Gangnam Sushi & Grill

Location: Tempe, Arizona

Owner: Johnathan Park

Cuisine type: Japanese, mainly sushi

Favorite dish: Stir-fried octopus

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We cater to the general public. We try to make sure everything is made from scratch—all our sauces. We try to keep as traditional as possible with a modern twist.

What has owning a business taught you?
A lot of people think owning a business means you get to do whatever you want. It is the opposite—you are on duty 24-7. You have to focus on the minor details all the time. You are always on the grind. You have to be able to know and do everything if you are going to ask others to do something. You have to remember that people who work for you chose to work for you. And you don’t order them around, it is a request. There must be a mutual level of respect.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Be ready to be stressed. There will always be stress. Don’t expect things to go smoothly, there will always be things that go wrong.

Bone Kettle

Location: Pasadena, California

Owner: Eric Tjahyadi

Cuisine type: Indonesian dishes that revolve around slow-cooked bone broth

Favorite dish: Oxtail dumplings

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are family owned and operated. Our menu is a true collaboration and a reflection of our team’s experiences, interpretations, and love for Southeast Asian cuisine. We’re proud to be a part of the Old Pasadena community of small businesses and mom n’ pop restaurants. We love showcasing our culture in an uplifting and inspiring way and we always hope that customers come through the door to experience something new and adventurous.

What has owning a business taught you?
You will make a ton of mistakes and fail many times, but you’ll learn how to get back up.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Approach everything with wonder/curiosity and an open mind, but never lose sight of your vision. Be prepared for changes and being uncomfortable.

Dragon Flame

Location: Tempe, Arizona

Owner: Kun Mao

Cuisine type: Northern Chinese

Favorite dish: Lemon chicken

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Our food is healthy. We use real bone broth and real ingredients. We are the only restaurant in Arizona that serves a lot of the dishes that we have, for example we serve lemon chicken which is the ancestor of orange and pineapple chicken. We have customers from Los Angeles and New York who come here for the chicken. Our fried rice is genuine Chinese fried rice rather than the Americanized version, our materials are imported from China. I am so happy to spread the Chinese culture through food.

What has owning a business taught you?
To have people skills, be calm, and have patience. Adversity is normal and something everyone has to learn to overcome. Details matter. Do not cheat on the steps, the ingredients, and the care. Be serious. Cooking food is not only cooking food. How to encourage people. I learned to appreciate that every day, I am creating a legacy.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Do not think the restaurant is only cooking. Learn people skills, pay attention to details, and control your emotions. The easy way is not always the best way. Quality ingredients and pride in your food matters.

Happy Baos

Location: Mesa, Arizona

Owner: Matthew Ma

Cuisine type: Chinese

Favorite dish: Xiao Long Bao aka soup dumplings

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We specialize in handmade dumplings, noodles, and baos—family recipes passed down through generations.

What has owning a business taught you?
Planning and organization can help you a lot along the way.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
If you want to open a restaurant, make sure that you know how to do the work, build a system so you don’t have to always be present, and build a good work environment for your employees.

Soosanghan Pocha

Location: Palisades Park, New Jersey

Owner: Sung Kim

Cuisine type: Korean and pub food

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are a Korean pub with a bar, karaoke, and outdoor dining. We are an entertaining place and a lot of fun. We can host indoor and outdoor parties.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Work hard and always be prepared to invest in upgrades.

Hon Machi Sushi & Cocktails

Location: Chandler, Arizona

Owner: Jungsuk (Jackie) Byun

Cuisine type: Japanese, sushi, and Asian Fusion

Favorite dish: Salmon sushi

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We have a great fresh sushi selection and non-sushi items as well for everyone to enjoy. We offer fast and caring service.

What has owning a business taught you?
I am happy to see people smiling when they walk out from my restaurant. It taught me to be patient and taught me about building great customer relationships. If you care, the customer knows it and appreciates your food. When people say nice things about my food it makes me happy and inspires me to keep on providing great food for them.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
If I put myself as a customer in a situation, I ask myself, “Was the food I bought a good value?” You must always be aware of what your customer cares about. When you care, people will come back. Marketing is important and you must search the demographics around your location. If you go somewhere with less competition, it can be easier.

We hope this spotlight on AAPI-owned restaurants has inspired you to try new foods and support local businesses. Each of these featured restaurants are a testament to the hard work, passion, and dedication of AAPI entrepreneurs, who have successfully brought their culinary visions to life. Thank you to all the wonderful AAPI-owned restaurants that allowed us to share their stories and advice.

