Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Today's Specials:

SOCIAL MEDIA: Who Wins on Social Media – Denny’s or KFC?

Big chains are trying pretty hard to get guest’s attention on social media, so they’ve been thinking outside the box with the marketing techniques. Denny's and KFC are the latest restaurants to launch noteworthy social media efforts, but who emerges victorious?

DIRECTORY: Restaurant Analytics

As we’ve said before, analytics and data mining is an amazing opportunity for restaurants to make smart business decisions based on facts instead of gut. But we also don’t expect restaurant owners to be data analysts by any means. Here are more than 70 analytics companies specializing in the restaurant industry, so you can make dollars & cents from your data.

DID YOU KNOWS…

The Avocado Mafia Won’t Like This…

A London restaurant (called Firedog) has banned avocados from their restaurant. Why, you ask? Because people have “done avocado to death” and they want to be different by not putting avocado’s on everything. Bold choice.

Wisconsin Sued Over Butter

Wisconsin residents are suing their state because Kerrygold Butter isn’t allowed to be sold there. It’s the only state to bar the sales of the ungraded Irish butter. Power to the people!

What a Buzz Kill

General Mills is getting rid of their Honey Nut Cheerios mascot, Buzz. It’s in part to bring awareness to the alarming decline in bee population around the world.

CHICK-FIL-A BACK ON TOP

Why it matters to you: a happy staff contributes to a healthy and profiting business.

Chick-fil-A has been at the center of controversy multiple times in the past. This time around isn’t quite the same due to a recent MSN article titled, 7 things You Never Knew About Chick-fil-A, Straight from an Employee. In the article, a loyal employee sets the record straight about working at the restaurant chain. In the past, Chick-fil-A had some PR problems when CEO Truett Cathy publicly said he was anti-LGBT. However, this employee is explaining how the chain has changed and why it does not threaten the employees currently working there. "It's all about keeping a good name. I'm transgender, and I know a gay guy who works there. I feel fine."

Employees also receive a free meal for over 5 ½ hours of work. Chick-fil-A seems to have transformed their image solely from taking care of their staff. Employee-friendly policies do not happen overnight and heavily rely on adequate training, customer service, staff dedication. If staff morale is high, then word-of-mouth will provide some serious benefits regarding customers, sales, and revenue.

A RESTAURANT NURTURING YOUTH

Why it matters to you: Does your restaurant have a deeper purpose?

Co-owners of Nashville restaurant The Garden Brunch Café is giving their employees much more than a job. They’re teaching their staff how to be entrepreneurs. Jennifer Carpenter and her husband Karl turned from real estate agents to restaurant operators ten years ago when houses weren’t selling. The result has been a successful business that is also serving local youth.

When the restaurant first opened, Jennifer decided she wanted to hire young people that cared about making a positive impact on their community. Her employees are learning valuable life skills like dressing for success and great customer service skills along with Carpenter’s homemade recipes. Some of the staff have less than stellar backgrounds, but at The Garden, they are learning how to be business owners and provide for themselves.

AS UTAH GOES…

Why it matters to you: Two initiatives in Utah could be the precursor to more trouble nationwide

Nobody would consider Utah a bellwether state in the grand scheme of the Union, but it appears with two new pieces of legislation they are leading the way. The first is an initiative that would require a 300-foot buffer between a licensed establishment and any house of worship. One Ogden restaurant is just 296 feet from an LDS Temple and fears they won’t get a variance to allow them to serve alcohol in their location. That reduced the requirement from 600 feet, but some don’t think any of it as necessary regulation. According to Rep. Justin Fawson (R) “It’s nice to create a buffer, but if we’re going to frequent those places with our kids, that’s the choice we make. And if we don’t want our kids in a bar, we don’t go there.”

While the proximity law is set to change in May, another proposal would be an even more difficult regulation for license holders to endure. Utah is proposing a reduction from the legal limit for blood alcohol content from .08 to .05. You may not remember, but Utah was the first state to reduce from .10 to .08 back in 1983. The bill is set to be on Governor Gary Herbert’s desk where many in the restaurant industry are calling for it to be vetoed. They believe it will have unintended consequences on tourism and the Dram Shop responsibilities of operators in the state. In any event, these operators should be questioning those that are supposed to be lobbying for them. Why? Ask Senator Diedre Henderson who claimed she never heard word one from the Utah Restaurant Association or any other restaurant advocate. The moral of the story is, don’t sit on the sidelines. If legislation gets proposed in your state similar to this, get involved, push your Restaurant Association to speak out and don’t take it lying down.