Octavio Lopez

Here’s a brutal truth for restaurant owners: 20% of your menu is carrying the other 80%. That’s the Pareto Principle in action. Your chef’s artisanal foam garnish on the slow-moving entrée? It’s a waste of time, money, and kitchen bandwidth. Let’s talk numbers. Most restaurants report that 80% of revenue comes from 20% of their dishes. Yet, instead of doubling down on the hits, too many menus read like a scattergun of mediocrity - piling on options nobody orders just to look creative. Creativity doesn’t pay your rent. Popular dishes do. Take your sales data, highlight the top performers, and cut the rest. Streamlining your menu saves on inventory, reduces prep time, and sharpens your brand. Fewer options don’t bore customers - they make decision-making faster and boost satisfaction. Look at In-N-Out Burger or even Michelin-starred joints with lean menus. They don’t spread themselves thin; they perfect what sells. Still clinging to that slow-moving dish you “love”? Fine, but it better earn its keep with a killer story, a premium price tag, or insane margins. Otherwise, it’s dead weight dragging your business down. Are you running a restaurant or an exhibit of chef egos? Focus on what sells and watch your margins smile. #restaurantmanagement #menuengineering #hospitalitybusiness #restaurantprofits #hospitalityindustry #restaurantefficiency #foodcosts #hospitalityconsulting

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If you haven’t read about Five Rivers Hospitality, the first day of the month is the perfect time to explore this inspiring story! Meet Five Rivers Hospitality, a family-owned hotel operator based in Utah, who's been in the game for nearly two decades. They've faced their fair share of challenges but have recently found a transformative solution with Otelier. What Were They Up Against? 💼 Juggling performance across 30+ hotels with unique management styles. ⏳ Spending too much time on manual invoice processing. 📈 Dealing with rising labor costs and complex financial oversight. How Otelier Helped: 📊 Brought all their data together and automated those pesky reports. 🔧 Made back-office tasks a breeze. 💵 Got a firm grip on their financials. The Amazing Results: ⏰ Cut admin time by a whopping 50%. 💰 Saved money and managed costs better. 📈 Boosted accountability and guest satisfaction across the board. Dive into the full success story and see how Five Rivers found efficiencies and cost savings with Otelier’s innovative tools. Their journey is a testament to the power of smart solutions in hospitality that help you automate the mundane and get back to your guests. 🔗 Get the Full Story: https://lnkd.in/gDH7VZxc #Hospitality #HotelManagement #BusinessIntelligence #SuccessStory #Otelier

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https://lnkd.in/gRmZcQSX Empowerment. Small gestures come a long way. Hospitality has no boundaries. Culture. All the key takeaways for me. Rubicube Hospitality

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Restaurant brand licensing is not about losing customers; it's about giving them more ways to experience your brand and adapting to their changing appetites, needs and wants. Staying in is the new dining out, and that’s not just a passing trend. People gotta eat, right? So why shouldn’t they bring home your branded foods from the store instead of a competitor’s? Learn more about restaurant brand licensing and how we can help below. #brandlicensing #BSLG #restaurantbrands

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Step out of your comfort zone and into the spirit of hospitality! Have you ever been to a hibachi grill and sat with strangers? After a few awkward minutes before the chef arrives, the walls begin to break down as we laugh and enjoy the entertainment, right? Keep the hibachi lesson in mind. Having some form of interesting entertainment can bring down the walls of discomfort and help us to relate to one another. We don’t suggest throwing shrimp at your guests, but if it works, it works! What is your favorite form of entertainment when you have guests over? Games? TV? Share your experience with others and let’s #liveoutward! Will you?

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Want to scale your sales? Here's the secret. It's not just about individual wins. It's about turning those wins into a repeatable, flexible system. 🔄 Think of it like your favorite restaurant chain. They don't just have one great chef. They have a system that ensures every location delivers the same great taste. We do the same in sales. We take what works and build frameworks around it. That's how you go from good to great to unstoppable. 📈 Save this post to remember: systems scale success! #Sales #SalesFrameworks #SalesStrategy

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Great leaders adapt and learn. "Bridging that gap with my knowledge and understanding and experience is really gonna help me to be able to deliver a better service for them." We sent our Director of Brand & Creative, Will Hawkins, to culinary training so that he could better collaborate with our culinary teams. Along the way, he also picked up valuable leadership skills like… ➮ Improved Communication: Effective dialogue across departments fosters innovation and clarity. ➮ Stronger Team Building: Hands-on experiences create a deeper understanding and stronger team cohesion. ➮ Enhanced Problem-Solving: Immersive training sharpens the ability to tackle challenges creatively. ➮ Greater Empathy: Walking in another team’s shoes builds empathy. ➮ Commitment to Continuous Improvement: Embracing feedback and learning drives ongoing excellence. Listen to the full episode of The Outsource Advantage with Derek Kissos to learn more about Will’s experience and how hands-on experiences can shape leadership skills. Find the episode wherever you listen to your podcasts. #OneHHS #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #GainTheAdvantage #TheOutsourceAdvantage #HHSDifference

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Hollywood's Stanley Tucci just released his new book, What I Ate In One Year, and readers are loving his thoughts on 🍝 pasta, wine, and more! Looking to follow in his culinary 🍴 footsteps? You need Sur La Table, a US brand whose resident chefs teach 60,000 cooking classes a year. As a resource for cooks 🥘 of all levels, it has stores, cooking schools, and an ecommerce site - and it knows how important it is to get CX right! Learn how Sur La Table leverages best-of-breed Verint Voice of the Customer to elevate 🚀 CX and quickly detect and fix issues in the customer journey. #CX #VoiceOfTheCustomer #VoC #Ecommerce

