Bruce Calls Out the Lawyers…
Welcome back!
“Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything” - Bruce Springsteen
With all that’s going on in this crazy world (including the brutal economic conditions) I would like to think that Bruce Springsteen has more on his mind than a band in a New York bar playing three of his songs. I was recently in a place in Sarasota, Florida and that band played at least twenty-five of the Beatles hits and as far as I know, neither Paul nor Ringo have reacted legally or in any other way. Yoko might be another matter.
And please don’t tell me that ASCAP is part of this picture, but of course it is. Their Senior Vice-President of Licensing had this to say… “It’s not about him as a recording artist. In this instance, he’s simply a songwriter with rights.”
Believe it or not, it’s now 2010 and the world of music has changed quite dramatically. I can go on You Tube and listen to the Boss all day, but heaven help me if other people hear it in a place such as Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant in New York. Both Bruce and the people from ASCAP will go bananas.
I’m a major fan of Bruce Springsteen and I will give him a pass for his attempt to safeguard the rights of his fellow musicians, but in my opinion, the concept of ASCAP is no longer viable (as if it ever was). Let the bars play the music – the exposure is good for the artist. It’s time to bring a stop to this insanity.
Sirius Radio in your bar and restaurant might be a good idea simply because you won’t have to deal with the ASCAP’s of the world who remain busy trying to extort money from an already struggling business. Sirius pays the ASCAP fees as part of your package and just not dealing with them will make your life a lot more peaceful.
Nine Details To Look For When Recruiting Restaurant Managers
By Richard Averitte
“Details, Details, Details!” That’s what my boss used to tell me when my sales were down when I was store manager for Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q. I may have thought I was hitting the “big three” (great food, great service, clean restaurant), but in reality I was overlooking some important details. Is the drive-thru moving fast enough? Were two registers always open? Are fries being cooked per order during non-peak hours? Are the restrooms checked (and cleaned if necessary) every hour? You get the point. It’s the details that can take you from good to great.
As the recruiter for Smithfield’s Chicken ‘ N Bar-B-Q, I take the same approach when recruiting store managers. I pay close attention to the details. There are the obvious things that you hear from everyone (be on time, dress for the part, etc) but you never hear the details. Here are nine details I look for when recruiting followed by a tip for those job hunting:
1. A professional voice mail — O.K., you’re on the job hunt. Let’s create a voice mail message that would give me a positive impression if you miss my call. A voice mail message beginning with latest Top 40 hit or a “You got (fill in the name), you know what to do and when to do it!” message is not professional. Create your personal voice mail message as if it were your work voice mail.
2. The response — If you happen to catch my call, I am going to ask “May I speak to Mr./Mrs…”. If your response is “Who’s this?!?” or worse if you ask “Who’s calling?” and I identify myself and then you tell me it’s you, that’s a red flag. I get the impression you are an introvert (not good in the service industry) or you think I am a bill collector. You have your resume out and about. Would you not expect some calls from some numbers you don’t recognize/people you don’t know? A “this is he/she” or “speaking” response is all that is needed when a potential employer calls.
3. E-mail instructions — I am going to send you an e-mail confirming a face to face interview. In the e-mail, I’ll ask you to bring your resume. If you don’t respond to the e-mail or don’t bring your resume to the interview, that tells me (1) you are not a good communicator and (2) you don’t follow instructions well. Respond to a potential employer’s correspondence and follow instructions.
4. Dress for the part — I know this is a “No duh!” one, but this one is a little more personal to me. When a candidate does not dress in business attire, I feel they are looking down at the restaurant industry and thinking it’s just a “fast food” job. In our concept, our managers wear ties and dress shirts and go by “Mr. or Ms.” Not wearing business attire is an automatic “86″ for a candidate (for you non-restaurant folks, “86″ is restaurant lingo for “end it”). One time I had a candidate who wore dress slacks and golf shirt who told me that he “did not want to dress too formal in fear he may not get the job.” What? Regardless of the industry, business attire during the interview process should be a given. Dress for success for your interviews.
5. Do some homework — This one kills me. I always ask the question “Are you familiar with our concept and have you visited one of our restaurants?” If that candidate says “no”, that’s an automatic “86″. If you have never eaten at one of our restaurants and are applying for a job, that tells me you are just chasing money and not an opportunity. Doing an Internet search on us and spouting out facts does not impress me. I want to know how your experience was in one of our stores and why you chose to apply with us. Let your potential employer know why you applied.
