Mixology? Trends come and go in this industry, which is a good thing. We all need change, even in the restaurant business. At the risk of sounding whiny (I suppose it’s too late for that), I am ready for the current craft cocktail craze to move along. I found myself in a local bar recently (hmm,…
Category: Portland Restaurants
Goal Setting
It is a widely known fact that if you want to accomplish anything, you need to have goals. If you are a chef and you want to open up a restaurant, what are your goals going to be? The thing is, you can’t just say, “I want to open up a place and make money.” …
Harshest Critic
It’s amazing to me to think that my wife has put up with me all of these years. When I think of how many times she and I have eaten out together, it’s a wonder she still goes out with me at all. I wouldn’t want to go out with me. Come to think of…
Give Them What They Want
I recently attended an industry event recognizing restaurants for their contributions to the community. It was a cool event and I was proud and lucky to be a part of it. At this event there were many chefs, winemakers, and brewers that I have known over the years. One of those chefs, a former co-worker…
Combating Labor Turnover
One of the things my wife and I enjoy when we go out is seeing the same friendly faces at our frequented haunts. That is true for most customers. The problem is that most places are not able to hang on to their employees. Now, employee turnover is a fact that you cannot hide from….
Restaurant Theft
Let’s face it, you will never be able to completely get rid of theft in your restaurant. All you can do is hope to limit it. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 30% of small business failure is directly due to theft. 80% of which is internal—in other words, your employees stealing from you….
Be a Presence in your Restaurant
The best way to assure things are going well in your establishment is to be a presence on the floor as much as possible. You cannot expect your employees to do your bidding during service hours if you are hiding in the office, looking at numbers. In fact, there will be no numbers to look…
Restaurant Ethics
I have worked for many restaurant owners, chefs, manager, etc., who seemed to have been raised on a different planet than myself. It looked that way, anyway. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I think that if your menu says that you have Carlton Farms Pork, you should probably be serving Carlton Farms…
Thank the Kitchen
I don’t know how my wife and I did this, but one of the favorite things I love about my kids, now teenagers, is that whenever we eat out, they always stop by the kitchen and thank them for their meal. A practice I would like to see the rest of the world start. Those…
Labor Turnover
Most restauranteurs, and business owners in general, understand that cost of labor is most often the biggest expense in running any business. That is true in the restaurant more than any other business. In fact, it cost sixteen times more in labor dollars to run a restaurant as compared to say running a grocery store. …
10 Reasons Why Restaurants Fail
There is a general idea out there that restaurants fail more than other businesses. This is actually not true. Statistics show that restaurants fail at about the same rate as do small retail shops. However, there is still a very high percentage of restaurant failures. According to the National Restaurant Association, 59-61% of restaurants close…
Unhappy Hour
If you are like me, you appreciate a good happy hour. The availability of good food and drink at reasonable prices and smaller portions can be a great way to spend time with friends or a loved one. A late afternoon, early evening, or a late evening snack or libation can be just what the…
tabletalkpdx 