The information contained in this digital content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as providing tax, legal, accounting, career, business, or other professional advice. You should consult your own professional advisors before engaging in any course of action. Restaurant owners were not compensated for their participation in this blog.

The post Q&A: Celebrating AAPI-owned restaurants appeared first on Rewards Network.

Baby’s Burgers

Location: Vista, California

Owners: Erica Escontrias and Lori Barbera

Cuisine type: Burgers

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We serve delicious, ½ lb. gourmet burgers in a fun, lively brewery offering both beer and wine.

What has owning a business taught you?
I have learned you need to be involved in all aspects of your business and lead by example with regard to your staff.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
It’s a tough business but very rewarding when you see your concept operating successfully.

Red Stix Street Food

Location: Dallas, Texas

Owner: Uno Immanivong

Cuisine type: Pan-Asian and Asian-fusion

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Red Stix Street Food, located in Dallas, Texas, beautifully captures the sights, smells, and tastes of Asian street food. The menu is the culmination of my childhood memories in Thailand and my ongoing adventures as a globetrotter. The finishing flourish of each hand-crafted bowl or bánh mi are Red Stix: our signature yakitori skewers. Each of the Stix is threaded with morsels of chicken, pork, or steak bathed in a silky, umami-rich marinade and grilled over binchotan charcoal.

I’ve always been grateful for the life I’ve been afforded as an immigrant born in a Thai refugee camp. My parents instilled at a very young age the value of hard work and giving back to the community as others had given to them when they came to America. I’ve been fortunate to have a successful banking and hospitality career due in large part to the individuals that have mentored and believed in me, along with the community that continues to support the business. I have been a chef facilitator for the Cooking Matters program run by the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB). More recently, I have nourished volunteers, front-line workers, and healthcare heroes during the pandemic by providing over 100,000 meals for COVID testing and vaccination sites. I was also the caterer for the homeless community impacted by COVID and isolated at the West Dallas Rec Center and women and children of domestic violence for the Genesis Women’s Shelter. I was able to accomplish this from donations, fundraisers, and volunteers. I currently serve on the Advisory Council for the NTFB and am looking to build a community children’s garden in Farmers Branch, Texas. I will continue to serve others to leave the world a better place than I found it.

What has owning a business taught you?
Owning a restaurant has taught me humility and perseverance. There are many days that I’ve planned for, and other days, I’ve had to pivot, problem solve, and keep moving. I appreciate the moments of success so much more because of it.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
If this is your dream, do it. Set small goals towards your vision, keep the promises you’ve made to yourself to make your dreams a reality, if you fail, fail better next time. These tiny steps add up to big leaps.

Hambone’s Smokehouse

Location: Bellflower, California

Owner: Lillian Bitar

Cuisine type: Real California barbecue

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
I would like people to know that we serve quality smoked barbecue using the finest cuts of meat. We also have some delicious seafood options and even have a very tasty vegan fried rice!

What has owning a business taught you?
I would say it has taught me to be resilient above all else. I feel that my role is something that I have grown into and have learned a great deal along the way. COVID was a scary time of uncertainty and even now, trying to navigate each day with these major cost increases, teaches me to focus on each day and look for creative solutions. I am happiest when I am busy with my work and dealing with people one on one.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
To be honest, owning a restaurant is a lot of hard work with many moving parts. Make sure cleanliness is first and foremost and maintain freshness and consistency of your food. Surround yourself with people who have had experience in this field and don’t be afraid to literally roll up your sleeves and work. A restaurant owner really needs to learn all aspects of the business including washing dishes from time to time!

Mo’ Better Brews

Location: Houston, Texas

Owner: Chasitie Lindsay

Cuisine type: Vegan

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Our favorite saying is, “We have great food that just happens to be vegan!”

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
After having several successful vegan concepts (food trucks, events, and store), we knew a brick and mortar was the next step. It has always been Chef Courtney’s dream to become a restaurateur, so when the opportunity came about, we knew it was God’s perfect timing.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Seeing our vision come to life has been the biggest reward. We wanted to see people of all demographics coming together to enjoy the good food and music offered at our restaurant. It’s a beautiful thing to witness!

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
One challenge we have faced has been trying to find consistent revenue growth according to the market.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
I would say that one should make sure their quality and consistency go hand in hand. Never do anything halfway, do everything with excellence or not at all.

