How to Split The Bill in Every Situation (Infographic)

“Who pays?” is the question every server will ask a group of diners, but the answer may start to surprise servers and restaurant owners.

Technology is changing the way people split the bill when dining out. This shift comes as financial apps make money accessible everywhere and advanced restaurant POS systems make dividing the check up easier than ever.

A common rule of thumb is that, unless designated beforehand, diners in a group setting should expect to split the tab evenly. But new research shows us that diners actually aren’t doing that in practice. In fact, 66 percent of people surveyed don’t split the bill evenly when dining with friends and 41 percent will always ask for separate checks.

As the industry standards change, it’s important for restaurant owners and servers to understand and anticipate how the bill should be handled. After all, great customer service should be simple on the customer and on trend. 

The below visual explores the five most common dining scenarios and how customers should navigate the check in each situation. It also lists helpful tips for diners to make group dining easier on their server.

How to Split The Bill in Every Situation (Infographic) posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

MRM Research Roundup: End-of-April 2019 Edition

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features  F&B companies views on mobile technology,  the cashless culture and OpenTable's best bruch restaurants.

F&B and Mobile

 A recent survey of food and beverage leaders highlights that while a large percentage feel confident in their restaurant’s current use of mobile technology, only 48 percent feel prepared to capitalize on future innovations. Sixty-two percent of respondents expressed doubts over their ability to keep up with the speed of mobile technology changes. And more than half (59 percent) agreed that their company faces the threat of disruption from their more mobile-enabled competitors.

“The rise of mobile ordering and on-demand food delivery services are completely changing the restaurant and guest experience,” said Simon de Montfort Walker, senior vice president and general manager for Oracle Food and Beverage. “In order to remain relevant to a rapidly evolving audience, restaurants must act quickly to modernize their mobile strategy and offerings. Today, the experience a customer has ordering online or from a kiosk can be just as essential as if they were ordering in the store.

The study findings point to a clear and urgent need for restaurants to embrace the right mobile and back-end technology to drive higher ticket value, turn tables faster and enable more cross and upsell. In addition, the findings highlight the need to embrace mobile technology to avoid being outpaced by the competition, help cut labor costs and improve the guest experience – all critical components to revenue growth.

Cutting Costs, Saving Time Equals Increased Revenues

Restauranteurs are investing in mobile technology to cut costs and save time in areas such as hiring less serving staff but more runners, keeping a close eye on stock levels to avoid over-ordering and waste, and the ability to quickly change the menu and offer specials when there is an over-stock of inventory. 

84 percent of food and beverage executives believe the adoption of guest-facing apps drives down labor costs

96 percent agree, with 40 percent strongly agreeing, that expanded mobile inventory management will drive time and money savings

Improving Loyalty and the Dining Experience

Today’s foodies are satiated with choices. In addition to great food, what drives their loyalty is easy ordering and delivery, fast, seamless payments, and a personalized experience.

86 percent of operators say branded mobile apps increase their speed of service and therefore revenue

93 percent believe their guest-facing apps enhance the guest experience, promote loyalty and drive repeat business

Perceived Future Benefits of Mobile Technology

Restaurants are already using mobile devices for table reservations, taking orders, and processing payments, but what value do restauranteurs believe will come from future mobile innovations?

82 percent believe partnerships with third-party delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub will help grow their business

89 percent believe check averages will increase thanks to in-app recommendations

95 percent believe the guest experience and customer loyalty will continue to improve

The Road Ahead

While most organizations rated themselves as highly able to meet new consumer demands, an undercurrent of anxiety about the future was also apparent with only 48 percent of respondents reporting that they have the tools they need to meet the mobile demands of tomorrow. The mobility study findings show a clear path for restaurateurs including applying mobile innovation to broader areas such as inventory efficiency, getting new customers in the door, serving them more efficiently, and keeping them coming back. 

For this survey, Oracle queried 279 leaders in the food and beverage industry who use mobile technology in their organizations during the summer of 2018. 45 percent of those surveyed were from full-service restaurants, 24 percent from fast casual and 23 percent from quick service. Seventy-one percent of respondents are director level or higher, with 45 percent hailing from companies that generate more than $500M in annual revenue.

To learn more, click here.

Restaurant Rebound

The restaurant industry's sales rebounded solidly during March after stumbling the previous month. Same-store sales growth was 1.2 percent in March and 1.0 percent for the first quarter of 2019. The industry is going through its strongest period of sales expansion since 2015, with four consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth, according to TDn2K's Black Box Intelligence™. However, chain restaurants continue to struggle with declining guest counts. Same-store traffic was -1.8 percent during March.

Restaurant guests have many options when it comes to buying food away from home. This means each guest interaction is vital for restaurant brands to develop loyal guests that will help offset this waning traffic trend. But are restaurants delighting their guests and meeting their expectations?

White Box Social Intelligence™ data reveals sentiment has indeed been increasing for restaurant guests in recent months. Guest sentiment based on chain restaurant food became more positive during each month in the first quarter compared with March of 2018. The same is true for guest sentiment based on restaurant service. This is especially important since TDn2K research continues to show that service is a key differentiator for top performing brands based on sales growth. A common characteristic of these top performers in recent years has been delivering an experience that is driving higher service sentiment scores.

Although intent to return positive sentiment is declining slightly year over year, the overall values remain extremely high. 

Connecting the Dots
What food items do guests of top performing restaurant brands love? What food offerings have the highest guest sentiment among the brands with the largest same-store sales growth during the first quarter of 2019?

In the case of guests of top performing limited-service brands (those in quick service and fast casual), the terms with the highest net sentiment during March were the following: sandwich, BBQ, salad, fries and chicken. Most of these terms typically come to mind when thinking about limited-service restaurants. But there are guests of these segments that are looking for healthier options. Top performing brands in these segments are providing craveable salad options as a way to attract guests and drive sales.

In the case of full-service brands (casual dining, family dining, upscale casual and fine dining), the food terms with the highest guest sentiment during March were the following: sauces, desserts, steaks, parmesan and avocado. It is interesting that in the case of full service, the terms that get the highest positive sentiment were mainly ingredients versus meals. The details such as the sauce or a topping included in a dish can make all the difference in delighting the guest. Additionally, once guests have decided to sit down at a full-service restaurant and spend a little more time and money, desserts are enhancing the experience and can be powerful drivers of positive sentiment.

Top and Bottom DMAs
March once again proved Orlando, FL has the restaurant guests with the most positive sentiment among the largest metropolitan areas in the country. Orlando topped the list with the most positive net sentiment based on restaurant food, beverages, service, ambiance and value.

As has been the case in recent months, Los Angeles again emerged as having guests the least satisfied with their chain restaurant experiences. During March, this market had the lowest net sentiment based on service, beverages and value. Raleigh is also frequently on the list of guests with lowest restaurant sentiment. During March, guests in this market had the lowest sentiment regarding restaurant ambiance, food and their intent to return to the brands they mentioned during the month.

Best and Worst Regions
The relative strength of chain restaurants can be perceived not only at the national level, but throughout the country as well. All eleven regions of the country tracked by TDn2K reported positive same-store sales during March. This is something that has only happened four times in the last three years, all of them within the last twelve months.

As could be expected, guest sentiment is also positive in all regions of the country. For the fourth time in the last five months, over 50 percent of all restaurant online mentions and reviews were positive in each of the eleven regions.

Florida not only has the market with the highest sentiment on multiple restaurant attributes, it was also the region with the most positive sentiment overall during March. It was the only region in which over 60 percent of all mentions and reviews were positive. The Mountain Plains and Western region rounded up the list of the most positive regions during March.

The regions with the least positive restaurant sentiment during March were the Southwest, New England, and New York-New Jersey. The last two are frequent inclusions in the list of least positive sentiment each month.

Restaurant Technology Report: Empowering Diners

Hospitality Technology released its 21st annual Restaurant Technology Study, titled, “Exponential Digital Drives Quantum Convenience.” For more than two decades, Hospitality Technology has charted the budgets, business drivers and investment plans of restaurant companies across segments and brand sizes. The study has chronicled the growth of restaurant IT over a course where the pace of change and technological advancement has been exponential. 

