Winter 2011

CONTENTS

16

FEATURE Mark McEwan: His journey to success

Technology
4 Apps and Appetite 28 Why Digital Menus Could Work For You

Insights
8 Would You Make a Good
Restaurateur? 10 Upgrading Your Skills 26 Menu Psychology

Business
7 Staffing Your Restaurant 11 Sommeliers and Your Restaurant 12 Using Locally Grown Foods 20 Dishing Inspiration 24 Unwrapping Red Tape

Features
14 Crafting Culture 22 Restaurant Cost-cutting 101

Marketing
5 Positioning Your brand 6 Internet Coupons

4 Apps and appetite

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Winter 2011

tastingsuccessmagazine.com

Editorial

Our premier issue!

Cheers to the premiere edition of tasting Success

or the last six months, our editorial team has been out hunting for issues that matter to Torontos restaurateurs. We have sat down with many of you, heard your thoughts and we know your concerns.

Toronto is a very diverse place with over 3,000 restaurants. We know the pressure involved in building your own distinct brand. Thats why in our premiere issue, we bring you innovative and exciting new ideas in areas ranging from staffing matters to digital technology and red tape. We have the tips on how to improve your menus with eye-catching designs, how to use social media to market your business and how locally grown foods give your business an advantage. This is only the first of many issues of smart ideas that will not only inform you but also stir up your own thoughts as to how to expand your bottom line. Tasting Success aims to help your business grow by becoming your go-to guide and forum on the ins and outs of running a restaurant. We want to hear from you about the concerns you have in your industry or ideas you want to share with others. Cheers, Tasting Success Editorial Team

CoNNECt WitH US: twitter: @tasting_Success 3

Winter 2011

Facebook: tasting Success Magazine

TeCHNOLOGy

Social and Digtal Marketing

Creating online presence beyond websites
By: yeamrOT Taddese

Apps and Appetite

dine T.O.
Were actually the only restaurant guide in the world that integrated restaurant menus on our app as opposed to just linking them to [restaurants] website, Pantelley Damoulianos, vice-president of the company, said.

Now magazine
Now Magazines food critic Steven Davey goes out to Toronto restaurants and reviews them based on their food, ambience and service. The review, which appears in both print and online, is automatically uploaded on their restaurant app.

Foursquare
Thousands of people also use Foursquares app on their phones to locate the nearest restaurants in their vicinity. 35,000 new users join foursquare everyday. Restaurants can add special offers users can see when theyre in the area. Best of all, its free to use!

Blog.TO
Blog.TOs iPad and iPhone app has a lot of the websites content, which allows users to access and share restaurant information, inluding photos, reviews, location and phone number. Users can also look up DineSafe info if it is available.

Photo by: Yeamrot Taddese

Tweeting: Social Media and your Restaurant

Hospitality social media expert Jill Clark Clark begins her work by looking for keywords related to the venue she is representing. When she is on Fish Bars Twitter account, she searches for words like oysters in Toronto, dinner in Toronto or Ossington Avenue, where the restaurant is located. I look for real time conversations about any of the keywords Im looking for, she said. If she finds that a person likes wine, she suggests they try the special for $5.99 at Fish Bar. Marketing through social media is much more targeted. Qunice Bistro owner co-owner Jennifer Gittins uses Facebook for information that needs a larger platform, like new a new menu and pictures. While time restricts her venture into other outlets like YouTube, Gittins finds that social media advertising is a winner compared to print. Ads do nothing. They cost you a lot of money and do nothing, Gittens said blatantly. She added that a small ad in Toronto Life costs her about $1,000. It brings me about Ill go really high - 25 people, she said. One thing is for surewhen restaurant owners take their brands online, customers will take their complaints to the same venue. People complain and now they do it online, Clark said. She added that the key is to apologize quickly and sincerely. 99 per cent of the time, it works, she said. All they want is for the business to know theyre pissed.

Winter 2011

MARKETING

your restaurant
M
BY: KAITlYNN FoRd
themselves in online restaurant-specific cism from the users. directories, they need to make sure The owners of the Crepe Kitchen in they work together with the site hosts Oakville make sure to never miss an to portray their brand the way they opportunity for customer-suggested want. If they leave their profile for the growth when the situation arises. host or the consumer to update, the Within their first two years of business, information presented may be wrong they have already altered their hours or outdated, of operation, added missing links, ....If [restaurants] brand items to their menu, photos and and started bottling other informa- is not portrayed in the right and selling their own tion. homemade dressing, way, it could harm their Many all based on customers business. times with suggestions. these websites You have to take - Damoulianos you can have the opportunities when a disgruntled they come, Anns Siles, employee putting up a negative review, co-owner of the restaurant, said. Daor you can have a competitor putting moulianos agrees. up a negative review, PapachristopouAs a marketing company we can los said. only fill up so many seats at the restauBut it is also important to consider rant, but whether or not the customer what the reviewers are saying, especially is going to come back depends on the if two or more people are posting their restaurant, he said. concerns. While marketing your brand is great, If they keep on seeing the same Damoulianos added the restaurant will review over and over again then they always speak for itslef. should look into that and do something Branding is always great ... but about it, Papachristopoulos said. A always stick to the basics which is sersmart restaurant owner would look at vice and great food, Papachristopoulos that and look at it as constructive critisaid. arketing is the best way a restaurateur can distinguish their eatery from its competitors. At the very least, they should know their target demographic, the image they want to project and the avenues and types of media they plan to use for advertising. Pantelly Damoulianos, the vice-president of Dine.TO says online presence is increasingly becoming important. There are so many other websites out there and if [restaurants] brand is not portrayed in the right way, it could harm their business, he said. Restaurateurs can differentiate themselves from the competition by appealing to quality and price, functionality or design, sales promotion and advertising, availability, and location. Restaurateurs should also consider Facebook, Twitter, email blasts, restaurant directories or marketing online as part of their advertising strategies. An independent [restaurant] will set up a Facebook page or Twitter page and then they kind of forget about it and it does more harm than anything else, Stratos Papachristopoulos, president of Dine.TO, said. If restaurateurs choose to include

brand

How to

Winter 2011

MARKETING

Entertaining Your Guests

Casa Barcelona, a Spanish restaurant, hosts flamenco dancers, mariachis and belly dancers every weekend. But when the Bollywood awards were in Toronto this summer, they offered Indian style dancing.