Stevie’s Pizza Plymouth

Location: Plymouth, Massachusetts

Owners: Juliana Hauch and Juliana Martins

Cuisine type: Greek-style pizza, calzones, subs, salads, and wraps

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Freshly prepared food to best serve our customers. We make our pizza dough daily. We’re owned by women and ran by women.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Personal and professional success.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Always run after your dreams and goals.

Kunstler Brewing

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Owner: Vera Deckard

Cuisine type: European Gastropub

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Our vision was to have a place that tracked with the community where neighbors and families could come together.

What has owning a business taught you?
Initially, I thought I would create a great experience with a great product and people would come. I quickly realized that I need a great team as well. That realization taught me how to be a leader and how to lead from behind. I don’t own this business; the community and my staff own this business. I see it very much like raising a child, it takes a community.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
However long you think it will take you to open up, triple it and however much money you have in your budget, try to triple that as well! Learn to be flexible. There are so many things that happen that you don’t plan for. Any given day that I walk in here, I don’t know what’s going to happen and you have to be able to learn and roll with the changes. Listen to your staff and listen to your customers too. The feedback from Rewards Network members is important to me because I glean either that we’re doing the right thing or that we should be shifting more into another direction. I like to be open and listen to everything. And don’t forget to be competitive on social media!

Great additional nuggets shared:
I’m the head brewer and owner here at Kunstler Brewing. When I first started there were no female brewers in San Antonio and there were one or two female brewers in Texas at the time. People ask me often, “What is it like to be a female in this industry?” It’s hard for me to answer that question because I don’t know what it is to be a male in the [brewing] industry! The majority of the industry is male, and I never ever had any issue with somebody looking down on me for being a female, but I think a part of that has to do too with the fact that I’ve always been very clear that I didn’t want to define myself by my sex or my age. I always wanted to define myself as just being an amazing brewer or business owner.

Thai House

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Owners: Pranee Chatayatham, owner and Benjawan Sukmanee, co-owner

Cuisine type: Thai food

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are the oldest Thai restaurant around Oklahoma City. We still carry the same recipes from day one and when people dine with us they will for sure experience a true Thai taste.

What has owning a business taught you?
Owning a business definitely taught us to be resilient. And also taught us to be great problem solvers.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
“Don’t do it” (Pranee) Joking, but honestly do what you love and if it is in a restaurant field, know that it’s hard work. But to see your customers eating your food with joy, that hard work comes with a reward!

Therapy Wine Bar 2.0

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Owner: Angela Terry

Cuisine type: Classic American

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are a vibe in Bed-Stuy. Our goal is to offer wine varietals in a non-intimidating way to complement various palettes.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
I wanted to give back to my community and add the necessary amenities to uplift people.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
To meet new people and be a part of their celebrations.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
It’s challenging to meet financial goals when there aren’t enough customers coming through our doors.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
You can accomplish your dreams just keep going!

Café Gratitude and Gracias Madre

Locations: Venice, California and West Hollywood, California

Owner: Lisa Bonbright

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are 100% organic, handmade, plant-based food and beverages. When you weave our offering into your everyday diet, you would be amazed at how great you feel.

What has owning a business taught you?
Running a successful business is all about teamwork. The family, caring environment we have created in our restaurants has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
The restaurant business is a 24/7 endeavor, so you have to be sure you love the world of hospitality.

Favorite dishes:
“I AM RESOURCEFUL” from Café Gratitude  
SHAVED KALE & BUTTERNUT  
radicchio, Tuscan kale, fennel, maple rosemary pecans, cashew mozzarella, balsamic dijon  
Lisa’s favorite dish from Gracias Madre is “The Madre Burger”

Rosa’s At Park

Location: Bronx, New York

Owner: Rosa Garcia

Cuisine type: Latin fusion

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
It’s Latina-owned, great food, one of the few restaurants in the Bronx with a rooftop and the only restaurant with all-day brunch on the weekends.

What has owning a business taught you?
To be humble, to excel in customer service which makes people continue to come and support.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Be ready to work 24/7, but if it’s a passion of yours, you will love it and it will encourage you to do more.

