OPERATIONS: Four Essential Bar Maintenance Tasks
If you run a bar or restaurant, it can be tricky to remember what tasks needs to be done when there are so many processes that need looking at on a regular basis. This is especially true when you add in the hectic nights and weekends at any successful bar. You need to remind yourself of what tasks are absolutely essential and must never be forgotten – lest it cost you a ton of cash later. We highlight the four most essential bar maintenance tasks that you might have forgotten about.
DID YOU KNOWS…
No More Lobster Claw Machine
Two Singapore restaurants have shut down their arcade-style claw machines that allowed guests to catch live crabs and lobsters. The restaurants debuted the machines back in January with a sign that read “Catch lobster, and enjoy it! (Cook with no extra charge).” However, they received a number of complaints. Although the game-aspect is shut down, the lobsters still face their boil-y demise.
Mobile Ads Set to Outpace Desktop
In line with the evolution of smartphones and tablets, the global mobile advertising market has been growing ever larger over the past decade. Unsurprisingly, the mobile revolution has dramatically eaten into desktop's share of the market. According to Statista's Digital Market Outlook, mobile will account for 50% of ad spending by 2021 and finally surpass desktop in 2022.
Bourdain Documentary
Anthony Bourdain’s life and legacy is being memorialized in the form of a documentary. The untitled film will debut in theaters first and then via TV (CNN) and streaming (HBO Max) thereafter. The production company for Parts Unknown will be consulting the producers of the documentary. No release date yet.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Why it matters to you: Start developing your own sustainable waste program now and avoid the rush.
We often talk about purpose on The Daily Rail. “Does your restaurant mean more to the community than the convenience of a place to gather and consume?” is a question many operators are answering with a resounding YES. Of the many ways you can direct your restaurant’s purpose, protecting our fragile environment has the double benefit of being a great marketing angle.
Take Dig, the NYC based fast casual concept, and the food bowl rental program they are piloting. For a $3/monthly fee, guests can rent a to-go food container. Each time they visit, they return the bowl and the restaurant replaces it with a new one. This program is in place elsewhere, but in those instances the guest must return their bowl for reuse. The Dig deal is simpler for the consumer and trades on the inherent desire of their demographic to be more environmentally aware.
The thing is, you may not have a choice but to change your carryout containers in the future. For example, California has implemented AB 827 which aims to build a better infrastructure for waste reduction. California has a goal of diverting 75% of solid waste from landfills by 2020 through a combination of recycling, composting, and reduction. To go containers and packaging, especially those that employ PFA’s, are likely to be banned before too long as well. Given the combination of guest interest in environmentally sustainable practices and legislative mandates that will give you no room to wiggle, now is the time to revise your approaches and use them to your advantage. Make your commitment to these new approaches central to your marketing and differentiation. Either way, you’ll be ahead the statutory requirements and give guests a reason to be further loyal to your brand.
[Source: Nation’s Restaurant News]
START ME UP [Song]
Why it matters to you: Even if you aren’t looking to open a new restaurant this advice will help you.
So many of us dream of opening our place. We work hard for others and want to cash in on the democratic nature of our industry. With that being said, we also see failures in the first year of operations as high as 60%. Knowing those metrics, it make sense to be thoughtful before you put your hard-earned money up to the task of opening a new restaurant concept. That’s why these six pieces of expert advice for start-up entrepreneurs is a great place to begin.
Our favorite was #5 which encourages operators to test ideas before fully investing in it. This expert suggests a pop-up approach. It requires less up-front cost than building a full brick and mortar, and you can execute your pop-up in several markets to determine where you best fit before signing a lease. Additionally, you can hone your products to their best versions while actually getting paid to do so.
The advice doesn’t stop there. Because you are starting from scratch, you can also focus on those vexing challenges like delivery and your digital presence before you have the myriad other urgencies of your new restaurant to manage. If you are trying to build out delivery infrastructure now, imagine how much easier it would have been had you had the benefit of proactivity. Also, creating your digital approach can be much easier systematized before you are running in a hundred directions to ensure it serves the needs of your brand more effectively. However, even if you are already a functioning restaurant that wants to expand your brand or change your theme, this advice is still relevant.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
