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Category: Restaurants

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Blog PostsRestaurants

Restaurant Operators Can Gain Sales by Boosting Their Online Presence

In today’s digital age, most consumers search the Internet using Bing or Google to check out restaurant reviews, menus, and prices before they head out for dinner. Because of this, it is essential for restaurant owners to optimize their online presence in order to get those “would-be” patrons through their door. Here are five crucial tips for operators who are looking to increase restaurant sales in their establishment.

Get Listed in Local Directories

If you wish to appear in the results for someone searching, for example, “local restaurants” you must get listed with several reputable or authoritative business directories to improve your SEO ranking. Getting listed in local directories is important because the search engines, especially Google, rely on reputable and respectable local business directories for their information. This means that if your website link is on one (or preferably more) of those authoritative directories, Google will list your restaurant in the top search results for local restaurants.

Optimize Your Google Places Profile

To increase your business’s standing in Google, you must sign up for a Google Places profile. This is how Google classifies and highlights local businesses. However, you must do more than just sign up for the profile – you also need to optimize it by completing all of the information fields and using some relative keywords in your profile.

Encourage Facebook Check-Ins

Facebook check-ins are what power restaurant listings to success in Facebook Graph Search. If somebody uses Facebook to seek out a local restaurant, and your restaurant has a large number of check-ins from local consumers, your restaurant will be seen as “a place to be.” So, don’t be afraid to encourage your guests to check-in to your restaurant on Facebook. In fact, some restaurants even offer free appetizers or small discounts for the first check-ins of the day. Sometimes a little incentive doesn’t hurt!

Encourage Good Reviews

Online review sites give important sources of information about your restaurant, as more and more consumers are using these sites to research local establishments. Not much can be done to prevent bad reviews other than offering superior service and quality food, but you can actively build up your positive reviews. Encourage, but don’t solicit, your customers to provide you with positive feedback on sites like UrbanSpoon.com and Yelp.com . And if you do happen to get some negative feedback be sure to respond online and correct what you can. This will show potential diners that you listened, the problem has been addressed, and that they can expect to enjoy their experience at your facility. Read more about Getting Reviews The Right Way.

Nurture Leads

Lead nurturing is a sales-boosting technique that works especially great for small businesses, even in the restaurant industry. Create a “Loyalty Program,” ask your guests for their e-mail addresses and then use that information to nurture your relationship with your current patrons. Let them know you will be sending information about discounts, special offers, and news about upcoming events.  Be sure to mention social media in all communications such as invitations to “Like” you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter, etc.

Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest tips, trends, and news of the restaurant industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

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Money-Saving Tips for Restaurant Operators

Restaurant operators are looking for more ways to save money these days to adjust for  the rising costs of beef and produce. To help your establishment cut back on costs, here are some tips to reduce energy, water usage and waste management costs.

1. Use energy efficient light bulbs. Switching to an energy efficient light bulb can save up to $22 per bulb per year, which can over time add up to significant savings. You should also remember to turn the lights off when they aren’t in use – motion sensor lights can help with this.

2. Run the dishwasher when it’s full. By waiting to wash the dishes until the dishwasher is full, you are able to cut down on water usage, soap and energy costs.

4. Install low flow faucets and toilets. By doing so you will save between 20 to 40 percent of water usage.

5. Turn down the thermostat. You’ll be surprised at the cost difference between keeping the temperature at 68 degrees rather than 72 degrees.

6. Use porcelain instead of paper or plastic. Rather than using disposable plates and cups, you may want to consider a one time investment for china, glass and silver – you will save on disposal costs, and as an added bonus reduce wastes in today’s landfills

7. Invest in energy efficient appliances. With energy efficient appliances, not only will you save on energy usage, but some states even offer restaurants tax credits and other incentives for switching to energy efficient appliances.

8. Trim down your menu. If there are certain items on your menu that just aren’t selling, then remove those items. This will help reduce food waste and keep food costs under control.

