The Undeniable Power of Websites and Social Media Within The Hospitality Industry

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The Undeniable Power of Websites and Social Media Within The Hospitality Industry

Numbers don’t lie: There are 4.1 billion Internet users in the world. Over 4 million blog posts are published on the Internet every day. Over 500 million tweets are sent every day. Over 5 billion Google searches are made every day. There are approximately 1.94 billion websites in the world. And not surprising, Google is the world’s most visited website, followed by Youtube and Facebook. And statistics from 2019 show that there are 3.2 billion social media users worldwide. All of these numbers continue to grow.

OK, so now that we have that out of the way, what does this information mean to you? Hopefully not much because your business is already engaged in social media and has a strong online presence that stems from an awesome and responsive website, strong search engine optimization, and active content.

But, since I am all for information reinforcement, and even more interested in keeping up with the most current site and social practices, let’s establish some baseline strategies and become better acquainted with some solid information from some of our top marketing professionals; NY based firm Enormous Creative is a powerhouse when it comes to generating brand awareness across numerous platforms. CT tech company GoNation has taken digital marketing for small businesses a step further by creating their own high-tech platform which puts the business in the driver’s seat while engaging the consumer. And Box 8 Creative in New Haven is the creative team behind developing well over 100 food and beverage brands throughout New England. You heard it here first!

Websites

There are no excuses for not having a thoughtfully designed and fully optimized website these days. The competitiveness of the web design industry has made it much easier to engage with talented and accessible web companies who truly stand out as being client and result-focused. Same goes for social media managers. We are functioning in their generation’s wheelhouse after all. Be sure to work with a company that not only evolves with their industry but who has experience with your industry. In the case of my firm, we’ve kissed quite a few frogs along the way, but ultimately have found our princes who are innovative, fearless, communicative, and meticulous about what they do, and they specialize in the hospitality industry.

We see websites becoming far more streamlined knowing that retention is low – is less best?

Enormous: If done correctly, less can be more. A website has all the information a visitor will need, but if it is not obvious for them to navigate, then we lose them. This is why many websites have become very streamlined or simplified. Balancing functionality and aesthetics is the key, and we only have a few seconds to make an impression before the visitor moves on.

Our goal is to get them interested and to dive deeper into the website. The experience must also be effective on all devices. On average globally, nearly half of a website’s traffic takes place on mobile devices. Having a streamlined experience on mobile is beneficial due to the data and screen limitations that those site visitors may have.

What’s your tactical approach when creating a website for a restaurant?

GoNation: Because of social media, smartphones, and the speed of the web, customers are being trained to expect easy access to every type of information. Restaurant menu items, events, accurate hours, and photos on are no exception. So why is it so difficult to find this information and so challenging for the business owner to update it? Traditional technology and current methods of building a website do not focus on the critical data that the consumer desires. Therefore the simple needs of a restaurant website are not met. We have designed a platform which organizes restaurants’ most important information so it can be accessed and shared easily. We focus on three simple principles when we create a restaurant website. First, the site has to be mobile excellent. Second, it must showcase and promote brand experience. Third, it has to have real-time content that can be easily updated.  And of course, having the best SEO is required, as no site should function without that. Our technology is built to incorporate that on autopilot.

How best to maintain brand integrity across both site and social platforms?

Box 8: Today’s customer is more visual than ever. You need to sell your company at every visual touch point. Your website should be able to convey your concept, style, and energy directly from your homepage.  Your site, physical space, and social media platforms all need to have the same feel. Matching and supporting icons and graphics, style of photos, and messaging are important. Consistency is the key to brand recognition and ultimately brand loyalty.

Where do you feel most websites and the process in creating them tend to go wrong?

GoNation: Websites can go wrong in many ways. From lousy design and not meeting the necessary standards in SEO, to poor user experiences such as sites with PDF menus, unprofessional photos, and stale information because it is too much work to update the website or the “web guy disappeared.” Owners have been wronged too many times by big companies and local developers. Here are a few lessons learned every owner should adhere to:

1. Always put the domain name and all social media accounts in your name under an email you plan to always have access to. NEVER let anyone own your domain and always have the login info safely stored.

2. If you are paying more than $1,500 upfront on a single restaurant website, you are burning money.

3. PDF menus and jpeg images of a menu are outdated. Customers do not want to spend their time stretching documents to read what you are selling. Nobody wants to download a pdf to their android phone. PDFs should only be there for supporting real data as an option and for desktop viewing or printing.

4. Build the best mobile experience first, and then worry about a desktop. If you are not mobile, you are losing money.   

5. Take the time and accept the costs of creating great content. High-quality images, quality designed logos, videos, and so on. This should be incorporated into your business plan and budget. A million-dollar restaurant to build is no good if you can’t promote it!

6. Use a professional cloud email service and email marketing program. Avoid housing your business email on a company’s personal server or allowing your customers’ email addresses to reside in someone else’s database.

How important is running monthly analytics for both site and social?

Enormous: Performance analytics is a powerful resource. Being able to look over data and see what pages or posts are receiving the most engagement, or the times of day that visitors interact with a website or a social post, allows us to improve upon our performance and be ahead of the game as site and social creators and managers.

Social Media

This is where being old school will indeed get in the way of your competitive edge and will have you struggling to stay relevant in an evolving industry. No longer a point, shoot, and post platform, social media has proven itself to be a driving force for influencing consumer decisions.

There’s some buzz about social media platforms taking the place of traditional websites?

Enormous: Websites will always have a place. Social media is a great form of engaging with your audience or promoting your content, but a website is the foundation of your business that keeps it all together. Using both platforms in tandem with each other creates the ultimate weapon to make your business truly shine for SEO and Google rankings.

What are some common brand missteps within social media platforms that can dilute your brand?

Box 8: I’ve seen so many great brands diluted by showing the wrong versions of their brand marks as their social icons. The customer needs that visual recognition (consistency!) to be carried throughout all forms of communication. The biggest missteps are cropping a logo, which often happens within an Instagram icon.  Another big one is forcing a picture of a dish or restaurant space to fit within an Instagram or Facebook circle which is just far too small to give the proper visual link to your brand identity. We always take a recognizable element to tie them all together whenever possible, such as an icon or brand mark.

