Here’s a Fact… You can’t have too many Profit Centers in your operation!

Most operators think they sell food & drinks. Instead, we should be selling experiences both inside and outside our restaurant. One of the biggest needle movers to increased sales and profit is restaurant catering.

You already have satisfied guests that love your food. Where these customers work and recreate is an opportunity. Your community has business, sporting and other events just looking for great tasting food and convenience. Why not capture these opportunities, increase awareness for your restaurant and build goodwill at the same time? This is a ready and waiting opportunity for you to start catering.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Michael Attias, the CEO of Caterzen.

Listen as Michael explains:

👉 How to start catering in your operation

👉 The types of cuisines and the ideal foods for catering

👉 Establishing and finding regular catering clients

👉 The importance of building, maintaining and marketing to your restaurant database

👉 Catering production and efficiency tracking for staff, product and procedure

Caterzen offers a turn-key catering solution to start today. Check out their free demo and trial at www.caterzen.com

Watch or Listen to this episode and then go out there and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 Whirks: We will help you determine your eligibility for The Employee Retention Tax Credit for 2020 & 2021 https://page.whirks.com/employee-retention-credit

🌟 FanConnect – Get new and repeat business, fill your tables, and boost sales with Birthdays: https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

🌟 Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

No one could have anticipated the business risk that was the Covid pandemic.

As a restaurant owner at the time, my first thought was that it would be a temporary inconvenience! Never did I expect we would be forced to shut down, remove all our dining seats to become a market, and then pivot at least 3 more times.

I also thought our restaurant insurance had the business protected.

The point is, business risk is always around the next corner, ready to catch us by surprise when we’re busy taking care of business.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Clay Ogden of Strategic Risk Alternatives, a risk management expert who helps us understand restaurant insurance and potential pitfalls to your coverage.

Listen as Clay wisely advises:

👉 Why a business restaurant insurance risk management plan is essential for your operation

👉 The types of risk we may not be thinking about until it’s too late

👉 How you can protect your business from these unforeseen business risks

👉 About restaurant insurance company loopholes that may prevent your claim from being paid

👉 The difference between “direct” and “indirect” losses

👉 What is an 831b plan, how it relates to your current restaurant insurance, and how your business can tax defer for tomorrow’s risk

Working smarter not harder is what avoiding business risk is all about. Your restaurant insurance should provide all the coverage you need.

Listen to this episode, take a moment to plan for the future and then go out and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Show Notes - https://bit.ly/E317RRP

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors

🌟 Whirks - We will help you determine your eligibility for The Employee Retention Tax Credit for 2020 & 2021 https://page.whirks.com/employee-retention-credit

🌟 FanConnect – Get new and repeat business, fill your tables and boost sales with Birthdays: https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

🌟 Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

🌟 Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

For all the love we put into our business and the joy we provide our guests, unfortunately, one of the downsides is food waste. This bothered me when I owned restaurants, and with the widespread hunger in our country, it still does.

Imagine if every restaurant, yours included could be part of the solution and not the problem!

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Jack Rasmussen an inspired guy with a solution to the restaurant food waste crisis. Besides being a business scholar, entrepreneur and author, Jack Rasmussen has made it a mission to feed the homeless. Restaurants are at the very heart of the answer.

Listen as Jack tells us:

👉 How he co-founded “Good Samaritans”, a Los Angeles non-profit that feeds the homeless

👉 His brainchild for “FoodMate” which collects un-used food from restaurants and distributes via food truck to people in need on the streets

👉 How your operation can minimize food waste by working with local foodbanks and get tax credit for donations

👉 Board of Health regulations concerning food waste and donations

And we talk about Jack’s new book “Fine Dining, The Secrets Behind the Restaurant Industry”, his distance learning platform “Screen 360TV” that raises cultural awareness for kids, teaching English in Taiwan and MORE!

This guy does it all!

Watch or Listen to this episode and then go out there and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 Whirks: We will help you determine your eligibility for The Employee Retention Tax Credit for 2020 & 2021 https://page.whirks.com/employee-retention-credit

🌟 FanConnect – Get new and repeat business, fill your tables, and boost sales with Birthdays: https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

Everyone in hospitality has been hit hard by the labor crisis. It continues to affect morale, our guest experience, open days and hours and online reviews. There are solutions and we need them now!

