you haven't checked or one that requires your particular attention, Incomplete- for mail that requires more work, and Complete- for all finished work.
3. Filter- not everything you receive have to reach your mailbox. You can set up filters by using keywords, subject, or sender.
4. Automate- save time by sending canned responses which are a great way to quickly view and respond to emails without having to retype or copy and paste the same message.
5. Unsubscribe- to be more efficient you can set a time, collect all unwanted emails you wish to unsubscribe to, and unsubscribe at once saving yourself time and headache.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Creative ways for restaurants to increase their sales

 Are you a restaurant owner who is looking for ways to increase your restaurant's sales? Have you tried  the old traditional ways and discovered you need something more? Look no further, this 10 tips will help you in a creative way to increase your restaurants sales.
1. Set up cooking shows and teach your customers cooking techniques and/or recipes.
2. Publish and sell your restaurant's cook book.
3. Take advantage of your website and sell merchandise.
4. Hold weekly or monthly races that start and end at your restaurant.
5. Encourage your customers to tweet about your restaurant specials, menus, or contests by giving out gift cards, merchandise from your restaurant, or a whole year of free meals for the best tweets.
6. Use Facebook to hold customer contests when looking to introduce new menus, new restaurant slogan, or even when looking to make changes to your existing decor.
7. Sponsor local LLBB,peewee football teams, or any other teams of your choice.
8. Turn your restaurant wall into art gallery for student art clubs or art departments.
9. Hold yearly events such as food competitions or races.
10. Get involved within your community and hold food drives especially around holidays.
 At the end, this tips are merely suggestions, and you have to find the right fit for your restaurant business. As long as you keep it fun and remember your goals at all times, there is nothing that will stop you.


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

How to make your restaurant mobile site successful

 Mobile consumers are fast growing phenomenon. Since the market is growing rapidly and becoming only more advance, there is no escaping it your restaurant business needs to go mobile. Creating a mobile website is not as hard as one may believe and to guide you through this process, we have listed this helpful tips to make your restaurant mobile site successful.
1. In with the new- contrary to what many may believe, you can't just duplicate your existing site. Instead you have to edit and select your texts and images carefully, and since users tend to browse sites quickly you have to captivate their attention.
2. Structure- don't forget your title, content, and links are all important for helping search engines index your site correctly. Design this wisely.
3. Minimize scrolling- the less scrolling is involved the more your clients will appreciate you. Keep in mind a great way to break your content into segments is using links.
4. Stay connected- don't forget to connect your mobile site to various social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, Google maps, emailing, etc. which will allow your customers to easily connect with you from anywhere anytime.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Are your restaurant's meetings successful?

 Even the most successful restaurants sometimes need help when it comes to conducting constructive monthly meetings. If you been there then you know, how important it is to resolve any outstanding problems without putting your team down. Below are seven ideas on how to make your restaurant meeting successful.
1. Open the meeting in a friendly nonjudgmental manner and restate the purpose of the meeting.
2. Get an agreement. If a problem exists recognize the nature of the issue and agree the problem exists.
3. Explore ideas and brainstorm ways the issues can be improved or corrected.
4. Make debates and discussions transparent.
5. Commit to action.
6. Handle excuses.
7. Provide productive feedback.
 Overall as long as you keep learning and improving from previous conducted meetings at your restaurant, you'll be on your way to success.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Is constructive feedback the secret to a successful restaurant ownership?

 Positive feedback is crucial to any successful restaurant team. When your employees feel recognized and appreciated, they will go an extra mile which is what most restaurant owners desire. Here is a five step guide to show you how to give constructive feedback.
1. Be timely- feedback should occur right after the interaction.
2. Be specific- give examples don't be vague
3. Focus on "what" not "why"- focus on the behavior not the person. You can start with something like "I have observed" or "I have noticed".
4. Be sincere- avoid angry tone that exhibits frustration, disappointment, or sarcasm.
5. Be positive- give as much positive feedback as you do negative since positive feedback leaves the recipient open to take new direction.
 Keep in mind, as a restaurant owner you should manage feedback in a positive way, so you can grow and improve your restaurant.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Do you know how to hold your restaurant employees accountable?

