Cream Cheese Pound Cake

  This extremely delicious dense pound cake will leave your guest asking for more.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 3 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs two at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the flour all at once and mix in. Add vanilla.
4. Pour into a 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into center of cake will come out clean.               

TIPS:
You can use cake flour for more velvet type texture.

Courtesy of Nanci

How to improve customer service at your restaurant

  Today more and more people list customer service as number one reason when it comes to doing business or spending money with a certain company. Here we have posted seven tips every restaurant should know for providing a top notch customer service.
1. Answer the phone after a few rings.
2. If you have automated phone system reduce voicemail steps.
3. Train your employees to be courteous, polite, and well-versed in your restaurant menu.
4. Empower employees to solve problems following your guidelines.
5. Surprise and fascinate your customers with unexpected gesture.
6. Listen to your employees.
7. Listen to your customers.
  Keep in mind today, customers have more power than ever when it comes to their voice being heard, so take advantage of this phenomenon and stand out from your competition.

How to engage your restaurant customers on the go

 Technology is not what it used to be. Today eighty-three percent of American adults own cell phones and want or search for information on the go. This is the main reason why restaurants should take advantage of mobile technologies which can enable them to stay connected at all times with their   customers. Here are five easy ways to help you engage your restaurant customers on the go.

1. Make your emails mobile friendly-this is essential for delivering offers and specials to you customers on the go. Keep your email designs simple and don't forget to offer a link to your restaurant website or social network pages.
2. Optimize your website for online use- people like to compare deals online or often search for information such as company's hours, location, or direction. If your website is not up to date and mobile friendly you may miss on sales opportunities.
3. Use location based services- Foursquare, Gowalla, or Where are services that let your customers share information and tips about your restaurant while at the same time allowing you to collect information on how often they visit.
4. Build your fan base on the go - put a sign or poster that encourages your customers to connect with your restaurant socially which can propel significant growth of your network.
5. Encourage reviews on the go- direct customers to sites like Yelp, Where, or Trip Advisor where they can share thoughts or experiences about your restaurant. Also if you have a Twitter account, don't forget to post your Twitter handle so following you can be a breeze.

Remember if at all times you know who and where your customers are, and you focus your efforts on delivering exceptional service and product your restaurant success will be explosive.

10 Ways to impress your boss as a server

If you ever wondered what can you do to stand out from the rest of your coworkers as a server look no further. Here we have included 10 tips on how to impress your boss and get him or her to notice you.

1. Never stop improving.
2. Show eagerness to be successful, professional, and consistent.
3. Be a team player- go an extra mile or take an extra responsibility.
4. Anticipate what needs to be done.
5. Be prepared and ready- whether for unplanned meeting or on the spot questions.
6. Show your abilities.
7. Become astute problem solver.
8. Show ambition but show it over time
9. Show positive can do attitude towards problems.
10. Be punctual- always arrive and finish your work on time.

Remember, this tips can be quite effective if you only apply and open yourself for success.

How restaurants should deal with negative social media

    Today social media has taken over every aspect of our lives from personal issues to businesses ventures. Many restaurants have taken advantage of these low cost phenomena. Unfortunately social media can be a double sword, and as helpful it can be it can also hurt your restaurant business through bad reviews, comments, or news. Here,we have listed a few simple steps you can take if you ever have to experience the misfortune of negative social media.
1. Address the problem immediately and offer a solution.
2. Look into the problem and correct it- find out is it customer service based, food related, or is it a different matter all together. Once you find the cause of the problem correct it by offering more training to your stuff or upgrading your menu.
3. Make it known you fixed the problem and invite customers to find out for themselves- "You spoke and we listen" should be a sentence you shouldn't be shy with. Customers care when restaurants take notice of their problems.
   As simple as this steps may seem, they can be quite effective. Just remember if people are not talking about your restaurant then they don't know about it, so take advantage of every opportunity and turn it into success. 

Oreo fudge ice cream cake

This easy ice cream cake will definitely leave everyone asking for more.   
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
• 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
• 1 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
• 8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped
• 12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

Directions

1. Pour fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.
2. Arrange 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.
3. Freeze at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.               