Mallorca Restaurant

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Owner: Laurie L Torres

Cuisine type: Spanish and Portuguese

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Mallorca is the most-awarded restaurant in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It’s iconic and a destination in the city. In fact, most who know Cleveland, will say if you didn’t visit Mallorca while in town, you missed the heart and soul of the city. The same chef and floor staff has been in place for over 25 years—a true testament to the family atmosphere cultivated by the restaurant. Mallorca is a fun fine dining spot known for its excellent cuisine that stems from my mother-in-law’s recipes from her kitchen in Spain. Our Spanish food is chalked with the delicacies of the sea and laced with unique flavors like saffron, smoked paprika, and white pepper. Fresh seafood and slow roasted meats abound, while your taste buds cheer at having something unique and original.

What has owning a business taught you?
After owning businesses in the real estate, marketing, law, and culinary fields, I think that nothing is as wonderful as the restaurant industry. It’s a place where people come to celebrate their joys and seek refuge from their sorrows. It’s a place where you are invited to raise a glass to your customers’ success and help them navigate their way through their failures. This industry is where life exists over the table of warm food, surrounded by ones who love you. There can be no greater joy, no greater feeling of contribution to the world, than creating an environment where life is celebrated in all its forms.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Advice I would share is to remember that in order to create something that succeeds it can’t be just about the money. It has to be about being part of your community. It has to be about being more than just food. In the restaurant industry you are creating and nurturing emotions around the food. Great food and service are only the beginning of creating success for your business. Long-term success means long-term thinking. Nothing makes me happier than to hear the stories of how we have become a part of our customers’ histories while they have become a part of ours. With a loyal following for over 25 years, the soul of Mallorca is created by all the joy that has been celebrated here. It is that same joy that has allowed our success. The joy of service and the joy of being served in equal parts to make the perfect business venture.

The Pullman Restaurant & Bar

Location: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Owner: Jennifer Hammer, Two Dames Dining Group

Cuisine type: New American

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
The Pullman Restaurant & Bar sits on the site of the original Bryn Mawr freight house circa 1879. The restaurant concept takes its cues from The Pullman dining cars of the 1940’s, offering guests a quintessential railcar dining and drinking experience but with contemporary twists including the glamorous Live Music Lounge where we offer live music five nights a week and we’re setting sights on the spring opening of the outside ‘10/14’ Bar on The Rails.

What has owning a business taught you?
To be successful, it all starts with having the right staff. You can’t build the best customer experience, present the best food and drink service, or make memorable dining experiences without them. We value our staff and they in turn help to give the best customer experience.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners.
We think connecting with customers is extremely important. From how we take verbal reservations to speaking with customers during their dining experience, this allows us to build a strong understanding of what people want, what they like and what will make them return clientele.

Mexi-Q

Location: Mason, Ohio

Owner: Laura Volski Ramirez

Cuisine type: Smoked meats served Mexican style

What would you like others know about your restaurant?
With our catering services, we bring the food to you. Buffet-style catering and food truck style catering options are available.

What has owning a restaurant taught you?
Owning my own business is rewarding, yet extremely stressful!

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
There is something so rewarding to put yourself out there and take a leap and have faith.

Juicehead Smoothies & Coffee

Location: Yorkville, Illinois

Owners: Megan Diaz (responding to questionnaire), Lauren Imbo, Jessica Gomez, and Rafael Gomez

Cuisine type: Handcrafted beverages and eats

What to know:
My sister, Lauren, and I conceptualized Juicehead together in 2020. With my brother-in-law, Rafael, and other sister, Jessica, we brought the vision to life. Our goal is to offer a wide variety of both healthy and indulgent foods and beverages. We offer smoothies, in-house cold pressed raw juices, smoothie bowls, locally roasted coffee and espresso-based beverages, and a variety of food items.

What has it taught us:
When you step away from “working for the man” it is more of a challenge than it is freedom. Every hour of every day you are thinking about how you can improve, what to do to stay up with the trends. When people call off you are the person that covers the shift. It is a lot more work than a 9-5, but it is so much more rewarding to have full creative control and to watch your business grow and evolve over time.

Advice:
Do a lot of research and development. See how others who have similar businesses run theirs. Take what you like, change what you don’t like. But don’t copy what others are doing, be unique and put your touch into everything. That’s what will make you special and what will make people return to you.

Strong, powerful, and successful women like these, impact the restaurant industry in positive ways and help pave the road for future women restaurant owners. Whether it’s always been a life-long dream to open a restaurant that honors family recipes or a mid-life career pivot to reignite a creative passion, each of our restaurant owners has a story that is uniquely their own and completely inspiring. A big thank you to all the amazing restaurants that allowed us to share their personal and heartening stories.

