Anyone know anything about running a restaurant?

[RevBrown]

I recently came into a position of having a direct hand in the growth of the restaurant portion of the casino I work in.

Any AO'ers have any tips for cutting costs or just making the place run smoothly?
Any tip will help.

Feedback of what you like to see from your local lunch counter is also welcome.


We are a small operation with only 2 cooks working. Pretty small lunch counter burger and fries menu.

Forgot to add that being a casino we can be alot higher volume with the proper motivation.

[Will Wood]

Hey hit me up with an email at Will.Wood24 AT gmail dot com with any questions you have.

More info on the layout of the operation would be awsome too.

[RevBrown]

Hey hit me up with an email at Will.Wood24 AT gmail dot com with any questions you have.

More info on the layout of the operation would be awsome too.

Will do as soon as I get some specific questions. (Had a list but left them at work)

[Target Practice]

Hire a professional consultant? That might work. Or, you know, you could just ask the internet.

[skife]

All i know is....

"you can get, anything you want, at alice's resturant.. walk right in its around the back, just a half a mile past the railroad tracks....."

[Cameo]

I can give input on my personal experince. Suggestions ect. Seems as though I am now making a career out of something I was just doing after school 10 years ago in order to pay for gas and car insurance... I love what I do, and I don't think that I could get out of the service industry(lord knows I could never make it as an english teacher). Pay is not so good, but when you get so much more out of it, the money no longer matters.
If you have questions please just ask.

The best way to better your place is to know the other places around you. Visit them, get to know what they offer and how it is different or the same as yours. Touch base with the managers and or chefs. I do not call them competators for the simple fact that if you have a freind here and there at different restraunts it is the best way to share idea's, thought's, grips, and get all the juicey stories.. (not to mention if you "forgot" to order something they are great to get you out of a bind by bartering). Communication is not only important between you and all your employee's; but also between you, the suppliers, the local "higher ups" and the other restraunts..

Get your name out there for something special. You always hear "oh al's bar has the best fish sandwiches", "guys tavern has the best import selection on tap", "emma's roadside makes one killer bowl of chili". But do not focus on that one thing. The idea is to get them in for that thing then pleasantly surprize them with everything. they might come in for the apple pie, but be blown away by the enviorment, the burger witht he special sauce and the extensive menu ect. They will be back, and not just the next time they want gooood apple pie, but the next time they are meeting for lunch ect.

Most important rule (i don't care what anyone tells you)....
the best way to judge how clean a reastruants kitchen is by checking out thier bathrooms. Honestly... chicks bathroom especially, they are not like men, they do not just want a place to go take a leak. We go in packs and we stay in there forever, and the whole time we are in there we are judging your restraunt.. Keep it cleaner then clean.. Having a repuation as being a dirty restraunt is normally bad, but haveing a repuation as a clean restraunt is always good.
good luck..
hit me up if you need help.

[psychowarden]

Well, I dont run one or come close, but I do work in one. I am a chashier and dish washer at a buffet. Make sure you hire people that can speak english, we have a big problem with that, alot of the workers only speak Spanish so its very hard to give them instructions when certain people arent around to translate. And I dont know if you are allowed to because its a Casino, but High School kids like myself are great workers. We work for Minimum wage and we work hard because we know that we are replaceable.

[Recon by Fire]

I wish I did know something about running a restaurant. My wife and I would like to open a pizza parlor or family dining restaurant but we are pretty much lost when it comes down to the actual business.

[MayAMonkeyBeYourPinata]

Bacon

[Will Wood]

yea.. TP .. Im thinking I might do that. .start my own F+B consulting business.

I can answer just about any questions you'll have.. from ordering and receiving, to laws, to labor, whatever.

[RevBrown]

yea.. TP .. Im thinking I might do that. .start my own F+B consulting business.

I can answer just about any questions you'll have.. from ordering and receiving, to laws, to labor, whatever.

Ok a couple of specific questions.

How long does bacon keep after it is cooked?
Same question for soup.

I need advice on getting my co-worker to understand what horrible looking food is (Thin sickly looking tomatoes and onions are my big ones). and why we shouldn't send it out.

Good way to get the word out that we have good food without my boss spending any money. Alot of our customers eat somewhere else before they come to the casino.

Ideas on how to get the same cheap boss to fix or replace equipment. She won't spend a dime unless it directly affects her on the casino floor.

[Will Wood]

I'm going to do you a favor and not answer any questions related to food safety.
ServSafe. Get certified before you think to start your operation.

http://www.nraef.org/servsafe/

If someone gets sick eating your food, they might want to blame you and sue you. They'll get you to pay for a bunch of bogus health bills andd pay for 'damages.' and possibly lost work. It'l l cost you. Getting certified, along with your employees, can give you the "reasonable measure" defence that prooved you did everything in your powerr to prevent improper food handling that would have resulted in this person being ill. Documented SOP's that follow the rules of safe food handling will help you too.
But if two or more people get sick it becomes a foodborne illness outbreak... and that isn't good.. but I won't get into that

Cheap way to get the word out.
Free samples. Works great. One day we had a really slow brunch. The restaurant was located on a busy street that people walk on all the time, filled with tourists, etc. Sent someone out with a plate of a waffle cut up in little peices for people to sample. It's a waffle. Costed us basically nothing. But we got a good 5 people to come in that most likelyl would not have otherwise. People love free stuff.

As for your coworker, tell him to smarten up. Well I've worked in food service for years so maybe it comes easier to me, but most people I've met that came into the industry new had no problem telling something was bad or shouldn't go out. 99.9% of cases they KNOW but just don't CARE. Make them care.


As for your boss.. good luck

[Cameo]

DITTO the servesafe course... I have been failthfully taking that course every 4 years since i started in the food service industry.. I believe some states require it. and in the ones that don't it makes for nice resume information.

the soup thing depends on whether it is cream or brothe based.. alot of variants include whether there is sea food in it. remember to properly cool down and store soup at the end of each day.... pouring it into a shallow hotel pan to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes then placing in walkin covered but with one corner open is a good idea... just putting straight into fridge after it has been in the soup warmer allowes for the dangerous temperatures in the center. but cold around the edges.. NOT GOOD and will not keep for nearly as long.

how to get the word out.??
try a folding billboard or chalk board on the side walk or in various parts of the casino... People normally stop to read these types of things.. put catchey pharases on them.. Being its a casino something that poped into my mind was "HUNGRY? your in luck..."

Preesentation is 50% of the sale. Just put down rules to be followed "when cutting tomatoes please keep at ___ thickness" "all bun tops are to be angled on burger" "sandwiches go on the right, chips/fries on the left", "cups of soup get one cracker packet (label facing up) bowls of soup get 2 packets of crackers (label facing up) ect... More importantly enforce these rules. If you see a improperly garnished dish that is up but the server has not taken it out give it back to the cook to fix.

cheap boss??? good luck. If something is a health hazard you can use that as leway, otherwise learn to make do with what you have.