A few days ago, I was talking to customers at one of our operations. A gentleman asked me about what it’s like to manage a full service restaurant. My response was the same as it has been for the last ten years. Managing the front of the house of a restaurant is like throwing a big party at your home for 150 of your best friends and relatives. The biggest difference is the party is perpetual, every night.

At your home, you want to make sure every guest is entertained, happy, served well and there is no negative body language that would say otherwise. Running a restaurant is much the same.

Your eyes catch everything.  A server who passes by a dirty table, a customer with an empty glass, body language that seems negative, the piece of paper on the floor, the customer waiting for a check, the busboy that needs a haircut, a guest that drops a fork – it all happens almost simultaneously.

When you have a party, don’t you do the same thing? You work hard to make sure everyone has a good time, is happy with your food and leaves with a smile on their face. You eyes scan the room for any glitch that will improve the guest’s experience at your home. Why would you do any less at your restaurant?

At your home you may pay special attention to your mother-in-law who is very picky. Don’t we have the same at restaurants – guests that are picky? We care about how clean the bathrooms are at home – we care at the restaurant also. You would never let loud, inappropriate music blast your guests at your house, nor at your restaurant. The crying baby in the living room at your house is often offered something special ostensibly to satisfy the baby, but really to stop annoying the rest of your friends and family – the same at your restaurant.

While you can find a few differences, the reality is that there are far more similarities between a big party at home and the nightly experiences at your restaurant.

One of the key differences is staff. At home you may hire a person or two to help with the party, but at your restaurant, you may have dozens. If you can train them to think like it is their party every night, you have created an atmosphere that will bring people back time after time. Including the free-loading in-laws!

Larry Edger, Author

The Restaurant Ebook

All the projections are in. The restaurant industry is expected to be hit with upward spiraling food costs and lower consumer discretionary spending on dining out. The National Restaurant Association expects real growth of only .9% for 2008. Most sources blame the economy and gasoline prices.

On the street, I am hearing friends from Chicago to Florida that are showing dismal sales in the last couple of months. Food prices as escalating faster than you can change menu prices. Many restaurants are closing their doors after a lack luster year in 2007. One of the nation’s largest food wholesalers tells me their bad receivables are higher than they have ever been. Chains are are closing many weak performing operations.

What can you do? Stop the madness!

Take eight hours off - right now, to reverse the double whammy. Higher prices are coming. See an earlier post on controlling costs in 2008. At the very least, listen to the consumer, they want reasonable priced entrees. Use menu items where the margins remain high. Offer smaller portions, half size plates and focus on comfort food. These and other details are in the post from January 30, 2008 titled “Price Increases Threaten Industry“.

After getting your cost control plan in place, now focus on increasing sales. You must start now. There are no quick fixes. Implementing plans that will boost sales take weeks to produce long term results. Here are the steps to protect your restaurant in 2008;

• Write a Marketing Plan for the next six months.
• Address each of the marketing functions - communicating with prospective customers, selling those prospects and delivering your product.
• Once you have your plan, involve every staff member. Even if you only have a couple of employees, let them know your plans and get them involved.
• Implement your plan immediately. Many things in your marketing plan can be done overnight with little or no cost.
• Schedule a monthly review of your plan. Keep track of results.

If you don’t know how to write a marketing plan or are new to the industry, you can rely on The Restaurant Ebook to show you all the detailed steps. There are forms for a marketing plan and over 100 ways to increase sales and market your restaurant. Each idea not only tells you what to do, but exactly how to do it.

As an author and veteran of the restaurant business, I am not immune to the whims of economic conditions. My restaurants started an all new marketing plan in October, 2007. So far, we have not felt the downturn many other restaurants are reporting. Did I have a crystal ball and know that conditions were going to be bad in 2008? No, one of my restaurants had flat sales through the third quarter of 2007 and we embarked on a new marketing plan in October. It’s paying off now with sales above 2007 levels.

Again, stop the madness - right now! Turn the double whammy into a whimpering memory.

Larry Edger, Author

The Restaurant Ebook

When it comes to marketing your restaurant, sometimes it’s the little things that count. Word of mouth referrals are the strongest method of any for acquiring and keeping new guests.

Since this post is just before Valentine’s Day, here’s an idea out of The Restaurant Ebook, Chapter Seven, 100 Ways to Market Your Restaurant and Increase Sales.

As customers call for Valentine’s Day reservations, provide a unique service that can be added to the guest’s check. Offer a couple of roses in a flower vase with a red Valentines ribbon placed on their table. The ribbon would include a card saying “Happy Valentines Day Becky” (the recipients name).

Can you imagine the phone lines burning up the next day with ladies who received this special treatment!

There are two ways you can provide the flowers. You can work with a local florist or buy your own supplies and put them together. Remember this little add-on service can be used for Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries and almost any other special occasion.

Little things cause big chatter!

Larry Edger, Author

The Restaurant Ebook

After month’s of delay due to Internet security issues, the ebook that will simplify the lives of many entrepreneurial restaurateurs is available. The book is packed with details about cash flow, operations, training and managing a restaurant. Perhaps the most valuable chapter is “100 Ways to Increase Sales and Market Your Restaurant”.

The author gives readers more than just WHAT to do to be successful, but exactly HOW to do it. The Restaurant Ebook is more than just a typical restaurant manual that tells owners and managers they need more sales, lower costs and better service. The Restaurant Ebook is a guide that explains the “how-to’s” of marketing. The book has one chapter dedicated to why most restaurants fail and the ways to keep your doors open.

One of the most valuable aspects of the book is that it is NOT written by a consultant, but a business person that has developed three concepts that operate successfully today. The reader gets the real life experiences and anecdotes of what works and doesn’t work from years of experience.

Who should buy The Restaurant Ebook? It is a must for anyone:

• thinking of starting a restaurant
• struggling trying to keep their doors open
• having cash flow problems
• who needs to develop more business
• who discovers that traditional advertising doesn’t work
• thinks great food will bring automatic success
• that is struggling against the big chains
• that is considering buying an existing restaurant
• who wants new ideas for marketing their restaurant
• who is experienced, but is burnt out on consultants with no street experience
• considering opening their next restaurant.

Managers, owners and those dreaming of being one of the 5000 or more people who will open a restaurant, cafe, bar, bakery or food operation this year will find The Restaurant Ebook the best investment they have ever made. It’s less than the cost of their next case of coffee!