Nightlife operations

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The Power of an ImpactMAP™

The Power of an ImpactMAP™

by Doug Radkey

KRG Hospitality ImpactMAP, main image

Let’s be honest, the line between success and failure often hinges on the ability to act decisively and act with purpose.

In this article, we’re going to explore two areas of your hospitality business that are under your control: creating a plan, and taking action.

Understanding the Risk of Inaction

The concept surrounding the Risk of Inaction—arguably a new form of ROI—captures the potential losses businesses face when they fail to take strategic actions.

Inaction in the hospitality industry can manifest in various harmful ways. Inaction can also stem from multiple sources: fear of change, lack of resources, or simply underestimating the competition.

Regardless of the manifestation or cause, the consequences are usually the same: stagnation, decline, and, ultimately, a shuttered business.

Let’s put this into context by taking a look at a sample of both a restaurant and a hotel business.

Failure to Innovate

If a restaurant does not act to continuously re-engineer its menu, it risks diminishing profits, providing a low-level guest experience, and mismanaging inventory. Without regular strategic updates, the menu may fail to reflect current culinary trends and guest preferences, which can lead to a decrease in interest and satisfaction.

Additionally, sticking with a static menu can prevent the restaurant from optimizing ingredient use, productivity, and cost-efficiency.

At the end of the day, this lack of adaptation and innovation will result in diminishing sales and profitability, making it difficult for the restaurant to sustain its operations.

Failure to Update Systems

If a hotel on the other hand decides to not use a modern and fully integrated Property Management System (PMS), it risks operating inefficiently and falling behind in today’s technology-driven hospitality environment.

A non-existent, outdated, or fragmented PMS can lead to significant operational issues, such as slow check-in and check-out processes, errors in room availability and booking management, and ineffective communication between different departments. That’s just to name a few crucial issues.

This inefficiency can impact guest experiences negatively, leading to dissatisfaction and potentially harming the hotel’s reputation.

Furthermore, without a modern PMS, a hotel may struggle with data management, limiting its ability to effectively analyze performance metrics, forecast demand, and implement dynamic pricing strategies. These disadvantages will result in lost revenue and reduced competitiveness in a space where guest expectations and operational efficiency are increasingly driven by technological advancements.

In each example above, the risk of inaction leads to missed opportunities and underperformance.

The Power of an ImpactMAP™

To combat the risks associated with inaction, your hospitality business can benefit significantly from developing an ImpactMAP™.

This strategic tool can help you identify where you currently stand, define where you want to go, and outline the steps required to get there, thereby helping you create not only strategic clarity, but drive and accountability.

KRG Hospitality ImpactMAP, flowchart and map

The Assessment

To create an ImpactMAP™ and to take action immediately, you need to first assess your operations.

An assessment of your hospitality business is a comprehensive evaluation process aimed at analyzing various aspects of your business to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement or opportunity. The goal is to gather actionable insights that can help optimize operations, enhance guest experiences, and massively improve your profitability.

The assessment should involve on-site observations, staff interviews, and a deep dive into the following eight categories, culminating in a detailed report that provides recommendations and a strategic plan for future growth and sustainability.

For each of the eight categories, consider a 3x matrix with three responses to the following questions:

  • Where are we now?
  • Where do we want to go?
  • What resources do we need?
  • What’s holding us back?

Then, create a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely) goal for each response in your “Where We Want to Go” list.

What are the eight assessment categories?

1. Brand Strategy

Assessment: Review your core values, story, messaging, philosophy, design, and reputation.

Opportunity: Enhance brand alignment across all touchpoints to ensure consistency while refining your brand messaging to better connect with targeted guest profiles.

2. Internal Programming

Assessment: Review your pricing strategy, guest experiences, property / menu / room management systems and programs.

Opportunity: Optimize your offerings based on guest preference data and a profitability analysis, along with potential upgrades to your amenities to enhance guest satisfaction and to compete with today’s market standards. In summary, implement efficiencies to improve guest experiences and operational workflow with a focus on your internal programming.

3. Marketing Plans

Assessment: Review guest profiles, guest journey maps, guest databases, awareness and retention strategies, and your digital marketing portfolio.

Opportunity: Integrate advanced digital marketing techniques to increase reach and engagement while developing targeted promotions and partnerships, and by leveraging data analytics to tailor marketing efforts more precisely to guest behaviors and trends.

4. Tech-Stack Plans

Assessment: Review guest facing technology, POS / PMS system, integrations, and marketing.

Opportunity: Identify current technology gaps and plan for a strategic integration of systems that enhance guest experiences while streamlining operations.

5. Standard Operating Procedures

Assessment: Review of all internal and external systems, plus training programs and SOPs.

Opportunity: Ensuring that all staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities, which enhances overall service quality through the development of standardized procedures that ensure consistency and efficiency across the business. Implement feedback systems to continually refine and improve SOPs based on real-time challenges and successes.

6. People and Culture

Assessment: Review of staff experiences, onboarding, productivity, growth, and retainment.

Opportunity: Strengthen employee engagement through improved communication and support systems. Foster a culture of innovation and openness in which employees feel valued and motivated. Develop leadership from within to enhance management effectiveness and succession planning.

7. Financial Health

Assessment: Review of all financials, including Revenue, COGs, KPIs, Expenses, Debt, and Profit.

Opportunity: Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising service quality. Explore new revenue streams that align with your brand values and market opportunities. Implement more rigorous financial tracking and forecasting tools (such as technology) to better predict financial trends and react proactively.

8. Mindset

Assessment: Daily habits, work / life balance, decisiveness, communications, and growth-based thinking.

Opportunity: Develop a mindset of continuous improvement among all staff levels (starting with yourself) to foster an environment of excellence. Cultivate resilience by planning for crisis management and business continuity. Promote a guest-centric approach, aligning all business decisions with guest satisfaction and personal development outcomes.

Creating the ImpactMAP™

By following the above 3x strategy for each category, you will have created 24 SMART objectives that will be the foundation of your ImpactMAP™ to move your business forward over the next one to six to 12 months.

Importance of SMART Objectives

What does SMART mean and how does it work?

  • Specific, Clarity, and Focus: SMART objectives provide clear and concise goals that everyone in your business can understand and rally behind. This clarity helps to focus efforts and resources on what’s most important.
  • Measurability and Tracking: By setting measurable goals, your business can track progress and make data-driven decisions. This measurability allows for adjustments to be made in strategies or tactics to ensure the objectives are met.
  • Achievability: Goals that are achievable motivate staff. Setting impossible goals can lead to frustration and disengagement, whereas achievable objectives encourage team effort and commitment.
  • Relevance: Ensuring that each objective is relevant to the broader business goals ensures that every effort made contributes to the overall success of your brand.
  • Timeliness: Incorporating a timeframe provides urgency, a deadline, and accountability, which can help prioritize daily tasks and long-term plans.

However, you shouldn’t try to accomplish all 24 objectives at the same time. Once you’ve set your 24 impactful objectives, prioritizing them is crucial to stabilize your hospitality business and aim for scalable growth.

Best Practices for Prioritizing Objectives

  • Assess Business Needs: Start by conducting that thorough assessment of your business to identify key areas that need improvement.
  • Impact Analysis: Evaluate the potential impact of each objective. Prioritize objectives that offer the greatest benefits in terms of guest satisfaction, revenue growth, and operational efficiency.
  • Resource Availability: Consider the resources available, including budget, people, and technology. Prioritize objectives that align with current resources or where adjustments can be made to accommodate necessary changes.
  • Quick Wins: Identify objectives that can be achieved quickly and with minimal disruption to your ongoing operations. These quick wins can boost morale and provide visible improvements that justify further investments in other areas.
  • Strategic Importance: Some objectives, while not providing immediate benefits, are crucial for long-term success. Prioritize these based on their strategic importance to the business’s future.
  • Stakeholder Input: Engage with various stakeholders, including management, staff, and guests, to gain insights into which objectives they feel are most critical. This can help in aligning the goals with the needs and expectations of those most affected by the changes.
  • Balanced Scorecard: Use a balanced scorecard approach to ensure that objectives across different areas such as guest services, internal processes, financial performance, and learning and growth are all being addressed.
  • Iterative Review: Regularly review the priorities as situations and business dynamics evolve. What may be a priority today might change based on market conditions or internal business changes over the next three to six months.

Once you have your objectives prioritized, it’s time to assign or delegate them as needed and have those assignees (including yourself) take ownership of the objectives with their signature to add another level of accountability.

Implementing the ImpactMAP™

Before starting, ask yourself one final question: What will happen if we don’t take action?

Be detailed and mindful of what the short-term and long-term consequences might be if you don’t act.

Effective implementation of an ImpactMAP™ requires knowledge of these consequences, along with a commitment from all levels of your business. It starts with comprehensive training sessions followed by regular review meetings, which are both essential to assess progress, address challenges, and refine strategies as needed.

Take a SMART-ER approach, which is where you Evaluate and Re-adjust the SMART objectives halfway through the timeline you’ve set.

Conclusion

Risk of inaction is a silent threat that can undermine any business, particularly in this dynamic industry.

Adopting an ImpactMAP™ and making a commitment to take massive action allows you to manage your operations proactively, adapt to changing market conditions, and set a course for sustainable success.

This strategic approach not only mitigates risks but also empowers your hospitality business to thrive in a competitive landscape—but it starts with you and your mindset toward taking action.

Image: KRG Hospitality

KRG Hospitality. Restaurant Business Plan. Feasibility Study. Concept. Branding. Consultant. Start-Up.

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

Our inspiring and informative March book selections will help you improve operations, refresh F&B programming, and consider a design update.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: overcoming dysfunctions within teams; stepping outside of comfort zones; cocktail and Irish dish recipes; and repurposing existing buildings.

To review the book recommendations from February 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In a departure from most business books, the author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team presents useful lessons in the style of a fictional tale. This approach makes this bookwhich has more than 13,000 reviews on Amazona compelling read.

From Amazon: “Equal parts leadership fable and business handbook, this definitive source on teamwork by Patrick Lencioni reveals the five behavioral tendencies that go to the heart of why even the best teams struggle. He offers a powerful model and step-by-step guide for overcoming those dysfunctions and getting every one rowing in the same direction.”

Pick up your copy today.

The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

I doubt you need a reminder but just in case, St. Patrick’s is just two weeks away. So, what better time to pick up this best-selling cookbook featuring Irish classic and modern fare? Flip through this book, check out some interesting recipes, and put your own spin on them so they fit with your concept.

