FSR magazine April 2018

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Service ing systems to inventory management programs to digital ordering devices— full-service restaurants are increasingly rolling out customer-facing innovations that mirror those sweeping across their limited-service counterparts. But technology can sometimes go too far. TouchBistro founder and CEO Alex Barrotti pointed to a restaurant that invested deeply in table-top hologram technology that projected a virtual server in front of diners. The gizmo had little utilitarian purpose and, he says, that restaurant ultimately failed. “If you implement technology for the sake of technology, I think it’s always the wrong approach,” he says. “Technology should solve a problem or an issue.” TouchBistro offers its POS system on iPads, which can be used like traditional mounted systems. Or, servers can take the devices tableside—an option that about 10 percent of customers choose. Some restaurants are still wary of customers balking at the iPads on the table. Others worry that servers will struggle to make eye contact, thus compromising their service. But Barrotti says most fears are unwarranted. “I never see that,” Barrotti says. “It takes less time to tap on one item than to write down ‘chicken primavera’ or ‘chicken parmesan.’ … A lot of these are misconceptions or stigmas that aren’t really happening in the real world.” On the iPad, TouchBistro’s app portrays each diner as a different colored chair around the table. Servers enter orders directly by tapping the chair images, which simplifies the bill-splitting process. It also speeds up service since orders for drinks or appetizers are transmitted instantly to the kitchen or bar, even as the server is still moving around a table. The system can decrease errors by avoiding penmanship issues. And it automatically prompts questions about side dishes or meat temperatures, avoiding those awkward trips back to the table. “There are less errors. There’s no transcribing at all. You’re taking the order right from the customer’s mouth and putting it into the computer,” says Brian Firenze, co-owner of Baltimore’s Ristorante Firenze. The upscale Italian restaurant has used TouchBistro’s tableside option since it opened three years ago. “To most of the public now, the presence of an iPad is not that bizarre. Everybody has them. In fact, just about every child that comes in has one.” He adds that his only concern was the longevity of the devices. After all, tablets were not designed to be commercialgrade, which could make them vulnerable in foodservice environments. Durable cases and a few replacement tablets over the years have assuaged those fears. While Firenze believes the tablets make the operation more efficient, they are no replacement for great customer service. All the basics—smiling, eye contact, and treating customers well—still apply. “This certainly does not replace human interaction,” he says. “The fact that they have a tablet in their hand versus a piece of paper in their hand, to me, is trivial.” The digital solution, though, did come with one drawback, Firenze says. The restaurant has avoided the pay-at-the-table option. Instead, it delivers checks in the traditional fashion; they’re printed at a station and left at a table, rather than swiped on the iPad at the table. The reason? Firenze says the tipping process becomes awkward when the server is standing right there. Still, on the whole Firenze says staff and customers alike have adapted to the technology well. So well that he can’t understand why so few sit-down restaurants have made similar moves. “I think it’s still fairly rare, and I’m surprised by that,” he says. “I think the concerns are overblown. And our experience is that we basically get zero pushback.” ziosk devices prove helpful for larger groups as guests can order drinks and appetizers without flagging down a server. the tablet’s questionnaire also provides feedback for brand leaders like chef luis sanchez at abuelo’s (right). Abuelo’s 76 April 2018 FOODNEWSFEED.cOm
