Richard Saporito asked:


Restaurant Service Consulting, by definition, is a review or evaluation of the restaurant dining room service system. This means, “how the dining room runs” which includes all of the service tools provided (or to be provided) by the management.

These tools include readable floor diagrams, seating coordination, menu descriptions, properly done staff schedules, sidework postings and a whole host of other things.

There are two main aspects to the Restaurant Service Consulting field:

1) On-site Restaurant Dining Service Operations Evaluation and Review

2) Waiter Training

After the dining room service system is organized properly, the waitstaff is now ready to be trained. The big mistake is to train the waitstaff without having understandable and coordinated systems in place.

If there are flaws in the service system, then even the most highly trained and experienced waitstaff will make errors translating into unnecessary headaches and lost revenue. It is plain common sense to train a staff according to that particular restaurant’s procedures otherwise the balance and consistency of customer service will be thrown off.

At times, in my restaurant consulting experiences, I find that owners/operators can be very hesitant to let an outsider do the initial restaurant evaluation prior to waiter training for a score of reasons such as fear of embarrassment, dealing with egos being stepped on during the process, not wanting anyone to be very close to operations etc.

In truth, a restaurant and its dining room service cannot progress over time without experienced, objective, constructive criticism — whether it comes from the outside or within.

Restaurant service system flaws can continue on for years without being corrected

costing time, money, and headaches. And just the same, waiter service technique flaws can go on for years as well.

Sometimes, it’s not necessarily deep rooted flaws, but just a better, faster, more organized and streamlined way of going about procedures — no matter how small the solutions may seem to be. Time is money when it comes to the repetitive nature of dining room service and there are no two ways about it.

To improve restaurant performance, you need to know what areas are in need of improvement. The Restaurant Manager should ask for feedback from experienced staff and repeat customers as well.

Once you know what you are doing right and what needs work, you can develop systems and documentation to improve your establishment.

Many times, it’s simply a matter of confusion as the “left hand” doesn’t seem to know what the “right hand” is doing (or why). You’ll find that clear communication between all staff members and management goes a long way in helping you achieve your restaurant performance goals.

Rodney Munch asked:


ZAPATA

If you are looking for a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells, there are numerous options available to you to help  you fill your belly and have a good time in the process.

Weather your favourite taste is Italian, Mexican, English, Indian, Chinese or even Polish you are sure to find a restaurant catering to your needs. I have outlined a few options below.

For lovers of Latin American cuisine, Zapata, next to Nevada Bob’s golf superstore on the pantiles should be your first port of call. This lively restaurant is the perfect base to start a Friday or Saturday night, offering all the Mexican staples from Burritos to Tacos and everything in between and around. Why not wash down the food with a Margarita or a Mexican beer while taking in the themed decor and ambient Music all served by the very attractive and friendly staff.

Being on the Pantiles also offers the advantage of it being only a few steps from a number of great watering holes for you to christen your newly lined stomach.

If you like a bit of entertainment in the form of live music while you eat then you should take a look at the Grey Lady. Right across the pantiles from Zapata, the Grey Lady can be reached in less than a minute.

The Grey Lady is an asset to live music in Tunbridge Wells hosting regular blues and jazz nights. The atmosphere here is a lot more relaxed than at Zapata and an ideal place for a romantic night out.

The menu at the grey lady is centred around Mediterranean cuisine, featuring dishes such as Coquilles de la Casa – Fresh seared King Scallops with Prawns in Garlic, White Wine & Parsley Sauce and Grilled Chicken Brochette – Chicken Fillet with Peppers & a Greek Salad with Tzatziki. All appearing alongside the , quote-unquote, standard dishes such as Pizza and Pasta.

For a more traditional English affair, take a look at Woods. Woods is another restaurant which benefits from being situated in the Pantiles. This timeless place looks right at home, and you wouldn’t blink if you came across it a couple of hundred years ago at the inception of the pantiles.

Located just opposite the band stand, Woods is the perfect base to soak up the entertainments on a hot summers day. Pull your chair up, order a drink and take in the music. What could be better?

Not only providing good food, Woods has an extended wine list featuring wine from wineries in England, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Germany and of course France among others.

I cannot recommend enough that you go out and try some of the many restaurants in Tunbridge Wells.

Atlanta Restaurant Exchange asked:


I believe that any business will benefit from having a website.  I have worked with internet marketing for many years, and I have seen that people feel like a business has “validity” when they have a website.   I do not do this commercially, however it is a passion and hobby of mine. I have created many websites.