6. Listen — I have a set “pitch” I give to candidates where I talk about the history of the company, the culture, the future, benefits, etc. I hate being interrupted during the pitch. It’s not the fact that I may lose my train of thought or that I don’t want to hear what you have to say. It just tells me you are going to be one of those “Back at (previous employer) we used to blah , blah, blah” types and not last a week once hired. I don’t care what you know, I care what you can learn. Listen and save your questions until to the end.
7. Is this job for you? — The reason I was chosen to recruit was because I did the job. Therefore, I am going to be brutally honest with you. I am going to tell you the good and the bad. You are going to work 60-65 hours weeks, nights and weekends, on your feet all day etc. But you will earn a good living with a growing company. Ask questions and find out how this job could affect your lifestyle. Ask yourself if you are going to be able to commit to the job.
8. Don’t talk money — Talking money over the phone is an automatic “86″ and borderline “86″ in the first interview. You should be confident enough in your own abilities to know not to broach that subject just yet. This is another red flag that tells me you are chasing the money and not the opportunity. Let the potential employer initiate the salary conversation.
9. Find out how to follow up — This is a common practice in sales, but you are selling yourself, right? It’s important to follow up after the interview to see what the next step would be but it’s also important to find out the best method. Office phone? Mobile phone? E-mail? Text? Asking this question will not only help you find out the best method, but will also show you are considerate of the recruiter’s time. Personally, I am an e-mail kind of guy. Find out the best way to follow up with the potential employer.
None of these details are sure-fire. I have hired some clunkers and probably missed out on some superstars. But, these details have helped me narrow the gap and, furthermore, allowed me to save two precious commodities in recruiting - time and money.
Richard Averitte is the Marketing Director for Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q, a group of restaurants serving the finest fried chicken and Eastern-North-Carolina-style Bar-B-Q. Food is made fresh daily from family recipes and served in a family-friendly atmosphere. Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q has over 30 locations in North Carolina as well as an online store where BBQ can be ordered and shipped anywhere in the United States. For more details, visit www.scnbnc.com.
Lona, Wine, & Sinatra: Vines Grille & Wine Bar - Orlando
“I feel sorry for the people who don’t drink - when they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they are going to feel all day.” — Frank Sinatra
The above quote appeared on the menu of our restaurant of choice in Orlando, so at least the owner has a sense of humor. We attended the Florida Restaurant Show at the nearby
Convention Center and one look at Vines Grille & Wine Bar is all that was needed. If you actually walk in their door, forget about it, you’ll never want to leave. This spot has a vibe going for it that won’t quit, and the ambiance matched the quality of the food and the service.
Wine is the theme at Vines and they have dedicated an entire wall to the subject. That being said, we sat down and I ordered a Samuel Adams Brown Ale. Jaime did the right thing with a bottle of wine. The food was sensational (my roasted natural chicken with rosemary mashed potatoes) was incredible, and everything about this place felt good.
I have always said that the quality of a restaurant’s general manager is directly proportional to the quality of the restaurant in question, and Vines proved my point. Lona Kicinski (technically the Director of Operations) stopped by our table and even gave us a tour of the restaurant. She could have easily passed for the owner as this woman completely understands the concept of hospitality.
The entire staff behaved like she did and her philosophy of managing became self- evident. She sees her people as a family that works together and has fun together. They love what they do and it shows. A waiter from another station helped to bus our table, and he said something interesting to me… “Sir, I noticed that you ordered the chicken. It happens to be my favorite entrée, and I think our chef prepares the best chicken dish in all of Florida. Chicken is somewhat under appreciated, but we do it so well”. The man was right, and you have to love the fact that he would say something like that.
You go to a place that is somewhat unfamiliar; you hope to find a great restaurant. We hit the home run in Orlando.
Vines Grille & Wine Bar
7533 W Sand Lake Rd.
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 351-1227
Restaurant Promotion Gone Afoul: The Most Expensive Free I’ve Ever Seen…
Ok, so this hit my desk in the early AM on 9/9/09…
“Restaurant.com Stretches the Dollar with 90% off Gift Certificates”
A limited time promotion they are running using the date of 9/9/09 as an excuse.
I don’t care what day it is on the calendar this is a terrible promotion.
Well, let me clarify that - this is a terrible promotion for any restaurant.com client.
Who can deny it’s a good deal for the customer - A $25 certificate, which they usually discount to $10 anyway, is then $1 - yes, one dollar. And customers are indeed going crazy for it - a quick search of twitter shows countless people sharing the news.