What are some dos and don’ts when posting to social media?

Enormous: DO know your platform. Between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, the way to engage or post content is different. Twitter is about real-time engagement and updates; Instagram is all about the imagery, Insta-Stories, and how to effectively use hashtags (while this is obvious, many people still don’t use the right hashtags or use too many broad hashtags); and Facebook is a bit of a combo between the two (No hashtags though. That’s not as effective on Facebook). Having an image with less text means that you will be able to reach more people to look at your posts/boosted posts. Speaking of which…

DO utilize promotional tools. Boosting content is the cheapest form of advertising in the market. Being able to customize how you are going to promote a post on Facebook or Instagram makes all the difference.

DON’T focus so much on the number of followers or likes you have – DO focus on building a quality audience. You want to attract and appeal to people who are genuinely interested in your business and its offering and who have the geographical capability to become an actual customer.

DON’T sweat the haters. Most people just want attention. Ignoring them speaks louder than engaging them.

Back Yard Burgers Selects Qu for Its Innovative and Modern Enterprise POS Software

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Back Yard Burgers Selects Qu for Its Innovative and Modern Enterprise POS Software

BETHESDA, Md. — Back Yard Burgers, an iconic burger brand headquartered in Nashville, TN, has selected Qu™, an enterprise POS software company, to replace a legacy system across its 28 locations and 4 states in 2019. Qu’s open, API-first POS system provides integrated order management across channels, while unifying operations and brand experiences—moving operators closer to much-needed guest insights for sustainable growth.

Driven by the upcoming launch of its new prototype and recent capital investment, Back Yard Burger needed a modern POS to enable faster ordering speeds and guest service required by the quick service brand. The first priority will be to fluidly align their omni-channel ordering channels—particularly web, mobile, and kiosk. Back Yard Burger also selected Synergy Suite for back office functions like inventory control and payroll, which Qu will integrate with directly.

“We evaluated multiple enterprise POS platforms during the selection process conducted by ConStrata Technology Solutions, but Qu stood out for its open integrations, conversational ordering interface, and optional hardware choices as well as the team’s strong vision for the future of restaurant technology,” said Scott Shotter, CEO of Back Yard Burgers. “We’re looking forward to a great working relationship with the team at Qu.”

Qu’s open and flexible enterprise POS software is purpose-built for quick service and fast casual restaurants, enabling an easier transition off legacy POS, while integrating disparate systems and delivering more dynamic experiences to satisfy the modern guest. With its need for speed and uninterrupted service, Back Yard Burger was particularly attracted to Qu’s offline capabilities that ensure continuous in-store operations and reliability even when the cloud goes down. The direct integration with KDS will allow orders to flow and burgers to fly, while backing up in-store terminals during offline periods.

“Our partnerships with forward-thinking brands like Back Yard Burgers underscore the dire need for unifying order channels to deliver exceptional guest and food experiences,” said Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu. “Our mission is to provide faster, smoother pathways for brands to scale quickly, while driving healthier bottom lines.”

“Ultimately a brand like Back Yard Burger needs a backbone for open integration built on a one source of truth as well as a built-in ‘data scientist’ to give us predictive data points. That’s the north star we are aiming for with Qu by our side,” said Shotter. “Less time fussing over our technology problems means more time engaging and satisfying our guests. That’s the ultimate goal.”

After successfully rolling out the corporate stores in 2019, Qu will be offered to Back Yard Burger’s franchisees company-wide in 2020.

About Back Yard Burger

Started in a grocery store in Cleveland, Mississippi in 1987, today Back Yard Burger has 50 locations across 11 states. The mission has remained the same: to serve a burger that’s just as good as the one you’d grill in your backyard — maybe even better. Back Yard Burgers is the place to go for big and bold backyard taste with 100% Black Angus burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, milkshakes and more. Learn more at www.backyardburgers.com.

About Qu

Qu is on a mission to transform restaurant POS from its current fragmented state into a unified experience for enterprise operators and guests. Our data-centric foundation works at the critical intersections of ordering, production, and brand to help solve the technology crisis operators are in today. Laser-focused on quick service and fast casual restaurant success, our mission is to constantly apply speed, flexibility, and innovative thinking to deliver unified food experiences that drive healthier bottom lines.

Providing the industry’s first connected platform powered by one common core, Qu makes tangible those lofty ambitions for data-driven guest experiences. Based in Bethesda, MD, Qu is backed by leading Silicon Valley investors that have also backed Google, Uber, and Dropbox.

Learn more at www.qubeyond.com.

About ConStrata

ConStrata provides technology services for the global foodservice, hospitality, and retail industries from both the operator and supplier side, helping them select, optimize, and differentiate their mission-critical technologies to improve efficiency and maximize return on investment. ConStrata is a leader in predicting key industry technology trends and coupling them with operational knowledge. Learn more at www.constratatech.com.

Do You Want To Find A Super Cooking Vacation? This Article Will Tell You How

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Do You Want To Find A Super Cooking Vacation? This Article Will Tell You How

Do you want to improve your cooking ability? While in holidays, you can arrange your class. There are cooking classes offered for vacationers. You can learn different menus from this training. Cooking holidays give you the opportunity to meet new chefs. Cooking class accelerate your cooking abilities. Check this article to learn about how to enroll for cooking holidays.

A Cooking Vacation is among the top choice of destination for kitchen enthusiasts. No matter if your plan is to have a short break from your neighborhood, or to travel for few days, culinary tours allow you to explore, experience, and learn the unique cuisine of your chosen destination.

Among the outstanding destinations for cooking holidays are Spain, Greece, Italy, Paris, and Portugal. There are many benefits you can gain from cookery holidays.

Many people who love cooking can learn a lot from cooking classes held particularly for vacationers. Each cooking class is handled by seasoned local chefs in order that you understand and differentiate the taste of native cuisine.

You can also be assured of thorough guidance from the chefs because the cooking vacation is set up for limited seats. During the cooking class, you are given activities to test your lessons from the local chefs.

