Blog
Drink trends spotlight: Tastea
April 7, 2012 | boba, drink trends, milk tea, smoothies, TasteaIf you are a tea lover, you may have tried “boba milk tea,” the famous Tawainese-originated sweetened milk tea beverage made with soft, gummy tapioca pearls. This sweet and refreshing drink typically, made with black tea, sugar, milk (or condensed milk) and tapioca pearls, has also been the inspiration for numerous spin-offs. As popularity grew, so did the presence of many so-called “boba shops.” Franchises such as Tapioca Express and Lollicup are abound in California. But we recently discovered a very unique tea bar concept that incorporates boba drinks and much more. At Tastea’s Garden Grove location in California, you....
Summer Drink Contests!
April 5, 2012 | restaurant beverage sales, summer drinksTake advantage of the summer months to build your beverage sales, employee moral, and reputation as an innovative beverage leader. How you may ask… • Engaging No Alcohol opportunities… • Spirit Alcohol drinks that deliver an extra ordinary experience • Exciting and engaging wine program • Unique beer tasting and pairings All this is offered by servers and bartenders buying into a unique “Summer Drink Contest” designed to offer your guests the very best you have to offer all the while providing increased incremental sales, fantastic profit margins, and rewarding your best employees and managers! Sound interesting? Let Synergy Restaurant....
Gaining repeat customers with loyalty cards
March 31, 2012 | boiling point restaurant, loyalty cards, rewards cardsBusiness-sized cards and a custom rubber stamp – just 2 ingredients to help you gain repeat customers! Loyalty cards are a simple and inexpensive method of producing regular guests to your restaurant. We recently visited for the first time, Boiling Point, a Tawainese Hot Pot restaurant (hot pot is similar to Japanese Shabu Shabu) at their Irvine location. A delicious ancient dish with a culinary history of over 1,000 years in China, the Boiling Point hot pot concept was truly a hot pick for dinner on a chilly, overcast California night. They serve 10 hot pot soups on their menu,....
Should you offer free wi-fi internet at your restaurant?
March 29, 2012 | offering wifi to restaurant guests, restaurant wifi internetIn the age of ubiquitous smart phones, notebooks and tablets, it is clearly apparent that many people are closely attached to their electronic better-halves. And why not? Within a few taps or clicks, I can get driving directions, watch a movie, order a pizza or play a game with my friend in Beijing. If you’re a technology-lover, you can definitely appreciate a public area with free wi-fi internet. These days, there are many chains and franchises that offer free wifi including 11,500 participating McDonald’s restaurants, over 300 Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and even Bob Evan’s. ....
Avoiding Claims
March 26, 2012 | discrimination, harassment, how to avoid claimsThe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has published its latest annual statistical report revealing that while the overall number of discrimination complaints taken by the agency remained flat over the prior year one category, retaliation claims, has now grown to represent over 37% of all charges the federal anti-discrimination agency processes. Moreover since 2006 the number of retaliation claims filed with the EEOC has mushroomed, growing by 42% in just five years. What’s behind this disturbing trend? Read more here.
Customer Service – don’t let it hurt your guest experience
March 23, 2012 | customer service, phone orders, restaurant guest serviceI recently visited a popular local fast-casual chicken restaurant after needing a quick, hot dinner. However, I always call in my order first then pick it up to avoid any wait time since it does take a good fifteen to twenty minutes to receive my order. After all, I am a regular to this establishment and know the ropes by now. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I let the two young men at the counter know my name and what I ordered. They gazed at me puzzled because they did not recognize my order. After a couple of minutes shuffling....
Agave is a great alternative to regular sugar? Think again
March 18, 2012 | agave nectar, menu development, worst sweetenersThe health-conscious are always on the lookout for healthy alternatives, and so too are nutritionists and dieticians. Instead of drinking milk, you should opt for almond or soy milk. Whole grain wheat bread is more nutritious than white bread. And up until now, many were led to believe that agave nectar was a great, healthier sweetener alternative to white/refined sugar. Let’s take a closer look. The major factor that differentiates agave nectar from refined sugar is that it has a low glycemic index (GI) rating. In other words, unlike white sugar, agave nectar won’t cause high sugar spikes. Further, another....
Not sure where your restaurant needs improvement? Read your reviews.
March 16, 2012 | finding areas of improvement, online reviews, restaurant problems, yelpAs a restaurant owner, you understand that the foodservice industry is exceptionally competitive and every guest truly counts. You realize the necessity of balancing the factors of cost, expenses and guest experience. Sometimes, it is hard to discover which area of your restaurant operation needs improvement. Can your guest wait time improve? Is your food served at the correct temperature? Are dishes consistent in flavor and texture? Are orders getting mixed up frequently? It is sometimes easy to overlook some issues such as these, but their effects can be heard loudly, especially from word of mouth and online reviews. If....
QubicaAMF and Synergy Restaurant Consultants Form Alliance to Extend Bar and Restaurant Services to the Bowling and Entertainment Industry
March 15, 2012QubicaAMF Worldwide, the market leader in the bowling and entertainment industry, and Synergy Restaurant Consultants, a nationally recognized restaurant consulting company, are proud to announce a newly formed alliance. The alliance between the two companies will enable new bowling and entertainment investors to benefit from food and beverage start-up services to create facilities where restaurants and bars are well integrated with the entertainment offering, enhancing the guest experience and gross revenues. As part of the agreement, Synergy Restaurant Consultants will offer, exclusively to QubicaAMF clients, a package of start-up services intended for two specific types of bar and restaurant operations:....
Taco Bell Doritos Tacos Debuts this Thursday
March 14, 2012 | Cantina Bell, menu development, Taco Bell Doritos Tacos, tacos locosIf you’ve been watching TV lately you may have caught the latest Taco Bell commercial displaying college-aged youth taking a road trip to get their hands on the new Taco Bell Dorito Tacos. You heard correct – these Dorito Tacos, or “Locos Tacos,” are your traditional Taco Bell Taco with a twist – that yellow shell you’re used to seeing is replaced with a Dorito Nacho Cheese shell. These special tacos have been on menus at various Taco Bell Doritos test market locations and are finally debuting nationwide this Thursday. Check out this video from a “Sneak Eat Tasting” of the Locos....
