Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Today's Specials:
STAFF: 5 Tips for Choosing the Schedule Manager
Staff schedules are one of the biggest motivators (and demotivators) in every restaurant. It's important to choose the right person to manage your restaurant staff's schedules. Here are some tips to get it right.
GALLERY: 10 Pictures that are All Too Real for People Working in Restaurants
Like you, many of us here at The Rail Media have spent quite a bit of time working in the restaurant industry. We've found some pictures that are all too real with summing up the life. Take a look and tell us if you agree.
DID YOU KNOWs…
Which Do I Break First?
Here’s a great infographic that describes the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2017. No real surprises with “Be A Better Person” followed distantly by “Lose Weight” and “Exercise More”. You can see the full list here. What were yours and were they restaurant related? Tell us in the comment area below.
Above and Beyond
Imagine you’re sick in bed and you are starving. You decide to order food, but you also need something from the pharmacy, what to do. Well, one Belfast woman asked a local fish fry joint to stop by the local pharmacy and pick her up some cold medicine. The best part of the story is they did. It was a quirky thing and the restaurant owner took a chance by doing it…and absolutely won. Well done, there lady (said with our best Irish brogue).
More Trump Restaurant News…from Iraq?
Not every foreign national is upset or threatened by a Trump presidency. In fact, the Kurds of Iraq are counting on the new president to further their aims and trust he will be an ally. So much so, that one man is naming his newest restaurant after the President-elect. Trump Fish has opened in the Iraqi city of Dohuk. It appears not all the influence Trump has on our industry is as disruptive as some would have you think.
DUDE, IS THAT RACIST?
Why it matters to you: What type of food represents you?
When you are among the top 1% of the top 1%, you don’t necessarily see the world the way the rest of us do. Take Madeleine Pickens (ex-wife of Oklahoma energy tycoon T. Bone Pickens), she is being sued by a former employee of her dude ranch in Nevada for asking him to cook “black people food” for the resort's guests. The African-American Chef, Armand Appling, says he was fired in retaliation for complaining about a hostile work environment after the request.
This one is tricky. While you can absolutely see why Appling might be offended by the tone of her request, deciding whether it constitutes a worthy object of outrage, is a different conversation. If she had a Mexican chef and asked them to cook Mexican food, would that be offensive? There is clearly a thin line between the desire to leverage a specific cultural cuisine based on the theme and being openly condescending. We have no position on this, but we’d love to hear yours. Was she being implicitly racist or just attempting to create a thematic experience that she described with “black people food”? We can’t wait to hear your opinion.
CAN’T “GET YOUR BEER HERE”
Why it matters to you: Could you survive with no liquor license?
There is no confusion when you envision a sports bar. In fact, that name alone defines the image. Cold beer, lots of TV’s and a loud atmosphere during games would likely dominate the descriptions. That doesn’t seem to make a difference to Mark Grady and Christina Robinson who plan on opening a sports bar that doesn’t serve booze. The Inwood West Virginia couple are opening Luv’s Family Grill to give local families and non-drinkers a safe place they can enjoy watching sports.
You have to read this article to fully appreciate how naïve this couple is about what they are suggesting. We certainly wish them luck and can’t wait for them succeed. Although they will likely be the first and only successful sports themed operator that doesn’t serve alcohol. While they won’t see anyone from The Rail with no beer or wine, they certainly have our best wishes.
I’M NOT AS THINK AS YOU DRUNK I AM
Why it matters to you: Don Lemon demonstrates why you shouldn’t let your staff drink while working
New Year’s Eve in New Orleans sounds like a perfect place to get a little tipsy and have some fun. It was, at least, for CNN anchor Don Lemon. While hanging out (via live TV) on Frenchmen Street, at the Spotted Cat, he was doing shots and joining in the revelry. So much so that CNN finally pulled the plug on the festivities. This video is pretty funny and shows exactly why we shouldn’t be allowing staff to drink while working…even on New Year’s Eve.