That’s all well and good - but from the restaurant side, I find the promotion disgusting.
I know if I was a restaurant on their site, I would call up and immediately cancel with them.
Of course, they lock restaurants in for 12 months so that’s not really an option - and I guess they hope that restaurants forget about these kinds of promotions when it comes time to renew.
So let me elaborate. I’m a restaurant and I’ve got a pretty nice place. And some lame-brain marketing person desperate for sales at restaurant.com makes my $25 certificate worth a buck!
That makes me and my restaurant look like an ass.
I’ll say it again - like an absolute ass.
Here’s the deal…
- Restaurant ABC signs up for “free” to restaurant.com
- Restaurant ABC receives a decent looking presentation of their restaurant on the website
- Restaurant ABC decided on a couple of certificate offers to make available - i.e. $10 for a $25 certificate and decides on the restrictions for it - i.e. with the purchase of $50 or more..
- Restaurant ABC agrees to redeem the certificates when they come in the restaurant
Ok, maybe that’s a good idea - I strongly say no it’s not - but let’s continue to go with it.
Here’s the rub…
- Restaurant.com doesn’t share any of the dollars from the sale of certificates with the restaurants.
- For example, in the case above, restaurant.com would receive the $10.
- Or as the case would be in this 90% sale, the $1
- Since they don’t have to worry about sharing this revenue and it’s all just digital certificates they hold a wacky sale like this.
Good for them, because consumers flock to buy these cheap certificates - well “coupons” really - it’s a very big stretch to call these things gift certificates.
And they get some sales volume and new customers and media attention, etc.
But is it good for the restaurants - their so called “partners”?
Well maybe if the restaurant just wants someone to walk through the door at any price.
But certainly not if the restaurant has any inkling of branding and image.
It’s hard to look cool, hip and happening when they are shilling your $25 certificate for a measly dollar.
It’s just the wrong impression. It’s just the wrong tactic. It’s just wrong.
There are countless ways to do better restaurant marketing.
The marketing machine of restaurant.com has somehow fooled thousands of restaurants.
Maybe because it seems easy and free, restaurants say what the heck and give it a try.
Well, let me just say that “free” can sometimes be very, very expensive.
And that is the case here.
Maybe you think different - that’s fine - post your comment. And forward a link to the restaurant.com people, they are welcome to respond as well.
All the best,
- Jaime
P.S. Don’t take this as a harsh criticism if your restaurant has chosen to use restaurant.com. Do take it as a constructive critique that you can do better with your marketing and be more creative and inventive and build true value with your marketing programs. That’s what we help with - we have tons of marketing resources for folks at RestaurantReport.com and RunningRestaurants.com.
Kids & Healthy Eating: A Chef at War
It was almost ten years ago that we (Restaurant Report) were ranting and raving about the subject of childhood obesity. We knew then that we were systematically raising an entire generation hooked on fast foods. We knew then that both the parents and the schools were failing miserably as they sat back and watched this happen. We knew then what was going to happen, and after all these years, the problem has gotten progressively worse.
Our article stated the following… “Our kids have become psychologically and even physiologically addicted to a diet that is unto itself, blatantly unhealthy”. We called upon the chefs of America to get involved in some type of effort to educate the public regarding the dangers inherent in a steady diet of fast foods, and to develop some type of program to teach the importance of good food and healthy dining. All these years later, things have gotten progressively worse to the point where our medical community is now busy treating young children for Type 2 diabetes and even heart disease.
The reaction to our plea would not be characterized as overwhelming, and even today, the parents and the schools continue to do virtually nothing when it comes to something so critical as the health of our children. Having said that, we did hear from Chef Christopher Daly. At the time, he was Chef de Cuisine at Petrossian in New York, and he was ready to fight the battle. The good chef included the following in his response… “It is a terrible thing to think of the scope of damage being done in the name of convenience and fast foods. Our youth is being commercialized; their health is in danger, and their future is being placed in jeopardy”.
The real story here is that Chef Daly did more than simply write a letter. He single-handidly started an organization that he calls “HIP FOR KIDS” (Hospitality Industry Professionals for Kids), and guess what - it’s still going strong today and this chef hasn’t backed down one inch. Most of the country could care less - Chef Daly is making something happen! We might be losing the war, but the chef is winning the battle. His recipes and his programs for fresh, healthy food have been adopted in schools all over the country. It’s a great story and I don’t believe Chris Daly thinks we’re “losing this war”.