Switching it up:

Internet Coupons:
A simple offer brings thousands of customers
By: Nadia Persaud
irsten Parucha had a birthday party to plan but she was stuck with finding the right venue. Her friends were no help, but they made it clear that they didnt want to spend a lot of money. Parucha turned to a couponing website and a few nights later, armed with a 20 per cent off coupon, Parucha and her friends were dressed up and seated at a restaurant that would have originally been out of their price range. Couponing websites are the newest marketing tool available for restaurants that allows them to advertise to a much larger audience than the traditional form of marketing: the newspaper. A lot of restaurants do traditional marketing in magazines and newspapers like Now Magazine but that has blind spots. You dont know how many people will come into your restaurant from that ad in Now Magazine unless it is an offer of some sort, Jeff Hermsen, President of LivingDeal.com, said. Couponing websites displays local deals for users who sign up using their email address and enter their location. They then get deals from salons, dental offices, restaurants and services in their neighbourhood. It also shows how many people bought certain

deals and how much time a user has left to purchase a deal. Hermsen points out that the website is a good way for restaurants to find out how many people have bought their coupon as well as how many people use it, because they would have to print out the coupon and take it with them to the restaurant. But JJ Sytsylt, supervisor at Lai Wah Heen, an upscale restaurant, said couponing websites might not benefit all restaurants in the same way. According to Sytsylt, a sister restaurant, Lai Toh Heen, used a couponing website to market themselves when business was slow. For an upscale restaurant you are going to need customers who can afford it, explained Sytsylt. But with these couponing websites you get people who go to try it out because theyve heard of it before and just want to try it out. She said the restaurant did get business from the coupon but it slowed down again after the offer expired. Hermsen said that could be a problem because the coupons are offered to prospective patrons at the restaurants cost. I have to keep telling restaurants its not about the cost, Hermsen said. Its about marketing and building your brand.

Miranda Ramrop, manager of Peoples Chicken, says, If its jazz on Saturday, we get a typically older crowd, but during the week when we have more top 40s kind of bands than you see more of a younger crowd.

Different music appeal to different audiences:

A lot of entertainers will typically approach restaurants looking for places to play. We get emails and phone calls all the time from artists looking for a place to play. What we do now is ask someone to send us a link for a website that goes to a video or something that we can listen to a band perform and judge on that, Ramrop said.

You dont have too look far:

If you charge a cover, it might deter patrons. Ramrop suggests increasing the drink during entertainment hours and encouraging patrons to spend a certain amount of money.

You dont always have to charge a cover:

Winter 2011

INSIGHTS

Why Personality Matters

Your attitude could make or break your business
by: JeSSIca Lee

o youve decided you want to try running a restaurant. Maybe you have a great idea or youre a fantastic cook. But hold on for a moment. Being a good chef or having a great concept doesnt mean your restaurant will succeed. According to Heather and Andy Dismore, authors of Running a Restaurant for Dummies, there are key traits a person must have to be suited for the food business. In their book, they list passion, presence, creativity, tolerance, flexibility, positivity, leadership, business sense and schmoozability - most of which can be learned on the job. Out of all the traits, the Dismores believe that business sense and schmoozability are the most important traits needed to succeed. Business sense is essential and sadly, often overlooked, says Heather. So many people get into the restaurant business for the apparent fun and excitement, without realizing that it is, first and foremost, a business. Heather added that a restaurant is run much like any other business, with the same challenges like managing people, retaining customers, and marketing your business and metrics for success such as controlling costs and turning a profit just like any other business. If youre not running your business by the numbers, you wont be running it for long, she says. The Dismores define schmoozability as the ability to make the diner feel welcome, at home, and important in a room full of other people that youre also trying to make feel important. Its often the reason that a diner chooses your restaurant over another, adds Heather. Further down the list of important traits are creativity, leadership skills and passion. I think that passion and creativity are innate, says Heather. These two traits give you the drive to develop the other key traits, in a sense. In a real life example of creativity at work, Andy witnessed a Chicago restaurant requiring servers to wear double-sided tape to the bottoms of their shoes to pick up loose pieces of debris on their carpeted floors. At the same restaurant, the menus were changed daily to use the freshest ingredients available. Special menus were also created at a moments notice to accomodate guests with spe-

Pangaea restaurant manager Peter Geary says restaurateurs should lead their staff by example.

Winter 2011

INSIGHTS
cific allergies or food preferences. Heather says once a restaurateur has passion for the business and a curious, creative mind, they can use them to develop leadership skills, become increasingly flexible and hone their business skills. Without passion or creativity, she added, a restaurateur cannot sustain the positive energy needed for their business. Ali Gaeeni, a manager at Scaccia Italian restaurant, says that restaurant managers should like their jobs. You have to try to stay positive. You have to enjoy what you do, he says. If a restaurateur doesnt have passion, they will ultimately fail to keep up with the stresses of the business. Your passion will also ensure your staff understands the vision you have for the business. It affects their performance and the way they treat customers. Mark McEwan, a Canadian restaurateur and owner of several restaurants, two catering businesses and a grocery store, says that restaurateurs should know what they are getting into. [Its] very very important that you dont fall into a position for the wrong reason, he says. You have to have an ego, but you also have to let other people have an ego. You have to be fair. You have to be demanding of people but realistically demanding of people. Peter Geary, owner and manager at Pangaea restaurant believes that a good restaurateur should lead by example. You [have to] roll up your sleeves [sometimes], he says. Though he usually works behind the bar, Geary says that if servers are busy with other customers, he will help out with their other tables. When it comes to hiring staff, McEwan believes in being a good judge of character. He uses his instinct to decide You have to try to whether an employee should be fired based on their acpositive. You have to tions. what you do. You [have to] listen intently and you [have to] observe people. I mean, you -Ali Gaeeni ask a person a question and theyll usually tell you what you want to hear. But you watch them in action, you see them actually executing. They cant really hide it then. So its very very important that you observe people and watch them in their daily operation and then you get a realistic portrayal of who that person is. Also essential to any trade where customer service is involved are communication skills. Both Gaeeni and Geary stress the importance of handing people well. On a daily basis, restaurant managers must ensure customers are happy and their employees feel appreciated. You need good people skills, good conflict resolution skills, Geary says. At the same time, managers should be flexible and tolerant to the many different types of personalities they encounter in their restaurant. To maintain a steady cash flow, they need to be accepting of all the preferences of their customers, and work hard to accomodate their needs. Whatever we need to do, we need to do to make sure the customer experience is as good as we can make it, Geary says. Like any other business person, restaurant managers also need to be persistent in their goals. McEwan believes his success in the food industry is the result of hard work. You have to be very determined to see it through, he says. You have to be very dedicated to the aspect of service and quality and product and the relationship you have with the client. Its a tough business in one way. But once you get the formula moving and going, if you have a good sort of think tank of people working with you, then you can keep a good culture going in the kitchen and the front of the house. Though McEwan has never taken a business course; he learned how to run his restaurants and grocery store through experience. Heather agrees that you learn a lot of what you need to know on the job. In this business, time on the floor and in the trenches is the ultimate teacher. Geary adds that your colleagues could also school you just by doing, or not doing, their jobs. First guy I worked with in London was just brilliant on the front door, so I learned a lot of those skills by watching him and seeing how he handed it, he says. Being around bad restaurant managers is also a learning experience as well because it shows how not to manage a restaurant. stay Also critical to success is a sense that good enjoy enough isnt, Andy says. What was cutting edge and new yesterday is pass and tired tomorrow. Having a prescence in the restaurant counts too. Even if a restaurant can function on its own without a manager to supervise the staff, the Dismores encourage restaurateurs to visit their establishments frequently so staff know they are there and will not be tempted to slack off. Making your presence known to diners also ties in with schmoozability- customers like to interact with owners and managers. Andy encourages restaurateurs to do their research and know the market. If there is a restaurant that packs in guests night after night, he says to talk to the guests and the owner to find out why. Often, the owners pride will loosen their lips and cause them to spill their secrets to success, which is highly useful information.

Winter 2011

BUSINESS

Staffing:
Choosing the best people for your business
BY: KAITLYNN FORD

inding qualified staff and keeping them too is a leading concern in the restaurant industry.