TIPS:
You can add some milk to the filling to make it more creamy.

Courtesy of Cool Whip®

Five steps to help your restaurant marketing plan

  When it comes to being successful, most restaurant owners need detail plan to outline their marketing goals. Here, we have listed five steps to guide you to develop your restaurant marketing plan and help you grow your business.
1. Look in- establish your business identity by listing your restaurant goals, strengths, and weaknesses.
2. Look out- make a second list of your company opportunities, threats, and your ideal target market. For example things like new market trends, new menu products, your competition, etc.
3. Focus- pull your list together and look for intersections of your restaurant identity and target market. Narrow your efforts and focus on what's important for your restaurant.
4. Conquer- set measurable goals and track your progress through expense budgets, your website page views, feedback from your customers, and more.
5. Review- review often as you can. As your restaurant business continue to grow adapt and embrace changes and never stop evolving.

 Keep in mind that your restaurant marketing plan is just one side of your success as a restaurant owner, so keep pushing, be consistent, and never give up.

How to make people read your restaurant newsletter

  The decision to publish a newsletter may look easy until you actually start doing it. It takes time, dedication, money, and energy to produce a newsletter worth reading. Before you make this commitment, you should take a look at this three steps design to help you create a successful restaurant newsletter on a regular basis.

1. Consistency- decide what the goal of your newsletter will be. Would it be promotional, informative, relationship building or marketing oriented? Let your readers know about your intentions and always stick to them.
2. Frequency- your newsletter should come out on the same schedule, and it should not be printed too often or too far in between. Keep the information simple and newsworthy. Start by publishing the newsletter quarterly and then once you have establish your writing skills and have enough information move to publishing it bimonthly.
3. Audience- get to know your readers and don't take them for granted. Find out what they are interested in knowing or learning and deliver. For example, if there's a specific problem for which you have received substantial complaints, discuss the problem and how you are going to solve it in the newsletter. Keep in mind, customers want to know that someone is looking for their best interest.

   At the end remember,  a successful newsletter should fit into a five to ten minute reading window, so always respect your readers time.

How can checklist improve your restaurant business

  As strange as it seems, nowadays checklist are not only for household chores but are also successfully applied in different spheres of business. Find out how you can use checklists to improve your restaurant business:

1. Guide employees to help capture and preserve knowledge.
2. Improve outcome by providing clear outline of frequently conducted tasks or duties.
3. Establish pattern of communication such as monthly stuff meetings and more.
4. Create agreement of what's important and creates a way to communicate it.
5. Improve performance on areas that are underperforming.
6. Protect against stuff turnover distribution.
7. Create systems that add value to your restaurant business.
8. Eliminate errors.

  Remember, ckecklist can be quite effective as long as they are followed, so prepare yours and open the doors to success.

Apple Crisp

Amazing dessert which is even better served with ice cream. Try it for yourself, and you'll never use another recipe for apple crisp.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water                    
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.               

TIPS:
 You can add nutmeg to the apples and chopped pecans to the crust.

Courtesy of Diane Kester

Six steps in creating a successful restaurant concept

  Unfortunately in today's market, many restaurant owners fall short when it comes to their concept. Here, we have included some of the steps that need to be taken in order to create a successful restaurant concept.1. Design- create a solid brand by picking simple color profile. You can choose two contrasting but complimentary colors and maybe a third one for an accent. This color scheme should be used through your entire establishment including your logo and website.
2. Dining room - especially if you are just starting your business choose a smaller dining area. It will be easier to manage and will keep you cost down since you don't have to hire huge stuff to run it.
3. Menu- design a small menu. This way your food will be easier to cook, to order, and to maintain. You can also cut your expenses and keep the service faster.
4. Dishes- you don't have to use every ingredient in your restaurant to construct a successful dish. Let flavors shine and keep it simple. In this way, you will  also reduce time in the production of the dishes when ordered.
5. Liquor- there is no need to carry an extensive liquor collection especially when you are starting out. It will be easier to manage the inventory and keep your expenses low with a smaller supply. Once you grow your customer base, you can always add to the selection.
6. Market- choose your audience and don't try to please everyone. Concentrate on your demographics, and show of your concept.