Restaurant owners were not compensated for their participation in this blog.

The information contained in this digital content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as providing tax, legal, accounting, career, business, or other professional advice. You should consult your own professional advisors before engaging in any course of action. Rewards Network assumes no liability for your use of, or reference to, this digital content. Customers who provide testimonials are not compensated for their contributions. We make no express or implied warranties or representations through the statements and/or opinions expressed by our customers, clients, or employees. Individual results on the Rewards Network platform will vary.

The post Q&A: Celebrating women-owned restaurants appeared first on Rewards Network.

Bowlegged BBQ

Location: San Diego, California

Owners: Maria Reese, Carlos A. Stance, and Ken Stance

Cuisine type: East Texas-style BBQ and Southern dishes

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Well, we are a family restaurant. Our family has resided in the Mt. Hope Community for more than 63 years. We’ve built the restaurant from the ground up without any banking support. We used our savings and opened on November 18, 2018. We pride ourselves in serving our community with style and grace.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
Our youngest sibling, Ken Stance, urged us to consider a restaurant. He believed we could do it. Carlos, my parents, and I were apprehensive. Our mother was a superb cook and we had tons of recipes passed down from our ancestors. We took the leap.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Our reconnection with our community, family working together, our parents’ pride in our achievement, and our personal growth as restaurant owners. One more rewarding element is the taste of our food. It is good, cooked, and seasoned to perfection.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Covid, Covid, Covid, and of course inflation. Recently, the cost of goods has risen and that means rising prices, cutting employees, and learning how to budget even better. We’ve faced those challenges and I think they’ve made us better business owners.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Don’t be afraid. If you never begin, you’ll never know what success feels like. Commit to working hard, it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done, and the rewards are all worth it.

BunNan

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Owner: Nadege Fleurimond

Cuisine type: Haitian and Caribbean

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We are the home of “plantain everything.” We serve signature plantain items with yummy Caribbean inspired proteins such as griot/pork, jerk chicken, red snapper, and mushrooms. All menu offerings are gluten free. Our signature plantain sandwiches and plantain fries are unmatched.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
I wanted a restaurant where plantains weren’t the side dish but rather the star. Plantain is a staple in the diet of many Caribbean, Latin American, and African countries and I wanted to share that unity through our dishes. 

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Pleasing our customers. It’s one thing to have an idea, but when others write or call to say how this restaurant speaks to them or feeds their soul beyond just the yummy food, it’s worth it. 

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Balancing that magic profitably spot between staffing, supplies, and operations. 

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Restaurant ownership is a beautiful journey of self and business development. Be committed to learning. Lots of patience is needed and don’t do it for the money…because that won’t come for a while.

Tap That Downtown

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Owner: Roshiem Austin

Cuisine type: American pub classics

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
What we want our patrons to keep in mind about Tap That Downtown is that we have a little something for everyone. At first glance we may seem like a typical beer and wine taproom, but there is a lot more to us when you consider the full menu that complements our self-pour draft wall, as well as the ambience and scenery of the Roosevelt Row Art District. With our nine televisions we also provide a relaxing environment to watch the big game or watch a movie with the family over a meal. Tap That Downtown truly has something for the entire group.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
Our love for good food and drinks with family is what started us on this journey. We continue to strive to bring a product that everyone in the community can enjoy.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
For me, it must be the industry and community of people I get to work with every day. I am blessed to be able to do what I am currently in school for (level two certified cicerone).

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
The biggest challenge has been the learning curve. We set out to build a self-serve beer and wine taproom and we knew we needed to have food to go along with our concept. The ownership group did not have that side of the business in their background and were entering the industry as things were in flux and changing due to the pandemic. Fortunately, we have a terrific crew that we work with that makes us look good.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
I’d say find the thing in this industry that drives your passion and surround yourself with people that match that energy.

HalfSmoke

Location: Washington, D.C.

Owner: Andre McCain

Cuisine type: Contemporary American

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
HalfSmoke is a one-of-a-kind restaurant where you can enjoy great contemporary American food, all while watching sports, music videos, playing board games, or hanging out in our free photobooth!

