How To Get More Done In Your Restaurant

This video is part of a series of videos where I , Jonathan Munsell, answer questions and offer hard hitting comments that you can use to improve your restaurant immediately!

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Restaurant Success System and Restaurant Success Monthly provide these videos to help accelerate your Restaurant Success.  The videos are usually centered on Restaurant Operations, Restaurant Finance, Restaurant Marketing & Promotions or the Restaurant Management Tools and Restaurant Systems necessary to achieve higher sales and grow your restaurant or Catering profits by leaps and bounds

Restaurant Success System and Restaurant Success Monthly were both founded and created by Jonathan Munsell a very active restaurant owner and advocate for the industry.  Jonathan Currently owns several restaurants and a catering company.

For more information or to view all the videos in the series go to www.RestaurantGoldMine.com

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How to Market Restaurant Specialty Items for the Holidays

A question was posed by one of our Restaurant Success Monthly Members, Buddy Guilbeau:
Do you have any ideas on how to increase my corporate hams sales for the holidays?  How about ideas on advertising my hams for the holidays?

I thought this may be one of those questions that others may want to ‘hear’ the response, so I’m posting it for all to see.  Buddy’s question:

My response:

I think that advertising for Ham Sales, in your case, or Gift Cards or even specialty meals packed to go for the holidays all have a similar approach.

The low cost / no cost restaurant marketing tactic is always “4 Walls Marketing”. Make sure the 4 walls of your place are communicating the message you would most like to push. This includes a multitude of ways and media to communicate the message.
4 walls:

Signage

Bathrooms Signage (one of my favorites) on the mirror or the back of the stall. Think about the captured audience potential.

Entrance Signage – Hit them before they even get in the door.  You program them to be thinking about anything you want before they even open the door.  I like to use a question “How Can You Get A Free Ham This Holiday?”.   It plants the question and they will want to figure it out and will most likely ask.

Interior Signage - Wherever appropriate, get a sign conveying your message.  You can even play off the door signage and either answer the question or ask more questions and make it a game.

Table tent or flyer on every table in the place.

Bag stuffer in every bag that goes out the door - whether it’s To Go food or delivery.  Get one on every plate or tray served or with every check you present. Don’t just bury it in the check presenter; put it right on top. Put the bag stuffer with every catering order and in every box lunch.

Email your list – craft a series of emails that keeps your message in front of your guests and intrigues them.

Website – Post it on your website.  Have a link from the promotion in your email to more details available online.  Online you can spell out all the details and benefits and exactly who the offer is perfect for or applies best.

Contest – Have a contest to give away a FREE item that you are promoting then have a big sign and a business card drop or little form to be filled out. The people that “Opt-in” the contest must want the prize so even if they don’t win send them a runner up prize for a special discount or offer that works with what you are promoting.

Mail your list – A direct response mail piece targeted to your existing guests, that already know you will cut through the mail clutter and can draw a huge response.  It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It could even be part of a regular mail cycle like a newsletter.  Something you may want to try is drop out piece/insert that takes them out of the newsletter and is obvious when they open it.

Buy a list of the top 50 employers in your area and mail them.  This message needs to be a little different because they may not know who you are. In this case you want to use direct response tactics like we teach in the Restaurant Success System,  i.e. Headline, compelling copy, offer, expiration to just mention a few.

At the end of the day there is no magic bullet that is going to sell a million products but when you combine a bunch of methods you will reap results from all of them and your overall response will be tremendous.

Just like with everything else you have to take action.  Start with the items that you like from above and that are easy for you. Then work to add one a day until at the end of a week or so you have a tremendous amount of communication and marketing all working to sell your product.

For details and examples of everything mentioned above check out RestaurantSuccessSystem.com/noriskoffer/

In the Restaurant Success System you not only get examples, tactics and strategies you also get done for you downloadable pieces.  Yes the actual pieces that all you have to do is change your restaurant name and print.  It is worth a minute to check it out. RestaurantSuccessSystem.com/noriskoffer/

Thanks for the question, Buddy.  I’m sure your interest has helped others out!

Jonathan Munsell
Founder & Creator
Restaurant Success Monthly
Restaurant Success System

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Restaurant Success Story: Creative Compensation In Your Restaurant

I was just reading a reading a great compensation article from Greg McGuire and the The Back Burner Blog and wanted to add in my two cents from a member I recently spoke with.

The Back Story
One of my coaching members was looking to reduce payroll.  He had done a lot this year to increase sales and manage costs. He knew if he could shave a couple points on payroll and more importantly get his payroll to the proper level it would make a big difference for him and the future growth of his restaurants. Evidently,  after years of not monitoring it and managers giving raises out of his now established pay increase guidelines his payroll was out of whack.

Details on his reduction plan
In this case his restaurant is fast casual and does counter service at some very high volumes.  He accepts tips if the guests put them on the credit card slip but he does not have a “Tip Jar” actually he has always been against it.  We talked about what a reduction in payroll would look like and it was significant.  Also the unsolicited credit card tips were significant, and the cashiers were taking it for themselves.  He decided that changing his tip policy but in a creative way could work to bring in more for his staff, thus justifying him reducing pay by 10%.