Data from previous reports shows that in the not-far-distant past, the key charge for IT deployments was to reduce operating costs and increase efficiency. With that operational focus, in 2008, casual dining establishments were leading in technology innovation, with 43 percent saying they led the competition compared to 32 percent of QSRs that claimed to be leaders. In 2019, the quick service space includes fast casual concepts. Combined, the vast majority (93 percent) claim to feel they lead in innovation. This isn’t necessarily false pride – as the more successful a brand is, the more likely they have been referred to as “technology companies that serve food.”

The 2019 study reveals that restaurants are placing hyper-focus on empowering diners with service options. Through illustrative and written analysis the report charts the budgets, strategy and investments of restaurant technology from what happened in 2018 to what is planned for 2019. 

Key findings include:

• Restaurants are planning hardware upgrades with the largest portion of IT budgets being allocated here (23 percent). A telling byproduct of the fervor for delivery options is that the second greatest amount of IT spend will go to third party providers (21 percent). 
• As a strategic goal for technology, engaging with third-party delivery providers is a priority for 12 percent of overall respondents, but restaurants that consider themselves innovators in digital customer engagement put higher urgency here with 33 percent naming it top goal.  
• The drive for providing new service and delivery options for diners crystallizes in investment plans for 2019. The top six investment areas for restaurant innovation is dominated by providing guests with personalized experiences. These include: third party delivery integration (48 percent), mobile payments (47 percent), digital ordering (45 percent), tableside ordering (34 percent), predictive analytics (34 percent) and interactive kiosks (32 percent). 
• These investment plans are mirrored in software rollout plans. The focus will be on digital ordering software upgrades and changes with 59 percent of restaurants putting IT dollars here. This is tied with mobile payments which sees 25 percent of restaurants adding the functionality for the first time, 26 percent making enhancements and another 8 percent changing suppliers.
• As goes software, so goes hardware. Looking at installation plans for hardware POS  terminals, kiosks and tablets take the lion’s share of investment in 2019. Providing guests with the option to self-serve has driven more than a quarter of restaurants to plan to add kiosks for the first time and 19 percent of restaurants are adding tableside tablets for payment. 
• The leaders in the restaurant industry are proving that the focus on digital will be the source of growth. These digital components will be bolstered by data on both the customer side – to understand what guests want, where and how, and on the business side – to monitor, react and predict with attention on KPIs.

To download the 2019 Restaurant Technology Study,: click here.

Understanding the Cashless Culture

In Cashless Culture: the Marketer’s Guide to the Emerging Cashless Consumer, consumers grapple with the future of cash, cards, mobile, and everything in between. The surprising findings uncovered significant insights for the grocery, retail and restaurant categories in particular.

The biggest takeaway? We have a long way to go before we give up our cash completely. And yet most of us seem resigned to eventual digital domination: Over 50 percent of those surveyed anticipate paying for goods and services via fingerprint scanning or facial recognition within ten years.

Among the study’s compelling data points:

Cash and Cards Are Far From Dead

• 76 percent still carry cash daily
• 55 percent hate the idea of life without cash

We’re Still New at Mobile Payments, But Younger Consumers are Leading the Way

• 58 percent of those using mobile payments have only started in the past year
• 45 percent of those over 40 have never used mobile payments; while 22 percent of those under 40 use it daily

Significant Barriers to Going Cashless Remain:

•  45 percent say there is no reason to use mobile payments
• 63 percent say clear and consistent visual cues around mobile payment options are needed at P.O.P.

A Little Loyalty Goes a Long Way

As most businesses want to collect more and more data from customers to benefit their marketing efforts, they may be surprised to learn—just in time for national “Get to Know Your Customer Day” on April 18, 2019—that most customers actually don’t want to get that chummy. In fact, according to a new U.S. survey conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Wilbur, a new, ultra-simple loyalty program designed by Smart Transaction Systems, most Americans (71 percent) would be less likely to join a loyalty rewards program that collects personal information (e.g., address, account information), with 27 percent saying they would be much less likely.

In addition, most Americans (58 percent) are also less likely to join a customer loyalty program that requires them to download an app to access the benefits, with 26 percent saying they would be much less likely. 

“These survey results prove that U.S. consumers are becoming much more selective about the loyalty programs they join and, I believe, are ultimately more loyal to brands that respect their personal privacy,” said Ray Clopton, President and CEO of Wilbur and Smart Transaction Systems. “It is really important for businesses to pay attention to what their customers want—especially when developing a loyalty program—and I think these results could not be timelier given that we’re about to celebrate ‘Get to Know Your Customer Day.’ Yes, businesses should get to know their customers—but as people. Not as a slice of a database or a spreadsheet column.” 

The survey also found that a majority of Americans (76 percent) are more likely to join a customer loyalty program that collects only their name and phone number, with 32 percent responding they would be much more likely to join. Americans also said they were more likely to join a customer loyalty program that does not require them to carry a physical card (79 percent), with 34 percent saying they would be much more likely to join.

“What these results tell us is that customers don’t want to join a loyalty program that asks for too much data or requires them to carry another card in their wallet or download another app on their smartphone,” Clopton says. “We have been hearing this from customers for years, which is what inspired the creation of Wilbur and how it works. But it feels official now that a reputable research company like The Harris Poll has validated our assumptions and informal research.” 

Wilbur is a privacy-friendly, super simple loyalty program designed for busy business owners who don’t have extra time to manage a loyalty program, and customers who don’t want to fill out another form, carry another card or download another app. The program only collects customers’ first name and phone number, and only texts them when they have earned or redeemed rewards. 

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Wilbur from April 4-8, 2019 among 2,003 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. T

Best Brunch

OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), today released its annual list of the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America for 2019. OpenTable data shows that 81 percent of diners book their Mother’s Day reservations two weeks in advance, so the list comes at the perfect time to help diners find the best brunch eatery to celebrate the mother figure in their lives. Featuring restaurants coast-to-coast, across 24 states and Washington, D.C., the list is a comprehensive look at the best brunch spots in the country. The Best Brunch Restaurants in America list was culled from more than 12 million verified diner reviews of over 30,000 restaurants in 50 states and Washington, D.C.

From restaurants with magnificent views like Geoffrey's Restaurant in Malibu, Calif., to brunch institutions like Sadelle’s in New York, to acclaimed eateries like Somerset in Chicago, the Best Brunch Restaurants list features a wide variety of restaurants. California is the most recognized state on the list with 16 restaurants honored, followed by New York with 12 winning restaurants and Illinois and Pennsylvania with eight each. Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. each boast seven winning restaurants and Louisiana claims five honorees.

The annual list comes on the heels of OpenTable’s national #DiningMode campaign, a challenge to diners to set aside their phones while dining with mom and connect with those around them this Mother’s Day. Diners are now encouraged to give moms the gift of being truly present at a celebratory brunch at any of this year's winning restaurants making honoring the mom in your life easy and more rewarding.

“On Mother's Day 2018, we seated more diners than any other day that year and recognize that celebrating mom is a priority for our diners," said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “The honorees on this year’s best brunch list are creating experiences that will dazzle her and make embracing our #DiningMode challenge a snap, with sublime drinks and dishes and friendly service. You won’t be tempted to pick up your phone on May 12 at any of these spots.”

The 100 Best Brunch Restaurants list is generated solely from diner reviews collected between March 1, 2018 and February 28, 2019. All restaurants with a minimum "overall" score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. The overall score is made up of unique data points, such as overall diner rating, user klout, total number of reviews and regional overall rating. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the sum of tags for which "brunch" was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America for 2019 according to OpenTable diners, are as follows (in alphabetical order):

100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America for 2019

Ambar – Multiple Locations         

Atchafalaya Restaurant – New Orleans, Louisiana

Balthazar – New York, New York

Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Beachcomber Cafe – Crystal Cove – Newport Coast, California

Beatrix – Multiple Locations

Brennan's – New Orleans, Louisiana

Brennan’s of Houston – Houston, Texas

Bristol Seafood Grill – Multiple Locations

The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker – West Hollywood, California

Bud & Marilyn's – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Café Ba-Ba-Reeba – Chicago, Illinois

Cafe Fiorello – New York, New York

Cafe Luxembourg – New York, New York

Cafe Monte – Charlotte, North Carolina

Cappy's Restaurant – San Antonio, Texas

Carmine's – 44th Street – New York, New York

Catch LA – West Hollywood, California

Chart House Restaurant – Weehawken, New Jersey

Chez Zee – Austin, Texas

Cookshop – New York, New York

The Copper Hen – Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Dandelion – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Dining Room at Salish Lodge & Spa – Snoqualmie, Washington

Duke's – Huntington Beach, California

Emmaline – Houston, Texas

Farmers & Distillers – Washington, D.C.

