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 Missing the 'Sweet Spot'?
Operators may be charging more than value-conscious diners want to pay
Restaurant consumers are paying more for their meals these days but are less satisfied with the value they are receiving, according to new research from The NPD Group.
Operators who offer and promote meals in consumers' "sweet spots" - the price ranges they perceive as offering the greatest bang for the buck - stand to increase traffic in today's still-weakened economy, NPD officials said.
However, many restaurateurs who for various reasons have been forced to raise their menu prices over the past several years may be pricing themselves out of the value equation, the research firm said.
"I don't think [operators] are delivering on consumers' expectations at their price point," said NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs. "[Consumers] are not happy about it and not visiting as often."
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 Not Documented? It Didn't Happen
You may be a food safety whiz, but you could find yourself in trouble if you're not documenting your actions
For those who are responsible for regulating foodservice operations, documentation is everything. Quite simply, if it's not documented, it didn't happen. Allow me to illustrate: Your kitchen manager has cooked several trays of chicken breasts and placed them on a speed rack in the walk-in cooler to be cooled to 41°F within the proper two-hour period (from 135°F to 70°F) and within a total of six hours (135°F to 41°F or less).
Two hours after the chicken breasts have been placed in the walk-in cooler a health department inspector arrives at the restaurant for a routine, unannounced inspection. He walks into the cooler, takes the temperature of the chicken and finds it to be 70°F. The inspector asks your kitchen manager when the chicken was placed in the walk-in and he proudly tells the inspector two hours ago. The kitchen manager is pleased because he knows potentially hazardous food should be cooled within two hours and he is right on the money. However, the inspector then asks for the documentation that will confirm the kitchen manager's statement. There is none.
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 The Growth of Your Restaurant Business
As a company we are often asked, "What is the best way to grow my business?" The answer to this question will cover three distinct, different growth patterns.
Corporate Growth Expansion
This generally entails owners or founders finding additional locations for their concept, investing the capital needed to open a new store, managing the construction and development of the new store, and running the day-to-day operations and management of the store. Under this scenario, founders, owners and partners are usually liable for all leases and investment dollars needed to open these additional units. Depending on how many units the company wants to open, these items will need to be considered; oversight and management of the new locations, ability to acquire capital and how many units can be done under this scenario before a company either can't manage the growth or attain new capital. >DOWNLOAD FULL STORY |
 GRA and Philips Shine Light on New Legislation and LEDs
Did you know that LED bulbs save restaurants up to 83% on lighting, don't use any mercury, and can last for years? For these groundbreaking environmental merits, the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) has recently endorsed 39 LED products from Philips Lighting, including their Award Winning LED Bulb, which received the $10 million L Prize® from the U.S. Department of Energy. By using Philips LED bulbs, restaurants can expect high-quality, cost-effective lighting, earn 18 GreenPoints™ towards their Certification, and stay ahead of recently updated legislation.
New laws under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) have forced changes to the minimum efficiency standards of lighting options across the country. As of July 2012, over half of halogen PARs have been banned.
>DOWNLOAD FULL STORY
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At Sysco iCare, we've done our homework, so you don't have to. iCare partners are Sysco approved and uphold the highest service levels, quality standards and performance guarantees of anyone in the industry.
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