9. Take advantage of e-marketing. In today’s society, more people are opting to receive their information online rather than the yellow pages. From creating your own website to online advertising, there are many inexpensive ways to spread the word about your business.

10. Train your staff. Teach your staff to sort recyclables, turn off lights, and inform you of any issues that could be costing you money, such as a leaky faucet.

What steps are you taking to reduce restaurant costs?

Source1 Purchasing is a leading strategic supply chain management group focused on cost management, savings and operational efficiencies for the lodging, restaurant and food service industries. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

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3 Sustainability Tips for Restaurant and Hotel Operators

With sustainability becoming increasingly important in today’s society, restaurant and hotel operators are searching for ways to go greener. Because restaurants are in the business of creating and delivering food to customers, they have a greater opportunity to become sustainable through the ingredients in their meals and the technology that is used to prepare that food. To begin towards a more sustainable establishment, restaurants and hotels can include more local vendors in their purchasing plan, limit the amount of waste that is discarded, and adopt eco-friendly technology solutions.

Operators can take steps towards becoming more sustainable with the following tips for hotel and restaurant owners:

1. Review your restaurant or hotel purchasing program for local vendor options

Restaurants go through a ton of food and produce daily, and it can be tempting to obtain your food products from as affordable a source as possible. However, you can create a more sustainable restaurant by purchasing the bulk of your ingredients from local farmers and suppliers. By doing so, you are supporting your local economy and making sure that crops and other goods in your area are being used rather than being wasted. Plus, by purchasing your ingredients locally, you are ensuring the freshness of your food as well as reducing the time, energy and money required to transport them to your restaurant. If you’d like, may could even grow some of your own ingredients – start your own herb or vegetable garden to supply yourself with some of the ingredients used in your recipes.

2. Be aware of your waste – from smarter inventory management to a better plan for disposal

At the end of the day at your business, you always end up with a lot of waste, whether its food leftover by customers, garbage from everyday use, or extra food from over preparation or inventory that is at or beyond expiration. Rather than simply tossing out waste in garbage bags, you can improve your waste-management program efficiency by doing research and making strategic decisions on where the extra food and waste should go. Consider composting kitchen and produce waste so that you end up with rich fertilizer for soil that you could use in your own vegetable and herd garden. You should also be sure to always recycle all appropriate glass, aluminum, paper, cardboard and items. After doing this, you will certainly still be left with garbage at the end of the day that should be taken to the dump, but you have reduced how much waste is being put into the ground. Local food banks may have donation guidelines, so check with your local food bank organization for any additional guidelines, and any limits on their capacity to accept raw agricultural products, especially those which may require refrigeration. To find a food bank donation center near you, check with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or read here how a Red Lobster in Whitehall, PA uses Food Donation Connection, in partnership with National Restaurant Association, to help figure out the do’s and don’ts of donating restaurant leftovers.

3. Use eco-friendly products

Many products that are used in restaurants contain harsh chemicals, particularly for cleaning up. Rather than using these chemicals, opt for products that are more environmentally safe, like all natural or organic cleaning products. These will properly clean your establishment without adding more toxic chemicals to the earth. Aside from cleaning, there are many other areas in your restaurant that can benefit from the use of eco-friendly items. Strategic sourcing of products and appliances that actually help reduce energy and water costs may prove to be beneficial for your establishment. For example, you could use recycled paper for your menus and napkins and compact fluorescent light bulbs in your light fixtures. You can even really go green by ditching all print advertising and embracing the idea of social media marketing for your advertising campaigns.

These are only a few examples of green practices in hotels and restaurants. What steps have you taken to improve sustainability at your restaurant? Source1 Purchasing provides you with the latest tips, trends, and news of the food and beverage industry to ensure your business is running as efficiently as possible.

