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Newsletter Archives
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E-Mail Newsletter
**** Issue #180 **** July 25, 2005 In This Issue
* Question of the Week: Employee Contests ****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: EMPLOYEE CONTEST IDEAS I am a manager of a restaurant and just got told that I need to come up with some sort of contest to increase liquor and food sales. It has to be "big". I have no idea what to do, all I know are the prizes I can give away. It has to last at least two weeks. This is something I have to do in order to receive a pay increase. Anyone have any ideas? Nate
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NEW @ RESTAURANT REPORT
The New Knife & Fork in the New Atlantic City
One thing is for sure - Frank Dougherty is not some wild-eyed kid gambling the family future on an ego-driven plan to become a restaurant big shot. Bob takes a look at the new Knife and Fork and the changing landscape for Atlantic City restaurateurs. (Read more...)
Rick talks about the benefits of "farming" current customers vs. "hunting" for new ones. A must read with some great thoughts and tips you can apply to your restaurant to help drive business.
(Read more...)
If you have found yourself asking this question in the past, then you are going to want to read Miriam's take on the potential pitfalls involved in tackling PR in-house.
(Read more...)
A smile is really a simple thing, an expression of welcome, there is no cost involved, it is voluntary and usually sincere. Without it, John argues, you lose that critical first impression of Hospitality, and your business will suffer.
(Read more...)
FEATURE Q&A: DO YOU NEED CHANGE WITH THAT? QUESTION: Is it proper etiquette for a waiter or waitress to say to a customer paying the bill, "Do you need change"? I would appreciate some feedback. Thanks, ANSWER: Ian Maksik, "Professor of Service" The Restaurant check came to $29.50. I pulled out two $20 bills and gave the check to the waiter who replied "Do you want any change, sir"? (That would have been a 36% gratuity.) Did my waiter earn a 36% gratuity (which is gratuitous and not obligatory)? The Answer was "No! Please bring me change". I was going to leave him about $5.00 for the service was less than perfect including the fact that I had to look for him for the longest time in order to finally get my check and I was running late for an appointment. When my change arrived it was one $5.00 bill, five $1.00 bills and 50 cents. It also took over five minutes for the waiter to come back with my change. I was really disturbed and left him three $1.00 bills and 50 cents for a total of $3.50 and ran for a taxi. That was about 12% instead of $15% because I was totally turned off by his asking for an undeserved TIP. If I had taken out a credit card to pay would the waiter have asked, "Sir should I add a 25 %to 35% gratuity onto this charge for the exceptional service I gave you?" I doubt it. Most guests would feel really pressured and hurried by a waiter asking "Do you need Change?" so the answer to the question is a definite "NO". Don't do it, even if for some reason you feel a guest might not understand tipping procedures or you feel you might be under-tipped. Servers have to be prepared to earn their larger tips by given exceptional service. Statistical surveys have shown that asking the do you need change question is a definite turn-off and certainly won't make that guest a life-long customer of yours or the establishment. The two biggest guest complaints are still not being seating promptly and not receiving the check in a timely manner. Asking for a tip whether deserved or not is also a big NO/NO. When you do present the check you may say. "I'll take that whenever you're ready." If you know who the table-host is present the check from the right of the host. If you're not sure place it in the center of the table. Nothing wrong with placing a "Thank You!" note and your name on the top of the check with a smile face along with a mint or cookie or chocolate parting gift . If you're stiffed do a reversal and thank the guest saying... "It was a pleasure serving you and the next time your here I hope to have the pleasure of serving you again. My name is David (not your name) just ask for me." (Let David have the bad-tipper next time)... Just kidding! Usually when you treat the bad-tipper with smiles and ending gestures of kindness and hospitality they may be embarrassed and give you an additional tip. Especially if you see his wife nudge him in the ribs and whisper into his ear that he under-tipped you, probably saying... "Give him a bigger tip you cheap ___________."
