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.

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.

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.

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.

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                    

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.

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                    

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.

Three tips on how restaurants can make their website's multimedia engaging

 A little multimedia on any restaurant website can go a long way. But whether you decide to use video, audio, or animation, make sure to use the right balance and always in the service of the site's strategic purpose. Here are three tips on how you can make the multimedia on your restaurant's website engaging.
1. Give customers control- do not have videos or animation play automatically instead include play, stop, pause, and rewind controls.
2. Provide context- tell customers what they are about to watch or listen to because you may loose them even before you had the chance to show your piece.
3. Keep it short- limit videos to no longer than 3 minutes or again you are risking to loose your customers interest.
 At the end keep in mind that multimedia can make your restaurant site more enjoyable but that doesn't mean that every restaurant needs media to attract customers, so choose wisely.

How to build business credit for your restaurant

 As many restaurant owners have learned having a good business credit can be crucial to the expansion or even survival of some restaurants. Here are five ideas that can not only help you build your restaurant business credit but also help you avoid future rejections.
1. Maintain your personal credit rating- many banks based their initial decision on the owner personal credit score so don't forget to pay bills on time, keep a low ratio of debt to available credit and keep your balances under 30% of your limit in your personal credit card.
2. Apply for credit before you need it- soon after you start up your restaurant apply for business credit card or a small bank loan, even opening a store-based credit card line or card from retailers such as Office Max or Home Depot can be extremely helpful.
3. Grow and use your credit- once you establish payment history, request your limit to be increased even if you don't need it right away.
4. Develop relationships with different lenders- as the saying goes don't keep all your eggs in the same basket instead diversify. You can apply for a credit card through a major bank and for a credit loan through a local credit union.
5. Consider all options- there's other options you may want to consider for your credit such as investors, asset-based lenders, or peer to peer landing like Prosper or Kickstarter.
 Overall, getting a business credit is much more easier when you don't need it, that's why always do the hard work beforehand, so you can enjoy the rewards later.

Ten ideas to keep your restaurant's website fresh

 Your restaurant's website should be a direct reflection of your business and keeping it fresh and providing original content should be as important as creating exuberant dishes. Find out how this ten ideas can help you achieve just that.
1. Post videos of recipes or how to guides.
2.  Post information on what produce is in season and which ones are incorporated in your menu or specials.
3. Start a business blog and talk about your current menu dishes, upcoming events, promotions, or products.
4. Post press releases of important industry news or news from your own restaurant.
5. Post sale notices of each week or each month specials.
6. Offer your team bios and stories, customers always want to know who is behind their dishes.
7. Talk about interesting facts about the restaurant industry or even your own restaurant.
8. Hold contest and engage customers to participate.
9. Post polls and collect feedback on service, food items, or future specials.
10. And last but not least offer you own daily deals. Companies like ChompOn, AtCost, Deal Current, and many others can help you directly connect with your customers.

Cream Cheese Danish

 This recipe makes the best cream cheese Danish you'll ever have, and it's just as easy to make too.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, diced
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons sour cream
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Line bottom of baking pan with 1 can of crescent rolls. Pinch all seams together to seal.
3. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and sour cream. Spread filling on top of rolls. Place second can of rolls on top of filling.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar, milk and butter. After Danish has cooled, drizzle with icing.               

TIP:
The new Pillsbury crescent sheets without the perforations are great for this!!                                     
Courtesy of Natalie             

Why Groupon and other similar sites may become old news for restaurants

  Groupon and other similar group-buying sites like LivingSocial or BuyWithMe have enticed restaurant owners for a long time, but horror stories of deals gone wrong had turn many owners to wonder what else is out there that can help them increase their sales and attract new customers. Well look no further, white label and application service provider companies like ChompOn, AtCost, PoweredbyTippr, Group Commerce, and others all have dedicated their work to help restaurants and other businesses alike to take charge of their sales. No more relinquishing 50 percent of gross revenue or terrible customer service. By using white label technology and services, restaurants can now create a direct link between them and their customers, keep more of the deals revenue, take advantage of support and training materials for group buying, adjust product offerings based on top sellers available in real time, and much more. So if you are still using those big group-buying sites, take a closer look at your contract and find a way to save yourself the headaches.

