Published December 2, 2014
Ever wish you had a punching bag in the kitchen so you could pound out your frustrations between tables?
Restaurant professionals have to put up with a lot on a daily basis. Customers are annoying and demanding.
“My beer isn’t cold enough.”
“Can you charge my phone?”
“I ate all my food but I’m not paying for it.”
“Can I get your number?”
It’s obvious Smith and Forge understand what it’s like to work in restaurant customer service – their new cider commercial is great. Maybe a kitchen punching bag would boost waitstaff morale your restaurant!
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Published December 1, 2014
I’ve heard of season passes for amusement parks and ski hills, but restaurants?
Taco Republic, located in Kansas City, is offering season passes for $175 via their website. Pass holders get their choice of 3 tacos, chips, and salsa every day beginning December 5th. The offer goes through March 5th and also includes $3 Casa Margaritas on Thursdays. The passes are valued at up to $1,100.
The idea is fascinating to me. It’s a creative way to get your restaurant noticed, and you can be sure that season pass holders will likely drag their pass-less friends along for a meal now and then, and that means more revenue during what might otherwise be a slow season.
You could even take it a step further and offer prizes to the most frequent patrons. This new strategy could really take off. Good luck, Taco Republic!
Read the full article here: Taco Republic offers ‘season pass’
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Published November 28, 2014
The increase in minimum wage is an inevitability that’s going to impact food service in a big way. Four states have already approved a gradual increase over the next few years, and public opinion says that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, it also means restaurants will need to make some changes to offset labor costs and that has people talking.
Minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage. It’s meant for entry level positions, and if the employee is capable they get a raise and climb the ladder. That’s how the system is supposed to work. While an increase in the minimum is necessary (and long overdue), increasing it too fast could spell serious trouble for businesses.
Restaurants are looking for ways to save pennies, including raising menu and delivery prices, though many are looking at cutting costs in other ways such as upgrading to efficient technologies.
It’s important to examine all options and prepare for what’s on the horizon. It’s likely the wage increase will help stimulate the economy, but there are still a few more dishes to be washed first.
Read the full article here: Minimum wage: how restaurants are responding to the ‘inevitable’
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Published November 27, 2014
In the restaurant field, food is everything. You’re literally surrounded by it. It’s easy to take the bounty for granted, and combined with the distractions of technology and the progression of society, it’s easy to forget there are still some serious problems with the system.
One of those is child hunger, which is still a very real problem in the modern world.
A small taco chain located in California has been doing their part to raise money and awareness for this issue. Through a donation drive, Chronic Tacos raised $10,000 for No Kid Hungry, a charity with a mission to feed hungry families. Chronic Tacos held an event that featured celebrities and entertainment to bring in the cash, as well as other fundraising events throughout September.
MTV star Wee Man played a major part in the campaign as he owns one of the restaurants.
The pay-it-forward mentality can really stick with consumers because they feel like they’re contributing to a larger cause (and they are). Hungry kids get to eat, and those fuzzy feelings mean happy, repeat customers. Win win!
Read the full article here: Chronic Tacos donates $10,000 to No Kid Hungry
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Published November 26, 2014
I grew up in Minnesota where I was surrounded by woods, lakes, and Native American culture. It’s no surprise to me that Minneapolis was the destination chosen for a restaurant bent on celebrating North America’s early heritage.
Sen Sherman, a native son of Pine Ridge Reservation, is opening his restaurant Sioux Chef in December. It will serve only traditional Native American dishes. His focus is on creating meals as they would have been served before colonization began.
Fish and wild rice were delicious staples of my Minnesota diet, and both make up a large part of northern Native American cuisine. I hope others will follow Sherman’s lead and open the country to good food and culture they may have otherwise passed by.
Read the full article here: Chef Goes Old School with ‘Pre-Colonization’ Menu at New Native American Restaurant
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Published November 24, 2014
I’m a meat eater. I’m also a fan of the environment, and I understand that the current methods for meat production are not sustainable (support small local farms!). This video fascinated me. A meat substitute that actually resembles meat? This is big news.
The company is called Beyond Meat. Apparently this substitute not only looks like meat, it feels like it, reporting that texture is more important than flavor. I’m not so sure about that, but I’d like to try it and see for myself.
Science says human health is often directly tied with what we put into our bodies. This formula might be a key to fighting a variety of health issues plaguing us today.
