Trade Secrets

Celebrations are important and holiday parties are a great way to show your employees how much you appreciate them and their efforts on your behalf. But...

The next time you're out on the dining room floor, watch as guests are handed your menu. Do they glance down at the cover? Open it right up to find something to order?

My challenge has always been to find ways to stay on top of the endless systems, procedures and responsibilities that keep an operation running smoothly and profitably.  After all, profit is in the details.

We've all experienced the frustration of sitting down, unpacking the to-go orders and hearing someone exclaim "Hey, this isn't what I ordered!" You dial the phone, lodge your complaint, and hear the same, predictable and inadequate response, "If you come by in ten minutes, we'll have your order ready for you."

Restaurants fail for a lot of different reasons, all of which come under the heading of poor planning. Since we've chosen the most competitive industry in the world to make a living, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Even though the majority close their doors within the first year, restaurant failures continue at pretty steep rates, even after the five-year mark. And just because you're successful today, doesn't mean you'll be successful tomorrow.