Thursday, October 13, 2016
Today's Specials:
READ: FIVE SIGNS YOU HIRED THE WRONG SERVER
We've all been there, the person you just hired is turning out to be a dud. Here's how you can be sure the person you just hired just isn't working out.
DOWNLOAD: Getting Ahead of the Overtime Rules Changes
The new federal overtime regulations start up in a month and a half. Are you ready?
Our Getting Ahead of the Overtime Rules Changes is a free guide to our Daily Rail & SportsTV Guide subscribers. You’ll learn everything about what the changes are, who’s exempt and non-exempt, and the best process for figuring out who should get raises or just be turned into hourly. Download it now!
DID YOU KNOWS…
No Bones About It
Kenneth Bone has become an overnight sensation after asking his question in the Presidential Town Hall Debate. Not only are there sexy Halloween costumes of him, but he’s also getting his own menu items. Vinnie’s Pizzeria has made up three Bone-inspired menu items – Penneth Bone, ProvoBone, and Chicken Bone. Check out their fun specials/art here.
See this Instagram photo by @vinniesbrooklyn * 915 likes
Redefining Health
More than half of Millennials (51%) say their definition of health has changed over the past two years, compared to just 38% of older consumers, according to the 2016 Healthy Eating Consumer Trend Report. With news about fat and cholesterol not being so bad for one’s health, a push for more body-positive culture, and other food-related science news, this shouldn’t be too surprising. What’s your eatery doing to keep up, though?
Nothing to Fear But… Everything?
What do Americans fear the most? The number one issue is Corruption of Government Officials, but terrorism appears twice in the top five. Check out the top 10 list in graphic form here and the full list here (it’s a doozy).
AT MINIMUM, A LIVING WAGE?
Why it matters to you: Changes to the minimum wage can seriously hurt small operators.
With Cosi filing for Chapter 11 recently, they join a long list of franchises that have gone under. From the headlines, we know that lunch sales are dropping and most chains are struggling to keep sales steady. With the uncertainty of the impending election, consumers are cooking more meals at home and eating out less. With so many challenges facing the restaurant industry, it seems unfair that the government is adding in a hike to the minimum wage.
The Washington Times reports that a number of restaurants in New York have been forced to close citing the bump to a $15 minimum wage as the reason. For small independent operators, the minimum wage is clearly an important issue when profit margins are already minuscule. That being said, a fair wage seems pretty reasonable when McDonald’s CEO made almost eight million last year. Small businesses shouldn’t suffer, but shouldn’t big business pay their workers fairly?
IT WAS A DARK STORY – JOSEPH CONRAD, LORD JIM
Why it matters to you: How exposed are you to a malware hacking your credit card transactions?
Is your business computing on the same network that your POS system uses? You are most exposed to malware and spyware on the computer that you use for managing email and accessing the internet. Three restaurants on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando were found to have allowed malware on their computers which led to credit card information being stolen and used for fraudulent charges.
As we have discussed previously, your exposure to cyber intrusions should be an ongoing concern. One simple way to avoid that is to place your business computing on a separate network and/or device than your POS processing. This will make it impossible for malware to get onto your network and give the bad guys access to the credit card info you are entrusted with by guests.
BANG THE DRUM ALL DAY [Song]
Why it matters to you: Are you getting everything you can out of your restaurant space?
As trends go, finding ways to expand your business through longer relevant hours or delivery are easy to emulate from other operators. In two unrelated developments, two disparate but successful operations are leading the way on taking full advantage of their space to build revenue. Over the past year, Starbucks has been expanding its ‘Evenings’ menu to include beer and wine. Now, they are even offering a mixed drink that includes a boilermaker shot of espresso alongside an Espresso Cloud IPATM. Presumably, the idea is to further entrench the coffee giant’s availability for an evening experience.
Another way to expand your business is to include a delivery component. Celebrity Chef Michael White of Ristorante Morini’s fame is partnering with Uber Eats to bring a modified menu to the delivery service. The new concept which will be produced out of the Morini kitchen has a separate name and a separate entrance for delivery driver access. Pasta on Demand will keep its menu items under $20 and be delivered exclusively by Uber Easts. So, whether you are trying to encourage guests to visit at new times or choose you for an in-home dining occasion, it’s always a good idea to leverage the full value of your monthly rent.