This can be a great way to win a friend. As you mingle with your chef instructors and classmates, you can build rapport with them, making your culinary tours memorable as you exchange ideas relevant to your cooking lessons, travels and many more.

Moreover, it allows you to showcase your skill in cookery. You can use your existing skills in cooking the best-tasting dish. If you are a newbie, this can be an excellent way to learn from the expert. Nobody is born great, even in cooking. It can be learned, and nothing beats the idea of learning from the great local chefs.

To make your cooking vacation something worth reminiscing, you need to consider few things. After you have determined the destination for your culinary tours, you need to know the best cooking schools of your destination. You can do a search on the web to find out the curriculum.

Know the type of cuisines being taught in every school so you will have an idea on what to expect from your cooking classes. Find out the schedule of the classes so you can organize your vacation itinerary.

At most, the cooking schools are accredited throughout the world and the chefs are equipped with necessary qualifications, experience, resources and skills to make you the best chef of your own kitchen or restaurant.

Although surfing their websites can be a good source of information, it will even be rewarding if you contact them to pose your queries. This is a good way to know about their customer service.

Ask them everything you need to know about their culinary, especially the enrollment process, requirements and the opening of cooking classes. Try to request special discounts.

Equally important in planning your cooking vacation is to qualify your cooking skills. You need a class and a chef that meets your level. If you are new in cooking, you need to select the classes for the amateur. To this class belongs hobbyists and novice.

However, if you are a professional, you need to have distinct cooking classes designed for professionals. There are also cooking schools that work closely with travel agency to make your cooking vacation worthwhile.

There are cooking vacation school group tours that provide package arrangements for their clients. You can book through a firm specializing in cooking holiday arrangement for a hassle-free process. In addition, it guarantees the clients that the cookery schools are already pre-screened.

Celebrity Chefs, Panel Discussions and Competitions to be Featured on Center

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Celebrity Chefs, Panel Discussions and Competitions to be Featured on Center

Some of the biggest names in the Florida region culinary arts scene will present various cooking demonstrations, provide samples to taste, participate in panel discussions and competitions on Center Stage during the 2019 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show being held Sunday, September 15 and Monday, September 16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The Center Stage Emcee is Chef Mareya Ibrahim, The Fit Foodie, a TV chef, holistic nutrition coach, author and award-winning entrepreneur and inventor.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming a terrific line-up of Florida-inspired celebrity chefs who are involved with some of the leading restaurants in the region to Center Stage as well as present the Beacon and Torch Awards, and watch two exciting competitions,” said Tom Loughran, Vice President for the Clarion UX Food & Beverage Group. “Our attendees have become accustomed to seeing the most influential names in the restaurant industry on Center Stage and our 2019 event will not disappoint the restaurant, foodservice and retail professionals attending the upcoming Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and Healthy Food Expo.” To access the full schedule, click here.

Sunday, September 15: Exhibit Hall open 10 am – 6 pm
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Mareya Ibrahim: Mareya who is seen on Recipe Rehab and the Food Network will demonstrate The Best Blender Gazpacho with Baked Avocado Crisps (10:30am – 11:30am)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli – Chopped Champions winner and Miami based Chef will delight with his unique European-inspired creations and flavorful dishes. (11:30am – 12:30pm)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Guillermo Pernot – Keeping in tune with traditional techniques from Old Havana and bold flavors from Santiago de Cuba, Chef Pernot will demonstrate how to modernize Cuban cuisine with dishes like Roasted Garlic Boniato-Potato Mash and Coconut Crab Fritters. (12:30pm – 1:30pm)
* Hip Sip: Battle of the Modern Bartender Rum Edition – Cheer on the finalists that were chosen to compete and battle their creative drink recipes, involving rum for the opportunity to be crowned the overall winner and take home $1,000. (1:30pm – 3:30pm)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Roberto Treviño- See “Puerto Rico’s Rock Star Chef” (and recent Orlando Transplant) from Food Network’s Iron Chef America (3:30pm – 4:30pm)
* Torch Award Presentation to James and Julie Petrakis, co-owners of The Ravenous Pig and Culinary Demonstration. The Torch Award recognizes this couples outstanding leadership, philanthropic efforts, extraordinary talent and innovation. Following the award presentation, Chef de Cuisine, Nick Sierputowski will join Julie for a culinary demonstration (4:30pm – 6:00pm)
Monday, September 16: Exhibit Hall open 10 am – 5 pm
* The Coaches “Hot Seat”- David Scott Peters, Emma Vaughn, and Darren Denington will offer a lightning-fast session of rapid-fire coaching as these industry top coaches explore the what, why, where, when and how of an operation (10:30am – 11:30am)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef John Rivers – Founder and CEO of 4 Rivers Smokehouse will dazzle the audience with his love of barbeque (11:30 am – 12:15 pm)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Kristy Carlucci – Pastry Chef, The Osprey Tavern (12:15pm – 1:00pm)
* Culinary Demonstration with Chef Shaun O’Neale, a world-recognized chefcurrently residing in Las Vegas, NV. A former DJ, Shaun was crowned Season 7 Champion of MasterChef on FOX in 2016 and completed his first cookbook in 2017 titled “My Modern American Table”. His demonstration will feature Roasted Garlic and Wild Mushroom Risotto (1:00pm – 2:00pm)
* Beacon Award Presentation to Heather McPherson – Florida Restaurant and Food Publicist, Award-Winning Cookbook Author and Food Writer, and Florida Farms Advocate will be honored for her leadership, contribution and inspiration. The award will be presented at the Foodservice Council for Women panel discussion where Heather will join Chef Nora Galdiano, CEC, AAV; Chef Mareya Ibrahim; Executive Chef Paul DaSilva; Chef Jeannie Pierola, Chef Trina Gregory-Propst; and Isabel Laessig, Family Foodie Founder (2:00pm – 3:30pm)
* Rapid Fire Challenge: Meatless Monday Edition – Three chefs will put their creativity and skills to the test in this competition, and the winner will be crowned the Rapid Fire Champion, receive $1,000 and bragging rights.Shaun O’Neale,America’s best home cook and Season 7 Champion of MasterChef on FOX will be the Emcee for the event (3:30pm – 5:00pm)
The 2019 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and Healthy Food Expo will provide thousands of industry professionals with access to hottest menu trends, state of the art design and decor, a renowned education program, special events including Hip Sip, Rapid Fire Challenge, several culinary demonstrations, and 450+ of the leading vendors and purveyors dedicated to serving the restaurant, foodservice and retail community. For more information, visit www.flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com.

