October 3, 2016
Today's Special:
[LEARN] 8 Tips For Recovering From Bad Yelp Reviews
There’s little restaurant operators can do about bad restaurant reviews on Yelp. What they can control, however, is how they react to the poor previews and go about ‘guest recovery.’
[READ] Plan Your Promotional Calendar in 13 Week Segments [Hack #070]
Having trouble keeping your bar or restaurant promotions fresh and interesting? Use this restaurant hack to help break up the monotony and get your guests coming back for more.
DID YOU KNOWs…
Can I have that to-go?
Chinese food containers are as familiar as an iced cold bottle of ‘America’ (the beer formerly known as Budweiser). But the history of the container is actually quite fascinating. Check out the chart that explained it all from Frederick Weeks Wilcox patent application in 1894 and learn why those boxes are the way they are…
Ryder Cup Report Card
If you like golf then you likely loved the outcome for the US Ryder Cup in Chaska Minnesota yesterday. The boys in the red, white and blue took their first Ryder Cup since 2008 (the tournament is played every other year) Click here to see the grades earned by each member of the US and European team. See you in 2018 when they event arrives at Le Golf National, Albatros Course in eastern France.
Carbon Counter
Do you drive an SUV or light truck? If you have ever felt guilty about the potential impact your vehicle has on the environment, we would like to make you feel even worse. Check out CarbonCounter.com, created by a research initiative out of MIT, this online interactive chart shows you just how horrible your vehicle is on mother earth. You can read the underlying research outline here. Bottom line, we have a long way to go if we are going to reverse our impact on climate change.
THIS IS JUDGE-MENTAL
Why it matters to you: Because the Supreme Court is short on justice they are truly crippled and can’t reliably execute on their constitutional responsibilities.
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) begins its next session today and they are one body down from their normal complement after Justice Antonin Scalia’s untimely death earlier this year. The placement of his successor has been a political drama that continues to unravel. Republicans have a Presidential Nominee in Judge Merrick Garland, who might be the best option they have if Hillary Clinton is elected, but would be unacceptable to a Donald Trump presidency. Therefore they are playing a game of chicken with our judicial process and wreaking havoc with determined law as these 8 judges are evenly divided on ideological lines.
The court is set to adjudicate a lower case load than normal, but will still hear cases on topics like a free-speech challenge, race in redistricting, a challenge surrounding the secrecy of jury deliberations. Additionally, they will review cases on Public Sector unions, the religious exemptions to the birth control mandate in the ACA as well as the legality of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. While there are practical matters caused by being short a justice, the frightening reality is case law that simply doesn’t get settled. With the likelihood of ideological ties, SCOTUS could literally be derailed by 4-4 ties on these issues since that means the lower court decision would stand.
NOT WHILE YOU LIVE IN MY HOUSE
Why it matters to you: Does your staff think it’s ok to be rude to a guest because of their own politics?
When Officer Greg Credeur entered the Taco Bell in Pineville Louisiana, he was solely considering his meal purchase, but unfortunately, the employees at this particular outlet wanted his attention on another matter. As Credeur approached the register, he could see several of the Taco Bell staff playing with a stuffed pig and making animal sounds directed towards him. The kid at the register didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, but Credeur was shaken by it and posted about it on Facebook. That post has since gone viral, everyone above the employees at that location has appropriately condemned the action.
The real problem here was a lack of leadership on the part of this Taco Bell Franchisee. Sure, this was a bunch of kids riding the wave of sentiment after incidents around the country have shined a light on police behavior, like never before. However, the operator of this group, had ample opportunity to learn from other locations that have seen employees act out regarding police customers that enter their restaurants. If you haven’t already, it is clearly time to remind your staff… while they certainly have a first amendment right to free speech, that doesn’t mean they can express it while on the clock for you without consequences. You provide them employment and not a forum to share their opinions about anything other than how to best serve your guests. A reminder might be a good piece of preventative care as these contentious times continue.