Steve Parker

I completely agree with this article from MeasureMetrix (MMX)! Empowering our frontline leaders is key to our collective success. Restaurants with empowered leaders tend to achieve higher weekly sales, lower turnover, and better cost management, all of which positively impact the bottom line. In my own Little Caesars Pizza Restaurants, I’ve seen firsthand how excellent leaders thrive when given the autonomy to steer their own ship. This not only fosters their growth but also allows me to focus on expanding our business. Let’s continue to prioritize empowering our teams!

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“How many restaurant companies can file bankruptcy in any given week? Sadly, it’s not a riddle.” In the past two months, the US has seen an unsettling reality—4-5 major restaurant chains filing for bankruptcy weekly. 😮 Both Chapter 11 (restructuring) and Chapter 13 filings have impacted casual dining, fast-casual, and QSR (quick service restaurants). 💡 Wondering why? Dive into our latest blog to uncover the reasons behind this trend and the challenges facing these once-thriving establishments. Read the full story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gAs9HDGM #RestaurantIndustry #Bankruptcy #CasualDining #FastCasual #QSR #IndustryTrends #Restructure

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INNOVATION AND EXPERTISE DRIVE EXPANSION OF THE SCIENTIFIC GROUP TO A NATIONAL POWERHOUSE In the bustling world of foodservice, where efficiency and reliability often spell the difference between success and failure, Jeffrey Kaufman, stands out as a visionary who transformed the way restaurants and commercial kitchens operate with a unique approach to service and facility management. As Founder of the Scientific Group, Kaufman has not only built a company that caters to the service needs of the food industry but also innovated a scaleable model that sets them apart from other kitchen service providers. Read full article

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When we give FOH workers automatic solutions for low-level repetitive tasks, they can spend more time focusing on high-level revenue-generating tasks. Some of these include: ✅ Building rapport with guests ✅ Delivering prompt service ✅ Handling more volume to increase sales So they can focus on selling--not just surviving. FOH staff can't deliver great guest experiences and achieve your sales goals if they don't have enough time to do so. It's not about replacing them with robots. It's about helping them by automating the mundane, so they can focus on higher level tasks that are directly tied to improving the guest experience--which always equates to more revenue. Helping FOH staff work faster AND cleaner is what we're all about. Learn more about our award-winning product line here: https://omnirinse.com/ #bars #restaurants #cocktails #foodsafety #restaurantdesign

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Every restaurateur I know wants to either make 20% profit at the unit level or, if they don’t, they want to know why their restaurants don’t make a profit at that level. They have heard the overworked saying that restaurants operate on “razor-thin margins.” Of course, that saying refers to the industry as a whole, so it includes successful restaurants as well as average and unsuccessful restaurants – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Combined, all restaurants average 3-5% profit. Show me one person who started a restaurant brand because they had a dream of being average! My business is about making successful people more successful. You must have success first before you work with me. Aiming of more than just being average? Let’s make your restaurants a standout success! Read here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQdYgbbj #restaurateur #restaurant #success #businessadvice

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On this episode of The Drive in Five, discover how culinary arts are at the core of the Beef Checkoff and see how consumer demand drivers, views, preferences and buying habits drive beef demand. #BeefCheckoff

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There's one simple way to get your servers and bartenders to sell more loyalty cards. Give them more time. Your FOH staff are your sales force. Once your marketing gets your guests in the door, it's up to your servers and bartenders to maximize sales. It's not about selling guests things they don't want. It's a restaurant, not a used car lot. However, you do want to make guests aware of as much of your offerings as possible. One of those key offerings is loyalty cards. We all know that loyalty cards build email lists, and email marketing is still the most direct way to put offers in front of customers. That's why you want your staff to sell as many loyalty cards as possible, right? But they can't sell loyalty cards when they're running around in survival-mode. When your FOH staff is just trying to survive, the last thing they're thinking about is selling loyalty cards. So how can you help them? Invest in improving their workflow, so they can be as efficient as possible. Efficient workflow processes keep your staff out of survival mode, and allows them to be in sales mode. Your staff is much more profitable when they can do their jobs faster and stay in the right mindset. Omni-Rinse equipment helps your staff stay out of survival mode by decreasing drink ticket times. The faster your servers get their drinks, the faster they can get back to their tables and sell. Seconds really do matter in the restaurant business. Come see us at the National Restaurant Association Show in May--we'd love to tell you more about how we can make your FOH more efficient! #bars #restaurants #cocktails #foodserviceequipment

