The best practice for operators and owners is to just do the basics and focus on what works to grow sales, which will return higher margins.  Many companies will be approached with an attempt to be influenced by spending more money on marketing, design and technology. Those all sound good but none of them can replace what is essential to sustain sales which is improve operations and go back to basics of having great customer service and treating those customers like guests.

There isn’t anything that you will do or any new system that is going to do more for your business than having quality food, in clean well-managed restaurants, with great customer service. The basics of greeting your guests with warm smile and welcoming them to your business should be top priority. Having presentable restrooms that smell good are so critical to making the guest feel comfortable. Well maintained dining room with good music, temperature levels, and clean tabletop items like silverware, glassware and condiments go a long ways. Menu items that are prepared well and with care showing consistent portioning and cooked the same way upon each guest’s visits. Show some care and love with the food as our sight provides us with our first expectations of how it will taste.

Operators need to follow the basics to set up for success on every shift and throughout every day. Systems must be followed in the industry to operate a successful business no different that a pilot doing his pre check flight walk and cockpit check before taking off. Checklists that serve a function must be utilized daily to set up for the shift like the line check with temperatures to insure quality, customer safety and stocked for the shift. Some restaurants may have a separate bar checklist or facility list to insure that all the guest contact areas are exceptional.

Internal quality controls are necessary after or doing your operations walk through to taste the food products and be sure they are of the highest standards to serve. Whatever brand you have that product you serve is your reputation of that brand. Does your product support what you are selling and what you want to be remembered for? The bar mixes and fruit or any garnish should be fresh in appearance and taste without any spots or discoloration. Operators and team members have one opportunity to win over the guest(s) and every encounter should be as if it was there first visit to your own home.

Waiting until things get better or maybe they never do most likely isn’t the right direction and without having the right coaching to operate successfully may shatter your investment dreams. These areas of concern can be discussed and action plans developed to build accountability in which you will achieve improved results. Knowing where you want to go and what you want to improve is the first stage of addressing the issue.

Having a partner in the solution process keeps accountability high and your plan on track once it’s developed.

The most common areas to employ the services of Northwest Consultants include:
• Turnaround Situations
• Site selection and Concept development
• Initial startup & project management
• Recipe and menu development
• Operations and profit assessment
• Marketing
• Operating systems & procedures
• Staff training programs
• Financial and accounting systems
• Interim Management

Email or call for consultation to help reflect on your business concerns and what approach may be best for you and your budget.

rlesage@northwestconsultants.net

http://www.northwestconsultants.net
800-851-3188

Owners and operators are just too proud at times or nervous to speak with a consultant about their business. Many do realize that others are in the same position and experiencing the same roadblocks and hurtles as others in the industry.
Why wait until things get better which might take a year or more after hiring the right person. Employing a third party (consultant) to get an objective view and address those issues early on will speed things up. Sales, service and cost issues should be addressed early and confront the battles to overcome before a deeper slide happens.
These areas of concern can be discussed and action plans developed to build accountability virtually as well as on site in which you will achieve faster results. Knowing where you want to go and what you want to improve is the first stage of addressing the issue. Having a partner in the solution process keeps accountability high and your plan on track once it’s developed.
The most common areas to employ the services of a restaurant consultant include:
• Turnaround Situations
• Site selection and Concept development
• Initial startup & project management
• Recipe and menu development
• Operations and profit assessment
• Marketing
• Operating systems & procedures
• Staff training programs
• Financial and accounting systems
• Interim Management

Email or call for consultation to help reflect on your business concerns and what approach may be best for you and your budget.

nwsavingsconsultants@gmail.com

http://www.northwestconsultants.net
800-851-3188

      Need help to raise your world?

Most owners and operators assume that consulting assistance will cost a fortune or maybe at times their just too proud or nervous to speak with a consultant about their business.
Waiting until things get better is not always an option as we know time may run out before sales or costs improve. Sales concerns and cost issues should be addressed early on to avoid a deeper slide. We know it will take two or three times as long to correct issues and get the business back on track.
These areas of concern can be discussed and action plans developed virtually as well as on site. Knowing where you want to go and what you want to improve is the first stage of addressing the issue. Having a partner in the solution process keeps accountability high and your plan on track once it’s developed.
The most common areas to employ the services of a restaurant consultant include:
• Turnaround Situations
• Site selection and Concept development
• Initial startup & project management
• Recipe and menu development
• Menu design
• Operations and profit assessment
• Marketing
• Growth strategies
• Operating systems & procedures
• Staff training programs
• Financial and accounting systems
• Interim Management
Email or call for consultation or simply another sounding board to help reflect on your business concerns.

