MENU: It’s Time for Crispy Fries That Really Deliver [Presented by Lamb Weston]
New Crispy on Delivery fries from Lamb Weston stay crispy up to 30 minutes with the innovative fry cup. This fry cup, along with our revolutionary coating and store-to-door training, helps Crispy on Delivery fries go the extra mile. Learn more at LambWeston.com/FryExperts.
DID YOU KNOWS…
“Black People Are Not Allowed”
The Sardine Can, a bar in Wisconsin, has fired an employee after she told a patron that “black people are not allowed” in the establishment. The employee made the racist declaration over the bar’s PA system. The employee claims she was trying to be funny… *sigh*. The manage on duty texted the owner and, well, the rest is history.
Oil Firms & Climate Lobbying
BP has the highest annual expenditure on climate lobbying at $53 million, followed by Shell with $49 million and ExxonMobil with $41 million. Chevron and Total each spend around $29 million every year. InfluenceMap states that part of the lobby spend goes towards sophisticated efforts to engage politicians and the general public on environmental policies that could impact fossil fuel usage. A recent example of this is BP coordinating messages across its social media channels and advertising platforms that reframe the climate crisis as a "dual" energy challenge.
Brut Bader Ginsburg
Sam Adams has announced its Pink Boots release, dedicating the new Brut IPA to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Pink Boots is a non-profit, supporting women in the brewing industry. It’s a bit of a bold social move from a company whose owner is seen as being pro-Trump, whose very association sparks polarizing emotions and making it a tricky road for marketers to navigate.
LOOKING FOR A SPOT…ON YOUR PHONE
Why it matters to you: Should you be fighting for space on your guests’ phones?
Restaurant operators have been scrambling over the past couple of years trying to secure great real estate on guests’ smart phones. For example, Starbuck’s loyalty program has 16 million participants. That’s a download performance that any new app developer would give up a limb to achieve. The effort to add value to your loyalty program has inspired some operators to be creative in their execution. For example, Domino’s is awarding points when you download their app and order pizza from a competitor. You can even buy a frozen pizza and get those points. That’s what it is worth to Domino’s to get onto a guest’s phone.
In other efforts, two high-end restaurants are honoring points from each other’s loyalty spending and last week, we reported about the Burger King coffee program, which is another cool form of loyalty. Also, MOD Pizza and B.Good are allowing guests to use points when making a donation to their signature foundations. These examples demonstrate that you need to make your loyalty program stand out. Whether you collaborate with other local businesses or promote a unique value proposition, you have to make it easy for guests to both earn and redeem. If you don’t have a program, maybe now is the time to get that rolling -- before all the good real estate is gone.
[Source: Restaurant Business Online]
YOU’RE NOT WELCOME
Why it matters to you: Limits on H2B visas are disrupting seasonal employers.
If you employ staff that are here on a H2B visa then things are about to change for you. The Trump Administration has greatly restricted the number of visas allowed and they changed the application format to a lottery. This caused a lot of confusion last year and many folks that normally apply missed out. This disruption was felt in those communities that rely on seasonal staff. If you’ve ever skied in the U.S., you will meet kids who are here on H2B visas from South America, as well as on Cape Cod where Eastern European, Brazilian and Filipino applicants dominate.
If you only have 12 weeks of a high season every year, you are forced to be reliant on seasonal employees. Those folks that leverage the H2B also are more likely to return year after year, which makes them even more valuable. So, beware seasonal employers, you may have to find replacements locally. If you aren’t actively searching right now, you may want to get rolling.
For example, use Craig’s List to attract students that might be interested in coming to your tourist area for the season. Or make a connection with a ski area that also has seasonal staff and offer a smooth transition for staff. In today’s staffing environment, it pays to be creative and flexible. Unfortunately, short seasoned operations have be even more so.
[Source: Axios]
