BUSINESS: Our 2018 Restaurant Industry Predictions
We look into our crystal ball and predict what the biggest industry stories & restaurant trends will be for 2018, including mobile payment, sexual harassment, and the best marketing efforts.
SPORTS: 7 Reasons to Watch the NFL Playoffs in a Sports Bar
The NFL Playoffs here and there’s no better place to watch the big games than your place, right? Of course! But do your locals know that? Try convincing them to plop their butts in your seats with these seven reasons.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Marketing Gone Bad
Eataly, a global Italian market chain, is getting heat for a recent marketing campaign that uses slogans such as “Bring home an Italian. Great legs, better body” to sell wine and “Bring home an Italian. Worth the smell” to sell truffles. Add to this that Eataly is co-owned by Mario Batalia, who was hit with sexual harassment allegations last month. Yikes.
Wage Growth Around the World in 2018
Analyzing OECD data, the London-based Trades Union Congress (TUC) has prepared forecasts for wage growth in developed economies over the coming year. It's good news for a number of Eastern European countries, with Hungary, Latvia and Poland expected to see the largest increases. Tougher times await those in the soon-to-be-divorced UK though, where real wages are projected to shrink by a potentially punishing 0.7 percent. See where the US sits.
6 Lessons on Becoming a Cooking Legend from Cecilia Chiang
The 97-year-old woman who introduced Westerners to high-end Chinese cuisine still parties as hard as she works — which is to say, a lot. Here are six lessons we can all learn from her.
WE DON’T NEED NO EDUCATION [Song]
Why it matters to you: As e-learning adoption grows, so will e-learning resources.
Last year we presented a thorough strategy on implementing digital learning for your restaurant. Seems we were on to something as the statistics from e-learning implementation show a huge uptick in adoption of digital training in the industry. In 2016, 76% of operators implemented some form of e-learning, a 17% increase over the previous year. This type of increase means that you are likely to find affordable and accessible digital training options more readily available for your operation.
While we can’t give you a specific reason for the increase, widespread access to smartphones, reduced costs associated to delivery, and the rise of Millennials as a central constituency for training certainly have played a role. This emerging generation of restaurant staff and their Gen Z counterparts expect you to deliver training resources for their development and also demand you to include the newest technology in their work place. If you want to stay competitive, now is the time to get rolling and implement your e-learning program. Don’t and you may go the way of the buggy whip.
WE’RE GOING THROUGH CHANGES [SONG]
Why it matters to you: Some restaurants are ditching antiquated POS systems for updatable apps and tablet based systems.
Hardware rarely updates itself -- if ever. Once you have a specific platform that’s it. Think old POS systems; you are stuck with it once it arrives through your door until further notice. Need to add a new drink or menu item? Pray someone knows the system or else you need to hire someone to come in for you. It’s expensive and time consuming at best. What if your warranty has run out? You are often screwed. Though it has been in the process for a while, more restaurants are moving toward tablet-based systems with current POS software apps.
Software updates itself all the time. It can allow you more freedom to accomplish tasks that usually would take a lot of time or a trip to your restaurant. Accessing your POS system remotely is now possible on the go. Need to see what is 86’d? You can check in real time. Have a rare day off but you want to check sales? Done in seconds. These new POS apps can shave hours off your day and in this business every leg up we can give ourselves counts.