According to a 2009 survey of 20 national and regional foodservice chains by the Canadian Restaurant and Food Association, The average annual turnover rate for an hourly paid employee is 104.8 per cent at a quickservice restaurant and 62.5 per cent at a casual or family dining restaurant. Bliss Associates says that the cost and impact of employee turnover can be grouped into four major categories: 1) costs due to a person leaving, 2) hiring costs, 3) training costs, and 4) lost productivity costs. ExecSearches.com in their article, Connecting Mission and Talent, suggests the best way to ensure hiring a qualified chef or cook is to know what

you want, how much you are willing to pay, use your networks to identify talent, reference all finalists, and let common sense be your final judge.

training, and qualification diversity. For the Back of the House positions, colleges and universities are a great place to find up-and-coming new talent. Often colleges will have their students complete internship programs as part of the learning experience and a way to gain practical, real-world. Tyler Cardy has been a hiring manager for Timothys World Coffee in three different locations, since 2006. While there are some things you can do prior to hiring an employee to ensure that you dont make an oversight, Cardy says that you can never be 100 per cent sure about the type of person youve decided to take a chance on until they start. You may see a resume that looks really great but until you meet the person, you dont really know.

WHERE TO GO
Consider avenues that attract a large quantity of jobseekers with varied qualifications and skills, such as Torontos National Job Fair and Training Expo. It is important to bear in mind the reach of the internet and employment-based websites like Monster. ca and Workopolis.com. LinkedIn is the Facebook of business networking websites. These websites serve nearly the same purpose as job fairs and training expos with regard to the volume of applicants and skills,

10

Winter 2011

Photo by: Kaitlynn Ford

BUSINESS

Wine:
BY: NADIA PERSAUD
here is one product in a restaurant that guarantees a high reward on investment: wine. A bottle of wine in a restaurant can be marked up as high as three times its retail price. The labour cost associated with uncorking and serving a glass of wine is significantly less than any other restaurant service. But in order to reach this level of high return, restaurants cant rely on amateurs, they instead have to hire sommeliers. Armando Mano, owner and certified sommelier at Centro Restaurant & Lounge says sommeliers enhances the experience of the guest without making the guest feel they lack knowledge. All the servers here are certified sommeliers. A sommeliers job could be as simple as telling the guest a short history about the wine the guest has selected or the region the wine is from. Marinno Goazanez, a certified sommelier and manager at Ciao Wine Bar says he introduces himself to patrons and recommends wines based on the patrons price range, the foods they have ordered and the type of wine they are looking for. Ciao Wine Bar carries between 300350 labels, which are available by the bottle, but only a few of the options are available to buy by the glass. Meanwhile

What a sommelier can do for you

Centro has over 600 labels in house they trust the sommeliers selection. and about 30 wines to buy by the glass. Just because a guest says my budget is A lot of people [at Ciao Wine Bar] like $100, doesnt mean you should choose a to get bottles, Goazanez says. But not a wine thats $100. I would pick one thats lot of people do get to enjoy a full bottle $75, because if you can blow them out because they dont have enough time, they of the water with a cheaper priced wine. have to drive or not enough people at the You build a better rapport with the custable want to enjoy the same type of wine. tomer and this builds good customer However, Ciao Wine Bar re-corks the re- relations so they come back, he says. maining wine for patrons to take home. The two restuarants do not participate Goazanez helps patrons select wines by in Torontos Bring Your Own Wine Prorecommending certain wines based on gram but for different reasons. Ciao Wine the seasons. In Bar does not allow winter I choose patrons to bring Just because a guest says more full bodtheir own bottles ied wines es- my budget is $100, doesnt of wine to the pecially for the restaurant while by glass pro- mean you should choose a Centro Restaurant gram which is wine thats $100. charges a $35 corkthe strongest defer -Armando Mano age fee to bringpoint on my people from wine menu. ing in cheaper In summer, I bring more lighter wines bottles of wine from the nearby LCBO. like Pinot Noire or a Burgundy. I can tell you that if you come here This changing wine list also starts to for $35 you can get a much better bottle build regular clienteles because its like a of wine, Mano says I want to discourstarting place where you are learning and age people from bringing things that are drinking at the same time, Goazanez says. not special, if you want to bring a bottle of Mano agrees that many patrons go wine from home that is an older vintage to his restaurant to learn more about or a gift and you dont really cook at home wines but another reason is because than by all means the $35 is justified.

Winter 2011

PhotoS: Nadia Persaud

11

FEATURE

Giving you an edge:

locally grown foods

BY: HinA JAsim

C
11

Toronto restaurants are embracing locally grown foods to add a unique edge to their establishments and support Ontario farmers.
hefs in Toronto are gearing their menus to a sustainable trend: locally grown foods. are now becoming more interested in local foods. Were actually not producing as much local as what people are asking for, a disappinted Magee said. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency local food is defined as being grown 50 km of where the item is sold. Local farms are also less likely to use hormones in their foods. By choosing locally grown food, restaurants can server fresh food, support the local economy and reduce pollution since the food travels less distance. ..Its better than just taking out frozen items, defrosting and just serving it, Magee exclaimed. People want local foods! Deb Mackay, the farm manager of Cooks - Andrika Dias Town Green, located in Thornton, Ontario, has been in business since 1988 and has farm land of nearly 100 acres with only 70 per cent being used. She was in the restaurant industry for 25 years before

Bonita Magee, project manager of Get Local, a program from British Colombia brings restaurants and farmers together. Theres an odd disconnect with what people are eating and their lack of knowledge of where its coming from, Magee said. The program has an innovative way of not only encouraging local foods but also showcaseing what Canadian restaurants. People need to know the reasons behind what theyre eating and chefs

I think chefs have more fun with local ingredients and menus.

