July 26, 2016
Today's Special
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GMOs? [QUIZ]
Frakenfoods or the cure to world hunger? GMOs are shrouded in both promise and controversy. How much do you really know about GMOs? Take our quiz and find out!
STAFFING A BAR [Sponsored by BevSpot]
Why it’s important to you: Attracting great talent is a hallmark of a great establishment.
Every bar has its own unique character and draw, and for an industry professional, the appeal of working at a gritty dive bar is simply not the same as that of a cosmopolitan hotel bar. We’ve identified five key management tips that work across all types of establishments and can help you get to your talent hiring goals.
DID YOU KNOWS…
USA! USA! USA!
Team USA has won 2,399 medals over the course of the 26 Summer Olympics, but there are five sports USA hasn’t medaled in.
Obama: “I’m voting for Trump.”
No, no Barak. But his half-brother, Malik, has said he’s voting for Donald Trump because he’s frustrated with his brother’s administration supporting same-sex marriage and ousting Libyan leader Mummer Gaddafi. Think Thanksgiving dinner is gonna be awkward this fall?
BERNIE OR BUST NO MORE
Why it’s important to you: It is official. Bernie made it clear: #ImWithHer.
It was a tough day for Bernie Sanders supporters. Not only were they criticized for expressing their displeasure with the DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schultz specifically, but their own guy finally pulled the plug on their dreams of “Bernie or Bust.” Bernie Sanders made clear, with zero equivocation, that electing Hillary Clinton is his new moral imperative. Even if you never liked his politics or the decisions he’s making now, you can’t help but appreciate Bernie’s rise to influence.
This time last year, he was an obscure senator from an obscure state (Vermont) and last night he stood on the biggest stage in politics sharing his values and vision. There is a great lesson for restaurant operators in his meteoric rise — he literally did it one person at a time. By financing his campaign with contributions that averaged $27, he proved you can take your message to individuals and have it heard. Given that most restaurants have a check average that’s lower than Bernie’s, we can learn from his ability to stay on message, communicate directly to his constituents and give them something to Believe In.
CHILDREN OF THE CORN
Why it’s important to you: New research can insure wide and inexpensive access to produce using new technology.
Did you take our quiz today about GMOs? Well, you will be surprised to know there has been further breakthroughs with technology determined to manipulate the genetic makeup of agricultural products. It is called Crispr and, unlike other GMO technology, this process manipulates the existing DNA of the species without adding new material (like bacterium). As a result, Crispr technology just overcome a significant hurdle when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that Crispr developed mushrooms and corn don’t require regulation given that no outside genetic material was added. Those that believe in efficacy of GMOs see this as a breakthrough.
DuPont believes the new mushroom and corn strains will be commercially growing in the next five years. Crispr was first introduced as a genome-editing tool in 2013 in a couple of common laboratory plants, including a weed called Arabidopsis and a tobacco plant. Since then researchers have been experimenting with it in a range of crops, including oranges, potatoes, wheat, rice, and tomatoes. With the jury still out on GMOs, Crispr technology may just be the future of bio-development and ensure we can create safe products in the lab to feed people around the world.
A BRAND IS NO LONGER WHAT WE TELL THE CONSUMER IT IS; IT IS WHAT CONSUMERS TELL EACH OTHER IT IS – SCOTT COOK, FOUNDER, INTUIT
Why it’s important to you: How much do you value your social media efforts and are you willing to pay someone to manage it?
An interesting question was posed to the Advice Guy on RestaurantBusinessOnline.com, pertaining to whether a server tasked with managing the social media efforts of her restaurant should be compensated for her efforts. While Jonathan Deutsch’s answer was a fairly standard middle of the road response (unless you have a contract, your employer can ask you to do any task they care to have accomplished) it opens a wider discussion about the importance of social media and how we prioritize it.
Many of you do exactly as this server alludes and simply co-opt a staff member to handle what little social postings you engage. Is having a very part-time person pay part-time attention to the full-time world of your internet reputation enough? Well, that’s up to you, but we would wholeheartedly say NO. In the lightning fast world of the Internet, having someone who is constantly monitoring your reputation and responding where appropriate can be the difference between averting disaster and becoming an Internet meme.
While it might not be a full-time gig, it surely is one worthy of directing some payroll. Remember with the new OT rules that begin in December, your junior managers may not be as inexpensive as they once were. It’s far less costly to task an hourly employee who you compensate for a set number of hours managing social media. It’s also a great way to develop your bench by preparing a staff member for a management role. Think of it as another way to win the War for Talent and improve your social media execution in one shot.
VENEZUELA ISN’T LOVIN’ IT
Why it’s important to you: Venezuela’s economic woes are a real humanitarian crisis for millions in that nation.
McDonald’s announced it could no longer support selling their signature Big Mac sandwich in Venezuela because there is a bun shortage. There are different economic realities in a country like Venezuela than what we are accustomed to in the developed world. For the past several years, this nation of 30.4 million has struggled finding access to basic consumer items like toilet paper and cooking oils. Whether you blame the failed policies of their socialist government or, as their President Nicolas Maduro believes, it’s a conspiracy by the United States to disrupt their economy, it’s been painful for their regular citizens. Where once goods flowed into neighboring Colombia, now Venezuelans are crossing to get staple items so they can live with some civility. McDonald’s isn’t the first foreign company to experience difficulty in Venezuela, but they are the first consumer oriented group to be impacted by the shortages.