How He Managed It
First he wrangled everyone together for a “attention to detail / State of the Restaurant Address”.  He talked about successes, the great job they all do, the opportunities for improvements, the increases in sales for the year, the increases in cost for the year then he dove tailed into a Cost by Category discussion.  First Food Cost, then Labor.  He discussed the management of time and sales by hour was effective but payroll was the big economic hang up.  He mentioned that if the store did not figure out how to creatively reduce cost and suggestions were welcome that salary reduction were an option.  You can image what the reaction was.  Everyone was a buzz for a day or two, but he did not immediately cut salaries.  He allowed for their input and a good many suggestions came up to help the restaurant improve, but they were mostly longer range plans then he was looking for.

After a conversation with me we put our creative tip plan in place – Solicit tips but do it in a non soliciting way.  Here is what we came up “Gas Money for the Crew”.  We even came up with a neat way to display it.  He his new tip capturing device out (before he reduced any salaries).  He wanted to see if he could prove a point.

What was the Point?
He wanted to see if he could have his patrons generate the difference in his salry reduction and have a net zero effect on his staff.  Do you think it could happen?

What actually happened
He found that people would throw money in his bucket.  Was it enough?  At this early stage it seems like it will be a straight wash, if not a win for his employees.  Actually the tips have averaged over $1 per person per hour.  If he reduced each member of his hourly staff by $1 it would be a wash, in reality they would win.  They would make the same and have some cash in there pockets.

He did reduce salaries
This might be the toughest part of the whole thing but he handles it like a champ!  After his initial findings he did reduce salaries by 10% which brought the majority of folks down about a dollar.  Any new hires, hired at the proper salary guidelines, or folks close to minimum wage he did not reduce.

He sat each person down with the manager of each restaurant and had a candid conversation about what he was doing, their performance and individual expectations and improvements.  He also guaranteed that for the initial 2 weeks he would monitor the tips and make sure they were at their previous pay (salary+Tips= past pay).  He agreed to make up the difference during this period if there was a short fall.

What does he expect
He has already seen a HUGE boost in service and attention to the restaurant as a whole.  His sincerity must have paid off and his people recognize that the service they deliver will effect the business and them directly. His people understand that they may not get a tip today from past guests not accustomed to tipping, but once they blow them away with service they will know the next time that the tip jar is there and they can reward great service.

He expects the tips to improve and create a situation that actually gives each of his people a pay raise. What a WIN WIN – Improved service and guest attention with a side of pay raise!

Please share with me your Restaurant Success Stories.  I love to hear them and would love to share them with my members and the world!

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Immediately Effective Cost Control Tips & Tactics – 121-130

This is the 14th post in a number of posts I will be providing to offer cost effective tips and ideas for your restaurant biz.

Included Categories:

1. Food Costs and Kitchen Management

2. Bar, Cellar and Beverages

3. Packaging, Paper and Consumables

4. Cleaning Costs

5. Labor Costs

6. General & Administrative

7. Utilities

8. Repairs and Maintenance

9. Event Management

10. Safety

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Live Meetings are a WASTE OF TIME

I recently got a call from one of my people, you know the one…“It’s so & so, call me back.”  No detail information – it is a Time Suck Death Trap waiting to happen.

Here is how I handled it; you might want to take note.  This little tidbit could save you about 10 productive hours in a week – or open up an entire day to play golf or spend time with your family.

I responded via email from my phone:

“Got your message, I am tied up but please shoot me the details of how I can help and I will see what I can do. “(I like the cell phone email, since it says it is from my mobile device – Busy Busy Busy – or at least that is what I want people that Suck Time to think.)

Here is the email that came back:

“It would be helpful for me to get together with you both to get some clarity on some questions that I have and to make sure I’m operating on the same page that you are.

I’m tied up with appts on Wednesday and I understand from Susan that Jonathan’s day is packed on Thursday.  Could we get together on Friday morning?  I have to meet this weekend’s client on site in downtown Raleigh on Friday at 2pm.   If Friday does not work, please give me some alternate times that work for you both.”

Nice message – for someone that is obviously busy I would think that another meeting would just make things harder and the work day longer.

My Response:

“I say have a conversation with Susie (the person’s direct supervisor) and see what you can get knocked out.  Then let’s schedule a call – 30 minutes – no one has to waste time or money traveling, we keep it concise and make it real productive.

Let me know when you have 30 minutes after you have spoken to Susie.  I can fit 30 minutes in any day.

Please send me an agenda in advance.”

Thank you

Jonathan

It appears that a meeting will be avoided, at least a long one.

Here is where this all stems from…

I am re-reading the book by Dan Kennedy called “No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs – the Ultimate No Holds Barred Kick Butt Take No Prisoners Guide To Time Productivity & Sanity”. I recommend it for every restaurant owner or entrepreneur.

I am so intune with the value of my time that I frankly cannot afford to make a simple conversation a 2 hour ordeal.  It is just like the analysis of slicing, dicing, chopping in your restaurant – you cannot make real money in this business doing the work of an $8 or $10 employee – You simply cannot make $100,000 a year doing $10 an hour work – the math doesn’t work – not enough hours in a day, week, month or year (do the math – it is impossible).