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars podcast, I am speaking with Chef and Partner Jamie Lynch of The 5th Street Group, a dynamic series of restaurants in Charlotte, Charleston and Nashville.

The 5th Street Group has some very innovative solutions to this Labor Crisis.

Listen as Jamie tell us:

👉 How Recruiting vs. Hiring is one possible solution to your own labor crisis

👉 The reasons 5th Street Group restaurants are 100% staffed

👉 Why other restaurants and groups are reaching out for their techniques

👉 The Ins & Outs of their innovative “Tip the Kitchen” program

👉 How ownership matches up to $500 per day to beat the labor crisis

👉 Why guest contributions work and bring in $800,000 in the first year

As well as other challenges and best practices during these crazy times. I hope this episode helps solve your own labor crisis.

Watch or Listen to this episode and then go out there and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 FanConnect – Get new and repeat business, fill your tables and boost sales with Birthdays: https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

🌟 Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

🌟 Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

You’ve got a thousand details on your plate and more important things to do than worry about your Accounts Payable. Yeah, I know it’s gotta be done, but it doesn’t have to be so complicated!

Imagine a world in that your accounts payable is completely automated and you no longer must take the invoice, pay it, enter it into your accounts payable system and then throw it into your already overflowing file cabinet.

This technology is now available, I was stoked to learn about it, and I think you will be too. This accounts payable system is almost like a fully automated, paperless filing cabinet.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Barrett Boston, the CEO of www.plateiq.com

Listen as Barrett tells us:

👉 How you can stop paying your accounts payable the old-fashioned way

👉 The way to eliminate paper invoices, paper checks and old-school data entry

👉 The simplicity and efficiency of a remotely accessed accounts payable system

👉 How you can pay 180,000 in-system vendors through ACH, your “Plate IQ Card” or regular credit card to gain points

👉 About Full integration with Quickbooks and other accounting software

👉 Getting cash back from paying vendors early or on-time

And, of course, how the on-boarding is quick and easy and the client support stellar.

If you’re interested in taking your accounts payable to the next level so you can focus more on pleasing your guest, PlateIQ has a free consult at www.plateiq.com

Watch or Listen to this episode, dial in your systems, and then go out there and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

https://bit.ly/E314RRP

Thank you to our sponsors:

🌟SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟Davo – Automate Your Sales Tax. Why not Try Davo FREE for 30 days: https://www.davosalestax.com/

🌟Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

🌟FanConnect – Get new and repeat business, fill your tables and boost sales with Birthdays: https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

In this business, you can either run a restaurant or create a powerful Brand! There is a big difference between the two.

The image your team & restaurant project to your guests determines guest satisfaction, repeat business, word of mouth and positive reviews. Building a strong and lasting brand is all about the experience your concept provides.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Bob Andersen of https://thegreatgreekgrillfranchise.com/, a fast-growing franchise that delivers a guest experience authentic to Greek lifestyle and culture.

Listen as Bob tell us:

👉 The importance of creating an authentic vibe & ambiance that draws guests and keeps them coming back

👉 How communication & keeping guests informed leads to sustaining loyalty

👉 The benefits of being active and socially minded in the community you serve

👉 All necessary operating systems for efficiency & consistency across multiple locations

👉 The reward programs that really work

👉 How The Great Greek is overcoming today’s restaurant challenges

👉 Catering as an added Profit Center

And of course, the Franchise opportunity for those interested in this growing concept.

Listen on then go out & Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

✨ Show Notes: https://bit.ly/E313RRP

Connect with Bob:

https://www.instagram.com/greatgreekgrill/

https://www.facebook.com/GreatGreekGrill

Thank you to our sponsors:

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 Davo – Automate Your Sales Tax. Why not Try Davo FREE for 30 days: https://www.davosalestax.com/

🌟 Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

🌟 Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

There’s a huge difference between a restaurant’s Culture and their Mission.

Most restaurants have a Mission Statement, but once it’s put on the wall do the staff practice it? If they do, that’s called culture.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking all about the power of culture with Michael Mabry, President of www.famoustoastery.com

Both their Mission and their Culture is “Be Famous”! This operating philosophy is embraced and practiced by all stakeholders, from corporate to suppliers, to individual franchisees to their staffs.

Ours is a business of relationships…between the people we choose to do business with, to the people we hire to the guests we serve. Our operations live and die by the authenticity and strength of these relationships.