Winter 2011

Photo by: Hina Jasim

FEATURE
joining the farm 10 years ago. She says she knows the needs of restaurateurs and tries to deliver only the best products. I have to make sure the products are cleaned and sanitized before being delivered, Mackay explained. The farm is well-known for their salads; seedlings used for garnishing and root vegetables like carrots, beets and potatoes. Local food has been happening for nearly 20 years now and we were actually one of the first farms to be involved in the now wellknown trend, Mackay said with a smile. Cooks Town caters out to restaurants like Booca, Pangaea, Canoe and Harbor 60. They also provide service to major hotels like the Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton and the Sheraton. Theres more availability with local foods now than there was 10 years ago and chefs prefer it, Mackay said. According to Restaurant Central, a survey done by Ispos Reid showed 86 per cent of Canadians believe food produced in Canada is safe. Eight out of 10 agree its important to know where your food comes from. Another survey done by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservice Association this year found that choosing locally grown foods is the leading trend in the business. The CRFAs also claims that Torontonians spend 20 per cent of their food expenditures on local products. Adam Dolly, the head chef at Hanks Wine and Bar, located at 9 Church St., only cooks with local products. The owner, Bryan Burke, took over the restaurant from Chef Jamie Kennedy two years ago and carried on Kennedys committment to local farmers. We have a wide variety of items available, for example, our asparagus is unbeatable and strawberries, which come fresh from the farmers market, Dolly said. Us using local foods is a way of supporting our local farmers and the money is being spent in our economy and city. Ninety per cent of our menu is local foods. The restaurant gets all their cattle beef from Cumbraes Farm in Ontario and their seafood comes from Lake Erie and Huron. We make sure we get our produce from a long-time supplier, one theowner has known for years. Our produce comes in daily, seafood is maybe twice a week, Dolly added. Toronto resident Andrika Dias is a restaurant ethusiast and enjoys local food trend but finds that it doesnt suit - Andrika Dias her student budget. Its kind of sad that you have to pay more for food just because the food is coming from a certain amount of kilometers [away], Dias said in disappointment. Mackay says customers are getting what they are paying for. Our products are more expensive than a retailer but its because everythings done by hand, by all of us here she explained. For Dolly, locally grown foods also make for unique dining. Using local foods will make us stand out from other restaurants, its a better tasting product and I believe it will cost less to use local items and its fresher, he said. Whats the difference between a local food item versus an imported one? Lets use asparagus as an example, Dolly said. Its sweet and juicy from Ontario but if you get it from Mexico, its duller in taste and color. Our strawberries are much richer in taste and bigger in size, compared to ones from California, he said. You as a customer know where the foods coming from, or you should know. Youre not just supporting local foods but also the local wineries we have. I think chefs have more fun with local ingredients and menus, Magee laughed. Local items like burgundy radish, baby pea tendrils and purple basil are all examples of items used to decorate and garnish dishes and the names sound exotic and fun. Local food is something you can trust, its not being handled by someone from God knows where. I think local food tends to be fancier and in my opinion, it has an expensive menu, Dias said. Restaurants and small local farms have a mutually beneficial reslationship, Mackay said. According to Cooks Town, Canadian produce gets the premium price in the U.S. market because it has more flavours and Canada has the cheapest food in the world. Chef Dolly explained one setback with using local foods. Sometimes the items do get limiting, its a really hard season for produce. You have to go out of the box, go somewhere else to get specific foods, he said. But one thing is for sure, Dolly said. You as a customer need to know whats in your food, I feel its necessary to spread local food in the economy.

Local food is something you can trust, its not being handled by someone from God knows where.

Winter 2011

13

FEATURE

Crafting culture
Yeamrot Taddese looks into how you can use culture to entice even the most picky eaters

server at Rendezvous est thing on the menu for Ethiopian restaurant her and her children in an walks out of a busy kitchEthiopian restaurant. After en with a fresh, furiously smoky finding out about gursha, pan of roasted coffee beans. the kids could not stop stuffGuests enjoying injera and wot ing food into each others dinner at throw out their arms to mouths even after they went wave the aromatic smell to their home. tables. Breaking the barrier utenOwner Banchi Kinde knows sils create and introducing what it takes to get even the Ethiopian food as bonding most unadventurous Torotonians experience makes peoplehooked on Ethiopian food. want to come back for more, Walking into an Ethiopian Kinde said. restaurant is a challenge for many The commercial is people, she said. She looked already made. [The customat guests tearing injera, a thin ers] are all yours. pita-like bread, with their fingers Although hospitality is from a shared platter. They use a generic rule for restauthe piece to scoop some wot or rants, Kinde says its one of stew and gobble up the bite-size the qualities of Ethiopian roll. culture her restaurant takes When you eat with your advantage of. hands, it creates an attachment When people go to with yourself, said a soft-spoken Ethiopia and come back, the but firm Kinde. Thats why first thing they talk about Ethiopian food makes you fall in is about our hospitality, not love with yourself. really the food, she said. Its a bold statement, but one When they come back Kinde strongly believes in. The here, they expect the same key to getting customers to come treatment. Rendezvous Ethiopian restaurant owner Banchi back for more, she said, is to In a growingly diet-conKinde pours Ethiopian coffee. explain the Ethiopian culture scious society, the large seof eating, like gursha putting lection of vegetarian dishes a piece of injera and wot into a in the Ethiopian palette also friends mouth. drives business to Rendezvous, Kinde added. But despite Its an intimate thing, she said. Once they [customers] the spice-intolerance nature of many non-Ethiopians, find out [about gursha] next time they want to bring their Kinde believes its important to retain the original ingrediwives or someone else. ents. Kinde mentioned a recent episode of The Simpsons in The way Ethiopians eat it is the way its served, she which Marge becomes adventurous and orders the crazisaid, adding that Ethiopian food has many

14

Winter 2011

FEATURE
dishes that are not spicy. Watering down the spicy dishes compromises authenticity, she stated. Authenticity is something Jay Yoo, the operations manager at Nami Japanese restaurant, also values. From the food to dcor and staff uniform, Japanese culture is imbedded in the whole restaurant, he said. A lot of Japanese restaurants are actually Korean- or Chinese-owned. At Nami Japanese restaurant prides itself in serving authentic food. All staff at Nami speak Japanese. Nami, 99 per cent of but rarely accept bad service or little value for money. staff speak JapaMany ethnic restaurants in Toronto, Waxman noted, neseour head chef is from Japan. alter original recipes either because the ingredients are not Authenticity at Nami is also seen in how the staff do available or because they want to cater to what they believe their job, Yoo added. Canadians find delicious. Theres a strong sense of team work [among the staff ], Berber Moroccan restaurant assistant manager Medhat which is very Japanese, he said. Lotify agrees. Owned by Italians who love Moroccan culMost of these staff, he stated, have worked at Nami for a ture, a first glimpse at the downtown restaurant prepares very long time and keep the 25-year-old restaurants food its patrons for a true Mediterranean experience as far as and service consistent. ambiance and entertainment are concerned. We havent been in business this long because of a oneThe tent ceilings, dim lighting and red cushions on hit wonder thing, he affirmed. We try to make the dining bench sofa seats give a feel of a different world. Belly dancexperience consistent. Every time people come, they know ers move around the restaurant ringing shimmy sounds what theyre getting. of North Africa. But when it comes to the The wait staff at Nami are dressed in food, Lotify said local touches are a must. traditional Japanese kimono, something You cant do everything Moroccan, he Adam Waxman, a food writer at DINE said shaking his head. You have to add Magazine who has eaten around the world, North Americanelements to suit [Canabelieves adds to the dining experience. dian taste]. If you go to a Japanese restaurant Moroccan food can be very sweet and where the waiters are wearing kimono and buttery, Lotify said, adding that it could another one where they are wearing black be hard to savour for those who dont have pants and shirts, how you relate to your the acquired taste. waiter is different, he said. The same goes for drinks. While Berber But authenticity in clothing, and espebrings Moroccan wine, it also has wines cially food, is something only those who from other parts of the world because guests have their know about the culture in question can recognize, he preferences. declared. Authentic food, Waxman added, can make one Even when changes are made to accommodate local restaurant better than another but that its not something needs, there are problems. After eating braised lamb with people think of when theyre hungry. prune sauce for dinner, customers call to complain about The motivation for going out for dinner is often deterstomach problems. mined by hunger, he said. Youre eating for fuel. If you Its not a problem with the food, Lotify chuckled, addwant to have a quick lunch, who cares about authenticity? ing that prunes are simply a natural laxatives. He added that people often settle for authentic enough

...Ethiopian food makes you fall in love with yourself.