Your Time is valuable and the people around you, especially the ones that work for you need to understand and respect that.  It is their Job to keep you on the big ticket items – Generating Sales and Marketing, of course.

Let’s analyze a meeting for a quick second:

• Everyone travels for 30 minutes (to and from, even longer considering you have to get to and from your car)
• it takes 10 minutes to get through the social graces and settling in.
• Someone is usually late
• The people you are paying meander when not focused
• Food ads time – You can’t talk with your mouth full

I think a lot of meetings could be avoided saving a ton of time and money, if not avoided – more focused and productive.

Sometimes, a live meeting is necessary such as an introductory client meeting, or one that something actually has to be visual or selected from a physical sample.  If it’s going to aid in your company’s income, go for it.  But…

A well organized, concise phone meeting can very often save hours upon hours of time!

Some of that time can be used to get better prepared for a necessary meeting or follow-up.  Imagine if you didn’t have to drive; that time could be so productive. Or even better it could be used to claim back some personal time.

The bottom line:  Value your own time (time Integrity), Teach Others to value their time and yours, and for the love of all things good, if you have a person that continually sucks your time and they don’t get it and will not change – GET RID OF THEM – You will save a fortune and have more freedom, guaranteed!

Want to get more advice to sky-rocket your restaurant business to success, join our membership site to get sound marketing and operations advice and more….

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Goal Setting – How To Set Goals That Create Opportunities You Never Imagined

Setting goals can create opportunities you never imagined and that seemed far out of reach.

First step is to write goals down

• Benefits of writing down goals
  • You become creator
  • You get clear on how to make your goals happen
  • Purpose is stronger than outcome

This is the power of goal setting and we don’t understand how it works.  There’s something beyond just what we understand of writing something down.  Something happens.  You become a creator when you write down goals and you get clear as to how you make them happen.

Purpose is stronger than outcome.  What do I mean?  Well I think that the purpose of goals is not so you get things; the purpose of any goal – the real reason to set goals is what they will make of you as a person.  Have purpose for your goals – know why you’re setting each one.

Before we get into actually writing your goals I need you to do a little homework.

What I’d like you to do is, I want you to write down two things.

• Write down areas of your life you’re dissatisfied with
• Write down what kind of beliefs would you need to have to change that dissatisfaction to satisfaction

1)         What are some of the areas of your life you are dissatisfied with?

Now I don’t want you to feel bad or real negative about it, but just be honest with yourself.  What are some of the areas of your life that are not enough?  It’s not good enough; it’s not what you deserve it to be.  It’s not where you’ve committed having to be.  Take a look at yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, financially, in your relationships, in your business, at work.  So the question I want you to ask yourself is, “What’s not good in my life?  What am I not satisfied with?  And get inspired as you write it down because whatever you write down, you’re going to be able to change and that’s number one and make a good list of things you’re dissatisfied with. That will create some pressure inside of you to create some powerful new goals.

2)         Write down what kind of beliefs would I have to have?

What are a couple additional beliefs – we went over a couple of them in “Why my style of goal setting works”.  What are two or three other beliefs that you would probably need to have in order to really set goals and achieve them? What are two or three new beliefs you would need to live by in order to really start achieving your goals?

That’s your simple assignment for today.  Just leave today with a focus on getting big enough whys.  The power of why is the power to achieve all your wants and desires

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Goal Setting: The Problems with Setting Goals

I am going to jump right in it today – First and foremost most people take their Goals for granted.  They don’t do it seriously and they don’t do it consistently.  They do it once a year and they do it at New Years.  They run into the New Year’s syndrome; they set a goal and they don’t even look at it until a year later and they go, “Uht Oh, I screwed up,” and they set a new one.

They have no power. Secondly, they don’t realize the power of goals.  They take it lightly.  They go, “Well, yeah I got these goals,” but they don’t make sure that they get it inside their head where it’s absolutely real for them.  They don’t realize that when they set a goal, they’re now creating something in life.

And finally, the biggest challenge I think is that these people don’t know why they’re going for their goals so the object, the goal itself, they get enthusiastic for awhile and then it dies out.  Again, ‘why’ is different for everyone but you’ve got to find out the reasons.

• Goal setting problems
  • Taken for granted, not done seriously or consistently
  • Don’t realize the power of their goals that can create changes in your life
  • People don’t establish ‘why’ they’re setting their goal

I believe this: reasons come first; answers come second.  If you get big enough reasons to do something, to accomplish something you can figure out how to do it but if all you do is set up a goal and say, “How am I going to go about it?” you’re not going to be inspired enough.  It’s not going to be compelling enough for you to really create long-term results.

Every successful person I know has figured out the ‘why’ behind their goals and that’s their power.

• Create WHY
  • Causes inspiration
  • Goal becomes compelling and real
  • Why becomes powerful and motivating

Keep tuned in we are getting to the meat of goal setting.  I am actually going to give you the questions to ask yourself.

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