Menu Spring Bites

          An attorney friend of mine once shared with me a general attitude they believe the public holds toward their profession and summed it up as, “An attorney is the most useless thing in the world, until you need one!” I was a younger then and at the time I had never heard the remark but with time have come to understand its’ general acceptance among the public.  So why discuss the benefits of legal counsel in a hospitality forum, the point to make here is about seeking professional advice and experience.

Forecasts, Projections and Trends, Oh My!

             This is the time of year when industry observers and pundits traditionally offer up their respective vision or spin on the direction of the hospitality industry for the next twelve months.  We don’t claim to have a crystal ball but instead offer up our version of what might befall restaurant operators given industry facts alongside a healthy dose of human nature.

For the Want of a Third-Party Opinion

             Independent restaurant operators have always been the backbone and life blood of the hospitality industry.  They bring a passion for food and service in the belief their concept is the answer to a void in the food and beverage offerings within their community.  This independent spirit is common among restaurant operators regardless if they intend to open just one unit or potentially thousands.  The premise is “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door” and of course a healthy helping of ego may be involved as well.

Casual Dining’s Death Spiral?

            Another month and another round of Medical Examiner Reports for the Casual Dining segment of the restaurant industry.  As interested and invested industry observers we trail-along to learn where the industry is trending regardless of the segment; however, casual dining has recently been examined by more than one publication for a preliminary post-mortem.  It wouldn’t be “business as usual” if we didn’t chip in our two-bits as well.

Location, Location, Location

            That’s the answer to the classic question of what it takes to be successful in the restaurant business.  Of course that’s over simplified as industry veterans know and understand that while a good location is helpful, especially for high volume – low margin operations, it isn’t the “cure all” for restaurant success.  Many other elements affect an operator’s bottom line; however, as advertised we will ruminate oh how local geography contributes to the bottom line.