The tradeshow and conference, is managed by Clarion UX, (www.clarionux.com) and sponsored by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (www.frla.org). The 2019 event will be co-located Healthy Food Expo Florida, and attendees will have access to both events with just one badge. Clarion UX produces 37 events across 13 sectors of both trade and consumer events. Clarion UX, which is the U.S. division of Clarion Events, UK, and backed by The Blackstone Group has become one of the fastest growing event companies in the U.S. with aggressive growth through both acquisition and launch. Clarion acquired PennWell in early 2019, bringing 4 Tradeshow 200 events into the U.S. portfolio and super-charging the already rapid growth. Clarion UX has offices in Trumbull, CT; Kennesaw, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Tulsa, OK; Tacoma, WA, and Fairlawn, NJ.

Mining For Diamonds Is Comparable To Finding Good Managers

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Mining For Diamonds Is Comparable To Finding Good Managers

Did you know the only public diamond mine in the world is in Murfreeboro, Arkansas? The Crater of Diamonds State Park offers a one-of-a-kind adventure — the opportunity to hunt for real diamonds and to keep any you find. The park gives you a brief training, provides you with equipment and lets you loose to hunt for diamonds.

What the experience teaches you is finding diamonds requires effort, training and a little luck. This is exactly what it is like to mine for managers in your restaurant.

Making a point

Finding your next manager-in-training (MIT) or assistant manager (AM) is like searching for diamonds.

1) It requires a diamond mine.

In this analogy, your restaurant is your diamond mine. If you have done a great job in selecting line employees and an even better job training them, you’ll have a few diamonds ready to shine.

2) It requires cultivating the soil.

One of the ways the Crater of Diamonds State Park helps its visitors find diamonds on their visit is to bulldoze the earth routinely to bring the stones to the top of the soil. In your restaurant, bringing the diamonds to the surface where they can be easily recognized requires that the current management team creates a positive work environment for employees to flourish and grow. It requires that management is constantly training employees to do more.

3) It requires you to always be looking.

Some of the diamonds found at the park are found right on the pathway to where people hunt for diamonds. That means that hundreds, if not thousands, of people walk over a diamond every day because they don’t think to start looking until they get to the mine itself.

What does this mean for you? With a little luck and your eyes open every step, you can find the proverbial diamond in the rough. You need to always be looking for your next MIT or AM, even if your management team is complete. You never know when one of them will move on or when you can open a new location and need to double your management team overnight.

manager meetings

Mining the wrong way

A mistake I routinely see when owners and general managers hire from within is to not offer any management training. This happened a lot. I know from my own experience as the manager for a brew pub, as soon as our insider accepted the new position, we handed them the keys, asked them to follow another manager for a few shifts and then let them go to survive or die on their own. There was no formal training whatsoever, and since there wasn’t any formal training when they first joined the restaurant, there was no hope.

We would do this again and again, and we would continue to lose great MITs and AMs. Albert Einstein once said (and I’m paraphrasing here), that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly yet expecting a different result. By this definition, we were nuts.

It’s no wonder we lost these great managers. We weren’t offering any guidance, direction or goals. We weren’t offering any training. And a major reason people leave their jobs is because they don’t know what’s expected of them. Without a structured training system, these expectations are overlooked and valuable diamonds are lost.

We spend a lot of time and money training our line employees to give our guests the best experience possible, yet we throw new managers into the fire with almost no support and training and expect them to succeed.

To change that cycle (and to allow your diamonds to shine), create a training program specific to management. It should include all your operational systems in an operations manual and then a training program that walks each manager through a step-by-step process to learn the skills necessary to be successful. You have to test them on what they learn so that you know they are proficient at each skill set and system necessary to do their job correctly. Your restaurant’s success is dependent upon it.

Adding this step to your process, especially when developing someone from within, will virtually guarantee you a strong management team from top to bottom. Build a successful management team from within with great training from start to management.

Where to Find NYC’s Neighborhood Gems, According to 37 Chefs

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Where to Find NYC’s Neighborhood Gems, According to 37 Chefs

Everyone has their place: that bar or restaurant they return to again and again. Usually it’s someplace that’s comfortable, close by, and definitely not hot or new. Instead, they offer familiarity and some under-the-radar charm. They’re called neighborhood gems for a reason, so we asked 37 chefs to tell us which spots they think of as their own third place, whether it’s a red-sauce Italian joint or the family-owned Greek diner down the block.

Astoria
“Los Portales Taqueria is open late and has tacos for just $1.65 each. I’ll usually crush three lengua tacos, and order some guacamole and chips (along with their three different hot sauces). Their avocado salad is great, too, if you want a starter or something light. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of the tacos there.” —Arjuna Bull, chef-partner, Luthun

Bay Ridge
“Karam is a Middle Eastern takeout spot on 86th Street and Fourth Avenue that’s always busy. There are a few tables you can hang at, but all the food travels well so just take it to go. Their combo plates, like chicken shawarma or lamb shish kebab with white rice and a house salad, are the move with all of the shawarmas shaved right off the spit.” —Calvin Eng, chef de cuisine,Win Son

Bed-Stuy
“Saraghina is always busy and, as a result, has such a great energy. The atmosphere and service style are relaxed yet attentive, and the food and wine are consistently good. My favorite seats are always at the bar. The bartender works in a very small space with just eight or so seats in front, and it’s easy to appreciate their craft and enjoy a conversation revolving around simple Italian food and standout wines. I am obsessed with Sicilian wines, and every time I’m there it seems they have a new one to try. ” —Jared Braithwaite,chef, Colonie