Ian Maksik
***** READER FEEDBACK: MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS Regarding last issue's post on the state of service. I completely agree with your opinion on staff training. However, let us not put the "cart before the horse", it starts with hiring the right people for a server position first. I see far too often restaurant owners hiring practices that are based on askew belief systems. i.e. Applicant has extensive experience, no experience, staffing shortages, emotional reasons, accommodating a favor for friends or family, plans to replace a more evil employee and the list goes on... Given these "hidden agendas", nobody wins in the end. Restaurant owners do "care" about their staff but not in the way I believe you may be suggesting. People need to work in order to pay their bills the same as a restaurant owner. If an employee, who has been trained properly, does not perform on a regular basis they must go! Restaurant owners pay the rent, utilities, payroll, take all risks for lost profits, pay SDI, EDD, Workers Comp Ins, Health Ins and spend millions on opening a restaurant to provide all of the benefits for a server to make upwards of $50-75 per hour...You bet the owner cares, ROI! This includes return on investment training a server. The glass is as full as you want it to be, driving the numbers is the name of the game. As a business owner myself, I would never tolerate anyone putting my business at risk because of poor service or a multitude of prevalent behaviors in many servers today. A business going bankrupt does not happen over night, it is a slow long process like cancer with many symptoms along the way. For a restaurant, this "death" is one guest at a time. FOH Service issues do make a big difference, one way or the other.
Lori Lotko, CEO
It probably is not legal, but a further question is are you not responsible for your tables and does the rest of the staff have any responsibility to keep their eyes open? Do you share 50% of your tips with management? There are scam artists who watch for delinquent servers, why not start a walkout fund administered by a server cosigned bank account, $1 per server per shift, it will add up quickly and at the end of the year use the money for a party or give it to the owners for keeping you on the job (just kidding). Marvin
Regarding last issue's feature post. Tracey Slack's speech was a vivid, precise, and artistic overview of the life of a restaurant chef/owner. I plan to use excerpts from her speech when writing to legislators who don't understand our business and the passion that exists and what we do to please customers.
Thank you,
Dear Christina, Yes, you can get menu money from product suppliers; in my neck of the woods, we receive from a coffee vender ($100). Also, our major food supplier will help with layout, pricing and will take care of the printing and all its costs--which is good as they seem to have a problem with proofreading--or is it our owner! Anne
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BULLETIN BOARD
I am interested in getting creative ideas and techniques for interviewing an Executive Chef candidate for a fine dining, 2000 private membership dining club.
Thank you,
I live in northern Virginia and am interested in going to culinary school. Can you suggest the best one around this area? I already have a degree in hospitality management and have always worked in the restaurant environment.
Thank you,
I am interested in how servers/bartenders cash out at the end of a shift. How can we eliminate the need for a manager to individually reconcile cash sales and credit card tips for each server/bartender at the end of a shift? What systems can be implemented to do the reconciliation for the previous day on the following morning by the manager/in house accountant?
Thank you,
I trained at the CIA and have been through a few restaurant openings. Over 15 years in and out of the business. I got so burned out by the hours of toiling in the kitchen, so I left the Industry. I have always loved the field and I am looking for a way to get back in without cooking. I waited tables for years, prep cook, bartender, host, assistant manager, sous chef, Exec. Sous Chef, stand-in Head Chef, and I have been hired by a few friends to help re-write menus. I worked in Aspen, CO., Park City, UT., Manchester, VT., Greenwich, CT., New Caanan, CT,. etc. I have the talent, where to from here? I am currently based in RI, but have been considering moving down to NC for the right position. Any thoughts?
Does anyone know of any standard that is used to design a new kitchen based upon number of meals served? (example 5 Sq Ft per meal served per day)
Thanks, **Next Post - Rent Averages What is the average percentage that should be allocated to rent for a small restaurant? Example: small restaurant breakfast restaurant expects to have revenues of $3000 a month-what % should be set aside for rent according to national averages?
Thanks,
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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