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Jan

Ways to Measure Hotel Kitchen Performance

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What do hotel visitors value most of all? Of course they want to live in good looking rooms, be able to use phone and the Internet, receive additional services as well as be able to enjoy exquisite cuisine. Yes, many people choose hotels just by the cuisine and reputation of hotel restaurants. This especially concerns five star hotels that attract wealthy people who love spending money eating excellent food.

The world famous chefs often work in hotel restaurants. They create excellent reputation and in a certain way become the most effective advertising and promotion tool for hotel owners. If hotel managers want to improve performance and achieve positive financial results they have to pay a proper attention to hotel restaurants or kitchen. This may be as separate evaluation or a part of the huge process to measure efficiency of hotel administration.

Balanced scorecard is being actively used in various industries, including hotel industry. This fantastic performance evaluation and strategic management tool helps put strategy into action. Of course, balanced scorecard will not solve all business problems at once. However, it will help visualize strategy and locate problems and the discrepancies from strategic goals. The principle behind balanced scorecard is quite simple – it uses key performance indicators to measure progress or regress of the company on its way to implement strategic goals.

In terms of hotel industry, these key performance indicators are related to everything happening inside and outside of a hotel. Evaluation of hotel kitchen performance is a very important process. Much money is spent to maintain kitchen and offer visitors breakfasts and dinners. This money may be spent in efficiently or hotel visitors do not like what they are served. Balanced scorecard can certainly help find out problematic areas in a hotel kitchen as well as solve problems in order to achieve strategic goals. Every hotel owner is dreaming of having an excellent reputation due to its world famous cuisine.

Key performance indicators for hotel kitchen evaluation fall into four categories: financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth. In fact, these are universal balanced scorecard categories used in various industries. Thus, let’s analyze each category in the context of hotel kitchen performance evaluation.

Financial category covers all key performance indicators related to expenses and revenues of the hotel kitchen. The hotel spends some money to buy food, maintain restaurant and kitchen, pay waiters and chefs. In return, customers either by dinners or dinner costs are included to the room fee. Evaluation of financial indicators will help examine profitability of kitchen.

Customer key performance indicators cover satisfaction of customers with existing cuisine, their preferences and demands. Customer satisfaction is all important since everything done by the hotel staff is done for customers. Such indicators as new dishes and drinks per 100 customers or time spent by one customer in a hotel restaurant can help learn additional knowledge on hotel customers and their preferences in cuisine.

Internal processes and learning and growth categories refer to personnel of the hotel kitchen. Here one can use such indicators as number of training sessions per employee, average amount spent to educate one waiter etc.

If you are interested in hotel kitchen performance, check this web-site to learn more about hotel kitchen performance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Miller

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Categories : General, Restaurant Business, Restaurant Consulting

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Dec

Fans or Revenue? How To Measure The Success of a Facebook Campaign

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Every social media marketing service provider has an opinion on this topic. Why? Mainly because acquiring fans through a social media marketing campaign is a whole lot easier than generating revenue…and, nine times out of ten, their customers eventually grow dissatisfied with just growing their respective fan bases. After all, marketing (whether via social media, SEO, paid search, or whatever other method) is about making more money, right?

Absolutely. However, how you quickly you generate revenue off of a given marketing campaign can vary dramatically depending on which marketing method you choose to employ. It’s tough to see immediate results on SEO–ranking for certain keywords in your industry can be a constant battle. Conversely, generating traffic and eventually revenue via PPC can be almost immediate. So where does social media marketing fit into the mix? How long should a business have to wait before consistent social media marketing actually pays off in the form of increased revenue?

I for one, believe that a company’s “social” team (whether in-house or outsourced consultants) needs to stick to one thing…social! In order to maximize revenue potential, social media marketing campaigns need to tie into other sales and marketing efforts within your business.

Think of it as an assembly line…social media can be a traffic driving machine if used properly. The “social” team needs to work tirelessly to (1) increase Facebook fans/likes, Twitter followers, YouTube channel subscribers, etc. and (2) drive those fans/followers/subscribers to a highly-optimized webpage, to a physical location/retail store, or wherever else the ultimate, “ideal” location might be.

At this point, the “social” team has done its job by growing fans/followers/subscribers and getting them to leave the comfort of Facebook/Twitter/YouTube, etc. and visit your website/restaurant/retail store, etc. Now it’s up to the online marketing team to do their job with conversion optimization…or store management to create the ideal ambiance for the increased foot traffic sourced courtesy of the “social” team’s efforts.

