Business
Builders

Smart Ways to Use Point-of-Sale to Sell More Desserts

Doing Lunch a Little Differently:
Grow Your Lunch Business by Targeting Customer Segments

The other day I went to a restaurant in town to have lunch with the owner, an old friend of mine. We get together every month or so to discuss business and shoot the bull. As fellow business owners, it helps to brainstorm together as well as having a friend hold you accountable to focus on new ways to do business. While we were waiting for our drinks to come, I asked, “Don, I have a question for you. How has your lunch business changed over the past few years?” “What do you mean, changed?” he said. “If you mean ‘Am I making as much money during lunchtime as I did two years ago?’ the answer is no. If you mean ‘Has my clientele changed from what it was when you and I were a lot younger?’ the answer is yes.”

“Why do you think you are making less money the past couple of years and how has your clientele changed?” Don replied, “Everyone knows why we are making less money. Costs have gone up. The government has changed the tax laws so lunches are no longer totally deductible and it’s the slowing economy, more office workers are bringing their lunches from home because they don’t want to spend the money. Two out of the three things I can’t change, but I’m working on the other one.”

Be Food Safe in September:
National Food Safety Education Month

September is National Food Safety Education Month. It’s the perfect time to reinforce safe food handling practices and how each person can make a difference! This year’s theme, “Take Action to Prevent an Allergic Reaction,” focuses on the importance of reducing the incidence of food allergy reactions in your operation. The National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s International Food Safety Council has created a Training and Promotion Guide with suggested weekly activities to help you participate in this very important month-long campaign. These are based on ServSafe® food safety training and may be downloaded for free from the NFSEM website at http://www.servsafe.com/nfsem .

Between six and seven million Americans suffer from food allergies, and it is estimated that 150 to 200 people die each year from the most severe allergy reaction - anaphylactic shock. Since there is no cure for food allergies, avoidance of the offending food is the only way to prevent a reaction. When eating out, guests with food allergies rely on your staff to provide them with accurate information about ingredients so they can make an informed decision about what to order. Your staff should be trained so that a guest’s ingredient inquiries are dealt with quickly, accurately and courteously. The most common allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, fin fish, shellfish, soy, dairy, wheat and eggs.

Temperature Monitoring Solutions:
Protecting Your Customers and Your Bottom Line

Food spoilage, improper storage conditions and equipment inefficiency can cut directly into your profits and can put your business’ reputation and health ratings at risk. You just never know when your food inventory may become contaminated due to equipment inefficiency or improper storage conditions, especially when you close up shop for the night. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne diseases cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year. Do you know how often your temperatures exceed the recommended range for safe storage or how hard your equipment is running to keep up with the cooling demand? We don’t want your business to become a statistic. Here are some tips for proper food storage temperatures to keep you and your customers safe.

 Monitor temperatures of your refrigeration zones hourly.

 Set refrigerators at 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

 Set freezers at zero degrees Fahrenheit.