File Name : How to Sizzle (and Not Fizzle) Length : 0:07:30 minutes
Speakers : James Briscione, Vin McCann. Female Speaker
Verbatim : Yes Time codes : No
Special Comment :
[0:00:00] [Audio Starts]
James Briscione: Restaurants sizzle or fizzle all the time, and we want yours to sizzle,
just like this one. Hi, I�m James Briscione the director of Culinary Development at the
Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. At ICE, we teach our students the ins
and outs of running a restaurant. And, in general, how to own or operate your own food
business. We want to share some of that knowledge with you today. Vin McCann, an ICE Culinary
Management instructor and industry expert sat down with a struggling restaurant owner.
Let�s listen in. Vin McCann: Want to give me a little background?
Female Speaker: We�ve been open for a year and when we first opened we had full reservation
book every night. There was a line at the bar and then as the weeks and months went
by there is just not enough people in the seats anymore and I don�t know what to do.
Vin McCann: So, when you first opened, in your mind, why did people come here?
Female Speaker: Well, we were in the newspaper a lot, and so they read about us and then
they got here and it�s like, it�s really a nice place.
Vin McCann: That�s not really what I meant. Why would they come here in your mind?
Female Speaker: We have really, really good food and I knew when I wrote my business plan
that I wanted it to be local and sustainable. I knew what was hot and popular and so I incorporated
that in the menu. I realized it is not the nicest menu that�s ever been made but, I
print it every night, the chef and I come up with new dishes and then I go upstairs
and then I type it out and then I hit print and then every night we got a new menu.
Vin McCann: I think if you look at your menu and you look at a competitor�s menu, I think
you could do a better job of presenting your food well just so the customer can see clearly
what it is you�re offering and it could be, I think, described more attractively than
it is here. Vin McCann: Do you know if that menu positions
you to make a profit? Female Speaker: Well, so the way that I came
up with my prices is I look at my POs every month and then I figure out how much to charge
average spread across the menu and things that are, should be more expensive I charge
a little bit more for and things that are a little less expensive I charge a little
less for it. Vin McCann: If you look at it, I look at these
items and these prices and I say to myself I don�t see how you can make enough money
to pay your bills. What does the hamburger cost you?
Female Speaker: Exactly, the hamburger by itself? I don�t know.
Vin McCann: Then, how can you price it? Female Speaker: Well, I mean, I know in round
numbers a hamburger probably should be about, I don�t know, 15 bucks.
Vin McCann: Fifteen bucks per hamburger. But, if what you put on the plate doesn�t translate
to a $15.00 worth of value, no one cares whether you are going to the farmers market or not.
Vin McCann: Do you know that they are happy with the food?
Female Speaker: Well, no one ever complained. Vin McCann: There�s a difference.
Female Speaker: Well I have comment cards put down on the table but no one ever fills
them out, so, I just figure that they�re happy. Because they didn�t complain and
they had the opportunity to. Vin McCann: So, you just leave the cards on
the table and people will either fill it out or they won�t. It�s almost like homework
for your guest. Does the staff encourage it or you in the dining room was your manager
in the dining room? Vin McCann: I looked at the Yelp reviews before
I came down and it seems like service is a problem.
Female Speaker: Service is a big problem partially because I have really high turnover in my
staff and so I don�t have a lot of time to train them. I just hope for the best.
Vin McCann: If you were to set up a specific training program, and it could just be a couple
of days, but define what is you want people to do, and how do you want them to do it and
I think that would go a long way in improving the service in the restaurant. And it would
also go a long way in slowing down the turnover. One it ensures is your guests get a better
deal, they�re treated better and at the same time it will slow down your turnover.
So, you should train people very specifically. What do you want them to do and how you want
them to do it and you have to monitor that they do do it. The turnover has a high impact
on value. This is a neighborhood restaurant. Neighborhood restaurants are connecting places.
If every time you come into a neighborhood restaurant there�s a different person waiting
on you or tending bar, it�s disconcerting, it�s uncomfortable. You can�t be a new
restaurant every week. How much do you spend on labor weekly?
Female Speaker: You know, I try using time cards to monitor their comings and goings,
but, it doesn�t even matter because I just pay them off the schedule and so, the time
card didn�t make any sense and then this way I can just pay them in cash off the books.
Vin McCann: So, you don�t keep time records at all. You pay the same amount every week.
You make a schedule, and, whether or not people actually live up to the schedule you just
pay off the schedule. Female Speaker: When you say it like that,
it does sound bad. Vin McCann: It�s your money and I think,
that�s, you have to remember that. This is a business and yes it�s a party and you
take care of people and you entertain them, but you have to look at the business side.
Female Speaker: Okay, so I�m going to train the staff, I am going to relook at the menu,
redesign the menu and then. Vin McCann: And, you need to pay attention
to the whole experience. If either you or your manager is in the mix every night, making
sure that people are taken care of, that the food is coming out in good order, in good
time, you�ll be okay. It�s taken you a year to get to the situation you�re in,
it�s going to take you six weeks to two months to start, to turn that around.
Female Speaker: But, you�re saying there�s hope.
Vin McCann: There is absolutely hope. Female Speaker: Okay, okay. I�m really glad
I called you. Vin McCann: It�s my pleasure.
Female Speaker: Thanks Vin. James Biscione: So what�s the takeaway from
all of these? First and foremost, listen to your guests and listen to your staff. Speaking
of staff, hire the right people and train them properly. Also, keep an eye on everything
from the time clock to the loading dock to the prep kitchen and the restaurant floor.
No matter the business, your finger on its pulse is the key to your success. Also, remember
you are a retailer who wants to fill the seats in your restaurants or maximize the traffic
of your retail business. So always factor your pricing and watch your costs.
Carefully design and plan your menu. Stay ahead of the competition. Know what they are
doing and make sure you are doing everything in your power to compete effectively. But
be authentic in the process. Factor these tips into your restaurant or food business
ensuring that it will be running for years to come. I�m James Briscione for the Institute
of Culinary Education. For more information please visit ICE.edu.
[0:07:30] [Audio Ends].