January 13, 2017
Today's Specials
WATCH: Nobody Ever Robs Restaurants [How Hollywood Sees Us]
As a restaurant operator, this scene from Pulp Fiction scares the hell out of me. The image of a couple of gun-toting crazies jumping up out of nowhere announcing that this is a robbery is the thing of my nightmares.
MARKETING: Great Example of Local Email Marketing for Restaurants
Do you know how to create a great, local restaurant email marketing campaign? Here's one example.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Fox Introduces “Be the Player”
It’s about as close to the real-thing as you’re gonna get. Fox Sports is unveiling “Be the Player” for the Super Bowl, which are :15-:30 virtual replays that let you see a play from a player’s perspective. It should provide for some interesting looks at big moments.
Golden Shower Burgers
Community restaurant in the DC-area has created a Trump-inspired “Golden Showers” burger combo. The co-creators wanted to mock the insanity of the situation while supporting a cause they believe in. The burger includes yellow cheddar cheese, dripping mustard, and a tiny pickle. The $20 combo includes a side of golden fries and a lemon-glazed doughnut. $5 of each sale is being donated to Planned Parenthood.
Drunk Munchies are Real
A new study proves the existence of drunk munchies… y’know, that craving for food you get when you’re drinking. Despite alcohol being calorie-dense, a little neuron called AgRP fires while you drinking, convincing your stomach it’s hungry.
Come to the Dark Side… We Have Chicken
As one Facebook commenter put it, “How bad is the economy that our great Sith lords have to work as parking lot attendants?” Here’s video of a Chick-fil-A parking attendant using light sabers to direct traffic.
NO MORE FEET LEFT TO DROP
Why it matters to you: There’s no way you could suffer as much scandal as Chipotle has in the last year.
Chipotle released some results from Q4 of 2016 and even though sales came in slightly lower than forecasted, the chain didn’t do too badly overall. The fast-casual chain blames their latest problem on an increase in advertisement spending and an unforeseen increase in the price of avocados.
The avocado mafia strike again! In all seriousness, Chipotle actually showed an uptick in sales in December that completely defied the overall industry trend for the same period. This isn’t surprising considering the almost cult-like following the chain garnered early on. Despite the company’s controversies, it seems like they’re here to stay.
DO WE NEED A NEW SECRETARY?
Why it matters to you: Is Andy Puzder the right choice for Secretary of Labor?
While it feels like all of the President-elect’s cabinet nominees are coming with some controversy, most of them aren’t directly relevant to our industry. That is not the case with Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, who is Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Labor. There is little consensus on whether Puzder will be a positive force for our industry. From two differing perspectives, we should examine this nominee. Let’s start with former employees of CKE that met with Elizabeth Warren Monday after being denied the chance to speak at Puzder’s confirmation hearing. The stories shared of wages being stolen, staff being forced to work overtime without being compensated, and retaliation for complaints. It doesn’t paint a very attractive picture for those that labor in our restaurants.
Of course, there is always some contentiousness between labor and management, but that doesn’t mean that everyone fears a Puzder-led Department of Labor. In a CEO roundtable on Tuesday, the CEO’s of El Pollo Loco, Red Robin and Habit all appeared cautiously optimistic about the prospect of Puzder’s appointment. Denny Marie Post of Red Robin pointed out that while costs associated to Obamacare are a concern, they have always offered health insurance to their teams in order to attract and retain the best talent. All three concurred, they already pay above the minimum wage to stay competitive in a tight labor market. Consequently, they aren’t sure that any new Labor Secretary will change that in the future. We will all have to wait and see, but at least this time the department will have one of our own at the helm.