The man is actually saving lives, and based on his performance to date, he will continue to do so. His site is hip4kids.org and this chef deserves our interest and our help. One man unto himself is not going to beat this devil. Having said that, it’s comforting to know that someone actually cares.
Chef Bernard on Restaurant Survival
I have always enjoyed any conversation with Chef Bernard Ros of New York’s Meli Melo Restaurant. It was a hot August day, and while we talked about one of my least favorite subjects (the economy) Bernard can’t be anything but interesting. He brings a very simple viewpoint to running a successful restaurant - even in these somewhat impossible times.
RR: In terms of the economy, have you ever seen it worse that this?
Chef: Without a doubt, this is the worst I’ve seen it in forty-three years. One business after another is either closing, declaring bankruptcy or about to do so in our area on Madison Avenue. Almost every business is laying off employees which means they are putting my customers out of work (and for the most part, out of my restaurant). The recently refurbished hotel down the street is selling five-hundred dollar rooms for seventy-five dollars, and the tourists have yet to materialize. This is the first day of Market Week, and the streets are devoid of people. Everyone is suffering, and it’s hardly the best of times to be running a restaurant.
RR: Let us not forget 9/11. One might suggest that this was worse than anything we are seeing today.
Chef: 9/11 was an unspeakable tragedy, and you are correct. You really can’t compare the two situations, but at least New York reacted and offered a stimulus package (so to speak) that was designed to stimulate tourism in Manhattan immediately following those unforgettable dark days. They gave tourists a certificate for fifteen dollars off a meal in a participating restaurant. We received ten-dollars back for every certificate that we honored, and it was a tremendous help to the local restaurant industry.
RR: Do you see any light at the end of this tunnel?
Chef: I actually do. I believe that things will get better sometime in October, and we will enjoy substantially more Holiday parties than we did in 2008. Please don’t hold me to this prediction, but things have to improve and October is as good as any.
RR: What does it mean to a chef-driven concept like Meli Melo when the economy gets this bad?
Chef: It means that I have to work even more hours, and it means that we have to do it with less people. It means that I have to basically eliminate all of my advertising, and regretfully, I have to deeply down-scale my charitable contributions in terms of gift certificates to charities and other causes. We’re known for our fresh flowers and I even have to make cuts in this regard. You find yourself in a survival mode and you do everything possible to hang in there until things get better.
RR: What about something so critical as the menu?
Chef: You make adjustments, but you cannot cut quality. That’s when you lose it. For the first time, I added a hamburger and that proved to be a great decision. We’re serving lots of burgers, and it’s something I should have done a long time ago.
RR: If you have learned anything significant from this dreadful economy, the hamburgers notwithstanding, what would it be?
Chef: Fortunately, I learned it a long time ago. You build a long-term relationship with your purveyors based on loyalty and performance (from both sides). In a sense, they become partners in your business, and if and when it gets to crunch-time, such as what we have today, your purveyors can be the best friends you will ever have. I have watched so many chefs jump from one supplier to another, and it’s always over costs. Of course, the big costs come in when you haven’t built a relationship and you find yourself in the impossible predicament of a bad economy while you are forced to pay cash upfront.
It is true that I have always said that the secret to this business is that you find a way to buy quality for less. The quality always has to be there, and the purveyor relationship might become critical to your ability to survive. You have to pay for the air conditioning and the rent or it’s over, and if you mess with the quality that got you there, it’s most definitely over.
Meli Melo
110 Madison Avenue
New York
212-686-5551
www.melimelorestaurant.com
A Dog Day Afternoon for Restaurants
“The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.” - Unknown
I just watched a news presentation featuring a new business in my area - a swimming pool for dogs. Not a terrible idea. It was the ad in my local paper that bothered me - A Philadelphia Tavern is now promoting “Yappy Hour”.
Dogs are wonderful. We’re talking about man’s best friend, and I would be out of my mind to denigrate them and what they stand for. It’s just that they have a place, and a public bar or restaurant isn’t one of them. I totally get the ad and all it’s creativity - Bring your pooch to “Yappy Hour” on Thursdays, 5 to 7pm. The dog had a hard day, and the pooch deserves a drink (one-dollar) and most certainly a pooch appetizer ($2.50). It’s a beautiful, warm and fuzzy thing. The problem is that I also had a hard day, and I’m not in the mood to sit at a bar next to a poodle or a Saint Bernard. You say hello to almost any dog and they are invariably stuck for an answer. At this moment (with no disrespect intended), I prefer people.