From Amazon: “Pubs in Ireland are the cornerstone of their communities, relaxed places where locals and visitors can experience the best of traditional Irish hospitality. Many pubs have also become the place to go for a great meal, with a choice of both traditional and contemporary dishes. In recent years Irish cooking has been transformed, with skillful cooks making the most of wonderful fresh local produce to create delicious new dishes and giving a twist to many classics. This tasty cookbook includes the best of both worlds – with best-loved favorites s Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Split Pea and Ham Soup and newer recipes, like Scallop Chowder or Oatmeal and Raspberry Cream to set your taste buds tingling.”

Order The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook now!

Drink: Featuring Over 1,100 Cocktail, Wine, and Spirits Recipes

This is a seriously big book. After all, it really does contain more than 1,100 recipes. KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey recently picked up this book and flipped through its many, many pages.

Along with well over a thousand recipes organized by spirit, Drink looks at bar tools, housemade ingredients, and ice. Further, it includes interviews with bartenders. If you’re looking for a recipe book that will inspire a drink menu refresh, this is the one you want.

Grab this tome today.

Cool is Everywhere: New and Adaptive Design Across America

Last month, we dove into the biophilic design methodology. This book, Cool is Everywhere, is a photo-driven look into the adaptive reuse design movement. Very briefly summarized, this is a design movement that focuses on repurposing existing architecture rather than knocking down buildings and putting up new construction. This approach tends to be eco-friendly, and as you’ll see from the photos in this book, it also creates cool buildings.

From Amazon: “Cool Is Everywhere highlights remarkable designs that have transformed ordinary buildings into works of art. From North Adams, Massachusetts, to Oakland, California, join Michel as he explores the skyscrapers and quaint neighborhoods that led him to believe that cool is, in fact, everywhere.”

Pick up this book now.

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

This book from author Michael Easter asks a fairly simple question: What if the modern world’s conveniences are making our lives more difficult? When we look deeper into our lives, we may find that our health is being impacted negatively by building and remaining in our comfort zones. Certainly, entrepreneurs can find that refusing to step outside of their comfort is hurting the business side of their lives.

From Amazon: “In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.”

Order it today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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Want Cinematic F&B Posts? Get Messy

Want Cinematic F&B Posts? Get Messy by David Klemt

Cocktail splashing out of a cocktail coupe

Note: Photo not taken by Beautiful Booze or Little Lane Media.

Unsurprisingly, many people think that their social media and marketing photos and videos must be perfect. However, that’s not necessarily true.

The pressure to be “perfect” can lead people to stress out over posting F&B content to their social channels. Surely, composition must be flawless. If it’s not, why bother even posting?

After all, the century-plus-old phrase is “picture perfect,” not “picture imperfect.”

Well, you can stop fretting over every detail of your photos and vids. Two experts in social media marketing and content creation encourage you to be less than perfect.

During this year’s WSWA Access Live event in Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie Migliarini and James Stevenson presented “Cinematic Cocktails: Mastering the Art of Visual Mixology.”

If you’re an avid consumer of social media content, you know Migliarini and Stevenson by the brands they’ve developed over a decade. Beautiful Booze, approaching 200,000 followers on Instagram, is run by Migliarini. Little Lane Media is a media agency operated by Stevenson.

Last week, I shared their tips for working with micro- (and nano-) influencers. Click here to learn why such collaborations can pay dividends for your business.

Today, I’m going to share a few of their tips for creating and posting your own engaging pics and vids.

Perfection is an Illusion

Throughout history, people have explained that perfection is an illusion. Worse, the self-imposed pursuit of perfection when during tasks can discourage a person from even trying.

So, don’t worry about being perfect. Instead, remove the pressure of perfection and just do your best. With that out of the way, Migliarini and Stevenson have a compelling argument against perfection.

In their experiencebear in mind that Beautiful Booze is a pioneer in the cocktail influencer spacethe general consumers of content are put off by content that appears too professional and heavily edited. Rather, people seem drawn to more casual content.

Let’s say you want to promote a new cocktail on your menu. So, you’re going to create a video of yourself or a bartender creating the drink.

If you make a mistake, it can be tempting to scrap the video of edit out the error. Well, you can relax.

According to Migliarini and Stevenson, being messy during some build steps can look better than a “flawless” video. In fact, the duo say a messy video can be “fantastic.” Why? Their reasoning is simple: the mistakes show that you’re not perfect.

You know who else isn’t perfect? The people watching your video. This makes you (or your bartender) more relatable. It also takes the pressure of them if they want to try to make the drink at home.

There’s also the fact that many people are cynical about content. Too professional equals “trying to sell me something.” They know even a casual video is trying to get them to visit your bar or restaurant, but it’s more acceptable.

So, liquid splashing out of the glass? Leave it. Did some booze spill from the jigger and miss the glass? Leave it in.

Tips and Tricks

Of course, you should still create content with some guidelines in place.

  • If you sell alcohol, you should probably keep cocktail, beer, wine, and spirits content to Instagram. TikTok may be a dominant video platform but you can’t be sure what ages are consuming your content. Best to err on the side of caution.
  • Migliarini and Stevenson have learned that people like transparent cocktail shakers when watching cocktail videos.
  • Get a tripod. It doesn’t have to be an expensive, professional one; a decent one from Amazon will do.
  • Any light is better than no light.
  • You can fill “dead space” in your photos with garnishes, coasters, etc.
  • Shoot in slow motion. If you want a truly cinematic post, this works wonders.
  • Aim to create 20-second videos.
  • Finally, and this one is very valuable, edit your video so your “hook” is up first. (Speaking of editing, try Final Cut Pro if editing via laptop or desktop, and InShot to edit on your phone.) You have to grab people’s attention, and Instagram counts the first three seconds as a view. Since it will be a loop, put your hook at the front and the build after that. This may seem odd to you at first but people watching won’t notice the “strange” cut.

Bonus tip: You don’t have to be perfect when performing a task for video. However, make sure your background is cleaned up (and consider blurring it). There are people who’ll pause and try to zoom to pick apart backgrounds; it happens.

With these tips in mind, it’s time to try your hand at some new video content.

Image: Isabella Kara on Unsplash

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Life is Peachy with These Cocktails

Life is Peachy with These Pantone-inspired Cocktails

by David Klemt

Greek Spritzer drink

According to Pantone, the 2024 Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz, which communicates warmth, community, collaboration, and a sense of welcoming.

There’s a lot that operators can do with Pantone’s annual announcement.

For those who are curious, the 2023 Color of the Year was Viva Magenta, a bold, purplish shade of red. And in 2022, the color was Very Peri, a dynamic shade of blue.

If an operator is looking for a complete venue refresh, Peach Fuzz may be an effective choice. For example, people can leverage the 2024 Color of the Year with feature walls, seating, tablecloths, and physical menus.

Of course, not every operator is looking to undergo a redesign. In this case, there’s still plenty of opportunity to splash Peach Fuzz throughout a bar or restaurant. One simple and effective way is through the drink menu.

Below are three peach-forward cocktail recipes. They’re visually appealing, which is helpful since we tend to “drink” with our eyes first. And with peach brandy, puree, or bitters, they impart more than just color: peach fans will appreciate the flavor.

You’ll also find a recipe for the Cosmopolitan, the famous cocktail created by Toby Cecchini. It turns out Aubrey Plaza, the modern face of the Margarita, is also the spokesperson for the Cosmo. Just like they say there’s no Negroni without Campari, there’s no Cosmo without Cointreau.

Cheers!

Frankly, My Dear cocktail

Frankly, My Dear

  • 0.75 oz. Cointreau
  • 0.75 oz. Tequila
  • 0.75 oz. Fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz. Peach puree
  • 3 oz. Prosecco to top
  • Peach wedge to garnish

Prepare a Collins glass by filling it with ice. Add all ingredients except for the Prosecco and garnish to a shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into Collins glass. Top with Prosecco, garnish with a peach wedge, and serve.

Fish House Punch cocktail

Fish House Punch

Add ice to a rocks, Collins, or other glass. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add all ingredients except for garnish. Shake well, strain, garnish with lemon zest, and serve.

Peach Spritzer cocktail, also known as Greek Spritzer

METAXA Peach Spritzer

  • 1.5 oz. METAXA 7 Stars
  • 1.5 oz. Prosecco or other sparkling wine
  • 0.75 oz. Tonic
  • 3 dashes Peach bitters
  • Peach wedge to garnish
  • For winter: Star anise and tree leaf to garnish
  • For spring: Jasmine flower to garnish

For this cocktail, start by selecting a red wine glass. Add METAXA 7 Stars, then add bitters and ice. Stir, add tonic, then top with Prosecco or other sparkling wine. Garnish with a peach wedge.

Cointreau Cosmopolitan cocktails

Cointreau Cosmo

  • 1 oz. Cointreau
  • 2 oz. Vodka
  • 1 oz. Fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz. Cranberry juice
  • Orange twist to garnish

Your bartenders probably know how to make a Cosmo. But just in case, start by preparing a coupe or cocktail glass by chilling it. Add all the liquid ingredients and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake well, then strain into the prepared glass. Garnish and serve.

Images belong to their respective brands.

KRG Hospitality. Bar Consultant. Nightclub. Lounge. Mixology. Cocktails.

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2024

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

Our inspiring and informative January book selections will help you and your team transform your operations and F&B programming.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: becoming a great boss; gaining perspective when analyzing your business; and more.

To review the book recommendations from December 2023, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Single AF Cocktails: Drinks for Bad B*tches

You may roll your eyes at the title of this cocktail book but there’s no denying it has your attention. In that way, it’s much like a well-curated, themed cocktail menu split into cleverly named sections. In fact, this book is separated into sections that match its overall theme. For example, Honeymoon Phase, Betrayal, Devastation, and Resilience. If you have reality show fans among your guests, they’ll likely know author Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules and Dancing with the Stars. So, they’ll probably dig these drinks.

From Amazon: “The newly solo Ariana serves up her own recipes and perspective in a unique exploration of the stages of a doomed relationship. In her own words, Ariana takes back the narrative of her very public breakup while inspiring others to find inner strength in their own troubles. Each drink tells part of the story from her point of view, from when she first met her ex, through the insidious affair and its painful aftermath, and to her present state, coming out the other side, stronger than before.”

Grab it today!

