Our Blogs > Restaurant Articles
Restaurant Blog
Put the “Happy” Back in Happy Hour
Happy hour can be a big draw for both your regular guests and new ones. But with the steep discounts you have to offer to get people in the door, is there really any money to be made? Of course there is! The key is to make the most of the people who come in during...
Featured Article
Put the “Happy” Back in Happy Hour
Happy hour can be a big draw for both your regular guests and new ones. But with the steep discounts you have to offer to get people in the door, is there really any money to be made? Of course there is! The key is to make the most of the people who come in during...
Recent Articles
Build Guest Loyalty: It’s Simpler Than You Think
When we think about building guest loyalty, we often bog ourselves down with external, uncontrollable factors—the hot new concept that just opened up down the street or the construction that’s blocking our entrance. Instead, our main focus should be, “What do...
Start the New Year off Right
With January right around the corner, the outlook can be cold and bleak… and for many, we're not just talking about the weather. Don't worry, you can change the forecast for your restaurant. Look at the typically slower months of January and February as opportunities...
Managing Your Moonlighting Employees
About 8 million employees — roughly 5 percent of the U.S. workforce — hold second jobs. Given the tight labor market in the hospitality industry, it's not uncommon for hourlies to moonlight with other restaurants, possibly even your competitors. How you manage...
Hostess Training: Selling from the Front Door
Don't forget to also invest training time and money in the first salesperson your guests meet … your host or hostess. Host and hostess training is key to setting the stage for higher sales. For example, a hostess seats two of your guests and instead of saying, "Enjoy...
Service: Hit or Myth?
Have you ever stopped to think about what “service” really means? What is it? Can it be defined? (Forget Webster; as far as we know, he never worked flipping burgers, mixing drinks, selling clothes, listing real estate, or checking in hotel guests.) We define service...
Restaurant Management: Watch and Learn
Like anyone who watches Survivor can tell you, times of stress often reveal who we are as people and as a team. And while it may not be fair to chastise a team for performing under par when you’ve been slammed for six hours straight during a busy weekend, it is fair...
Restaurant Leadership Tip: Get SMART
Looking to better manage your tasks every day? This restaurant management tip from Service That Sells! helps you get SMART about time management. At any time during the day, you can encounter “pop-ups” – unexpected events that steer you away from your current course...
Server Training Tip: Increase Regulars with VIP Service
It's no secret that increasing the frequency of guest visits provides a tremendous boost to profitability. Learning and using guests' names is the starting point to increasing visit frequency, then you can sweeten the VIP treatment by training your servers to divulge...
What Are You Thankful For? And How Does that Compare to Other Restaurant Leaders?
You might be thankful that, for once, nobody called in sick on Saturday night. You might appreciate the supplier who was actually on time with the right order. You might even be thankful the new entrée was a hit, the bar had a record night and nobody complained about...
Improve Restaurant Guest Loyalty with Insider Information
It’s no secret that increasing the frequency of guest visits provides a tremendous boost to profitability. But how do you get people who come in once a month to come in twice or three times? You can try external-marketing devices – ads, offers, discounts and the like...
How to De-Stress Your Life in 2014
As a restaurant manager, you may think the restaurant business is anything but routine, that you spend your days putting out fires every 10 minutes. But along with all the unexpected events and challenges, there is a list of critical tasks that must take place like...
Seasonal Restaurant Sales: How to Make Your Servers Care
During the holidays, you and your team have countless opportunities to maximize sales. With the steady stream of diners and the feeling of goodwill and gluttony (it’s no surprise that most Americans gain at least five pounds during the season), it’s the perfect time...
