Friday, September 8, 2017
Today's Specials:
HACK #100: The Best Time for Restaurants to Post on Social Media Is…
Do you know when the best time to publish on your restaurant's social media accounts? It depends on which service. Here's when to post to get max exposure for your restaurant online.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Hawaii State of Mind
A federal judge has passed on a lawsuit against Kona Brewing that originally claimed the brewery misled customers into believing their beer was brewed in Hawaii. According to the judge, Hawaii is “a state as well as a state of mind.” Therefore, Kona is off the hook. So Aloha! From New Hampshire.
Tough Chicken
In a promotional stunt, KFC gave WWE superstars the chance to land a job as the KFC Colonel Sanders spokesman. Their comical audition video shows WWE athletes competing for the title of world’s toughest chicken salesman. We now know what the Rock is cooking.
Rising Roku
Roku -- the maker of the popular TV streaming box that allows viewers to stream content from providers including Netflix and YouTube -- has filed for an IPO. The company’s stock is estimated to go around $1 billion. This infographic shows how Roku holds its ground against other heavyweight tech giants. The future is looking stream-y.
POST-BREXIT BUST
Why it matters to you: The UK’s restriction on ‘low-skilled’ migrants could be catastrophic for the hospitality industry.
The immigrant crisis has become extremely controversial not only in the U.S. but in other parts of the world. The result has caused a ripple effect across many industries, but especially in hospitality. In a leaked memo obtained by The Guardian, the UK government plans to “deter EU immigrants” after Brexit. In the report, the terms are stated on which EU immigrants will be able to live and work in Britain as so called “low-skilled” migrants for a maximum of two years. Those in “high skilled occupations” will be granted permits with the opportunity to work for three to five years. Restaurant analysts project that the draining of potential workers could be “catastrophic” for the UK’s hospitality industry.
It’s no secret that immigrant labor is a driving factor in the restaurant industry. In a region like Great Britain, once EU immigrant labor becomes scarce, the majority of establishments will struggle to staff their businesses in order to continue with operations. The CEO of the British Hospitality Association pointed out that 75% of waiters and 25% of chefs in the UK are EU nationals; therefore, restaurants could be in some deep trouble if they’re forced out. Similarly, the US is facing similar challenges with immigrant labor as the current administration has cracked down on ICE raids in many cities. What happens in the UK will be a telling factor of what we can anticipate in the United States.
HERE’S A TIP FOR YOU
Why it matters to you: Don’t learn your staff is forging tip amounts from a guest complaint
To say you are exposed to the shenanigans of your service staff is an understatement of epic proportions. A guy in Kansas City recently contacted the local TV station because he believed that a restaurant he visited had added a little extra to the tip he originally authorized. While we all want to believe that no one on our team would ever do that sort of thing, what we want and what‘s true aren’t always the same. Tipping is a contentious topic, to say the least, and for servers it’s downright personal. Sometimes they take the law into their own hands, so to speak.
Unfortunately, there is only one way to ensure this doesn’t happen -- you have to review every single credit card authorization from each and every server, bartender, and carryout cashier. It’s a monumental pain in the behind, but it will eliminate close to 100% of the fraud that is being perpetrated by servers in this manner. No doubt, none of you want a local TV station delving into your business. Being thorough in your administration guarantees tipping won’t be why they do. Besides, once you begin doing it, you will find it doesn’t take a lot of time and will vastly improve your service team’s accuracy in all of their admin tasks. So, don’t wait for the TV crew to show up and start managing your people for success.
Hero image courtesy of standard.co.uk