Restaurant Consulting NYC | Fresh Flowers In your Restaurant – Yes You Can Afford Flowers! | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Fresh Flowers In your Restaurant – Yes You Can Afford Flowers!

Our clients often ask us if they should have fresh flowers in their restaurants and cited their budget as a reason to forgo them.  Fresh flowers that complement your restaurant’s décor and color scheme will instill a warm, welcoming, and hospitable environment. Placing a small, artistically-made arrangement of fresh flowers on each table can raise your diners’ spirits and make them feel welcome, which in turn can help drive repeat business, especially for your local clientele.

The expense of fresh flowers can be mitigated if they are if managed and handled correctly to extend their use.  Here are some tips to manage the cost of your floral arrangements:

Choose Wisely – Choosing hearty flowers that last relatively long will be most cost effective. For example when watered regularly, flowers such as hydrangeas and chrysanthemums can last five to seven days. While other flowers might look pretty, replacing them every two or three days can get costly. Work with your florist to select bunches that will bloom, as these can live for up to two weeks if cared for.

Keep Arrangements Simple and in Line with your Overall Décor – Choosing a suitable vase and flower arrangement will depend on your restaurant’s design and theme. If your budget is limited keep it simple:  a single stem can go a long way.  For instance Cymbidium Orchids come in a variety of colors and can compliment your color palette.

Maintenance – Simple maintenance will help to extend usability. Remove any wilting or discolored flowers as the buds start to blossom.  Add water to the vases every day to ensure a fresh supply of nutrients. When not in use, store the flower arrangements in the fridge.  Work with your florist on how to make your flowers last even longer.  Some florists suggest using a flower preservative or placing two drops of bleach into the water to preserve the petals and to prevent bacteria growth; check with your florist as methods depend on flower type.

Build a Relationship with your Local Florist – Build a rapport with your florist.  When you have a strong working relationship with a vendor they are more likely to work with you on price, advise you of new stock or product and perhaps offer services not normally available (i.e. on-site servicing of arrangements, changing out vases, etc.).  When you have a friendly rapport with your florist, you will receive a higher level of service.  Once this relationship is established, the local florist is much more likely to work with you on payment terms, recommend your restaurant to their clients, and be open to cross marketing and promotions.

Fresh Flowers in your restaurant need not be expensive if done properly and can even help drive business.  Cut fresh flowers can set you apart from your competition, drive repeat business and give you opportunity establish a beneficial vendor partner.

We work with some of the top florists in New York.  Starbright Floral has a business model conducive to our restaurant clients' needs for weekly flowers in NYC.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place so your manager can help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation!

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | Chillin' Out - Safe Food Storage and Handling | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Chillin’ Out -

Safe Food Storage and Handling

Food safety is a top concern for every commercial kitchen. As we head into the warmer months, ensuring all foods are properly refrigerated and stored below 40°F becomes more of a challenge.  Operators must learn about safe and unsafe temperature ranges, especially in how food is stored and handled.

Time and temperature play a vital role in whether food is safe to eat or needs to be thrown out.  We have all heard the adage “keep cold food cold and hot food hot”, which refers to keeping food out of the Danger Zone. The Danger Zone is the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F in which harmful bacteria multiply the fastest. If perishable foods stay in the Danger Zone too long, the food will spoil, meaning there will be no way to kill off the bacteria present. 

Here are some of our key recommendations on food safety and keeping food out of the Danger Zone:

Food Storage -

Monitor Refrigerator and Product Temperatures - Most, if not all, commercial refrigerators come with a built in thermometer. We recommend having a second thermometer in all refrigerators in case one is out of calibration.  Large walk-ins should have several thermometers in different areas to identify temperature differences and possible hot spots.  If your fridge, or areas of it, is warmer than 40°F, your food will never be below 40°F.  Raw and cooked food items should also be randomly sampled for proper temperature with instant read thermometers.  We advise our clients to keep a refrigerator log and take the equipment temperatures twice daily – as part of opening and closing duties.  By getting in the habit of doing this daily, you can identify problems sooner so as not to lose food due to spoilage.

Do Not Overload Fridges - If there are too many items stacked in a refrigerator the unit will have to work too hard to maintain the proper temperature. This could create hot spots where areas of the cabinet are not cold enough and refrigerated food will spoil. Blocking the internal and external air vents of the unit will disrupt proper cooling operation of the fridge, causing temperatures to rise. The refrigeration unit may even stop working altogether.

Proper Refrigeration Maintenance – Make sure that you have a certified refrigerator repair service.  All commercial units need to have their compressors professionally cleaned and serviced at least twice per year to keep them in working order.  The cost outlay of this service often outweighs the cost of lost food due to spoilage, damage to your units from not servicing them, and possible health department fines.  If you are not sure where to find a reputable company, check with your state’s Restaurant Association for a list of suppliers.