- Banchi Kinde

Winter 2011

15

FEATURE

Mark

shares his secrets to success

Words and photos by: Jessica Lee

McEwan

Mark McEwan moves like a fish in water at his high-end grocery store in North York. He is the boss after all. He laughs with his staff, adjusts products and greets customers with a sincere smile. Dressed in a pressed navy blue suit with a pale blue dress shirt underneath, he looks every bit the part of a proud owner. After over 35 years in the food industry, McEwan has opened four restaurants, a grocery store and two catering companies. He has also published two books, stars in two television shows and launched an eco-friendly pots and pans line. The road to this point, however, has not been easy. He first decided to become a chef in 1976, after finishing high school. Actually, a lot of people thought I was sort of crazy to be going into the business, he says. They had no understanding of food. You tell people that youre going to be a chef today and they go oh thats great. Back in my day, they looked at you like youd bumped your head. Back then, the Food Channel did not exists, nor did the media blitz revolving food and restaurants. It was a very different playing field, McEwan says. He took an apprenticeship in the kitchen at Sutton Place, an upscale hotel in downtown Toronto, and eventually became the executive hotel chef as his career progressed.

I sold my car, I took our wedding money I didnt tell my wife this I took all the money for the wedding and bought a share for the restaurant.

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That was my first big job. And then from there, I segwayed into restaurants, he says. In 1985, he bought Pronto restaurant with two other business partners. After doing the hotel for two years, I was bored already, he says. I looked around and thought I dont want to be here my whole life. I dont want to be at a food and beverage meeting every Thursday and listening to the same people talk about why they cant things done. McEwan was passionate about his new restaurant venture and did what he had to do to make ends meet. I sold my car, I took our wedding money I didnt tell my wife this I took all the money for the wedding and bought a

share for the restaurant. I went from [earning] $65,000 a year [at the hotel] to a $32,000 salary. At the time, Pronto was already a successful restaurant. McEwan and his team kept the pot bubbling and in 1990, opened a new restaurant, North 44. It was not easy. When you go to the bank and you want to open up a business, you sort of sell your soul, says McEwan. McEwan and his partners split shortly after opening North 44. His partners ended up with Pronto and McEwan got North 44. Enter the recession. With $2 million in debt and a restaurant to run, McEwan

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Salmons boss also knows that quality control in a rescontinued to work in North 44 and managed to establish a regutaurant is extremely important. lar clientele. Finally, in 2002, he was ready to embrace another You dont ever get that moment to open again, McEwan challenge. He opened his second restaurant, Bymark, in the fisays of restaurants. nancial district, which has gone McEwans expectations are exon to become just as successful emplified in his TV series, The Heat as North 44. with Mark McEwan. In one episode Success is a curvy road. where the company was catering You have to work it, work it, a large event, despite doubts from work it all the time. You have his staff, McEwan outlined exactly to find an idea, and if it doesnt what they could do in the timework, you have to figure it out frame and made it clear in a stern and be tenacious about it, manner what he expected them to McEwan says. accomplish. Though he has never taken Hes a perfectionist, first and foremost, and hes very simple any business courses, he has a natural talent for it. As a young and fair but at the same time he demands a lot, Sash Simpson, entrepreneur, the changing of weather meant McEwan mowed executive chef at North 44 and a long-time employee of McElawns, raked leaves and shoveled driveways. wans, says. The moment I was old enough to get a job, I got a job. I think its natural that people sort of fall into [business], states HIRING AND FIRING McEwan. When working with new employees, McEwan relies on his McEwan knows that guests at his restaurant like to feel instinct, which he says are generally right. Employees, he says, special, and makes time to chat and meet with them. He are essentially the most difficult equation of the business to knows what he wants and expects his employees to deliver control. it. He tries to visit all of his restaurants every day to oversee I dont even believe in the three strikes youre out rule, the staff and keep a watch for new needs that may present McEwan remarks, I believe certain things, one strike and themselves. youre two thirds out the door. Even a hint of it again, youre Tim Salmon, general manager at One Restaurant in gone. Because I know [the character] resides in you and I Yorkville, one of McEwans eateries, describes him as very dont want to have to deal with people like that. on the ball. He says that the failure rate of new employees in a new McEwan is up-to-date on the latest trends but also uses business is relatively high. When he was opening one of his good old-fashioned logic to make his decisions. Deciding restaurants, the general manager was fired within two weeks to go with the more costly paper bags to be eco-friendly at his grocery store as opposed to the cheaper plastic bags shows how attuned he is to the green progression that is occurring in the business industry. Hes a very astute businessman, says Salmon, who has been an employee of McEwans for 17 years. Hes very smart. He knows exactly what figures need to go he knows McEwans ONE Restaurant, located in the glitzy Yorkville district, is a prime spot for socialites the numbers. and celebrities.

I think [being a middle child] is a benefit. I think when youre young and you get too much attention for the wrong reasons, I dont think its good for character.

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McEwan begins his day by working out at 7:30 a.m., then immediately hits the office to start his work. for failing to meet standards. You never know until boots are on the ground and you start adding pressure to the bottle what happens to a person. Then you see the true character of a person come out. And until theyre tested, you dont know, McEwan says. His employees agree. He expects his team to work as hard as he does. If he thinks youre not working hard and not doing what you should be doing, hes got no time for you, Salmon says. Simpson is grateful for the position McEwan gave him and for everything he taught him in the kitchen. For me to take over and run [North 44] for him was a blessing, Simpson says. What he showed me is being really good at what you do, and that is what he is. Pretty much everything he touches turns to gold. Salmon adds. Hes very strong-minded, Salmon says. Hes not wishy-washy at all. McEwans strong vision of what he wants and extensive expertise in the fieldsuch as knowing what diners want, what would look good in his grocery store have so far brought success. Every detail, down to the employees uniforms, were meticulously planned and thought over. McEwan believes his unrelenting personality comes from being a middle child in a large family. He emphasizes that everything he has, he had to work hard for. I think [being a middle child] is a benefit. I think when youre young and you get too much attention for the wrong reasons, I dont think its good for character.

LOOKING BACK
Out of all his projects, McEwan felt that the most difficult one was opening the grocery store. I think it was probably the most satisfying [to complete] because it was probably the biggest thing Ive ever done. Id talked about a store for ten years. Probably a good ten years, says McEwan. To sit across the street on the park bench and actually see the store operating was quite a thrill, he remarks. Having just released a new cookbook on Italian food last month and opened an Italian restaurant (Fabbrica) last year, there is no telling what he is up to next. There are book signings to be done, foods to be taste-tested, events to cater, and decisions to be made. I like what Im doing at 54 and I think thats a good place to be, so Im a happy guy, he says.

WORKING HIS WAY TO THE TOP

Not one for superficial talk or time wasting, McEwan established an empire at age 54 simply due to focus and hard work. Where other people like to talk endlessly over plans but never set their plans to action, McEwan is the kind of person who gets things done. He sets his mind to his goals, makes plans, assigns projects to the staff best suited for the job and waits for it all to come to fruition. I dont have a lot of patience for unnecessary meetings and endless structure and paperwork. I like to be hands-on. I like to see things come about and I think by me controlling it, I can be very spontaneous in that way- create a lot of change and a lot of action in a short period of time.

