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June 2011 |
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Gift Cards
If your restaurant offers gift cards, do you conform to the rules on gift cards that went into effect in August, 2010?
The new rules require gift cards to be valid for at least five years. In many instances, you must also now honor expired gift cards. There are also new revenue reporting guidelines.
For more information about tax issues regarding gift cards, click here.
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ONLINE VISIBILITY |
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Just Google It
How visible is your restaurant? We don't mean how big the sign outside is. We mean can customers or potential customers find you on the Internet?
According to recent studies, 97% of people use the online media for local shopping. When people are looking for a new place to eat, most of them use Google. Where does your restaurant rank when [Italian or other cuisine or type] Restaurant in [Your City] is searched? Ideally, you want to be in the top 7 choices listed. If you are not near the top, there are many things you can do to improve your ranking.
Click here to find out how to maximize your visibility on Google. | |
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MOBILE POS |
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MICROS Offers Food Truck Technology Solution
One of the hottest trends in the restaurant industry is food trucks. They are literally offering innovative and delicious cuisine on the streets of cities across America.
In fact, Mobi Munch, a Los Angeles-based company that was the first to offer a turnkey mobile option at last year's NRA Show, showed their offering at this year's NRA Show with various technology upgrades, including a MICROS POS System, MICROS Digital Menu System, and MICROS Kitchen Display System, all tailored to the specific needs of the mobile truck operator.
For a look inside the Mobi Munch truck, watch a Mobi Munch Video | |
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FEEDBACK PLEASE! |
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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!
The world has gone mobile whether we like it or not.
Do you know anyone who doesn't have a cell phone? Guess what? The cell phone is going away and it's been replaced by the smartphone. In the not too distant future, all phones will be smartphones with touch screens capable of running "apps". For those who are not familiar with the term, "apps" are very friendly, easy to use programs (applications), and certain apps will change the way we communicate, market, and serve our restaurant customers.
The number of smartphones currently used in the US is staggering. There are now over 75 million users nationwide today. Each quarter, another five million new US smartphone users join the ranks.
What does this mean for you? The smartphone, along with new apps, can change your business, increase your revenue, turn your tables faster, and keep your restaurant competitive.
We can educate you and help you understand the advantages of smartphone technology and how it relates to your business. We can recommend a mobile strategy with proven benefits for your operation. With our expertise, coupled with a wide array of MICROS mobile solutions, we can demonstrate how your restaurant can achieve top-line results and bottom-line savings.
Call us from your smartphone, cell phone, office phone, or pay phone (remember those?)--but do it soon! You don't want to miss the opportunity to "connect" to your customers with what's already in their pocket.
Sincerely,
Steve
Steve Kramer
DCRS Solutions
dcrsnews@dcrs.com
314-739-6666
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Traffic Is Up, Check Averages Are Down
 According the latest NRN survey, guest counts are up while spending is down. The April 2011 numbers for cover counts were up 2.7% compared the same period last year, but down slightly from the previous month. The average check, however, was down, as consumers focused on "value-specific" entrée purchases. The survey also indicated less spending on appetizers and beverages.
Most of the decrease is attributed to certain inflationary issues, especially the rise in gas prices. Operators also reported concerns about commodity pricing and overall margin pressures.
With customer counts heading in a positive direction, operators are in a much better position to improve overall sales by "coaching" their staff on how to up-sell, creating incentives for customers as well as staff, and using their point-of-sale system to track results.
To learn more about the NRN Survey, click here. |
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MICROS Unveils Mobile Solutions at NRA Show
New Tools Designed to Increase Restaurant Sales
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MICROS Systems, Inc. has announced a stunning suite of new solutions that were developed to enhance the guest experience, improve revenue, and reduce costs. New and existing MICROS users will be able to take advantage of mobile technology...some are available right now, and some in the very near future.
- Mobile Payment with Tabbedout - Customers can now use the iPhone or Android phone to conveniently and securely pay their check while restaurants can leverage social media by directly marketing their restaurant to Tabbedout users. The Tabbedout Mobile Payment solution can integrate directly TODAY with the latest version of MICROS RES 3700 POS system, and will soon be available with an upcoming verson of the MICROS e7 system.
- MICROS mymenu - This application will enable customers to order and pay from an iPad at the table. It creates cross-selling opportunities and up selling opportunities while educating customers with rich digital content.
To learn more about the above two MICROS Mobile Solutions, click here.
Other solutions coming soon include the following:
- MICROS iPad Ordering App - This tool, initially developed for the MICROS RES 3700 system, will enable restaurant staff to take orders on an iPad, to improve table turns and increase customer spend.
- Mobile mymicros.net - Management staff working at restaurants subscribed to mymicros will soon be able to have a smartphone app that will enable them to view the comprehensive real-time reporting of mymicros remotely from their phones. Alerts, graphs, and up to the minute information will be displayed instantly on their phones.
- iCard Mobile Wallet - This MICROS solution will eliminate credit cards altogether, and will enable consumers to pay securely with their phones.
To find out which MICROS offerings will enable your restaurant to take the most advantage of the ever-changing mobile revolution, contact us.
Matt Kramer
Matt Patterson
Justin Wells
DCRS Solutions
dcrsnews@dcrs.com
314-739-6666 or 800-231-0166
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The Outlook is Sunny for Restaurants
 A restaurant securities analyst recently researched the state of the restaurant industry and concluded that despite rising food and fuel costs, things are looking up overall.
For one thing, restaurant traffic is increasing. The idea of people eating out less is not the case. Secondly, social media is the newest and most effective marketing tool to increase business and to keep in front of customers.
Additionally, many restaurant chains are currently expanding rapidly, especially those that offer a higher quality product, even in the quick service segment. And while food costs rise, menu prices don't necessarily have to follow. Restaurant owners are finding ways to cut costs and save money before increasing prices.
Finally, with the economy slowly on the rise, people are more apt to spend money on dining. That's the bottom line, and it's what every restaurateur wants to hear in the news. And ultimately, they want to see customers spending money at their own establishments. |
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