ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - November 12, 2004

While everyone else in town is getting hunkered down for the cooler weather, I feel a bit silly with my entire head peeling from the sunburn I got in just a couple of hours at Machu Picchu!

I don't have much time to dwell on that, though. The Birthday Bash in Las Vegas is happening on next Monday and Tuesday. We have 145 registrations for what promises to be an amazing couple of days. Lots of work still to do to get ready, but I am excited!

Make Money While the Moon Shines
With the end of daylight savings time in the US, it is getting darker much earlier ... which, in turn, should bring your senior diners in earlier. Are you actively working on programs to fill your dining room in this very profitable early evening period?

Profitable may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think about an early bird dining program because you will typically offer entrees at a reduced price ... but if you consider that a strong early bird program can get you an extra table turn, it should put money in your pocket an any price.

Most early bird programs run from, say, 4:30 to 6:00 and what happens? Everybody comes in at 5:55 and your prime time seats end up filled with people dining at a discount.

The late Mike Hurst ran his early bird program from 5:00 to 5:15 and offered a substantial discount off the regular menu prices. He regularly filled the place and ran a wait from 5:00. Every day started off a full speed, the kitchen got the biggest hit of the night as soon as they opened and from then on, the rest of the evening was a piece of cake!

Make Money While the Moon Shines
What kind of business are you doing late in the evening? If you are like most operators, the answer is probably, "Not much." How about developing a late night meal segment to turn those wasted hours into increased volume?

A successful example of developing the late night trade comes from Sunset Grill in Nashville, Tennessee. The owner, Randy Rayburn, has implemented a late night menu that has come to exceed lunch as a source of revenue. Best of all, he has accomplished this without expending a penny in advertising!

His late night menu consists of some lower food cost entrees off his regular menu and any items he wants to run out. These entrees are offered at half price from 10:00pm until 1:30am during the week and from midnight until 1:30am on Saturday night. Desserts, coffees and beverages remain at full price.

His late night sales mix is equally divided between food and beverages. Because of its structure, the late night menu only runs about four points higher in overall food cost than his regular menu.

A large percentage of Randy's late night market has become restaurant people looking for a bite to eat in different surroundings when they get off work! His staff makes it a point to inform guests about the late night deal and they, in turn, pass the word along to others. The late night menu takes a smaller kitchen staff to produce and all managers are cross-trained on pantry operations so they can cover in case a kitchen worker calls in sick.

Interestingly, Randy discontinued his early bird program when the late night menu took off. It seemed that the market could think of Sunset Grill either as a place to go early or late ... but not both. In Randy's case, he preferred the later business. His early evening business was building up well without any additional incentives and he found that his early diners were not particularly price-driven.

Note: This is one of the weekly Year of the Guest marketing tips. If you would like sales-building information like this in your inbox every week, click on the link below to get the full story

Click here to get the whole story on the Year of the Guest program.

Shortcuts R Us
Effective management requires taking the right actions at the right times for the right reasons ... something you cannot do without accurate cost information. Nowhere is this ability to act quickly more critical for restaurateurs than in decisions concerning food and beverage costs.

You simply cannot afford to wait until your monthly financial statements come out -- often 45 days after the start of the accounting period -- to learn these critical numbers ... and now you don't have to.

I have just finished work on a computer program called Cost Control Compass (C3), a quick and easy tool to help keep your restaurant on the right course. C3 finally gives you a way to know your key cost percentages ... very day ... without an inventory ... and within ½ of % of the actual number. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes a day to get this peace of mind.

Cost Control Compass will not be officially unveiled until the Birthday Bash next week, but you can pick it up at a special pre-introduction price of $129.00, a savings of $50 ... but only for a week. After that, it sells for full price. Check it out.

Click here for more information on C3.

The Perpetual Question
What did you learn from your staff today?

[ Home ] [ Top ] [ Email Restaurant Doctor ]

© 2004 Restaurant Doctor