In John Pare’s article relating to restaurants, he speaks on some ways that one’s restaurant can take over the competition and ways it becomes unique in the market by using what he calls a competitive advantage. He speaks of survival among other restaurants and how some make it due to edge. He then explains what exactly is what he calls competitive advantage. In addition he also speaks on having the correct and sustainable competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways:

• Your target guest wants to know why they should consider your restaurant above the existing alternatives. All the work that you’ve done in advance enables them to make a decision that works in your favor.
• Undoubtedly, the quality and caliber of the people you employ, will determine the sustainability of your competitive advantage. Sustainable competitive advantages don’t create themselves, people do. – See more at: http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=103596#sthash.fOWJ0rDd.dpuf
• True sustainable competitive advantage is cultivated in a restaurant environment capable of creating multiple competitive advantages. The goal is to focus on the restaurant; your brand, the culture and purpose components of your existence, rather than the singular outcomes.

“True sustainable competitive advantage is cultivated in a restaurant environment capable of creating multiple competitive advantages. The goal is to focus on the restaurant; your brand, the culture and purpose components of your existence, rather than the singular outcomes.”

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=103596

In restaurant hospitality’s article relating to gift cards, they speak on some of new found effects that having a gift card can cause when hosting customers. According to their study, they have found that if a customer has a gift card, they often end up spending more than what they normally would at the restaurant and this additional profit flow is good for you and therefore you should find a way to increase your gift card sales.

Key Takeaways:

• When visiting full-service restaurants, patrons with gift cards spend 72 percent more. Guests with gift cards tend to spend much more on the check, especially at full-service restaurants.
• Wednesday is the best day to sell gift cards. One might assume that gift card sales peak on weekends, when traffic peaks. But data showed that Wednesday and Thursday were the top days.
• Almost half of gift card users spend more than the gift card value. When using gift cards, 45 percent of guests spend more than the card’s face value

“Guests with gift cards tend to spend much more on the check, especially at full-service restaurants.”

http://restaurant-hospitality.com/consumer-trends/gift-cards-spur-higher-full-service-check-averages

The needs within the hospitality sector are always evolving. Specifically speaking the roles of leaders within the restaurant industry are beginning to change as well. One notable editor Michael Sanson caught up with the American Express Restaurant Trade Program to highlight the importance and value that mentorship has on the restaurant industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Mentorship has played a big part in the restaurant industry.
• I am annoyingly curious. My parents encouraged me to be curious. That is a good thing and a part of learning.
• Our industry is about culinary education all the time. There is no single person responsible for all the creativity.

“For a mentor/mentee relationship, you have to have passion in common. There’s an old adage that a teacher is only as good as the student. If a student doesn’t have anything going on, what’s a teacher going to do? In our world, it’s a chef’s role to elicit whatever passion you have inside yourself.”

http://restaurant-hospitality.com/hrlegal/why-mentoring-crucial-hospitality-industry