By Elizabeth Godsmark

Atlantic Publishing

 

 

Bartender Theft: Top Ten Ploys

Controlling theft behind the majority of bars is no mean task; eliminating it altogether is virtually impossible. Temptation is a fine thing, and unfortunate­ly, the opportunity for bartender theft is overwhelming. However, in the interests of long-term survival, you have no choice but to tackle the problem head on. Be wary of the following top-ten common ploys:

 

Less Common (But Equally Damaging) Employee Theft

The more experienced the dishonest employee, the better equipped he or she is to manipulate the system. Thieving members of staff are quick to detect exactly how much an owner really understands about the business. In the beverage industry, take nothing for granted. Alert yourself to the following, somewhat extreme, possibilities.

• Reusing closed tabs. The bartender appears to ring up the drink price but, in actual fact, only halfway enters the tab into the register. He or she then hits "0" to give the impression of ringing it in.

• Over-ringing. When the customer isn't looking, the thief over-rings an amount on the tab and then re-rings the tab for less than the amount charged.

• "Paid outs." The bartender claims that the money was refunded for various reasons, such as faulty cigarette machines.

• Jigger substitution. The bartender brings in his own shot glass that looks identical to the official jigger but is actually smaller. Several short measures over a shift add up

• Changing shifts. It is easy for the thief to make, serve and collect several drinks during a busy "hand-over" period.

• Deliberate mistakes. Drinks are then returned and resold or given to a friend.

• Breaking empty bottles and pretending they were full. Full bottles are then requisitioned to replace the "broken" empty bottles.

Substituting water in the drip tray. The bartender pretends he or she had to waste a pint to clear the lines and then pockets the difference.

 

This article is an excerpt from the Food Service Professional Guide to Controlling Liquor Wine & Beverage Costs, authored by Elizabeth Godsmark, published by Atlantic Publishing Company. This excerpt has been reprinted with permission of the publisher. To purchase this book go to:

Atlantic Publishing Company
Amazon.com

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2011

BARTENDER THEFT:

Crescent ‘No Lawyers’ Bar & Grill embezzler Kristi L. Hurles gets 14 years

A longtime worker financially crippled the owners of the Crescent through her many thefts.

• BY KATY MOELLER 

A longtime Boise business owner wept in Fourth District Court Thursday morning as she told a judge about the damage inflicted by a former employee who prosecutors say embezzled more than $155,440.

“She did about the worst thing that someone could do to another human being,” Crescent “No Lawyers” Bar & Grill owner Jody Morrison told Judge Darla Williamson. “She took our trust and feelings for her, and she took the ultimate advantage.”

“She stole more than money,” Morrison said. “She stole our hearts as well.”

Kristi L. Hurles, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft. She was sentenced to 14 years in prison and must serve at least two years before she’s eligible for parole. She received credit for 85 days served.

Williamson said Hurles also must pay full restitution of $204,174.61, including attorney’s fees of $48,734.61.

Hurles had worked at Jody and Butch Morrison’s bar and grill for more than 20 years off and on, doing bartending, serving and some bookkeeping.

Her last year as an employee was in 2009, and she was charged with two felony grand theft counts last fall. As part of a plea deal, one count was dropped.

Prosecutors say Hurles —known to bar patrons as “Cookie” — stole money by taking business checks intended for business accounts and cashing them.

Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Shawna Dunn said the Morrisons gave Hurles bonuses and a retirement account, while the highly trusted employee stole from them over and over again.

Dunn said in court that Hurles had filed bankruptcy three times and had refused to bring her lifestyle in line with her income. The Statesman was able to confirm only one filing, in 2010.

Hurles, dressed in a purple jail jumpsuit, expressed remorse in court.

“I totally apologize for everything I did to the Morrisons. They were a good family,” Hurles said. “It was a hard time. And, no, I did not take money for the whole 25 years, like you guys are saying I did.”

“I took about 14 months,” she said. The crimes that she was prosecuted for occurred between 2005 and 2010.

Hurles tried to speak directly to the Morrisons in court, but they looked away.

