I was privileged to sit down with Wes Aiken from @Schedulefly. The people at Schedulefly are doing amazing things for the restaurant industry. I cannot thank Wes enough for taking time from his busy schedule.
This is a must read for restaurant owners! Enough of me yapping, lets get to the interview:
It’s no secret, chain restaurants are ultra successful business models. They work. They work extremely well. Have you ever asked why?
Look, we are not promoting large corporate chains. We love local restaurants and bars! Helping every local restaurant in this country is our goal. That doesn’t mean we can’t analyze chain restaurants and learn from them.
In 1955, Ray Kroc started a little chain hamburger joint called McDonald’s…maybe you heard of them? McDonald’s was an instant classic. You can read their story here.
The success of McDonald’s did not happen overnight. Two brothers wanted to streamline their small hamburger stand for efficiency. They started drawing out the flow of their kitchen on a tennis court. Everything was strategically placed to maximize efficiency and consistency. Then they took it a step farther. They developed an in-depth how-to manual that someone in high school could follow. Viola, fast food is born!
Here are 5 strategies independent restaurants can learn from McDonald’s:
Where is the one place every guest visits? If you think it’s the bar, think again. We are all human, we all use the bathroom. Are you utilizing this super secret advertising spot?
Think about it. Your restaurant is a busy atmosphere. People are preoccupied with food, friends, and drinks. They rarely pay attention to advertisements for upcoming events. Bars are notorious for restroom advertisements. Beer/Liquor labels usually provide them with free promotions.
So how does a fine dining restaurant adopt this strategy without looking too much like a bar? Here are 4 simple tips to using bathroom advertising:
I love talking with restaurant owners through social media. Over this past year, I discovered the 2 deepest secrets that most restaurant owners fear:
1. Keeping staff motivated, consistent, and happy.
2. Getting or maintaining a repeat customer base.
We can view this from 2 different business viewpoints: Operations and Marketing. Here are 2 quick tips to kiss these fears goodbye, forever.
My name is Phil Novara, owner of UrbanBacon. Consider this our internet handshake:)
I originally wanted to jump into social media and restaurants, but decided against it. A background story is more appropriate for our first post:
Who am I?
Imagine a small boy with dreams of becoming a famous chef. That’s me. Helping my mother create home-style dishes everyday, constantly wanting to help.
At 15 I started washing dishes. Late hours scrubbing and scrubbing for maybe $5.15/hr. Not the most glamorous job, but I was in the kitchen.
From there I’ve rocked fine dining, wineries, and even pizza delivery. Hell, I even slummed it at Ruby Tuesday (nothing wrong with that:)!