How to make a restaurant video successful

 Videos are gaining more and more popularity these days. Many believe that by the end of next year more than half of the population will be inclined to watch a video than to read an article for example. So it seems that videos may become a must have for all restaurants. Don't wait to become extinct but instead take a look at these tips on how to make your restaurant's video successful.
1. Make a bullet points of your ideas and position them below the camera for quick reference.
2. Rehearse your speech couple of times before you start recording.
3. Don't stop if you make mistake or deviate from your topic nobody will know but you.
4. Steady and focus your camera to avoid blurring.
5. Concentrate and look into the camera lens or focus on a little black square on top of your monitor. Try making the recording more natural by simulating real conversation like moving your head and smiling like you normally will do.
6. Avoid whispering or shouting by assuring the volume levels of your voice are matched through out.
7. Keep it natural. You don't have to put on a suit to impress your customers, matter of fact doing a video in your chef uniform while cooking for example will always turn out more successful than any other staged footage.
8. Check you lightening. If you can record during day light or at least assure you have enough light by using one main source of light supported by any other sources needed to illuminate the shadows.
9. And last but not least don't forget to have fun.

Three ways to increase the power of your restaurant's marketing efforts

  Marketing is essential for any restaurant, and there are ways that can help you increase your restaurant marketing efforts which can lead to better exposure, more customers, and increased sales. Take a look at this three ideas that can position your restaurant to achieve great success.
1. Create an emotional attachment- tug at their heart string.
2. Engage customers- get them talking and telling their friends about your restaurant.
3. Keep them asking for more- always leave customers asking for more. You can leak information or hold promotional events and contests around your next menu item.
At the end remember, if you follow this simple steps you'll discover you can easily increase the success rate of your campaigns.

Fifteen tips on how to boost employee morale in your restaurant

 In this uncertain times some restaurant owners are trying to do more with less which undoubtedly can kill workers morale. Find out what can make your restaurant employees happy again that cost a lot less than any free gifts or food.
1. Create a safe environment- you want your employees to feel safe they can share with you any concerns or feedback.
2. Don't forget to say thank you- a hand written note from you explaining exactly what they do that you like can go a long way.
3. Reward good performance- don't wait until monthly meetings or performance evaluations to tell your employees they are doing something well.
4. Communicate change properly- in a ask/assertive way instead of tell/assertive way make your workers part of the change by asking input of the best way for example of how to get from point A to point B.
5. Change the way you think about your employees- instead of wasting time searching how long your employees spend on Facebook or if they are stealing from you, concentrate your efforts on what they are doing right and tell them every once in a while.
6. Empower employees to be able to solve problems using your guidelines.
7. Structure and focus on action- put yourself in your workers shoes and group similar various task together to maximize and allow enough focus to complete each task.
8. Show your employees they make a difference at their job- encourage customers to share inspiring stories about your employees.
9. Celebrate accomplishments- take the time to show your employees how much they have done through the year which will make them appreciate the work they do.
10. Instigate healthy competition- departing from customary routines can make a world's difference. Designate a day for all your employees where they can hold a tournaments, play and compete against each other where they can come up with their team names, t-shirts, or team songs.
11. Train employees to develop positive attitudes- you can watch and discuss inspiring videos and how they relate to your particular restaurant culture.
12. Mix the usual way of doing things- you don't have to always have your employee meetings at the same place instead you can hold them at a cafe or take your whole team to the park.
13. Offer time away to do some good- community service can make a difference. You can offer your workers a few paid hours each quarter to volunteer to a charitable organization of their choice.
14. Encourage peer to peer recognition- you can post the pictures of the nominated workers for the month around the restaurant or you can give them points they can collect in order to receive a trophy for the best employee of the year.
15. Collaborate ideas- have your employees write down the goals they have for the restaurant for the year. Then give your employees the opportunity to vote for the top ten goals for your restaurant.
 Remember, make it known who is in charge but also strive to create a place where your restaurant employees are not afraid to ask you questions.

