By Mike Walls – Operations Consultant & Beverage Certified Cicerone

Ideas are a wonderful thing to have, but it’s the implementation that leads to success.

Sometimes it goes like this:

You’re getting great ideas from this newsletter and thinking about how they would work in your business. Then the phone rings, an email comes in, or there’s a knock on the door to your office. And just like that, you get swallowed up by the day and the idea that you know would help grow your business, improve your life, and build up your team, goes straight to the idea graveyard, never to be heard from again.

The good news is that this happens to everyone, and it’s not your fault. You simply haven’t discovered the right framework to create action from great ideas and continuously improve your restaurant.

We have some principles for dealing with situations like these and some frameworks that will help you make operational realities out of your big ideas through the power of implementation.

 

To start, we use the Sync Proven Process:

 

 

The sequence is as follows:

 

1. We introduce a system for project management that makes working on your business a scheduled and natural part of your daily flow.
2. We create a simplified picture of the business by creating distinct buckets for each department, their responsibilities, and the teams responsible for carrying them out.
3. We use an alignment tool to help everyone understand that we’re all here to create outstanding guest experiences and make money while giving excellent service.
4. We use the meeting and project management tool to plan, the simplified picture of the business to focus, and the power of alignment to help the team understand why we’re making changes and how it benefits them, the restaurant, and the guest. Then we add technology, policy, or system to the business.
5. Now that we have built some momentum, we clearly define leadership roles and responsibilities and define our short, mid, and long-term goals with greater precision.
6. We then create a business scorecard of 5-15 key metrics or “leading indicators” that will help us understand the health of the business and the impact of our changes at a glance, and proactively, before the numbers hit the P&L (which is a “trailing indicator”).
7. Finally, we end in the Continuous Improvement Cycle which looks like this:

Using the foundation of the Sync Proven Process and the six simple tools represented by each tile in the diagram above, we firmly plant the business in a cycle of continuous improvement that revolves around setting goals, implementing changes, measuring and celebrating success, and repeating in specific intervals.

We teach our clients how to do this using Synergy U, our eLearning platform, and 1:1 coaching sessions.

If you’d like to learn more, reach out to mike@synergyconsultants.com today!

By Natasha Reta – Culinary Consultant

It’s not just about opening or closing; it’s maintaining operational excellence in your business throughout the day, but how do you do that? By implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs).  All SOPs should be organized per station and monitored by management. It should also be verified and checked periodically throughout the day to ensure that all items are completed as expected. This process must also include SOPs for recipe following. Closing and day-to-day service will require continuous review and discipline by management to incorporate and ensure best practices. The following are suggestions for added improvement of SOPs in your restaurant business.

 

• Go digital. Limit paper waste and keep staff accountable with online checklists and monitoring that is efficiently and quickly completed on a phone or tablet and alerts management of its completion.
• Clearly defined expectations. Expectations cannot be met without detailed guidelines shared with staff. Be sure your expectations as a business are clearly communicated to achieve a complete and thorough understanding with all team members.
• Close to Open for success. Digital checklists will keep staff aligned with essential tasks throughout the day. Be sure that closing and opening procedures are outlined step by step in a detailed timeline checklist to avoid confusion and any unforeseen safety issues. Some great examples of items to incorporate on these checklists:
  • Changing out insert pans and changing squeeze bottles, following FIFO standards and date labeling.
  • Verify equipment temperature and function with an Infrared Thermo Temp gun.
  • A line check form should be utilized to ensure all products are organized where they belong, taste, and look as they should, and each station is set up for success with the correct tools and items needed.
• Lastly, gentle, constant pressure and follow up to ensure staff follows the guidelines and expectations.

 

 

 

Without discipline, daily routine, and detailed organization, the business will constantly struggle to work at its peak performance levels. Need help developing or implementing SOPs to ensure operational excellence?  Reach out to Synergy today!

Going out to eat can be a unique form of entertainment in and of itself. The sights, smells, and sounds create a personal experience we have come to depend on for leisure activity. At least we did until March of 2020.

Restaurants reinvented themselves when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The brick-and-mortar eating out experience became compromised while drive-thru, delivery service, and online ordering became the new boom. Business didn’t stop. It just changed, and restaurants had to quickly implement the needed technology to keep up.