“Please look at me, I’m telling the truth,” she implored the couple.

Hurles’ attorney Charles Crafts pleaded for leniency, arguing that his client had no prior criminal record, has strong family and community support and wants to re-pay the money she stole.

In handing down the sentence, Williamson said Hurles had essentially established a criminal record when she stole repeatedly from her employers.

The judge said the substantial amount of money that Hurles stole affected not only the Morrisons — who drained a retirement account, tapped their savings and ran up credit card debt to keep their business open — but the 30 employees whose jobs were jeopardized, or who didn’t get raises or other compensation.

“Your honor, I didn’t steal a large amount of money,” Hurles said, interrupting the judge.

Williamson told Hurles that she made hard economic times even harder for those around her.

“I think that punishment is important in this case,” Williamson said. “It’s got to send a message to other employees.”

Hurles has 42 days to appeal.

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2011

Defense Attorneys win dram shop case because their client had proper safe guards in place and a good system of care for alcohol service. This verdict specifically exemplifies the need for good alcohol servicng policies and procedures. If they DID'T have this in place, then they most likely would have suffered $5,000,000.00 in damages (see red below).

DRAM SHOP NON-AWARD:

Hartline Dacus Attorneys Win Defense Verdict for Adult Entertainment Company

This jury trial ended in victory for the Defendant after attorneys of the firm successfully defended a publicly traded adult entertainment establishment in a case involving an automobile-pedestrian accident that resulted in the death of a 43 year-old man.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) June 30, 2011

Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP today announced a jury trial victory after attorneys Darrell Barger, Brian Rawson and Stephanie Roark successfully defended their client in a two week Dram Shop liability trial in Harris County, Texas. The client is a publicly traded adult entertainment establishment with nightclubs in major markets across the U.S. According to court documents, the case involved an automobile-pedestrian accident that resulted in the death of a 43 year-old man in 2007. The driver of the vehicle was an adult entertainer, who was driving home from work at the defendant’s nightclub when the accident occurred. She had a blood-alcohol level almost four times the legal limit, and eventually pled guilty to felony intoxication manslaughter. Relatives of the victim filed suit against the nightclub, alleging the defendant was negligent in continuing to serve alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person, and then allowing her to drive home from the defendant’s establishment.

“While we certainly feel a great deal of sympathy for the family of the victim in this tragic accident, we were confident that our client had not been negligent in this situation. We knew we needed to mount a strong defense to prove that the company played no part in the criminal actions of this independent contractor,” said Darrell Barger, a partner in the Corpus Christi office of Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP.  The jury heard testimony from a variety of expert witnesses and was presented with a reconstruction of the accident. The plaintiff’s counsel claimed the victim experienced unimaginable conscious pain and suffering when he was struck by the entertainer’s vehicle and asked the jury to award $5 million plus punitive damages to the family of the victim.

Defense counsel argued that their client had safeguards in place to prevent serving alcohol to someone obviously intoxicated, as well as to prevent their patrons from driving under the influence of alcohol. The defense also brought in expert witness to establish that alcohol played no role in the accident. After hearing testimony from both sides, the Harris County jury of seven men and five women deliberated and returned a verdict for the defense on June 15, 2011.

SOURCE: Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP

Cause Number: 2009-07180
Court: 334th Judicial District Court, Harris County, Texas

Sunday, February 27 2011

The Restaurant Blog

By John Foley

Fraud, missing cash, disappearing draft beer, and voided Vodka sales are all signs you may have a few unprofessional employees.

One perplexing observation: You can't assume your most professional employees are necessarily the most honest. True career professionals are honest. But there are also employees who seem professional but only have their own best interests in mind.

Any time you mix cash, booze, and food and leave the items unsupervised or unlocked you are going to have some degree of problems. If you add opposite sexes into the mix -- with even the slightest attraction towards each other -- it is the perfect formula for a party. It's just human nature. Owners need to accept the responsibility to address the problem.

Here are ten tips to help curb employee theft and fraud.