Brooklyn Heights
“Noodle Pudding has an Italian-American vibe, but the food is very different than you would expect. It leans more regional Italian than typical ‘red sauce.’ They always have really interesting seasonal seafood dishes that use local fish. Some of my favorites have been the razor clams casino, bass cheek salad, and the fried whiting.” —Scott Tacinelli, chef-partner, Don Angie and Quality Italian

Bushwick
“My favorite li’l spot is Mally’s on Knickerbocker and Jefferson, a bodega/taqueria that dropped the bodega part of its business after a few years and just focuses on the food now. They make really great Mexican classics like chilaquiles, huaraches, and tortas, usually cooked by two little ladies in the back with a griddle and not much else. It’s always super fresh (probably because it’s so small that there’s no place to store anything) and seasoned beautifully. The chorizo there is especially good, be it on a tostada or with some scrambled eggs. They’re always so friendly and fast, and it’s the kind of place that just brings you joy when you walk in.” —Jordan Terry, executive chef, Dirty French

Carroll Gardens
“Avlee Greek Kitchen is around the corner from my apartment and I go there at least once a week. It’s comfort food to me: Greek salad, dolmas, pita, and gyro. It’s one of those places where everyone knows each other and remembers your name and go-to orders. The owner is always there, and you can tell that his food is made with love and passion because it’s the food of his homeland. I have been going there for at least seven years.” —Tomer Blechman,chef, Miss Ada

Chelsea
“I love an excuse to shout from the rooftops about my love for Lollino, a Milanese coffee and gelato shop in Chelsea. It’s the type of place that convinces you that you live in a quaint “neighborhood” in the middle of Manhattan. Lorenzo, the owner, takes so much pride and care in everything he produces and it shows; everything feels, looks, and tastes distinctly, authentically Italian. I love the hazelnut sorbet — made from imported Italian hazelnut paste — and the espresso is second to none. The staff will always remember you, and Lorenzo will give you a taste of some new confection he’s working on. It doesn’t hurt that my dog’s name is also Lorenzo, so the two have become best friends.” —Suzanne Dumaine, chef-owner, Three Owls Market

Chinatown
“There’s a food cart run by two ladies on the southwest corner of Canal and Centre Streets that makes an amazing chicken-and-tofu-skin congee that’s very delicate. They have a very loyal following and there’s always a line in the morning. Our usual order is a large congee with a side of fish balls with all the sauces, scallions, and sesame seeds. The only time they don’t show up is when the weather is really bad.” —Hannah and Marian Cheng, co-owners,Mimi Cheng’s Dumplings

Crown Heights 
“My favorite spot in Crown Heights is the Islands. The jerk chicken and oxtail are the best I’ve had in the city and it’s the perfect food to grab to go if you’re headed to the park. I’ve been going there for the last seven years and the restaurant is such an institution in the neighborhood — we are lucky to be neighbors with them.” —Nico Russell, head chef, Oxalis

Dumbo
“Thai Sidewalk is a humble, little street cart on the corner of Jay and Front Streets, but people shouldn’t let its unassuming appearance fool them! They serve really solid Thai dishes like pad see ew and green curry with rice, and they make a great homemade Thai iced tea, too.” —Angie Rito, chef-partner,Don Angie and Quality Italian

East Harlem
“I love going to Earl’s Beer and Cheese for their craft-beer selection. They also have the best bar snack: fresh garlic rubbed on hot sourdough toast and topped with crazy-good beer cheese. It’s open late, so it’s chef-friendly and also open Sundays, which makes a brunch date with my three kids possible.” —Ricardo Camacho, executive chef, Añejo

The spread at Russo’s in the East Village. Photo: Melissa Hom

East Village
“Russo’s Mozzarella & Pasta is an Italian deli that’s been in the East Village for over 100 years. It gets passed up on all the reverence held for old New York establishments with flashier fronts, but the best by-the-pound picks are marinated mushrooms, chickpea salad, and spicy peppers stuffed with prosciutto and provolone. I never leave without a house-spun spool of mozzarella marinated in olive oil and herbs, and that’s a rule. Thankfully there is a perpetual tray of prosciutto balls in pyramid formation on the counter, so I know I’m not the only one indulging in this oversize cured-meat-and-cheese bomb.” —Zoë Kanan,pastry chef, Simon & the Whale

Elmhurst
“My go-to neighborhood restaurant is Taiwanese Gourmet. It’s been open for a very long time in Elmhurst and they offer classic Taiwanese dishes like stinky tofu, braised pork over rice and fermented cabbage, and oysters pancakes. They also close late at night, which makes it easy for restaurant people to go to after work.” —Tom Naumsuwan,chef, Wayla

Taiwanese Gourmet’s braised pork is a favorite of Wayla chef Tom Naumsuwan. Photo: Melissa Hom

Flushing
“Alley 41 feels like an old-style home in China. I like to order the intestines with pepper — the outside of the intestine is crispy and the inside is juicy with hints of spice. It’s so good. I also enjoy the sliced pork belly with garlic sauce and cold noodles, and the cauliflower pot. Very flavorful!” —Jimmy Lau, chef-partner, Shuko

Gramercy
“My go-to restaurant not only in Gramercy but in NYC in general is Casa Mono. I’ve been going there for more than ten years and it never disappoints. My staple dish is the ensalada Mono — it’s sweet, salty, cheesy perfection! Everything else on the menu is delicious; you really can’t go wrong.” —Ashley Rath, head chef, LaLou

Greenpoint
“Archestratus Books, a cozy, food-centric bookstore just down the block from my apartment, is a truly unique community space utterly devoted to its Greenpoint neighborhood. Not only do they sell every cookbook you could ever imagine, but at the back of the shop hides a mellow café that serves lovely Sicilian-inspired pastries and delicious snacks like arancini stuffed with basil pesto. They also program really cool neighborhood events centered around the love of cooking and feeding others.” —Natasha Pickowicz,pastry chef, Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar

Harlem
“I love Babbalucci. It’s an Italian restaurant with amazing wood-fired pizza and great drinks. The staff always makes you feel welcome and wanting to come back. I like their outdoor seating for a late-night glass of red wine and one of their salads. My favorite one right now is the chicory with burrata. There are so many places to try, but I keep on coming back here.” —Emma Bengtsson,executive chef, Aquavit

