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Newsletter Archives
(Please Note: Often times links point to "current" articles. The link was correct at the time, but new information may have replaced it. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.)
E-Mail Newsletter
**** Issue #175 **** May 18, 2005 In This Issue
* Question of the Week - Beer Inventory ****Please forward this issue to friends and
colleagues in the restaurant business**** ****You can appear in the next issue of the newsletter. Write in with comments/questions. Submit an article. Place an ad. Email us...****
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: BEER INVENTORY I just purchased a restaurant in the Atlanta, GA area. It was an existing restaurant (6 years) and is mostly frequented by the same people. I did all my calculations and figured that the restaurant should turn a profit (however modest). But at the end of the first week I realized that my inventory reduction did not match my receipt totals, specifically beer sales. Currently, as the server serves a beer (in the bottle) the server is "supposed" to log the sale on the ticket. This isn't happening with frightening frequency--too much to just be an honest mistake. At first I attempted to monitor the beer coolers and tried to ensure that the server recorded the sale. However, being a small business and having to help with food preparation, restocking, etc. I am not able to keep my eye on it at all times. I continued to have the problem. Frustrated, I hired a "snoop" to try to figure out what was going on. The report I received struck fear in my heart. It turns out that my servers have "friends" that are given 2 for 1 deals, which can end up being 10 for 5 etc. The servers participating in this activity were identified and released. Fixed the problem right? WRONG! It got WORSE! I asked my "snoop" to come back and do another evaluation. This time, the customers themselves are giving the servers very high tips in exchange for 2 for 1 deals. I even had one customer offer $50 to my snoop in exchange for an unopened case of beer placed outside the backdoor of the restaurant at a pre-determined time. Double what it would cost the customer retail at the liquor store directly across the street. I can't compete in wages what the customer is willing to offer in tips. Due to the small size of my restaurant, rearranging the beer cooler and supplies is impossible. Putting in draconian rules will effect my "honest" customers and drive them away. I thought that I had it figured out by counting bottle caps, and it worked well at first, until one day I counted more bottle caps than beer sold (They started bringing in their own!!) Does anyone have a good way to keep track of inventory served (specifically beer)? I am at my wits end.
Regards,
*****
EDITORIAL
Coming To America
"I would hire an experienced Mexican dishwasher over a culinary school graduate" I really had no intention of writing this column, but I headed over to my favorite Friday night take-out spot and I noticed the sign on the front door – "Dishwasher Wanted." I see a lot of those signs these days. It was interesting to note that earlier in the day I spoke with a restaurant owner of a major upscale establishment who complained about the difficulty of finding and keeping good kitchen help. He was also looking for a dishwasher. I have heard many owners expound upon the thought that if it weren't for their Mexican help, they would be unable to run their restaurants. I hear so many positive things about how they work their tails off and basically do what most American’s refuse to do. I have great respect for the Mexican community and those who have found a life in the restaurants of America. The problem is that the majority of our country favors shutting down our borders, and when this eventually happens it will have a tremendous impact on our restaurant industry. We are in the awkward position of either finding a new source of kitchen help (which seems impossible) or fighting politically to keep the borders open. It’s an interesting dilemma and it will be a major industry challenge in the days to come. I believe they are eventually going to ban smoking in all our bars and restaurants, and unfortunately for many, another ban (in essence) might include Mexicans. Ban number two is going to be much more serious. *****
