LEADERSHIP: What is the Purpose of Your Restaurant?
If you are anything like La-La Alston, you may answer that with more than just, “to make money.” Alston operates a sandwich shop in August, GA and was offering $50 and a large steak & cheese sub to anyone that traded in an illegal gun. It’s a great example of a new concept in business missions, called the Purpose Economy. Its underlying ideas is that making your operation about more than just profit may just be a key to long term success and a real improvement in your community.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Great Boston Lobster Heist
In what seems too stereotypical to be true, a South Boston man allegedly stole a truck carrying $10,000 in lobsters. Several employees then jumped into another box truck and made chase in what might be the first box van vs box van “high speed” chase. The thief eventually intentionally crashed his truck into the pursuing vehicle and took off on foot but was detained by the employees until police arrived. Seriously, the only way this could be more Bostonian is if the thief Storrowed the truck or got picked up at a Dunks. We look forward to Mark Wahlberg starring in the movie remake.
SCIENCE!!
Global research output in science and engineering (S&E) has grown around 4% annually over the past 10 years and China's growth rate is notable as being twice the world average. While the U.S. led the way in 2008, it has now been displaced as the world's top S&E research publisher by China. In 2008, the U.S. published 394,979 S&E articles in peer-reviewed journals, ahead of China's 249,049. China's rapid growth rate saw it publish 528,263 articles last year, ahead of U.S. output totaling 422,808.
Santacon, Why?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Well, it’s supposed to be and mostly is if you ignore how awful people get while gift shopping. Then there’s Santacon, a convention where people dress up as Santa. And while it sounds like a merry time, some get a little too merry in their drink and then try to start Santa-clad fist-fighting melees in East Manhattan streets. Or, skipping out on their MTA fares. Basically, lotta Santacon goers are on the Naughty List and getting coal in their stockings. At least their entertaining?
THOSE AMONG US
Why it matters to you: Substance abuse is rampant in our industry; can we do anything about it?
It’s hard to read the news these days and not see an article or feature about the opioid crisis. Regular Americans have been struggling for decades with addiction and substance abuse. After 30+ years in and around the restaurant industry, few things are more clear than the need to address substance abuse among our team members. Few of your staff who struggle with drugs or alcohol will admit it, but we don’t have to accept that as inevitable. While I have some issues with this piece on the issue that was published by FSR Magazine, I do think it’s admirable that they are discussing it openly and inviting their audience to consider its importance. The article begins by asking this question: Why is the restaurant industry such a substance abuse magnet? It’s a very important and direct question, but unfortunately the author completely whiffed with the answer.
He rightfully blames accessibility as a key factor to alcoholism in our industry and also correctly points to the hopelessness that many feel because they are forced to work in our very demanding work environment. Unfortunately, what he fails to acknowledge is our complicity. Whether it’s turning a blind to behavior we might otherwise decry, we allow so many of the issues with substance abuse to pervade. Couple that with our industry’s desperation when it comes to staffing and you have a perfect recipe for facilitating those that have substance abuse problems.
We need to address these issues head on and provide safety for employees to acknowledge when they are struggling and feel like they will be supported as they fight them. Read the blog and decide whether you want to deal with substance abuse problems when they cause you disruption or when you can control the responses.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
BACK TO BASICS
Why it matters to you: Start 2020, but doing the basic things required of successful marketing
Any blog post entitled “7 Bar Marketing & Promotion Ideas That Work” is pure click bait…and yes, we clicked. Turns out, there are some insights that are always relevant and are good reminders to us all that the basics are basic for a reason. Yet, many of us never even address those most basic marketing steps that deliver the unseen, hard to account for results. For example, in the aforementioned post we are beseeched to “Make Sure Your Bar’s on the Map.”
This refers to claiming your profile on social dining sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and specifically Google Maps. It’s free and ensures your restaurant’s online profile is under your control and not that of some machine programmed to scrape data from your website, which may or may not be up to date. To this post’s credit, it also encourages you to enhance the experiences of your guests with games or live music.
Given that 78% of Millennials claim they are more interested in experiences than buying stuff, this advice couldn’t be more relevant. From there it hits on recognized basics like doing local-store marketing and partnering with other business, starting your own blog, and using the hyper-targeting capabilities to converse with your current and potential guests. It’s worth a read if you need a reminder of the basics or to make sure you are being thorough in executing them. Make 2020 the year you get the little stuff right and you might be surprised how well that impacts the big stuff.
[Source: Toast POS]