Farmers Fishers Bakers – Washington, D.C.

Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens – Corona Del Mar, California

Founding Farmers – Multiple Locations  

The Gage – Chicago, Illinois

Gandy Dancer – Ann Arbor, Michigan

Geoffrey's Restaurant – Malibu, California

Gertrude's – Baltimore, Maryland

Giada – The Cromwell – Las Vegas, Nevada

Grace's – Houston, Texas

The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach – Pensacola, Florida

Great Maple – San Diego, California

Green Valley Grill – Greensboro, North Carolina

The Hamilton – Washington, D.C.

The Hampton Social – River North – Chicago, Illinois

Harbor House – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Hell's Kitchen – Caesars Palace Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada

The Henry – Phoenix, Arizona

HEXX kitchen + bar – Las Vegas, Nevada

Ida Claire – Addison, Texas

The Ivy – West Hollywood, California

Jake's Del Mar – Del Mar, California

Kyle G's Prime Seafood – Jensen Beach, Florida

Lafayette – New York, New York

Lake Elmo Inn – Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Le Diplomate – Washington, D.C.

Le Moo – Louisville, Kentucky

Lindey's – Columbus, Ohio

Little Goat – Chicago, Illinois

Lola Seattle – Seattle, Washington

Louie Bossi Ristorante – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Love – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Maggiano's – South Coast Plaza  – Costa Mesa, California

Mama's Fish House – Paia, Hawaii

Mere Bulles – Brentwood, Tennessee

Mon Ami Gabi – Las Vegas, Nevada

Muriel's Jackson Square – New Orleans, Louisiana

Oxford Exchange – Tampa, Florida

Palace – Miami Beach, Florida

Palace Café – New Orleans, Louisiana

Parc – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Perch LA – Los Angeles, California

Pier W – Cleveland, Ohio

Poor Calvin's – Atlanta, Georgia

Print Works Bistro – Greensboro, North Carolina

The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus – San Francisco, California

Sadelle’s – New York, New York

Salty's – Multiple Locations          

Sarabeth's Park Avenue South – New York, New York

Shaw's Crab House – Chicago, Illinois

The Smith – Multiple Locations

Somerset – Chicago, Illinois

Spencer's Restaurant – Palm Springs, California

Stanford Grill – Columbia, Maryland

Succotash – Penn Quarter DC – Washington, D.C.

Summer House Santa Monica – Chicago, Illinois

Suraya – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Talula’s Garden – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tavern on the Green – New York, New York

Terrain Garden Cafe – Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

The Tropicale – Palm Springs, California

Top of the Hub – Boston , Massachusetts

Tower Oaks Lodge – Rockville, Maryland

Town – San Carlos, California

Tupelo Honey – Downtown Asheville – Asheville, North Carolina

Ulele – Tampa, Florida

Unconventional Diner – Washington, D.C.

Upland – New York, New York

Whiskey Cake – Plano, Texas

White Dog Cafe – Wayne, Pennsylvania

Willa Jean – New Orleans, Louisiana

X2O Xaviars on the Hudson – Yonkers, New York

Yank Sing – Rincon Center – San Francisco, California

Yardbird – Multiple Locations     

The complete list may also be viewed here. 

MRM Research Roundup: End-of-April 2019 Edition posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

How to Make Your Restaurant Space More Marketable

Foodservice is a difficult business and an extremely competitive one. Even if you cook up the best bites in town, it can be a challenge to grab the attention of fickle consumers and even more challenging to keep it. 

Developing a loyal following is critical when launching a restaurant, and to do that you have to make your establishment stand out. Surveying the industry, we've come up with a short list of ways to set your venue apart from the competition. You'll probably need to fine-tune each of these to meet the needs of your specific restaurant, but these examples should point you in the right direction. 

Create the Right Atmosphere

Your restaurant is more than just the business name and the food on the menu. The theme and the values of your restaurant should be communicated and reinforced throughout the dining experience. This might be done through the use of good ambient lighting, a well-curated selection of artwork for guests to enjoy or easy-to-read wayfinding signage that makes dining at your restaurant stress-free.

Many restauranteurs use a soft open to collect feedback from people about their new business. This is the perfect time to ask whether guests respond to the look and feel of the place. 

Make Your Guests Feel Special

Not everyone needs to hear "Happy Birthday" sung out of tune in a foreign language by the restaurant's finest, but you should look for ways to create a unique experience for your guests. Some examples of this include setting up a special seating location that resembles a wrestling ring at a Mexican-themed taqueria, offering an eating challenge that involves recognition and a complimentary meal, or adding a new menu item inspired by one of your better-known guests. 

Participate in Community Events

Breaking in can be difficult in the restaurant industry, so community events offer a great opportunity to get your food out in front of potential customers. You might partner with a local radio station or bar to provide limited-time-only food perks for guests. Make sure to have some promotional materials on hand. You might have to sell a few discounted meals now, but if those people tell their friends and bring them to your restaurant, you'll have made your money back and then some. 

Bring in a Guest Chef

Just as you can feature your food at a community event, you can also create some excitement for guests by changing things up with a guest chef. Your restaurant will look trendy and hip if you can get someone with prominence from a TV program or another successful establishment. Have the chef create their own variations on the type of food you would normally offer. When guests come back, they will still feel like they're having a special experience. 

Make Your Food Prep Entertaining

This doesn't have to mean trick bartending or Japanese teppan-style cooking where food is prepared in front of the guests in creative ways. If your restaurant makes its own homemade tortillas with an antique machine, why not show it off for your guests to enjoy? If barbecue is more your style, put your restaurant's giant smoker on the patio so everyone can see the tasty morsels being prepared.

Making your restaurant successful is equal parts quality food and service and an interesting experience. If your guests remember the way your restaurant made them feel in combination with the delicious cuisine, you'll stand a much better chance of earning their repeat business, in addition to their friends. It's competitive out there, so get creative and be expressive with your new spot.

How to Make Your Restaurant Space More Marketable posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

The Changing Face of Restaurant Personalization and Customer Experience

McDonald’s recent acquisition of decisioning engine Dynamic Yield for $300 million is a clear indication of the vital importance of personalization in both fast food and the wider QSR sector.  No doubt, the addition of this functionality to McDonald’s stack will revolutionize their customer-facing offering and propel them even further ahead of the competition.  

To understand where the value lies for McDonald’s, one must remember that fast food restaurants operate a set menu, often sizeable with a huge amount of choice, which they market en masse to their entire audience.  Traditionally, everyone coming in the door or cruising through the drive-thru is presented with the same scenario because it isn’t practical to present them with a bespoke offering, tailored to their individual needs and desires at that point in time and space based on a variety of select criteria.  Unfortunately, this means that each individual customer is treated like the million before and after.  That’s admirable if our metric is equality, but pretty poor if the goal is to offer people what they want, when they want; or, flipping that, what the restaurant wants to offer that individual, when it wants to offer it.

The overarching goal of personalization is to readdress this and in doing so, remove the illusion of choice (where it exists) and decision fatigue, all the while retaining restaurants’ ability to position and upsell items in the most efficient manner.

Competition between key fast food players has in fact become a battleground for providing the best customer experience.  Although industry insiders have written much of late on McDonald’s desire to augment its drive-thru experience with such acquisitions as Dynamic Yield, one questions whether this is where customer and brand experiences can be best affected.  Yes, this is a crucial facet of a fast food business, but it’s the in-store experience where personalization stands to make the biggest incremental improvement to such restaurants’ bottom lines.  And nowhere is personalization more needed than when it comes to displaying menu items on the comparatively small screens of mobile devices; a channel already being pioneered by McDonald’s Global Mobile App and Mobile Order and Pay initiatives.

