Monday, August 28, 2017
Today's Specials:
MARKETING: Restaurant Marketing Ideas for September
Restaurants should use September as a way of renewing their restaurant marketing efforts. Here are some great restaurant marketing ideas for September.
DID YOU KNOWS…
No More ‘Whole Paychecks’
The Amazon-Whole Foods deal has made multiple changes that will be noticeable immediately. The first thing on the list, price cuts. Starting today, all of Whole Foods’ specialty items will be selling at cheaper prices, so no more Whole Paychecks. Stores will also be integrating Amazon Prime into Whole Foods’ rewards program.
Clearing Foreign Foods
A German supermarket has removed all foreign products from its shelves to highlight racism and spark discussion about German immigration policies. In the grocery store, all foreign food has been replaced with signs saying “this shelf is pretty boring without diversity.” The statement has had largely positive feedback with some mixed reactions from politicians in the country.
Just Like The Rock
In incredibly inspiring stories, a 10-year-old Michigan boy has made headlines for rescuing his two year-old brother whom he found faced down in their swimming pool. The boy immediately thought of a scene from his favorite movie San Andreas where Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson performs CPR, and imitated the scene, saving the boy’s life. The Rock tweeted about the story calling the boy a hero.
FREE FOOD SAFETY PLAN BUILDER
Why it matters to you: A free FDA app helps restaurants to abide by food safety regulations.
Food safety has been an increasing problem in restaurants, including top chains like Chick-Fil-a and Chipotle. As food safety operations are being scrutinized across the industry, multiple resources are becoming available for establishments to use to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act, a law signed in 2011 working to prevent food problems before they occur. This week, the FDA announced the launch of a new software called Food Safety Plan Builder that attempts to help food facilities adhere to the Food Safety Modernization Act. The application covers key aspects of food safety including manufacturing practices, food-allergen preventive controls, sanitation prevention, all the way to supply chain management.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illness each year, therefore, any tools that can help to lower this number are in a business’s best interest. The use of the FDA application is completely free and promises to ensure all food safety regulations are up to code to prevent future problems. This application could be extremely beneficial for restaurants to take the extra step to protect their guests and their reputation. One of the aspects that makes the Food Safety Plan Builder so attractive is that the FDA will not track or monitor the results, leaving the restaurant responsible for handling the information obtained. For restaurants interested in using the application, visit the FDA’s free account sign up to register and learn more.
MAKING DESIGN GREAT AGAIN!
Why it matters to you: Design is a key component of the guest experience that you can control
Restaurant design can feel like an issue that only the big chains or esoteric independent operators care about, but you may want to rethink how it impacts your business. There are few universally respected designers in our industry and David Rockwell is one of them. With restaurant chops like creating spaces for Nobu, Le Cirque, and Tao, the best in our industry are looking to his approach to transform already successful spaces into transcendent experiences.
He points to a variety of factors he considers when effectuating a design. From the entrance to noise levels to lighting, nothing escapes Rockwell’s attention. He points to his love of theater as inspiration for his designs. “Choreography in restaurants is critical. You want to create different spaces,” he said. At Danny Meyer’s Union Square he created separation that made an open room deliver a variety of dynamic experiences. While we can’t all afford a consultation from Rockwell, you can at least take his best insights and embrace them for your space.
