We typically ask new cooks or servers to trail for one shift (unpaid) before making an offer. Most don't complain, but recently someone we didn't hire threatened to report us to the Department of Labor. I paid her, but were we in the wrong?
Trailing is a fixture in our industry. It gives employers a chance to make sure a prospective employee is a good fit on the team. Since certain skills like sense of urgency, knife work, and guest service are difficult to show in an interview, it also gives you, as an employer, a chance to see the prospective employee in action....
Do people still use phone books? Is it worth it to advertise there?
It may seem unthinkable to those of you reading this column on monkeydish.com, but according to a study by the US Department of Commerce, twenty percent of US households still have no Internet users, and fewer than seventy percent of US households have access to broadband Internet. Since landline telephone subscribers typically receive phone books including Yellow Pages and other business directories for free, they remain a relevant, if declining, source for business listings....
All of the social media out there is enough to make your head spin, and maintaining our web, Facebook and MySpace pages is a full-time job. What's the best way to keep our name out there, without being a slave to our screen OR going broke?
By being concerned about how to keep up with social media, you are ahead of the game. I talk to too many restaurateurs who, like you, have trouble keeping up with the demands of the web but think they can just opt out of that world. Since people will post your menus, hours of operation, reviews, and other information about your restaurant with or without your knowledge, it pays to be on top of it so you can have some input, if not control, over the information about your restaurant on the web....
Kick the salt, but keep the flavor
Boston Market’s late-August announcement that it would cut sodium levels an average of 20 percent throughout its menu—a decision symbolized by the chain removing all the salt shakers from its tables and replacing them with a placard—has put the spotlight on sodium in restaurant food once again....
Artisanal bread 101
A s a bread baker, I am always looking for new and seasonal ways to make the perfect loaf. But before we discuss what to add to our bread, let’s talk about the four fundamental building blocks of bread making. Flour, water, yeast and salt are all that are needed to make a spectacular loaf....
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