Where are your employees eating?

I run a pretty successful restaurant, but like everyone else out there my costs are increasing and my foot traffic and profits are decreasing.
So, here is the crazy thing. When I went around and talked to my servers, hostess’s, grill and bus people and asked where they go to dine out, guess what?? It wasn’t here.
That got me thinking, if my own people are not supporting and promoting my business, how can I keep it viable and lucrative?
I started an employee appreciation program, where every time they come in and dine with us they’ll receive 25% off their entire bill (alcohol excluded).
As a result, we have more foot traffic, the waitresses have increased tips and sales, and it has created a family feeling among all the workers. The workers have come to feel pride in our establishment and have brought friends and family in to eat.
So, remember you don’t need to look far in business to generate sales and profits, the answer might be right there under you nose!!





Read more!

Small Plates = Profitability

One of the hot new trends in 2009 is the Small Plate menu. (Perfect for those with a smaller appetite, easier on the wallet, better for the waistline....) Many restaurant owners may think "Why put cheaper items on my menu?" but there are a number of reasons this makes sense....Personally, I order off the small plates menu so I can have an appetizer or dessert, maybe both! It's also perfect for those who like to try different items instead of committing to just one entrée. This may seem like commitment phobia but variety is the spice of life, yes? Another good reason to offer a small plate menu is value perception. If folks think they are getting a bargain, they will be back! And they will tell their friends...

These ideas came from one of our designers, Nicole..." offering a lower portion at a lower price point is not only good for the economy but it also plays on the trend of more health conscious eating as our country's obesity rate approaches 60%.

Dessert "bites" like petit-fours, offering a small portion of a desert instead of the big one, charge 1.99 for 1/2 or 1/3 of the size and make a little more in profit margin by sneaking in the convenience fee of getting more variety and a smaller portion vs. 4.99 for the whole piece. Also, less food waste as the kitchen can divide desserts and apps into several orders if your run the promotion only during peak hours.

Create a fun name like - Triple Deal Meal or "Have Your Cake and Eat it Too". Include a mini-appetizer (1/3 size), mini entree (1/2) size and mini dessert (1/3) price for a fixed price (varied by entree.)
Triple Meal Deal - 14.99
Steak Only - 9.99

This is sort of like what the chains are doing but takes it a step further by putting the upsell in the entrée instead of on it's own menu. If people think they can get a dessert and an app for only $5.00 more, I think people would order. This would also encourage people try these "luxury" dining options that some people don't want to splurge on right now. When the economy gets better people will be more likely to order the larger portion if they choose because they've gotten hooked on something during a promotion.

That's my 2 cents."

Thanks Nicole!

Posted by Lab Assistant, Heidi R.

Read more!

Marching into Spring at MyMenuLab

Finally, Spring is almost here! At MyMenuLab we're looking even further in to the future.....this is a great time to plan your special menus for April and May. Easter, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day are all on the horizon. So, get your Spring cleaning done and get ready to say goodbye to Winter!
Read more!

Shakespeare's Pub, Kalamazoo, MI

We loved this St. Patty's Day slugger created by Cindy Johnson for Shakespeare's Pub in Kalamazoo, MI. Holidays are a great time to market your business...just think of all the Spring holidays coming up: Easter, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day...and the Lab has special designs for each one! Check the Holidays/Events tab for simple, attractive holiday sluggers, table tents and posters.
Read more!

Stimulate Your Own Economy!

The country seems to be obsessed with the Stimulation Package.. and rightly so.

But are you doing all you can to energize your own business?. Often, in a fast paced, crazy time like this, we overlook the obvious.

In this case, I'm talking about your current customers. You've got to find a way to make sure they stimulate your economy. The trick is making it easy for them.

Try a BUZZ Card - have you tried one? Did you know there are tons of great marketing ideas built right into MyMenuLab - so all you need to do is pick one, print them and hand them out.

Create a VIP Club, invite your Lunch regulars back for Dinner Specials, create a Kiddie Credit Card! It's time to get your BUZZ on!
Read more!

La Cabaña, Cleveland Ohio

Are you doing something positive for your business?   

We can all sit around and cry about the cost of gas, food, healthcare, crocs... But, La Cabaña is doing something about it! 

Now is the time to make a change for the better! Review your pricing, review your profitability - and go make more money! Using MyMenuLab.com, La Cabaña not only had a chance to streamline and focus, but they're also treating their customers to a bold new look! 

With the menu on the Lab, reacting to market changes or seasonal offerings is a breeze! Click, click, click & your updated menu pages are on their way.
It doesn't take a lot to make a huge impact... a little color here, little wow there, feature the high profit items there - and there - and there!

Congrats to La Cabaña!

Read more!

Spring Cleaning

There's nothin' like a good Spring Cleaning! It's getting to be that time, when you yearn for a clean, fresh start... Spring is in the air and blood starts to flow a little faster! Well, that goes for MyMenuLab, as well!

It's time to look in your attic, in the back of your closets, and in your MML Shopping Cart...Delete all those old projects that never went to print. I bet you've got stuff ON HOLD that's over a year old! Purge it! It'll make you feel better.

Seriously, any unused, old or unfinished projects stored in your shopping cart are just causing delays in your processing times. Have you noticed that MyMenuLab seems to SLOWWWWW DOWWWWWWWN when you go to your cart? If so, it might be due to the fact that it's reviewing all the items in your cart. So....