1). Announce your position on theft early on. During the first employee interview make sure you let potential employees know that you have a section in your employee manual dealing with theft. They need to read it and initial it. Simply stated – you prosecute. Now, do you send someone to the crowbar hotel for eating a steak? Probably not. But if they just happen to take a whole rib-eye out in the nightly bag of garbage and return later to pick it out of the dumpster, bye-bye.

2). Credit card fraud in any amount is considered a felony, and you will immediately call the police. Today, nothing is worse than being intentionally double-charged for a meal on a credit card. It revokes the trust the customer had with the restaurant and the employees.

3). Inventory is the road to financial success. Lock your liquor room. Take complete product inventory weekly. Keep a perishable list and have someone inspect the product before it is tossed and listed.

4). Your staff is not part of your family. I know this hurts, but it is true. You cannot be "one big happy family" and expect to succeed. Become a team -- winning teams work together. Families can be completely dysfunctional, and they are still a family. Families share everything in the refrigerator, the liquor cabinet, and the spare change.

Say it…"T E A M."

5). Only the house buys drinks. If you ever hear a bartender say, "This one's on me," fire them. They are working for themselves. You bought the booze wholesale; you deserve credit for the complimentary cocktail.

6). The staff meal. Everyone needs to eat.. The staff meal consists of whatever the chef wants to make within your guidelines. Set a time the staff can come early or stay late. And everyone eats the same meal -- no exceptions.

7). Do not under any circumstances allow your staff to drink at the bar after work. It seldom ends in one drink, and eventually it will cost you a lot of money, a server or two, and possibly your liquor license. Feeling gracious? Give them the money for a drink next door.

8). Have a secret shopping customer. Make sure it's a regular and someone you can trust. Have them come in on occasion to eat, drink, and spy. Pick up the tab. It will be worth it.

9). Short of silverware? Is all that being thrown away? Inventory it – quarterly.

10). It's The Art of War. Read it. If you find someone stealing, termination is a must. Bring up the incident, not the person, at your next pre-shift meeting. State your theft policy again. Drive the point of prosecution home.

BARTENDER THEFT:

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010

 

Valley eateries profit from adding nightlife

by Kellie Hwang - Feb. 6, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

At 7:30 p.m. on a Friday, the dining room at Canteen Modern Tequila Bar on Tempe's Mill Avenue is packed with groups of stylish young people. Servers hustle out Latin fare, and indie rock plays in the background.

At 11 p.m., the dining room is still packed, but with gyrating couples. Sexy scruffy bartenders rapidly fire off tequila shots and a DJ plays Top 40 dance tunes, from Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" to "Raise Your Glass" by Pink.

In increasing numbers, this is the newest face of Valley nightlife, with a small-but-growing percentage of restaurants converting into dance clubs. As the effects of the recession linger, restaurateurs are working harder than ever to get the most profit out of their buildings.

"A lot of this is mandated by a poor economy," said James Spiers, senior lecturer of marketing at Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. "Restaurants that were cruising along all of a sudden now had to think, and be creative. 'How can I survive? What else can I do?' So they tried to utilize the time they wouldn't be open and offer something specialized, whether it's dance nights or cooking classes."

At Canteen, it's working.

"We had planned to have DJs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from the get-go, but we didn't expect it to catch on as quickly as it has," owner Julian Wright said.

Wright said his profits have doubled since opening, and nightlife sales are growing more quickly than dinner.

"We need to transition gently," Wright said. "We slowly start turning the music up in the bar areas from 9:45 to 10:45, and keep it down in the dining room. By 10:45, we put the pedal to the metal."

The idea of restaurants transitioning into dance spots has been around as long as owners have paid rent or mortgages. But owners are getting much more strategic.

Many Latin and Mediterranean restaurants, such as Pepin in Scottsdale and the Olive Branch in Tempe, host salsa nights. Lessons start after dinner, followed by DJ'd salsa dancing until 2 a.m.

The dance night must match the restaurant's concept, and must be marketed as an extension of the brand, said Donna Hood Crecca, publisher and editorial director at Nightclub & Bar.

"You can't just throw up a dance floor, bring in a DJ and expect the guests to flow in the front door," Hood Crecca said.