Interview mistakes restaurant owners should avoid

 As suprising as it seems, even restaurant owners have to prepare for interviews. Find out how to avoid this four interview mistakes.
1. Getting too personal- avoid any questions that can be perceived as descriminatory. You never want to ask future candidate their age, race, religion, or nationality.
2. Asking too general questions- stick to behavior questions which can help you get more useful answers like "Greatest personal achievement and how they acomplish it"? You should focus on their experiences.
3. Skimming on job requirements- be honest how much you expect from your employees.
4. Openning too much to rejected candidates- instead of offering constructive criticism which can lead to some people reading between the lines or potential legal problems, you can tell the rejected candidate you found someone else.
 Overall, the interview process should be an opportunity for you to get to know your prospective employees and determne if they are a good fit for your company.Remember be honest about your expectations and the culture at your restaurant.

Cream Cheese Mints

 The best and easiest holiday candy recipe around that you'll ever find!


Ingredients:

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 drops peppermint oil
• any color food coloring paste (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and confectioner's sugar. Mix in peppermint oil. Color as desired with food coloring paste, or leave white.
2. Roll mixture into small balls, and place on waxed paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners' sugar. Let dry for about 2 hours on waxed paper, then freeze or refrigerate.      

TIPS:
You can use 4 oz. cream cheese instead of 3, 1/2 tsp. peppermint oil, and 5 drops food coloring to make about 100 mints.

Enjoy!
Courtesy of Diane                    

How to keep your restaurant thriving in down economy

  When the economy is heading down, how do you make sure your restaurant thrives no matter what? Read this thirteen tips on how to keep your restaurant on the top.
1. Reconsider you products- refresh your menu, add new flavours, or bundle products together for a better perceived value.
2. Examine your packaging- check if your packaging for to go bags or take-outs is appealing to your customers? Also is the packaging current?
3. Revisit your pricing- do not lower but instead find ways to strengthen your current price.
4. Look for opportunities- as other businesses falter you can move into new markets, add new menu items, or products.
5. Collaborate your efforts- offer discounts to existing customers or business professionals who can refer you business.
6. Expand your network- get to know new people in different business sectors who may become or know someone who wants to become your customer.
7. Increase your marketing- with less competition you will get more visibility for your restaurant. Also don't forget to take advantage of free social media marketing tools.
8. Take advantage of your assets- hold cooking shows, live how to guides or print your own restaurant recipes.
9. Stay on top of trends- customers are not just shopping online anymore. They are booking reservations, checking reviews, or selecting favorable menu dishes so be sure to take advantage of new emerging trends.
10. Stay in touch with technology- application based websites like Foursquare should become your friend because they cannot only increase your sales but also your visibility to new customers.
11. Look into refinancing- reorganize your debt and get better terms with single loan or credit line.
12. Improve cash flow- look into getting favorable terms and values from your vendors and manage your cash better.
13. Take time to energize- no matter what you do you need at least one day off to recoup your strength, so don't compromise.

How can restaurants stay ahead of the game

  Since many restaurants fail in their first year of operation, staying ahead of the competition can become quite critical for most restaurant owners. Find out what you can do to keep your restaurant ahead of the game.
1. Take advantage of your assets- if you have a large facility take advantage of it and engage your customers by setting up cooking shows for example. You can provide how to live guides or show how different dishes are made to your customers.
2. Stay in touch with trends- customers are not just shopping online anymore. They are booking reservations, checking reviews, or selecting favorable menu dishes so be sure to take advantage of new emerging trends.
3. Stay in touch with technology- application based websites like Foursquare should be your friend because they cannot only increase your sales but also your visibility to new customers.
  At the end it is up to you if you want to stay ahead of the game and  take over your competition or be just like most restaurants and drown in the sea of average.

How to foster ownership spirit among your restaurant's employees

  A restaurant with employees who have a owner-minded mindset will go above and beyond expectations for the sake of the restaurant objective. This is truly a restaurants owner dream come true. Find out what you can do to foster ownership spirit among your restaurant's employees.
1. Create safe environment where your employees can share their concerns.
2. Share your restaurant's objectives and help your employees understand your restaurant better which will allow them to act beyond their role.
3. Share your restaurant's vision for the future and make them part of the dream.
4. Collaborate ideas with your employees who will be more inclined to support ideas they had  helped create.
5. Make decisions and debates transparent.
6. Reward employees who go beyond the expected.

  Remember to employ owner-minded employees is a treasure. They can adapt easier and faster to change and develop innovative ideas that can lead to new products or market opportunities, so take a closer look at your restaurant and if you have to make the necessary changes.