The Worth of a Fan

Likes, fans, followers, and the like are hugely valuable. If you are a business owner that is dissatisfied with your social media marketing provider or team, as long as they’re either (1) driving traffic and/or (2) driving revenue, they’re probably doing at least a decent job. Now it’s your job to do something with the social assets that they’ve created for you.

Think of it this way. Businesses pay oodles of dough for leads. A lead might consist of a name and an email address and/or phone number, address, or other personal/business information. Some businesses pay loads of money just for a name and an email address. So how valuable is an email address, really? Have you ever done any email marketing before? If so, you know that email addresses can be valuable, but conversion rates are usually pretty low. Generally speaking, you need a boat load of email addresses to see a major revenue impact on your email marketing efforts.

Why is this the case?

How often do you open unsolicited emails? How often do those emails even make it past your spam filters? Even if you open a salesy email, how often do you actually read it through and respond to the call-to-action? I think that I can speak for all of us when I say that the answer to each of these questions is not very often.

The same issues exist with collecting phone numbers in your lead generation efforts. How often do you answer your phone if the call is unsolicited? Let’s say you accidentally (or intentionally) answer a phone call from an unidentified caller…how excited are you when they open the conversation with a bogus introduction and sales pitch? That guy/gal that called you, whether he/she is a wonderful person or not, is subconsciously perceived by many people to be a little bit slimey. It’s the unfortunate nature of the beast for businesses with telemarketing based sales efforts.

How does, for example, a fan on your Facebook business page stack up against an email address or phone number? Well, communicating with Facebook fans is easy. You can do it every day via frequent status updates. Try calling or emailing someone that isn’t a friend or family member every single day for a couple of weeks. Not cool. Also, people login to Facebook daily and they spend almost an hour goofing around on Facebook, so the chances of your status updates actually being seen is pretty good. Lastly, status updates are viewed in their entirety (unless your update is way too long) in the News Feed, compared to emails, where you’ll see just the name or email address of the sender and the subject line. Not as cool.

Accountability

So is it right to punish your “social” team for consistently adding fans and followers? Would you punish them for generating traffic to your website or visitors to your retail store? I hope not. I’d hope that you are holding yourself and/or the individuals “in-house” at your organization accountable for not doing anything with that traffic. If I bring you 100 leads (via social media or anywhere else) and your sales team can’t close them, the problem might be your sales team. If I bring you 10,000 new visitors to your website and nobody buys, the problem may very well be your website.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that your “social” guys are responsible for just generating any and all traffic possible. It certainly is on them to make sure that the traffic is balanced, good, quality traffic. But the accountability needs to be shared. Ultimately, if your “social” guys are consistently acquiring new fans and followers, they’re doing their job. Not every campaign needs to have an immediately measurable ROI attached to it. Leads generated from social media marketing campaigns tend to be of a different breed. Closing cycles tend to be longer. Relationships of trust are built over weeks and sometimes months rather than 30-60 minute telephone sales pitches. However, in our experience, customer loyalty is exceptional.

In summary, fans are awesome. Revenue is awesome-er. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that generating an immediate ROI from a social media marketing campaign is “the whole point”. It is important, but realize that the campaign efforts are often times just one step in a much longer sales process and the effects of a campaign may not be evident for several months. Don’t treat it as its own, separate campaign that does not or will not tie into other aspects of your company’s sales and marketing efforts.

For businesses that are good at marketing, fans will turn into revenue. The speed at which your fans turn into revenue is almost always directly related to the skill and competency of the team responsible for doing something with those fans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Kirkland

Categories : Restaurant Business, Restaurant Consulting

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Nov

Customer Convenience is the Driving Force For Restaurant Locations

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One of the key tenets of business is having the right location. Anyone has any knowledge of market knows well the mantra – location, location, location. When it comes to restaurants this issue is even more important. In fact, it is so crucial to the ultimate success of the restaurant, it is recommended that this be looked at in the early planning stages. Not only is success hinged on where you have your restaurant, the location can also influence how the restaurant is run. At the heart of the decision is also the comfort and convenience of those whom the restaurant will serve.