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😋 Costa Vida Queso dip 😋 Making the Costa Vida Queso dip is easy and quick. You can try different versions of the Costa Vida Queso recipe. This tasty dip works well for parties or as a simple snack. It’s a creamy queso layered with a hint of green leaves and fresh tomatoes. It’s not just a cheese dish; you can use it in many ways. It’s a light, fresh, and delicious recipe. The Costa Vida Queso Recipe lets you make tasty and healthy queso quickly. The simple preparation method involves steaming the cheese both before and after cooking. This process yields a rich, creamy, and easy-to-make cheese sauce. The sauce becomes soft, enhancing its texture and taste. Ingredients: 1) Half and half, ⅔ cup 2) Velveeta, 4 Ounces 3) Jalapenos (chopped), ¼ cup 4) Cheddar cheese (grated), 2 cups 5) Cream cheese, 2 ounces 6) Cumin, ¼ teaspoon 7) Salsa, 1 cup 8) Cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon 9) Chili powder, ¼ teaspoon 10) Tortilla chips for dipping. Click For the Full Recipe: https://lnkd.in/d-ZAgXns #costa #vida #queso #dip #recipe #cookingtime #cookery #tasty #yummyyummy #delicius #recipes #cookeryrecipe

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According to Circana broadline distributors represent about 41% of the total foodservice volume. Broadliners move more than 91 million pounds of mushrooms a year up from 69 million pounds in 2020. ➡️ Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) represent 27.4% of broadliner mushroom sales, up from 22.0% in 2019. This equates to 25 million pounds sold annually. ➡️ #Pizza and Italian restaurants are the number one channel within QSRs with a share of 39.4% of pounds. This is up from 35.5% in 2021. For more foodservice insights, visit www.mushroomcouncil.org! #MushroomsOnTheMenu #FoodDistributors #QSR

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🌟 The Power of Having a Mentor, Sponsor, and Coach: Advocates Who Speak for You in Rooms You’re Not In! In today’s FSR | QSR, success isn’t just about hard work—it’s also about who’s in your corner. Having a mentor, sponsor, and coach isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s essential for career growth. These three roles can advocate for you in rooms you’re not in, opening doors and creating opportunities you may never have imagined. 🚪✨ 1. The Mentor: Your Trusted Guide 🧭 A mentor is someone who’s been where you’re going. They offer wisdom, advice, and insights based on their experiences. More than that, a mentor speaks up for you, endorsing your skills and helping you avoid pitfalls. Their guidance helps you grow personally and professionally. 2. The Sponsor: Your Career Champion 🏆 While a mentor guides, a sponsor pushes. Sponsors are influential figures who advocate for you during high-stakes decisions—whether it’s a promotion or a new project. They leverage their networks to ensure you’re seen, heard, and considered for the right opportunities. 3. The Coach: Your Performance Accelerator 🎯 A coach helps you refine your skills and set actionable goals. They provide structured feedback, helping you sharpen your abilities and achieve your objectives. With a coach, you’re equipped to perform at your best, ready to tackle any challenge. 4. Advocacy in Rooms You Can’t Access 🔑 The real value of these relationships? They advocate for you when you’re not in the room. Whether it’s a closed-door meeting or a networking event, your mentor, sponsor, and coach ensure your name is on the table when opportunities arise. 5. Building Your Power Trio 🛠️ Start by identifying and cultivating relationships with people who can mentor, sponsor, and coach you. Engage with them regularly, act on their advice, and as you grow, give back by supporting others. Your Secret Weapon for Success 🎉 In the FSR | QSR of today’s world, having advocates who can speak for you is a game-changer. Your mentor, sponsor, and coach are not just supporters—they are key players in your success. Build these relationships and watch as they help you unlock doors you never thought possible.

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#FunFoodFactFriday The first Waffle House opened on September 5, 1955. The restaurant was a collaboration of neighbors in Avondale Estates, Georgia, about 10 miles outside of Atlanta. Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner decided that the area needed a 24-hour, sit-down restaurant for their friends and neighbors that combined the speed of fast food with the round-the-clock concept. They opened the first Waffle House on Labor Day in 1955. The venture was named Waffle House to promote their highest-profit item—the waffle. Because the waffle did not lend itself to takeout, the owners also thought that encouraging waffle ordering might encourage diners to stay and linger. Forker would say, “We are not in the food business. We are in the people business.” The restaurant signs were painted bright yellow to attract drivers' attention, and menu items included waffles and eggs for 40 cents, hash browns for 20 cents, Coca-Cola for 10 cents, and a filet mignon for $1.50. Waffle House continues to be an icon, with more than 2,000 locations across 25 states. Every minute, Waffle Houses serve an average of 341 bacon strips, 238 orders of hash browns, 145 waffles, and 127 cups of coffee. Other Fun Facts: *** Waffle House used to serve Chick-fil-A. The chain was once licensed to sell fellow Atlanta-based CFA sandwiches. However, the sandwiches got so popular that orders were impacting Waffle House’s regular menu, so the partnership was stopped. *** The original Waffle House location still exists, but it has now been turned into a museum containing Waffle House memorabilia. It can be toured only by appointment, and the tours fill up months in advance. *** Waffle House releases its own custom waffle-based songs, starting with “Waffle House Family.” A full selection can be found on jukeboxes in Waffle House locations. *** FEMA uses the “The Waffle House Index” to determine how hard a natural disaster has hit a town: Code Green means Waffle House is open and serving a full menu, Code Yellow means Waffle House is serving a limited menu, supplies may be low, and power may be off, and Code Red means Waffle House, Inc. is closed and the area needs immediate assistance. #cpgindustry #wafflehouse #nowyouknow #forhireresults The Newell Group

