Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Today's Specials:
INFOGRAPHIC: Restaurant Marketing Ideas for February
Struggling to find ways of marketing your restaurant? Here's a great infographic on restaurant marketing ideas for next month.
GALLERY: Blast from The Past: How Did These Industry Celebrities Get Started?
We all got our start somewhere and these celebrity restauranteurs are no different. Take a look at where these money-making restauranteurs kicked off their careers in the industry. More important question, what did they look like?
DID YOU KNOWS…
Oreo-flavored Beer?
Does craft brewing know no bounds? The Veil Brewing Co. in Richmond, VA, has invented an Oreo-flavored beer. The brewers said their Hornswoggler beer is a chocolate milk stout conditioned in the final stage of fermentation on hundreds of pounds of Oreo cookies. But can we dunk Oreos in it? Or do we add milk? Hmmm….
Super Bowl Commercial Preview
Ready for the Super Bowl this Sunday? Just care about the commercials? Here are all the ads from this year’s big game. Makes you wonder if there’s a reason to watch the game if you’re not really a football fan. Stay tuned next week to find out which ads are our favs.
My Starbucks Barista
Starbucks has unveiled a new voice-based computing app that allows customers to order and pay for their food/drinks just by talking. Best part? Users can change their order on the fly, just like they were talking to a real human.
WAS PUZDER OVER BEFORE HE STARTED?
Why it matters to you: Puzder seeks Senate confirmation hearing in early February.
Trump’s pick for Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder might have been over before he started. Nearly three dozen lawsuits were filed this week against 13 Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. establishments in 10 states. The lawsuits filed this week allege hazardous work environments even by the fast food industry’s relatively low standards. Troubles include four sexual harassment allegations, seven unfair labor complaints, and 22 wage and hour complaints; some additionally dating back to 2012. Not a good look for a Labor Secretary.
However, views of Puzder's leadership vary; some industry experts say these violations under his leadership have been minimal compared to those of the company's competitors. Puzder is scheduled for a Senate confirmation hearing on Feb. 9. He has yet to say how he intends to deal with his conflicts of interest should he become the next labor secretary.
GETTING STAFFING RIGHT WITH DATA
Why it matters to you: Hiring is hard, but it doesn’t have to be.
We’ve told you how costly staff turnover can be, but one company is trying to take the stress and difficulty out of the hiring process with data. Chili’s and American Blue Ribbon Holdings worked with company OutMatch, to produce an amazing ROI. There were lower turnover and better customer service among other things. Chili’s especially saw their turnover drop well below 61%, which is the current national average.
How can you make this work for you? If you can’t afford OutMatch, focus on personality traits. The company identified the top 10 traits for both staff and management positions that predict success and lowered turnover in that role, which you can view here. Your next best staff could be just a survey or questionnaire away.
OH, POLITICS!
Why it matters to you: Further proof politics is BAD for business
The uproar over the recently implemented, so called ‘muslim ban,' this week is having a far-reaching impact. Let’s start with Starbuck’s CEO Howard Schultz committing to hiring 10,000 refugees in their locations across 70+ countries. The chain also promised to continue providing financial assistance to employees participating in the federal government’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. What is abundantly clear is that Schultz is using the power of the Starbuck’s brand to further his own political agenda. Whether you agree or disagree with his position, you have to acknowledge that this is a risky proposition.
For example take the flap that UBER caused on Sunday by publicizing their cancellation of surge pricing at JFK. Given that the NY Taxi Drivers Alliance had announced a 1-hour work stoppage in support of those detained at the airport, Uber’s timing seemed curious. In fact, it spawned the trending #DeleteUber that gained some steam. TO add to the fray, their competitor Lyft announced that they would give $1 million over four years to the ACLU in support of refugee rights. What’s for sure here, is that all of these companies are taking extraordinary risks by involving themselves in the politics of the day. As we said in yesterday’s Daily Rail, politics is divisive and unstable ground for restaurants to tread. However, if you do, be aware that some measure of backlash is coming your way. If you’re ok with that, then we support your right free speech and wish you good luck.
*Hero Image courtesy of fourtune.com