That which can be intelligently laid out across sizeable restaurant menu boards, digital or otherwise, becomes challenging when that visual real estate shrinks to the 5-6” representative of the vast majority of smartphones in circulation in the US in 2019.  When it comes to mobile order & pay, no amount of categorization or scrolling, irrespective of how clever the UI, can take the sheer quantity of information these menus contain and present it in an easily digestible way.  The issue here is merchants’ default strategy of showing entire menus.  This is arguably, from the perspective of personalization, an ill-fated approach.

Whether we’re talking fast food or quick service restaurants, the clue is in the name; both speed and time are of the essence.  The increase in speed and reduction in time when it comes to ordering and paying for your meal is often primarily down to the swiftness of the selection process.  Is trawling through a menu for that Filet-o-Fish® when it’s the item you always order a worthwhile pursuit?  If that 5” diagonal of screen could present you with that fish-in-a-bun at the start of the ordering journey, alongside an upsell of additional menu items, wouldn’t the experience be both faster and quicker?  If on a hot, sunny day you’re initially presented with a frozen dessert or cold drink, wouldn’t that contextually relevant recommendation resonate?

Of course, should your cravings be for something else, you could always elect to ignore the options proffered and choose to navigate the traditional menu, but the potential for greater efficiency and higher throughput is obvious. 

McDonald’s has made it clear that although they’ll be incorporating Dynamic Yield’s tech into their own, Dynamic Yield will continue to service both new and existing clients.  However, without any direct competitors to McDonald’s on its roster, it’ll be interesting to see if any can be acquired by the firm moving forwards. It’s unlikely, for example, that Starbucks is going to take up the opportunity to lay open its data to a rival-owned technology.  In Starbucks’ case, why would it, when it’s recently invested $100 million in Valor Siren Ventures’ new fund to grow companies just like this!

As such, there’s a great opportunity for proponents of personalization to explore partnerships with restaurants, as these new levels of dynamic customer experience become the norm and end users’ appetites for tailored brand interactions soar ever higher.

The Changing Face of Restaurant Personalization and Customer Experience posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

#DiningMode: Phone’s Off for Mom and Chefs Cycle for a Good Cause

This edition of MRM’s News Bites features Taco Mac, Lavu and MenuDrive, Tripleseat and Restaurant365,  OpenTable, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, ParTech, Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit,  Thanx, Chefs for Change, Moët Hennessy USA, S&D Coffee & Tea and the 25th Annual APC National Pie Championships.

Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Taco Mac Turns the Big 40

Taco Mac is 40 years old this month, having opened its first location on April 4, 1979. 

“Hitting 40 years, for us, isn’t about doing a victory lap,” says Taco Mac CEO Harold Martin, Jr. “We wanted to get everyone involved in the celebration and recognize the roles they play in our continued success. Taco Mac wouldn’t be here without the customers who’ve embraced us and made us a part of their lives over the years, so it was very important to us to make them a key focus of our celebration.”

To that end, on April 4, all Taco Mac locations offered its signature wings for 40 cents each all day long. And on April 15, the company hosted a 40th anniversary “reunion party” at its Prado location, where current and former staffers and members of Taco Mac’s popular Brewniversity program enjoyed food, entertainment, the chance to win prizes and sample new cocktails and beers. All ticket proceeds from this event were donated to Taco Mac’s long-time charity partner Camp Twin Lakes, renowned for providing life-changing camp experiences for children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other challenges.

Taco Mac staff members also helped develop new wing sauces to add to the company’s menu during an internal Wingman Competition, in which teams from each location created their own sauce recipes. A panel of industry experts selected the winning sauces, while guests voted online to determine a people’s choice winner.

Most significantly for Martin, guests were invited to submit their favorite Taco Mac memories via the Taco Mac website for the chance to win $40 gift cards.

“We had dozens and dozens of responses,” Martin said. “We had a family in Peachtree City, the Ramthuns, who came to Taco Mac to watch their favorite football team and developed relationships with the staff. Then there was the couple who shared the story of their first date at Taco Mac—they’re happily married today. All of these memories of prized moments really drove home for us that we aim to be more than just a great place to have a beer and some great food while you watch a game. If you treat people like family and serve them high-quality food, they will make you a part of their lives.”

It’s that attention to customers and community that earned Taco Mac the honor of having Thursday, April 4 named Taco Mac Day by the Atlanta City Council, along with an official proclamation bestowed during a council meeting at Atlanta City Hall on April 15. But Martin and Taco Mac aren’t resting on their laurels; the brand is preparing to roll out a revamped menu at all 28 Taco Mac locations this May.

“We’ve grown from a couple of guys opening a wing restaurant in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood to Atlanta’s No. 1 spot to enjoy your favorite foods, discover the best craft beers on draft and experience unmatched Southern hospitality,” Martin says. “And as long as we continue to offer that, the sky’s the limit. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years bring!”

Started by two friends from Buffalo, New York, Taco Mac now has 28 locations across Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Lavu Acquires MenuDrive

Lavu acquired  MenuDrive, a branded online and mobile ordering platform for restaurants.

“Lavu and MenuDrive share a single vision and goal which is to provide restaurant owners with the online ordering technology they need to thrive. Together, the strength of our combined companies will enable our customers to achieve even higher profit margins and increased levels of customer satisfaction,” said Saleem S. Khatri, Chief Executive Officer of Lavu.

The pairing of Lavu’s and MenuDrive’s technology platforms will help restaurant owners compete with third-party delivery services. Utilizing third-party software which typically require restaurants to give away a percentage of their food and beverage income will no longer be the only option available to food establishments. The Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform which offers an intuitive control panel and seamless end-user experience allows any restaurant to realize increased profits from customer online ordering and food delivery. In addition, restaurants can achieve significant increases in traffic and revenue as a result of more effective marketing and higher brand awareness. The Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform also offers a branded online ordering presence, customized loyalty programs, and marketing automation – this helps ensure that new customers can easily source new restaurant choices. In addition, the Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform offers restaurants enhanced analytics, including detailed customer order history, product reports, sales trends, and consumer buying habits, which allow restaurants to stay current with new dining trends and changing customer activity.

“We are excited to join Lavu and bring MenuDrive’s best-in-class features and expertise to their impressive technology and team. Together, we are positioned to provide more value and benefits to restaurant owners so that they can succeed, regardless of size or budget,” said MenuDrive co-founder Adrian Fang.

Lavu’s legal advisor is the Rodey Law Firm. MenuDrive’s legal advisor is Pillar+Aught.

Tripleseat Teams with Restaurant365

Tripleseat entered a strategic partnership with Restaurant365 that will give new event solutions to Restaurant365’s users, which already have access to technology in accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and employee management.
 

“Through this partnership with Restaurant365, we’re able to provide our customers with the technology and services they need to continue to streamline their businesses,” said Jonathan Morse, CEO of Tripleseat. “At Tripleseat, we strive to make our users’ universe easier to navigate by providing them with the tools necessary, and partnering and integrating with great companies in the industry we are able to do just that.” 

“Working with Tripleseat, our first integration with a comprehensive event management solution, is a game-changer for concepts that have struggled to find success within their event and catering departments,” said John Moody, co-founder of Restaurant365. “Together, our software will simplify complex processes and allow restaurant owners to remain above the fray while maintaining focus on their customers.”

#DiningMode

OpenTable is encouraging diners to participate in #DiningMode this Mother’s Day by putting aside their phones and giving those they’re with the gift of being truly present and connecting over a great meal. All diners can participate while dining out at any restaurant or visiting one of the nearly 500 OpenTable restaurants worldwide that are supporting the #DiningMode campaign.