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that we butcher that isnt used in a the plate. specific dish can be used in a sauce I have stood in the kitchen looking of some kind. at all the food that is coming back on the Removing the garbage cans plates, and seeing what keeps coming from the cooking area, and giving back on the plates. Maybe you see a lot employees clear plastic bins to throw of French fries that are coming back or their scraps in, also helps monitor waste. mashed potatoes, Wade says. Managers can then make comments to the At Canoe, food is weighed before being cooks and re-train them if good, usable served on the plate. Martin any seriproduct is being thrown out. ous restaurant that would weigh its food Training chefs to learn new skills such beforehand. Even drinks are measured at as butchering also saves money paid to Canoe. meat processing centres. For glasses of wine, for example, we When you train your chefs, also include use a cortino, which is a little craft which your managers. has a lined edge on it so we know how Professor Wade, who has had over 50 much to pour into [the glasses]. For everyyears of restaurant experience, says that thing else, we use shot glasses and make managers should be able to do everything sure that everything is proper. We wont that their staff members can do. do free pouring as some places might do, One of the problems restaurants get he says. into, he says, [is that] they dont know While measuring may seem like a much about food preparation and they hassle, it will save you dollars in the long leave that with the chef. Well if the chef run. then says, Well Im going to leave, then Monitoring inventory levels and keepwhere are you at? ing an inventory that matches your needs None of your staff should feel indisis also another way to reduce costs. Keeppensable, he adds. Its much better if they ing inventory low reduces the waste in know you can do their job. unsold food. It also keeps track of what is Wade stresses that conducting research, supposed to be in stock. knowing various skills and being prepared If theres a fluctuation in [our inventory numbers], well know that something is essential to keep the business running. For new restaurants, he encourages plotis not alright, Martin says. ting out all the expenses they will need, Dishonest employees could also mean and to really do losses. Wilson recommends setting up None of your staff should their homework. All too often security cameras and feel indispensable what restaurants making sure the back will do is underdoor is not close to estimate their the kitchen in case of -Professor Richard Wade cost of opening internal theft. When a restaurant and the restaurant is busy, so what happens and managers are fois they become under-financed, so when cused on the customers, things can walk they actually open their restaurant, theyre out the back door, he says. already sort of tapped-out financially, he Some restaurants will go as far as says. not letting the employees take out trash He adds that new restaurants should without the managers approval. Dishonest employees may throw out expensive items operate under the assumption that they wont be making any profits for three such as wine and rescue them later when months, or even a year. He also does not disposing of the trash. recommend trying to cut costs or cutting Wilson also recommends using clear down staff when first opening. garbage bags to see what is being thrown You dont want to be displeasing out. If there is a lack of training, some cooks may throw out usable product with- your customers simply by cutting back on staff or cutting down on portion out knowing it. sizes or simply taking shortcuts with the Theres very little waste in the kitchen [at Canoe], Martin says. Everything food preparation.

Restaurant Cost-cutting 101

How to save on expenses you dont need
By Jessica Lee

Leasing might save you money

Depending on your financial standing and number of years in the business, leasing equipment, instead of buying it, might leave extra bucks in your pocket.
Leasing: Pros Good when youre just starting out with a new restaurant and dont have a lot of money to spend. Youre not stuck with equipment, can return it anytime if it breaks or just stops working Some vendors might waive the monthly fee, if you have a new restaurant Cons: Extremely high interest rates Dealing with credit checks Having to return item once lease is up Buying: Pros It works for owners who have knowledge of taking care of restaurant and equipment. You have complete power over item, its yours. Cons: Up-front cost is higher It takes away from your budget, profit You have to deal with the maintenance/ repair yourself
- By Hina Jasim

t is a common practice for people to cut the fat off of their meat before cooking it. Similarly, when running a restaurant, it is essential to cut the fat off of whatever is holding your business back from making higher profits. In other words, slashing the costs of what is not necessary is important to the financial health of your establishment. Typically, the expenses are split up with a third of spending going into hiring labour, a third going into food, and the rest goes towards everything else, including rent. In a Canada-wide survey of 2,000 restaurants, The Bottom Line, a guide that has statistics of Canadas food business budgets reports that the average Canadian restaurant spent 31.4 per cent on food and beverages, 26.1 per cent on salaries, wages and benefits and 12.2 per cent on rent in 2010. The rest was spent on entertainment, utilities, and other expenses. Richard Wade, a hospitality management professor at Ryerson University and restaurant consultant, suggests that no more than 10 per cent of the costs should go into rent. Since the cost of rent is often not flexible, variable costs in running a restaurant are usually limited to just labour and food. To save on labour costs, Mike Wilson, a restaurant consultant based in Toronto, advises having the management team work longer hours to cover some of the hourly paid employees, since managers are paid by salary. However, Wilson warns that this method should not be casually employed as it puts more stress, sometimes too, much on managers, which can Winter 2011

lead to further problems like mismanagement of the staff. Wilson, who has 35 years of experience in the restaurant business, began his career in culinary school as a chef. He has worked in a hotel, various restaurants, and also for the largest food manufacturer in the world, Nestle. While he does not openly recommend buying cheaper ingredients to save on costs, he says, If its a small part of the ingredient, it doesnt necessarily affect the quality. He advises chefs to make the same dish using different brands of flour or sugar. If there isnt a difference in the quality of the food, and one brand costs less than the other, it makes economic sense to switch brands. For example, if a baker making bread saves 10 cents a loaf by using less expensive flour, he ends up saving $100 per 1,000 loaves sold. The best quality [foods] taste better in the end, Wilson says. But if its a small ingredient like coriander seed or something like that, it doesnt make a big difference. If youre talking about something like saffron that makes a big difference, if its something delicate. Vegetables should be as fresh as possible, he adds. Many restaurants will also try to work out a deal with food suppliers. In Canoe Restaurants case, since the restaurant belongs to a larger chain, Oliver & Bonacini, the company has saved money by buying in bulk for all of its restaurants, according to general manager Paul Martin. Besides being known for its view (the restaurant is situated Once the food is bought and prepared, many restaurant experts recommend making sure that the right portion is on

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FeatUre

Unwrapping red tape

Municipal and federal governments are taking steps to reduce bureaucracy for restaurateurs
BY: YeaMrot taddese
Liquor licence, check. No smoking signs, check. Elevator safety requirement, check. Alarm system, check. Correct kitchen sink positioning, check. If your regulatory compliance checklist looks like this, youre probably less than a quarter of the way to completing your requirement before you could open a full-service restaurant. In addition to hiring, firing, serving and purchasing, many restaurateurs have to deal with painstaking paperwork and scattered administration to stay in line with regulatory laws imposed by municipal and provincial governments. [Restaurant owners] should be focusing on growing their businesses but they are stuck in their offices filling out forms, Brandy Giannetta, a spokesperson for the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel & Motel Association, said. Regulatory burden is a huge restraint financially and on time. A survey conducted last year by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association found that nine out of 10 restaurateurs feel red tape is huge problem for their businesses. Restauranteurs also have to deal with different departments to fulfill each requirements. Giannetta said a onestop shop for all hospitality licensing will make the process more streamlined. She added that a simpler way of communicating requirements will also be useful since restaurateurs are often unsure of what is expected of them. Were not opposed to the regulations; safety is a number one priority for us, she affirmed. But each individual