In Phoenix, Heinrich Stasiuk started throwing late-night dance parties at his restaurant, Black Forest Mill, in 2009. The DJ-driven parties were runaway successes that made up in liquor sales what Stasiuk was missing in slumping food sales.

When he opened the Brick Pizzeria & Wine Bar in downtown Phoenix in 2010, Stasiuk brought along the concept. Brick has a lounge feel even during lunch, so staff just move tables and switch on mood-setting blue lights to create the Cheap Thrills atmosphere. The party routinely packs the restaurant.

"The night has exceeded my expectations," Stasiuk said. "With the amount of volume we do in liquor sales, it's like adding another day."

 

Stasiuk then launched a jazz night at his Sedona restaurant, Ken's Creekside American Bistro.

As general manager at the District American Kitchen and Wine Bar at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, Stasiuk introduced Valley DJs on Friday nights; the party is still strong.

"Any restaurant can do it," Stasiuk said. "They just have to do it right."

But it takes a lot to lure dancers into a spot used for dining.

In 2008, Lyte Lounge & Bistro in Old Town Scottsdale served sophisticated dishes from celebrated chef Justin Chacon by day, and by night became a beat-bumping club with bottle service. It closed after a year.

"I really believed in the idea and thought it had a decent following," Chacon said. "But maybe it was too far out. . . . And then the economy just ran it down."

Even now, managers struggle.

Primebar at Scottsdale Quarter hosts bands and DJs every weekend on the dining room's oversize stage.

"When we first started, we had a few bands that did detriment to our business," said bar manager Sean Snelling. "So we try to change it up on Fridays, and have a contract with EastonAshe on Saturdays, who are one of the more popular cover bands in town."

The concept can be pricey and time-consuming, but worth it financially.

At Tuscan Oven in Glendale's Westgate City Center, general manager Cody Lewien not only hires DJs on Friday and Saturday nights, but hosts a ladies night on Wednesdays, salsa dancing on Thursday and an industry night on Sundays. To make the transition, candles are lit and staff members change into dressier ensembles - corsets for waitresses, suits for doormen.

Now the late nights account for 40 to 50 percent of the restaurant's profits.

"In the environment we are in financially, we have to do a lot of different things to diversify, and to maintain and keep guests coming in," Lewien said.

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

Kristine G. Bottone - LA Bartender Examiner

November 3rd, 2009

I’ve stated this before, all bartenders steal. The theft could range anywhere from having an extra shift drink, heavy pouring, giving away more than the allotted amount of comps to get bigger tips or pilfering glassware, napkins, toilet paper or other bar supplies. Bar owners are well aware of this and accept it as one of the hazards of the bar business. But when the bar begins to lose profits, it’s gone too far.

The idea is to prevent in house theft before it starts. Surveillance cameras in bars is a growing trend and is a good way to cut back on theft but not always as effective as a bar owner might hope. The view of the cameras, depending on their location, can be limited and will only tell part of the story. If you’re an honest worker then it won’t matter where the cameras are. But bartenders looking to steal will find a way to avoid detection. This is when bar owners use another theft detection method called Spotters.

Spotters are essentially secret shoppers who come into the bar to spy on employees, mostly bartenders. They’ll sit at the bar and observe, watching the bartender for signs of theft or misconduct. Most reputable Spotter services employee former bartenders who are quick to pick up on scams that would go unnoticed by a regular customer. Spotters are often equipped with hidden cameras and record every exchange of a bartender suspected of stealing. At the end of their visit they’ll review the video and present their findings to the owner. Depending on what the tapes reveal the bartender could wind up with a warning or immediate termination. In some cases where the bartender has been caught stealing money outright charges have been pressed and the evidential tapes held up in court.

Some bar owners choose a Spotter service because the company boasts that they employ retired cops. While that may look good on paper, 9 times out of 10 they have no idea what they’re looking for. They’ll hone in on “suspicious behavior” but a lot of things a bartender does behind the bar can be misconstrued or deemed suspicious. Cash over rings are a perfect example. Instead of complicating the matter further by trying to find a manager to void it; bartenders usually make up the difference over the next couple of cash sales. The money goes into the register but they don’t ring it up until they make up the difference. This can easily be misinterpreted as ‘padding’ the register.