One main point is that it should not cost a fortune to have a website.  An excellent one page site and maybe a contact page is easy to accomplish.  Microsoft Office Live http://www.officelive.com/ is offering a free domain and hosting for one year, as well as providing an easy way to create your own website without any experience.

Keep it simple is an adage that works well here.  People need to only know the vital information about your business.  IE: Cuisine, address, contact info, reviews, etc.

There are many ways to promote yourself on the internet.  One example is the last restaurant that I owned.  Go to google and type in:  hot dog charlotte   

My place is the first that comes up. City Hot Dogs, or my site www.cityhotdogs.com ..   My site is still active, however it tells my friends in Charlotte that I have relocated to Atlanta! 

I would be glad to assist anyone who wants to increase their presence on the internet if you currently have a site.  Any GRA member is welcome to contact me, and we can meet at my office for 30 minutes and I will provide you with enough information and simple tips to get you started, at no charge!  I will provide this information on a personal basis, but not publish it here, because I support the small business folks who are making their living doing this type of work while supporting the restaurant industry.

If you don’t have the time to make your own site, look at the GRA website buyers guide and you will find great resources to create a website for you, and these people can help you optimize your site to be found on the search engines.  I would highly suggest that you use one of the GRA partners to do you site.  The main thing that you have with these folks is personal contact.   

Every day, every restaurant receives solicitation phone calls (especially during lunch hour, don’t they know they are calling a restaurant!!!) and many big companies try to sell you a site for more than 250.00 per month.  Once your site is up, their job is done.  Spend your money wisely, and preferably with a local designer who knows their stuff (and preferably a supporter of GRA)

So, in summary,   Yes, in my experience, a website is important, however, it does not have to cost an arm and a leg!

Doug Marranci

Atlanta Restaurant Exchange

Restaurant Brokers Atlanta Georgia

We sell restaurants in Atlanta and the Atlanta Metro Area

Joe Cline asked:


Going for the best Sunday brunch in Austin

Every Sunday from 10:00 in the morning, until 2:30 in the afternoon, enjoy a great brunch for less than sixteen dollars. Top it off with Mimosa or a Bloody Mary for a dollar and fifty and your Sunday is almost done. If you want to while away the day, stay on for a little more grooving and start your Sunday evening with great cocktails and fine wine. Happy hour starts from 3:30 until 6:30 in this great spot which just won the Favorite Sunday Brunch accolade from the Austin Chronicle. Consistently, this place has been garnering restaurant poll awards from the Readers’ Sunday Brunch to the Readers’ Favorites in 2008, to the Best of Austin Awards and Critics Best Bar Snack in 2007.

That’s Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill for you, right at the corner of Red River and 3rd Street in downtown Austin. Just take note where you parked your car, as the menu is bound to make you forget everything else.

The best of Moonshine

Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill combines the best of classic American dishes with big city contemporary tastes. There’s the Beer Battered Asparagus and their own original Moonshine Corn Dog Shrimp. Texan favorites like Buffalo Meatloaf and Texas Flat Iron Steak complement the impressive menu. For the belly-conscious, they can go for lighter fare like the Indigo Spinach Salad or the Chicken Artichoke BLT. For a filling lunch, go for the Chicken Fried Steak with its creamy gravy or the Pecan Crusted Catfish in brown butter sauce.

With your martini or lemonade, you stay over till dinner and find the entrees equally enchanting. The Broiled Rainbow Trout and the Flat Iron Steak are popular choices. For a great finish to a wonderful meal, why not try these desserts – the Skillet Apple Pie with maple ice cream, or the Peanut Butter Mousse Pie?

The bar list is also a stunner, as cocktails are served with budget appetizers. Your martini is the Ruby Slipper and your margarita is the Silver Moon along with a range of mimosas and bloody marys.

Spending the whole day, starting off from the great Sunday brunch to the afternoon entrees and on to happy hour, time simply flies at the Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill.

Getting there and loving it

The area used to be called the Waterloo Compound, with its buildings replete with history. Pecan trees overhang a veranda and the limestone patio as diners traverse the walkways enroute to Moonshine.

Getting there is simple: from interstate 35, you take the first exit, Cesar Chavez, going downtown and turning right on Red River. The Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill is straight ahead then. If you’re coming from MOPAC, you take the 1st Street Exit heading for downtown and turning left this time on Red River.

Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill at 303 Red River in Austin is open all days of the week from 11:00 in the morning on weekdays and Saturdays, and earlier at 10:00 on Sundays. Sunday brunch is available from 10 to 2:30. For advanced booking, call 512-2368806 or email them at info@MoonshineGrill.com.

