Thursday, November 3, 2016
Today's Specials:
READ: Five Signs the Host You Hired Sucks
Hiring staff is no easy feat. It takes a ton of time and a lot of interviewing. Even when you think you got it right, it can still go wrong! Here's how you know you need to get rid of the host you just hired.
DISCOVER: Enter the Age of the Connected Restaurant
We're entering the age of the connected restaurant, where technology permeates, helping restaurants run safer, efficient and enjoyable business. Are you ready for this new way of doing business?
LIST: 5 Little-Known Ways to Hack Restaurant Inventory
The best defensive weapon to keeping your COGS under control (and a low Prime Cost) is taking inventory. We know it’s not fun, so here are five tried-and-true ways of making it less of a pain.
DID YOU KNOWs…
INFOGRAPHIC: America’s Craft Beer Capitals
The United States now has more breweries and brewpubs in operation than at any point in the last century, according to research from Smartasset. Portland, Oregon is one of the main hubs of America's craft beer revolution, boasting an impressive 68 microbreweries. However, when it comes to breweries per capita, a different Portland steals the nation's craft beer crown. See who leads here.
Fast Food Time Machine
Ever wonder what fast food item was all the rage when you were just a newborn? Delish has a fun gallery of what was hot – from 1975 through the early 2000s.
Consumer Stats
Almost a quarter of traditional casual-dining consumers say call-ahead ordering is very important – up from 16% from 2014. Also, 36% of diners say they visit an upscale casual restaurant at least once a month – up 31% from 2014.
IS TINDER SLOWLY KILLING US?
Why it matters to you: Tinder dates could be hurting your bottom line.
Bars and restaurants are a popular choice for a first date, but is the dating app Tinder hurting our sales? We’ve talked about the news headlines showing sales in our industry are down this year. Some blame an uncertain political climate, others blame Blue Apron and declining grocery prices, but maybe the swiping dating app is to blame?
Young people on a first date are likely to keep it cheap since many people are going on dates several times a week. What makes it worse is these daters tend to nurse one or two drinks over the course of an hour or two. This hurts turnover and annoys servers. What’s an operator to do? Whatever the solution, we need to understand guest behavior and make the most of it.
LOYALTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Why it matters to you: We know you’re tired of hearing about the coming buying power of millennials, but you ignore it at your own risk
Hardly a day can pass without some learned person expostulating about the growing influence of the millennial generation. Unfortunately, it’s because that generation is about to experience an enormous transfer of wealth and influence, so we MUST take heed. A recent Facebook data reveal demonstrates that a widely help assumption that millennials aren’t loyal is completely false. The problem is not that millennials aren’t loyal, it’s that businesses are failing to meet them where they stand.
Take our industry for example. Millennials want to be loyal, but they are far less driven by discounts and specials than they are by the cleanliness and healthy options. There has long been an understanding that millennials want experiences and expect brands to be responsive. Through this Facebook data, we also know what they want the experience to include. So, what’s the problem? Maybe it’s because we aren’t listening to the same generation that we employ and deliver great healthy foods in a spotless environment. The best part, they aren’t afraid to pay more if it delivers on their expectations.
FOLLOW THE LEADER…OFF THE CLIFF
Why it matters to you: Are the NFL ratings-plunge taking you with it?
If you are a sports-themed operator, you wait all year for the NFL season to begin. Consequently, their fortunes seemed inexorably tied to our own. While there isn’t any hard data yet, some are saying that 4th quarter results for big players like Buffalo Wild Wings might suffer along with the NFL ratings. We need only look at last year’s quirky schedule to see the impact the NFL has on the sports themed operators. Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop claimed their 3rd Quarter results from last year were off because of one less week of football in the quarter.
Whether this is the end of days for the NFL or just a blip caused by the insanity of the current election process, it is impacting operators. Things might normalize after next week, but will it be enough to salvage the one season that matters to operators is anyone’s guess. Certainly, it might be time to find ways to grow your business that isn't just football driven. Stay tuned for the 4th quarter and post-election results for more insight on this one.