Listen as Michael shares:

👉 What “Be Famous” is all about and how to create a powerful restaurant culture

👉 How to maintain the delicate balance of all our relationships for optimum success

👉 The Secret Sauce of successful restaurants

👉 Current operating Pain Points (Labor, Supply, Inflation…)

👉 How to maintain the customer “Value Proposition”

👉 The key to maintaining consistency as a brand grows quickly

And of course, how this chain plans to double its locations by 2024 by “Being Famous”!

Watch or listen on then Go Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors:

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 Davo – Automate Your Sales Tax. Why not Try Davo FREE for 30 days: https://www.davosalestax.com/

🌟 Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

🌟 Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

Hospitality drives our business and is the foundation that great guest service is built upon. Your restaurant’s success and competitive advantage will always come from each member of your team providing genuine, caring hospitality. Do this and your repeat business, online reviews and profits will rise.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Greg Provance of GP Hospitality Partners, a true kindred restaurant spirit and expert on the fine points of hospitality.

Listen as Greg tells us:

- What hospitality really means

- Learnings from hosting some of the world’s biggest celebrities and stars

- How to create raving fans for your operation and a sense of ownership by the team

- The “Stock Market” analogy and how guests invest in your business

- How creating trust is your restaurant’s greatest currency

- Why true leaders empower, not delegate

And about Greg’s new book Butts in Seats, Creating Raving Fans for your Restaurant. A read that gripped me on every page and one I recommend to any service business.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/E311RRP

Now go out there and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our Sponsors:

🌟 SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

🌟 FanCONNECT - Get New and Repeat Business, more birthday parties, keep your tables full, and increase your revenue. https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

🌟 Davo – Automate Your Sales Tax. Why not Try Davo FREE for 30 days: https://www.davosalestax.com/

🌟 The Academy – Everything you need to know to Start & Run a super popular and profitable restaurant! https://restaurantrockstars.com/

I’m obsessed with Marketing, but few operators are great restaurant marketers or have the time. On top of that, few marketing ideas are fully trackable so you know where the business is coming from and the return on your investment.

Well in this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, we have a solution. I’m speaking with Dyson Barnett of https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

Dyson’s a former restaurant owner/ operator and knows a thing or two about reaching your customers and getting new ones in the door.

Listen as Dyson tells us:

- How you can fill your seats 7 days a week, not just your busiest days

- 7 out of 10 people dine out on someone’s Birthday – why not your Restaurant?

- How a targeted customer Data Base is the key to more restaurant traffic

- The strategy to attract larger parties and higher check averages

And best of all, how your birthday campaign can be completely “Done For You” with no hassles and proven ROI.

Listen to this episode, get your restaurant onboard with the Birthday Club and don’t let these customers celebrate anywhere else!

Rock On!

Roger

SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars

Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

FanCONNECT - Get New and Repeat Business, more birthday parties, keep your tables full, and increase your revenue. Join The Birthday Club https://www.getfanconnect.com/BirthdayRockstar/

This can be a crazy business and we all have crazy restaurant stories!

In this episode, I’m speaking with Stratis Morfogen, a restaurateur’s restaurateur and industry disruptor. He tells about playing by his own rules, having a driving vision, creating luck, and achieving destiny.

Listen as Stratis tells us about:

🌟 Turning the tables on the mafia

🌟 Finding success in one of the world’s most challenging and competitive restaurant cities

🌟 Seeing around corners and predicting the future

🌟 Staying relevant in a constantly shifting industry and business climate

🌟 Delivering hospitality in an automated concept

🌟 The magic dust of truly great restaurants

And of course, his book “Be a Disruptor, Streetwise Lessons for Entrepreneurs, from Mobs to Mandates”!

This one has it all!

Don’t miss this episode, then go out and ROCK Your Restaurant!

Roger

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/E309RRP

SRV - Unlock Staff Potential and Maximize Sales. SRV teaches your team to profitably sell and accurately create the food and drinks at your restaurant. Learn More: https://srvnow.com/

Plate IQ - Simplify and automate your accounts payable. Plate IQ is your paperless Digital Filing Cabinet that frees your workspace from invoices, receipts, and statements. Learn More: https://www.plateiq.com/

Davo – Automate Your Sales Tax. Why not Try Davo FREE for 30 days: https://www.davosalestax.com/

Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: https://www.popmenu.com/rockstars