Best wishes for a successful 2015

nwsavingsconsultants@gmail.com
800-851-3188

Now that most of us feel better about the economy we should be evaluating where we stand with growth, people, costs, and profits.

Many economists feel that 2015 will be a stable year and well into 2016, however we all know that the cycles change about every eight to ten years so be sure your ahead of that cycle. What will be your strategy for your industry? Stand still or have planned growth during these stable and somewhat good times?

Growth should be considered if your positioned well with capital and your infrastructure is in a place to handle the additional growth with additional manpower or locations. What is the vision for two to three years for sales growth in products or from marketing efforts?

What company obstacles or hurtles currently exist that need to be addressed and haven’t been? Are those issues still lingering about or put on the sideline temporarily while watching the game being played? Now is the time to adapt and overcome any of those to be sure the company is on track with its goals and mission statements.

How about the development of the people, yes the human capital side of the business that makes it all happen. What has been done to enhance their strengths with skills, culturing or their professional growth? Stability in the workforce is critical and that the team members know they are being developed and nurtured along for growth internally and not lose them to the completion that may be better poised to run with it during the good times.

Operations and processes for any company must be reviewed on a regular basis. During times of accelerated growth the flow through of the company profits is necessary to make all the other items above happen. Cash flow will improve with quality people, products, operations and solid consistent direction from the top leadership. There are times when sales are running high and every day distractions occur but when your company falls short of the expectations and are hindering you from growth. Don’t get left behind now because with all things aligned you could have some solid growth either in sales, people or operations with reduced expenses that will ultimately result in higher cash flow.

When restaurants face nagging problems or about to enter a new stage of growth, it may be time to consider a consultant. Operating costs, Food execution, Guest service, or general operations have been troublesome or concerning without any sight of improvement it may be time to consider that assistance. In the long run, the cost of a consultant can be recouped many times over by helping you resolve a troublesome operational problem or avoid a costly mistake in the startup or expansion phase.

The consultant, being an objective outsider, may be able to recognize, suggest and assist with implementing solutions more effectively than you, managers and your staff. When you’re close to a situation there is a tendency to have blinders on or have a predetermined outcome, versus a solid creative solution. Consultants can provide a fresh, objective point of view without an agenda to push.

A consultant can bring to your business ideas and solutions that have been successful in other operations. Consultants bring with them specialized knowledge, skills and experience to assist the operator with a combination of problem-solving, planning or implementation services depending on what the situation dictates.

Items you may want the Consultant to address

The most common areas to employ the services of a restaurant consultant include:

• Turnaround Situations
• Site selection and Concept development
• Initial startup & project management
• Recipe and menu development
• Menu design
• Operations and profit assessment
• Marketing
• Growth strategies
• Operating systems & procedures
• Staff training programs
• Financial and accounting systems – Complete Back Office and Inventory management systems
• Interim Management

Restaurants can get so turned around that it’s difficult for you to identify the difference between the symptoms and the problems. All that’s obvious is that “something” clearly isn’t working. Some consultants specialize in doing operational assessments to provide you with insights on the underlying problems affecting performance as well as recommendations for solutions and the effect it is having on your business. Does the consultant have a clear understanding of the problem and having a solid grasp of your underlying issues is crucial to identifying the skills and experience someone must have to help you improve the situation.

I’m an Operations Executive that is innovative, results-driven professional who possesses an extensive track record with success in Operations Management setting course for high growth initiatives. My skills are transferable across different venues within the Hospitality field of Restaurants from full service to quick service, Catering, Food Courts, and Event Management. My Core Skills include Leadership, Multi-unit Operations, Business Development, Logistics, Customer Service (internal and external), Mentoring, Startups, and Inventory Control.

Opening new markets successfully provided me the opportunity to reorganize troubled operations, build new organizations, infrastructures and turn around unsuccessful operations in all areas. I helped to develop and implement Policies and Procedures, P&L, Inventory and Line Item Cost Controls. Natural understanding of the key performance indicators and the impact they have on efficiencies and profitability so sound effective decisions can be made to show improved results. I can offer many skills from both franchise and the corporate structures while thinking outside the box as an Entrepreneur offers a variety of approaches to resolving issues.

Northwest Consultants, LLC 390 SW Columbia St. Suite 120 Bend, OR 97702 800-851-3188

http://www.northwestrestaurantconsulting.com