This whole business, like most businesses, is all about anticipation. I have worked for way too many bosses who just sit back and react as things unfold. You are not going to be successful if you spend all of your time putting out fires. You don’t have the luxury of sitting in the office and…
The Unawareness Zone
That is where most customers live. They have no idea what that even means. Even those who consider themselves to be savvy when it comes to the whole restaurant thing. But that’s okay, they shouldn’t have to be. That is our job. Even my wife My dear, darling wife is a great example. She has…
POS Systems
Every once in a while, I have to put out a not very exciting post. This is one of those. The importance of a good POS system (point of sale for those keeping score at home), cannot be understated. Being able to track and control your product and labor is worth its weight in gold….
Open Kitchen
If you have an open, exposition kitchen, and even if you don’t, there are a few simple rules you should follow. Don’t pick your nose is a good start. It is sometimes difficult for a busy line cook to remember, but PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU! In this sense, you are no different than a bartender….
Follow Thru
I just finished a lecture to my students in the Dining Room class that I teach. The focus of the lecture was on how to handle customer complaints. The theme that I found myself going back to over and over again was: Follow through! The theme has obvious applications beyond handling customer complaints, but I…
Do You Have any Crayons?
There are those diners out there who think there is no place for children in a restaurant (children don’t need to eat, I guess). I can address those at another time. Or how about right now. What are these families to do when they are out of town and need to eat? Stay in the…
Am I Too Late?
Probably. Don’t think it is possible to reverse a trend that has been years in the making. When you get old like me, you reflect back on the years and try to see how you got from there to here. It can be an interesting thing to ponder. That arc of our lives. How did…
OMG, Another Customer
I see that look all of the time. At restaurants. At bars. Even at food carts. That look on the face of a restaurant employee when a customer dares to walk in to the place to get something to eat. Can we all just take a moment and remind ourselves of the business we have…
Northwest Hospitality
I do love living in the Pacific Northwest. Especially Portland. Nothing against Seattle, but people here are quite nice (except, of course, at a few select restaurants). They have nothing on us… I recently had the chance to visit Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. I had a wonderful time, and everyone in those places…
Everything Matters
Every single thing that goes on inside and outside of your restaurant matters. Yes, even outside. When customers walk up to your front door, I promise you they have already made a couple of observations and judgments about your place. Is there a pile of something left by some dog out in front of the…
I Like them Because They are Nice to My Daughter
There are a couple of restaurants in my neighborhood that my daughter likes to frequent. Yes, I know, she is spoiled. However, I do love it when she comes back with positive things to say about these places. Were they nice? Often, I don’t even have to ask her about her experiences. She will come…
Get Off Your Phone!
I ride up on my bike the other day to the farmer’s market to stop for a little lunch on my way to work. I stop at one of the prepared food stalls to get a sausage sandwich only to find both of the guys working–one of them the owner–fingering their phones. Seriously? Put that…
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