Food Handling -

Work in Batches – On hot days, when the ambient kitchen temperatures can be over   100°F, it is a good idea to handle perishable items in batches.  For example, when butchering steaks, it is best to take only one or two whole sides of beef out of the walk-in at a time;  once the batch is done, place the fabricated batch back into the walk-in before starting on the next.  Remember, according to the 2009 FDA Food Code, food cannot be left out in the Danger Zone for more than two hours and it is easy to forget about prep time.

Use Proper Cooling Techniques – Cooked food must to be cooled as fast as possible, so as not to spend too much time in the Danger Zone.  All food that has been cooked to the proper temperature must be cooled to 70°F within two hours and then down to 40°F within another 4 hours.  Train your staff in all the proper cooling techniques.  An example of improper cooling that is all too common: a 5 gallon bucket of hot rice stored in the walk-in straight from the stove; it would still be hot in the center the next morning and have the potential for making your customers very sick.

Use Proper Thawing Techniques - Never defrost food at room temperature. Food must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. There are only three safe ways to defrost food: in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Food thawed in cold water or in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing because of the time already spent in the Danger Zone.

Having to constantly check temperatures and observe safe food handling practices may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but as with all things, after repeating the correct procedures over and over, it will become second nature. Making food safety concerns part of the daily routine can only help your business by providing tasty, bacteria-free meals to customers.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place to help you be as profitable as possible?
4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation at www.4qconsult.com.

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | Follow the Leader…| 4Q Consulting, LLC

Follow the Leader…

Many restaurants suffer from a lack of leadership.  As we’ved discussed in our previous blog: How to hire for Attitude as well as Skill, hiring for cultural fit is often as important as hiring for technical skills. When hiring the restaurant manager, owners should also be looking for a candidate with leadership skills.

In order to lead rather than just manage, which is vital in today’s diverse fast paced world, one must be able to be more than a day-to-day task master. While a manager deals with the technical dimension in an organization or the job content; a leader marshals resources, human and otherwise, for the best possible results.

Leaders reach company goals more quickly with less drama, reduce costly employee turnover, and guide their teams through change with less damage to the organization. By ensuring that your manager is a strong, positive leader, you can help improve your bottom line.

These are 4 Leadership Qualities to look for when hiring a manager:

Ability to Communicate Vision - While managers plan and organize job assignments, tasks and schedules, leaders provide direction.  Leaders are able to effectively communicate short term and long term goals to all employees. By communicating the organizational vision and helping the staff to understand the role that they each play in reaching these goals, a leader can inspire the team to give 100%.

Builds Relationships and Trust - We often hear that we should “Lead by Example”.  This is true to gain trust, and to be able to build relationships within the organization. Managers who work by the philosophy of “Do as I say, not as I do”, or by not holding all team members to the same standards, often break down trust within the team. Being a role model positively influences people in reaching their goals. Leaders get to know the individual strengths, weaknesses, and motivators of their staff to be able to get the best from them and to achieve company results.

Trains, Coaches and Mentors – Leaders need not be experts in every area, but must understand how all the pieces work together.  Leaders do not micro manage or do the jobs of their team, instead they coach, give advice and guide from the sidelines.  If leaders have set and communicated the goals and job expectations correctly, given their team the tools they need, and instilled trust, they should be able to step back and observe. 

Encourages Change and Risk-Taking – Leaders constantly seek out what is working in the organization and are quick to get rid of what is not. Great leaders openly embrace new ideas, innovation and change.  These are the bosses who praise and encourage team members to come to them with new ideas on how to be better, faster and/or more profitable; often some of the best ideas come from front-line employees. If a manager says “that is not how we do things here”, then he/she is not a true leader.

Much like a revered general going into battle with his platoons behind him, your employees will follow a leader through all aspects of the business with little question. By hiring managers who possess these leadership qualities, you will reach your goals more efficiently.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place to help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation at www.4qconsult.com.

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | Managing Safety Risks in your Restaurant | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Managing Safety Risks in your Restaurant

Restaurants can be dangerous places and accidents can be costly. As an operator, you need to understand the health and safety risks associated with restaurant operations and take appropriate preventive measures to minimize risk and liability.

Every day there are plenty of chances for an employee to become injured on the job: slipping, falling and lifting injuries account for more than 40 percent of serious injuries in a restaurant. Consider additionally a busy kitchen during service, full of sharp implements and open flames, or a frenzied bar area with broken glass. Additionally, a customer may become injured while dining at your restaurant, for example by slipping on a greasy floor or tripping on loose carpeting. It is your responsibility to make safety an integral part of your operational procedures.

