Swapping ideas about opening a cafe or restaurant can be the most exhilarating. It can also lead to disaster. Thousands of new venues open, only to close the doors within a couple of years defeated by the daily challenges and grind.
A full day Starting a Cafe or Restaurant Workshop on Saturday 3rd March with industry expert Ken Burgin and a panel of successful operators from Café Claremont, The Livingroom Malvern, Red Spice Road Restaurant and The Local Taphouse will reveal many pitfalls to be avoided, and the secrets to their success. No doubt that running a successful restaurant or cafe should be exciting, rewarding and profitable BUT before you get there, avoiding the many traps and hidden cost is critical.
Understand how to have success with staff – your biggest expense and management challenge. Learn what equipment, design and marketing strategies will ensure an efficient and compliant operation. Discover the latest trends and important licensing, legal and purchasing issues and preparation for due diligence if you are buying a business. Finally, understanding cost control and financial management – how can you ensure your investment is viable – is essential.
“People who want to write a cookbook contact me all the time. Friends tell them they should write a cookbook, because their cooking is just that good. Great, I say. But it’s not that simple. Enthusiasm from friends, family and fellow employees is not what excites a publisher. What turns on publishers is a cunning idea, writing chops and a platform. Now if these potential authors would start a blog instead, they might get published…”
Some months before, cool English baker Dan Lepard gave advanced notice on Twitter of his new book Short & Sweet, allowing me to score a great bargain at Amazon (twitter’s good like that). Dan’s already got a few books under his belt – he’s no beginner in the Diane Jacob sense. But out of his enthusiasm, blogging, tweeting and generosity, he’s built up a following that will follow him anywhere. Social media’s good like that!
Some of the fans have now spontaneously started their own blog called Short and Tweet, where each week they compete to do the best version of a recipe from his latest book. Is this enthusiasm or what?! I thought this was his doing, but when I asked via Twitter, I got this reply:
It’s a lovely example of Diane’s formula: great product plus lots of regular, high-quality communication with fans, followers and customers. Keep cooking, keep blogging and tweeting, and publishers are sure to come knocking!
I’m not alone in enjoying Gary Vaynerchuk’s forthright and insightful comments on marketing.
Here he takes on the Oprah Winfrey team for doing old-fashioned ‘push marketing’ – trying to ram stories down the throat of the customer, via Twitter. It just doesn’t work any more! Ring any bells for anyone?
Congratulations to a very good friend of Profitable Hospitality as he takes on one of the most responsible roles within the Hospitality Industry.
Domenic Di Deo formerly National Food Manager, the ALH Group Pty Ltd, has been appointed National Operations Manager of Australia’s largest hospitality company. Dom’s role is the most senior, below CEO Bruce Mathieson Jnr and he will be responsible for overseeing and controlling Food, Bars, Gaming, Entertainment and Accommodation for over 330 hotels and more than 15,000 staff.
Having enjoyed the company of Dom and members of his team on two of the Profitable Hospitality tours to Chicago and Las Vegas, the Profitable Hospitality group experienced first hand the benefit of his experience, inspiring leadership and vision. Dom takes on a huge challenge in the role of National Operations Manager to ensure that the ALH Group continues to be the best low-cost operation it can be at a corporate and hotel level, particularly in the current economic climate.
All the very best to Domenic Di Deo, National Operations Manager, ALH Group Pty Ltd.
This cafe has invested in special furniture to deal with a sloping site. They now have comfortable customers and seats in demand:
This cafe is using standard chairs and tables. If you pay for footpath space, make sure every square metre is really usable – relaxed customers stay longer and spend more:
There are plenty of pizza-ordering apps for smartphone or iPad, but Dominos have taken it further with some ‘gamification’ to get you making your own and competing with others. Plus of course you can share the news on Facebook and Twitter…
I’m not a fan of the word ‘blog’ – it puts most people off. Can we call it ‘Latest News’ instead? And I’ve already had a grizzle about why restaurants and bars let their stories and great events disappear.
So here are two success stories: First, a club administrator keeps track of events and photos on the Raymond Terrace Bowling Club’s Diary. It’s friendly, local and full of smiles – the things that shouldn’t be forgotten. It accumulates over the months to create a vibrant history and lots of memories. Nice work Jaki!
The second is from my brother Laurence at his boat and fishing shop in Tasmania – sharing photos of boats, people, products and quirky events. A photo and a sentence is all you need – check Franklin Marine News. Both blogs use the free Posterous system.
My first time lining up to buy a new-release Apple product – in this case with my ‘fan-boy’ brother waiting for the new iPhone 4S. He’s serious: he heard Steve Jobs live when the iPhone was first introduced, and has been on at least three of these early morning stake-outs. [How many of your customers [...]
The only thing consistent about Facebook is that it keeps changing! An important ‘behind the scenes’ feature is the privacy setting, so only approved friends see your personal information, and you can use Pages and marketing features with confidence. Watch this short video to see the changes, and what you should check.
Hi there - Ken Burgin here. This is where I share ideas and inspiration about the 'state of the industry'. Check back regularly for updates about restaurant, cafe, club, bar, hotel management and marketing. The mission of Profitable Hospitality is to make your business more profitable, popular, efficient and enjoyable - please leave comments and share your ideas. More at Profitable Hospitality.
“People who want to write a cookbook contact me all the time. Friends tell them they should write a cookbook, because their cooking is just that good. Great, I say. But it’s not that simple. Enthusiasm from friends, family and fellow employees is not what excites a publisher. What turns on publishers is a cunning idea, writing chops and a platform. Now if these potential authors would start a blog instead, they might get published…”