 

 

Omnichannel Marketing for Restaurants

Before the pandemic, restaurant loyalty programs were typically card-based and coupon-focused. These programs were single channeled and acted more like fun games than serious business features. When the pandemic hit, touchpoints to achieve customer satisfaction changed to assure restaurant loyalty in an uncertain landscape. One approach that restaurant owners implemented was called multichannel marketing. This system soon evolved into Omnichannel marketing, an automated marketing strategy that creates a brand’s presence across multiple online and offline channels. Using a website, mobile app, social media, email, SMS call center and store-level events, Omnichannel has seen a 250% increase in customer engagement and a 90% customer retention rate. Most important is Omnichannel’s positive and seamless customer experience, which keeps them returning.

 

Purchasing Behaviors

Investing in the importance of being at the top of customers’ minds became paramount to restaurant owners seeking loyal customers in the last two years. Owners had to be fluid in their approach to remain competitive. One way to achieve this was by mapping customers’ purchasing behaviors to create a purchasing journey. Offering rewards that matter to customers, such as secret menu items and exclusive dining options, proved to be one way to provide personalized experiences for specific customer profiles which, ironically, does not cost anything beyond the data mining. The future of loyalty programs exists in this space. It is unique, engaging, and customer-focused.

 

Venues

While data shows that 68% of consumers are more likely to purchase takeout from a restaurant now than before the pandemic, every restaurant is different. What assures loyalty to one may be different for the next. Aside from formal, digitally based loyalty programs, restaurant-goers have come to love outdoor venues. Greenhouse, garden areas, or other unique open-air settings are a sure draw for customer return. In addition, pure foods such as vegan choices and plant-based items keep customers coming back.

Although chain restaurants often have formal rewards programs, consumers can be influenced to choose one restaurant over another if it offers a pleasing and safe venue, comfort foods, or health-conscious dishes.

 

A Well-Trained Staff

All of these strategies won’t work unless you have a well-trained staff—one who will keep up with checklists, processes, and can maneuver when things get a bit hectic. That’s what Synergy Sync aims to do—helping easily train staff (even at multi-location restaurants) so they feel confident and can take ownership in their roles. A knowledgeable staff creates happy guests! Happy customers creates loyalty!

 

California has long been a bastion of art and culture. Want proof? Look no further than our restaurants. Eateries from the Golden State have changed the culinary world in more ways than one – and today, in honor of California restaurant month, let’s look at three CA restaurants that made our industry a little bit better.

The Brown Derby Created Cobb Salad

It’s the perfect summer dish: greens, tomato, chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, and Roquefort cheese, all tossed together for a tasty, refreshing lunch. These days, you can find a Cobb salad on just about every menu in the country – but this salad owes its roots to the famous California restaurant the Brown Derby.

 

 

In the 1920s, the Brown Derby was the hottest spot in LA for celebrity sightings, as it was a popular spot for studio execs and stars to grab a bite. And while the original Brown Derby no longer stands, owner Robert Cobb’s namesake salad has left an indelible (and delicious) mark on restaurants around the world.

In-N-Out Invented the Drive-Thru

Fast food has practically taken over the restaurant world today, offering convenience and quick, hot meals to folks on the go. So, who would believe that this game-changing idea was born in some quiet suburb in Baldwin Park? That’s exactly where Harry and Esther Snyder lived when they founded In-N-Out Burger.

 

In 1948, the Snyders built a small burger stand near their home and set up a drive-thru lane, complete with a two-way speaker Harry built himself. Before long the idea took off, with fast food companies like Wendy’s and Wienerschnitzel (another CA-based brand) incorporating the drive-thru into their buildings, too.

Chez Panisse Created “Cali Cuisine”

The 1970s marked the California “food revolution” – but it would never have happened without Alice Waters, owner of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse. Waters’ restaurant served Mediterranean cuisine, but she was passionate about using locally sourced and fresh ingredients. In her efforts to find the best produce California could offer, she inadvertently developed a network that restauranteurs and local farmers have been using for the past 50 years!

Without Chez Panisse, there is no “farm-to-table.” Without Chez Panisse, there is no “Californian cuisine.” And, due to the countless chefs who worked under her, without Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, the entire food industry would be a lot smaller.

California restaurants have hugely impacted on the culinary world, from the highest-rated restaurants to the greasiest of fast-food joints. So, this month, give the California food scene it is due and visit your favorite restaurant.

Looking for ideas to refresh your menu in 2022? Look to Synergy – we have over 30 years of experience working with restaurants large and small, independent and chains, to help create relevant menus that satisfy consumer tastes!