Bar owners have also been known to send friends and family into their establishment to spy on employees. They’ll offer them free food and drink in return they report what they see. Again, this leads to the issue of the Spotters not knowing what they’re looking for or at for that matter. Sometimes friends and family Spotters feel compelled to embellish the truth of something negative in order to justify what they ate and drank on the owner’s dime. True story: I was working full time at a bar, going to school full time and interning at a radio station. One night behind the bar my energy level wasn’t what it normally was and a customer asked if I was OK. I said I was fine, just a little tired and left it at that. The customer later asked why I was tired. I simply told him work, school, an internship and not enough nearly caffeine. That was that, or so I thought. The next day I got a call from the owner telling me that a Spotter, a friend of his, reported that I complained to him that I was tired. I was able to recall the entire exchange perfectly, pointing out that the Spotter failed to mention that he asked what was wrong and why I was tired, other wise I never would have mentioned it. He also failed to mention that he spent the majority of the night hitting on women and buying them drinks. It was never brought up again nor did I ever see the face of that Spotter in the bar after that night.

For the most part bartenders are hard working and straightforward people. It’s only a handful of dishonest self serving bartenders that give the rest a bad name. In all my years of bartending I have found that if the bar is making money and the bartender isn’t then the bartender needs to reevaluate their work ethic. If the bartender is making money and the bar isn’t, it’s safe to assume the bartender is stealing. Slow nights aside, if the bartender is doing their job well then the bartender and the bar both make money.

BARTENDER THEFT:

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010

By Gregory Scott McGuire

A bar spotter, or "nightclub secret shopper," is a person sent into a bar by the owner or manager to conduct a secret quality control review of bar staff.  Spotters carefully observe bartenders and other employees, watching for telltale signs of theft and misconduct.  Most spotters were once bartenders themselves, and understand the industry and how it works.  Many companies across the U.S. have sprung up in recent years to meet the rising demand of restaurants and bars for spotters.

The worst thing a bartender can do is give away drinks for free by never ringing up the sale or just pocketing the cash.  Only about 10% of bartenders are caught stealing, however.  Most bar owners get a lot more value out of the other things a bar spotter watches for during their visit, like generous pours on drinks, failing to up sell customers on top shelf brands, and long wait times.

In general, bartenders are making a lot less than they used to from tips as patrons dial back on bar visits.  This has led many of them to try to earn tips in creative ways, like giving customers an extra long pour.  The drink rings up the same for the owner, however, and that costs the bar money.  And if bartenders simply push out well drinks whenever someone orders a rum and coke instead of asking the customer what kind of rum they would like, that's costing bars money too.

For bar owners, revenue is down as well.  Many have found that the solution, counterintuitive as it may be, is to spend money on a bar spotter to identify places where thin profits are leaking out.  Hiring a bar spotter isn't cheap, often running into the hundreds of dollars per visit, but the invaluable information you can gain from having an anonymous person observe your bar staff has proven to be more than worth the cost.

Finding a bar spotting company is relatively easy.  Just type "bar spotter" into a Google search and you'll find several companies that offer services across the country.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_Scott_McGuire

BARTENDER THEFT:

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010

I thought this was a rather good read. Especially the last paragraph about takign the time to properly train you staff. -Michael

Waiter, Bring Me a Fresh Idea

10 strategies that are working in the tough restaurant economy

By Jason Daley   |   Entrepreneur Magazine

It was about 20 years ago that the casual dining boom got started in the United States. It was a golden, batter-dipped age: We were lured in by the novelty of mozzarella sticks and artichoke dip, marveled at the cluttered walls and uniform flair and gulped down two-liter mango margaritas like every night was Friday.