The promotion is cute and possibly even effective, but not for me (and millions of people like me). Pets are wonderful, and
I highly recommend them. Please consider this a request to all those creative (and somewhat desperate) marketing types. Dogs
belong in your den next to the fire-place - they do not belong in our bars and restaurants.
I do understand that it’s a big thing for owners to bring their pets to certain restaurants that welcome dogs for outdoor dining. Maybe it’s good business and again, it’s warm and fuzzy. On a very personal basis, and quietly and respectfully, I will choose to look for another spot.
Making Your Restaurant Customers Feel Special With Events
I received the below email postcard about a week ago….
It’s good. It’s a nice offer - exclusive access to a prescreening of a hot
movie.
I didn’t speak with Fleming’s, but my thinking is the wine company had quite a hand in underwriting and organizing the promotion.
That’s great — a win, win setup.
So, maybe you can’t setup a sneak peek for a Hollywood blockbuster — that’s
fine.
The point is 1) creativity 2) relevance and 3) matching your brand & customer profile.
And we can all do that.
Money tight at your restaurant? It probably is right now. Look to your purveyors to support an event that you both promote and where you both win.
Bottom line is that your customers have many dining choices and you just got to “grab ‘em and shake ‘em” every once in a while with something fun or interesting or exciting or….you get the point.
Have fun with it and good luck!
All the best,
- Jaime
How many times must a man look up and pretend that he just doesn’t see?
I’m not sure who or what is more powerful, Alice Waters or 60 Minutes. I do know that Ms. Waters appeared on the Sunday night show and suggested that there should be a children’s garden at the White House. Within a few days, the White house announced plans to place an organic garden on the South lawn that is to include some 55 varieties of vegetables and herbs. The entire idea is to stress the importance of fresh, healthy foods that have escaped the notice of our nation’s youth (and their parents) for much too long.
We keep reading the horror stories of childhood obesity and the emergence of Type 2 Diabetes now prevalent amongst our kids. So many talk about it, but the situation keeps getting worse. Alice Waters talked about it and for whatever reason, she made something happen. Childhood obesity is the unacceptable conclusion to our “fast-food nation” and an adult population that became too busy to notice what was really happening. We have met the enemy and they are us.
We (Restaurant Report) might not make it to 60 Minutes, but we intend to allow our audience (chefs and culinary professionals) to step up and help fix this problem. The garden at the White House is an amazing first step, but what we really need is a garden in every elementary school in America. We need to change our fast-food culture to something entirely different. Our kids deserve better and the task is formidable, but not impossible.
We plan to ask our chefs for their help, and yes, we will talk with Alice Waters (and anyone else who is devoted to this cause). Childhood obesity is unacceptable, and we’re not going to take it anymore!
Please share your thoughts and suggestions…
Restaurant Doom — More Alcohol Taxes?
“Here’s to Alcohol: the cause of, and the solution to, all of life’s problems” –Homer Smith
The economy is what it is and if restaurants don’t already have enough problems, look for state governments to raise alcohol taxes. The studies continue to come to the same conclusion - Alcohol taxes and prices affect drinking. When prices go down, people drink more, and when prices go up, people drink less. That unto itself is not exactly shocking.
What is disturbing is that the so-called experts concerned with the subject of addiction who are actually pushing for higher taxes on alcohol with the assumption that higher prices will be the silent cure for alcoholism. Here’s just one example… Frank Chaloupka, PhD, Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, describes the research as a “true tour de force,” and adds, “these findings provide a strong rationale for using increases in alcoholic beverage taxes to promote public health by reducing drinking.”
In other words, let’s find an excuse for raising those taxes, and let’s punish the hospitality industry in doing so. We will make alcoholic beverages so damn expensive that alcoholic dependency will cease to exist. It’s all for the greater good, and keep in mind that we taxed the hell out of cigarettes and less people are smoking.
Here’s my take on it… Maybe 10% of the drinking public are problem drinkers. This means 90% drink responsibly. So why punish the overwhelming majority (not to mention an entire beverage industry that is a vital part of the economic survival of our restaurants). More to the point, I don’t care what the studies say; people of the addicted variety are not going to stop drinking because a bottle of Smirnoff just went up by ten percent. You can charge $145.00 for the bottle and these folks will find a way to keep drinking.
The governments are going to raise taxes, but please don’t use the excuse that in doing so, you are actually doing something for the greater good of society. What you are doing is hurting the beverage industry; the hotel industry; and most certainly, the restaurant industry. (just to name a few).