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Hollywood's Stanley Tucci just released his new book, What I Ate In One Year, and readers are loving his thoughts on 🍝 pasta, wine, and more! Looking to follow in his culinary 🍴 footsteps? You need Sur La Table, a US brand whose resident chefs teach 60,000 cooking classes a year. As a resource for cooks 🥘 of all levels, it has stores, cooking schools, and an ecommerce site - and it knows how important it is to get CX right! Learn how Sur La Table leverages best-of-breed Verint Voice of the Customer to elevate 🚀 CX and quickly detect and fix issues in the customer journey. #CX #VoiceOfTheCustomer #VoC #Ecommerce

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While moving some books around in my office today, I stumbled upon one of the books that an HR manager at Marriott gave me early in my career. It brought back a deep sense of gratitude. Back then, I was thrust into my first leadership role, responsible for interviewing and hiring candidates for our department, a task I had no prior experience with. I felt completely out of my depth and overwhelmed. Recognizing my struggle, our HR Manager stepped in. She took me under her wing, providing not only books and resources but also setting up mock interviews to help me practice. Her mentorship was invaluable, guiding me every step of the way and helping me build confidence and competence in a crucial time of my early leadership career. This experience left an indelible impression on me and shaped my career in profound ways. It taught me the importance of investing in the growth of others. This is the type of mentorship that young professionals are looking for. Spend time with them, develop them, and they will remember and appreciate you for their entire career. To all the leaders and managers out there: Take the time to mentor your younger coworkers. Your investment in their growth can make a lasting impact. Great leaders develop great leaders. #Mentorship #Leadership #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #GivingBack

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Would you like Elevate Your Cruise Ship's Service Standards with Expert Training? Are you a cruise company looking to elevate your restaurant and room service teams to new heights? With over three decades of hands-on experience in the shipping industry, I bring a proven track record of success to the table. Why Choose Me? I do Hands-On Training I don’t mess around with flip charts or overhead projectors. I train your staff hands-on, ensuring they are actively involved and engaged. Real-World Experience My extensive field experience both on land and at sea means I understand the unique challenges and demands of the industry. Targeted Solutions. I focus on your highest complaints and resolve them through targeted training programs and get results. Proven Success. During my tenure onboard, I managed four restaurants with consistently high ratings, achieved through strategic training and a deep understanding of guest expectations. I specialise in restaurant training, butler services, and room service, offering a unique blend of practical knowledge and expertise. Training Services Include. Customer Service Excellence Mastering the art of exceptional guest interaction and complaint resolution. Food and Beverage Mastery. In-depth training on menu knowledge, dietary requirements, and upselling. Why My Training Stands Out? Traditional methods can bore your crew to sleep. My training involves them actively, making learning both effective and enjoyable. Effective High-quality training that won’t break the bank. Flexible AvailabilitySlots available in July. Also available for land-based hotels and restaurants. Let's Elevate Your Service Standards. If you're ready to take your cruise line's service standards to the next level, let's chat. Together, we can ensure your guests receive nothing short of exceptional experiences on board. Don't settle for average. Elevate your service standards with expert training that delivers real results. To summarise. I have a strong understanding of the crew's needs and challenges, which is essential for effective training. Being able to connect with and understand the crew members can make a significant difference in addressing onboard issues and improving overall performance. Making training interactive and participatory can not only make it more enjoyable but also more effective. Engaging the crew directly in the learning process keeps their attention and ensures that they can apply what they've learned in real-life situations. Creating an environment where training is both informative and enjoyable can lead to better outcomes for everyone involved. I am also available for 👇 Interim Hotel General Manager shore side.

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Struggling with high turnover in your QSR? 🔄 You’re not alone. A 2022 study found that only 54% of QSR workers stay for more than three months before quitting. Here’s the game-changer: Offering educational opportunities like tuition assistance can significantly boost employee retention and engagement. Chipotle Mexican Grill, for example, saw employee tenure triple within three years of launching their tuition program. Ready to reduce turnover and build a more skilled, loyal workforce? Learn more about investing in your employees’ education from Gurpreet Singh, Group Vice President at InStride via QSR: https://bit.ly/3M1gSnz #InStride #QSR #FoodService #WorkforceEducation #EmployeeRetention

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Why in hospitality do we NOT see our front line staff the way other inustries see theirs...as SALES people who are the true FACE of our brand. Your server, bartender, host, cashier are ALL front line SALES people, train them accordingly. Do they know where your ingredients come from (no "the Sysco truck" doesn't count as an answer)? Do they know if your ingredients are local, or specially chosen and imported to creat an amazing experience? When was the last time you were served at a restaurant by an informed and trained server who knocked your socks off with their product knowledge and made great recommendations to enhance your expereince? Comment below.

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How can hotels transform their Food & Beverage operations to connect better with local communities? 🏨 In this week's episode of The Pineapple Perspective, hospitality expert and founder of Auden Hospitality, Scot Turner, shares how hotels can learn from independent restaurants to foster community connections and boost guest experiences. 🎧 Tune in to Episode 24 this Thursday for actionable insights and strategies! This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch Restaurants. ⚡️ #ThePineapplePerspective #PepperLunch #Hospitality #HotelIndustry #FoodAndBeverage #Innovation #ScotTurner #AudenHospitality #Storytelling #CommunityEngagement #DigitalStrategy #Podcast

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