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Having a clear vision is pivotal. It’s not just about setting goals but understanding the 'why' behind them. At Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, our vision is rooted in spreading positivity and the #AlohaSpirit. What’s your vision, and how does it drive your daily actions? #HBros #Vision #Mission #StrategicLiving

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I’m not surprised at all…… Joe Guszkowski wrote an article in Restaurant Business Magazine about TGI Fridays Red Lobster and Buca di Beppo declaring bankruptcy. If you follow me you know that I write a lot and speak about how we need to change and evolve. If you haven’t followed me pick up a copy of my book shift Happens-7 Proven Strategies to Help Your Restaurant Crush the New Economy. https://lnkd.in/e4DGStRK This post is about sales and dollars vs costs and percentages and value perception vs low cost, which is what I believe was the collapse and ultimate failure of these brands. For most of the 25 years I spent in restaurant management, cost % was beat into my head. I had to run 30% Cogs (cost of goods) or better. I had to run under 30% combined labor. And I had to keep controllables and non controllables under 20%. Does this sound familiar? While % are a way to track performance and management control, cutting costs is not a strategy. Cutting costs is a race to the bottom and ultimately closes restaurants. When we cut quality of product, we teach our people not to care about the food and drink we put out and ultimately it negatively affects the guest experience. If the food is not good, guests have one less reason to return. If we cut servers and bartenders too aggressively, we hurt the guest experience because our team doesn’t properly care for our guests. This hurts our long term sales because poor service and a lack of hospitality is a major reason not to return. Cutting labor too aggressively can also affect the immediate revenue. Servers and bartenders are also sales people. If given enough time, they are your best source of offering add ons and upsells. Line cooks are our production line. If you cut aggressively they can’t keep up production thus slowing table turns affecting immediate revenue as well as resulting in non repeat guests affecting long term growth. Ask any non restaurant business CEO if he/she has ever grown revenue by cutting the sales force and production. It is an impossibility. Instead of cost cutting to run certain percentages, we should focus first on sales generation and dollars. It’s important to drive top line revenue. To do that we have to redefine value. Value does not equal cheap. It is not necessarily the $1 menu at McDonald's or the endless bowls of pasta or the $15 3-course menu. Perceived value exits when the guest feels like what they received was worth more than they paid. In my opinion, companies mentioned in this article failed to evolve, failed to proitize sales, and failed to provide value beyond price. Chances are these huge restaurant chains won’t reach out to me for help and will continue to struggle. But, I can help you, the independent restaurant owner. Book a free call today! https://lnkd.in/eNJ8JSfy https://lnkd.in/ezT78CEf

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It’s a simple philosophy we share at Chick-fil-A: Cared for people, care for people.

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🤸🎉 They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but the new Front of the House® and room360 catalog has us flipping out! 🤸🎉 Get your copy of the new catalog today and explore the latest trends in foodservice and hospitality design. #NewCatalog #fohinc #fohfam #fohinaction #perfectlyplated #fohfridayfeels #NewLook #weareMAFSI

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We love what Tonya Spada-Dixon, RDN, LDN said in Foodservice Director. Team members must understand the “why” behind their work. When team members understand the “why”: ➞ Increased compliance: Sometimes the “right” way takes longer. Understanding why behind the method encourages team members to not cut corners. ➞ Increased employee satisfaction: Employees find more purpose in their work when they understand the impact they have on patients and guests. ➞ Increased innovation: Awareness of all the moving parts can spark new ideas for how to solve a problem or make things run better. Leaders also must understand what they’re asking of their team. We put all of our leaders through team member training. We’ve seen that after training, our leaders are: ➞ Better problem solvers: They can look at issues from all levels, from team members to managing up, and find solutions. ➞ More empathetic and understanding: Our team members’ work isn’t easy, and compassion is crucial to a positive work environment. ➞ Greater communicators: A deeper understanding of the ins and outs of team members’ responsibilities grows their ability to explain tasks and guide their teams to excellence. How does training impact your teams and leaders? Let us know in the comments! #OneHHS

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