As we say goodbye to 2021 and ring in the new year, we want to take a look back at some of our favorite pieces that highlighted some trends and challenges the food industry saw over the past 12 months.

There were plenty of tough humps to leap over in 2021–from hiring issues to supply chain problems and a ton of COVID vaccination questions. On top of that, the pandemic had shifted consumer trends, expectations and tastes. Please review some of our articles below that outline these hot industry topics (along with potential solutions) so that hopefully this can prepare you and your team for a successful 2022.

 

Financial Reporting – A Key to Successful Business Practices

Supply Chain: Shortage in Food—How Can Restaurant Owners Cope?

Using Automation to Ease the Employee Shortage

What It Takes to Be an Outstanding Restaurant Manager

Upselling Tactics for New Menu Items

The Ultimate Essentials for your Restaurant Business Plan

Post-Pandemic Beverage Trends

Team Building and Appreciation

Meal Kits are Here to Stay

What People Want from their Restaurant Employer

by Natasha Reta – Culinary Consultant

Plantains, yes, the scary-looking banana everyone leaves at the market because its well-known cousin is much more popular in our modern-day America.  But in my travels over the years, I’ve found plantains to be much more of a regular daily staple in countries like Egypt, Colombia, and the latter part of the tropical Americas.  Most often used in mashes, as chips, baked and fried, plantains are paired with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  When the pandemic first hit and supplies ran low at our local supermarkets, to my surprise, the plantains remained on the shelves.  Perhaps we are just not accustomed to cooking these beastly-looking bananas. But with more Vitamin A, C, and B6 in each plantain, I’d say it’s time to add more plantains to our diet, and unless you’ve had experience with them, they can seem quite daunting a task to prepare.

So if you want to impress your friends and family this year, dazzle them with an appetizer that will catch eyes, thrill taste buds and entice audiences.  I like to make the ever so popular tostones, also known as patacones, often found in Colombian dishes.  These plantains are sliced into chips, fried once to soften, then fried again to crisp.  Serve with your favorite dip and enjoy.

I enjoy mine with chipotle aioli as the heat from chipotle pairs well with the earthy sweetness of the plantain. Follow the recipe below for a plateful of patacones.

 

Ingredients:

4 green plantains

2 cups frying oil (vegetable, peanut, safflower, or canola will do)

Salt

Process:

1. Pour oil into a deep cast-iron skillet, Dutch oven, or large, heavy bottom pot. Add about 2 cups or until your oil is about ½” deep. Heat over medium heat up to 375 degrees which may take 5-8 minutes.
2. While oil is heating, prepare your plantains. Trim off both ends and remove the peel. Slice plantain into ½” coins. Note: the peel does not remove as easily as a regular banana so prepare a sharp knife to slice lengthwise down through the peel.
3. Once the oil is ready, fry plantain coins until golden brown for about 2 minutes, occasionally flipping coins, so they do not stick.
4. Remove and allow oil to drain. Place coins on a board or sheet tray, smash and flatten each into a thinner chip. Do this while they are still warm and the exterior is still pliable.
5. Reheat oil to 375 degrees and fry again to crisp. Fry until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Allow the oil to drain slightly, do add salt while still warm and freshly drained from oil. The residual oil will help the salt stick to the plantain.
6. Transfer to a platter and serve with your favorite dip.
7. Nothing better than a hot chip on a cold night.

Start your new year off with an extra dose of vitamins disguised as a tasty chip! Looking to refresh your menu with globally-inspired ingredients?  Reach out to Synergy today!

By Shane O’Brien – Culinary Consultant

 

Restaurant life and hospitality are a lifestyle. Dedication and integrity are the strategies. Ambiance and experience are the tactics. In the coming year, as an operator, it is as vital as ever to lead with the narrative of; not simply “meeting” the guests’ expectations but rather exceeding them.

Once viewed as a symbol of status, providing an extravagant and opulent meal or experience is a holdover from Feudal times. Similarly, modern-day customers also want and expect more.

In short, your restaurant’s ambiance can be a critical driver in maximizing revenue.

A well-maintained restaurant allures guests.

A user-friendly digital experience is soothing and promotes loyalty with your customers.

Friendly and aware staff establishes trust and comfort with guests.

Current consumer trends bode well for added attention to this element. As reported by Nations Restaurant News, ambiance is not a dead language: “Top-performing brands in limited-service had ‘ambiance’ net sentiment that was 11 points more positive than the rest.”

