Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Today's Specials:
WATCH: Top 10 Viral Restaurant Videos of 2016
Some say that bad publicity is good publicity. At the same time, videos go viral for a number of reasons, some of which are out of your control. These top 10 restaurant videos have been spread throughout the internet and not for good reasons.
GROWTH: 4 Signs You’re Ready to Expand Your Restaurant Brand
There’s a difference between having a restaurant and building a restaurant brand. Here are sure signs that you're ready to expanding your restaurant's brand to bright new areas.
DID YOU KNOWS…
The Great Influencer [Infographic]
The rise of social media over the past decade has not only changed the way people communicate, it has undoubtedly also had an impact on how they shop, be it online or at a boutique around the corner.
Go Green by Going Chocolate
When it comes to carbon emissions, unhealthy snacks like chocolate may be better for the environment than those healthy veggies.
Study: Red Wine = More Desserts
Dessert sales lagging? Start by selling more red wine. According to research collected by Upserve, three-quarters of checks they looked at that had dessert sales also had alcohol sales – with a stronger correlation between dessert and red wine. Yum!
FAUX REAL?
Why it matters to you: Don’t let your guests get scammed by fake delivery services.
The owner of a pizza place in New York has notified police of a possible food delivery scam. Over the weekend, two customers attest they placed orders on bringmethat.com and were charged but the orders were never placed. The police are investigating and are encouraging people to avoid the website.
According to bringmethat’s FAQ page, “Since we’re just getting started, we don’t yet have a direct relationship with some of our listed restaurants.” And will occasionally use third party delivery services. The Better Business Bureau has the business rated, “F” with a total of 28 complaints closed within the last three years. At this point, it’s hard to say if the website is a scam or just a poorly executed business. Either way, don’t trust everything you see on the internet.
IT’S HARD BEING THIS GREAT
Why it matters to you: Success by Citizens of the Rail is proof you’re smart for subscribing
We love to crow when our subscribers succeed or implement smart programs. Well, today we get to do both. First by acknowledging four of our favorite chain operators for being included in the Business Insider and their 20 Best Chain Restaurants in America list. At number 16 is our largest subscriber Buffalo Wild Wings. Their 1145 locations make them the largest (by far) sports themed operator in the nation. Then we have BJ’s Restaurants at 15 with almost $1 Billion in annual sales. Darden-owned concept Yard House comes in at 12 and is ranked 14th out of all full-service restaurant chains in guest satisfaction, then finally at numero uno is Texas Roadhouse. Proof positive that a subscription to the Daily Rail clearly equals success.
Speaking of success, how about this idea from the folks at the Tilted Kilt…Bacon Bar! Oh hell YES!. The chain is testing sales of thick cut bacon available for a ‘by the slice’ price of $1. It’s a ‘get it while it’s hot’ offering which mirrors that of Krispy Kreme’s “Hot Now” approach to demand. The clear lesson is that good ideas work, so if you see one borrow it. Congrats to all of Citizens of the Rail for being successful and creative leaders in our industry. We are very proud of you all!
YES, WE ARE OPEN
Why it matters to you: Are you holiday hours lowering your profit?
When you decide your holiday hours, what factors do you consider? How your staff will respond, will you be busy, do you feel like being with your family, is it profitable, should all be considerations, but in the end, the decision has to be balanced between profit and the wear it causes your team. Our friends at Upserve have done some significant analysis and determined that being open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day is a really good idea…if profit is your sole motivation.
In fact. their reporting shows an increase in profitability over a regular day of 40- 50 percent. There are of course myriad contributing factors to that increase in profit, but with only 104 weekend nights a year, you have to at least consider the impact on your on your bottom line. Yes, that means staff has to be away from family and friends, but it also means you can afford to do more things if you add two more high volume profit days to your year. It’s a tough decision and by at least considering the numbers it will be on you can make from an informed position.