How to Be a Great Boss

Entrepreneurs, when working with a team, need to be leaders. That means being a great boss. However, that doesn’t mean being a tyrant. If you want to earn buy-in from your team, if you want to get the most out of each person, you need to get them excited and engaged.

From Amazon: “Studies have repeatedly shown that the majority of employees are disengaged at work. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Often, the difference between a group of indifferent employees and a fully engaged team comes down to one simple thing: —a great boss.

“In How to Be a Great Boss, Gino Wickman and René Boer present a straightforward, practical approach to help bosses at all levels of an organization get the most from their people. They share time-tested tools that have worked for more than 30,000 bosses in every industry. You can learn to be a great boss—and dramatically improve both your organization’s performance and your team’s excitement about their work.”

Pick up the hardcover today.

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes

As a business owner, it’s smart to see what’s changing. However, it’s also crucial to identify what’s not changing to gain perspective and understand the whole picture.

From Amazon: “With his usual elan, Morgan Housel presents a master class on optimizing risk, seizing opportunity, and living your best life. Through a sequence of engaging stories and pithy examples, he shows how we can use our newfound grasp of the unchanging to see around corners, not by squinting harder through the uncertain landscape of the future, but by looking backwards, being more broad-sighted, and focusing instead on what is permanently true.

“By doing so, we may better anticipate the big stuff, and achieve the greatest success, not merely financial comforts, but most importantly, a life well lived.”

Click here for the hardcover, or here for the paperback.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

This informative and conversational book written by KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry, Bar Hacks is written just for you.

Pick up the paperback from Amazon today!

Hacking the New Normal: Hitting the Reset Button on the Hospitality Industry

Doug’s followup book to Bar Hacks! The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

Pick up KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s second book today! Click here.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2024

by David Klemt

"Think about things differently" neon sign

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you kick off the new year with your January holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our December 2023 holidays list, click here.

January 2: Thank God It’s Monday Day

We all know the Monday trope: It’s the day of the week to fear, inspiring the Sunday Scaries.

Well, this month encourages people to change how they look at the start of the workweek. Your venue can play a role, offering F&B promotions and entertainment programming that puts people in good spirits on a Monday.

January 3: National Fruitcake Toss Day

Another trope? Fruitcake somehow becoming a rock star during the end-of-year holiday season. I suppose this divisive dessert gets the “rock” part right…

If you have the space, you can hold a fruitcake tossing competition. Nobody’s going to eat the fruitcakes they were given, so they may as extract some joy from them.

January 9: National Cassoulet Day

This French dish is warm and comforting. And according to Tastewise, social conversations were up 20 percent in 2023.

However, less than one percent of restaurants have cassoulet on their menus in the US. Could be an excellent opportunity for savvy operator and kitchen team.

January 13: National Peach Melba Day

Each December, Pantone announces the next year’s Color of the Year. At this point, it’s a tradition.

For 2024, that color is Peach Fuzz. So, it makes sense to put peach dishes and drinks on your menu. The Peach Melba is a dessert consisting of peach wedges resting in raspberry sauce, accompanied by vanilla ice cream. However, there’s no reason your kitchen team can’t make this their own by getting creative with ice cream flavors and other accompaniments.

January 14: Start of National Mocktail Week

This is an excellent way to help guests celebrate Dry January. However, it’s important to note that some sober guests find the term “mocktail” disrespectful. I can see their point: the word has “mock” in it. So, perhaps call your celebration Alcohol-free Week, Non-alcohol Week, or Zero-ABV Week.

Either way, this is the time to dial in your zero-proof menu.

January 15: National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Celebrating this holiday with the Peach Melba is a great way to get the most out of promoting your guests’ favorite new dessert. All you have to do is serve your Peach Melba with, you guessed it, strawberry ice cream instead of the standard vanilla.

January 20: National Cheese Lover’s Day

Getting creative to celebrate this holiday will take some effort. However, if you nail it, this promotion can be recurring and become a sought-after experience.

Wine, beer, and spirits pair with a vast array of cheeses. You can create an entire tasting experience, pairing specific cheeses with a curated selection of wines, beers, whiskeys, or other spirits. Check out this guide for pairing ideas.

January 20: National Use Your Gift Card Day

I don’t usually double up on holidays for this monthly KRG Hospitality feature, but here we are.

If your business offers gift cards, this is the day to encourage people to come in and redeem them. Send a targeted email campaign, include a link to your reservation system, and you’ll have an excellent way to track how many gift cards you can expect to show up for redemption.

January 25: Clashing Clothes Day

Why should October and December get all the dress-up fun? There’s no reason your guests have to pull out all the stops for Ugly Christmas Sweater gatherings and then wait another year to do it again.

If you pull this off well and make it a “thing,” you and your team can own Clashing Clothes Day and make it an annual promotion.

January 30: National Croissant Day

The humble but delicious, flaky croissant is a tasty canvas. Sure, you can just offer croissants, but what about going harder and offering an array of croissant sandwiches or desserts?

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels

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2023 KRG Recap: Top 10 Articles

2023 KRG Recap: Top 10 Articles

by David Klemt

The roman numeral for the number 10 on a clock

Here it is! The final roundup of 2023, a collection of the top ten articles spanning all categories, including news, operations, and F&B.

Unlike our previous three year-end roundups, some of these articles aren’t from 2023. As an example, one of our most-read articles is from 2022, and it’s about the happiest provinces in Canada.

We’re humbled and grateful that you continue to view us as a trustworthy source of hospitality industry analysis, advice, and news. We look forward to serving you further in 2024.

Cheers!

Three hands holding up three pineapples

Raise the Bar: The 3 Ps of Hospitality

Nightlife, bar, and cocktail experts Mia Mastroianni, Phil Wills, and Art Sutley want operators to focus on what they call “the Three Ps.”

The engaging trio shared their trio of Ps recently in Las Vegas at the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo.

So, what are the Three Ps of hospitality? People, Place, and Product. Operators who pull the threads tighter on each of these crucial elements will be well on their way to improving operations and the guest experience.

People

Remember all the way back to a week ago when I shared Mastroianni, Wills, and Sutley’s thoughts on service versus hospitality? Consider the first P a deeper dive into that topic.

Operators need to focus on two categories of people who help their businesses succeed: their teams and their guests.

Addressing the former, the trio feels that operators are centering a disproportionate amount of their attention on guests in comparison to staff.

“We’re not lacking for people who want to work in the business and are outperforming other industries, but we’re not focusing on staff like we focus on guests,” says Wills. “Treat everyone with respect, including through the hiring process. If you don’t engage your staff, you won’t retain them. You need to show them they can grow in your business.”

According to Sutley, 89 percent of operators say that labor costs present a “significant challenge.” It follows, then, that committing to treating staff with respect and nurturing their careers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart business.

Look for people with passion, those you can motivate to go above and beyond so you’re not stuck with a team full of space-fillers who are just after a paycheck, suggests Mastroianni.

Of course, operators and their teams must also focus on providing exceptional service and experiences to guests.

“Treat ever guest like a pearl in an oyster,” advises Wills. “They’re the pearl, we’re the oyster. We need to ‘protect’ them.” Anything less, cautions Sutley, and guests won’t return.

For the rest of the Three Ps, click here.

Tortilla with beans, cotija cheese and egg

Canadian Trends 2023: Technomic

Restaurant, bar, and hotel operators will find this year’s data-driven trend predictions from Technomic for 2023 insightful.

Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, some operators may be looking beyond North America for inspiration.

Per Technomic, Central and South American cuisines could influence menus in Canada this year. Other food trends that might take hold are “retro” health items, and all manner of pickled foods.

Of course, not every Canadian trend prediction involves F&B. According to Technomic, tech and the guest experience will play important roles.

To review last year’s Technomic predictions, click here. Now, let’s jump into Technomic’s 2023 predictions.

Guest Experience

Certainly, the guest experience should always be top of mind for operators, their leadership teams, and their staff.

In this instance, Technomic isn’t suggesting that the guest experience in general will be a trend. Obviously, with as important as it is to the success of any business, it’s a cornerstone.

Rather, Technomic predicts that guests will continue to feel the need to rein in their spending due to ricing costs and prices. However, the foodservice research firm also believes there’s still heavy desire for social interaction.

So, both those financial and social influences translate to the following: overdelivery.

Operators and their teams must ensure they position their brands well; make guests feel special every visit; and really dial in the guest experience. Specifically, Technomic suggests focusing on younger generations and menus with at least a couple specialty items that aren’t easy for a guest to replicate at home.

In other words, do whatever it takes to entice guests with memorable experience and quality menu items, and keep them coming back for more.

Follow this link to continue reading.

Server carrying two plates with one hand

Just.Safe.Food. and More Alternatives to ServSafe

ServSafe, the National Restaurant Association‘s food safety training program, isn’t the only food handler training game in town.

Certainly, the program is the most well known in our industry. However, it’s fair to say that ServSafe is closer to infamous than just ubiquitous due to a New York Times article from January.

While it’s the most recognizable of the food safety programs, it’s not the only one. Although, ServSafe’s omnipresence likely gives many the impression that it’s ServSafe or nothing.

There are, however, alternatives to ServSafe. In fact, one challenger was announced a day after the explosive New York Times article that thrust ServSafe into a spotlight the NRA probably isn’t enjoying. (After all, one result of that article was a letter from six US senators demanding answers from the NRA about ServSafe by March 3.)

At any rate, the newest alternative to ServSafe comes from One Fair Wage. The program is Just.Safe.Food. and costs just $10. (As a reminder, ServSafe costs $15.)

For that $10, Just.Safe.Food. gives an individual three attempts to pass their exam and unlimited access to training materials. Additionally, One Fair Wage (OFW) says profits they raise from the program will go toward advocating for restaurant workers.

OFW, as many in the industry know, is owned and operated by restaurant workers. Two cornerstones of the organization’s mission are increasing the minimum wage, and ending the tip credit. OFW is also attempting to convince lawmakers to stop accepting donations from the NRA.

Basically, OFW and the NRA are—and it appears always have been—at odds with with one another.

To learn more, click here.

Newfoundland and Labrador during daytime

These are the Happiest Provinces in Canada

If you’re wondering which province in Canada is the happiest, Statistics Canada has the answer—and the happiest may surprise you.

Of course, those who live and work in the happiest province won’t find it shocking. After all, they’re largely happy to be there.

However, if you expect the happiest province to be the home of Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or Canada… Well, you’re in for a surprise.