The fake meat is constructed from the molecular level, and as such can be manipulated to add more nutrients than natural meat contains. This “super meat” is the stuff of science fiction, but it may soon be a common feature in restaurants and grocery stores everywhere.
With this product taking to market, maybe we can finally all agree tofu was a terrible idea.
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Published November 20, 2014
There’s a lot to celebrate in the upcoming holidays, and your restaurant can take advantage of all of it. From Thanksgiving to Black Friday to Christmas Eve to New Year’s, there are seemingly endless opportunities for promotion. But you can stand out even more by checking the special days December provides.
For example, food days that you can market include National Pie Day, National Cookie Day, and even National Gazpacho Day. For the beverage side of things, there’s National Lager Day, National Cocoa Day, and of course National Champagne Day on New Year’s Eve. You’re sure to be busier than ever during the holidays no matter what, so be sure to make catering and carryout options a priority. As people look to minimize stress during the holidays, they’ll turn to you to provide their menu for parties or even just a quiet night in. Lastly, don’t forget to offer promotions for some of the non-food themed days in December, like Santa’s List Day, Miners Day, and everybody’s favorite, Cat Herders Day!
Read the full article here: Restaurant Marketing Ideas for December
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Published November 19, 2014
Andrew Freeman of Andrew Freeman & Co. has his prediction for 2015’s biggest menu trends, and it all boils down to one thing: “I want what I want, when I want it.” His theme in his annual trend prediction report is, “The Pleasure Principle,” saying that guests want instant gratification as well as education and participation in their restaurant experiences.
Top food trends include versatile choices like tacos and scrambled eggs. These dishes leave a lot of room for creativity and flexibility. Bobby Flay’s Gato in New York, for instance, has a scrambled egg dish with almond romesco, boucheron cheese, and tomato confit toast. Expect to see menues all over turning up the heat when it comes to spice, too. With Sriracha so popular among millenials, you can bet that chefs will be turning it up a notch. And while Thai food and Japanese ramen aren’t going anywhere in the popularity contest quite yet, they’ll have to make room for tapas and other Spanish cuisine, which is quickly gaining popularity among American chefs. Any way you slice it, 2015 is sure to be an exciting year in the restaurant business!
Read the full article here: Hot Restaurant Menu Trends for 2015
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Published November 18, 2014
All over America people are voicing their concerns about where their food comes from, and chefs and restauranteurs are hearing them. Menus are getting more and more transparent about where food is from, and many establishments are using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
This trend has a number of benefits. First, consumers perceive local ingredients to be more fresh, more wholesome, and more authentic. They are coming to expect that ingredients will be local, especially in high-end restaurants. It’s also better for the environment and helps the local economy more than shipping ingredients in from all over the world. However, this trend still has a long ways to go before it starts seriously changing consumer behavior. Right now, it’s more of a bonus to potential customers, but in three to five years it will become a must for restaurants that want to compete. Many chefs are building relationships with local suppliers as we speak, so if you want to get ahead of the game, get out there and start networking!
Read the full article here: Local Sourcing, Quality Ingredients Take Center Stage
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Published November 17, 2014
While the rest of the country is taking selfies, chefs are trying to get the perfect picture of their cuisine. You might think it’s easy to take delicious-looking pictures of top-notch food, but it’s harder than you think. Here’s how you can get the perfect picture of your signature dish.
First, you’ll need proper lighting. It should be lit so the setting appears natural and you don’t need the camera’s flash function. Using subtle background elements like a glass of wine or a menu will also help to set the mood and highlight the plate. Another trick is to plate the food slightly undercooked. It will continue cooking on the plate, so if you plate it ready-to-serve it might appear overcooked or worse, old by the time you’re ready to snap your photo. If your dish’s main ingredients are muted in color, the dish might look bland in the photo. Consider using a brightly-colored sauce or at the very least a garnish to entice the diner with some appetizing hues. Digital food photography is a great inexpensive marketing tool as long as you know how to do it!
Read the full article here: Mastering the Art of Food Photography
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When customers make you want to punch things…
Ever wish you had a punching bag in the kitchen so you could pound out your frustrations between tables?
Restaurant professionals have to put up with a lot on a daily basis. Customers are annoying and demanding.
“My beer isn’t cold enough.”
“Can you charge my phone?”
“I ate all my food but I’m not paying for it.”
“Can I get your number?”
It’s obvious Smith and Forge understand what it’s like to work in restaurant customer service – their new cider commercial is great. Maybe a kitchen punching bag would boost waitstaff morale your restaurant!
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