According to a recent survey* commissioned by OpenTable, 73 percent of respondents rank a Mother’s Day meal as the No. 1 occasion when people should avoid checking their phones. The survey also found that nearly one third of adults say sharing a meal together is the most meaningful Mother’s Day gift followed by thoughtful conversation. Additional key takeaways from the survey include:

Losing Connections: 81 percent of diners have been annoyed by their dinner companion’s phone use in the past. 20 percent say they actually avoid eating with companions who overuse their phones. 75 percent of respondents at least somewhat agree that they use their phone too much.

Dining Hacks: The most common ‘hacks’ diners use to avoid checking their phones at the table are: turning off their phone (51 percent), turning their phone upside down (49 percent) – with millennials more likely to say they turn their phones face down. Women are 14 percent more likely to say they hide their phone to avoid using it during a meal than men (39 percent to 24 percent).

“We recently discovered that 85 percent of diners check their phones at the table while eating with others at least once,” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “By going into #DiningMode this Mother's Day, diners will have the opportunity to focus their attention on the mom in their lives and connect over a fabulous meal.”

To help encourage diners to turn off their phones this Mother’s Day, nearly 500 restaurant partners are supporting the #DiningMode campaign. Here are a few examples of what they are doing in the US:

10 Corso Como – New York, New York

Providing a complimentary dessert and a glass of champagne for those participating in #DiningMode and putting their phone down during the meal.

Aquagrill – New York, New York

Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.

Bellini Grill – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Offering moms a free complimentary dessert for those participating in #DiningMode allowing for additional time for conversation.

Bodegon – Hotel Madrid – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Providing complimentary champagne for those who opt into #DiningMode. 

Casa Chapala Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar – Austin, Texas

Offering moms a fresh bouquet of flowers for groups who opt into #DiningMode upon arrival.

Central Bar + Restaurant – Bellevue, Washington

Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Churchill's – Savannah, Georgia

Giving free desserts for tables where every guest gives their phones to a secure area in the back of house office until the check is paid.

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse – New York, New York

Providing free on-site family photography so diners don’t need to use their phones at all throughout the meal.

Despaña – Princeton, New Jersey

Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.

El Jefe – Denver, Colorado

Providing moms with a complimentary glass of wine or champagne for tables that opt into #DiningMode.

ETA Restaurant + Bar – Chicago, Illinois

Offering moms a complimentary spa gift as a thank you for all they do and for participating in #DiningMode

Fig + Farro – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Offering a free phone check to help families unplug this Mother’s Day.

Jaya – Miami, Florida

Offering moms a chocolate rose as a token of appreciation for Mother’s Day and for participating in #DiningMode.

La Palapa – New York, New York

Providing tables who participate in #DiningMode with complimentary blood orange margaritas.

Misirizzi – New York, New York

Providing complimentary dessert for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Partage – Las Vegas, Nevada

Offering guests the option to check their phones with the hostess upon arrival. 

Patagonia Grill & Cafe – Houston, Texas

Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Russian Tea Time – Chicago, Illinois

Offering moms a complimentary cup of house tea to relax and connect with loved ones.

Severance – Los Angeles, California

Offering a free glass of champagne to help adult guests get into #DiningMode.

SUGA – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gifting a free Susanna Foo cookbook per table for those participating in #DiningMode as another way to connect with loved ones.

“As a family owned and operated business, taking time to be with your family is so important to us. We love the idea of encouraging diners to be present,” said Leanne Gelish, Restaurant Manager at Mac’s Steakhouse, “Time is the most important gift we can give each other and we’re happy to encourage our diners to put their phone down this Mother’s Day.”

To participate in #DiningMode simply dine out on Mother’s Day, set aside your phone and get to know the people you’re with. OpenTable has provided participating restaurants with conversation starters on coasters and downloadable PDFs to help spark a conversation between diners and their moms. Conversation starters can also be downloaded here. Diners can enter OpenTable’s giveaway for a chance to win a $400 gift card ahead of Mother’s Day. For more information about the giveaway, see the official rules here.

To learn more about the #DiningMode campaign, click here. 

Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry

This month, employees from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants are clocking in 300 miles for Chefs Cycle to raise funds and awareness for No Kid Hungry, top photo. This year’s goal is to have 275 chefs riding to raise $2M for No Kid Hungry, which translates into 20 million meals for kids in America facing hunger.

Kimpton will have 24 riders from more than 10 properties participate in the cycling event, including CEO Mike DeFrino. The brand is calling on all fans to join in to help fundraising efforts by donating to the Kimpton cycling team’s fundraising page.

In addition to participating in the three-day ride, Kimpton chefs and bartenders across the country will feature a cocktail or dish on their menus to benefit No Kid Hungry – see below for examples. When restaurant and bar-goers order that item, the property will donate a portion of sales to No Kid Hungry. Additionally, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will offer guests 15 percent off their Best Flexible Rate, and donate $10 / night to No Kid Hungry as part of their partnership with the charity in 2019. The restaurant will donate $1 from each purchase of the Orecchiette Tartufate, which includes Mild‎ Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Black Truffle and Fontina Cream Sauce. From March 1 – June 30.

Fisk & Co. – Fisk & Co is donating $1 for each Lobster Roll sold, as well as every Short’s Brewing Company’s Local Light beer purchased.

Tre Rivali (Milwaukee, WI) – Donating $2 for each Blackberry Bramble cocktail sold, and $2 for each Poached Pear and Nutella Hand Pie sold through December 31.

The Outsider Rooftop (Milwaukee, WI) – Donating $2 for each sale of That Seasonal One cocktail, which features Maker's Mark Bourbon, Edinburgh Rhubarb Ginger Liqueur, Warre's Warrior Port, Tattersal Orange Crema, lemon, Angostura bitters.

King Tide Fish & Shell (Portland, OR) – On April 15, Chef Lauro Romero hosted a fundraiser dinner with guest chefs Maylin Chavez (Olympia Oyster Bar), Matt Sigler (Il Solito), and Tom Dunklin (The Waiting Room). The five-course family-style dinner included a seafood tower, grilled whole fish, surf-and-turf, and dessert board, plus wine and cocktail pairings. Tickets were $70 and included dinner and drinks, with 100 percent of proceeds going to No Kid Hungry.

The Copper Grouse (Manchester, VT) – Donating $1 from each Locavore and Old Forrester Old Fashioned sold.

Boleo (Chicago) – Donating $1 for each purchase of the Yaquitas (crispy yucca fries with rocoto aioli)

Outlier (Seattle, WA) – Bikes, Bites and Beats at Outlier: On Sunday, April 28, Outlier, Burn Cycle and Ketel One Botanicals are throwing the ultimate Sunday Funday for a great cause. Start your morning off with a 30 minute low-impact, high-intensity sweat sesh hosted by Burn Cycle’s expertly trained instructors. Once you’re done feeling the burn, snack on light bites from the culinary team at Outlier, and indulge in healthy-‘ish,’ custom cocktails from Outlier’s bar team featuring Ketel One Botanicals, a vodka distilled with real botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences – with no sugar and no artificial sweeteners or flavors. Stick around for more fun, including massage tables, a botanical bouquet building station and Outlier’s GM, Brian McFarland riding the ‘blender bike’ and spinning a variety of Kettle One Botanical blended cocktails.  Tickets range from $20 – $30 and all proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry and Outlier’s support and participation in Chefs Cycle.

Henley (Nashville, TN) – Henley will donate $1 from every Henley Mint Julep sold during Kentucky Derby Weekend from May 3rd through May 5th.

Jane Q (Los Angeles) – Donating $1 from every Cinnamon Toast Latte ordered.

Ever Bar (Los Angeles) – Donating $1 from every Drink Your Vegetables cocktail ordered.

Angeline’s (Charlotte, NC) – Angeline’s is donating $1 for every Velvet Slipper cocktail purchased; and Tito's Handmade Vodka will match for every dollar donated

Merchant & Trade (Charlotte, NC) — Merchant & Trade is donating $1 for every Velvet Slipper cocktail purchased; and Tito's Handmade Vodka will match for every dollar donated

B&O American Brasserie (Baltimore, MD) — Donating  $1 from all Queen Bee cocktail sales from May 1-31, and $1 from all duck wings sales from May 1-31.

Brabo Brasserie (Alexandria, VA) – Donating $1 from all daily special cocktail sales for the month of May.