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FeatUre
[Regulators] fail to take a look of requirement should be made clear. It shouldnt be a guessing game. the total regulatory burden placed on Grilled Pit restaurant owner Victor business owners, she said. Alvarez is thankful for having had Anabel Lindblad, spokesperson for experience in the hospitality busithe Ottawa-based Red Tape Reducness prior to opening his restaurant tion Commission, said partly because because for someone who is new, it of the commissions work, some of can be a bit of a guessing game. Giannettes concerns are listed in this Looking back, he thinks the proyears federal budget. cess of opening a restaurant could Federal regulators, she said, will have been easier. use a small business checklist to [The procedures] are very cumensure that new regulations take into bersome; you have to be very orgaaccount the particular circumstances nized and detailed, he said, frownof small business owners. ing in discontent. But whats most The commission, created by the frustrating is the wait [for permits]. federal government last year, is also Walking working [Restaurant owners] should to increase around his restaurant, transparency be focusing on growing their Alvarez is and predictbusinesses but they are stuck in ability, Lindproud to show off blad added. their offices filling out forms. his sticker The from the government Electri-Brandy Giannetta has made a cal Safety commitment Authority. to post all Three regulatory consultations on the Consulting with years ago, he had to get a green light Canadians web portal as well as in from officials before he could close off his restaurants roof lest he break Canada Gazette. Lindblad added that the sharing of everything down if he didnt meet information allows business owners the electrical standards. to not only foresee new regulations Like Giannetta, Alvarez said the but also provide their inputs when regulations themselves arent a probregulations are designed. lem. Regulatory obligations vary from If you follow all the regulations, one municipality to another, requiryoure safe, he said. You have to ing restaurateurs to start the process comply for the safety of yourself and of obtaining a licence from scratch your customers. when they open a new restaurant in a If there could be one department different city. that can handle these procedures, it Bruce Hawkins, a spokesperson would be great. Giannetta said organizations like for the City of Torontos Municipal the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Licensing and Standards, said the city Labour, Workers Safety Insurance is taking steps to make the licensing process more streamlined. He said Board and Alcohol and Gaming most resources are now available Commission of Ontario could work online to help self-employed business together to make the process easier owners save time. for restaurateurs. Licensees can now pay most She highlighted that each newly invoices, including licence renewimposed regulation doesnt take into als, online, saving them a trip to the account how other regulations are licensing office, he said. affecting business owners. But for those like Alvarez, who would appreciate some kind of manual on what the requirements are and how to fulfil them, the city is still falling short. Why doesnt someone write a book about how to do this? Alvarez said jokingly. Unlike Alvarez, who had to start his business from scratch, Abyssinia restaurant owner Sirak Ayele bought an establishment that was previously a small eatery near Bloor Street and Ossington Avenue. In addition to having patrons walk in his restaurant since the day he opened, buying an existing operation also meant the previous owner could transfer most of his inspection approval stamps to Ayele. For me, it was like buying a car without tires and then putting on the tires myself, Ayele said. But now, Ayele wants to build a patio for his Bloor Street restaurant and his construction application has been in city hall for nearly three months. Every step youre making, the city has to know, he said. If you want to knock down a wall, you have to go through a process. Handling the deskwork becomes so time-consuming that restaurateurs hire other people to do it. Before deciding to take on the initial paperwork all by himself, Ayele had contacted an accountant who could do the job for him. He [the accountant] asked me for $2,000, Ayele exclaimed. I said, No! I had the luxury of time, so I did it on my own.

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inSighTS

The Science Behind BuYing

Psychology
Arranging your spread to sell certain dishes or sell more of them
STORY BY: JeSSica lee hats the difference between writing 9 and $9 on your menu? Making or not making $9. Its all about menu psychology: using research and psychological tactics to influence the customer to buy a particular item, or buy more of the same

Menu

W
item.
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So where do you start? The first thing youve got to do is write a mission statement., says former restauranteur and current George Brown hospitality professor Andy Hickl-Szabo. Then from there flows the menu, from that really flows everything else. In an article by the New York Times, writer Sarah Kershaw used restaurateur Danny Meyers new Indian restaurant, Tabla, as an example of how to successfully brand a dish. The name of one of the dishes, Boodies Chicken Liver Masala, draws from the observation that people like to buy products associated with persons. This is because the name gives a sense of tradition attached to the product. For Meyers restaurant, Boodie is the name of the head chef s mother. Consumers are more likely to buy Grandmas Oples apple pie, burgers freshly ground at Uncle Jakes, or Aunt Jeminas pancakes.

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inSighTS
If the food is from a special place, when describing it in the menu, you want to mention it as well, says HicklSzabo. For example writing Berkshire pork or Kenyan coffee is better than simply offering pork and coffee. trendy SoHo district in New York, a restaurant named Balthazar has a seafood dish for two priced at $80. It wasnt selling because it was a ridiculous price, so they made the box wider and beside it, they put a similar thing, but for [$125], says HicklSzabo. So what happens now is that people by default look at that, and the one they wanted to sell, which was the cheap one at $80 now sells incredibly well because its positioned next to one thats stupidly priced.

MaKe uSe OF BOXeS, lineS and hOT SPOTS

Georgia State University hospitality professor Dave Pavesic says that too often, menus look like they are put together last minute. In a carefully designed menu, restaurateurs can take advantage of prime menu space and strategically place items they want to sell in those areas. Much of the menu design is also adapted from retail merchandising principles that set up displays in department and other retail stores to catch the eye of the shopper, says Pavesic, adding that no one ever purchased something that never caught their attention. Boxes, dotted outlines, or even extra white space can make items stand out. For efficiency reasons, Pavesic advises not to put items in key spaces if they take more than 10-12 minutes to prepare and need to be moved to two or more stations in the kitchen. Another way to push sales is to put little icons beside the dish. But not too much, advises Hickl-Szabo, because if everything is special, nothing is special.

The PRice iSnT alWaYS RighT

At Meyers restaurant, the price of Boodies chicken livers is $9, but its written simply as 9. According Kershaw, 9 is a friendly and manageable number. Stuff at $9.99 sells much more than stuff at $10, says Hickl-Szabo WRiTing lYRicS FOR YOuR And if you dont put the dollar sign diSheS in front of 9.99, it sells [even] better. However, some researchers say No matter how good the design that the extra .99 makes the price of your menu is, if the food does not seem tacky and cheap. Depending sound attractive, no one will eat at on the brand of your restaurant, the your restaurant. way you word The chefs your pricing write the music is critical to and the menu how many becomes the items you sell. lyrics, and Hicklsometimes the Szabo, who music is gorhas more than geous and its 25 years of got the wrong experience in lyrics and the restaurant the lyrics can business, says torpedo the that a good music, Meyers menu does told The New not emphasize York Times. the price. Describing Dont the ingredients draw dots in the food from the stimulates menu item guests apto the price. petites, which Dont put the encourages Celebrity chef Jamie Kennedys Gilead Bisprice all in a them to order tro doesnt use dollar signs in its menu, straight line. the dish. keeping the focus on the food. You dont Clich words want to hide and phrases can the price, but you dont want to draw ruin the game. Hickl-Szabo advises to attention to it because there are a cer- steer clear from grilled to perfection tain number of guests who just look or sensuous. He also says to use simdown the price column and shop that pler words when describing food. way, he says. Youre not fooling anybody, he Another tool restaurateurs can use says. Youve got to tell the truth, is a simple comparison strategy when youve got to sort of dress it up, but pricing their items. In the heart of the its got to be clever and discreet.
Photo by: Jessica Lee

