Feed: How to avoid your restaurant from going bankrupt - AggScore: 9.5

How To Run A Business

Emma’s is one of my faves of the beaten path of mainstream White Plains. Food and service are often good and the beer selection is outstanding. A good spot to grab dinner and a drink with mates after work. It’s one of the best Restaurants in White Plains.

If you want down home cooking in a brilliant atmosphere for a couple or family this is the place , there is also a great bar diagonally opposite to the beautiful dining room. The number one place in the county for a great American meal with a nouvelle cuisine twist.

Food was succulent and service was great. It has both cafe and bar style atmospheres. Next time, I’m planning on just going to the bar for food and drinks. And in case you are wondering, the French Onion Soup was delicious!

Definitely going back for more heart attack comfort food. Our first dinner here was great. Room was nice. Service was extraordinarily alert. Although it had been a terribly busy Saturday night, we waited barely five minutes for a table. These folks understand how to run a business.

Pretty in depth drink selection. Tons of beers, of course, but also specialist cocktails and nice wines by the glass. One room is a bar scene with TVs and some tables , the other room is precisely dining.

The warm pretzel sticks with mustard were a nice freebie starter. Appetizer of extraordinarily cheese-y spinach and artichoke dip came with warm pita bread – virtually enough for a meal for 2 people!

Our hearty main courses were savory : extremely tender Guinness broiled beef stew. The chicken pot pie was sort of pricey at ( $19 ) but it was huge and the menu announced it was made with Murray’s free range chicken. Note to traditionalists : it’s essentially more of a thick soup topped with an oblong, pastry puff-ish lid and not really a pot pie.

It is possible to spend less by going with the burgers and wraps, which come on huge platters, piled high with fries.

We were too stuffed for pudding but are can not bear to wait to return and try the Krispy Crme bread pudding.

If you are searching for Restaurants in White Plains then this is a great place to visit.

Emma’s Ale House
68 Gedney Way,
White Plains, NY 10605

Free Restaurant Marketing

The wireless hotspot has spread through the country at breakneck speed. Coffee shops, cafes,delis and restaurants have begun to invest in the infrastructure required to offer their customers free wireless internet access. Some restaurant owners do it because their customers have requested the service. Others look at their competition and realize that not providing free Wi-Fi might make them vulnerable within their market.

Most consumers, including your restaurant visitors, are relying upon the internet for larger portions of their lives. Some are starting businesses. Others depend on online access to communicate with their friends and family. Still others consume most of their entertainment online. Wireless hotspots draw these people in and encourage them to become loyal customers. Here are five reasons restaurants, cafes, and other eateries should integrate wireless hotspots into their facilities.

#1 – Entrepreneurs Follow Wireless Hotspots

Millions of people have created online businesses over the past decade. At the same time, a growing number of consumers are retiring their desktop computers and replacing them with laptops. This gives them instant portability. You’ll notice these entrepreneurs hunched in front of their laptops, operating their businesses. They follow wireless hotspots. It’s not unusual to see them in places that offer cafe Wi-Fi. Or, you might see them using the computers in an internet cafe. Restaurants that offer wireless hotspots quickly become favorite places for these entrepreneurs.

#2 – Wireless Hotspots Increase Sales

When cafe Wi-Fi and wireless hotspots first became popular draws, restaurants owners were concerned their sales would slump if they offered the service. They were understandably worried that people would visit their establishments, buy a low-priced item, and stay for the entire day. Many business owners discovered something entirely different occurred.

Sales increased as customers camped out and returned to the register to buy over and over. Traffic swelled as people noticed large crowds within certain facilities; restaurants owners have known for decades that popularity builds upon itself. Many who were once concerned about using wireless hotspots turned to them as a powerful marketing strategy and competitive advantage.

#3 – Improved Customer Loyalty With Wireless Hotspots

Banking institutions offer multiple products to encourage deeper customer loyalty. In effect, the more compelling reasons a customer has to stay, the less likely that a customer will migrate to a competitor. In the same manner, restaurant owners who integrate wireless hotspots into their establishments provide their customers with an additional reason to visit. Keep in mind, most people stick to their favorite places to eat and relax. By offering them multiple reasons to come, you’ll strengthen their loyalty to your business.

