Thursday, February 2, 2017
Today's Specials:
TECH: Is That a Smart Trash Can in Your Restaurant?
You may be asking yourself, “What do I need with a smart trash can?'” It's more than just the device, but how devices, data & tech can help you run your restaurant more smoothly & efficiently.
SPORTS: Six Cool Super Bowl Facts to Share with Your Bar’s Guests
Super Bowl LI is airing this Sunday, and what better way to countdown with some fun facts to share with your guests. Sports fan or not, these six tidbits are sure to get a conversation started.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Cat’s Out of the Bag
Mark your calendars. Cats are taking over the Westminster Dog Show this year in a special cat-only competition. Maybe people will actually learn cat breed types and not just say “I dunno, it’s a cat.”
Say it Ain’t So!!
You might want to sit down for this one, but there’s a national bacon shortage happening. America’s bacon reserves hit a 50-year low, so expect prices to rise more. Belly prices increased 20% in January, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Yikes!
Welcome, Compostable Containers
Ever heard of bio-degradable carry-out containers and cutlery. The Wexner Medical Center in Ohio State Univ. currently is using containers made of wheat in all their cafeterias. The containers resemble the look of wood, adding to the “green experience.” Best part? They cost about the same as high-end plasticware.
RED ROBIN CEO GETS BURGER TATTOO
Why it matters to you: This is a tale of great leadership.
How far would you go for an incentive? Red Robin’s CEO, Denny Marie Post, last summer made a bet with her mid-level managers that if they hit a quality metric by the end of this year, she would get a tattoo of a burger on her arm. The incentive was so good, they hit their numbers almost a year early.
While this story is certainly humorous, it serves as a great lesson on leadership and management. According to Post, the bar was set high and she wasn’t sure if managers would be able to hit it, but they did. Maybe getting a tattoo as an incentive won’t work for every owner or operator, but a valued reward for hitting goals certainly does the trick.
SAFE ZONE
Why it matters to you: If you employ, serve, or live with a woman, then harassment is something you should address in your restaurant
After reading this opinion blog on Eater by Toronto-based restauranteur Jen Agg, it is apparent her goal was not to simply complain about the conditions women work under in our industry. No, this was a call to action demanding that we resist the urge to normalize sexual harassment and a plea for men in our industry to respond for the right reasons. She specifically calls out the motivation she describes as a chef wanting to make a better restaurant business “for his little girl”.
Isn’t our labor pool shallow enough to believe that ensuring every staff person can work in a harassment-free environment, is good for business? Reality check, women make up 54% of our workforce. Given statistics like 66% of them have been harassed by a manager and 90% by a customer, if you aren’t alarmed then maybe you just don’t care. Imagine if you could create an atmosphere where women felt safe and protected while doing their jobs, wouldn’t your turnover drop significantly? Well, Jen Agg thinks so and we wholeheartedly agree.
HOOTERS LAUNCHES HOOT
Why it matters to you: This is an interesting experiment from Hooters.
Is the breastaurant over? Hooters new concept, Hoot would certainly lead you to believe that. Perhaps there is a large subset of men that want boneless wings brought to them by someone fully clothed. The fast-casual spot will have both male and female servers, not wearing booty shorts bring you your wings from an abbreviated menu.
The first one is slated to open in Illinois in February. We’re not exactly sure what niche Hoot is supposed to fall into, nor whether it will be a success. Perhaps it’s a sign that consumer’s desires are changing and are less sexist.