SiZe MaTTeRS
Many consultants lean towards having smaller menus. According to research from Gallup, a news database from the U.S., the more time a customer spends looking at the menu, the longer the table turnover time is, which means less tables can be served, and less profit is made. I would rather not see a humongous menu, says Hickel-Szabo, If I see a menu thats many many pages, the first thing I think is none of its fresh. Id rather see a smaller menu that changes more often. At the very least, you should change three times a year. He also adds that people will get tired of the same selections, and that chefs always want to be using ingredients that are in season. Another reason to keep menus shorter, Hickl-Szabo says, is because too much choice will confuse patrons. Winter 2011

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TECHNOLOGY

Electric Trends: Digital Menus

STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KAITLYNN FORD

Digital menu boards are flat screen televisions that display user specific information. The client is able to upload the items of their choosing; their menu, promotions, etc. and have it presented to the customer as a slideshow. These are most often seen in fast food chains. Digital MenuBox is a company that was launched in 2007. The MenuBox is an outdoor electronic menu display that allows passers-by to take a look at the menu without having to be seated, or even enter the restaurant. But Derek Valleau, a partner at Amaya Express, told Leanne DeLap of the Toronto Star that even though people dont have to enter the restaurant to see if theyll like the food offered on the menu, the Digital MenuBox is still capable of attracting more business. Touch-screen menus mostly come in the form of iPads, but one of their competitors is E La Carte, developed by MIT drop-out Rajat Suri. E La Carte, unlike iPad, also allows the customer to pay using the machine itself in a fashion similar to E-menu. E-menu and touch-screen menus are best suited for fine or casual dining establishments rather than fast food companies. Ease of updating was one of the main reasons [we substituted hardcopy menus with touch-screen menus] theyre really easy to switch on the fly, Vito Marrinuzzi, owner of 7even Numbers, said. And saving all the paper we burned through tons of paper printing a new wine list every night. But starting at $519.00 for each iPad 2 and $90.00 for the top-of-the-line OtterBox protective cases, the start-up costs cant be spent on a whim. Marinuzzi suggests using sponsors to help deflect the costs, if the option is available. Marinuzzi says the iPads are low-maintenance with batteries that last 10 to 11 hours with constant use, the only upkeep they require is charging the battery every couple of days. I love the idea [of iPads as menus], Cory Cook, a server at 7even Numbers,

-menus are by far the most progressive; eliminating the server from the ordering process altogether. Diners use a touch-screen computer located at their table to place their order which goes directly from the computer to the chef who is ready and waiting in the kitchen. The servers are converted to Runners who then bring the guest their food. When the patron has finished their meal, they simply pay using the E-menu computer. The computer used for E-menu isnt confined to the ordering process it adds another level to the dining experience by providing the guest with information and entertainment at the tips of their fingers. Israeli-based company Conceptic, one of the few providers of electronic menus, allows their users to use their product in a number of different ways. They are able to play a bevy of different games, find locations for other entertainment venues like movies or clubs, or even order a taxi. Winter 2011

sai ser pa on qu tha

wo op be me

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BRIEFS

Sharpening your skills:

Courses you can take to stay in the loop
To remain competitive and successful in their industry, restaurateurs could always update their skills.

Paid Options
Colleges and universities offer a number of educational opportunities in addition to their undergraduate programs: continuing education or studies, graduate & postdoctoral programs, seminars, workshops and events. Centennial College
Centennial College offers a two-year restaurant management program followed by an internship. Courses offered include finance, human resources, marketing and revenue, labor relations, customer service and event management.

Free Options
If youre not up for spending money, there are still ways to brush up your knowledge on your craft. Books from Toronto Public Library
Public libraries house thousand of books on business that can help you expand your knowledge at your own time and pace.

Seminars at Toronto Public Library

Many of the seminars the Toronto Public Library offer are based on financial information, specifically taxes. The library also offers recurring seminars for entrepreneurs. The seminars are not too long and are also offered in the evening for those who are too busy during the day. Some of these include: Small Business Information Seminar, Taxation Workshop, Saving on Your Taxes, Financial Services, Income Tax Clinic, Business Communication Circle, 2011 Top Ten Tax Saving Strategies, and Financial Literacy: Lessons for Life.

George Brown College

George Brown College offers a two year food and beverage management program. Courses include food and beverage cost control, finance and business communications, skills of a bartender, dining room operations, menu management, food safety, and wine and beverage management.

Seneca College
Seneca College offers a number of one-day business skills seminars, such as body language for leaders, creativity, innovation and continuous improvement, customer service excellence and smarter goal setting.

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Gee, thats funny

The restaurant business is exciting and all, but sometimes, it can be too much. Jessica Lee compiled a bunch of funny and bizarre restaurant stories to keep things light-hearted- because working in a restaurant can be entertaining sometimes.

Other uses for oil

A high-end restaurant in a glamourous downtown area was having a cocaine problem in their bathrooms. The manager ordered the staff to spray cooking oil on the toilet seat lids so that cocaine would clump together if it were lined up on it. The problem went away after a week.

If the shoe fits

A woman found her husband having a meal with another woman at a downtown restaurant. In an angry fit, she took off her shoe and started hitting him with it.

Bad call
At an upscale dining room, a highstrung lady was yelling and swearing at a restaurant manager, causing a big commotion because there were no tables to seat her. She said she had made a reservation a week ago and that this morning, the restaurant called back with the confirmation. The manager looked at the reservations list, where her name was nowhere to be seen. He asked the staff whether they remembered the name of the lady but no one could recall her name. He then asked to see the call history on her cell phone for the supposed reservation. Sure enough, she had made reservations at another restaurant.

Free falling
It was a sunny morning at a downtown restaurant patio when suddenly, a loud commotion was heard from the hotel above. A nude man was climbing out the window when he accidentally fell onto a brunch table. Not a word was said and he ran down the street. It was later discovered that he was a high-profile businessman. He was fired because of the incident.

Kissing catastrophe
A couple was kissing passionately all night at a bar. After dinner, the man pays for the meal and the couple leaves. The bartender discovers that the man left his credit card behind due to his drunkenness and decides to track him down by searching for his name in the phone book. Luckily, the man had a unique last name. The bartender calls the number and the wife picks up. Your husband left his credit card at our bar last night when you were here, but you dont have cancel the card, you can come pick it up. The wife says Thats funny, my husband said he was on a business trip this week.

Lottery loser
A restaurants staff decided to contribute to a lottery pool where the pay off was $4 million. One employee was about to contribute, but decided last minute that he wanted to snack on a hot dog after work instead of chipping in. One of the tickets ended up winning, and the lottery was split between all the contributing staff. It was the most expensive hot dog the employee had ever eaten.

Penny pinching
After a meal of wings at a bar, two men decided to split the bill. One man paid with a debit card. The other? In fourteen rolls of pennies, forgetting to leave a tip for the waiter and also shorting him $0.86.

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