Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

Episode #48 - I’ve noticed that many restaurants train their staff on service, but not Sales - Why? Think about sales as the lifeblood of your restaurant and Service and Sales naturally go together…you can’t have one without the other. And isn’t your goal to make as much money in your restaurant as possible? I hope so! Every day your restaurant gets new first time customers in the door that know n...

Drop whatever you’re doing and get this Free App now… Running a restaurant is the most challenging business I know.. so many details, so many hours… Its hard to stay organized until Now! You know I’m all about systems and efficiency to run a super profitable restaurant - so listen up. In today’s podcast I speak with Konstantin Zvereff from a company called BlueCart. The BlueCart platform is a one-...

Lots of restaurants hire in a pinch for the wrong reasons with the wrong approach. I see want ads all the time for desperate restaurants seeking experienced people... "Wanted Experienced Cook.. Experienced Server" - Why? Most of the time, these people usually don't work out - No wonder turnover is so high in the restaurant business. Instead, I always hired for personality, approach and a true desi...

In my last episode, my friend and fellow industry Pro Jaime Oikle of www.runningrestaurants.com suggested we ask our listeners for their most challenging questions. You responded and the Q & A session was super powerful. These questions apply to any restaurant and our answers will help you solve critical problems and significantly improve your operation. I think you'll really relate to the challen...

Listen as Jaime Oikle of Running Restaurants and I answer burning business questions submitted by restaurant owners.

When you eat out in other restaurants, if you’re anything like me you critique the operation - from food to service and ambiance… Funny how we can have a critical eye and think “I can do it better”! But in your own restaurant, do you regularly look at the thousands of details - essentially seeing what the guest sees? If not, you might have a fast-food approach… get them in , get them out and prese...

Today’s podcast episode features my very first Restaurant Rock Stars “ACADEMY” customer. Much like me 22 years ago, he quit a secure job to follow a distant dream to start his very first restaurant - WITHOUT any restaurant Experience! My guest in this cast, Mr. Colton Shoults is killing it in his first few weeks of business with lines out the door, a dedicated hard-working staff, happy customers s...

Multiple customers explain how Sales Stars has been an invaluable training tool for their waitstaff + servers.

I get it. As restauranteurs we think we’ve got it all covered, but a fresh perspective can really improve your operation. Don’t get so close to your restaurant to think that everything’s great - even if you’re busy. Take a few key members of your team, step outside and look at your restaurant from the guest’s perspective. Then, walk in the door, put your “customer hat” on and look at everything an...

This is a high-turnover business, but I’ve got the solution. Don’t hire another person in your restaurant til you listen to my latest episode. You can’t simply fill openings and forget about help-wanted ads… that’s the way to find average people, who will deliver average guest experiences, average food & drink and lead to nothing but problems in your restaurant. Instead focus on a new approach. Hi...

A “hook” is anything unique, different, eye-catching or appealing about the way you do business.. If you have really cool hooks and promote them well, there’s no stopping the power of your restaurant brand. Best of all, very few restaurants (your competitors) are doing this, so its a Competitive Advantage for you. Hooks are the “Key” to dazzling your customer and gaining their loyalty. When your c...

This is my most powerful Podcast yet… If you’re not willing to invest 1 hour in your business to dominate your competition, you might as well turn in your keys because there are easier ways to make money than the restaurant business. Do I have your attention? Good. Listen as I give away my secrets to Killing IT! Secrets I used to ring well over $1 Million in just 4-months a year in my seasonal res...

Here’s an easy & inexpensive way to create an amazing video that brings your restaurant to life for the customer even when they’re not in your restaurant. How powerful is that? You can demonstrate your food, service & ambiance… everything that makes your place special and get those customers in your door and coming back again and again. Its completely turn-key and I’ll show you how for $300 bucks....

Many restaurateurs HATE the numbers… some even avoid their finances completely, but I’m going to show you why this is a dangerous game. If your restaurant has a slow night or two a week, you have 3 choices: 1 Do nothing, Stay Open and drain your profits 2 Try a new promotion to boost business on these slow nights OR 3 CLOSE and go spend time with your family How do you decide? Listen as I walk you...

Many restaurants waste thousands of $$ on the shotgun approach of traditional marketing. Listen as Bar/Restaurant expert Nick Fosberg explains how persuasive lead-generating marketing can zero in on your most qualified new customers and keep them with a sniper approach. KEY-TAKEAWAYS: - “Systems” are the key to your success. You have a system if you can leave your business for a month or more and...

I get it - your restaurant has so many moving pieces, do you need another? YES! I’m talking about simplifying your business and your life so you run it and not the other way around. You’re probably already paying for multiple functions that you don’t have time for or can’t do yourself… but what if you had one system that ran your restaurant… inventory, cost controls, labor & scheduling, invoices.....

Every impression and detail in your restaurant impacts the guest experience and is lasting. Above all, you want your customer to be comfortable and let’s face it, you probably have wobbly tables in your restaurant. If your servers are anything like mine were, they probably place coasters or folded napkins under the table base for a quick fix. This is not only unsightly to the guest, but an annoyan...

Two important things to remember running restaurants: if you don’t stay ahead of your competition, you’ll get run over AND you can’t have too many profit centers. Listen as I interview Mo Sloane from EZ-CHOW, who demonstrates that online guest ordering is convenient for your guest and seamless in your restaurant. KEY-TAKEAWAYS: * The world is online 24/7 and lives on their smartphones * Systems au...

You’re in the thick of your restaurant… I get It! So many details, so much to worry about… Staffing, Service, Marketing, Food… the all-important Cost Controls - but how do you keep your staff and customers happy? Here’s your answer. Know that “systems” are the key to freeing your time and your success… you have a system if you can leave your business for a week, a month or more and when you return...

For 20 years, I was a member of my state restaurant association and for two terms I served on its Board of Directors. This was a wise decision as I turned to their expertise numerous times over the years on challenging issues affecting my business and I was able to mentor and assist other restaurateurs in improving their businesses. For a small yearly investment, your State Restaurant Association...

- You have 1 Chance to make a positive Impression in your restaurant and impressions are lasting - Train your staff to NOTICE. To See what the guest sees, feels & experiences in your restaurant and empower them to FIX what’s broken - There are 12 “Key-Guest Contact Points” in every restaurant, from the parking lot, throughout your common areas to the all-important “Thank You’s & Welcome Back” - Sy...

Riff #28 Eric Cacciatore Of Restaurant Unstoppable - Why I Surround Myself With Industry Leaders by Roger Beaudoin

As owners and managers, we all get to sample the menu, but how often do you sit down as a customer? Why? Its our nature to spend all our time on the floor and in the kitchen taking care of the details of running our restaurants, but unless we regularly dine as “customers”, we miss what the guest experiences. Listen as I explain the game-changing advantage of this approach. There’s no better way to...

Systems are all-important in your restaurant… they simplify, keep you organized, save time & money, but the industry has been slow adapters to technology. Inventory, Ordering & Invoices are otherwise laborious tasks that are a necessary evil. They need to be done, but no-one likes to do it, so many restaurants forego these critical operating procedures at their peril. Now there’s a simple answer a...

You are insanely busy and your restaurant appears really popular but is is Crazy Profitable? Work smarter not harder! Many restaurants give more thought to their menu’s customer appeal than their profits, especially when changing menus frequently. Menu items can be popular, profitable or both; but in many cases restaurants wonder why their place is busy, but they’re not making much money. The answ...