Webster’s dictionary defines ambiance as ‘a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing.’

How often do you put yourself in the seat of your restaurant as a guest and truly and honestly examine that experience?

 

Some chefs have been known to audit their restaurants thoroughly. They will dine anonymously at their own establishment and fully digest and process the “reality” of their guests’ experience.

This exercise is a meaningful tool to witness the unfortunate missteps and can be used as an opportunity to grow.

Another tool is creating and implementing daily checklists geared towards maintaining your space and keeping your staff focused on the first line of “defense,” your ambiance.

Synergy Sync and Synergy U include many tools and services that can support operators in implementing checklists and systematizing procedures to help you maintain that ambiance once created.  Contact us, we would love to schedule a demo with you today!

Much has changed as we wrap up our second year of the pandemic. Vaccines are readily available, and things started to feel that they were back on track. However, new variants are causing the restaurant industry to continue to feel the impact through supply chain issues, staffing shortages, and reinstituted mask mandates in many areas. Whether running a fast-casual or full-service restaurant, the industry has had to innovate and adapt to survive. In conjunction with Wakefield Research, Square shared its data and strategies to shape the industry in 2022 in its Future of Restaurants report.

Contactless Ordering & Delivery is Here to Stay

As operators look for ways to improve the customer experience while meeting changing expectations, contactless ordering and payment options like digital QR-code menus and touchless payments will become mainstream in 2022. When thinking ahead, online ordering, delivery, and curbside pickup must be factored into all parts of the restaurant business.

 

Smart Restaurant Technology to Help Fill the Gaps

Restaurant operators are exploring technology that can help staff be more efficient. These solutions can help fill the gaps when they are short-staffed by automating customer payments and customer communications. Additionally, guests have started to embrace tech as a tool to enhance a more seamless experience. Digital options are now part of today’s restaurants and must be considered in current and future decisions.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Over 50% of restaurant owners added new products or services due to the pandemic, and we expect to continue into 2022. Offering subscriptions, grocery, merchandise, and meal and cocktail kits. David Rusenko, Head of eCommerce at Square, shares, “A restaurant-bar-store, might be a place that sells mixology classes, retail gear, and tastings in addition to serving patrons food and drinks.” We expect that using ghost kitchens with menus designed for off-premise customers will continue to be a growing segment.

Kitchen Automation & Shifting Restaurant Footprints

Streamlining kitchen operations can help deliver a consistent and quality guest experience, so operators should invest in digital technology to improve back-of-house systems and processes. According to Forbes magazine, “as off-premise dining remains popular, operators must rethink how the layout of their restaurant will work best for their business, staff, and customers. We will likely see more drive-thru setups, and virtually all brick-and-mortar restaurants will define specially designated areas for delivery drivers and consumers picking up their takeout orders.”

 

Direct Online Ordering

Many operators want to take charge of their online ordering and delivery, and we expect this will continue into 2022, with less reliance on third parties. This allows restaurants to control the entire guest experience from beginning to end. Consumers also want to skip the middle person and support the restaurant directly, rather than a third-party app. Direct ordering allows operators to maintain their customer’s data, which can help develop and deliver better marketing and loyalty programs. According to BentoBox, restaurants saved $38.5 million by switching to direct online ordering last year.

Rethinking Customer Engagement

Restaurant operators are developing creative ways to boost customer engagement and loyalty. Nearly 90% of operators plan to implement customer engagement initiatives focused on rewarding customer loyalty into 2022.

Importance of Community

Restaurants play a unique role in communities. Strong community ties translate to stronger connections with patrons, so we expect to see more investment in community service initiatives in 2022. This can include cooking for community service providers, donating food or money to community organizations, or offering support to local minority-owned businesses.

More Variety to Meet Consumers Evolving Appetites

Restaurant guests have been seeking a variety and new types of food choices, globally-inspired, healthy meals, and unique ingredients. Thanks to social media, specifically TikTok, which exposes people to new food ideas and spreads greater diversity, this trend will likely continue into 2022.

The new year allows restaurants to take what they’ve learned from 2021 and use it to drive their business forward into 2022. Have you adopted new technology, transformed your restaurant space, or responded to guests’ behavior changes? Need help preparing for the new era of dining? Synergy can help!

The last couple of years might have been a bit of a blur, but trends never seem to slow down. Food, especially, is an area we can all enjoy for comfort, taste, and health.

