BUSINESS: 8 Important Considerations When Opening A Restaurant
Opening a restaurant is a major undertaking, regardless if it’s your first restaurant or you tenth. You must find a suitable location you believe will be appropriate, acquire the necessary investment funds, and be prepared to endure some troubling times in the beginning. And because failure rates are so high with new restaurants, it is important to properly plan and do the best to ensure success. Here we will look at eight critical considerations anyone should take into account when opening up a new restaurant.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Univision & TUDN Extend UEFA Champs League Deal
Univision’s TUDN has extended its UEFA deal to continue as the exclusive Spanish-language broadcast rights partners for the UEFA Champions League for an extra three seasons starting in 2021. In the deal, TUDN will carry UEFA Champs League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup contests, as well as UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League competitions. Be sure you’re signed up for the SportsTV Guide to know when all the games are on in your area.
Immigrant Electorate Doubled Since 2000
Pew used Census Bureau data to forecast that the number of eligible foreign-born voters in the U.S. will grow further this year, hitting 23.2 million, a whopping 93% increase since 2000. That means 9.8% of U.S. eligible voters will be foreign-born by the time Americans go to the polls in November -- a record high. Between 2000 and 2020, the U.S.-born eligible voter population grew at a slower pace, rising from 181 million to 215 million, an increase of 18%.
US Obesity Rates Continue to Trend Up
More than four out of every 10 American adults are obese, according to a new study by the CDC. One out of every 10, the study says, is severely obese. The findings come from the CDC annual health survey from 2017-2018, where over 5,000 U.S. adults measured their height and weight. For 2017-2018, the survey recorded a record 42% of people within the obesity threshold, with over 9% within the severely obese threshold. These numbers are up 2% and 8%, respectively, from the health survey of 2015-2016.
ICYMI: SKIP THE STRAW DAY
Why it matters to you: We discard 8 million tons of plastic waste annually and our industry is among the worst offenders
A group of middle school students known as The Coral Keepers founded National “Skip the Straw Day” in 2017. The intention behind National Skip the Straw Day, which was on Feb. 28, is to encourage Americans to give up their plastic straw habit and help spread awareness about the damage caused by disposable single-use plastics. But, any operator that has attempted to move to a paper straw alternative has faced serious resistance from their guests. Sure, you can sell them a metal straw or some other alternative. But seriously, you don’t think that’s gonna really work, do you? Well, maybe. It really depends on your approach and willingness to explore other options.
You may not be aware, but there are a number of straw alternatives that don’t include plastic. Glass, agave, bamboo, and even seaweed are being explored as alternatives to traditional straws. It takes some effort to source, but you can turn that into a marketing strategy. Invited your guests on the journey of investigating straws made of alternative materials. Make the process a part of your social media content. Engage guests for ideas and let them follow your decision path and even let them weigh in with by voting. No single restaurant can solve the ocean plastics disaster that is unfolding, but by shining a light on your own efforts to mitigate, you reflect really well on your restaurant and maybe you’ll inspire your guests to participate and especially visit your place more often.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
MEET BEN’S FRIENDS
Why it matters to you: Nobody understands the stresses in our industry better than people who live it every day.
The stresses wrought upon people employed in the hospitality segment are pretty well documented. The amount of substance abuse and accompanying mental health challenges can be daunting to manage. Which is exactly what you are required to do, whether you want to or not. A 2015 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (MHA) ranks the restaurant industry highest among 19 industries for illicit drug use and third highest for heavy alcohol consumption. It’s a two-fold problem.
First, the stresses of our industry can cause people to self-medicate. According to research conducted by Unilever Food Solutions, 74% of chefs are sleep deprived to the point of exhaustion, 63% of chefs feel depressed, and more than half feel pushed to the breaking point. The second reason is the easy access to alcohol or illegal drugs. This makes it increasingly easy for your team to look to substance abuse as a path to relief.
This is why it’s important to support your team as they navigate the rocky shoals of depression, stress, and potential substance abuse. One chef on his own journey has founded a group that allows folks from our industry to get together and face their addiction challenges. Ben’s Friends was founded by Steven Palmer, an aspiring chef that was facing his own addiction and realized he didn’t have to go it alone. If you have team members that are struggling, this may be a way to help them. You can either do that or watch them flame out and move on. From a simply human perspective that sounds terrible, so at least consider how you can help them before cutting them loose.
[Source: Eater]
