FINANCIALS: Keep Your Food Costs Under Control [Presented by Orderly]
When you're not paying attention to your food spend, you're shedding cash plate after plate. Keep your costs within your budget - and only do a fraction of the work - with Orderly.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Payment To-Go
Despite tech giants Apple, Google and Samsung all offering their own payment services woven into their respective devices/operating systems, a non-tech company is the one bringing mobile payment to the masses: Starbucks. According to eMarketer, 23.4 million users will use the coffee chain’s mobile app to pay for their Frappuccino this year, edging out Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay in terms of reach.
The New Four Loko?
Capriccio Bubbly Sangria is being called the new Four Loko for allegedly getting people extremely drunk. It doesn’t have any caffeine, which was the biggest issue with the Four Loko. This is all anecdotal evidence, of course, but the Internet is having a field day with it. And Capriccio is more than happy to oblige.
It’s Dangerous to Be an In-Studio Commentator
MLB Network’s Sean Casey and Bill Ripken show just how dangerous in-studio demonstrations can be… at least how dangerous it can be for Ripken’s face. Casey rocked a pitch from Ripken right up the middle and into Ripken’s face. Ripken barely flinched! Watch it here. Ouch!
McDONALD’S CATERING?
Why it matters to you: The fast-food giant is testing out catering.
McDonald’s has had a hell of a couple of years. They ended their sales slump with the addition of breakfast, their stock rose by more than 40% in 2017 (wow), and now they are testing out breakfast catering.
An Orlando McD’s location is using UberEats to sell packages that can serve 6, 12, or 18 people. We don’t see this failing in theme park-ville. You know having their entire breakfast menu all day in catering packages in Orlando is going to absolutely kill it. This move seems very duhhh for McDonald’s in areas where tourists and business meetings reign supreme.
What does this mean for everyone else? Really depends on if McDonald’s rolls it out nationwide or not. Diners will order this for novelty at first and then we expect it will slow down a bit, staying popular with college kids post-parties or in office morning meetings. In general, we can’t see many operators feeling the heat who aren’t already in direct competition with McDonald’s. People don’t generally switch from getting a brunch and mimosas to McDonald’s delivery, so we can all probably rest assured that we won’t have to cancel breakfast service just yet.
TOP NRA SHOW TAKEAWAYS FOR OPERATIONS
Why it matters to you: The 2018 National Restaurant Association Show just ended and here are some takeaways to consider.
Anyone who has ever spent time at a trade show know just how soul-sucking they can feel. You have the painful lighting, awful concrete floors to stand and walk on all day, are constantly being bothered by sales people as you make your way to the bar cart for the only little bit of relief…
We’re joking. They aren’t always that bad but regardless, here a few key takeaways from the recent 2018 NRA show. Let’s make the most out of those sore feet and tradeshow hangovers by highlighting a main one – retaining your GM.
A big focal point was retaining your GM was a huge boon to finding success in the industry -- if your GM is good, of course. We all know the cost of employee turnover, so a solid GM (or any higher-level manager if you don’t have a GM) can be invaluable to your establishment. They’re responsible for maintaining your brand standards in the restaurant, they fix problems as they arise, and make sure quality stays up to par or better. They are also your eyes and ears in the joint. Similarly, if they’re bad than it’ll really hurt your business. Your top talent will leave, quality will drop, guests will flock to your competitors, profits will plummet. So make sure your top managers are aces and work with them as partners in making your restaurant great!
