There are many aspects that affect your business’s profitability, but is your menu letting you down? With restaurants being put under increasing pressure during the pandemic, it’s vital that you regularly assess your menu and follow best practices. After all, your menu is the main way that communicates your dish options to customers, and poor…
Preparing your restaurant for opening after lockdown is necessarily fraught with concerns. How do you best keep your customers and employees safe in a Covid-19 world? How do you access the latest industry recommendations to ensure you’re in compliance? What are the risks you’re still facing in your geographic location? With a careful plan in…
July 20th 1969 and man first walks on the moon. For those who have suffered the highs and lows of owning a restaurant, there can seem no tougher job. In fact, John F Kennedy said (and I paraphrase) “No single [sic] project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important [sic]; and…
10 hard hitting truths about owning a restaurant in South Africa can be summed up as follows: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly… The Good 1) Restaurants continue to be a labour of love for most who own them, and the passion can be felt the moment you walk in the door. Although not…
‘Tis the season to be vigilant… Tra la la la la la la la la! So many restaurants bite the bullet waiting for “season”, that mythical time in space when the customers have money and just want to spend it. End of year parties, family lunches, holidays at the coast where they just don’t feel…
In the fast pace world of electronic menus, Instagram pictures and YouTube videos the days of “trade secrets” and massive differentials are a thing of the past. Yet, despite that, some restaurants and outlets are thriving while others continue to struggle. If you can’t patent a recipe or a style and you certainly can’t patent…
Is disruption about to reshape the restaurant industry? Firstly, let’s understand what we mean by “disruption”. It’s not simply doing it better, it’s not doing new things, it’s doing and making things that make the old way obsolete. Mr D and Uber have not disrupted the delivery service, they have made it so much better…
In a National Restaurant Association study, representatives from different types of food service businesses were asked what percentage of their revenue came from repeat business. The answers ranged from 51 percent at fine dining restaurants to a staggering 71 percent at fast-casual eateries. The lesson here is that restaurant owners absolutely depend on customer loyalty…
The great restaurant challenge! No, this is not a competition. Yes, I am aware there are many challenges facing the industry at the moment but the one that is looming largest is the sudden disappearance of middle management. Cast your mind back fifteen to twenty years and the industry was filled with ambitious young waiters…
“But what if I spend all that time, effort and money on training my wait staff and they decide to leave?” is a question heard throughout the restaurant and hospitality industry. There is only one answer to that one “What if you decide not to train them, and heaven forbid they decide to stay?” Most restaurant…