As a follow up to our recent blog post – Restaurant Guest Surveys – the New Trend? – we contacted both Outback Steakhouse and Chili’s Bar & Grill’s corporate office to see exactly what is done with the information received. In addition, we asked if a guest had a bad experience and you learned about it from the survey, was the customer contacted? Outback Steakhouse promptly replied to us. Here […]

Have you recently dined out at a full service restaurant and given a survey code to go online and give your feedback? Restaurant chains such as Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, to name a few, ask you to complete a survey for a free bloomin’ onion (Outback) a free order of 6 wings (Buffalo Wild Wings) or a chance to win $1000.00 (Chili’s). What are these restaurants doing with […]

More and more often I see restaurants offering menus where 2 can eat for the price of 1, free appetizer or dessert coupons on slower nights of the week, as well as the ever popular, “kids eat free” with purchase of an adult entrée. What is more important, quality or quantity? I think the consumer has answered that, which is one of the reasons many restaurants are in this predicament. […]

The 2010 predictions for the Hottest Trends for Restaurants in 2011 had some really interesting and innovative ideas. 1 of the predictions, smaller portions for a smaller price, seems to have universal appeal to consumers. Most people would like to enjoy a meal at a restaurant without breaking the bank or their belt. This affords them the opportunity to not only watch the amount they eat, but to leave with […]

Proper Menu Development must include RRM to maximize profits. What is Restaurant Revenue Management? Revenue management is the application of information systems and pricing strategies to allocate the right capacity to the right customer at the right place at the right time. The determination of “right” entails achieving both the most contribution possible for the restaurant while also delivering the greatest value or utility to the customer. The application of […]

Here is a very interesting article written by Rona Gindin of Winter Park Magazine. Rona interviewed Ken Hoffman of IRHC Group, asking his expertise as to why Winter Park’s once vibrant downtown area, was no longer a guaranteed success for restaurants. After more than a quarter-century of running Café de France on the southern end of Park Avenue, Dominique and German Gutierrez did something they would have pooh-poohed even a […]

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The annual “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk is this month. Click on this link to make a donation or find a walk near you. Time to get involved and help make more birthdays.

Do you know what restaurants are America’s favorite casual dining restaurants? Check out the results compiled by Market Force in this article, “America’s Favorite Casual Restaurant Chains” on Huffington Post. Did your favorite restaurant chain make the top 10? What restaurants do you think deserved to be on this list but aren’t?

We have all heard the Good the Bad and Ugly about Groupon but when it comes to the restaurant industry most or the feedback is ugly. The majority of the owners get sucked into the sales potential of the Groupon but forget that the most important thing in owning a restaurant is to turn a profit. “Efforts without results are meaningless”. There is another often ignored downside for the restaurant […]

Hidden Health Care Clause: Menu Labels Go National Nutritional labeling on menus will be coming to chain restaurants and vending machines near you! That’s right, menu labeling is going national, thanks to the passing of the health-care bill. Included in the more than 2,000 pages of the legislation is Section 2572, which mandates that chain restaurants with 20 or more locations will have to display nutritional and calorie information. Menu […]