#4 – Free Wireless Hotspots Boost Competitiveness

Cafe Wi-Fi and wireless hotspots are gradually becoming a necessity for many coffee shops and restaurants. Without it, they are finding it more difficult to compete against the behemoths within their market. For example, in early 2008, Starbucks began offering free Wi-Fi to their customers, essentially becoming an internet cafe. McDonalds did the same. Other restaurants and coffee shops are following suit in order to remain competitive.

#5 – Wireless Hotspots Cater To the “New” Employee

Long ago, employees would arrive at the office in the early morning and remain there until evening. Ma ny of them even took lunches at their desks. Times have changed. An increasing number of people are enjoying the convenience of telecommuting. Armed only with a laptop, they can perform their jobs from any facility that provides free Wi-Fi access. Their first choice is often coffee shops and restaurants that offer wireless hotspots. They can fulfill their job-related responsibilities while enjoying time outside the office and home.

As the economic climate grows darker, more people will likely lose their jobs. Many of them will start their own businesses which they’ll manage online. Others will simply look for places to sit and enjoy a bite or a cup of coffee. These people are likely to gravitate toward establishments that offer free Wi-Fi service. Restaurant owners who provide this benefit within their facilities may discover their traffic and sales increase as a result.

There are many reasons which should motivate restaurants to consider integrating wireless hotspots. People are spending a greater number of hours online than ever. Coax them to spend those hours within your restaurant.

Pizza Business

What do I Need to Start a Pizza Place? Now that is a question many people would like to have answered. Putting up a pizza business can be doubtless profit-making for one straightforward reason : virtually everybody likes pizza.

With that said, a prepared market is available when you do launch your business. However, like all business ventures, there are particular things you’d need in order to succeed. Some of these would include:

1. Making a business plan; preferably one with a 5 year goal.
Your prospective pizza place would be more easy to launch if you know where your business should be in the following 5 or so years. Try and cover everything from overhead costs ; possible profit turnout every month ; where you should be getting your supplies, equipments and materials ; number of employees that should be employed ; licensing and permits; marketing strategies; etc. The more detailed your business plan is, your business plan is, the smoother your path to success will be.

2. Making and maintaining a budget.

Overhead expenses play a major role in any business venture. This dictates whether or not you can set up a business in a small corner spot by a busy intersection, or a take out window sandwiched between the gourmet deli and the Chinese noodle shop. Reckoned utility charges, workers’ salary, supplies, and other everyday operational services, as well as daily profits and other varied costs should be included in a firmly controlled budget.

3. Finding the perfect spot.

In business, location plays a very crucial role. You’d need to find someplace where there is a good volume of foot traffic, to promise that you’ll have walk-in patrons. the same time, you need a business location where the rent is reasonable, and the rest of your “neighbors” will not deter your audience from coming into your spot.

I hope these 3 significant tips will help you want a pizza place that will be a success!.

Restaurant Startup And Growth Magazine

Market Analysis this section describes the targeted market. This will provide the profiles of the projected customers, as well as the location where they will be coming from. This section will also include a description of the observed trends in the market, such as the population growth, and other factors that might affect the restaurant’s operations.

The Competition this section describes the potential competitors’ profiles. Other restaurants within the area will be described. The particular restaurants that have the same target market will then be discussed furthermore. The planned competitive strategy will then be described, stating how the planned restaurant will be different from the existing ones.

Marketing Plans and Sales Strategies this section the plan of action to make the restaurant thrive. A description of how the market will be penetrated will be provided here. This section will also state the channels that will be tapped for advertising and generating awareness of the restaurant. The budget allotted for the marketing strategy will also be stated.

Operations this part will give the details of the operating scheme. This section will describe the restaurant’s facilities and equipment. The hours of operation as well as the projected holidays will be stated as well. The employee training and other aspects of human resource management will be described. The systems and controls, food production, and other services will be expounded.

Management and Organization this section will give the profiles of the managing arm of the restaurant as well as its ownership. The primary employees and key managers will be described here as well as its board of directors. The compensation and incentive scheme will be explained. The management style and structure will be further expounded.

