Thursday, December 15, 2016
Today's Specials:
GUEST EXPERIENCE: Your Online Ordering System Doesn't Do This, Right?
On-demand/online ordering systems are great and easy ways for restaurants to boost sales. But they take special care to give your guests the best possible experience. Make sure your system isn’t making this awful mistake and ruining a guest’s meal.
FAIL: The Six Dumbest Things Dishwashers Have Done
Mistakes happen no matter what industry or position. Thanks to Reddit's Kitchen Confidential there's an endless supply of mishaps from servers, bartenders and kitchen staff. Today's list though is a hilarious assortment of some of the dumbest things dishwashers have done.
MARKETING: Strategies That Set Your Restaurant Up for Social Media Success [Presented by Upserve]
Social media can only be successful when it’s set up with planning, consistency, and execution. When it comes to how most restaurants approach social media, those strategies are not always used. But taking time up front to set up the right systems and engage the right resources, will help set yourself up for success long-term. Here are some powerful strategies we’ve seen, when utilized, can be major time savers and success drivers.
DID YOU KNOWS…
No fighting? No big deal.
Half of NHL fans say that banning fighting wouldn’t affect their viewing habits of the games, according to a new survey. The spread between men and women were a little more drastic, but overall, only a quarter of fans say they’d watch less if there were no fighting. Check the infographic out here.
According to new Yahoo Sports/YouGov poll, 51% of U.S.-based NHL fans say a formal ban on fighting would have no impact on their viewership pic.twitter.com/PH9oH7NKdf
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) December 13, 2016
WATCH: Starbuck’s “hipster barista cat”
Starbuck’s has its own online animated show – 1st and Main. It’s being produced by three guys who are regulars of the coffee chain. The series will showcase “a cast of endearing cartoon animals inspired by real life customers and baristas,” including a “hipster barista cat,” a “beagle working on her first novel,” and a “highly distractible teenage rabbit who can talk and text at the same time.” First ep drops Friday.
Say it ain’t so!
Canned whipped cream is in short supply thanks to a fatal explosion at a Florida nitrous oxide plant in late-August. Supply has since been stunted, so festive bakers might need to scramble or make some black-market deals on canned whipped cream.
DIRECTV Delivers
All remaining 2016 MVP credits will expire on 12/31. Don’t miss out on using these credits to order FREE merchandise for their businesses. You can order more merchandise at directvmvp.com. If you don’t have a dealer to support you, please visit our friends at SSC to get the support you need for your business.
DELIVERING A SOLUTION
Why it matters to you: Sometimes staying competitive means adding delivery.
Red Robin, the burger chain, is partnering with DoorDash to bring burgers and fries to your doorstep from 70 locations across the US. This effort is an attempt to bump sales in some recently bearish quarters for the chain.
The change is slated for 2017 after a period of testing a new online ordering platform and delivery with third parties. The main challenge of delivery is keeping cold stuff cold and the hot stuff hot. To manage that hurdle, the chain has also tested packaging but haven’t disclosed any details. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, don’t overlook delivery! Consumer trends have been pointing to the importance of a delivery option for some time. Don’t get left behind.
MOST PLAYED MUSIC
Why it matters to you: Having an idea of your guest’s music preferences can help you better cater to their needs.
Curious which songs your guests want to hear most? Well, you’re in luck! TouchTunes, the largest interactive music platform, has released its Year-End Charts reporting the top played jukebox songs and artists of 2016. They also have a break-down of the most popular artists by state. The top played artist for the second year in a row was country music star, Eric Church. Top songs included “Work” by Rihanna, “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle and “The Sound of Silence” by Disturbed.
TuchTunes is available in over 65,000 U.S. bars and restaurants and their annual recap provides the most-requested music by restaurant goers. As restaurant operators, we need to stay up-to-date with our guest’s preferences so that we can better cater to their needs. As the trends in music begin to change, so will your guest’s listening preferences.
THE AMAZON OF ONLINE BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT
Why it matters to you: A single resource for alcohol beverage ordering just makes sense.
If you are building a wine list you know how overwhelming that process can be for even a seasoned beverage professional. That’s why 35,000 of them are now using SevenFifty to research, evaluate and source wines for their lists. The site, available in both mobile and full web, aggregates over 800 wholesalers which represent 60% of all distributors nationally. Any contributing wholesalers make their entire book available in the app, thus un-complicating the ordering process.
This is especially true because they offer not only ordering but other tools that deliver insight, reviews, and background on thousands of products. It’s an information center that insures you know what you are buying before you commit. The platform also makes the ordering process easy and central relieving you of multiple points of contact in the ordering cycle. This is just another example of accessible and intuitive software is transforming our industry right before our eyes.