Ingrid Sure asked:


If you are in the mood for Italian, then you go online and search for available restaurants in your area. Using a specialized resource will save both the time and effort invested in this search, helping you find exactly what you are looking for. In some cases, you can even browse the Italian restaurant menu, which is definitely a big plus.

Realizing that the Internet has become a major point of information, more and more restaurants have started to present their services over the Internet. Specialized websites are trying to help prospective customers find the best Italian restaurant and thus benefit from their professional services. They put an intuitive search engine to the disposal of those who are interested, making sure that they include as many restaurants as possible in their database. Thus, if you want to find the best Italian restaurant, all you have to do is appeal to these resources. You can check out the Italian restaurant menu and see what you are going to order in advance. How cool is that?

Everyone knows that a quality restaurant is hard to find. What happens if you want something in the area? Do you spend all your time going from one to another, hoping that you will find the best Italian restaurant nearby? The answer is simple. You go online and find a website that has a complete list of restaurants available in your town. Given the advanced technology, it will probably take just a couple of minutes before you find something that satisfies your needs and personal preferences. Plus, you can easily take a look at the Italian restaurant menu and see what they have to offer. There are websites that have a little bit over half a million listings of restaurants, so it is practically impossible not to find an Italian restaurant that you like.

If you have decided that you want to search for the best Italian restaurant over the web, then you should know that you have several opportunities. You can search for an Italian restaurant according to the zip code, the town you live in or even by name. For those of you out there owning an Italian restaurant, you should know that these websites welcome newcomers on a regular basis. If you want to promote your place and you want to show everyone your Italian restaurant menu, then all you have to is register the restaurant. It will be added to the database and everyone will have the opportunity to see it when searching for the best Italian restaurant.

Premium plans are offered to those who are not satisfied with simply being members on the website, guaranteeing maximum exposure for the respective restaurant. The moment you have registered on the website as a member, you will probably be able to find your restaurant under the premium or latest category of restaurants. Don’t be surprised if the number of clients increases all of a sudden, as the Internet and its specialized resources represent the perfect place to advertise and gain the fame you need to be successful!

Amy E Nutt asked:


One of the most loved activities when on a vacation is dining at restaurants. Most people enjoy trying new food at the local cuisines. When on vacation, it can often be a bit of a chore to find the most popular and high-quality restaurants. Not every place has a high standard of restaurant health laws, so one has to make sure they do not eat somewhere and end up getting very ill. Not only would it be a miserable experience, but it would ruin the vacation. It is important to have a good idea of what type of restaurant you will be dining at before you actually sit down and order.

Below is a list of tips that will help you choose a quality restaurant on your next vacation:

1. The Hotel staff is usually made up of local residents so they can provide you with information about the best restaurants in the area. They will also know of the various types of restaurants such as Mexican, Italian-etc.

2. Hotels usually carry local tourist guide books that are filled with valuable information about restaurants. If they do not have a guidebook, check the local tourist bureau. Guidebooks will often contain restaurant reviews.

3. If you ask the locals in the area, they will know all of the best restaurants to eat. You can ask store staff, local bar staff, taxi driver-etc. They can also let you know about the costs and if it is a formal or informal restaurant.

4. You can also walk or drive around to find restaurants. Many restaurants post their menus in the front so you can browse to see if there is anything you like. Avoid restaurants with unattractive and unprofessional menus. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of the restaurant, check out the washrooms. If they are dirty, then that may be a reflection of the quality of the restaurant. If the restaurant has tables outside, walk near the tables and steal a peek at what people are eating. Do the customers look happy? Does their food look tempting? If the restaurant is full of tourists or quite expensive, then it will most likely cater to tourists. You should also note how many people are actually dining at the restaurant. If there are not that many people dining, you may want to keep looking.

5. You can also do some online research. There are many websites and blogs that contain information about restaurants. Some sites even post restaurant reviews. As well, some sites will have pictures of the inside of the restaurant.

6. When you enter a restaurant, look for grimy walls, dirty floors, and anything else that may appear unsanitary. As well, look at the wait staff’s uniforms. Are they clean and pressed?

When on vacation, people want to relax, take in the sights, and enjoy quality food. By taking the time to learn how to find a great restaurant, you will spend much less of your vacation wandering around looking for a good place to eat.

Alvin Starkman asked:


Alvin Starkman  M.A., LL.B.

