Key Success Factors for the Restaurant Industry

The restaurant industry is a highly competitive industry. Knowing and understanding your business and implementing key success factors could help give you that competitive advantage. Here is a list of critical success factors by rank. Is it any surprise that happy employees are the most important factor to success? If the employees are happy, the guest will be happy too. Of course it helps if you also have a good product. Check out the rest of the list:

Critical Success Factor:

1. Employee attitude 
2. Guest satisfaction (Service)
3. Superior product
4. Great location
5. Maximize revenue/Cost control
6. Increase market share
7. Increase customer price-value perception
8. Achieve market segmentation

Key to success

Here is a more detailed list of the key success factors for the restaurant industry. 

How many of them are you doing?

• Hire reliable employees. A business is only as good as its employees!

• Gain a competitive advantage through cost or differentiation

• Measure and incorporate tactics into scripts to increase check averages. For example, "would you like to start off with a soup or salad?"

• Measure and control waste in the kitchen

• Know your busy and slow time and schedule the staff accordingly

• Portion control: not too much or too little

• Know your price points

• Benchmarking: know what your industry norm is and where you sit in relation to it

• Calculate your labor costs as % of Sales

• Have an extensive team training / induction program to ensure skills are shared

• Mystery shop your restaurant, measuring service is so important

• Invite guests to come back, offer free meals on birthday or bring a friend promotions

• Solicit guest referrals

• 80/20 Rule - find out what actually sells based on $ and promote items that are selling and delete the ones that are not.

• Measure # transactions/repeat custom, loyalty cards work well for this

• Kitchen system: Set-up for efficiency. Ensure everything has its place and is put away when finished with.

• Ordering system: have a standard checklist of items for purchase with minimum restocking levels that is checked prior to ordering

• Set up sections for efficiency, standardize the way tables are set, table arrangement, seating order and who is to cover what area

• Sanitation: Keep the restaurant clean.

• View things from the customers eye including: Parking availability, street appeal and signage, and guest perception when seated

• Build a database so you can communicate with your customers, offer a membership card in exchange for their details and keep in-touch with them a minimum of every 90 days

• Implement social media marketing through Facebook and Twitter. Allow your guests to talk about their experience and interact with them on a personal level. Use social media to create excitement on new menu rollouts and special promotions.

• Loyalty program: create Membership with a card and entice guest to come back often!

There you have it!! The key success factors for the restaurant industry. Doing these key success factors will help bring in guest and keep them coming back for more.

Standing Out at Work

6 MOST PROMOTED TRAITS BY EMPLOYERS

1. Audacity: The courage to think BIG, show initiative, and take risk for a dream while facing the possibility of failure.
2. Likability: Possessing the attractive attitudes and relational skills that cause others to want to work with you.
3. Capacity: Potential for growth, the desire to keep learning so you can increase in competence and handle greater responsibility. 
4. Reliability: Earning the trust of others by always keeping your promises and fulfilling your responsibilities, even if it requires sacrifice.
5. Loyalty: Being faithful to your boss when difficulty test your commitment.
6. Integrity: Practicing in secret the values and beliefs you claim to hold in public. Do not compartmentalize your life.

Implementing these traits will help you SHINE at work!

S-Step out in faith (Audacity)

H-Help others succeed (Likability)

I-Improve myself daily (Capacity)

N-Never make excuses (Reliability)

E-Eliminate gossip (Loyalty)

S-Safe guard your life (Integrity)

Lets Connect!

I am looking to build my professional network with passionate, like-minded professionals.

Together we can make a difference!

I want to acknowledge and thank Rick Warren (2012) for these awesome words of wisdom!

Welcome to the Hospitality Industry Geek

Hello,

My name is Chris (Sid) Maples and this is my new blog. I have been wanting to do a blog for a while now but wasn't sure on what. The last two years I have been working on a bachelors degree in business and I am now two classes away from graduating. I chose the business degree because of its flexibility to move into other industries plus it compliments my current career. I have always said that I was going to keep my options open and was open to leaving the industry if the right opportunity presented itself. As I progressed through the bachelors program I applied my studies to the hospitality industry and I finally realized:

1. I love what I do! You have to love it to do it for 22 years.
2. I haven't reached full capacity, there is so much more I can learn.
3. I would be a fool to walk away from all the experience that I have. 

For the last 22 years I have been working in hotels and restaurants as a bartender. What I love about the hospitality industry is I have a job that allows me to have a positive impact in people's daily lives. I also love how the service and hospitality industry has grown over the years. Even after 22 years I am more focused and passionate then ever about the hospitality industry and motivated to continue to learn and grow.

What you can expect here at Hospitality Industry Geek is everything hospitality. There isn't a topic that is safe. If I can relate it to hospitality then it may be covered and there isn't much that I can't relate to hospitality. For me hospitality is about self-improvement, serving others, living life to the fullest, food, wine, cocktails, traveling, creating memorable moments and making the most of each day.

I will cover topics like:

• Food and Wine pairing
• Controlling Prime Costs (liquor, food, and labor) 
• Leadership and Management styles
• Marketing, Promotions, and Social Media Essentials
• Product and Restaurant reviews
• Customer Service
• Restaurant Operations

I am going to stop right there because this list can go on and on. You will have to come back to see what I am serving up. So thank you for stopping by and please come again!