Hell’s Kitchen
“My absolute favorite neighborhood spot to frequent on my days off is La Salle Dumpling Room. After making pasta all day long, dumplings always hit the spot. My go-to order is the pork with kimchee xiao long bao. It’s one of the best-tasting soup dumplings I’ve had, and the kimchee gives it that ‘wow’ factor.” —Andrew Whitney, executive chef-partner, Dell’anima

Long Island City
“The Court Square Diner is my go-to for a large OJ with ice and a BLT. Since it’s right around the corner from PS1, where my new project will be, it’s become my second office. The speed at which you get seated and served is diner magic at its best.” —Mina Stone, chef-owner, Mina’s at MoMA PS 1

Lower East Side
“Bacaro is an Italian restaurant in my neighborhood that has great, delicious food without being too froufrou. The specials are always good, too. I had a low-key birthday dinner in their downstairs area that has great ambience with exposed brick and arches that makes it feel like an underground wine cave. They have a really nice wine list with reasonable prices for amazing wines. It’s marvelous!” —Eder Montero,chef, La Vara

Maspeth
“O’Neill’s is a mix between a sports pub and a family restaurant. It is a place we like to go as a group from Ole & Steen because they have a great selection of beers and a nice and simple menu. The waitstaff is very accommodating and they also have great live music on some Fridays and weekends.” —Søren Nissen, baker, Ole & Steen

The spread at Turkish spot Taci’s Beyti in Midwood, Brooklyn. Photo: Melissa Hom

Midwood
“Taci’s Beyti is a bustling Turkish restaurant on Coney Island Avenue. On any given day, you’ll see a full dining room hosting families and large groups. They have all the classics that one would expect: stuffed grape leaves, roasted eggplant, cacik (which is a yogurt sauce made with dill and walnuts), lentil soup, pide and kebabs. But I highly recommend getting one of their pides. It’s a torpedo-shaped stuffed bread with cheese and herbs; they offer them with a variety of interesting toppings like filet mignon and peppers or pastrami.” —Thomas Romero,executive chef, ACME

Nomad
“Most Korean food in the U.S. is more spice-driven and stimulating. At O:N, the Korean cuisine it serves is not stimulating in the commercial sense, but more like a home-cooked meal. Two of my favorite dishes on the menu are the sam-gye bab and sam-gye tang, a traditional, restorative chicken soup, especially in the summer season. It swear it helps restore the body.” —Junghyun Park, chef-owner, Atoboy and Atomix

Park Slope
“Faros is a Greek restaurant that takes up the interior of an entire brownstone, giving it the feeling of having dinner at your parents’ house, or maybe that’s because of the little old lady who walks back and forth through all the tables, not even pretending to hide her stares while she watches you, making sure you eat every last bite. Whatever the reason, for me it comes down to the food. I don’t expect an elaborate display of tweezered, never-been-heard-of-before ingredients, nor do I want one. When I come here, I get intensely flavorful, traditional Greek dishes: a side of peeled and boiled potatoes that are glazed so many times in lemon and butter they form glasslike crusts, or a slow-braised octopus with citrus and capers. The piles of cheese they light on fire tableside and endless shots of ouzo keep me coming back.” —Kimberly Plafke,chef, Grand Army

Prospect Heights
“Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe has the best bagel sandwiches. My favorite is the Flatbush with breaded chicken, Pepper Jack cheese, hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a toasted everything bagel. They also sell classic NYC bodega treats, so you can get everything you need in one stop — plus the cashier always calls me “love,” which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.” —Amanda Wilson, culinary lead, Daily Provisions

Red Hook
“Pizza Moto is tasty, casual, and really welcoming. During construction they apparently found an old bread oven behind the walls, so they now use it to make delicious Neapolitan-style pizzas. They change the menu all the time, and my current favorite pie is the Vermonter: white pizza with chili, ham, and maple syrup.” —Joe Ogrodnek,chef, Floret

Soho
“Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli is my favorite real-deal Vietnamese deli. The classic bánh mì paté (paté, thịt nguội, chả lụa) is incredible, and everything a bánh mì should be — super fresh, crunchy-soft, and salty. Every time I order it there, I feel like being transported back to Hanoi, eating a bánh mì while riding sidesaddle on a scooter, racing through the streets. They also do an incredible one with sardines as well as one with pork meatballs and water chestnuts. What’s not to love?” —Robert Marchetti, co-owner-chef, Gran Tivoli and Peppi’s Cellar

South Slope
“When we were opening Lot 2, I was taken to Luigi’sand I knew right away I wanted Gio, the preeminent pizza man and second-generation proprietor, to like me. I wanted to be accepted into his community where it didn’t matter if you were born and raised in the neighborhood, an immigrant, or a hipster transplant, you could get the best slice in NYC and listen to him hold court — as long as you act right. Ten years and a couple thousand slices later, Gio says he considers my 4-year-old son to be family. I couldn’t live up the street from a better restaurant anywhere in the world.” —Daniel Rojo, chef-owner, Lot 2

Go for the cold ramen at Nana while it’s still warm out. Photo: Melissa Hom

Stuyvesant Heights
“Nana Ramen is this cute little ramen spot that you wouldn’t notice as a passerby. But once you discover it and decide to go inside, you’ll find delicious ramen. They also do a really nice cold ramen that is super refreshing in the summer. I love it! So good for a little spot in the middle of Brooklyn.” —Ashley Eddie,executive chef, Santina

Sunset Park
“Tacos El Bronco is one of my favorite places because it has a homey, unfussy vibe, and I also love that they offer less traditional (at least in NYC) taco options like veal head, beef tongue, and tripe. Personally, I love to get the beef-tongue tacos and veal-head tacos with guacamole. They are small enough to make a great snack, but are packed with flavor. Head tacos may sound a bit extreme, but this place makes some of the best in the city.” —Will Ono, chef, East One Coffee Roasters

Upper East Side
“Marinara Pizzeria has become my before/during/after pizza snack/slice for any hunger pangs that may hit me. It’s not the best pizza in the world, but it’s damn good. Always consistent and quick and easy; I love having a reliable slice right next to my apartment.” —Jordan Andino, chef, Flip Sigi @ VERSA