But the bloom is off the bloomin' onion when it comes to casual dining. The recession has customers trading down to fast food and the growing "fast-casual" segment of takeout specialists (think Chipotle, Noodles or Panera). Over the last couple decades, while drive-thru burger joints have kept their prices flat, the typical bill at casual dining chains has multiplied three or four times. And the quality of the food has remained pretty much the same while fast food has become better and more diverse. Add to that grumbles about predictable, high-fat menus and stale décor and it's understandable why in 2009 the category was down 5 percent to 8 percent with a 3 percent to 5 percent drop forecast for 2010.

But some chains are figuring out ways to keep customers coming through their doors. Red Lobster, for one, has designed a quick-turnaround lunch service designed to draw the time-strapped crowd, and its new wood-fired entrees are appealing to the health-conscious. Ruby Tuesday redesigned its menu, retrained staff, modernized its décor--and brought in almost 2 percent more customers in late 2009 than in late 2008.

There are plenty of steps to take in a down market, and it's important to remember that even individual franchisees are not powerless. We spoke with some of the leading thinkers in the casual dining field to find out what you can do to put a little flair back into your business.

1. Think locally
   Casual dining chains are some of the most aggressive national advertisers out there. (Remember the "I want my baby back" jingle?) The problem is, plenty of franchisees think that's enough, especially after a splashy grand opening with big media buys. "Local franchisees are advised to put 1 to 5 percent of their money into local advertising by their franchisors, but they think the national TV commercials are enough to drive customers," says James Sinclair of OnSite Consulting, a Los Angeles firm that helps rescue flailing restaurants. "We often suggest local marketing like sponsoring soccer teams, participating in fundraisers, things like that. There's no better advertising than getting buzz in the community." Casual dining mom-and-pops haven't been hurt as much by the recession, mainly because people feel a strong connection to the businesses. Becoming a local leader and integral part of the community, versus a faceless chain, can go a long way to developing customer loyalty.
2. Speed up lunch
   Lunch is when the fast-food joints and casual restaurants go head to head--and where casual dining loses out. "Business users want to get in and out quickly, and most don't have a full hour for lunch," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a Chicago-based food-industry consulting and research firm. Shaving 10 to 15 minutes off a visit can mean the difference between drawing a lunch crowd or sitting idle for the afternoon. Cracker Barrel and Chili's have invested in system-wide redesigns of their kitchens and service procedures to help cut big chunks off their service time, but franchisees can help keep things moving by investing in more lunchtime staff, making sure servers are trained and efficient and streamlining the lunch menu to keep the kitchen on track. Tristano also suggests keeping prices competitive. Having lunch entrees in the $5-to-$8 range makes it less likely that budget customers will shift to the burger shack if times get tougher.
3. Push the bottle
   Booze is always a high-margin item for casual restaurants, but more importantly it's a gateway to gaining customers for dinner. According to Technomic's research, only 14 percent of customers find occasion to drink in the afternoon, which is why national chains have started placing a new emphasis on earlier happy hours. Ruby Tuesday recently revamped its bar lineup, retrained its bartenders and introduced $5 signature premium drinks. T.G.I. Friday's offered free appetizers at the bar last year in an attempt to draw people in during the dead afternoon hours. Starting drink specials at 2 or 3 p.m. is a great way to attract shift workers, business people scheduling casual meetings or retirees looking for afternoon deals. "You have to remember," says Jeff Davis, president of Sandelman & Associates, a food-service research firm in Irving, Texas, "when times are tough alcohol is the one thing people don't cut back on."
4. Push the plate
   Besides offering an extended happy hour on booze, create a happy hour on menu items, suggests Tristano, who points out that Steak 'n Shake's afternoon half-price milkshake promotion can easily lead to an order of burger and fries, and Braxton Seafood Grill's happy hour, when it sells lobsters at cost, often gets orders for a few beers and all the fixings. One innovative strategy to woo the late-afternoon crowd is offering items at ascending prices--$3 appetizers at 3 p.m., $4 at 4 p.m. and so on. "The only way to maximize opportunities is to trade up," Davis says. "The main goal when you get someone through the door is to trade up."
5. Focus on the quality
   "If you're at a Mexican restaurant, people are going to notice if you're scraping broken tortilla chips from the bottom of the barrel and not filling their glasses to the top," Tristano says. Many chains also make the mistake of charging for soft drink refills or reducing the number of servers to save money. This sends a clear message to the customer that you're struggling. If it is necessary to reduce costs, he suggests making cuts across the board instead of pulling savings in the areas of servers and food costs. Instead of switching from a good cheddar to a block of "cheese product," try to renegotiate prices with vendors. "Be careful to negotiate pricing and to take cost savings out of other areas," he says, "not from areas where customers will feel it most."
6. Don't chase Subway