   Please keep in mind that creating a successful restaurant concept needs constant work and improvement. At the end, your goal as a restaurant owner should be to create a profitable, easier manageable, and successful establishment through the right concept.

Is your dream to open a restaurant?

   Are you tired of eating out, spending money, or not so stellar customer service when you go to a restaurant. Are you thinking about the great opportunities of owning your own business. Discover why you should work in the restaurant industry before you open the doors of your own restaurant.

1.You can gain experience- there is nothing better than to learn from those who have done it. This is the best way you can get an in-depth knowledge of how are things really done.
2. Make contacts- you need either business or personal contacts because at the end you can't run the restaurant by yourself. You'll need people from the suppliers to the stuff.
3. Gain reputation- the more people love and respect you for what you do, the more they'll be willing to go an extra mile for you. By gaining the right reputation, you'll gain future customers.
4. Free marketing- this is a fantastic way to let customers know of your future venture. The more people know before you open the better. There is nothing worst than opening your restaurant doors and waiting for customers to show up. You have to do the work.
5. Learn how to avoid costly mistakes- this is another great tool you can arm yourself with. By personally experiencing what restaurants you working for are doing wrong, you'll save yourself a lot of money and sleepless nights.
6. Learn management techniques- this is crucial as well. You have to be a leader and guide your stuff to success.You need to learn what to be looking for, even if you plan to hire someone else to fulfil this position.
  Whatever you decide to do, remember, you always need to know what's happening in your own business, so getting the experience or the education is crucial to your success.

What drives customers crazy when it comes to restaurant service

When customers are saying enough, we have to listen. Read, what we found drives them crazy when it comes to restaurant service.

1. When you see we are waiting on you but you continue to ignore us.
2. When you are rude and have an attitude.
3. When you cough all over our food.
4. When you give us dirty plates.
5. When you correct our pronunciation of an item and think it's funny.
6. When you ask us if we need change.
7. When we need things, but you are nowhere to be found.
8. When our food comes out not the way we order it, but you try to persuade us it has came out good.
9. When you try to convince us we didn't order something when in fact we did.
10. When you watch us like a hawk while we eat.
11. When you check on our table every minute.

Unfortunately this happens. However, the most important thing for any successful restaurant business is: if such a complaint exist, it has to be addressed immediately and the problem corrected. At the end without your customer there will be no business.

How to deal with inappropriate customer behavior as a server?

In this episode we talked about inappropriate customer behavior, and how servers can deal with this problem. As a server you should contact management, have a coworker take over your section, record conversations, or if nothing helps contact police authorities and media.

We also strongly suggest you use your own judgment along with the suggested steps if this kind of situation arise. If anybody is making you feel uncomfortable, please take the necessary steps to address this issue.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

 Fantastic dessert that can make an excellent addition to a brunch or you can enjoy on a late afternoon.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup cold butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• FILLING:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove 1 cup and set aside. To the remaining crumbs, add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream, egg and almond extract; mix well. Spread in the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 10-in. spring form pan.
2. For the filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg in a small bowl until blended. Pour over batter; spoon raspberry jam on top. Sprinkle with almonds and reserved crumbs.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; remove sides from pan.               

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Susan Litwiller

How to WOW your customers after they leave your restaurant

  With competition growing quite rapidly in the restaurant business, it is important for restaurants to turn one-time customers into lifetime customers. Here, we have included four ways to guide every restaurant owner of how to wow their customers after they leave the restaurant.
1. Call and thank them- you can do this personally, train your stuff or hire outside help to assist you. It is important to show your customers that you are willing to go above and beyond the regular restaurant duties and show them they matter.
2. Include free sample with their to go or take home orders- this is a great way to introduce new and exciting menu item such as mini dessert or small salad. This is a method that can not only grab your customer attention, but also increase your sales.
3. Include hand written thank you note with their orders- this is quite an important step and what a fantastic way to show your customers you care. You can do the notes in advance and include a picture of your entire stuff to display who is taking care of your customers.
4. Include coupon printed on their receipt- this is a nice touch and a very simple way to assure you'll get a repeat business. This method can be extremely helpful for any restaurant owner especially if they allow their customers to take a picture of the coupon with their smart phones and show it next time they visit. In this way you'll multiply your chances of them sharing the coupon with their own family and friends especially if you tell them to keep this deep discounted coupon to themselves (it's a human nature to do the opposite of something we are told not to do).