Here are 4 ways to help minimize your safety risks:

Define Policies and Procedures - Your employee manual is a perfect tool for laying out your restaurant's safety policies and procedures on everything from proper equipment use to shoe wear choices. The handbook should contain as many scenarios as possible so that staff members know what to expect from their job, how to execute the job safely, and how to react in case of a crisis. This is an integral part of your business and a great training tool.  See our blog: 4 Reasons Why Your Restaurant Needs an Employee Handbook, for more on the importance of Employee Handbooks.

Train Employees Thoroughly - Train new employees in correct procedures and behaviors. Use the Employee Handbook as well as frequent demonstrations to support your training. Training is crucial to keep employees from avoiding behaviors that can risk injury.  Safety training should also include Food Handling Safety Training, see our blog: 4 Reasons why it is Vital that All Employees are Trained in Food Safety, detailing the reasons for this training.

Safety Training in the Pre-Service Meetings – As discussed in our previous blog: Are Your Pre-Service Meetings a Waste of Time, use pre-service meetings for on-going training and awareness of safety procedures and behaviors in the restaurant.  Having a regular safety topic and daily updates for the entire staff keeps these ideas top of mind; complacency is a recipe for accidents. Continue to educate staff on and keep them aware of the potential hazards of working in the restaurant.

Make Safety Part of Manager Evaluations - When safety is integrated in the evaluation criteria for a restaurant manager's review, the manager is apt to take safety more seriously and therefore reinforce the procedures in their employees. Reward managers for low occurrences of injuries and illnesses, or for having regular safety meetings. This is also a good way to hold managers accountable for keeping safety a priority. We have had our clients hang posters on the manager’s office door showing how many days the operation has gone without an accident, for all to see.

Minimizing Safety Risks by having written procedures, proper staff training and holding your staff accountable, can help lower your costs associated with Workmen’s Compensation Claims, Insurance Premiums, and possible lawsuits.  To be successful, make sure your business model incorporates ways to actively work to keep both your employees and customers safe.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place to help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation at www.4qconsult.com.

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | Measure by Measure | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Measure by Measure

It happens at some point in every restaurant: When short on time during prep, or in the rush to get food out of the kitchen, the staff skips the important step of weighing and measuring. To the detriment of profits, scales and measuring tools often go unused on shelves and in cabinets. Over-portioning is the quickest way to increase your food costs and deteriorate your margins.

Measuring product is essential in tracking, analyzing and calculating food costs. Even if your food costs are already at your target, a good portion control system can help further reduce cost, improving your margins and bottom line.  In the long run, the benefits of accuracy are worth the investment in several reliable industrial scales and a full complement of measuring tools. 

Here are 4 steps to improve food costs and profits through portion control:

Have the Right Measuring Tools
Any tool that is difficult to operate, or does not function well in the intended environment, will quickly fall into disuse. Encourage use of proper weighing and measuring tools by working with your staff to find tools that they can manage easily in your kitchen. It is useful to have several scales with different units of measure, such as grams, ounces and pounds, throughout your kitchen. It is also import to have an array of sized scoops, measuring cups, portion bags, and other volume measurement tools.  Make these tools readily accessible so they get used all the time.

Measuring - Not Just for Expensive Proteins
Accuracy reduces costs.  Everything coming into and going out of your kitchen should be measured.  Most obviously measure all of your center-of-the-plate items during prep, but don’t forget your appetizers, sides, salads and desserts.  Additionally, check all deliveries for proper weights and measures, particularly double-check any pre-portioned proteins.   Any discrepancies should be noted; an error on the distributor’s end should not affect your bottom line.

Establish Written Recipes and Measurement Standards
Consistency reduces waste.  For this reason, written recipes and measurement standards are essential.   Slight over-portioning over time adds-up financially: If a crab cake recipe calls for 3oz of meat, but 4oz is used when making a batch of 100 cakes, over 6lbs of crab meat is wasted.  At $25 per pound, this inconsistency added $155 to your food cost.  Train staff on the recipes and the use of the appropriate measurement tools.

Know Thy Waste
The goal should be to have as little waste as possible in your kitchen.   However, there will be times when waste occurs.  By weighing and tracking waste, as well as identifying the cause of the waste (over ordering, improper or excess production, poor food handling and storage procedures) you can account for the cost and address its root cause.  

The 4 steps above can easily be transferred to managing product usage at the bar, as well.

A system to weigh, measure and track is only effective when it is used: You must devise a program that works in your environment and that your employees will maintain. Better understanding the flow of product and waste in your kitchen allows you to use your resources most effectively, improving cash flow and profits.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place to help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation at www.4qconsult.com.