DNV Rooftop (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Grumpy Guru cocktail sales from May 1-31.

Firefly (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Pedal Pusher cocktail sales from May 1-31, and $1 from all Brussel Sprouts sales from May 1-31.

Radiator (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Rad Burger sales from April 1-30, $1 from all Brussel Sprouts sales from April 1-30, and $1 from all Ride the World cocktail sales from April 1-30.

Urbana (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from every item sold from all-day Kentucky Derby event on May 4.

Bambara Kitchen & Bar (Cambridge, MA) – Sales from Bambara’s signature Choereg bread and Fiddlehead IPA will benefit Chefs Cycle/No Kid Hungry. Additionally, Chef David Bazirgan, Bambara Kitchen and Bar, returns to his hometown of Newburyport, MA on May 5th to host a guest chef dinner at Brine Oyster Bar. Net proceeds from this 4-course, $55 per person dinner will benefit Chefs Cycle / No Kid Hungry.

The Commoner (Pittsburgh, PA) – Donating $1 from each Beef Brisket Sandwich, Chicken Pot Pie and Not So Old Fashioned cocktail sold. Also hosting a fundraiser on May 7 and May 9, offering a $90 per person dinner which will feature a Grilled Apricot Salad, Herb Stuffed Lamb Breast and Hibiscus & Lavender Crème Brulee.

Stratus Lounge (Philadelphia, PA-) – Donating $2 per order of Pastrami Sliders to No Kid Hungry.

ParTech Partnerships

ParTech, Inc. (PAR) forged new partnership with Altametrics and Hubworks that will allow PAR’s cloud-based Brink POS® software solution to seamlessly connect with Altametrics Enterprise Office and the Hubworks suite of applications through the Any Connector tool. The partnership helps clients streamline restaurant operations by allowing better cost controls over labor and food expenses. Additionally, Altametrics and Hubworks will make menu and staff changes faster and more efficient – changes will only need to be made once and will be reflected across all solutions, ensuring consistency across the organization while reducing the time spent on data entry.

"The integration provided by Any Connector gives Brink POS and Altametrics customers the ability to use all of their software solutions more effectively. Restaurant operators, regardless of how large or small their organization is, will now have the insight they need to better manage their food and labor costs, while reducing operational efforts at the same time. The simplification of the complex task of product integration is an exciting technology advancement we are delighted to provide to our joint customers,” said Steven Sedam, Integrations Project Manager, Altametrics.

“We are excited to welcome Altametrics to Brink’s large partner ecosystem,” said Paul Rubin, Chief Strategy Officer, ParTech, Inc. “The ease of use and accessibility to data will be very beneficial to Brink customers and will allow restaurant operators to focus on providing a great guest experience.”

Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit Join Forces

Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit are joining forces. Artisan Exchange already offers its tri-state area food businesses affordable flexible space, retail market channels, access to a commercial kitchen, and sales and distribution support. Now they will offer businesses that need expansion capital an opportunity to crowdsource loans at reasonable rates and terms from their existing customers. 

Frank Baldassarre, Principal for Artisan Exchange commented, “This is a perfect partnership for us. I come from a 30-year career in commercial banking and am intimately aware that one of the biggest challenges for any small food business is financing. The way small business lending is done right now is ineffective. George Cook and the folks at Honeycomb Credit are doing something transformative. By supporting individual businesses as they expand they are really connecting the whole community with capital.”

George Cook, CEO of Honeycomb Credit added, “Artisan Exchange is a major force in Pennsylvania for artisanal food purveyors. They have a delivery system to 35 Metro Philly Food Stores and are an approved Mid Atlantic Whole Foods Markets Distributor. Artisan Exchange works with some of the very best businesses in the state, and we are thrilled to be supporting those companies as they grow. In addition, Artisan Exchange shares our values of helping entrepreneurs succeed in local communities, and I anticipate we will do great things together.”

Thanx Offers Native Online Ordering

Thanx now offers native online ordering capabilities to restaurant brands. Among the first to implement the new service is PINCHO. Thanx will develop PINCHO’s mobile app to include native ordering and will power their loyalty program to serve as a single tool to effectively communicate with every customer through a targeted approach. Customers will be able to order directly online through the PINCHO app and will have a single account to activate online ordering and loyalty. Through the seamless ordering experience, customers can benefit from personalized offers right at the point of an online purchase.

“With third-party delivery service providers almost ubiquitous, restaurants are challenged to maintain profitability after high commission fees, and to stay competitive restaurants need a strategy to create an owned channel,” said Thanx CEO and Founder, Zach Goldstein. “It’s critical for this channel to represent their brand consistently and create a digital experience that matches the expectations of their customers. Most restaurants lack the resources or expertise to build and maintain a modern mobile application with online ordering. Now restaurants finally have the option to drive additional revenue more efficiently through direct delivery.”

“We are always looking for opportunities to interact better with our customers and through this new offering, we created a sophisticated mobile ordering experience that looks and feels exactly like our brand,” said Jayson Tipp, CEO of PINCHO. “With this implementation, we will offer a more consistent and seamless digital and in-store customer experience. Thanx allows us to fully understand the behavior and preferences of our customers, optimize each communication with them, and reward them for purchasing the food they love.”

When customers place an order, they are added to the customer database so restaurants can see a complete view of customer spending habits across channels. Every customer purchase, whether in-store or online, is made available to the restaurant so they can reward customers for their loyalty, target them with promotions based on past purchases, and offer personalized digital experiences that differentiate them from the competition.

Chefs for Change

In May 2019, five of the world’s best chefs and ambassadors of the Chefs for Change movement, Gaggan Anand,Andoni Luis Aduriz, Luke Dale Roberts and Kyle and Katina Connaughton, are exchanging high-end kitchens for remote fields and fishponds as they travel to eastern Africa and Peru to explore the challenges facing struggling small-scale food producers.

Gaggan Anand, chef at Gaggan, named as No 2 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Andoni Luis Aduriz, chef at Mugaritzin northern Spain, No 9 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, are both heading to Tanzania’s Babati District to meet rice farmers. Luke Dale Roberts, chef at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, South Africa, named as Africa’s top restaurant, is travelling to Kenya’s Kisumu District to meet fish farmers. Husband and wife Kyle and Katina Connaughton ofSingleThread in Healdsburg, USA, winners of the 2018 Miele One to Watch Award, will go to Peru to meet coffee and cocoa farmers. 

The farmers the chefs will meet are taking part in projects run by Farm Africa, an international NGO dedicated to driving agricultural and environmental change in eastern Africa, and TechnoServe, a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty.

The chefs will witness first-hand how poverty, environmental degradation, climate change and lack of access to markets are thwarting the potential of small-scale food producers, but will see how efforts to improve agricultural expertise, manage and preserve ecosystems, and develop links to markets can transform lives across whole communities. 

The chefs will learn about local cuisine and work with local farming families to create dishes using the produce from the projects they visit.

A short film about the chefs’ trips will be shared by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Farm Africa, the official charity of the awards, will work with the chefs to share stories about how the projects they visit are contributing to achieving one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end extreme poverty, hunger, inequality and injustice, and fix climate change by 2030.

Exceeding Charitable Goals

Since announcing their partnership one year ago today, Moët Hennessy USA has exceeded its 2018 goals of helping City Harvest feed families across New York City by 1.25 times. As a result, they will continue their mission of donating both time and resources to assist City Harvest, which is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, throughout 2019. Moët Hennessy is currently the exclusive wine and spirits company to partner with City Harvest in this manner. 

Over the past year, Moët Hennessy USA has been involved in fundraising and volunteered 248 hours, surpassing their 2018 goal in pursuit of feeding New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. The company and its employees helped City Harvest feed nearly 1 million New Yorkers in their year-long partnership by giving time and raising funds.

Last April, in celebration of National Volunteer Week, Moët Hennessy USA employees participated in City Harvest’s Repack on the Road in which they assembled snack packs which were distributed to children in pre-school, Head Start and after school programs. Moët Hennessy employees also donated their time and resources by participating in the Ace Endico Food Rescue, and the New York Produce Show. This year, Moët Hennessy USA will be participating in volunteer work including the Skip Lunch Fight Hunger fundraising campaign at the MHUSA office.