Important Factors in Choosing a Restaurant Location

There are probably many elements which can come into play when planning to establish a restaurant. One of the most important ones is the relevant zoning laws in a particular area. The size of the building should also be assessed to ensure that it can accommodate the restaurant. Planning should take into consideration the fact the restaurant could grow as it builds a name for itself. Bathroom facilities should also be looked at to ensure the comfort and convenience of customers. Other factors which will influence the choice of location are:

o Parking – nobody likes to go anywhere and have trouble parking their car. When choosing a restaurant location ample parking should be among the top priorities. Not all buildings have their own parking lots, but there should at least be public parking facilities close to the building. Another option is to rent parking spaces for the restaurant’s customers. Parking should be safe and secure also.

o Population – no business can survive without the customer base to support it. This is especially true of restaurants, some of which have been known to fold in the first few months of operation. It is best to choose a location in short driving or walking distance to homes or apartment buildings, or busy business districts.

o Site popularity – it is important that your restaurant be located in a well known area that is easily accessible. This is particularly helpful for the delivery companies you will be dealing with as well. When promoting your restaurant, the ability to mention an area that is well known can only be a plus for the business. The restaurant should be easy to find, especially for new customers who may not be familiar with the area.

While customer convenience is at the forefront when planning almost any type of business there are added elements with a restaurant. The location must be clean, both inside and out. The size of the building must easily facilitate the rigid routines that go into keeping a spotless restaurant.

Before the restaurant can be set up, the building must meet all applicable safety and health laws. Once the location is chosen, all the other aspects of setting up the restaurant will most likely fall into place. Rest assured that when you make the effort to make your customers happy, it will be evident. Diners will only be too happy to come to a restaurant that considers customer convenience such a top priority.

As restaurants Calgary offer some of the finest cuisine, Quebec restaurants also have outstanding desserts. If you’re thinking about eating a one-of-a-kind meal, don’t forget about visiting restaurants Winnipeg!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adriana_Noton

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Oct

What Factors Make a Successful Restaurant?

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Back 1964 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about obscenity, “I know it when I see”, most of us who dine out on a regular basis offer a similar expression when asked about a restaurant being successful. And as the conversation continues you rapidly come to the understanding that the person you are talking with has no idea what they are talking about.

Some people automatically think that a restaurant must be successful if they have to wait for longer than forty-five minutes to get seated. What must be understood here is that just because a restaurant is on a wait that does not mean that the establishment is successful. The wait could be caused by a shortage of wait staff on any particular night. It could also be caused by any one of many problems that the kitchen is having. Please do not fall into the trap of equating a wait for a table as the restaurant being successful.

For a restaurant to be successful several key points must be addressed by ownership. First the quality of food prepared and served must be top-notch. Second the ability of a server to perform at a high level must be present. Thirdly the bar must be able to make satisfying drinks with speed and accuracy. Fourth there had better be a better than decent wine list offering some of the best quality wines at a fair price. And lastly, the desert menu should make your mouth water even before the first cocktail is served.

All food items should be fresh. Some foods can be flash frozen which means they are frozen in a very fast and quick manner after being harvested. One of the advantages to flash frozen food is that when the item is thawed it maintains the quality of being fresh. You find this in most seafood items except for restaurants on a coast line. Some meat products undergo this process as well but special care needs to utilized when freezing both red meat and pork.

It is also important that all kitchen workers be trained to the perform at the best and highest level. A line cook, while not being a chef, if trained properly should be able to prepare most food items to the same expertise of a chef. It is usually best that a chef does the training or at least someone who has worked in a test kitchen with chefs. Training is the key here, one of the best training methods out there is the, I tell I do, I tell you do, you tell you do method. This insures that the line cook not only knows how to prepare a certain dish but also understand why it is being prepared in the manner that it is.

One of the best ways to offer a dinner a wonderful night is to make sure you have only the best servers working. It has been said many times that a poor meal can be overlooked if the service is great. To make a great server training is the key. Your servers need to know that nothing is worse than for the customer to seated at a table and then made to wait for any time at all before being acknowledged. Even if the acknowledgement is only eye contact, most dinners will be comfortable. And one must remember that if you are forced to wait for three minutes it really feels like ten. So make sure your servers understand that greeting a guest is paramount to the evening. Also it is very important that a smile should always be what your guest sees. If this is missing then it is a good chance that the evening will no be anywhere near enjoyable.

After greeting the guest a server needs to be knowledgeable about all the drinks that are available from the bar. He or she should also know the wine list and should have been trained in both pairings and presentation of the wine selected. Here it is always good if the server can make a recommendation of a wine for any food ordered. To be able to accomplish this task the knowledge of the menu is vital. Simply knowing the price of a meal is least important. The ability to correctly explain the varied taste of a dish and how it is prepared is one of the keys. Also speed of service is very important. Here the server needs to have an excellent idea as to how long any order will take to be prepared and brought to the table. Knowing that it only takes six minutes for a rare steak but fifteen for a well done is important. If this is not known and the server says your meal will be out in ten minutes but it takes twenty then the guest will not be happy. And if you guest is not happy you must remember that a dissatisfied guest will tell at least ten people about the bad experience but a happy guest will only tell one or two.