So what are consumer food and tastes trending towards in 2022?

Indoor Gardening and Ultra-Urban Farming

Whole Foods Market has asserted that hot food trends soon to hit your table include an assortment of natural and healthy foods.

You may not be surprised to learn that urban farming has grown in the last few years, allowing consumers to be more environmentally friendly by sourcing their fruits and vegetables locally. With supply-chain issues on the rise and the pandemic still a part of daily life, consumers are learning how to locate nearby farmers or grow their own food. Mushroom growing kits that allow you to cultivate expensive culinary mushrooms in the comfort of your own kitchen keep you healthy and well-fed.

Anyone can join urban farming! All you need is space and the curiosity to learn about aquaponics, hydroponics, and more. Being sustainable and environmentally sound, helps keep your kitchen stocked with perennial herbs, exotic mushrooms, and a personalized, curated indoor garden with your favorite veggies.

 

Look Forward to Fresh Fruit Flavors in 2022

Speaking of fresh, Beck Flavor’s Food Trends Report promises a rise in conscientious eating for better, healthier immune systems.

This doesn’t feel like a stretch considering the impact COVID continues to have globally.

Consumers seem to be shifting towards healthier foods with lower calories, less sugar, fewer preservatives, and less processing. We may see food trends that focus on fresh citrus flavors, immune-boosting vitamins, and botanical notes—all of which sound incredibly tasty and refreshing.

Cutting Down on Meat

You have likely noticed meat prices have gone up, which has inspired a movement known as Reducetarianism. This refers to the practice of cutting down on meat and animal products. The keyword is “reduce” because the goal isn’t to stop eating meat or become vegan.

Instead, you might consider only buying high-quality meats, seafood, cheeses, butter, etc. You can still enjoy your favorite meals, but on fewer occasions and with locally-sourced, highly-vetted ingredients.

Their goal is to “improve human health, protect the environment, and spare farm animals from cruelty by reducing societal consumption of animal products.”

As far as food trends go, this one seems conscientious and forward-thinking. The movement has gained a lot of followers, and maybe you are already one without realizing it. If you find yourself looking for pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed meat, raw milk—you’re already being intentional with what you buy.

Food and taste trends for 2022 seem to be more mindful and environmentally aware. This is a beautiful movement, and it’s inspiring to know that more and more consumers are concerned about the greater good. Look forward to more locally-sourced, high-grade foods in 2022!

If you operate a restaurant today, you NEED to be on social media. There are tons of popular social platforms online today, and they all provide you with a way to reach more guests (often for free)! Social media marketing can benefit your business, but only if you use it appropriately.

Have a Clear Brand Voice

Your restaurant has a distinct vibe: upscale, casual, romantic, family-friendly. The key to successful marketing is finding the guests who connect with your restaurant’s style, and social media gives you the freedom and the platform to do that.

Make sure you have a clear and consistent voice in all your videos, photo captions, and posts on social media. This consistency will help you and your ideal customers find each other over the world wide web.

Interact with Customers

While print ads, TV spots, social media, and other forms of marketing can help you reach a broad customer base, they don’t have the sticking power of great word of mouth. In fact, word of mouth is still the go-to method for choosing a restaurant for 53% of today’s diners!

Of course, you can only generate great word of mouth if you have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

And now, thanks to social media, you can provide customer service to guests even after they’ve left your dining room. If they leave a good review online, you can thank them for their patronage; you can reach out directly and make things right if they give a bad review. Responding to reviews is a great way to show guests that you care about their experience in your restaurant.

 

List Your Restaurant Address in Your Bio

One of the amazing things about social media is the reach a single post can have. If something “goes viral,” it’s often seen by people across the country or even worldwide! One great post could mean tons of potential new guests for your restaurant… so make sure they know where to find you!

Always include your contact information on your social media pages (ideally in the biography section). Make sure customers can easily locate your address, phone number, and website so they can move through the sales funnel from social media follower to regular diner!

Take Pictures of the Food!

This is one of the most important MUSTS for restaurant owners on social media: show everyone what you make! Pictures can make or break your social media presence AND your diners’ interests. More and more people are using sites like Instagram to decide where to eat, and your photos play a significant role in shaping their decisions.

 

Take your time and get beautiful, appetizing photos of your menu items. Stage them well, use good lighting, and really showcase your offerings. These tips will help you catch more eyeballs and garner more attention, which will inevitably help you fill your dining room every night.