Monday, April 3, 2017

Today's Specials:

MARKETING: Five Steps to Prepare for Mobile Email Marketing

More than half of restaurant guests read email on their phones, but their attention spans are short as a blink of an eye. Here's how to make the most out of your email real estate.

DID YOU KNOWs…

Bees Love Baseball

San Diego’s final game of Spring Training ended with a sting when a swarm of bees entered the field. The players were forced to duck on the ground during the game to avoid getting stung. OUCH! Click here to see.

Bee swarms at spring training games have become an annual tradition at the Cactus League. It's a weird thing that happens in Arizona around this time of year, but few bee swarms have been as intense as what we saw Thursday in Peoria, Ariz.

Gas Station Grocery Stores

Are millennials actually as lazy as people say? Recently a study found that many millennials typically purchase their groceries at gas stations instead of grocery stores because it’s more… convenient for them. Many convenience stores have responded by actually expanding their food offerings.

Mamma Mia!

People have been flocking to Washington DC in time for the Cherry Blossoms Festival, but more importantly, a Super Mario themed pop-up that has people waiting in line for up to two hours. The bar is fully decked out in Mario decorations including a Mario-themed menu. Flower Power! Check out the video here.

YELPING ON SUCCESS

Why it matters to you: will that added half-star on Yelp boost your revenue?

Online reviews can have a drastic impact on a restaurant’s chance of success. As a way to understand how Yelp reviews affect restaurant owners, Vice News spoke to an economist and restaurant professional to get an inside look at how reviews can impact a restaurant. In the study, they found that each half star rating on Yelp boosted a restaurant’s revenue between five and nine percent. Among other details, there was little that a restaurant could do to boost their Yelp rating.

Like many things in the restaurant industry, online reviews are based on opinions; and opinions differ from customer to customer. One aspect of Yelp’s rating system does encourage users to choose the restaurant with the extra half star, while the restaurant without it will most likely be just as good. Although there is little that we can do to prevent negative reviews, we must ensure that our guests are receiving quality services and that we are responding to any negative experiences. Both of these decrease the chance for reviews to drastically hurt future business.

FROM RESTAURANTS TO WEED

Why it matters to you: Legalized marijuana could contribute to labor shortages.

The restaurant industry could be taking a hit due to the recent legalization of marijuana in some states. According to Eater, the industry’s notoriously low wages are forcing cooks and other restaurant workers to move to other industries. In Denver, where marijuana has been legal since 2012, many chefs say their workforce is “being lured away to higher-paying, lower-demand jobs in the cannabis industry.” Colorado’s legal marijuana industry is currently valued at around $1 billion and takes a lot of the state’s labor.

Other problems that arise from legalized marijuana aside from labor shortages also include a drop in alcohol sales, as much as four percent in some areas. While many of Colorado’s restaurants are taking a hit due to their staff switching to the weed industry, states like Oregon have not seen a change in restaurants due to legal marijuana. California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada all approved recreational cannabis in November’s election; therefore, we will soon see if there will be an impact.

REQUIRED CALORIE COUNTS

Why it matters to you: you may be required to put calorie counts on your menus.

Previously, we have mentioned how many restaurants will be required to display nutritional facts on their menus. As of May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will require some establishments to disclose anything from calorie content, sodium levels and genetically modified ingredients on their menus. The rules apply to restaurants with 20 or more locations and must display a “succinct statement concerning suggested daily caloric intake.”

This change has caused some controversy over whether the displayed labels actually changed guest’s eating habits. Supporters of the menu changes say that consumers should have as much information as possible to make informed decisions about their diet and health whereas others see it as off-putting. As of now there have yet to be any changes required for independent restaurants or chains with fewer locations.