 

La Catrina de Alcalá ranks amongst the city’s finest restaurants, rather unsual since most other restaurants within two blocks of the Oaxaca’s zócalo manage to get by with cafeteria-style atmosphere, mariachis and marimbas, and mediocre food.  But owner / artist Rolando Rojas took the plunge, and the gamble has paid off:  both quality Oaxacan, and unique continental fare in a tasteful courtyard setting, in the heart of the Centro Histórico.  

 

The establishment is actually three businesses combined in a two-story piece of prime real estate, along Oaxaca’s famed pedestrian walkway, Macedonia Alcalá:  an upper level boutique style hotel; an art gallery featuring the works of Rojas and several other respected local artists; and the adjoining eatery, managed by chef Juan Carlos Guzmán Toledo. 

 

The experience begins with an attractive young woman clad in regional dress, smiling and welcoming at the restaurant’s entranceway, ushering you to your table. The focal point is a large, cantera stone fountain.  Otherwise the décor is minimalist, white walls adorned with sparsely placed art and a series of gilt stars.  Yet the ambiance somehow exudes comfort and warmth, perhaps facilitated by the lone strumming troubadour, half hidden behind a strategically placed cluster of plants.

 

Waiters are eager to show off their English proficiency, whether needed or not, as bowls of salsa, one smoky tomato-based, and the other with a hint of shrimp are placed alongside totopos (crispy, toasted corn-flour crackers).

 

The restaurant prides itself in its use of seasonal, locally produced ingredients, and boasts that when you patronize La Catrina you’re helping local economies. Vegetarian dishes, “slow food,” and plates from the Isthmus region of the state are noted.  However, occasionally the odd import sneaks in as a special, such as kobe beef.

 

The menu otherwise covers all the bases:  soups, salads and appetizers; meat, poultry and pasta; fish and seafood, and regional specialties such as a selection of three Oaxacan moles.  But even those dishes in the continental genre are often presented with local flare.

 

Particularly noteworthy as starters are the poblano pepper soup with mushrooms, squash blossom and bacon, and hierba santa leaves stuffed with Oaxacan string and goat cheeses in a green tomato and mecco chili sauce.  The salads range from the traditional to the unique (jícama, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, wheat quenelle, fried hibiscus flowers and fresh cheese with hibiscus dressing).  The staff is extremely accommodating in terms of sensitivity to those with dietary restrictions or a purist palate. For example, at our most recent evening out, chef Juan Carlos was happy to comply with my wife’s request for a simple small green salad.

. 

The seared tuna with mango and habanero sauce, alongside white beans in coconut milk is prepared to perfection, with the flavor of each ingredient easily discernable.  The sliced duck and fresh fig is served on a bed of julienne of zucchini “spaghetti,” smothered with a dark purée of honey-fig. And beef lovers are able to experiment with the non-traditional, be it a rib eye served with guacamole and creamy garlic-stuffed chili, or go for something more Oaxacan, steak marinated with mezcal, pineapple and apple, served with garlic purée stuffed chilito. 

 

All of the after-dinner non-alcoholic hot beverages are available high-test, or decaffeinated, so extend your evening without concern, perhaps concluding with a martini glass brimming with a selection of three tropical fruit sorbets.

 

Also noteworthy:  La Catrina has developed a dedicated breakfast and lunch crowd, often comprised of predominantly local residents. Coffee or tea is suggested upon arrival, with warm, freshly baked breads and an assortment of sweet rolls for the asking.  Dishes include an assortment of eggs and omelets, traditional Oaxacan breakfast fare such as enchiladas, tamales, chilaquiles and typical Oaxacan grilled meats with garnishes, both unique and traditional salads, and sandwiches featuring spinach, goat cheese, pecan, apple, basil, mushroom and squash blossom. 

 

La Catrina de Alcalá (www.casacatrina.com.mx).  M. Alcalá 102, a couple of blocks north of the zócalo.  Oaxacan cuisine with an international flare.  Locals and tourists. 

Andrew Cho asked:


Trying a new restaurant is one of my favorite things to do. Many people I know, however, stick with the same places because of the familiarity factor and they think finding a new restaurant is a daunting task.

With so many choices, where do you start? Here are a few tips to help you expand your dining choices.

1. If you’re starting a restaurant search from scratch, the best way to start is to pick a kind of restaurant. Are you in the mood for pizza, Greek, Chinese, pasta, or tapas? Once you pick this decision, it’s all downhill from here.

2. Use a restaurant review site (Yelp.com, CitySearch.com, Fodors.com, and Zagat.com). These sites will list restaurants by type and offer user reviews to help make your decision.

