FINE TUNE
YOUR OPERATIONS TO MAINTAIN VALUE IN TODAY’S ECONOMY
Today’s economy requires that
operators maintain all the basics that have been
discussed in the last Restaurant Rap issue which
include a) serving quality food and beverages, b)
providing good service, c) maintaining a clean
environment and keeping all of the equipment well
maintained and d) providing a strong price/value
experience to the customer. In addition to these
items it is important to put in place the following
practices: 1) keep employees motivated, 2) control
food and labor costs, 3) show your appreciation to
customers, and 4) maintain consistency in all the
sensitive aspects of the operation including portion
size, cleanliness and service standards.
1.
Keep your employees motivated.
During challenging economic periods it is not
uncommon for businesses to have a downward trend in
sales and to keep employees motivated it is helpful
to implement sales incentive programs which all
employees participate in. Such programs can
consist of sales contests such as increasing guest
check averages by shift from prior comparable
periods or selling the most add on sales items such
as desserts, beverages and side orders, etc to
increase guest check averages. Awards can include
either cash, gift certificates or letting the
winners choose gifts from a gift catalogue.
2.
Control food and labor costs.
With sales decreasing and costs increasing it is
easy to get these two most important cost categories
out of control. Intensify your systems in
maintaining portion control, receiving and storage
procedures and cash handling systems. Control your
labor cost by reviewing labor costs hourly and
adjusting schedules as necessary without
compromising the proper level of service the
customer deserves.
3.
Show your appreciation to customers.
Such practices as offering daily specials to give
customers variety and offering bounce back coupons
for free desserts or side orders for their next
visit to the business will be appreciated by them.
Also making sure that all employees regularly greet
customers, thank them and encourage them to come
back again will enhance their dining experience and
increase the chances that they’ll come back again.
4.
Maintain consistency in all the
sensitive aspects of the operation.
The things the customers remember most about their
dining experience is the portion size, the quality
of the service, the cleanliness of the operation and
the hours of the operation. Customers are concerned
about the reliability of the operation and all of
the above mentioned items help make up their mind as
to whether or not they’ll return to your business.
By implementing all of the above
practices your chances of increasing sales levels,
maintaining costs and having repeat customers will
be enhanced.
If you are thinking about selling your
business please consider using Restaurant Realty
Company as we have a very comprehensive marketing
program
which has resulted in a
close rate that is almost three times the national
average and
sales of over 600
restaurant, bar and nightclub businesses since 1996.
Olivier Azancot & Eric Klein - Kings
of Belden Place
Olivier Azancot
and Eric Klein are partners who know how to bring a
taste of Europe to San Francisco. They are long
time friends who met in France while they were in a
hotel and restaurant program at Ecole Hotelieure.
There they learned the refinements of both back of
the house and the front of the house of
restaurants.
After they graduated, they made their way to San
Francisco. Olivier and Eric worked around town
before they pooled their talents and opened Café
Bastille in 1990 on Belden Place–at the time an
alley dotted by garbage cans and today a popular
site in San Francisco that feels like the “European
Outdoor Dining Experience.” Café Bastille was so
successful that it was followed in 1996 by
Plouf which
specializes in French seafood fare, B44 in 1999
which is a Catalan Bistro with tantalizing tapas and
famous paellas and Voda
in 2004 which is a vodka bar that morphs into an
entertainment music venue to be enjoyed by its
sophisticated patrons. The Belden Place neighborhood
has benefitted from these distinct locations each
with a different twist on Continental Cuisine.
Olivier and Eric have branched out from Belden Place
to other sites and concepts around San Francisco.
Garcon founded in 2003 in the Mission District of
the city brings another accessible eatery to the
area with Parisian Bistro food.
Chouchou in the
Forest Hill neighborhood of San Francisco also
serves traditional French Bistro food in a relaxed
atmosphere. Their newest addition of Bonbon
Patisserie which Restaurant Realty assisted in
selling them a few months ago is in the heart of
downtown San Francisco and offers traditional French
Patisserie favorites including pastries, cakes, and
tarts.
Olivier focuses his efforts on the front of the
house concerns and public relations while Eric
focuses on the back of the house and administrative
aspects of their business. Both are talented and
well respected restaurant experts who have worked
with Restaurant Realty. We wish them continued
success on future endeavors.