  Know, the more your customers love and trust you, the more advantage you'll have over your competition. You don't have to use all of the four methods, but you should at least pick one and be consistent in your efforts.

How can restaurants use text-messaging coupons to their advantage

Text-messaging coupons are becoming more popular each day, but there are still some restaurant owners who are still skeptical of how they can implement this to their advantage. Below we have listed seven ways how restaurant owners can use this tool in their marketing strategy.

1. Slow nights- offer 2 for 1 specials.
2. Lunch crowd
3. Happy hour.
4. Any other drink or food specials.
5. Special occasions- birthdays, anniversaries, etc
6. Holidays- Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, etc.
7. Special holidays- Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Administrative Professionals Day, etc.

There are many other ways you can use this tool to your advantage. Be creative and remember there are a lot of customers out there who will prefer text-messaging coupons to any other form of communication.

Six tips on working with family in the restaurant business

Working with family can be challenging, and the problems that arise in a family run businesses usually don't occur anywhere else, or are just more intense. There are couple of things you can do that can ease this complex situation and place you and you family in a better position.

1. Be courteous to your family as you are to your customers.
2. Establish boundaries- separate family problems from business problems.
3. Don't gossip about your family members personal lives.
4. Respect each others' decisions and authority- set expectations and policies for appropriate behavior to avoid conflicts.
5. Be professional- avoid personal expressions of affection at the restaurant.
6. Establish  an exit plan- be prepared to separate your family members from the business if your relationship is suffering.

Keep in mind that a special understanding is required when working together with family members in the restaurant industry. This is why you should always stay optimistic, follow this guidelines, and remember at the end there is nothing more important than family.

Powerful Smoothie with anti aging qualities

This powerful smoothie with anti aging qualities will give your system a boost on the path of looking younger. Try it for yourself!


Ingredients:

• 1 cup(s) acai berry or pomegranate juice
• 3/4 small blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoon(s) whey protein
• 2 tablespoon(s) flax seeds, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon(s) chia seeds, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon(s) wheat germ
• 3 200-milligram fish oil capsules (break and squeeze out oil)
• 1 tablespoon(s) agave nectar (optional)

---

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Taste. Add ice cubes to change thickness or temperature if desired. If you want it sweeter, add a tablespoon of agave nectar; it's easier on your blood sugar levels than many other sweeteners.
3. Enjoy!

Courtesy of yahoo.com

Eight easy ways to advertise your restaurant

Marketing your new restaurant can be quite expensive, so we have compiled a list of eight savvy strategies that can not only save you money but also be quite effective.

1. E-mail marketing- is quite easy to implement. All you need is a list of your customers with their e-mails, and you can easily updated  them of what's going on in your restaurant.
2. Newsletter- this great tool you can use on monthly basis to announce new trends in your restaurant, publish recipes, or offer Eco-friendly ideas for your customers.
3. Foursquare- many restaurants have used this location based mobile platform successfully to give out discounts on customers who check in at their restaurants via smart phone application or a sms.
4. Groupon- most everyone today is familiar with this company which works with restaurants and other businesses by providing a certain discount to your targeted audience.
5. Facebook- this is the most popular social media website today which creates a one of a kind opportunity for restaurants by providing a direct contacts with your customers.
6. Twitter- is another social networking site which also provides micro blogging services and can easily be used by any restaurant to update their customers of new offers.
7. Text-messaging coupons- are becoming also quite popular these days especially if a restaurant is trying to bring in a quick lunch or dinner crowd. Mobile coupons are easy and can definitely save your customers money, since all they have to do to redeem their coupon is to show the text message when they are paying the bill.
8. Vehicle based advertising- this method can be a little more expensive than the rest but is also quite effective especially if you can convince some of your own employees to participate as well by advertising your restaurant on their own vehicles.

At the end whatever you do remember, customers will not start pouring in without you first taking some action.