 Every restaurant should strive to provide proper training for its employees, and then hold them accountable to what is expected from them, never the other way around. But how can restaurants accomplish this without actually micromanaging their team? Find out how this five steps can help you achieve accountability for your employees.
1. Always hire the right people, and don't rush to fill open positions. If a prospective job candidates does not fit your restaurant culture or the position, wait it out until the right candidate emerges.
2. Encourage peer to peer accountability since there is nothing better that drives behavior. You can ask your employees to anonymously score different parts of your team, from the back to the front of the house.
3. Frequently express expectations, track, and reevaluate goals and progress.
4. Empower employees to make decisions.
5. Empower ownership stake by making your employees part of the dream.
 Remember accountability can motivate your restaurant employees and reveal great leaders.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Is your restaurant blog attractive?

 Are you taking advantage of your restaurant website the way you should? Have your set up your own blog, or are you still stuck in your old ways? Having a restaurants' blog is not only a great way to increase your digital presence, but also an opportunity to make your restaurant more visible and likable when it comes to your customers. Here is a ten step guide to help you build an attractive restaurant blog.
1. Connect your blog and your website- instead of setting up a whole new domain name for your blog just set it as a sub domain of your website. In this way all inbound links of your blog pages will increase the search for your main site.
2. Make it appealing- you never know from where your first customer experience will come, so spice up your blog visually by mirroring the navigation and design of your restaurant website.
3.  Don't forget to show up- make sure you are consistent and regularly provide useful content. It's all about engaging your customers.
4. Create a killer headline- intriguing title is crucial to attracting customers so if you have to, spend most of your time constructing the headline.
5. Solve or share- focus on your customers instead of shilling your products. Write about what your customers care about or their most common concerns. You can ask your employees for ideas or even use your own restaurant reviews to assist your customers.
6. Focus and be concise- respect your customers time. Open with declarative sentence that introduces the main idea, use short paragraphs or bullet points, and don't hide the important information.
7. Don't forget to link- link specific keywords or phrases to other resources on your site such as different pages.
8. Take advantage of your entire post- the top or the side bars of your blog can easily be used for banners or buttons, but the bottom of your post can be used as an opportunity to show more offers from your restaurant.
9. Don't forget subscription- allow subscription through email or RSS feeds, so you can keep your customers updated.
10. Plug into social media- equip your blog with at least the big three- Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. This encourages your customers to share your content and will increase your chances of generating new leads.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

 You have got to try these especially if you are looking to save money!


Ingredients:
  • 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup margarine, melted
  • 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
  2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
  3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.               

TIPS:
To save the filling from running out of the rolls, as soon as you take them out of the oven flip the pan over which allows all of the yummy cinnamon drippings to coat the rolls.

Courtesy of Marsha Fernandez                    

Friday, September 23, 2011

How to boost your morale as a restaurant owner

 Low restaurant owner's morale can lead to poor cooperation, low productivity, and increased employee turnover which can easily destroy a company. Here we have listed fourteen tips on how to avoid this pitfall.
1. Create safe environment.
2. Thank your employees.
3. Reward good performance.
4. Encourage the persuade of passion.
5. Change the way you communicate change.
6. Change the way you perceive your employees.
7. Empower employees to make decision under your guidance.
8. Show your employees they make a difference in your customers lives.
9. Celebrate accomplishments.
10. Encourage healthy competition.
11. Mix the usual way of how things are done like changing your usual meeting place.
12. Collaborate ideas with your employees.
13. Encourage peer to peer recognition.
14. Provide constructive feedback.

 Remember, always try to foster rewarding workplace where your employees can prosper and there is no way you won't succeed.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

 A very simple and easy marinade that makes your shrimp so delicious you don't even need cocktail sauce!

Ingredients:
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • skewers

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
  2. Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
  3. Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.               

TIPS:
 If you can use your grill since it allows some of the seasonings to air out especially the garlic and adds a great taste that can not be replicated on the stove.                                                       

Courtesy of BLONDIEPEREZ                    

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Three time saving ideas for updating your restaurant's website

 Keeping your restaurant's website constantly updated can not only boost your site's ranking in search engines but can keep your customers engaged and interested in what you do. Find out how these ideas can help you save time when it comes to updating your restaurant's website.
1. Use more than words- don't forget videos can be just as helpful and most likely save you time. You can easily for example record a day at your restaurant and share it with your customers.
2. Brainstorm and write your articles in advance- this can save you precious time, so you don't have to think about an idea every time you want to write something. Some blog services actually let you schedule when you want your post to appear so if you can, take advantage if this service.
3. Break large ideas into small ones- content is important, and it will be easier for your customers to follow if you write a couple of small articles instead of one big one.