Finance By Jessie szAlAy The F&B Bookkeepers Accountants specializing in restaurants can help solve the financial equation. Simon BateS Compared to the more glamorous aspects of running a restaurant— experimenting with new dishes, cultivating the perfect ambiance, recruiting top talent—bookkeeping is perhaps the duty restaurateurs are most loath to do. But seeking professional expertise in the form of an accountant who specializes in the restaurant industry can make all the difference. At least that was the case for Codi Bates, a Lawrence, Kansas–based restaurateur who owns Bon Bon, a bistro that serves dishes based on her world travels, and a two-unit fast casual with her husband, Simon, called The Burger Stand. Bates works with Mize Houser & Company, a multi-location Kansas accounting firm with a specialized restaurant group. Without them, her concepts wouldn’t be the successes they are today, she says. “They’ve helped us grow from one restaurant to three. They understand our industry, which is such a wonderful one, but it changes often and you have to constantly adapt, and our accounting partnership is constantly adapting,” she adds. While working with a specialized accountant is important for restaurants of all sizes and types, it is especially essential for independent restaurants and small regional chains that are less likely to have in-house accounting teams. “The small restaurant really doesn’t For restaurateur Codi Bates (aBove) and her husBand, simon, working with an aCCounting Firm that speCializes in F&B has Been key to their suCCess. have time for the accounting function,” says Sean Dawson, CPA and tax shareholder at Mize Houser. “They’re more worried about staffing and food costs and the menu so the last thing they have time for is accounting.” If operators run the numbers in a distracted state, problems with cash flow and taxes can arise, says Kristin Wing, marketing program manager at Mize Houser. Depending on a client’s needs, restaurant accountants can handle financials like accounts payable and payroll, or they can double-check the numbers that the staff inputs. Either way, potentially mistakes can be averted. Big chains often have more resources provided by corporate. Smaller operators have to find their own service providers, like banks, investors, and lawyers, Dawson says. They also have to determine the correct legal structure for their restaurants. Helping source these professionals and answering these questions are services restaurant accountants provide that operators may not be aware of, he adds. Bates particularly loves how her restaurant accountants can find specific numbers and create projections that illuminate how the business is doing and how different situations could affect it. Nine years ago, she and Simon started The Burger Stand in the back of a bar and attempted to run the financials on their own, relying on QuickBooks. After a year, they realized an accountant was in order and, when they began working with Mize Houser, saw a huge difference. The accountants found numbers FOODNe WsFeeD.cOm april 2018 77
Page 1 and 2:
NO. 53 FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANTS : S
Page 3 and 4:
April 2018 No. 53 ® 38 46 Fresh ta
Page 5 and 6:
Fries, reimagined. (It’s amazing
Page 7 and 8:
The Brand ShINES ON. The Stands Alo
Page 9 and 10:
Idaho ® Potato Pairings Idaho® Po
Page 11 and 12:
EVERY VINE TELLS OUR STORY SUSTAINA
Page 13 and 14:
First course thinkstock Versatile c
Page 15 and 16:
Find your Ispirazione Italiana What
Page 17 and 18:
Two-Way Radios bring more to the ta
Page 19 and 20:
IngredIents Middle Eastern and Medi
Page 22 and 23:
Master’s Reserve ® Renewal cut
Page 24:
CHEFS & INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS Mov
Page 27 and 28: Trending Chefs & i ngredienT s Reim
Page 29 and 30: SponS ored content How Kitchen Equi
Page 31 and 32: Custom Savory Sauces The only limit
Page 33 and 34: Prepare To Fry Your Best. 1 2 3 4 5
Page 35 and 36: l iquid i ntelligenC e W ine people
Page 37 and 38: Liquid i nteLLigence Beer ThinksToc
Page 39 and 40: SPONSORED CONTENT COURTESY OF FABIO
Page 41 and 42: MARLA MARTINEZ PARTICIPATES IN THE
Page 43 and 44: COMPETITIONS Chef Lance Nitahara, a
Page 45 and 46: COMPETITIONS LUCID COCKTAIL CLASSIQ
Page 47 and 48: their businesses,” Yeagy says. Th
Page 49 and 50: MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE THINKSTOCK R
Page 51 and 52: Middle eastern Cuisine nature funky
Page 53 and 54: ShakShuka iS perhapS the moSt iconi
Page 55 and 56: Wealthy families might slaughter a
Page 57 and 58: Choosing a new location in another
Page 59 and 60: REAL ESTATE Paige HosPitality grouP
Page 61 and 62: REAL ESTATE rants will always be ou
Page 63 and 64: REAL ESTATE rant, which doesn’t l
Page 65 and 66: Trending on the Menu April 2018 //
Page 67 and 68: The inventor & world leader in food
Page 69 and 70: Custom Deert Sauces Sooooo sweet! F
Page 71 and 72: REVENOW ENGAGE New Guests • INCRE
Page 73 and 74: Check out FSR’s website, Food New
Page 75 and 76: OUTDOOR WALK-IN COOLERS&FREEZERS EN
Page 77: Service By Kevin Hardy A More Human
Page 81 and 82: What Do All These Highly Successful
Page 84: Convenience never tasted this good!
show all

FSR magazine April 2018

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?