It's time to put on the pearls, snap on the rubber gloves and tidy up!
Read more!

The Green Revolultion

Since when is green the hot color? If you haven't caught on, say, in the last three years or so, it's right now!
2009 is already showing itself to be the year that more restaurants are going to support sustainable living practices. How are they doing this? By serving more local, organic food, beverages and spirits.
Growing methods and farming practices have begun tempting chefs to create more Earth friendly menus and even beer & wine lists. It is definitely what's hot and what's in. (and hey, if you haven't tried a Dogfish Head 120-minute IPA, you should. wow.)
MyMenuLab is also supporting the green movement with a couple of great designs in the Keep it Simple & Sell (KISS) section. KISS products happen to be the easiest products to create on the lab as well...then do your free download and print on recycled paper!

Submitted by Heidi R.
for the environment and organic beer

Read more!

Menu Jackets now available on MyMenuLab!

Didn't your Mommy always remind you to put on your jacket? Well, HERE'S TO YOUR MOMMY!. We now offer Menu Covers as a part of the product mix on MyMenuLab. If you're looking for a jacket for your Sluggers, or you want to make a little booklet out of your table tent inserts, check out the JACKETS/COVERS tab on the lab. Just note, to keep things cost effective, we're offering a limited range of sizes and only 1 color - black. Also, all jacket sales are final... no returns. So, if you can live by those rules, we've got a deal!Menu Covers (Jackets) help keep your MML pieces clean and protected, but also add a nice look to the design.... like a picture frame!

Remember, like an old Winter coat, you're going to need to replace your jackets every so often... but, we're here for ya!
Read more!

Looking forward to Spring... MyMenuLab February (and April!) Calendar

Thank goodness January always goes by quickly!
MyMenuLab is already looking forward to the April showers and May flowers. Too bad the groundhog saw his shadow....
Read more!

84 East, Holland, MI

The Best of.....84 East Pasta, Holland, MI.

Way to go 84 East of Holland, MI for another great marketing idea....Take & Bake Pizza, which is being promoted on an 11 x 17 Super Poster! With their convenient location in downtown Holland, I am thinkin' I know what's for dinner tonight! They are also cleverly offering a discount for online ordering... a great way to get people to your website and in the doors. I think I'll order mine online before leaving the office today...

Mike and the gang have been busy creating all kinds of marketing pieces like this since they signed up with MyMenuLab. I recently visited their sister restaurant, 8th Street Grille, and noticed all the new Table Tents and Posters promoting their $6.99 Value Dinners which are served Monday-Wednesday. Yet another great idea...and in today's economy they are doing their customers a service and staying on their game in the off-season.

Good job guys!

Submitted by Lab Assistant, Heidi R.

Read more!

The Buzz About Bok Choy

Bok Choy
"The White Cabbage"

Bok Choy’s scientific name is brassica chinensis. It is classified as a cabbage but its white stalks resemble celery and the dark green leaves are similar to romaine lettuce. The Chinese generally refer to Bok Choy as Pak Choi or "white cabbage”. As a member of the cabbage family, you can cook it as you would a cabbage. When cooked, it has a sweet flavor and its stalks are firm. Both stalks and leaves are edible. Bok Choy is becoming very popular because of its nutritional value. It doesn’t contain fat or cholesterol plus it is a good source of calcium. Bok Choy is also easy to prepare, just wash and then chop it! Steam or microwave for a healthy side dish or even a main meal. This vegetable is popular in kitchens everywhere because it is not only a delicious substitute to cabbage but it is also healthy and packed with nutrition.

You might even find Baby Bok Choy available. Cuteness quotient aside, baby bok choy are more tender and incomparably milder than big bok choy. They've also got it all over their adult counterparts when it comes to relative ease of cooking. Whereas the adult counterpart demands a sort of tag-team approach -- the crunchy stems must be separated from the leafy greens and cooked far longer -- the diminutive bunches can be braised whole.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size: one cup shredded bok choy, or 70 grams.

Macronutrients:
Calories: 9
Protein: 1.05 g
Carbohydrates: 1.53 g
Fiber: 0.7 g
Sugars: 0.83 g
Total Fat: 0.14 g
Saturated Fat: 0.018 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.011 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.067 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Micronutrients:
Calcium: 74 mg
Iron: 0.56 mg
Magnesium: 13 mg
Phosphorus: 26 mg
Potassium: 176 mg
Sodium: 46 mg
Zinc: 0.13 mg
Vitamin C: 31.5 mg

Bok Choy Tips
Use both the stalks and leaves for stir fry. Add the stalk slices first. Add the leaves just before serving as you would bean sprouts.
Avoid bok choy with deformed stalks and brown spots which indicate poor growing conditions. Yellow leaves and very small stalks or bunches mean old product.

Try great Bok Choy recipes like:

CHICKEN BOK CHOY - www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1718,135187-254195,00.html
BOK CHOY SALAD www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1918,150166-225199,00.html
SWEET & SOUR BOK CHOY www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1950,149174-248198,00.html

Tasty Humor
A Bok Choy joke is not easy to come up with… how about a limerick?

Asparagus, Bok Choy or Chard
Being vegan is really not hard

Live life cruelty free

Scream “It’s tofu for me!”

While feeling quite the avant-garde


Submitted by
Charlotte Barnes
GVSU Intern


Read more!