Here's how restaurants can protect itself from cybercrime: The Importance of Protecting Your Restaurant from Cybercrime
Cybersecurity failures costs up to $256,000 per incident, and restaurants aren't immune from this costly disaster. There are many ways cybercriminals can break into your restaurant’s business and wreak havoc for both operators and guest. Here's how restaurants can protect itself from cybercrime.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Your Questions About Hot Buttered Rum Answered
VinePair put together a handy little Q&A on the winter treat of hot buttered rum, a cocktail made with rum, hot water, sugar, butter, and optional spices (though there are variations). Some even make the drink with butter-battered ice cream. Might be worth adding as a special to your drink menu this winter and see how it goes over.
Biden Regains DNC Lead?
According to polling averages calculated by Real Clear Politics, Former Vice President Joe Biden is back on top of the polls of Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election. Most recently, 29.8% of registered Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents said that they would vote for Biden, while 19.3% said they would rather pick Senator Bernie Sanders. Of course, take these figures with a grain of salt.
Vehicles Are Ready for Autonomy – But Are We?
While self-driving cars are not allowed to operate outside of test programs in any country in the world as of today, many cars are already equipped with hardware that would theoretically allow them to drive autonomously. According to a recent Gartner forecast, roughly 330,000 “autonomous-ready” vehicles will hit the streets worldwide in 2019, with that number expected to climb to nearly 750,000 by 2023. Once autonomous driving software is ready for the real world and regulatory issues have been solved, these cars could be enabled to operate at higher levels of autonomy by ways of a simple software update.
NBA FOR THE…TOURNAMENT?
Why it matters to you: The NBA is proposing some serious schedule changes and you might just be the winner.
When it comes to sports content, the NBA can be hit or miss for sports-themed operators. If your local team is good, then you likely have a lot of interest. However, without that local interest, the NBA can be about as much of an individual draw as women’s NCAA basketball. Which is why a potential disruption of their season structure and schedule might change all that for the better. The NBA is exploring a new format for the playoffs and the inclusion of an in-season tournament to completely transform their approach.
The schedule will be reduced to a minimum of 78 regular season games to accommodate an in-season tournament that is somewhat inspired by the European Cup approach. Additionally, they want a play-in game for the postseason (a la MLB) and want to re-seed the playoffs after each round in the hopes of getting the best two teams into the finals. This change is proposed for the 2021-2022 season and must be approved the NBA Players Association.
While the NBA’s allure feels limited to their playoffs, these changes might at least generate some in season interest in the tournament concept. Imaging March Madness for the NBA and you start to see the image the NBA wants to create. No doubt that format is a winner for all sports-themed operators and we should welcome this potential change as such. It will instantly bring interest in the content and butts in your seats during a slower period of the year. Now that’s sounds like a disruption with a purpose.
[Source: CBS Sports]
HOLIDAY MARKET
Why it matters to you: The holidays are here; is your marketing?
It’s never too late to begin marketing for the holiday season. With Thanksgiving this Thursday, now is the time get rolling. If you haven’t worked out a plan for holiday marketing this gallery on FSR Magazine’s site might just jump start your efforts. It starts with a fantastic idea about delivering carryout catering packages. This is especially smart if you are already open for the holiday. Holiday cooking is an economies of scale thing. The more the merrier, and your kitchen won’t be stressed because you are delivering a very compact menu. If that’s not your bag, run a holiday-themed contest or event.
In lieu of an actual holiday celebration, run a great party with a holiday theme. From “Dress as Your Favorite Christmas Themed Character” to a “Twelve Days of Christmas” program with featured food and beverage for each day, there are myriad ways to excite guests that are already filled with holiday cheer.
If you are in the mood to make offers, then social media is your path. Customers that stay local for the holidays are looking for things to do and deals they can access. If they follow you on social media, then they are likely a regular and giving them a special for the holidays will feel like a gift. The key to successful holiday marketing is making it authentic to your place and giving your guests the sense that you are saying thank you and not simply begging them to buy. Do that and it will be a very Merry Christmas.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
