Large Header




Pizza Insight
CEO Project

Sure-Fire Staff Selection System
Contact Us
EFFORTLESS, INC.
PO Box 280
Gig Harbor, WA 98335 USA
(800) 767-1055
(253) 858-9255
Quick Links
 EHC #565
 Insights for the Professionally Curious
 November 28, 2008
One of my more difficult weekly tasks is to decide what information I am going to leave OUT of the Complimentary Edition of the EHC. It's not that I don't love you all, just that the folks who are paying for my weekly rants deserve to get their money's worth ... even if that money only averages out to 75 cents an issue. So I apologize for the necessary surgery ... and hope you may eventually decide your business is worth another forty bucks a year!
Good Morning!

For my colleagues in the US, yesterday was Thanksgiving Day, a time when -- in addition to stuffing ourselves with turkey and other traditional fare -- we pause to give thanks for the blessings of the year. In light of the current economic climate, this seems like a strange time to give thanks, but without minimizing the pain and uncertainty that many are feeling right now, we still have a lot to be thankful for.

We should be grateful to live in countries where freedom is not just an empty dream. You have only to hear stories of life in Afghanistan under the Taliban to realize how good we've got it. Don't ever take it for granted.

We should be grateful to work in an industry that is such an exceptional vehicle for self-expression. What a blessing to make a living by "making people's day" with the gift of hospitality and caring.

We should be grateful for those who work for us. In the day-to-day struggles of management, don't lose sight of their innocence and heroism. In the end, we will have been responsible for what a good portion of their life was all about, truly a humbling responsibility.

We should be grateful for families. Richard Bach once said, "The tie that binds your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each others' lives. Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof."

Thank you for being family. Happy Thanksgiving.

Bill Marvin
The Restaurant Doctor
Large Header 'Tis The Season
Make Hay While The Sun Shines

 Your place is likely to be filled with groups of celebrants for the next couple of weeks. Have you adjusted your menu to take advantage of that?

Price is not a primary issue when people are celebrating, so why not add a few higher margin appetizers to the mix? Put together some sampler platters of munchies for groups to share. Have some fun with it, charge what the traffic will bear and make hay while the sun shines.

This might also be a good opportunity to lay in some good champagne and promote that to your parties. Take advantage of the "... oh, why not?" spirit of the holidays. Is this being mercenary? Of course, but people are looking for a reason to forget their immediate troubles. They will want to let loose and splurge a little and your job is to help them do it. If you make a buck in the process ... well, that's capitalism for you!

If your conscience bothers you about any of this, you are probably in the wrong business ... but you can always make a charitable contribution with some of the windfall!

Becoming A Place of Hospitality™
Rethinking Restaurants

Past the human dimension, we have identified six functional areas of concern that must be in balance to create a memorable dining experience and create A Place of Hospitality. In previous issues, I outlined my thoughts about Fiscal Fitness, Enlightened Leadership, an All-Star Staff and Seamless Service. The list continues.

5. Culinary Commitment
It would certainly be inhospitable to invite guests into your home and give them a bad meal - we are, after all, in the restaurant business - so an essential part of market differentiation and world class hospitality must be the care and consciousness evidenced in the food operation.

A Place of Hospitality will address menu design and development, cleanliness and sanitation, kitchen operations, plate presentation, safety, inventory control, and professional development. Because kitchen crews are increasingly young and multi-national, training will be offered in several languages and formats. This could include videos on iPod, a competitive online video game to teach sanitation, ESL courses for those whose first language is not English (or SSL courses for those who do not speak Spanish!)

The consistent delivery of hospitality comes from an effective and appropriate service program addressing elements such as service sequence, standards, catering, takeout, sanitation, bar operations, inventory control, coaching and professional development - in short, all the processes, procedures and personal skills involved in guest-contact positions.

(more next week)
Last Chance For The November Survey
Surviving The Downturn

Most areas of the country are feeling the pinch of the down economy and many restaurants are seeing a major reduction in their usual sales volume. One response is to cut costs -- and you should certainly stop any bleeding -- but there is no way to save your way to prosperity.

Necessity is the mother of invention and tough times will surely bring necessity to the fore. This month we want to collect the approaches that operators are using to hold their own ... and hopefully steal market share from less creative competitors.

As usual, I will send copies of the survey results to everyone who participates. In the meantime, you can download copies of all past EHC surveys -- including the massive WOW Ideas collections.

Click here to add your thoughts to this month's survey.

Here's What You're Passing Up To Save 75 Cents!
In This Week's EHC Special Edition ...

  • The Loneliest Number - what number must you identify (and eliminate) everywhere it shows up in your business?
  • The Red Envelope - the one promotion you absolutely, positively must run in December
  • What Did You Learn From Your Staff Today? - how one restaurateur discovered resources he never knew he had
  • Special Offers on Management Resources - while I am still in that business
Solve the problem of what to talk about in your next staff meeting. Upgrade to the EHC Special Edition and get it all!
Copyright ©2008 William Marvin. All rights reserved.

This e-mail is sent by William Marvin, Effortless, Inc., PO Box 280, Gig Harbor, WA 98335 USA, e-mail:bill@restaurantdoctor.com, website at www.restaurantdoctor.com. Past editions of EHC are archived on the website.

The Electronic House Call is sent only to subscribers who have requested it. If a copy of this was forwarded to you by a friend and you would like to receive it directly, you can subscribe on the website. You can take your name off the subscription list by clicking on the "SafeUnsubscribe" link at the bottom of the page. You can update your e-mail address, name, spelling and interest categories by clicking on the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of the page.

Copyright Notice: The EHC may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and individual copies of a particular EHC e-mail transcript may be printed, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose.

Material from EHC may NOT be reproduced on the World Wide Web or in broadcast media, print media, or other media without express written permission. Please contact Effortless, Inc. at 253-858-9255 or bill@restaurantdoctor.com to submit a request. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of EHC material must set forth the following credit line, in full, at the conclusion of the portion of EHC that is used: "Copyright ©2007 William Marvin. Reprinted with permission." William Marvin and Effortless, Inc. may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any time.

Privacy Statement: The e-mail addresses that make up the EHC distribution list are confidential; Effortless, Inc. does not furnish these addresses to any other entity in any form or for any purpose. Effortless, Inc. directly distributes the EHC only to users who have subscribed either by e-mail, or via our home page. Once you remove your address from the distribution list, no record of your address remains in the database. Addresses that are returned three times as undeliverable will be dropped from the list.