Becoming a server isn’t most people’s idea of a dream job, but many continue because they truly enjoy it, and that shows in their work and the affect they have on their customers. This touching Facebook post from a restaurant diner describes a server’s dedication to her job and making sure her regular customers are treated well.
Every bar is a little different. You’re not only serving alcohol, you’re serving atmosphere and entertainment. If you’re looking for a way to liven things up a little, consider these great theme ideas!
Have a music night where you focus on a particular style that you might not usually play. Singles night is a fun way to attract customers, especially if you make it into a game. Comedy nights are also fun, whether it’s open mic or a hosted comedian.
Looking to attract new customers and increase revenue at your bar? It’s all about the events and promotions! Bars and entertainment go hand in hand, and these five ideas from Buzztime are sure to gather a crowd.
You could offer a food and drink combo special and change it up weekly to keep things interesting, or try out a food-based happy hour to test new appetizers. Sporting events offer an opportunity for fun promotions or prize pools, and cocktail cards will keep customers coming back for more!
Do you remember back when eating out was a special event, a luxury you planned for in advance? Food service has changed a lot in the last couple decades, including diner trends. This article from Fast Casual highlights some interesting statistics about modern day dining habits, showing that most people eat out casually on a whim rather than plan the occasion.
The average amount spent per person when dining out is under $20, with quick service restaurants and convenience stores seeing the lower end. Diners are savvy and like customization options and menu transparency.
With Americans turning toward more unique and exotic flavors this year, restaurants like soup chain Zoup! are answering the call. This month Zoup! introduced a new stew made from rabbit and rattlesnake sausage that has people talking.
People have been eating rattlesnake for years, but it’s rare to see it on a restaurant menu. Rabbit is much the same way, so it’s interesting to see them together in the same meal. The soup took more than half a year to develop.
Working as a manager in a family owned establishment is different from working in a chain or quick service restaurant in many ways, and it comes with its own unique set of challenges and benefits.
When applying for a position at a family owned business, make sure you receive a detailed written job description. Restaurant managers tend to do a little bit of everything in a family establishment, but you want a solid contract in case they start asking far too much of you.
Some family restaurants offer valuable growth opportunities, but most won’t offer you much in the way of advancement or preparation if you want to move on to a larger restaurant. Many have their own ideas of how things need to be run and are not looking for feedback. This can create problems if you identify ways to make things run more smoothly, but they won’t hear it. Also, families fight, and you can be sure some of that drama will make its way into the restaurant.
Make sure you ask the right questions during the hiring process and get a feel for what the owners (and the rest of the staff, if possible) are like.
I think every server encounters this at one point or another. Maybe you did while you were spending time with your family for the holidays as they heard you venting about a particularly bad day.
People look down on serving for a few reasons. First, it’s often an introductory position for the younger generation just entering the work force. The jobs also often pay minimum wage, and don’t require experience or education to get started.
However, those things do not mean serving isn’t a real job. While many people use it as an introductory position or a side job, many others make it their career and develop more skills, get raises and pay the bills like everyone else.
Just because you work in food service doesn’t mean you’re uneducated or that you should be pursuing something else or doing something different with your life – it just means you work in food service, and your job is as real as the money you make.
The relationship between customer and server is brief but meaningful. Servers are representatives of the restaurant, so a nice tip isn’t the only reason customer satisfaction is important.
In a recent letter to the Bitchy Waiter, a server neglected to mention that ranch and a side of celery and carrots was an extra charge, knowing it was the customer’s first time at the restaurant. The customer received a surprise on the bill. The server was at fault.
It can be easy to get lazy when you can see the menu and prices in your sleep, but always remember the customer doesn’t know what you do, and by not mentioning important things like extra charges you could be setting up an uncomfortable situation. At best you could see a poor tip, and at worst an angry customer and poor restaurant reviews.
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.
The reason you strive to earn a food handler card is so you can work in the restaurant or food preparation industry. Whether this is a job to get you through college or a lasting career decision, you are sure to learn skills that apply to other areas of life. A food handler certification trains you to safely handle a customer’s meal, but there’s much more to working with your food handlers card than meets the eye.
Here’s a look at skills you’ll develop after earning your food handler
card and to work in the food service industry:
Organization: It’s impossible to serve multiple tables or run an entire restaurant without incredible organizational skills.
Time Management: Food industry professionals with food handler cards must juggle greeting new customers, taking orders, delivering meals, and checking on patrons, all without pestering one table too often or neglecting another.
People Skills: By developing this skill when working in a restaurant, you could generate more tips and enjoy your work infinitely more. Outside your job, people skills help you make more friends, recognize when a comrade could use a hand, and resolve troublesome relationships.
Teamwork: There’s no tighter team than the servers at a sit-down restaurant. When one team member is having a bad day or the dinner rush is more stressful than usual, another worker can help pick up the slack. This valuable skill, paired with the knowledge acquired through your food handler certification, sets you up to be a great support to your restaurant team.
Sales and Promotion: As all food handlers understand, the more you sell, the more you make. Many food industry workers learn how to promote more expensive menu items and get their customers to make more purchases, thus increasing the tips they earn.
Basic Accounting: Restaurant servers learn all about how to handle money, budget their own funds, and calculate tips. Experienced food industry workers can estimate quite accurately how much they’ve sold and consequently how much they’ve earned at any point during their shift.
Perseverance: Getting your food handler card was the first step, but it is well-known that both physical and mental endurance are required of restaurant owners and servers to succeed. The food service industry is fast paced and demanding, and not every day as a server is going to be perfect. However, you will soon find that working hard and constantly challenging yourself can be very rewarding.
At Premier Food Safety, we have more than 35 years of training experience, five exam languages to choose from, the lowest prices and a satisfaction guarantee. For all the training and knowledge you need to get your food handler card, register with Premier Food Safety today. Learn more about the qualifications to work in the restaurant business by finding us on Facebook and Twitter.
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