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How to Turn Website Visitors into Restaurant Guests

Designing a website for your restaurant is a great step to take in order to gain new customers – but only if you use it effectively. Even if you have a large amount of traffic on your website, it means nothing if those visitors never actually dine at your restaurant. Here are some tips that can help you take those people from online visitors to offline visitors.

Get more reviews. Most people like to read online reviews about restaurants before deciding to dine somewhere. Reviews allow guests to explain their experiences at an establishment, and if those reviews are good, you have a better chance of increasing the amount of guests to your restaurant. Create profiles on review websites, such as Yelp, and be sure to include a link to your website so that people who visit the review site can access your restaurant’s website. You should also include the same great reviews from the on your own page.

Go mobile. Now more than ever, people are using their mobile devices more than their desktop devices to search the web.  This means that you need to design your website to be mobile-friendly. When your site is mobile-friendly, those searching for a restaurant to dine in will be able to easily access your site from their smartphones and tablets.  When designing your site to be mobile-friendly, be sure that visitors can access your menu, address and other appropriate information about your restaurant from their mobile devices with ease.

Provide online ordering ability. In today’s society, everyone seems to be in a hurry, meaning they are looking for a fast and convenient way to order their food. To attract these customers to your establishment, you may want to consider providing an online ordering option for to-go orders from your website. To make the process easier for guests, include a complete menu on your website and set it up so that ordering and paying are as simple as the click of a button.  Remember to quote a time for when the order will be ready for pick up. Quick, hassle-free online ordering will is sure to increase your customer base.

Offer incentives. By offering incentives online you are encouraging online visitors to keep returning to your restaurant. For example, you could include a coupon code on your website for a discount when online visitors sign up for your newsletter or when they like you on Facebook.  You may even want to create a loyalty program online for your regular guests. This encourages those who are already visiting your site to become customers, and it helps to further spread the word about your restaurant.  With these easy tactics, you can turn your website visitors into guests in your restaurant, therefore increasing your sales.

What tactics do you take to turn your online visitors into guests at your restaurant? Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest news, trends, and tips for the restaurant industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www. Source1Purchasing.com.

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Tips for Lowering Food Purchasing Costs

From upgrading computer systems to equipment maintenance, restaurant costs have a tendency to add up quickly. So, what is the best way to supply a kitchen with the freshest, most delicious and most sustainable ingredients at the lowest cost?

Begin with your delivery area. Meet with your vendors and ask each one to build current order guides listing only the product that you purchase from them. Create a spreadsheet of these items for your ordering manager. Include the amount of the item that should be on the shelf, in the kitchen, and in the front of the house. This will help to prevent ordering more than you need.

Keep your inventory tight. Hang inventory sheets on a clipboard in a specified area. When the delivery person brings in the product, your manager can take this clipboard and check the inventory order sheet against the invoice, to insure that all of the correct product has been delivered, prices are accurate and that you are getting exactly what you are paying for.

Keep an industrial foodservice floor scale in your kitchen prep area to weigh in any product you buy by the pound. Weighing deliveries can potentially save you thousands of dollars on lost product.

Make sure your meats, seafood and other most expensive products are delivered as early as possible. These costly items should only be checked in by your GM or kitchen manager for freshness.

Establish a standard delivery time. You should stress to your salesperson that not delivering your shipment within your specified delivery times will result in loss of business for them. Setting specified delivery times emphasizes the importance of receiving product to both your delivery person and to your management staff.

Many of the reasons that restaurant costs can increase are that simple procedures get overlooked. It’s important to utilize restaurant-wide, cost-insurable standards across to help reduce your purchasing costs. Source1 Purchasing is a leading strategic supply chain management group focused on cost management, savings and operational efficiencies for your industry. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

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How to Reduce Food and Beverage Costs

The costs of ingredients are high and only becoming higher, but with the demands of today’s customers, you can’t pass them up. It takes some creative thinking to balance the cost of ingredients with the amount of money in your budget, so here are some tips to help you stay profitable.