Earlier this week we took a look at the happiest cities and states in America. Congratulations Fremont, California, and Hawaii, respectively. To learn where 181 other cities and 49 states rank, please click here.

The Happiness Survey

Or more accurately, the “life satisfaction” survey. For this survey, that’s what Statistics Canada reveals: life satisfaction.

Interestingly, the survey is very simple. Apparently, Statistics Canada simply asked participants to rate the satisfaction of living in their province, zero through ten. For this survey, zero is least satisfied, ten is most.

Ages 15 through 75 (and older) were able to participate. The survey was also broken down to gauge the satisfaction of men and women.

Before we jump into the breakdown of province satisfaction or happiness, some good news. Reviewing the Statistics Canada data, most participants across all age groups are happy. In fact, age groups 65 to 74 and 75-plus appear to be happiest.

On the other side, ages 15 to 54 had the most people who rated their life satisfaction between zero and five. Even so, just over 20 percent of survey respondents rated their satisfaction a five or less.

So, on the whole, Canadians seem satisfied or happy with their lives, regardless of the province in which they live. Personally, I find that to be great news.

Click here to keep reading.

Glendalough Distillery Wild Gin Irish gin

8 Glendalough Distillery Cocktail Recipes

Offer your guests something different for your St. Patrick’s Day promotion with Glendalough Distillery cocktail recipes.

Without a doubt, you should have plenty of the expected Irish whiskeys on hand. However, Glendalough Distillery Double Barrel, Pot Still, Wild Gin, and Rose Gin are extraordinary Irish whiskeys and gins.

Each spirit the distillery crafts honors the art of Irish distillation, a craft that stretches back centuries. What’s more, each whiskey Glendalough crafts is single malt—there are no light-bodied blends in their lineup.

To learn more, check out episode 71 of the Bar Hacks podcast with Glendalough Distillery co-founder and national brand ambassador Donal O’Gallachoir.

Sláinte!

Glendalough Distillery Double Barrel Single Malt Irish Whiskey

The Lough Inn

This highball is made with Glendalough Double Barrel, a single-grain Irish whiskey aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in Oloroso sherry casks.

  • 2 oz. Glendalough Double Barrel Single Grain Irish Whiskey
  • 1 oz. Spiced honey syrup (see note)
  • 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice
  • Soda to top
  • Lemon wheel or slice to garnish
  • Mint leaf to garnish
  • 1 cup Honey for spiced honey syrup
  • 0.5 cup Water for spiced honey syrup
  • 4 Cinnamon sticks for spiced honey syrup
  • 1 pod Star anise for spiced honey syrup

Add ice to a highball glass, then add first three ingredients. Top with soda water. Garnish with lemon wheel or slice and freshly torn mint leaf.

For spiced honey syrup: Add honey, water, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to pot. Bring to a boil, then stir. Strain into container.

For more Glendalough Distillery recipes, click here.

White Russian cocktail made with Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

7 Coffee Liqueurs You Need to Know

Whether you and your bar team are making Espresso Martinis, riffing on classics or creating something new, consider these coffee liqueurs.

National Espresso Martini Day takes place on Tuesday, March 15. Leading up to this bar holiday, the cocktail is experiencing yet another resurgence.

In fact, this cocktail more than any other seems to maintain an enviable rate of “surging back” in popularity. Maybe it’s time to just admit that it’s a modern classic people love to hate…but still order and enjoy.

Below are seven coffee liqueurs that shine in an Espresso Martini, Old Fashioned, Negroni, Irish Coffee, or any number of rich, flavorful cocktails. Cheers!

Mr. Black

Most of the reviews out there place Mr. Black at the top when it comes to coffee liqueurs. Once you’ve sipped it neat, you understand why. The coffee flavor is outstanding, and that should come as no surprise. After all, Mr. Black is crafted in Australia, a country with a rich coffee culture.

Additionally, Mr. Black occasionally releases special batches. In the past, the brand has produced Single Origin Ethiopia, Single Origin Colombia, and collaborations with WhistlePig and St. Ali Coffee Roasters. They also have a coffee amaro available.

Grind Espresso Shot

You really can’t go wrong making an Espresso Martini with an espresso liqueur. Grind Espresso Shot gives Mr. Black a run for their money in the coffee liqueur showdown.

This blend of Caribbean rum, espresso, coffee, and coffee extract that shines in just about any cocktail.

Click here for more coffee liqueurs to consider adding to your inventory.

Group of Big Game cocktails at Ocean Casino Resort

Ocean Casino Resort Offers Big Game Cocktails

Ocean Casino Resort, Atlantic City’s award-winning oceanfront casino and resort, is ready for the Big Game with four cocktails that team with the theme.

Now, by “Big Game,” we all know what I’m talking about. We know the sport, we the know the league, and we know precisely which game is under discussion.

However, due to very “enthusiastic” attorneys, we also have to talk like we’re spies or actors in a mob movie. We wouldn’t want to tempt anyone to file a lawsuit now, would we?

And I’m going to encourage you to continue following this childish way of speaking about the Big Game. When you’re promoting your Sunday, February 12 event, don’t use any trademarked terms, logos, images, etc.

Alright, the Big Game legalese is out of the way. Let’s talk themed cocktails!

Big Game Cocktail Inspiration

Midway through last year, Ocean Casino Resort showed us all their marketing prowess. When news of the Choco Taco’s demise made headlines, Ocean created a cocktail homage: the Chocotini.

To ensure the LTO could be enjoyed by most guests, the cocktail was available at four venues on the property.

Now, Ocean Casino Resort is tackling the Big Game. (Note: I’m legally required to include sports puns when writing about any major game.)

Guests have four specialty LTO cocktails from which to choose. Two representing the team from Philadelphia, two for the team in Kansas City. Each drink is available at venues throughout the casino resort, including their Topgolf Swing Suite (largest in America), Nola’s Bar & Lounge, and the Gallery Bar Book & Games.

In news that should appeal to you and your bar team, these drinks are quick to make. That’s a relief when you plan to be slammed on a particular day.

Of course, you don’t have to attempt to replicate these cocktails. They serve as excellent inspiration to motivate you and your team to come up with your own liquid homages and LTOs.

In case you’re wondering what to charge, Ocean is charging $14 each for the Brotherly Love, Hurts So Good, and Big Red cocktails. The Arrowhead carries a price tag of $15.

Click here to continue reading.

Closeup of keyboard

Can ChatGPT Write Food and Drink Menus?

After my “conversation” last month with ChatGPT about AI, I had another conversation during which I asked it to write me four menus.

Of course, I did this to prove a point. And upon reviewing the ChatGPT menus, you’ll likely reach the same conclusion.

Curious about how creative the AI-powered chatbot could be, I asked for four specific menus. As you’ll see, two are cocktail specific, one focuses on food, and one is a 20-item F&B menu for a specific event.

So, yes, ChatGPT can write food and drink menus. But there’s a caveat. I could leave you in suspense but that’s not very nice. Let’s jump in.

Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular cocktails from 2022.

Cocktail Menu

  1. Aperol Spritz – Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water, garnished with an orange slice
  2. Old Fashioned – Bourbon, sugar, bitters, and a citrus peel
  3. Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
  4. Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
  5. Moscow Mule – Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice
  6. Paloma – Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and soda water
  7. Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish
  8. Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  9. French 75 – Gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  10. Mai Tai – Rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orgeat syrup

*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.

Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular spirits and alcohol types of 2022.

Cocktail Menu

  1. Gin and Tonic – Gin, tonic water, and a lime wedge
  2. Vodka Martini – Vodka, dry vermouth, and an olive garnish
  3. Bourbon Manhattan – Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters
  4. Tequila Sunrise – Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup
  5. Rum Runner – Rum, blackberry liqueur, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine
  6. Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  7. Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
  8. Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
  9. Long Island Iced Tea – Vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and cola
  10. Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish

*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.

Click here to keep reading.

Developing a Bar Concept w/ Sensory Experiences

Once your idea has been researched and the market, location, technical, business, and financial viability of the idea has passed a series of reviews throughout a feasibility study, a concept development plan can then be started.

Remember, outside of being scalable, you want to build a concept that is sustainable, profitable, memorable, and consistent.

Bar concepts over the years have gone from being tame (or lame) or overplayed, like tiki bars or sports bars, to concepts that push the boundaries of what a bar can be. One of the best ways to build a customer base is to go off the beaten path to create a bold and fresh new bar concept.

A concept plan will focus on ‘chapters’ and visual storyboards that include an overall:

  • Concept Summary (a one page summarization similar to that of an Executive Summary)
  • Statement Overview (Value, Vision, Mission, Culture)
  • Architectural Design (characteristics, features, costs)
  • Bar/Kitchen Production (your equipment specs)
  • Entertainment & Guest Experience Summary
  • Menu Design Attributes (food & beverage)

Owning a bar is a dream for most that must be met with the right research, planning, and mind-set.

One’s market will, and must, define the concept. To be successful, you must be open to building a venue the market both wants and needs.

Concept development is giving your ‘idea’, both soul and character. A bar’s concept is the lifeline of its brand and longevity in the market. It makes your venue stand apart from the competition, and it’s ultimately your bar’s unique selling proposition.

Have you ever walked into a bar and been confused about its identity? The interior doesn’t match the beverage offerings, the social media experience doesn’t reflect the actual experience, and even the music doesn’t seem to match the vibe of the bar.

This is what happens when there isn’t a clear and detailed concept development plan in place, and it is a sure fire way to be just average at best.

Continue reading here.

How to Address Temporary Restaurant and Bar Closures: 5 Social Media Examples

Repeated restaurant and bar closures have, tragically, become a hallmark of 2020.

Operators have had to learn how to communicate closures to potential indoor guests, as well as delivery and takeout guests.

For most operators, the possibility of closing their doors—temporarily or otherwise—has moved well past “if” territory. At this point, it’s not even a question of when a restaurant or bar will have to close, it’s a matter of when it will happen again.

There are a few reasons a F&B business will have to close due to the Covid-19 outbreak: official mandate, reduced indoor and outdoor dining capacities, and voluntary temporary closures.

Mandated closures are, on the surface, straightforward. Government officials decree that certain types of businesses must close their doors by a specific date and time, and owners are expected to comply.

Closures induced by capacity restrictions are less straightforward. It has become woefully apparent that most lawmakers don’t understand (or don’t care) that at a certain threshold, reducing indoor and outdoor dining capacities is as good as forcing a restaurant or bar to close; the value proposition of remaining open simply isn’t there.