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | An Attitude Adjustment - Hiring for Attitude as well as Skill | 4Q Consulting, LLC

An Attitude Adjustment - Hiring for Attitude as well as Skill

Technical skills, such as the vocational expertise of a chef, while important in making hiring decisions, should not be your only criteria.  You can teach technical skills, but you cannot train people on the personal attributes that make up soft skills such as listening, communicating and empathizing.  By evaluating these characteristics you can measure whether a candidate will fit with your team, company culture and core values.

Bad hiring decisions are costly: they can increase turnover, pull resources away from other projects, be disruptive to other employees and your establishment as a whole. This can negatively impact your bottom line.   

Here are 4 ways to hire for attitude as well as skill:

Take Advantage of Candidate Self-Selection – By listing desired soft skills that align with your company core values and culture in your recruitment ads, candidates will evaluate whether or not they should apply.   This will give you a more focused applicant pool to choose from; reducing your time spent on recruiting, as well as improving the quality and value of your hires.

Be Proactive in your Recruiting - Don’t just wait for people with the right attitude to apply for a job, spot them in the marketplace and make your pitch! When you see someone who clearly embodies the qualities you want on your team, give them your card and invite them to apply for employment. As any great business owner knows, that extremely attentive waiter, remarkably patient sales associate, or well-spoken hostess could be your next great hire.

Use Behavioral-Based Interviewing - This type of interview, focuses on how the interviewee acted in the past to give insight to future behaviors and actions.  Multi-segmented, open-ended questions get to the heart of behavior in relation to soft skills.  For example, when interviewing a restaurant manager you might ask:  “Tell me about a time when you had to manage a difficult employee.  What was the challenge and how did you resolve it?”  Select questions that pinpoint the attributes you seek.

Observe Applicants Outside “The Interview” - Want to see someone’s true colors? Find out how they behaved when they thought no one is watching.  In conjunction with behavioral-based interviewing, this can give you a true read on a candidate.  How did they treat your receptionist or hostess? Did they strike up a friendly conversation with the bartender while waiting for you?  What the candidate says and does outside of the hiring manager’s view can give you a glimpse into their true personality, which may differ from how they present in an interview. 

To build a great company, you must hire great people.  Great employees are those who have both the technical skills required for the job as well as personal attributes that gel with your company culture and core values.   Focusing on technical skills without enough consideration for soft skills and personal attributes can leave you with a dysfunctional staff that can’t work together due to misaligned values. When in doubt, hire for attitude; you can train almost any skill. See the candidate who lacks hard skills as a cause for concern, but see the employee who lacks soft skills and enthusiasm as a giant red flag.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place to help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation!

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.

Restaurant Consulting NYC | Restaurants Fight the Flu! | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Restaurants Fight the Flu!

The current influenza season is the most widespread since the H1N1 pandemic of 2009-2010. Restaurants, where multiple people are handling food, utensils and glassware, are breeding grounds for influenza germs.  Special consideration should be paid to keep both your employees and your customers safe from the influenza virus.  There are financial implications if half of your staff calls in sick and your customers get sick from eating in your restaurant.

Here are 4 Ways to help stop the spread of the flu in your establishment:

Send Sick Employees Home - Whether for fear of losing their job or missed pay, restaurant workers often come to work when they shouldn’t. Sick employees, front-of-house or back-of-house, should never be tolerated in your restaurant. They will only infect others.

Enforce Hand Washing Procedures - Make sure you have written hand washing procedures in place.  All employees must be trained on how and when to wash their hands and these policies must be enforced.  Hand washing is advised after touching any part of the face, coughing, smoking, taking out the trash, and in between food handling jobs, just to name a few. Frequent hand washing greatly reduces the spread of the flu.

Sanitize - Have hand sanitizers readily available for both employees AND customers in as many areas as possible (e.g. wait stations, bars and bathrooms).  Remember Hand Sanitizers to not replace, but work in conjunction with, proper hand washing. It is also important to sanitize items or areas in your restaurant that customer come in contact with – menus, table top signage, hand rails, door knobs, etc.  Work these items and areas into your shift cleaning checklists.

Train Proper Health Habits – People have an unconscious habit of touching their face, which is the primary way germs are spread. Your staff must understand that they can transfer germs to themselves or others, as well as onto service items through their actions.  Train your staff to be aware of this habit and that they must wash their hands afterwards.  Also train your staff on how to properly handle items that touch or have touched guests’ mouths, both when setting and clearing tables. 

Beyond getting vaccinated, keeping sick employees out of your restaurant and following good health habits can keep your staff able-bodied and your customers coming back throughout this flu season.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place so your manager can help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation!

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.