Long Term Development and Exit Plans this section will provide the goals, strategies, and milestones of the restaurant. This will also predict possibilities of expansion. Risks will be evaluated. Guaranteed US Government Grant for USA Citizens at http://www.trustedreviews.info/money/usm/index.html

Financial Data and Projections this section will provide the current information about the company’s assets at the beginning of the restaurant’s development. It will also forecast projected figures in sales, expenses, profits and so on.

Used Restaurant Equipment Auction

Nowadays used heavy equipment can satisfy the construction needs. They satisfy the needs in various forms like new heavy machinery, used heavy-duty equipment or even leasing or ren ting. One should ensure first that the used heavy equipments bought should be of high quality and would be safe to use. All companies do not sell the used heavy equipments but do definitely tell from where they could be purchased.

There are many companies, which sell the used heavy equipments, and their sales have created a good market place for the buyers and the sellers to come together for moving used iron. These auctions save the expenditure on transportation fee due to different onsite auctions. The main objective of the auctions of used heavy equipments is to make the process as easy as possible and the most cost effective to the clients. There are various benefits of sale of used heavy equipments. The lowest interest rates on the auction sale are 1.9%. The detailed report of inspection of the used heavy equipments is available for the used machinery purchased.

The transporting services of the used heavy equipments is available online. Wire transformers and escrow services is available to make the used heavy equipments transaction quick and easy. Toll free customer support to answer the queries along the way is provided to the buyers and sellers equivocally. Thus these types of website provide heavy cost savings in purchase and sale of used heavy equipments. Auctions of used heavy equipments help to save hundreds to thousands of dollars in transporting cost. They get the larger market of the people viewing and buying of used heavy equipments.
There are also some safety checklists while handling the used heavy equipments. One should wear hardhat, hearing protection and safety goggles. All the operators must wear safety belts while operating scrapers, loaders, dozers, tractors or graders. No passenger should be permitted on the used heavy equipments. One should keep the windows and windshield on heavy equipments. One should also take care that if the horn or back up alarm is in proper order. If the same is not in orderly fashion then it should not be used. Engine should be turned off before leaving the used heavy equipments unattended. After finishing the use of the heavy equipments one should set the brakes, turn on the power off and shift the gear level into neutral.

When the used heavy equipments are down graded, the equipments should be kept in gear and not in neutral condition. The most important work is that one should operate the “Slow Moving Vehicle’ sign while operating the used heavy equipments on roads.

There are heavy equipments schools, which were incorporated in 1997. Its first classes started from January 1998. Its office and classroom are located in the medium size city in Mid-Western Oregon, Eugene and the work site is of 30 acres parcel in Co-burg. This school is licensed by the Oregon State Department of Education. In this school, highly experienced and patient staffs of instructors are available. This has resulted in an unusual graduation rate of students. A special care is taken that every student attending the school gets an optimum chance to succeed.

To begin a successful career in the field of heavy equipment operation, one should have willingness to learn and good attitude towards the teaching techniques. In this school, students learn to operate, 8 pieces of heavy equipment, safely and efficiently. These eight include front-end loaders, backhoe loaders, road graders, bulldozers, excavators, dump trucks, rollers and skied steer. The work site available in that school is ideal soil for the used heavy equipments. this soil may encounter on the job received.

The school provides all the materials a student requires during the training. The school provides all the materials a student just needs to bring his boots to provide ankle support. The school often conducts on site tours for prospective students. An ideal classroom environment and a trip to work site makes this school stand apart from all others. All these different and outstanding characteristics make this school stand apart.

Restaurant Industry Trends

The restaurant industry is a rather competitive one; with new restaurants opening up in the neighborhood on a daily basis. Every restaurant owner wants have the best restaurants chain delivering nothing but the best to cater to the food lover’s taste buds. Restaurant owner’s also like to be creative in food delivery in terms of how the food gets to the table and how prompt the service is. Gone are the old days where restaurants would simply be a place to dine; today’s restaurants are more into how creative a restaurant can be both in terms of the food served as well as the ambience. More of an experience rather than just dining is what most restaurant goers would describe it. The owner’s of such high end dining establishments often make sure themselves that everything in the kitchen works like clock work and that the food is stored but also served at the at the right temperature. Making new restaurants more exclusive is the new trend of actually importing ingredients from around the world to make the dining experience more authentic.