A voluntary temporary closure can come about because of capacity limitations, but they can also be the result of other factors. A significant workforce reduction, lack of traffic, rising costs of goods, or an internal Covid infection.

The stark reality is that the likelihood today’s operators are going to have to craft social media posts and emails announcing temporary (and possibly extended) closures is anything but slim.

Click here to keep reading.

Image: Anne Nygård on Unsplash

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2023 KRG Recap: Top 8 Ops Articles

2023 KRG Recap: Top 8 Operations Articles

by David Klemt

Close-up shot of a white neon "8" sign

The third installment in our annual article roundup is a collection of our readers’ favorite operations and service articles of 2023.

Below, articles about a multitude of topics: food safety, pricing, menu programming, leadership, setting your non-negotiable standards, and much more.

If you’re looking to really dial in your operations and service for 2024, these articles are an excellent place to start for tips and inspiration.

Cheers!

Server carrying two plates with one hand

Just.Safe.Food. and More Alternatives to ServSafe

ServSafe, the National Restaurant Association‘s food safety training program, isn’t the only food handler training game in town.

Certainly, the program is the most well known in our industry. However, it’s fair to say that ServSafe is closer to infamous than just ubiquitous due to a New York Times article from January.

While it’s the most recognizable of the food safety programs, it’s not the only one. Although, ServSafe’s omnipresence likely gives many the impression that it’s ServSafe or nothing.

There are, however, alternatives to ServSafe. In fact, one challenger was announced a day after the explosive New York Times article that thrust ServSafe into a spotlight the NRA probably isn’t enjoying. (After all, one result of that article was a letter from six US senators demanding answers from the NRA about ServSafe by March 3.)

At any rate, the newest alternative to ServSafe comes from One Fair Wage. The program is Just.Safe.Food. and costs just $10. (As a reminder, ServSafe costs $15.)

For that $10, Just.Safe.Food. gives an individual three attempts to pass their exam and unlimited access to training materials. Additionally, One Fair Wage (OFW) says profits they raise from the program will go toward advocating for restaurant workers.

OFW, as many in the industry know, is owned and operated by restaurant workers. Two cornerstones of the organization’s mission are increasing the minimum wage, and ending the tip credit. OFW is also attempting to convince lawmakers to stop accepting donations from the NRA.

Basically, OFW and the NRA are—and it appears always have been—at odds with with one another.

To learn more, click here.

Three hands holding up three pineapples

Raise the Bar: The 3 Ps of Hospitality

Nightlife, bar, and cocktail experts Mia Mastroianni, Phil Wills, and Art Sutley want operators to focus on what they call “the Three Ps.”

The engaging trio shared their trio of Ps recently in Las Vegas at the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo.

So, what are the Three Ps of hospitality? People, Place, and Product. Operators who pull the threads tighter on each of these crucial elements will be well on their way to improving operations and the guest experience.

People

Remember all the way back to a week ago when I shared Mastroianni, Wills, and Sutley’s thoughts on service versus hospitality? Consider the first P a deeper dive into that topic.

Operators need to focus on two categories of people who help their businesses succeed: their teams and their guests.

Addressing the former, the trio feels that operators are centering a disproportionate amount of their attention on guests in comparison to staff.

“We’re not lacking for people who want to work in the business and are outperforming other industries, but we’re not focusing on staff like we focus on guests,” says Wills. “Treat everyone with respect, including through the hiring process. If you don’t engage your staff, you won’t retain them. You need to show them they can grow in your business.”

According to Sutley, 89 percent of operators say that labor costs present a “significant challenge.” It follows, then, that committing to treating staff with respect and nurturing their careers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart business.

Look for people with passion, those you can motivate to go above and beyond so you’re not stuck with a team full of space-fillers who are just after a paycheck, suggests Mastroianni.

Of course, operators and their teams must also focus on providing exceptional service and experiences to guests.

“Treat ever guest like a pearl in an oyster,” advises Wills. “They’re the pearl, we’re the oyster. We need to ‘protect’ them.” Anything less, cautions Sutley, and guests won’t return.

For the rest of the Three Ps, click here.

"Be optimistic" sign on black door

5 Toxic Mindsets that Hinder the Success of Your Business

Your frame of mind matters, and if you want a team and business that’s thriving and growing, it’s time to examine your own mindset.

How you show up day to day in your business and in your life will either hinder or promote your success. Like the popular phrase goes, “It starts from the top.”

You can set the tone for the day with the energy you bring. As Anese Cavanaugh, author of the book Contagious You, states, “Whatever we put out there and whatever we take on affects our ability to influence, lead, and create the impact we want.”

A positive mindset is contagious: it can inspire, motivate, and make others feel good. A toxic mindset is equally as contagious: it can halt growth, increase unhappiness, and lower productivity.

Here’s a list of five toxic thoughts that lead to a negative mindset and can hinder success.

Blame Game

Always looking for someone else to lay the blame on when things go wrong is a surefire way to a toxic team environment. If you’re quick to blame others when things go wrong, perhaps it’s time to take a step back and examine why something went wrong in the first place.

Was there inadequate training provided? Are there no clear systems to follow? Do you have an environment that’s hostile to asking for help? Fault rarely lies in one person only; there are typically several factors in play.

A positive mindset will examine facts, look at all potential causes, and then come up with solutions. Blame never enters the picture.

Second Guessing

Not being confident in the choices you make hinders growth. Uncertainty in your decision making leads others to question or doubt your role as leader.

If you don’t have the utmost confidence in making decisions, and it’s your business, how can you expect your team to have confidence in you or the work that they do?

This doesn’t mean that you have to make snap decisions without thinking them over. Planning and deliberating over the right move to make is critical to success. But once the decision is made…it’s made. If it doesn’t work out you can then problem solve to get back on the right path.

Second guessing your decisions along the entire way is only going to slow you and your business down.

Click here to continue reading.

Several spray paint cans next to one another

Raise the Bar: Service vs. Hospitality

During the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Mia Mastroianni, Art Sutley, and Phil Wills addressed what separates service from hospitality.

For the sake of those who are unfamiliar, a brief summary of each member of this informative panel. Art Sutley is a nightlife and hospitality expert recognized by Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Thrillist (among other publications).

Phil Wills and Mia Mastroianni should be recognizable to anyone who has watched Bar Rescue. Wills co-founded Spirits in Motion, a beverage consulting agency. He’s also a bartender’s bartender who’s passionate about hospitality. Mastroianni, equally as passionate about the art of hospitality, is a seriously talented bar professional and hospitality expert who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

It’s difficult to imagine a more qualified trio when it comes to discussing the differences between service and hospitality.

What is Service?

Before they all dove in, Sutley shared a simple but impactful take on the guest experience.

“It’s checking boxes,” said Sutley. “We want each guest to check every box, and a few extra.”

That description helps draw a line between service and hospitality. Per Sutley, Mastroianni, and Wills, service is a transaction and meeting expectations. Reinforcing this idea, Wills said, “Service is black and white; it’s simple.”

Operators and their leadership teams, after developing their steps of service, can literally or figuratively track the service transaction. Training staff—from onboarding to pre-shifts—on the steps of service and an operator’s non-negotiable standards ensures the guest experience transaction is delivered as expected.

Worryingly, Mastroianni expressed her concern that the quality of service appears to be dropping. If that’s true, however, that provides an opportunity.

Per Sutley, the industry is getting more difficult. There are more competitors out there, and guest expectations are becoming increasingly stringent. So, if Mastroianni is correct and more concepts are failing to deliver on the expected service transaction, operators who commit to building and training teams that deliver high-level service will stand out.

Keep reading here.

Two restaurant food menus

Real-world Menu Tips from Chef Brian Duffy

Call it an education session, call it a workshop, one of the best features of the Bar & Restaurant Expo is live menu feedback from Chef Brian Duffy.

This is certainly true of the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo. During this year’s BRE (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show, or NCB), Chef Duffy delivered well over two hours of real-world menu feedback.

To be sure, BRE educational programming is always beneficial. Attendees who take the time to plan their schedules to include education sessions will take invaluable tips back to their businesses.

However, watching in real time as Chef Duffy critiques real menus submitted by BRE attendees provides insight that will impact the guest experience and success of a restaurant or bar immediately.

When delivering his feedback, Chef Duffy is unacquainted with the menus. He’s also unfiltered. So, attendees of these sessions are provided a window to Chef Duffy’s professional opinions, on the fly, in real time.

Take, for example, this blunt statement: “If you serve tilapia in your restaurant, you suck.” Before anyone has a conniption, Chef Duffy is referring to unethically farm-raised tilapia that’s often exposed to waste.

Technical Difficulties

Due to unforeseen AV issues, Chef Duffy was unable to use the large screens in the room to review menus for 30 to 40 minutes.

Now, some speakers may be shaken when encountering such a technical difficulty. This isn’t the case for Chef Duffy. In fact, all in attendance from the start of his session were lucky enough to gain insights beyond menu design because of the AV issues.

First, we all gained some insight into Chef Duffy’s consulting process. When engaged for restaurant consultation, he watches an evening service. Next day, he’s in your kitchen at 10:00 AM. What he sees in your kitchen tells him what’s happening throughout your restaurant. By the way, if he encounters just two spelling errors on your menu, he’s done reviewing it—you need a fresh start.

Second, inventory. Chef Duffy assumes you keep eleven percent of your overall revenue on your shelves. So, if you’re generating $100,000 each month, your shelves hold $11,000 of product. When reviewing your financial situation, take a look at that number for your own restaurant or bar.

Third, executive chefs versus head chefs. Chef Duffy has been on the ground for more than 100 restaurant openings. He has interviewed countless chefs. Have you ever wondered about the difference between an executive chef and a head chef? Knowledge of the financial aspects of running a kitchen. Without it, someone’s not an executive chef—they’re a head chef. Executive chefs know (and in theory can be trusted with) finances; head chefs make sure the brigade comes to work on time.

Finally, a cost-reduction tip. When you speak with your food reps, ask about DWO items: “Discontinued When Out.” You may be able to get your hands on some great items for a fraction of the cost.

Follow this link for more tips from Chef Brian Duffy.

Person writing down notes

The Importance of Sticking to Your Standards

One crucial task for all restaurant, bar, nightclub, and hotel operators is to set the acceptable standards and commit to maintaining them.

