INFOGRAPHIC: How Does Your Alcohol Safety Training Program Stack Up?
There are a myriad of statistics that prove alcohol is a very dangerous drug. As full-service restaurant operators, you manage the distribution, sale and control alcohol. Let’s face it, you need every possible advantage to do so safely. Among the most accessible and most effective advantages is having a staff trained in the many aspects of responsible alcohol service. In a one survey we conducted, our readers shared their approaches to responsible service and, frankly, we are impressed.
DID YOU KNOWS…
When Fast Food was “Healthy”
Researchers studied 1,787 mains, sides and desserts at 10 fast food chains from 1986 to 2016 -- Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver’s, McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Even though chains are attempting to attract customers with lighter and healthier items such as salad, the average main grew by 39 grams across the chains. The calorie count also increased by 90.
MLS Bold New TV Plan
MLS has told its clubs not to sign local deals beyond 2022 as it hopes of packaging local rights with national rights. It’s a bold move and a bit of a gamble. However, if the MLS is able to sell local/national rights to one buyer, it’s unlikely to work on strictly linear TV, according to Awful Announcing. This means the buyer would also need a giant streaming platform to air all the games that don’t fit on regular TV. That limits possibilities, currently, to just ESPN and Turner. But 2022 is a few years away so we’ll see.
Dunkin Resurrects Irish Crème
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Dunkin’s is resurrecting a previously discontinued coffee flavor – Irish Crème. It’ll only be available at participating locations and while supplies lasts. The flavor was retired back in 2015 amidst outcries from the flavors fans and Dunkin teased it “certainly might consider” bringing it back. Here’s another example of how seasonal menu items and limited supplies can help garner heavy interest.
TURN A SODA TAX INTO A PATH TO PROFIT
Why it matters to you: If you’re facing a soda tax in your community, take heart, it might actually be to your benefit.
Those of us that are industry veterans remember when soda was the only soft-beverage option you had other than coffee. We mention this because many communities have opted to add a, so called, sin tax to fizzy drinks, thus using tax policy to reduce consumption. In some places that has worked really well, including Berkeley, CA which saw a 52% decline in consumption during the first three years of their soda tax. Those taxes apply to off-premise retailers and soda fountain produced products like most restaurants offer. We are here to suggest this should be just fine with you. Let’s be direct: the profit percentage in soda is impressive. In most cases the pour cost for soda in the single digits. This is the point where I mention to you that my economics professor in college made clear: you can’t deposit percentages.
In the case of soda, the typical price limits your dollar profit to under $2 per sale. Add a sugary soda tax and the number of soda sales you make is bound to drop. That is exactly why it’s time to rethink your soft beverage program. It’s time to offer creative and cultivated products that will satisfy your alcohol-free beverage ordering guests and increase profit. For example, guests will pay as much as $3 for a bottle of Snapple, but that will cost you less than $1 in cost of goods sold. That makes it more profitable than soda; oh, and no free refills either. Don’t be afraid of a soda tax if it comes your way. Instead, beat it by offering the alcohol-free menu your guests want and, more importantly, are happy to pay for.
[Source: Forbes]
THE ART OF NEGOTIATING
Why it matters to you: Being a good negotiator is a basic skill of any quality leader/manager.
Whether you think Donald Trump is a master negotiator or not, he has certainly placed a spotlight on that specific skill. His ubiquitous presence on that topic comes from his first literary effort, The Art of the Deal. What most of the managers in our industry don’t realize is that you are called upon to show off your negotiating skills every day. Whether it’s working with your beer vendor to sponsor a program in your restaurant or convincing a staff member to cover a shift, you are constantly negotiating with the people you supervise and those with whom you do business. That’s why this negotiating primer from Entrepreneur is a great reminder of the basics of negotiating.
The article offers five elements of effective negotiating. It always starts with knowing with whom you are negotiating. Understanding their position and motivation is paramount to finding a solution that works for both parties. The primer also encourages you to listen, which is a skill all of us can work to perfect -- but it doesn’t stop there. It is also asserts that you need to establish what you have in common and create a partnership, instead of a battle. Honestly, those sound like general best practices for leadership and management. Given that you are negotiating constantly, it might not matter if these skills are exclusive to negotiating. Either way, it’s clearly in your best interest to be good at both negotiating and be a good leader.
[Source: Entrepreneur]