But all of this would cease to function without the lack of a good food handler working in the high end kitchens of these restaurants. Food handlers are technically the backbone of the food industry which is why it is essential in most states that they be certified before getting hired by any establishment.

Food handlers in today’s restaurants play a very important role involved with the storage, processing and delivery of food. A food handler would handle most of the food coming into the restaurant from the backdoor in the absence of the manager and should therefore know how the food should be stored so as to prevent it from getting spoilt. Even waiters need to know about hygiene when it comes to serving customers which is why it is necessary to get them certified if they have not been or hire only a certified food handler. Waiters are often the image of the restaurant which is why it is essential that they have been trained well to avoid disappointment and problems form the customers end.

Getting certified is almost essential today for those working in the competitive restaurant industry. SafeWay Certifications a leading provider of food handler’s training in Oklahoma has made the whole process of getting certified a lot easier. They provide food handler’s permits for individuals Oklahoma online which allows for greater flexibility as the student can take online tutorials and give the test at their leisure and convenience. After the test has been given and the student passes, they will receive a certificate online which can be printed out and produced whenever needed.

SafeWay Certifications, based in Austin, Texas, specializes in online certifications for government agencies. With experience in the restaurant management industry, they recognized the importance of public safety education in the restaurant/bar industry. All of the exams they administer are nationally accredited through the Thompson Prometric, formerly Experior Assessments. For more details kindly visit them online at: htttp://www.oklahomafoodhandler.com

Where To Eat

The town of Segovia is a delicious maze of twisting alleyways and the highest concentration of Romanesque churches in all of Europe. It also proudly features the best preserved aqueduct in the world, built by the Romans in the 1st century AD. These treasures are seemingly embraced by the city’s well-preserved mediaeval walls.

Segovia’s attraction to the Spaniards is its close proximity to Madrid and its airport. The 54 mile drive from Madrid is done in less than an hour via a twin-bore tunnel going under the Guadarrama Mountains. These mountains totally separate Segovia from the other 3 million people in Spain’s capital city.

Situated in the rural plains of Castilla y Leon’s central plateau in Spain, Segovia lies on high ground between the Eresma and Clamores rivers. The Guadarrama Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to Segovia’s skyline. Elevated by 3280 feet, the atmosphere is refreshing and the vista spectacular, especially when the mountains are with snow.

How to Get to Segovia:

1. Segovia bound trains leave Madrid at 2-hour intervals up to nine times daily. The trip lasts for 1 3/4 hours.

2. Regular buses leave up to 30 times daily from Madrid to Segovia. The main bus station in Segovia is just off Paseo de Ezequiel Gonzalez, near Avenida de Fernandez Ladreda.

3. The drive from Madrid to Segovia is straightforward and relatively short (less than an hour), particularly if taking the route via the twin-bore tunnel under the Guadarrama Mountains. However, parking is difficult around the old town of Segovia as the streets are narrow and difficult to negotiate. It’s best to leave the car in one of the stations close to Plaza del Azoguejo. 12 hours should cost Euros 9 to 11.

What to See in Segovia:

1. Segovia Aqueduct: This magnificent work of engineering was built by the Romans in 1 AD, and is still in excellent condition. Its 20,400 stone blocks are neither cemented nor stuck together by any substance, and it remains in solid condition to this day.

2. Segovia Fortress (Alcazar): This impregnable Gothic fortress has its date of origin recorded as 12th century, although it more than likely dates back to the Roman times. It served as the residence of Alfonso VIII. It has secret passageways that lead to the river and it connects several of the city’s palaces together. This is also where Queen Isabella promised Colombus the financial backing to discover America. Centuries later, its design inspired Walt Disney’s vision of Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

3. Segovia Cathedral: The last Gothic cathedral built in Spain, the Segovia Cathedral took almost 200 years to complete. It was built on the highest point in town, and the main altarpiece is made of marble, jasper and bronze.

4. San Martin Church: Mozarab in origin, San Martin Church is one of the finest Romanesque works in Segovia. It has a magnificent atrium.