Moët Hennessy was the sponsor for all of City Harvest’s 2018 signature events, including the 35th Anniversary Gala on April 24th at Cipriani 42nd Street, honoring Chrissy Teigen, Robin Hood, Bill and Wendy Mills and José Andrés. The 2018 gala raised enough to help feed more than 17,000 New York City families for a year. This is City Harvest’s largest annual fundraising event, and will be held again this April, in which Moët Hennessy will be the official wine and spirits sponsor. Other events include Summer in the City which raised enough to help feed over 6,000 families for the entire summer and BID which was a record-breaking year for the event, raising enough to feed more than 18,000 New Yorkers in need for an entire year.

To further drive Moët Hennessy’s fundraising efforts, Smoke Tree wines launched a by the glass program at 34 supporting restaurants in New York, where $2 was donated to City Harvest for every bottle of wine sold – helping to feed 8 New Yorkers for a day.

"The Moët Hennessy USA team is so proud to have exceeded our 2018 goals, helping this incredible organization feed families around New York City,” said Jim Clerkin, President and CEO of Moët Hennessy North America. “We know that City Harvest shares our values, along with our commitment to the community and sustainability, and we are thrilled to continue this mission together.”

The City Harvest partnership builds on the work of the Moët Hennessy Philanthropic Committee, charged with supporting national charitable initiatives that tie with the heritage and identity of the brands, while fostering a community spirit within the organization.

With more than 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables, City Harvest’s work to rescue and deliver nutritious food for our neighbors in need remains critical,” said City Harvest CEO Jilly Stephens. “This year, we will rescue and deliver 61 million pounds of food and deliver it to hundreds of community food programs across the city. Our work is possible thanks to the dedicated support of partners like Moët Hennessy USA who step up to ensure that everyone in our city has the food they need to thrive.”

Sustainable Coffee

S&D Coffee & Tea introduced a new line of sustainably sourced coffees as a part of its Raíz Sustainability® sourcing platform. These products are the first 100% sustainably sourced coffees to be produced and branded with both the S&D Coffee & Tea and Raíz branding.

According to Conservation International, 150 percent more coffee is needed by 2050 in order to meet future demand. Raíz Sustainability® is S&D’s direct response to this looming crisis. As a leader within the coffee industry, S&D is committed to building a more sustainable supply chain, while improving resources and quality of life for coffee farmers.

Raíz Reserve coffees are exclusively available as seasonal offerings, guaranteeing peak freshness and quality, as each coffee is harvested by farmers during the ideal season for each particular region. The new varietals include a crisp, medium/light roast with hints of honey from Central America, debuting this month, and a bright, citric and sweet medium roast from South America, which will be introduced in September of 2019 and remain available through the end of the year. These new launches follow the recently released robust Brazilian dark roast.

“We are very proud to be launching our first line of exclusively sustainably sourced coffees from the family of Raíz farmers in three origins,” said Olga L Cuellar-Gomez, head of S&D sustainability efforts. “This launch is a testament to the power and potential of the Raíz Sustainability® platform, and we look forward to continuing our efforts with more 100% sustainably sourced coffee offerings in the years to come.”

Best Pies

With a sea of pies enticing eager judges anticipating their first tasty bites, the sweet smell of success was in the air in Orlando as the best commercial bakers in the nation were named at the 25th Annual APC National Pie Championships in Orlando.

Held April 12 and 13 in Orlando at the Renaissance Orlando SeaWorld Hotel, here amateur, professional and commercial bakers entered their most delicious pies in both sweet and savory flavor categories for bragging rights to be named the nation's best.

In the commercial division, bakeries from across the nation and Canada competed in flavor categories including savory pot pies and sweet flavors ranging from apple, lemon and pumpkin to citrus, fruit and berry, pecan and banana cream to sugar-free and even an open category. The pies were taste-tested by more than 200 judges.

First place was awarded for the best commercial pies in each flavor category, with top honors going to Harlan Bakeries, with 19 blue ribbons, closely followed by Weston Foods, with 18 blue ribbons.

Top pies from Harlan Bakeries, Avon, Ind., included "Bursting from Berries," "Chocolate Maple Sugar Creme," "Honey Crisp Apple," "Cheesecake Pecan Brittle" and "Peachy Keen."

Some of the judges favorites from Weston Foods, Brownsburg, Ind., included "I Only Have (Cherry) Pies for You," "Guittard Chocolate Cherry Pie," "Strawberry Rhubarb Lattice Pie," and "Hold the Sugar Pineapple Pie."In addition to sweet pies, first place ribbons were awarded for three savory pot pies including Southeastern Grocers' "Traditional Premium Chicken Pot Pie" and "Premium Pizza Pot Pie" and World of Pies' "Spinach and Feta Pot Pie."

The list of winning commercial bakers and number of ribbons is listed below. A complete list including each company's list of first place winning pies is available at piecouncil.org. 

• Harlan Bakeries, Avon., Ind. – 19
• Weston Foods,  Brownsburg, Ind. – 18
• Southeastern Grocers, Jacksonville, Fla. – 14
• Rocky Mountain Pies, Salt Lake City, Utah  — 12
• Publix Supermarkets, Lakeland, Fla. – 11
• Jessie Lord Bakery, Torrance, Calif. – 9
• Table Talk Pies, Worcester, Mass. – 8
• Michele's Pies, Norwalk, CT – 5
• Walmart, Inc.,Bentonville, Ark. – 5
• Wick's Pies, Winchester, Ind. – 4
• Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich. – 3
• Something Sweet, New Haven, Conn. – 3
• Sunset Grill, Clearwater, Fla. – 3
• The Rose Plantation, Fruitland Park, Fla. – 3
• Lisa's Pie Shop, Atlanta, Ind. – 2
• Mike's Pies, Tampa, Fla. – 2
• A Fish Called Avalon, South Beach Miami, Fla. – 1
• Wayne's Family Restaurant, Oconto, Wisc. – 1
• World of Pies, LLC, Norcross, Ga. – 1
• Norske Nook, Osseo, Wisc. — 1

"Our commercial bakers represent the best of the best in the pie making industry," said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. "While coming together each year to compete, our family of top commercial pie makers also share ideas that furthers the growth of the pie industry at large. We're proud of our 25 years fostering America's love affair with pie and can't wait to see what our bakers cook up over the next 25 years!"

#DiningMode: Phone’s Off for Mom and Chefs Cycle for a Good Cause posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Let’s Talk Fresh: Food Safety and Produce

There are many things on any restaurant operator’s plate; they are running a multi-faceted business with concerns from overhead, operations, customer satisfaction, sourcing, food safety, and cost of goods. 

Many owners and operators can stabilize all these variables by going with a fresh cut program. The price is fixed and is based on 100 percent usable product, so there is no guessing on price and yield. Product is also cut to the restaurant’s specs and processed so waste is minimized. All of this is done in environments with food safety in mind. 

Fresh Cut Increases Food Safety 

Fresh Cut Facilities Undergo Rigorous Safety Certifications and Audits
The washing and cutting of the product is done in a controlled facility that undergoes daily sanitation, rigorous audits and certifications. 

Reduced Handling means Better Sanitation
From the time produce is on a wash line and bagged, to the time your kitchen staff opens the bag, fresh cut product is not directly touched. You remove the ambiguity of when and where product was handled after whole product leaves the field. 

Reduced Handling means Reduced Chances of Cross-Contamination
The processing lines fresh cut product travel on are dedicated to fresh produce. We know once product is bagged and the integrity of the bag is maintained, there is no cross-contamination going on. This also prevents cross-contamination happening on a cutting surface that may not be dedicated to produce or was not thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. 

Less Risk for Injury
Because product is cut and ready to serve, you take away the potential for injuries happening as a result of chopping product with sharp blades. 

Fresh Cut is all About Consistency 

Year-Round Consistency of Quality
One of the primary benefits a fresh cut program brings to the table is consistency. With fresh cut, you won’t cut into a head of lettuce and discover issues. You receive 100% usable product. 

