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December 2010
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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Groupon or Coupon?
The Pros and Cons
Somebody must think Groupon is a great idea since Google offered the company over $5 billion,
but is it good for YOUR restaurant?
Designed properly, a Groupon campaign can bring in a lot of first time guests, who may never have heard or visited your restaurant. Campaigns have actually put certain restaurants on the map.
The flip side is the cost of a campaign, whether it is Groupon or a copycat competitor. Most likely you will need to offer a 50% off coupon, leaving you 50% to split with Groupon. This leaves your restaurant with only 25% of every dollar. Each redeemed coupon creates a losing proposition and sometimes these coupon holders don't tip well, don't come back, etc. If you are going to try Groupon or any other service, plan properly. Launch campaigns on a slow day, or during slow hours.
Make sure servers are trained to sign new customers up for your newsletter or loyalty program. Consider programming an auto gratuity into your POS system, and of course, track the activity associated with a coupon meal. With each coupon customer creating "red ink", you need to make sure the long term benefits of repeat business are fulfilled. Read more about Groupon for restaurants and contact us before you implement a campaign, to make sure you are leveraging your technology effectively to make the coupon transaction as valuable as possible. |
| STREET NEWS |
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Fast Food Spending Increases Among Wealthy
According to an American Express study, fast food purchases by the "ultra-affluent" have increased by 24% in 2010, over the same period last year.
For the rest of US consumers, the increase in fast food purchases was up only 8%. Through July 2010, visits to fast food restaurants fell 2%, compared to drops of 3% and 8% for mid-price and fine restaurants respectively, according to NPD Group, Inc.
The recession has changed the buying habits of all groups, according to the Wall Street Journal article,
While spending is increasing on luxury items, rich consumers seem to feel saving on a meal is a way of feeling "frugal".
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| TECH NEWS |
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California Health Department
Using QR Codes for Reports
Kern County officials in California have developed a smart phone "app" and system using QR codes to help consumers "look up"
inspection reports of restaurants.
County regulators started printing a small, square QR code on all of the letter grade cards posted in the front windows of local restaurants. Using the phone's camera with free software that recognizes QR codes, consumers can view the entire report.
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| What Interests You? |
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Like Our Ideas or Want to Share Some?
The Z Report is looking for comments, ideas and suggestions about how we can help YOU, our customer, better utilize your technology.
Please contact us as often as you would like at:
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Greetings!
Happy Holidays to all of our customers and staff.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS and want to say "THANK YOU".
It has been a challenging year, but America's appetite for eating out
again is back! "Consumers are returning to their old habits and
restaurant business is up in all sectors, from fast food to casual
to tablecloth", according to Ron Paul, president of Technomic,
the industry's leading research firm.
While we know this isn't true across the board in every restaurant,
the signs are encouraging. Many consumers have adjusted to the
change in the economy, are feeling more optimistic, and starting
to see the federal government taking steps to keep things headed
in the right direction.
Our job is still to help you do yours. We offer new technology and
programs that can help you to manage your business more efficiently
and increase sales. Many of our latest innovations can be added to
your existing system. Regardless of whether you want to increase
revenue, improve security, or simply manage costs, our staff is here to
help you, your staff, and your restaurant.
We can help make 2011 a great year for your business. Call us today
to find out how.
Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!
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Restaurant Performance Reaches
Three Year High
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 The NRA Restaurant Performance Index (RPI)
rose in October to its highest level since
September, 2007. Driven by same-store sales
and customer traffic levels, the RPI has been
on the rise with the outlook looking significantly
better in the next six months.
In October, 2010, over 51% of the restaurants were reporting increased sales from a year ago, while less than 33% reported a decline. Both indicators showed a substantial improvement with only 44% reporting better sales in September.
More importantly, the Expectation Index, which measures restaurant operator's six-month outlook, stood at its strongest level in many months. This index measures four indicators, including same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions.
Restaurants also indicated that their hiring and capital investment outlook for equipment, expansion, and remodels remained "solid", with revenues expecting to grow.
Learn More About This Report |
Top Trends for 2011
NRA Survey Offers Unique Insights
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 The "What's Hot in 2011" survey is out and 1527 chefs were polled on-line to find out their thoughts about
next year's top trends. At the top of the list for food
trends were "hyper-local" sourcing of food items, healthy kid's meals, sustainable seafood, and gluten-free or food-allergy conscious menu items, along with smaller portions for a smaller price.
On the drink menus, items like micro-distilled spirits topped the list, locally produced beer and wine, culinary cocktails, and food-beer pairings were the fresh ideas for 2011. In the non-alcoholic category, specialty iced-teas topped the list. From an operational perspective, mobile food-trucks and pop-up restaurants will be the hottest trends. Third on the list were restaurants with gardens, which match up with the trend of more fresh produce options on menus. Throughout the survey, there are many references to healthier menu options and ideas that support diet-conscious diners. Chefs also indicated that 55% were currently using social media for professional purposes, with another 18% planning to do so. When asked about their most successful marketing strategy during the recession, the top responses were offering value specials, increased marketing efforts like social media, and simplifying menus--but with more portion size offerings. All of the trends seem to indicate that technology, especially in tracking marketing efforts, would be useful in supporting these new initiatives, including electronic, iPad, and smart phone applications for menus and wine lists. Download the What's Hot Survey |
Seattle Hit With Credit Card Breach
Security Issues Still a Huge Problem
 Federal authorities now say a recent Seattle cyber attack was a much bigger crime than first believed, reports Linda McGlasson, editor for BankInfoSecurity.com. A U. S. Secret Service agent says more than 1,000 credit and debit cards may have been compromised in the attack.
The attack happened in late October, and the forensic trail leads overseas, officials say. Card data was stolen on Oct. 22 in a one-day attack, by what authorities say for now was one hacker. The overseas hacker, who was able to access the network through the POS system, appears to have been able to leapfrog from the restaurant's access during the transaction process, to a critical computer server where account information was available.
The scheme appears to involve the sale or distribution of the stolen account information to numerous individuals across the country, as well as in foreign countries. Those individuals then used the information to make purchases against the consumer's accounts. Authorities early in the investigation speculated that an organized crime group was involved.
Contact us to help insure your restaurant is doing everything possible to protect the security and integrity of your customer's credit card data.
Click To Contact DCRS Solutions |
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MICROS Provides New Service
Updated Security Alerts Now Available
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MICROS has announced an added service for MICROS customers! You can now visit the information security section of the MICROS web site and sign up to receive automated emails each time MICROS releases a security related update for one of its products. In addition to these Security Enhancements for MICROS products, MICROS will also use this vehicle to distribute Alerts pertaining to Operating System Security Updates .
If you have concerns about your system security, contact the DCRS team: Matt Kramer, Matt Patterson, Justin Wells 314-739-6666 Click To Contact DCRS Solutions |
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