3. Narrow the search results to account for your price range and location. Review the choices given and pick a restaurant that you think you would enjoy. If you are having a hard time narrowing down your choice to just one place, the best thing to do is just choose once and try the other choices next time!

Notes:

• You can still find some great restaurants even on a budget. Some of my best dining experiences has been at a self-serve restaurant spending $6.50 on a meal.

• Try something new! That’s the whole point of trying a new restaurant. Don’t always order the same menu item at different restaurants. Ask the server what their most popular dishes are.

• If you drink wine, ask for wine recommendations to ensure a great pairing.

Aditi Miscall asked:


Take one New York woman send her to London to work, make her go cold turkey to remove the last trace of Little Debbies and hot dogs. Then re-invent her as a fully certified food enthusiast and then get her to start a successful London restaurant review.

Over the last four years Londonelicious has become the quintessential light hearted guide to everything foodie in the great smogopolis. The blogs logo reads like an advertisement in the lonely hearts column of the Evening Standard “American girl, loves food, and London, but not cooking”

The about me section of the blog includes a confession that she started visiting London’s restaurants as a way to get out and explore the real London, and meet the locals, and discover the food.

She was over-powered with enthusiasm for the great and awful London restaurant’s she found on her travels around the corners of the capital. Eventually she decided to let others find out about her discoveries, she started up her own London restaurant guide to delicious London and Londonelicious was born.

The momentous task of telling the world about every last little eating place in London was obviously too much for one stomach and two typing fingers so other London Restaurant enthusiasts began to join her online world.

Before long there were many food-nuts writing their own opinionated opinions of all things eating out with a fun, clear and concise London Restaurant Guide that goes where others fear to tread.

There are page after page of wonderful London restaurant reviews that step outside of the usual way of looking at the cities eating places. Anywhere that has a table and food may be included, ok they don’t all have tables.

Reviewers have visited hundreds of establishments from the very trendiest Sunday Times must eat places to little London restaurants and café’s that other critics have never heard of.

Sometimes the intrepid bloggers wish they had never “discovered” some of these dubious food backwaters. But all the disappointment is worth the effort when real undiscovered London restaurant gold is struck.

The team are all of the same view, they like food and love searching for new food experiences. They are all amateurs, but they are accomplished amateurs, people who just like eating out and enjoying an evening of food delights.

You can join in their travels though the cobbled back alleyways and hip reception areas of the London’s most exiting and interesting foodie haunts. They leave no stone unturned or bottle of wine uncorked in their efforts to share the excitement that is London eating.

Aaron Lee asked:


Have you ever watched TV programs on people running reviews for various restaurants? This can turn into an online business opportunity!

The Business Idea:

Providing video reviews for restaurants and post them online, along with detailed description from outside the restaurant to inside the restaurant.

The Market:

If you do a search for restaurants in your area, you will probably find websites that are already doing the reviews. However, you will find most of them are not really into the details and they do NOT include video reviews.With the modern technology, bringing a Restaurant Review business from TV to the Internet is easier than ever.

Benefits:

- Large audience: The Internet usage is growing rapidly day by day. More and more people spend time on the Internet more than watching TV.

- Cost-effective: The media medium, with the modern technology, is a lot easy to use. If you have a website built you can easily link videos from YouTube to your website, FREE. And by using YouTube as your video storage place you are also marketing your business with thousands of viewers daily.

Some ideas on how to get started:

1. Build a website, register a catchy domain.

2. Start small. Start with a local city.

3. Find someone who knows how to take videos, and start doing free reviews for 10~30 restaurants

4. Be sure to explain to the restaurants that exposing their business(s) online is essential for the modern world to bring a lot more potential customers to them. And you are only doing a certain amount of free reviews.

5. Once when you have a good amount of quality reviews to add to the website, start building a portfolio on the review services you offer, while starting to market your website on the Internet, targeting the city as audience. You may also want to do some marketing locally in the city depending on your budget.

6. Bring the portfolio with you to new restaurants and offer your services at the cost you desire. (I.e. $50 USD / month for the review to be posted on the website) Explain to them the importance of online exposure and WHY your service is different – You have video reviews! And convince them with the quality of your website, show them the reviews you did previously.

7. One review means a steady amount of income per month for your company. The more reviews you do the more income you will create for your company.

8. Future expansion: This is scalable. Focus on your city first, and then start the same process (steps 1 to 7 as an example) in another city once your first city is steady. City by city and eventually create a large network and strengthen your brand.

Remember, all successful business(s) started with a simple idea. There will be a lot of troubles depending on your environment but the people who succeed are the people who are passionate about what they do and are consistent and committed on what they do.