1. Buy what’s in season. By purchasing items that are in season, you’re showing customers that you’re relevant and have the freshest, best-flavored, and lowest-cost foods. Follow a chart that shows the time of year that various foods are at their peak. Having species-specific recipes ready for the latest catch can help net great prices and top quality.

2. Follow the rule of thirds. Divide the recipes on your menu into thirds. A third of the items should be unique signature dishes. The second third comes from all the ingredients and the byproducts from those signature dishes. The last third is popular or traditional items that the traditional diner would enjoy. Ideally, the recipes from the last third of the menu would include ingredients from inventory or byproducts from the dishes in the first two categories. By doing this, you are reducing waste, and lowering overall food costs.

3. Buy lesser-known and value-added products. Trendy items cost more. Consider looking beyond those products to boost your margins. Aaron Allen, CEO of Quantified Marketing Group, managed a restaurant that stored discounted cases of a new liquor that wasn’t well-known and ended up creating drinks that became popular. Before that time, total bar costs ran about 28 percent; eventually the little-known liquor became a top seller and brought bar costs down to 16 percent.

4. Low cost doesn’t mean low taste. It’s important to understand the value of less-expensive cuts of meat or offal, but these cheaper products are not always best for a menu. Items like sausage, sweetbreads, and tripe may require a little creativity from the kitchen staff, but they have great flavor at a low price.

5. Mix things up. It can be difficult to hide price increases if your menu always remains the same, but switching out old dishes for new ones gives you a chance to increase prices without anyone noticing. Plus, adding new signature items will give you the upper hand against your competition. Innovation is key when it comes to restaurant success, not just price increases.

6. Look at the big picture. It may be worth it to have one expensive ingredient in a recipe. Don’t be discouraged by the cost of one raw material, but instead look at the overall yield of the recipe as a whole. Pasta is a perfect canvas for luxury ingredients. Flavor is the key. Don’t feel the need to purchase all; high-end materials. You can deliver flavor with inexpensive, yet high quality ingredients.

The Source1 Purchasing Program can help you reduce your food and beverage expenses. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.

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Good News and Bad News

Three developments hurting the restaurant industry
and three trends you can use to combat them

By Gabrielle Gresge

The final month of 2014 has ushered in time to look simultaneously forward and backward: backward to assess the trends and financial situation of the past year, and forward to understand the implications of those trends and how to take advantage of them. Particularly in the restaurant industry, minimum wage increases, the consequences of Obamacare and increases in commodity prices pose risks to future financial success. However, increases in the number of jobs, notable decreases in gas prices and glowing consumer confidence may just be able to combat those negative forces. Combined with revenue management aided by Source1, the beginning of 2015 could pose great opportunities to firms with the right arsenal of tools.

1. BAD NEWS: Minimum wage increases: In the wake of the 2014 midterm elections, 29 states will be offering a minimum wage above the $7.25 federal minimum. In addition, a bill has been introduced to the House which calls for an increase in the tipped minimum wage from $2.13/hour to $3.39/hour by the end of the year—there are hopes that the wage will be as high as $5.93 in 2016. These mandated increases help employees and perhaps increase work rate and morale, but greatly hurt restaurant firms, who rely greatly on the minimum wage to keep costs low. Increased wages begin a trend of increased menu prices to make up for lost profit, which can lead to lagging business and decreases in tips to waitstaff—which cause owners to fill legal implications by making up the difference in lost tips.

GOOD NEWS: Increases in the number of jobs: According to The Wall Street Journal, the United States economy has been experiencing steady job growth of 226,00 jobs added on average during the past seven months. The unemployment rate reached just about 6.1% this past August, which marks its lowest level in six years. This growth is positive in two facets: one, more jobs simply means more consumers and therefore increased profit potential. Additionally, 10% of the workforce is within the restaurant industry, signaling that the industry is growing.