Upper West Side
“Coppola’s West is a rustic, Italian red-sauce joint down the street from where I grew up. The entrance is small and down a few steps, but it’s crowded with over-the-top decorations that feel super homey. The food is memorable, but it’s the atmosphere that keeps me coming back. Bring a date, grab a booth along the wall, and share some of the homemade pastas, especially the tortellini. It worked for me in high school and it still does the trick for me today.” —Will Edwards, chef, Gertie

Washington Heights
“I discovered Manolo Tapas because of the live music they have on weekend nights. Even though I’m from France, a large portion of my family is Spanish and all the dishes and music at Manolo Tapas remind me of my childhood vacations in Spain. Some of my favorite things to eat there are the boquerones a la vinagreta and the fresh manchego cheese.” —Lucile Plaza, executive chef, Le Coq Rico

West Village
“A neighborhood classic that I love returning to again and again is Rockmeisha, a small Japanese izakaya on Barrow Street. It was a regular hangout post-shift when I worked nearby, and I still love stopping in today, whether it’s for a bowl of ramen or their excellent pork-katsu sandwich. It’s cozy with a vintage jukebox and rock band décor. They have a small TV, which often is playing old movies or wrestling. I always feel welcomed there, and it’s a great spot to catch up with friends while drinking a Sapporo and sake.” —Mary Frances Attea,chef, High Street on Hudson

Williamsburg
“Suzume has long been a go-to restaurant of mine. It’s an easy place to be, and I find it good for a solo meal or a date night in the neighborhood because it’s warm and inviting and pulls off a small menu with a lot of different options. They have a solid cocktail menu as well, and I like that I can go time after time and mix in some favorites like the spam musubi, salmon ramen, and poke sushi while trying new dishes and drinks to keep it interesting.” —T.J. Steele,chef-owner, Claro

Windsor Terrace
“My wife and I like Krupa Grocery because it’s super quaint and kid-friendly. They have a large pickup window with an open kitchen that my daughter never gets tired of looking at and mentioning how hot it is near it. There is also a patio outside that is really private and a great place to escape the afternoon sun and grab a drink and snack. The food is simple, delicious, and changes enough to feel seasonal.” —Brian Lockwood, chef de cuisine,Eleven Madison Park

DoorDash wins Applebee’s delivery nationwide

Restaurant Tech Editors
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DoorDash wins Applebee’s delivery nationwide

Applebee’s took a slow and strategic approach to national delivery. While the largely franchised brand has allowed its restaurants to work with various delivery services independently, parent company Dine Brands Global Inc. waited to get into a national agreement citing concerns over the long-term sustainability of delivery. But today, the company announced it has found the right partner — DoorDash. 

The goal of the partnership is “getting to a model where our franchisees don’t have to choose between a dine-in guest, a to-go guest and a delivery guest because of those costs associated with those guests,” said Scott Gladstone, vice president of strategy, off-premise and development at Applebee’s. 

Dine Brands CEO Steve Joyce echoed this sentiment when speaking to NRN late last month. “If the profitability for in-restaurant and for takeout and delivery aren’t relatively similar, we’re going to begin to prejudice one channel against another, which we don’t want to do because we want the customer to be in charge of making that decision.” 

To help achieve delivery profitability for franchisees, guests are charged a service fee essentially transferring some of the cost to guests. Joyce isn’t worried about scaring off delivery customers with these fees. “The guest is willing to pay a lot for that level of convenience, and the relative percentage of the [delivery] cost versus the meal doesn’t seem to matter as much as you’d normally think.” 

Another source of tension in many delivery partnerships is losing customer data and preserving a direct relationship with guests. The partnership with DoorDash allows Applebee’s to maintain customer data and enables guests to order off of Applebee’s website or app. DoorDash works with Chipotle Mexican Grill on a similar partnership.

DoorDash is fulfilling the order by picking up and delivering meals to guests. This partnership is active at 1,300 of Applebee’s approximately 1,700 restaurants nationwide. Delivery with DoorDash is free for guests until Sunday, Sept. 1. And with a new partnership with NBC Sports’ Football Night in America, Applebee’s free delivery will continue every Sunday throughout the football season.

This is not an exclusive relationship, though, and Applebee’s menus across the county will continue to be found on different delivery apps depending on franchisee relationships. Customers can also order Applebee’s directly from DoorDash.

Applebee’s went with DoorDash for this national partnership after exploring options with many other delivery services, said Gladstone.

“Doordash has the highest capacity with this type of program,” he said. Specifically, a white label delivery service, which in this case allows customers to order directly from Applebee’s site. And, perhaps most importantly, DoorDash was willing to make it “profitable for franchisees.”

2 million likes deserve 2 million free Spicy Nuggs.

Restaurant Tech Editors
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2 million likes deserve 2 million free Spicy Nuggs.

Today through Aug. 19, Wendy’s is promoting both its social media prominence and delivery relationship with DoorDash by using the 2 million likes the brand said it culled on Twitter to bring its spicy chicken nuggets LTO back to launch a giveaway of 2 million of the chicken pieces, a news release said. 

Customers who use the “SPICYNUGGS” code when they checkout a Wendy’s order on DoorDash will get a free 6-piece Spicy Chicken Nugget order. The brand also said it brought the nuggets back a week earlier than it had planned originally planned, due to consumer demand. 

“Thanks to our incredible Wendy’s fanbase, Spicy Nuggets are back,”Wendy’s U.S. CMO Carl Loredo said in the release. “We knew we needed to reward fans who helped make this possible in a big way.”

DoorDash, however, is not available in all Wendy’s U.S. market and there is a cap on orders of 50,000 per day or a total of 350,000 orders. Likewise, the free nuggets offer doesn’t apply to pickup, drive-thru or dine-in and is valid for one use only. 

Mobile order-ahead tech provides extra sales opportunities, slashes customer waits and drives brand loyalty

Restaurant Tech Editors
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Mobile order-ahead tech provides extra sales opportunities, slashes customer waits and drives brand loyalty

When customers pick up meals, food quality increases, delivery fees disappear, and satisfaction grows.