*****
READER FEEDBACK: OBESITY & RESTAURANTS In response to Bradley's recent article... The restaurant industry of the USA has absolutely nothing to do with the obesity issue in this country. Fast food to fine dining. The problem lies in inactive lifestyles, too many sugar laden soft drinks, consumed in excess, and an unconscious consumption of "snack foods." (potato chips, Fritos, Doritos, power bars, cookies, peanuts, etc.) How huge are the chip, cookie, and soft drink isles in any grocery store? I'm not buying this junk...someone is....someone overweight. How about all of that Ben and Jerry's, and all those Dove Bars...And all of that flavored coffee additive that I see in the dairy case when I'm picking up a gallon of non-fat for my family, how's about that palm oil, and who knows what.... I'm just tired of overweight people putting it on the restaurant industry. If that's the problem, I should be a major fatty...but I'm 5'8, 127-132. Really buff. I don't have time to work out, but I work really hard as a working exec chef. Size 4. I don't have a fast metabolism, genetically. My family tends toward fat. I eat Caesar salads with lots of shaved parm and bay shrimp. Prime rib with horseradish sauce, gigantic Dagwood sandwiches, kick butt food that I cook for my family at home, fish and chips...and an occasional guilty pleasure of two fast food burgers, (BIG ones,) and fries. Nice red wine, and when the hubby and I go out, vodka martinis. I consume TONS of food, drink, smoke, and have a high stress job. My blood pressure is low, and all other stuff is in line, unlike a lot of my family. I never consume chips, cookies, desserts, or sugar laden drinks. I stop eating, when I'm full, most of the time. And, for the record, I'm tired of large women asking for dressing on the side, (we give them a portion more than the salad would have had if tossed,) and then they ask for extra. Sheesh....way to watch the diet... In my joint, the people that consume four or five courses are not overweight. It's the sauce on the side folks who are...Hmmmm............. The crap empty-cheap fatty calories lie in the grocery stores, not the restaurants, in my opinion.
Cheers,
*****
READER FEEDBACK: MOTHER'S DAY INSPECTIONS In response to a last week's editorial... So you got caught. Obviously the inspector was not in a good mood. Yes it was a bad day, your day shift manager's baby sitter was late, the car broke down, you had to get the report done that was due yesterday, so you neglected to do the walk-thru that would have caught the errors the inspector found. ENOUGH, does not matter. You were caught in unsatisfactory conditions. Now think about your business before this news release happened. How long has it been that your business only grows when you do promotions, then it is stagnant or regresses. The customer base and your staff see it and you don't. Clean it up. We as independents need to be above the chains not as good as. I feel for your pain and your loss and hope it does not cause a business failure. If you were clean and well managed and well run, you would not be a part of this article. Daniel M Carr
***** READER FEEDBACK: HOW TO KEEP MY RESTAURANT CLEAN In response to a question from two week's ago... Make it a routine at the beginning of the shift, tell the employees it is important that the dining room and kitchen be ready for a rush that will happen at the dinner hour. Tell them that the restaurant was lacking in that area, and the owner brought you in to solve the problem. I tell my employees that this makes time go faster, and maybe even order pizza as a reward for the employees after the task is done. It's easier with new employees, they think it has always been done this way.
Good luck,
*****
QUESTION & ANSWER: INVENTORY TURNS Question: Can you provide any guidelines or Industry Standards for Food, Beverage and Supplies Inventory Turnover? - Jack, Northern NJ Answer: The basic answer is the average full-service restaurant should be looking at 4 – 6 turns for food, 3 – 4 turns for beer, 2 turns for wine and liquor is dependent on how many bars you have, but may be below 1 turn. When it comes to paper, it is very dependent on the type of operation you run. If you have to purchase in bulk, I would do my best to have 1 -2 turns. If you don’t have to, I would shoot for 4 turns.
David Scott Peters
REFER-A-FRIEND CONTEST WINNER Congratulations to Zach Salapack at Mitchell's Steakhouse in Columbus, OH the winner of our Refer-a-Friend to the Restaurant Report E-mail newsletter contest. Zach has won a package of prizes valued at over $1450 to help support his restaurant. Prizes include...
WEB SIGHTING Good article out of the Houston Business Journal about a group of high-profile local restaurant owners joining forces to better manage costs and compete vs. the chains.
Restaurants Hunger For Power In Numbers WAYS TO SUPPORT & CONTRIBUTE TO RESTAURANT REPORT If you find RR helpful and believe in our mission of building a helpful resource for the independent restaurant community we would appreciate your help...
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