2. BAD NEWS: Obamacare: The newest healthcare legislation mandates that employers employing 50 or more employees who work 30 or more hours on average per week are required to provide healthcare to their employees. According to Bloomberg, 21% of restaurant workers fit this characterization.

GOOD NEWS: Increased consumer confidence: Bloomberg claims that consumer confidence in the United States has reached its highest level in almost seven years. Pertaining to the restaurant industry, this number has directly correlated to the Restaurant Performance Index, which the National Restaurant Association says has increased nearly 2% since September 2014.

3. BAD NEWS: Increases in commodity prices: According to a recent survey by SpenDifference, 93% of restaurant chains plan to increase prices by 2.1% in 2015. These increases have been brought on as a result of increased prices in commodities, particularly in meat and pork.

GOOD NEWS: Decreases in gas prices: Gas prices have been down $0.76 since the end of June 2014. This positive change in prices can be linked directly to the fact that October’s sales total in the industry ($48.6 billion) saw a $1.3 billion increase since June.

We know the trends—now what?

The positive and negative forces affecting the restaurant industry can be manipulated to the advantage of owners through the use of revenue management as guided by Source1.

Source1 aims to utilize its connections with suppliers in order to attain the best possible pricing for its customers: hospitality firms. The trends outlined above affect every aspect of the Source1 vision; a large part of revenue management rests on economic trends. Source1’s unique partnership with thousands of brand name partners allows us to help our customers combat negative trends while maximizing positive ones.

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Top 4 Restaurant Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Cintas Corp. has released a list of the top four restaurant injuries. One in 20 on-the-job injuries and illnesses all over the world occur at eating and drinking establishments, seemingly due in part to an inexperienced workforce operating in an environment where cuts, burns, slips and falls are a common occurrence. According to studies from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for every dollar spent in safety programs, businesses can save between four and six dollars from costs associated with injuries and fatalities, which seems like a small price to pay to ensure the safety of your staff and customers.

According to the Cintas Report, the top four restaurant related injuries that occur are:

1. Lacerations and punctures.
2. Burns. As many as one-third of occupational burns occur in restaurants, totaling about 12,000 reported cases per year. However, the actual number is projected to be much higher.
3. Sprains and strains. Misplaced or hard-to-reach items can lead to worker injury due to overreaching or tripping. Restaurant workers can also suffer from strains due to improperly lifting items.
4. Eye injury. Workers operating around grease or sanitizing chemicals often experience splashing in their environment, resulting in an injury to the eye.

Developing and implementing a first-aid program at your establishment created with these common challenges and injuries found in foodservice operations can ultimately protect workers. The following steps can be followed in order to help operators prepare for common injuries:

1. Put in an onsite first-aid cabinet. Place the cabinet in an area that is easy to locate so that all employees can quickly and effortlessly access it if an accident happens to occur.
2. Be sure to stock the cabinet with a variety of supplies to treat common foodservice injuries.
3. Regularly check the cabinet and restock as needed.
4. Train your employees on the proper use of the items in the first-aid cabinet and procedures on how to handle emergency situations.
5. Combine first aid initiatives with other safety programs, such as AEDs and fire programs.

By making yourself aware of these possible hazards and preparing yourself as well as your employees for potentially dangerous situations, you will be able to provide better protection against accidents. Source1 Purchasing is here to help you improve your establishment, ensuring that operations are running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com to learn more about the benefits of the Source1 Program.