Hospitality operations are subject to an interesting paradox. We’re all told to prepare for things to go sideways during any given shift. We’re also told that adhering to our standards of service will help us weather a storm of challenges. Oftentimes, however, the first thing to slip at the first sign of trouble is: our standards.

When a client signs on with KRG Hospitality, they are given the task of identifying their core values. There’s an exercise for this key development step; it’s part of our standards.

Your core values inform your standards (and so much more): leadership team standards; front- and back-of-house team member standards; and standards of service. Additionally, you should spell out these standards during the onboarding process, utilizing an employee manual—which new hires must sign and date—and practical training.

It’s absolutely crucial that you and your team commit to your standards fully. They’re inviolable, what both KRG president Doug Radkey and Chef Brian Duffy call your “non-negotiables” during speaking engagements and when working with clients.

Are people going to make mistakes, including you? Yes. On occasion, a standard is going to slip. The key is understanding that maintaining standards helps reduce these occasions; panicking and allowing them to slip just drops us deeper into quicksand.

Someone on the team is going to miss a service step. Something will occur during a shift that’s not up to standards. What’s important in those moments is the ability for the team to recognize the slip quickly and correct course immediately.

Setting Standards

There are different ways for operators to select their standards. The example I provide at the top of this article is one approach KRG implements.

Michael Tipps, co-founder of Invictus Hospitality and friend of KRG Hospitality, has an intriguing approach of his own. He shared this during the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas.

“Standards separate operators and their teams,” says Tipps. While he doesn’t encourage operators to look at every other operator in their market as competition, he does advocate for differentiation.

Tipps shared a three-step approach to standards. (Step two, by the way, is the one I find intriguing.)

  1. Create your standards. Again, there are different approaches.
  2. Pick your committee. I’m going to explain this further.
  3. Set standards against the grandest vision of your venue.

So, what does it mean to “pick your committee”? Well, it means surrounding yourself with people you respect…real or imagined. As Tipps explained during BRE, he has people in his life that he considers his committee. The real-life members of this committee are a sounding board for any number of ideas, questions, challenges, and even mistakes.

And yes, his committee also includes “imaginary” members, such as Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. These are people that he doesn’t know personally but are known to have incredibly high standards. They’re high achievers and, of course, many have biographies and we can know their standards. Tipps has “asked” these committee members, “How should I handle X?”

This creative approach isn’t for everyone but every operator should at least give it a shot. When we step that far out of our comfort zones the results can be incredible.

Gain more insights via this link.

Chess pieces on chess board in grayscale

Do You Empower Your Team to Make Decisions?

Empowerment is about so much more than trusting someone to follow clearly defined rules; you must learn to trust your team’s judgement.

Yes, even when things don’t go according to plan. If you’re only training your team on the “rules,” you’re doing a disservice to them and yourself. So, let’s have a little chat about empowerment. What does it mean to you? What are your expectations of your team when you tell them they are empowered?

Looking back throughout your own work history, have you ever had a job where your boss told you that you were empowered to make decisions, but you didn’t actually know what to do or how to make decisions? Did anyone ever explain “the how” of decision making to you?

Now, look at yourself as a leader. Have you ever had employees that you’ve told are empowered to make decisions, yet they get a manager every time someone needs something out of the ordinary? Are you explaining to your staff “the how” of decision making, along with your expectations?

It’s frustrating to feel like the house might fall down when you’re not in it. That’s no way to operate a business. We all want our staff to be able to make educated decisions when we’re not around. We shouldn’t have to hold their hands and be part of every single decision.

Still, there are times when, left to their own devices, a team member doesn’t make the decision you’d want them to make. This makes owners and leadership team members feel as though they must be at work every second.

So, how do you move away from micromanagement and learn to trust your team’s decision making?

Leverage Teachable Moments

You’ll never be able to give an example of every possible situation that may arise. Therefore, you’ll never be able to train your team on everything that they’ll encounter on any shift.

How do you tell someone how to handle situations when you’re not around? You don’t, and I don’t suggest you even try. Instead, you need to instill a sense of empowerment in your team.

However, “empowerment” is just a word if you’re not educating your team. You need to teach staff how to make good decisions. And how do you even start to do that? Cash in on all the teachable moments that happen throughout the day!

Once upon a time we were all new to this industry. I’m sure you have a few stories of some mistakes you’ve made along the way. I know I certainly do.

Think back to those situations. Did someone explain to you why you made a mistake? More importantly, did they then help you understand what to do next time? Or did they just get mad and make you feel like a failure?

I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing people over the years. There are several people that really put effort into teaching me. The different things they taught me helped me to understand the ins and outs of decision making, even in situations I know very little about.

Keep reading here.

White "Reserved" sign in wooden block on table

Why You Need to Use Direct Bookings

A new report from guest retention platform SevenRooms shows that like delivery, guests prefer to support restaurants directly when it comes to reservations.

Similar to their awareness of third-party delivery platform fees, today’s guest appears to be aware that third-party marketplaces cost restaurants and bars too much.

Let’s consider the guest discovery journey. According to their 2023 Dining Discovery & Booking Report, SevenRooms says most guests discover new restaurants via word of mouth. In fact, 61 percent of people rely on family, friends, and co-workers to find new restaurants. A third of diners use Google (33 percent), and nearly as many use social media (29 percent).

So, what role do third-party marketplaces play in restaurant and bar discovery? Per SevenRooms, not even ten percent of people who discover new places to grab a bite or a drink use such platforms.

Their research shows that just nine percent of diners use OpenTable to find new restaurants. However, that’s three times the number of diners that Resy (three percent) is seeing use their platform for discovery.

Okay, so what does this mean to you, the operator? It means that you should be leveraging a direct-booking feature. Guests are telling us how they want to experience restaurants and bars. They’ve let us know they prefer direct delivery. Now, they’re letting us know they prefer direct booking.

In other words, give them what they want: user-friendly ways to support your business. Make it easy to find you on social. Ensure your website is functional and easy to navigate. And give delivery and booking buttons prime real estate on your website so guests can find them quickly.

I also recommend communicating that you offer direct bookings, and thanking those who use that functionality for supporting your business directly. This can, of course, be done via automated marketing emails.

Click here to continue reading.

Image: Maximalfocus on Unsplash

KRG Hospitality Start-Up Restaurant Bar Hotel Consulting Consultant Solutions Plans Services

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2023 KRG Recap: Top 8 F&B Articles

2023 KRG Recap: Top 8 F&B Articles

by David Klemt

Closeup of eight ball on pool table

For the second entry into our annual year-in-review article roundup we’re revealing the top eight food, beverage, and menu development articles of 2023.

From ChatGPT and advice from Chef Brian Duffy to articles from KRG Hospitality chef-consultant Nathen Dubé and mindset coach Jennifer Radkey, the articles below cover a wide range of F&B topics.

There’s even a look at Chef Duffy’s time on Food Network’s show BBQ Brawl with barbecue tips from our favorite pit master. It’s one of our favorite articles of the year, as well.

Cheers!

Closeup of keyboard

Can ChatGPT Write Food and Drink Menus?

After my “conversation” last month with ChatGPT about AI, I had another conversation during which I asked it to write me four menus.

Of course, I did this to prove a point. And upon reviewing the ChatGPT menus, you’ll likely reach the same conclusion.

Curious about how creative the AI-powered chatbot could be, I asked for four specific menus. As you’ll see, two are cocktail specific, one focuses on food, and one is a 20-item F&B menu for a specific event.

So, yes, ChatGPT can write food and drink menus. But there’s a caveat. I could leave you in suspense but that’s not very nice. Let’s jump in.

Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular cocktails from 2022.

Cocktail Menu

  1. Aperol Spritz – Aperol, Prosecco, and soda water, garnished with an orange slice
  2. Old Fashioned – Bourbon, sugar, bitters, and a citrus peel
  3. Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
  4. Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
  5. Moscow Mule – Vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice
  6. Paloma – Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and soda water
  7. Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish
  8. Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  9. French 75 – Gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  10. Mai Tai – Rum, orange liqueur, lime juice, and orgeat syrup

*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.

Write me a cocktail menu using the most popular spirits and alcohol types of 2022.

Cocktail Menu

  1. Gin and Tonic – Gin, tonic water, and a lime wedge
  2. Vodka Martini – Vodka, dry vermouth, and an olive garnish
  3. Bourbon Manhattan – Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and bitters
  4. Tequila Sunrise – Tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup
  5. Rum Runner – Rum, blackberry liqueur, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine
  6. Whiskey Sour – Bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup
  7. Margarita – Tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and salt rim
  8. Daiquiri – Rum, lime juice, and simple syrup
  9. Long Island Iced Tea – Vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and cola
  10. Pina Colada – Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream, and a cherry garnish

*All cocktails are served over ice, unless otherwise requested.

Click here to keep reading.

Lynn House making Old Fashioned cocktails for Elijah Craig

Prepare Now for Old Fashioned Week

It may be nearly two months away but it’s not too early to register your bar and team for Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week.

This year’s event, the fourth annual Old Fashioned Week, will take place from Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 22.

As was the case in 2022, the Southern Smoke Foundation will be this year’s beneficiary. In 2020 and 2021, Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week raised a combined $200,000 for the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.

Just last year, to add context, Old Fashioned Week helped make it possible for Southern Smoke to provide nearly $110,000 in relief grants to food and beverage workers.

Those interested in participating this year can register their venue for free via this link. Create an Old Fashioned LTO menu—or simply make standard Old Fashioneds with Elijah Craig bourbon—and Elijah Craig will donate $1 for every Old Fashioned sold (up to $100,000).

There really couldn’t be a simpler way to deliver a fantastic, classic cocktail experience to guests while supporting a great cause.

Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest

There’s more to Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Week. You and your bartenders have the opportunity to participate in a cocktail contest, too.

From now until October 31, anyone who wants to throw their hat in the ring can submit their recipe for their own signature Old Fashioned.

The winner of the Elijah Craig Old Fashioned Cocktail Contest will win $5,000. They’ll also have their winning recipe included in Elijah Craig’s 2024 cocktail recipe book.

Recipes can be submitted through this link. For contest rules and judging criteria, please click here.

To learn more about Elijah Craig and the Old Fashioned, check out episode 52 of the Bar Hacks podcast with special guest Lynn House.

Continue reading here.

Tortilla with beans, cotija cheese and egg

Canadian Trends 2023: Technomic

Restaurant, bar, and hotel operators will find this year’s data-driven trend predictions from Technomic for 2023 insightful.

Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, some operators may be looking beyond North America for inspiration.

Per Technomic, Central and South American cuisines could influence menus in Canada this year. Other food trends that might take hold are “retro” health items, and all manner of pickled foods.

Of course, not every Canadian trend prediction involves F&B. According to Technomic, tech and the guest experience will play important roles.

To review last year’s Technomic predictions, click here. Now, let’s jump into Technomic’s 2023 predictions.

Guest Experience

Certainly, the guest experience should always be top of mind for operators, their leadership teams, and their staff.

In this instance, Technomic isn’t suggesting that the guest experience in general will be a trend. Obviously, with as important as it is to the success of any business, it’s a cornerstone.

Rather, Technomic predicts that guests will continue to feel the need to rein in their spending due to ricing costs and prices. However, the foodservice research firm also believes there’s still heavy desire for social interaction.

So, both those financial and social influences translate to the following: overdelivery.

Operators and their teams must ensure they position their brands well; make guests feel special every visit; and really dial in the guest experience. Specifically, Technomic suggests focusing on younger generations and menus with at least a couple specialty items that aren’t easy for a guest to replicate at home.

In other words, do whatever it takes to entice guests with memorable experience and quality menu items, and keep them coming back for more.

Follow this link to continue reading.

Carrots, celery and onions

Kitchen Doctrine: The Holy Trinity

To some, the Holy Trinity refers to the Christian doctrine of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But what’s the Cajun Holy Trinity?

Well, that’s a whole different story with which some people may not be as familiar. However, it carries equal weight in certain kitchens of the world.

Lending its name from religious credo, the Cajun Holy Trinity was developed in the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. Chef Paul Prudhomme gets the credit for introducing the term in 1981, along its popularization.

Cajun or Creole cuisine evolved from French, Spanish, and West African immigrants. French traditions blended into a melting pot of West African, Spanish, and Native American cuisines. The French and the Acadians (French colonists deported from Acadia in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada) both influenced Louisiana’s cuisine. The Acadians became known as Cajuns to English speakers, and thus Cajun cooking grew out of necessity in Louisiana.

Mirepoix 101

The French contributed two staples directly to Cajun and Creole cooking: roux-based cooking and the trinity of mirepoix, or onions, celery, and carrots. In Louisiana, however, carrots didn’t grow as easily as bell peppers. So, bell peppers, typically the more bitter green version, replaced them.

Some cooks were so bold as to add garlic to the Holy Trinity, referring to it as the Pope. Other variants use garlic, parsley, or shallots in addition to the three Trinity ingredients. Unlike the elaborate French dishes using mirepoix, the Holy Trinity is more symbolic of rustic, family-style meals.

These ingredients are the first to go into the pot or skillet, creating a flavorful foundation for gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, and more. Often, by adding a bit of flour and whisking, a roux is built right on top of these sweet and colorful aromatics to form a thicker base.

The ratio is also overturned from the traditional mirepoix of two parts onion, one part celery, one part carrot, with three parts onions to two parts celery to one part bell pepper.

To learn more, click here.

Aubrey Plaza holding a Margarita made with Cointreau

Cointreau Wants to Know: Are You Making MargaRights?

Temperatures are rising and people are socializing, so Cointreau wants to make sure you and your team make Margaritas right.

In fact, they’re so serious about Margarita specs that they’re partnering with Aubrey Plaza educate the public. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Margarita, the iconic brand is launching the MargaRight campaign.

Challengers come and go but so far, the Margarita is the top cocktail in the US. This has been the case for many, many years. Of course, it’s also a popular cocktail around the world and has been number one in other countries as well.

Now that we’re a week away from the “official” start of summer, it’s paramount to make sure your Margaritas are MargaRight. For one thing, it’s the perfect summer sipper. For another, people are eager to socialize in restaurants and bars, and the Margarita is sure to join groups of friends as they hang out together.

But there’s another reason to ensure your Margs are on point: The wrath of Aubrey Plaza. More accurately, avoiding incurring Plaza’s wrath for putting MargaWrongs across your bar.

Margarita mix? Anger. No Cointreau? Fury.

To borrow a refrain from fanatics of another classic cocktail, it’s safe to say that Plaza would agree with, “No Margarita without Cointreau.”

The Original Margarita

Some, including Cointreau, support the belief that the Margarita’s creation traces back to 1948. For this origin story, Dallas socialite Margarita Sames is either the inventor of the Margarita or asked for a signature cocktail for a party she was hosting at her Acapulco home. Going further, another claim is that Tommy Hilton was a party guest and brought the recipe to Hilton properties, helping to make it famous.

Another claim is that the Margarita is simply a logical evolution of the Daisy. The mid-1800s tipple has a cocktail family named after it, and the Margarita, Sidecar, Cosmopolitan, and Daiquiri sprang forth from it.

Regardless of what origin story you choose to believe, Cointreau champions the original recipe: Cointreau, blanco tequila, fresh lime juice, and a lime wheel to garnish. It’s this classic recipe that Cointreau and Plaza are adamant about for the MargaRight campaign.

Click here to keep reading.

Chef Brian Duffy biting into a sandwich

BBQ Brawl: ‘Cue Tips from Chef Brian Duffy

Friend of the Bar Hacks podcast and KRG Hospitality Chef Brian Duffy is rocking it on season four of Food Network‘s BBQ Brawl.

And he’s dropping barbecue and cooking jewels while killing it on multiple styles of grill.

When we meet Chef Duffy on episode one of BBQ Brawl, he’s introduced as “The Renowned Restaurateur.” This makes sense given the fact that he has helped open more than 100 restaurants throughout his career.

Regarding grilling and barbecuing, Chef Duffy will use elements of whatever style he thinks will work best for a given situation. As he explains it, his barbecue “isn’t bound by the rules of any one style.”

I also want to point out that there’s what appears to be a 1950s-era Dodge Power Wagon, perhaps a Series 1 or Series 2 model, on Star Hill Farm, where this show was filmed. This isn’t relevant in any way to cooking, grilling, or barbecue. I’m just a Car and Motorcyle Guy® and I noticed the Power Wagon immediately.

Also, be sure to check out episode 33 and episode 53 of the Bar Hacks podcast to hear from the chef himself.

Alright, let’s check out some tips and tricks from Chef Duffy that he has shared on season four of BBQ Brawl. Like he said to the camera in the first moments of episode one, “Students, meet your pit master.”

Episode 1

If you want your food to be charred, you need to commit.

“You’ve gotta let it sit. Don’t move it,” says Chef Duffy. “Let that char happen.”

It’s just that simple. Patience is a cooking technique.

Dishes

Signature Tacos

  • Mulita, a Mexican street taco made by dipping a tortilla in birria broth.
  • Togorashi- and ancho-chili-smoked red Snapper taco with “a fun little slaw.”

Team Challenge: “California Smoke” menu (Fire delivery: Santa Maria grill)

  • Cabbage, kale, Swiss chard medley with beans
  • Scallops and smoked crab salad with preserved lemon gremolata and avocado (collaboration with Chef Larissa Da Costa; Chef Duffy prepared the smoked crab salad)

For much more, keep reading here.

Chef Brian Duffy holding a plate with a plant-based shrimp po' boy sandwich on it

The New Wave of Plant-based Foods

A key takeaway from the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show is this: a new wave of plant-based foods has made landfall.

In fact, given how many booths had plant-based items on offer, more waves will be crashing ashore. Plant-based items had a presence inside every building at McCormick Place in Chicago. For those who haven’t attended to show, McCormick Place has well more than two-million square feet in exhibit space.

There were, of course, the plant-based standards to which we’ve all grown accustomed. Burger patties, breakfast sausages, “chicken” nuggets, “pepperoni” pizzas… However, we now know there’s more innovation on the way.

Years ago, F&B experts declared seafood alternatives as the “holy grail” of plant-based foods. The race has been on to “crack the code” and offer seafood alternatives that look, cook, and taste like their animal counterparts.

One brand that appears to have reached their goal? New Wave Foods. And their staunchest culinary supporter? The revered and iconic Chef Brian Duffy.

Seismic but Sensible Shift

Those who are familiar with Chef Duffy know he’s unafraid to share his views on all things culinary, service, operations, and hospitality. The same people also know that he’s demanding when it comes to ingredients, distributors, and partners.

I say that to say this: Some people are shocked Chef Duffy is championing a plant-based food. However, I don’t share that reaction. Chef Duffy has never been anti-plant-based—he has been waiting for plant-based items to rise to his high standards.

During his 2023 NRA Show demo, the acclaimed and in-demand chef made shrimp-fried rice. Of course, he replaced shrimp with a plant-based alternative produced using mung bean and seaweed. That product is New Wave Foods Shrimp.

The demo proved so engaging that Chef Duffy was asked to repeat it on the final day of the show. I, for one, am not surprised—Chef Duffy is an incredible speaker and chef.

This seismic shift—not just in Chef Duffy’s embrace of plant-based foods but also throughout the industry—is sensible when you consider something said during the demo.

Boiling it down to the basics, Chef Duffy asked why operators wouldn’t want to offer high-quality plant-based items to their guests. It’s simple: Increasingly, this is what guests want. So…give it to them.

Continue reading here.

Chef pouring espagnole or brown sauce

Say Hi to Your Mother Sauces for Me

A well-crafted sauce can elevate a dish, tying all the elements together, adding richness, texture, and colour to almost any recipe.

French cuisine in particular is renowned for its liberal use of flavorful sauces. Developed in the 19th century by French chef Auguste Escoffier, the five mother sauces are basic recipes that serve as the foundation for any number of secondary sauce variations. Each mother sauce is categorized primarily according to its unique base and thickener.

The five French mother sauces are: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Historically, Chef Escoffier originally designated only four mother sauces, and mayonnaise as a cold mother sauce, with Hollandaise below that.

Interestingly, when his book was translated to English, mayonnaise was forgotten or omitted; Hollandaise was listed as the fifth mother sauce.

Beginning culinary students and experienced cooks alike commit these five sauces to memory. They learn that by tweaking their basic formulas, all manner of great sauces can be crafted.

Please meet the five mother sauces below. I explain: how each is made; their basic uses; and some secondary sauces you can make from them.

1. Béchamel

Béchamel, or white sauce, is a simple milk-based sauce made from butter, flour, and milk.