One of the big temptations in casual dining is to simply slash prices until hordes of $5 deal-seekers start filling the tables. But Sinclair says that's exactly the wrong tactic. "All that does is draw in deal hunters, and when the promotion is over, they won't return," he says. "You can't focus on the short term. You have to be focused on what is going to make the customer return. If you're going to discount, rebuild the menu so the price of the dish doesn't lose you money." The same thing goes for cutting portions. For the most part, consumers see smaller portions as a loss of value--and the savings to the restaurant are small. In the end, Sinclair says, "you're not saving money per dish, you're losing customer satisfaction." Some portion-cutting campaigns have been successful: T.G.I. Friday's Right Portion, Right Price campaign hit a sweet spot and The Cheesecake Factory scored when it brought its lunch portions down to human scale. But the strategy was about "right-sizing" ridiculous portions. "Some places serve way too much," Davis says. "Why pay $15 for a salad that I can only eat a third of?"

1. Give them something special
   It might seem obvious: People go to a specific restaurant to get food they can't get anywhere else. But that idea has become murky in casual dining, where fried appetizers and flatiron steaks have all melded into culinary clichs. Tristano says there are two ways to give your menu an edge: Offer items that are a healthful alternative for those looking to adopt a "better-for-you lifestyle" or dishes that most diners can't cook at home. "Quality Mexican entrees are difficult for people to make at home, or Asian appetizers like pot stickers. For crme brle you need to have that little flamethrower," he says. "People are drawn to items that require culinary expertise or ingredients that are difficult to purchase."
2. Reward loyalty
   The best way to earn loyalty--and repeat visits--is to provide quality food and service. But Americans are suckers for deals, and loyalty programs are one of the things that keep diners coming back to their favorite booth. Sinclair suggests implementing programs that don't necessarily hand out freebies but still provide something meaningful to diners. Rewards can include priority seating, discounts or rebates on gift cards or--one of Sinclair's favorites--the chance to sign up and win prize money. "The idea," he says, "is to get customers involved in the brand and get them to feel a natural partnership with you."
3. Get it out the door
   Fast-casual establishments are striking a chord with Americans--the food is better than a drive-thru burger joint, but it doesn't require an hour of time and a 20-percent tip. Full-service casual restaurants, however, can easily mimic fast casual. System-wide, Denny's and IHOP are experimenting with fast-casual annexes attached to their restaurants, and Buffalo Wild Wings, which has dedicated takeout ordering stations, is successfully bridging the fast- and full-service divide. Tristano says providing alternatives to sit-down dining--whether call-ahead, drive-thrus or catering--is a great way to create new revenue streams. "The more you drive off-premises growth, the greater opportunity you'll have to weather the economic storm," he says. "You have to understand what the customer wants and adapt to this environment and this economy."
4. Take time to train
   In the constant rush of the restaurant business, sometimes it's hard to stop and take a good hard look at the big picture. "We don't always have time to train employees or go through a full menu evaluation," Davis says. "Maybe, with the recession, we have that time now." Don't be scared off by the extra investment involved in training--when restaurants are fighting tooth and nail to earn repeat customers, exceptional service is a huge factor in their deciding where to go, and good training often leads to less staff turnover. "It will cost money," he says, "but in the longer term, people who continue to invest in their businesses will succeed. Excellence always wins, top to bottom."

 

BARTENDER THEFT:

Michael Zenner - CEO      
Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc.
eyespyspotter.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
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hospitalitycheckpoint.com
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© Eye Spy Spotter Services Inc. 2010

By Michael Zenner