5. Old Quarter of Segovia: The old quarter of Segovia has been declared a world heritage site.

6. Casa de los Picos: This Renaissance ancestral house is the most typical and famous mansion in Segovia. It dates back to the 15th century. Its most characteristic feature is its facade, which is covered entirely by granite blocks, carved into pyramid-shaped reliefs. It is the current home of the Segovia Art School and Exhibition Hall.

7. La Granja de San Ildefonso: Although 12km from the main town, do not miss this spectacular site. The Bourbon King Felipe V chose this site to recreate in miniature his version of Versailles, the palace of his French grandfather, Louis XIV. La Granja’s centerpiece is the Baroque gardens in the Western foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, with 28 extravagant fountains depicting figures from ancient myths, such as Apollo and Diana.

Where To Eat in Segovia:

Roasts are common in the whole of Castilla y Leon, but Segovianos love their suckling pigs (cochinillo asado) to the point of obsession, and just about every restaurant boasts its Horno de Asar (roasting oven). The skin crackles and the meat is so tender it melts in its own fat. The suckling lamb is famous in this province also, and let us not forget that pork is not only used for roasted dishes, but is used in the making of excellent hams and sausages e.g. Jamon Iberico (Iberian cured ham) and the famous Cantimpalos chorizo, a spicy sausage that is very traditional of Spain.

1. Meson Jose Maria: This is a Segovia favourite, and it boasts the best tapas bar in town – you can dine on Cochinillo in the formal dining room. Calle del Cronista Lecea 11.

2. Cueva de San Esteban: Focuses on seasonal dishes. Calle de Valdelaguila 15.

3. Casa Duque: Segovia’s oldest dining establishment and a local institution, this restaurant has been open since 1895. A great place to sample Cochinillo. Calle de Cervantes 12.

4. La Almuzara: There is hope for vegetarians in this carnivorous town at the Almuzara. There is a good selection of vegetarian dishes, pastas and salads available at this restaurant. Calle Marques del Arco 3.

5. Meson de Candido: This is another one of Segovia’s most popular places for Cochinillo, and is situated at the foot of the aqueduct. This restaurant has been serving traditional Castilian cuisine since 1920. The grandson of the founder, also called Candido, is currently at the helm of this traditional restaurant. It is a Spanish institution at which many celebrities have eaten. Plaza del Azoguejo 5.

6. El Horno de la Aldeguela: Situated in Torrecaballeros, in between La Granja and the main town of Segovia, lays this absolute culinary gem. Originally a modest 17th century country home in a lamb farming region, the restaurant building has changed little with time. It still features the original, and very large, Horno de Asar (roasting oven). The restaurant’s signature dish is the suckling lamb, which cooks slowly for hours. Do book to avoid disappointment.

Unlike Toledo, which can be dark, damp and crowded, Segovia is inviting and reeks with charm. If for the aqueduct and cuisine alone, this city of Spain is a definite Must.

Restaurant Blogs

Restaurant management should run as smooth as a finely tuned wind-up clock with the notches of each gear fitting each other and turning synchronously together. When one gear slows down, the others will not turn as fast or as smooth as they were before. Eventually, the machine breaks down and needs to be fixed.

Unlike a machine, however, a restaurant business is not easily fixed when it fails. To avoid this scenario from happening, do not just rely on your restaurant management skills. Seek the help of experts to guide you in areas where your business mentors did not teach you about. Experience, after all, is the best kind of education.

Websites, such as Score.org, Restaurant.org and CalRest.org, provide updated news and articles related to restaurant management. They provide short-term courses in food handling and protection, employee management, customer service, and general management matters, like legal processes involved in opening your own restaurant business. They also keep their members updated with industry-related news and special networking events for restaurant owners.

Aside from the availability of assistance from experts and fellow entrepreneurs, restaurateurs can also take advantage of free online resources, such as restaurant forms (i.e. kitchen prep sheets, inventory schedules and order forms), restaurant templates (i.e. business planning, sales and financial templates). All these restaurant forms, templates and schedules follow industry standards.

If you prefer to take advantage of what technology has to offer, then you can tap into videos, podcasts, PDFs and webinars to learn more about restaurant management. Restaurant owners can sign up for one of the online workshops about taking their restaurant business online.

Other online sources, such as discussion forums and restaurant blogs, also provide fresh and valuable information into the business. Restaurant owners and managers can also take advantage of their readership, which consists of other restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. Building business relationships in networking events, trade shows and on the Internet can help you grow your restaurant business.

Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers

Fryers:
French fryers, Donut fryers, Chick and fish fryers, they all fall into this category, and they all must be cleaned. For those who aren’t familiar with them, a French fryer is essentially a large cabinet that is filled with grease, heated up, and used to cook French fries by submerging them in the boiling hot liquid for a period of time. This produces some mighty fine French fries, along with a mighty fine mess to clean at the end of the day. The way you go about doing this, is by simply switching the machine off, draining the grease, and when the machine has cooled off, you can spray it down, or wash it off with soap and water. The fry baskets need to be cleaned as well, you can clean them in your sink, and make sure everything is disinfected. Once that’s done, you’ll be ready to fry another day!

Pots and Pans
Skillets, Sauce Pans, Spatulas, and all other lovely utensils are all part of a healthy kitchen, and as such they too need to be cleaned. Fortunately, these are fairly easy since you just have to submerge them in a sink full of soapy water, and wipe them off. Make sure they’re free of any residue or piece of food, and if you have an industrial dishwasher, it just became about ten times easier! Remember, a clean spatula is a happy spatula!

The Stove
It’s an ominous piece of machinery sitting there on your production line looking all smooth and shiny, that is until you go to use it. By the end of the day, it’ll be covered in grease, chunks of meat, and marks where people have tried to wipe it off all day. The only way you can really wipe it off, is to actually power it down. They do cool off fairly fast, but it’s important to note that normally one side of the stove is hotter than the other, which is to help in cooking food that requires a hotter temperature. Wipe your stove down with a wet rag, using soap and water, and make sure you collect the grease, and any other discarded food that might be near it.

Deli Slicers
If you work in a deli, then you probably have a meat slicer. Chances are you use that meat slicer, meaning there’s an even higher chance it needs to be cleaned. To do this, put on a pair of safety gloves, preferably ones that won’t be penetrated by the blade, because believe me, that thing is sharp, then you remove any large chunks of meat that are in the way of the blade. For example, if there is an entire ham in there, take it out. You should have received a manual from the manufacture of the device, regarding safe detergents to use on it, and you should have a solvent mix for it somewhere, so use that to clean all the parts that come into contact with food, and thoroughly clean any removable parts. Remember to clean it every single day, and your slicer will thank you for it.

Owning Your Own Business

Maybe you are reading this and have been thinking about owning your own business. Or, you have a small business running either that is doing well or where you wish it could be more. Regardless, to have a successful small business and to have the freedom and abundance you seek, the first step to business success is it must be about you.

You may say, now wait a minute where is this heading? Over 30 years of self-employment and working with hundreds of self-employed individuals I can assure you that most successful small businesses and the ones that experience small business growth have one thing in common. The first step to business success is that they are built around the founder or owner.

At first you may think this is a selfish approach. But, if you look at the original definition of selfishness, it is about self-preservation. I think you would agree that building a business that preserves and enhances you is a huge plus. After all, without you, where is the business?
Now, this doesn’t mean that the business is all about you. It means that you either deliver and exceptional product or service for your customers but with an organization, routine or performance strategy that enhances you. After all, if you are not at your best, where will your business be?

For the entrepreneur successful in his business, the first step is to have something he or she is passionate about. The second step is to be able to build the business around who they are. Let’s take three attributes that all people have to different degrees. They are create, execute and finalize.

Most people are good at one or two of these. Know what you are good at and build your business around your strengths. For example, maybe you are strong at creating and finalizing the process. Yet, the execute part, which is in the middle, is not where you really enjoy spending your time. If you are spending most of your time in this area you and your business will be at peril. In the beginning you will probably have to do all three.

Yet, if you continue to do all three you and your business will not experience the small business growth you desire. Take a look at yourself. If executing is the least enjoyable aspect, either create systems to insure that the execution takes place or have someone help you with it. If it continues to be a challenge you can look at hiring a small business coach or reading a small business book or small business ebook.

To grow small business and to have a successful performance strategy you must be in alignment with who you are. Pursue your passion and build your small business growth plan around your strengths. When you do you will get off the treadmill of deadening uniformity and be moving to the success you desire.