You know béchamel as the white sauce that gives chicken pot pie its texture, or as the vehicle of cheesy goodness and binding agent in delicious mac ‘n’ cheese creations. The sauce can be found in everything from scalloped potatoes and lasagne to gravy iterations.

In classical cuisine, béchamel was poured over fish, eggs, or steamed chicken. While béchamel has a generally neutral taste on its own, the classic mother sauce adds a unique creamy texture that is both hearty and comforting.

My personal favorite base recipe is Joel Robuchon’s equation of one liter of milk, 60 grams of butter, and 60 grams of flour. It works perfectly every time.

To make béchamel, start by cooking butter and flour in a saucepan until it forms a substance called a roux. The roux is responsible for thickening the sauce. To remove the floury taste, cook the roux over medium heat for a few minutes.

When the roux is ready, slowly whisk in warm milk and simmer until it forms a creamy sauce. Strain the liquid after it thickens to get rid of any sediment, then add salt and pepper. (You can add other ingredients as well, such as bay leaves, nutmeg, onion, clove, or even cheese.)

With the addition of a few extra seasonings like salt, pepper, and cloves, béchamel is complete — though it may be used as a base for many other sauces.

Béchamel sauces include:

  • Mornay: onion, cloves, Gruyère, and Parmesan cheese
  • Alfredo: garlic with heavy cream
  • Soubise: butter and caramelized onions
  • Cheddar sauce (used for mac ‘n’ cheese or nacho-style sauces): whole milk and cheddar cheese

For more sauces and insights, click here.

Image: Alex Lion on Unsplash

Bar Nightclub Pub Brewery Menu Development Drinks Food

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2023 KRG Recap: Top Bar Hacks Episodes

2023 KRG Recap: Top Bar Hacks Episodes

by David Klemt

Gold number 10 on a teal or aqua background

For your listening pleasure and convenience we’ve rounded up the top ten Bar Hacks episodes of 2023, also known as season four of the podcast.

Every year we reflect on the caliber of the guests who take time out of their busy lives to come onto the podcast. And every year we’re grateful for the honor of helping to share their stories and insights.

Below are the top ten Bar Hacks episodes of 2023. We’re presenting them in numeric order—no playing favorites here! To make it easy to enjoy these conversations, we’ve embedded the Spotify version of each episode.

And if you’re curious, these ten only just edge out the rest of this year’s episodes. We thank our loyal listeners for giving all of our guests and episodes a listen.

Cheers!

Episode 89 with Doug Radkey

Doug Radkey, co-founder and president of KRG Hospitality, stops by the Bar Hacks podcast. Not only is Doug the co-founder and president of KRG, he’s also the author of the book Bar Hacks and its followup Hacking the New Normal, and the creator of the Bar Hacks podcast.

During his visit, Doug and David talk about their expectations for 2023, what KRG is working on in the new year so far, the importance of technology in hospitality, and dynamic pricing versus dynamic menus. Doug also shares his thoughts on what operators can work on starting today to position themselves for success in 2023 and beyond.

Episode 90 with Mark Sansom

Mark Sansom, content director for the World’s 50 Best Bars, drops by the Bar Hacks podcast to share some big news. After years of dialing in the process and waiting out the pandemic, the World’s 50 Best Hotels will be revealed at a ceremony in September 2023! If you haven’t watched or attended a World’s 50 Best Bars ceremony, they truly take great pains to ensure they’re the Oscars of bar awards. So, we expect the World’s 50 Best Hotel awards ceremony to blow us out of the water.

This list and its accompanying specialty awards completes the hospitality and travel puzzle. Restaurants and bars, after all, are inextricably intertwined with hotels and resorts. Mark shares the details of the World’s 50 Best Hotels Academy Chairs, voting panel, and voting process in this episode. As a bonus, you’ll also get to hear host David Klemt try and fail to say “inaugural awards” without any issue!

Episode 93 with Adrián Michalčík

In September 2022, Adrián Michalčík earned the title of Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year. Colloquially, this achievement is known as the Best Bartender in the World. That’s a bold and weighty mantle but as you’ll learn during this conversation, Adrián is humble and focused on his team and guests.

Adrián is the director of mixology at the award-winning Pier 42 inside the Amerikalinjen hotel in Oslo, Norway. The bar has been recognized by the World’s 50 Best and has won Best Bar of Norway twice. In addition to taking home the title of 2022 Diageo World Class Global Bartender of the Year, Adrián has won several bartending competitions throughout the years.

He popped by the Bar Hacks podcast to chat with host David Klemt about his bartender journey. Adrián has worked in several types of bars and each helped him develop the skills that allowed him to elevate his skills behind the bar. Mentors, his endless quest for knowledge, his passion for hosting others, and his focus on empathy have informed his approach to team building, delivering top-level hospitality, and tapping into his creativity to develop Pier 42’s cocktail menus.

Adrián shares the three pillars he believes great bars are built upon, what he looks for in bar team members, transforming people from guests to friends, the importance of storytelling, and much more.

Episode 95 with Bob Peters

We know it’s been a few weeks. Between client projects and trade shows we had to take a little break. But we’re back!

And to make our absence up to you, our loyal listeners, we’re bringing you a great chat with an awesome guest. Bob Peters returns to the Bar Hacks podcast for episode 95!

Bob has big news to share, and you can hear in his voice how excited he is to share it with everyone. He’s taking on the perfect role. In fact, he calls it his dream job during this episode. Cocktails and cuisine are about to get even better in North Carolina and South Carolina…

But it doesn’t stop there! Bob also shares his approach to bar training to make sure everyone is engaged; his assessment of the Charlotte dining and drinking scene; a simple step all restaurants and bars can take today to improve operations, team engagement, and the guest experience; a very cool project he’s taking on; and more.

Episode 97 with Dragos Axinte

Dragos Axinte, the founder of Novo Fogo Organic Cachaça, returns to the Bar Hacks podcast. Axinte and Novo Fogo have been very busy since, his first appearance on the pod.

On this episode, Axinte shares the details and stories behind three important Novo Fogo initiatives and partnerships: Tree-keeper, with Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei, the Un-endangered Forest, and the brand’s new Chief Alegrias Officers (ChAOs), Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, also known as SOFI TUKKER.

The two also discuss Axinte’s approach to partnerships—a philosophy that will serve operators and entrepreneurs very well—as well as distillers “discovering” amburana wood finishing. And, of course, Axinte shares product news and insights. If you’re headed to Tales of the Cocktail this year, you’re in for some incredible news. This conversation spans several topics and Axinte always imparts wisdom when he speaks in approachable and helpful ways.

Episode 99 with Michele Mariotti

Bartender Michele Mariotti leads an illustrious career. He has worked behind the bars at some of the best hotels around the world, including the Savoy in London and Mandarin Oriental in Singapore.

As of 2020, Michele has held the title head of bars at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland. In this role, he heads the programs at 11 F&B venues on the property, overseeing dozens of bar professionals.

On this episode, Michele and Bar Hacks podcast host David Klemt talk about mentorship, interviewing potential bartenders, menu development, using a flavor map when assigning new cocktail builds to bar team members, finding inspiration, interesting hotel guests, bespoke glassware, investing in platforms and programs that boost staff retention, and more.

Episode 101 with Ryan Chetiyawardana a.k.a. Mr. Lyan

Ryan Chetiyawardana, also known as Mr. Lyan, is one of the bar world’s true visionaries. He opened his first bar, White Lyan, in 2013 and the venue immediately achieved its intended purpose. Beyond being an award-winning bar and one of London’s best places to grab a drink, White Lyan started a much-needed conversation about sustainability in the industry.

Dandelyan, Lyaness, Super Lyan, Cub, and Silver Lyan would follow shortly after, making an even bigger splash not only in London but also Amsterdam and Washington, DC. All Mr. Lyan venues, while showcasing incredible innovation, accomplish something just as important: each bar is a place people to want to spend their time and money, and where professionals want to work.

During this fantastic conversation, Ryan shares insights into the menu programming processes at each venue; discusses seasonality; provides a look into hiring and engaging each team; the reissue of his book and his foray into the RTD cocktail space; and much more. Cheers!

Episode 102 with Jordan Bushell

Thank you for being patient during our summer hiatus. We’re back with a great conversation with an awesome guest.

Global Hennessy brand ambassador Jordan Bushell returns to the Bar Hacks podcast. While Jordan may know people with more Cognac knowledge, we don’t know anyone who knows more about this spirit category. More importantly, he’s as generous with his time as he is knowledgeable about Cognac. If you have a question about the spirit of Hennessy you can reach out to him and he’ll answer you.

On this episode of Bar Hacks, Jordan talks about special Hennessy releases, initiatives, collaborations, and what sets the maison apart from others in the Cognac region of France. He also talks about how operators can introduce guests to Cognac and Hennessy, including paying attention how they price their menus. Cheers!

Episode 104 with Simone Caporale

Simone Caporale, an internationally renowned bartender and operator, swings by the Bar Hacks podcast to talk spirits, branding, the guest experience, and operations.

Noticing a gap in the industry and seeing a way to lend his expertise to help grow spirits brands, Simone and Luca Missagli founded Cocktail Concierge, a brand-building agency focusing on craft spirits brands. One of the most recent brands Cocktail Concierge has helped introduce to the world is Amaro Santoni.

Of course, Simone is also one of forces behind SIPS Drinkery House, number three on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and the World’s Best Bar according to Tales of the Cocktail. Simone shares his thoughts on what he thinks makes SIPS so successful, why he views service as a privilege, three tips operators can implement today to plant the seeds for long-term success, and more!

Episode 107 with Anne Becerra

When it comes to curating a beer program, creating a complementary cocktail program, and delivering an incredible beer program, we can’t think of anyone better than Anne Becerra. And lucky for us, she stopped by the Bar Hacks podcast!

Anne is the first female Certified Cicerone in New York City and has been working in beer for more than a decade. More importantly, however, she’s as passionate as she is educated about beer. Anne’s also passionate about hospitality, which comes across in this conversation. Truly, she loves hospitality, the beverage world, and how the two pair to make people feel amazing.

On this episode Anne talks introducing guests to beer; serving beer aficionados, beer neophytes, and the beer wary; how to make guests feel comfortable in a beer-centric concept; what she’s excited about in the beer world; tips for operators who want to succeed with a beer-forward venue; and much, much more. Cheers!

Image: Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels

KRG Hospitality. Bar Consultant. Nightclub. Lounge. Mixology. Cocktails.

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