Restaurant delivery is an amazing customer convenience when the food arrives on time, at the correct temperature and as ordered. But with increased use of third-party delivery services, these service basics are increasingly sub-par, leaving customers disappointed and doubly irritated by delivery fees.

One solution employed by a growing number of restaurants is encouraging customers to buy their food online — typically using a mobile app — and then pick it up in person. The process is known as “buy online, pickup in-store,” or BOPIS, for short. The benefits of BOPIS are many for customers and operators, especially if that app uses predictive arrival technology. They include:

  • When the order is placed, customers know exactly when their food will be ready.
  • Knowing precisely when a customer will arrive, the operator can fire an order to ensure it’s completed on time.
  • Orders are paid for using the app, eliminating the hassle of onsite payment while still logging loyalty rewards.
  • Since the restaurant itself captures valuable customer data, upsell and promotional offers can be tailored to customers picking up their orders.

“It’s the same thing that happens at a retail store, where you see magazines and candy in the checkout line,” says Jaron Waldman, co-founder and CEO at Rakuten Ready, known for their predictive arrival platform, ARRIVE, which allows brands to build innovative pickup customer experiences into their apps. “When customers come inside, you’ve got a new opportunity to sell a packaged dessert or salad, or bottled sodas. Often, just seeing those items merchandised attractively is all the incentive the customer needs to buy.

“It also reinforces your brand’s identity and that interactive experience when they come to your place.”ADVERTISING

Time’s a-wasting!

BOPIS also meets the needs of customers who don’t have time to enter the restaurant or leave their cars. Predictive arrival technology lets the kitchen know when customers are near the restaurant, and where they’ve parked when they arrive.

“Customers are time starved,” says Waldman, “so the notion of standing in a line inside the restaurant isn’t appealing. Technology,” he adds, “ends that wasted time by meeting customers at their cars as they arrive on premises.”

“If they have to wait in line, some feel like they’re not saving time,” Waldman says.

Restaurants not using predictive arrival technology tend to make mistakes “in the last mile,” Waldman says, referring to that moment when customers arrive and orders are completed. He recalls how one client had waiting customers walking inside its restaurants in search of their orders while employees combed the parking lot with those very orders trying to find those customers.

“That’s the beauty of predictive arrival technology,” Waldman says. “It closes those gaps in the customer experience and saves people a lot of time.”

Order accuracy, food quality can suffer when delivered

Over the past several decades, pizza chains have mastered delivery. But restaurants unaccustomed to delivery are struggling not only to figure it out, but also how to absorb high transaction fees — as much as 30 percent of the cost of an order — charged by third-party delivery firms.

According to research from Pentallect, restaurant gross margins on dine-in transactions average 69 percent. Yet that margin crashes to 39 percent when the same meal is delivered via a third-party because of fees.

Third parties also become a key part of the branded customer experience and keep valuable transaction data each operator could use directly to market customers.

Customers also dislike delivery fees. According to research conducted by Tillster, a digital ordering firm, 85 percent of delivery customers do not want to pay more than $5 per delivery — especially when meals take 45 minutes to an hour or more to arrive, and when food quality falls short of expectations.

To avoid those problems, customers are shifting to “buy online, pickup in-store”, according to Greenberg Strategy, an Emeryville, Calif. research firm. Eighty percent surveyed say they trust that order pickup ensures their orders are correct, while an additional 78 percent believe pickup results in higher food quality and correct food temperatures.

“In other words, if you get it yourself, it’s not riding around in a delivery vehicle getting cold while other orders are delivered,” Waldman says. In addition to avoiding delivery charges, operators enjoy additional benefits. “It allows restaurants rather than a third-party to own their consumer interactions and capture that customer information.”

Greenberg also found that both in restaurants and retail venues, providing a BOPIS experience creates a halo effect for those brands because users perceive the offer as innovative and helpful. Equally important, customers surveyed say it gives them greater control of their time and a heightened sense of productivity when they’re not waiting.

“A feature of Rakuten Ready is that the app tells the customer how long the order will take to prepare,” Waldman says. “If it says 30 minutes, 45 minutes, whatever, and you don’t want to wait that long, then you cancel the order.”

While no operator wants a customer to cancel an order, sharing an honest wait time helps them better manage customer expectations and the flow of business during peak times.

“This helps each party on both ends of the transaction,” Waldman says. “Predictive arrival technology provides a vastly improved customer experience.”

Let Rakuten Ready enhance each customer experience

In an on-demand world, every minute counts, and the Rakuten Ready ARRIVE platform is built to deliver great experiences that reward customers with time savings and an innovative brand experience. The company’s predictive arrival technology makes ordering ahead and pickup work seamlessly every time, dramatically improving the convenience and experience of food pickup.

Find out how Rakuten Ready can help you connect with your mobile-first customers at the exact moment that they need you the most. Their integrated suite of solutions enable “order ahead and pickup” programs to run efficiently at scale, by helping merchants to better meet the needs of today’s mobile-first consumer, while driving more traffic to their brick and mortar locations.

Learn more at RakutenReady.com

Viewpoints: How restaurants can cope when tragedy comes to their doorstep

Restaurant Tech Editors
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Viewpoints: How restaurants can cope when tragedy comes to their doorstep

Unfortunately, divisive national politics have come to the front door of the restaurant and retail industries again this week with the tragedies in Dayton, El Paso and Mississippi. How companies respond will be under tremendous scrutiny and can draw severe criticism. Align takes a look at the choices companies face when events like these unfold at their businesses.

Employee retention is a major focus now and companies are increasingly competing for the best employees. Some new perks being offered are increased benefit packages, tuition assistance and an employer-funded four-year education. The Align crew takes a look at what that’s doing to the employee marketplace and what political implications it could have.

Also, the industry finds itself in another minimum wage conversation in New York, this time over conflicting data on the impacts of the city’s high minimum wage. The team tries to sort it out.

The episode concludes with this week’s legislative scorecard.

Align Public Strategies is a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and non-profit organizations navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of RestaurantTech.co.

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