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10 Tips to Help You Pass Health Inspections

You take pride in your business and how you run it – but are you prepared, right now, for a surprise visit from a health inspector? It can be stressful always being in fear that the health inspector may show up at any moment, but the best strategy and only way to ensure that you always pass health inspections is to be absolutely always prepared. There is no way of cutting corners. From storage to preparation to display to service…

10 Tips to Prepare for a Health Inspection

  1. Food must be cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 135°F to 70°F or less within two hours and from 70°F to 41°F or less within four additional hours.
  2. Food must be protected from any potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service. Be sure to use cutting boards with anti-slip grips and disposable towels rather than unsanitary wet cloth towels.
  3. Wash, rinse, and sanitize surfaces that come into contact with food after each use and following any activity when contamination may have happened. Use different colored pails for non-food uses, such as cleaning and sanitizing solutions.
  4. Always use accurate thermometers and test kits to measure sanitizing solutions in order to ensure that proper sanitation is taking place.
  5. Personal hygiene is a must. Keep clothing clean of any contaminants. Hair should be restrained in areas where food is exposed.
  6. In order to provide a means of effective hand hygiene, soap and hand-drying devices must be available.
  7. Food must be properly stored, covered, and labeled in accordance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
  8. Cold foods must be stored in the proper temperatures. A good solution for this may be food pans that contain a freezable gel.
  9. Be sure to keep ice containers and scoops protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation or service.
  10. Hands and arms must be protected with gloves or mitts to prevent cuts and burns, which would also lead to the spread of transmissible diseases.

By following these ten tips you should feel more confident that your business is up to code when the health inspector decides to drop by unexpectedly. Source1 Purchasing stays up-to-date on the latest news and trends in the food and beverage and hospitality industries in order to keep you well-informed so that your operation runs at its best. Click here to learn more about how Source1 can benefit your business.

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Mobile POS Trends in the Restaurant Industry

To be a successful restaurant operator, it’s important to realize that squeezing out a one or two percent profit margin relies mainly on the level of customer service. Many restaurant operators believe that to achieve this level of customer service, more steps need to be taken by their servers. However, the goal of a restaurant operator should be to minimize service steps, such as removing running sidework or updating seating charts to strengthen server stations. A current service enhancement innovation involves upgrading restaurant point of sale systems to include mobile technology. Mobile POS trends in the restaurant industry not only create a more efficient way of processing payments, but also allow customers to find and review restaurants right from their phones.

The Problem is in Wait Times
Customers truly dislike having to wait for their meals – they are hungry and want their food immediately. Servers often leave the bill at the table and fail to return for quite some time to pick up the payment. To add onto the wait, servers then take several minutes to process the payment. Servers drop off the bills in stylish checkbooks and do not return for several minutes to pick up the payment. This is mainly due to POS stations being strategically placed throughout the restaurant, causing slow payment processing times.

The Solution: Paying at the Table
A busy Saturday night ultimately leads to customers waiting to place orders and then waiting for their payments to be processed. Mobile POS systems give servers the ability to accept, process, and present payments to customers at each table in the restaurant. This saves time by skipping stops at the POS terminal and less time walking around the restaurant. Mobile POS systems provide servers with handheld devices that include a magnetic strip reader to process credit cards. This also ensures customers that their credit cards never leave the table. Restaurants that operate using the mobile POS systems show that their servers spend more time providing timely service and selling more items.

Benefits for Management
Giving servers more time to interact with their customers means your restaurant can experience growth in sales. Also, mobile POS system software often includes the latest data that tracks hourly sales, daily and monthly inventory, and shift labor costs. You can even receive more accurate real-time data by using mobile POS systems.

How Mobile Customers Find You
Many customers search local online business directories to locate restaurants that they would like to visit. Once you have been found on the mobile devices, the customers expect full access to your restaurant website, and the ability to navigate quickly through the pages and download apps that include current menu promotions. Your mobile website should include less content, more white space, and little animation. Since most restaurant customers on the go are most curious about what your menu offers, this should be the focal point of your mobile website.

Mobile devices also allow customers to post restaurant reviews instantly. By installing a mobile POS system in your restaurant, you are ensuring that your business is receiving excellent reviews on customer service and timeliness. About 134 million Americans own a smartphone, which means a large amount of potential customers are able to find your business by visiting your website via their mobile devices. Have you begun to utilize mobile devices in your restaurant?