Year-Round Consistency of Supply
Sometimes grower’s supply is prioritized to commodity programs and the result is inconsistency with some fresh cut programs. Our fresh cut supplier only does fresh cut, so supply is never diverted away to a commodity program and is 100% sourced for their foodservice customers. 

Consistency in Product across Supply Chain
The consistency in a fresh cut product is seen throughout the supply chain. All product goes through the same standardized production and controls time and time again. As soon as product is bagged, customers know what they are getting, how much they are getting, when it was cut, how long it will last, and the level of quality to expect. 

More Stability with Fixed Pricing
Fresh cut programs provide fixed pricing, which takes you out of a fluctuating commodity market. We find that stability positively impacts the bottom line in restaurant operations. 

Consistency in Front of Customer
Because cutting fresh product is done in a processing facility, product will not deviate from the cut that is specified for the order. For restaurants with multiple locations across a large geographic area, this ensures product will always be the same cut, without the variation that comes from multiple teams cutting to spec. 

Fresh Cut Increases Operational Efficiency 

Fresh cut has Guaranteed Case Weights
When you are receiving a fresh cut product with 100 percent yield, you know how much you are getting regardless of the variables that impact bulk produce throughout the year. This makes planning your purchase easier and helps with efficient use of product with less waste. 

Predictable/Accurate Number of Portions 

Knowing there is little variance to the product you’re receiving, the number of portions you can use per bag is much more accurate and predictable. 

Clearly marked manufacturing dates to help control rotation and quality
Not only do you know how much product you are receiving with fresh cut, but you know its shelf life. Combined with proper rotation of product, you are able to boost efficiency in use of a fresh product all the while reducing food waste with spoiled product. 

Easier to Inspect When Receiving and Prior to Use
Because all of the usable product is visible with fresh cut items, it is easier to inspect quality when receiving or prior to use. Again, there is no guessing what you’ll find when you cut into whole product. 

Increased Product Uniformity and Plate Presentations
For restaurant chains, fresh cut ensures uniformity in cut and presentation of product across a large geographic area, because it is cut to your spec before it arrives in store. 

Fresh Cut is Sustainable 

Reduced Disposal/Waste Cost
A big topic in the industry is waste, and what do you do with the unusable portions after chopping whole product? The processor handles the unused portions and disposes of it responsibly. Some producers send unused vegetable portions to compost and some convert the waste into energy used in the facility. 

Efficient Operations
We know fresh cut saves time, but there are many areas where fresh cut producers are always looking to be efficient with resources. Water is used in a reverse cascade so spent water is part of the preliminary rise of product and the final rinse is the cleanest water. 

Smaller Shipments, Smaller Environmental Impact
Because only usable portions are packaged, you are maximizing the amount of product that can go on a pallet. This maximizes the truck loads that are transporting the product, and with that efficiency, there’s a reduction of carbon emissions and fuel consumption from the trucks. Maximizing loads also helps offset rising shipping costs. 

Fresh Cut Helps Stabilize Costs 

Easier to Plan Budget and Supply
Because there is more consistency with a fresh cut program, variables like product yield, case weight, and pricing, that take time to account for, are now consistent metrics. 

100 Percent Yield
There is no waste with fresh cut because it has already been removed and you only receive usable product. Your yield will always be 100%. 

Increased Shelf-Life/Quality
The key to long shelf life is by cooling the product as quickly as possible after harvest. Items that are going to be processed are taken to the facility within hours and cooled. The markings on the package tell you exactly when it was processed, so you are never guessing on shelf life. This results in product that has ample shelf life compared to the unknown variables you may find with whole product. 

Reduced Disposal/Waste Cost
There are costs involved with disposal of unused product that is factored into operation costs. Part of fresh cut processing is disposal that is environmentally friendly, with the costs absorbed by the facility and not your restaurant. 

Less Product, Less Chilling
Fresh cut produce takes up less space allowing more room in the cooler and efficient use of space and energy. Why take up valuable space with a bulkier item that is not 100% usable when fresh cut saves space and energy? 

Fresh Cut Helps with Labor Concerns 

Good Help is Hard to Find
With unemployment at a low, finding reliable labor for entry level or minimum wage positions is becoming harder. Fresh cut product helps remove some of the labor of preparing fresh items. 

Labor Rates are Climbing
At the same time, labor rates are climbing, and you don’t want to overwhelm customers with higher prices. Fresh cut not only removes some prep work, but as we mentioned before, this is one way to bring stability to planning, budget, and operations which ultimately saves money. 

Reduced Labor from Less Prep Time
The time spent on labor is reduced when you reduce the amount of labor going on in your kitchens. Fresh cut is an easy first step to making your prep time lean and efficient. 

Less Equipment and Space is Required in the Kitchen
You can spend less on equipment, counter, and storage space when product is ready to use vs. a bulky whole product that requires space and time to prep. 

Reduced Personnel Training 

Another cost is training, and when the product is not needing to be cut by kitchen staff, there is less need to train staff on cutting fresh product. 

Reduces Chances of Injury
One great benefit of fresh cut is that you can reduce the chances of injury from knives or from lifting a large amount of heavy boxes. Mitigating injury also decreases money spent on workman’s comp. 

Let’s Talk Fresh: Food Safety and Produce posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

The Connected Restaurant: How Commercial Kitchen Manufacturers and Restaurant Managers Can Successfully Implement The Internet of Things

Don’t Lose Easy Money: The Quick Way to Make Sure You’re Mobile Friendly and Maximize Restaurant Sales

Did you know 70 percent of internet traffic comes from mobile devices?  It’s critical your website is optimized for mobile to maximize restaurant sales.

Follow this quick and simple guide to check if you’re mobile friendly and make sure easy revenue isn’t slipping through your fingers. Are you sure that your website is mobile friendly to meet the demands of the majority of your customers? It might surprise you how often restaurant websites don’t cut the mustard for mobile users. 

Bottom line, if you’re not mobile friendly, you’re losing money.

In fact, restaurant marketing experts Placepull say “Many of our restaurant owning customers are often shocked to find out that thousands of potential customers turned away from their website because they couldn’t easily read it on mobile. If you want to make sure you’re maximizing restaurant revenue opportunities, this should absolutely be the first thing you take care of.”

Bottom line, if you’re not mobile friendly, you’re losing money. Get started here today and make sure you’re doing all you can to increase restaurant sales. 

Ask Google to Check Your Website

Google has a great tool they’ve called their Mobile-Friendly Test. Simply enter your website address and click “Test URL."  In just a few moments it’ll analyze your website and determine whether it’s optimized for mobile users.  You’ll either pass or fail and understand the results to be on track for increasing your restaurant sales. 

Good – You Passed

Congratulations, your website is easily accessible to the 75 percent of people who look up restaurants on their mobile (according to Restaurant SMS Marketing). You might want to check some other pages from your website to be sure, but in general, just your homepage should be enough for Google to figure out if you’re mobile friendly.

You are now free to focus on other things knowing your website is doing everything to maximize your restaurant revenue. 

Not So Good – You Failed

Don’t feel too bad, according to Food Tech Connect, the vast majority of independent restaurants do not have mobile optimized websites. It’ll be the case especially if your website is more than a few years old. Luckily the fixes are usually pretty simple:

• Making the text bigger and more readable
• Having buttons that can be easily touched on the screen
• Making sure the content stays within the screen width
• Ensuring your website recognizes the searcher is coming from a mobile device
• Making sure the links aren’t too small or close together

In any case, Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test should walk you through what needs to be improved. In rare cases you might need to contact your website developer. Even so, it should still be quite straightforward, and well worth it in the long run to ensure you’re maximizing your restaurant revenue. 

This is a super simple and very quick way to make sure you’re getting every customer you can to check out your website and menu. Jump onto Google’s tool and see how your website stacks up. If you pass, you can rest assured you’re getting all the customers possible through your website. If you fail, you can easily fix the problems to ensure you are on track to maximize your restaurant revenue ASAP. 

Don’t Lose Easy Money: The Quick Way to Make Sure You’re Mobile Friendly and Maximize Restaurant Sales posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com