Alcohol service plays an important role in the success of any restaurant. Whether it is a good variety of tap and bottled beer, good,better, or excellent liquors, and the wines, all of these will play the catch-all role of guest satisfaction. It is not good enough to have top of the line spirits and beers, if your bartender does not know how to make a requested drink, or makes them poorly or extremely slow your guest will again not be happy. Here it is important to make sure that your bar staff is well-trained and if necessary have a bar bible so that they can look up the recipe of any drink ordered.

If your restaurant is serving red meat, seafood, or any of the specialty foods like Italian, Cajun, or even Chinese your wine list needs to be top-notch. This does not mean that you need several bottles priced at over two hundred dollars but it does mean that your wines need to hold up to their pairings and be enjoyable to consume. Most restaurants can not afford to hire a wine steward but with the proper research and asking the right questions of your distributor you will be able to learn and therefore offer your guest good wines at a fair price.

Finally while a lot of your guest will decline dessert many will take the leap and enjoy the additional calories. To hook these guest you need to be offering something that they can not pick up at the local grocery store. Whether it is a variety of cheese-cakes, unusual pies, or even a flambe this final item needs to set your restaurant apart from any other in town. It could be a good idea to make all of your desert items extra-large so that your wait staff will be able to suggest one item to be shared. Most couples will like this idea and your ticket average has just gotten a nice bump. It is also good to be able to offer a few dessert wines and an excellent cup of coffee to go with the item selected.

The factors mention here are just a few of the items that play a large role in any restaurant being successful. The biggest problem is that even though these make perfect sense they are very easy to over look. If it is your true desire to own or manage a successful restaurant make sure that these four factors are understood and in place. For if only one is missing then people will talk, but the words that they share with friends or family will be anything but complementary.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_McCurley

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How to Improve Dining Room Service

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Categories : General, Restaurant Business, Restaurant Consulting, Restaurant Service Improvement

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Oct

Restaurant Training – This is Show Business

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In our incredibly competitive hospitality industry, owners and managers are constantly seeking the answer to an important question- How do you recruit, retain, and motivate staff who are responsible for creating a “magical” experience which exceeds your guests’ expectations?

Some answers may be found by looking to successful companies that are consistently achieving these goals.

William Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players’. One company that has exemplified that quote is the Walt Disney World Co. based in Orlando, Florida.

Disney is recognised as one company which creates such “magical”experiences. The Disney challenge is to ensure that all of the 36,000 staff are playing a role in a show which exceeds all expectations.

The Disney approach to people management has helped gain them the reputation of providing a leading benchmark for quality and service in America.

Disney does not just “hire” people for jobs, they “cast” performers for a “role” in the show. The emphasis is in finding ‘people oriented’ cast members who are willing to adapt to the high standards established, and not necessarily on the skills an applicant may have.

Their ‘casting process’ introduces each applicant to the culture of the company, and the important role which they will play in the future success. This way there are no surprises, and it is this approach which helps to maintain turnover at approximately 20%.

Success on the “Restaurant Stage” requires the development and choreography of many different aspects, such as a great cast, script, support and direction.

Quality ‘Casting’ or recruitment, is critical to everything else in the production.

As an owner or manager, you are more director and choreographer of a performance. Your front of house staff, are the actors, and your customers are the audience for whom they must perform.

The supporting crew is responsible for ensuring the script and show is executed as planned. As director, you have to prepare your cast to recognize guest cues, deliver their lines and improvise when it will add to the enjoyment of the performance.

Think of a typical theatre performance- the audience files in, the curtain goes up, the actors make their entrances and speak their lines. If each and every cast member, not to mention the writer, director, stagehands, customers, makeup artists, and lighting technicians, have prepared themselves and the theatre well, the audience enjoys the show and tells others about it.

However, despite the proven talents of individual members of the cast or the presence of an award-winning director or the skills of the backstage crew, the whole thing can be a magnificent flop if just one person fails to do a job on which everyone else depends.

Filling out your service cast with people who can star in their roles is the key to success. But casting for a restaurant show is far more involved and difficult than hiring just anybody to answer a phone, or take orders and deliver food.

The next article, ‘The casting call’ is about how to attract the right cast members.

For previous articles please visit the Archives section on our website.

My company, Lexington Interactive, provides eLearning courses specifically for the Restaurant & Hotel Industry. For a free trial of our wait staff eLearning course, visit http://www.lexingtoninteractive.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Duprey

Improve Your Service Reputation and Increase Sales Immediately!
How to Improve Dining Room Service

Service That Sells!

Categories : Restaurant Service Improvement

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