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
I have always had a love for food, and a love for bringing people together. By opening a restaurant, I have been able to contribute happiness to the lives of thousands of people.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
The most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner is seeing the development of our employees, who often come to HalfSmoke as their first job, and watching them learn skills and learn how to operate in a professional environment. Many of our employees have gone off to do great things post HalfSmoke and I take a lot of pride in that.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Being in the restaurant business poses a myriad of challenges—from dealing with Covid, staffing issues, inflation issues, and growing pains as we are now on our third restaurant. But that’s what makes it fun!

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
My advice is to understand that the restaurant business is a labor of love, and if you think you love it, it’s worth a shot!

Appleton Estate

Location: Baldwin, New York

Owner: Andre McKenzie

Cuisine type: Caribbean and American

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We aim to provide delicious meals and drinks, along with entertainment, to help our customers to unwind after a long day. We want to be the “sweet spot” to get the best-tasting Caribbean dish with the option of adding some American sides of your choice. 

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
After years of experience in the restaurant business, operating a franchise, which doesn’t offer dine-in options, I decided that I wanted to give customers that experience. A place with a good ambiance for them to dine and enjoy good music.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
To see customers enjoying the services that we provide. If most of my customers are pleased, then I’m meeting my goal and that is a reward.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
I opened this restaurant right at the peak of COVID-19 and the location already had a bad image. Both factors made it hard for us to reach out and gain the clientele we needed. So, we operated months into years at a loss, but with determination and faith, we are now seeing improvement.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
It’s not easy, which is the storyline for most businesses. But if you have a plan, a goal, and a strong support system then it is possible.

Upper Kirby Bistro

Location: Houston, Texas

Owner: Tony L. Council and Michael Terry Williams

Cuisine type: Cajun Southern cuisine

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
The food is delicious, and the vibe is great with live music/DJs.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
It was an investment opportunity.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
All the different people you meet from across the USA and international patrons visiting Houston.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
We’ve faced challenges with the city of Houston regarding permitting and limited parking.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
It is a very competitive business environment, so be prepared.

Modern Southern Table

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Owner: Sadaya “Daisy” Lewis

Cuisine type: Southern Soulfood

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Everything we make is made from scratch; each item is based on classic southern recipes created by my grandmothers. I just updated those traditional recipes with a more modern touch. You’re getting a taste of true southern indulgence!

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
My grandmothers, my African heritage, my love of cooking, and the void of good southern food in our area.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Just feeding the community and seeing the smiles on their faces after a great hot comfort meal.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Dealing with Covid and everything that came after it. This has been so hard, from staffing issues to extremely high food costs, lasting effects of the sickness, and more. Just Covid, period. This has been such a nightmare for restaurants, and I can imagine other businesses as well.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Outsource and delegate as much as you can, don’t try to wear all the hats. Life gets easier when others help you, so let them do what they do best.

The Nest: Tambien / The Nest: Breakfast Joint

Location: Bellflower, California

Owner: Antonio Cortez Appling

Cuisine type: Breakfast and brunch

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
We pride ourselves on our Four Pillar Vision: 1. Employees first 2. Selfless service 3. Community support 4. Trustworthy food.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
The idea of getting people together at the table to meet in the middle of an increasingly polarized nation.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
The employees, and being able to employ an inclusive, diverse staff.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Getting through the pandemic was tough but we were really blessed that after the unfortunate events of George Floyd people started showing up to support Black businesses.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Your bread and butter is talking to each guest and making them feel seen.

Str8 Out the Kitchen

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Owner: Donte Woods

Cuisine type: Soul food

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Everything is freshly cooked with love and made to order

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
I had always loved to cook and wanted to share my recipes with everyone.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
See the smile on customers face when taking that first bite.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Learning how to make things work when they don’t go as planed

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Be prepared to work long hours, prepare yourself for the slow season, and no matter how hard it may seem always believe in yourself and believe everything will fall into place at the right time.

Poppy & Seed / Poppy & Rose

Location: LA and Anaheim, California

Owner: Chef Michael and Kwini Reed

Cuisine type: Brunch and American fare

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Our restaurants were created for people to gather, enjoy great food, great vibes, and to feel accepted. We pride ourselves in not only how we create our food but who we hire and who we decide to work with. We have a little of everything for everyone. From being one of the best brunch spots in LA, to serving fine American fare in Orange County. Our creative and comforting approach to the food business is one which comes from our heart.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
Michael has been a trained chef, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, for over 20 years. Starting with a high-end catering company, Michael started this brand out of sheer necessity for growth and freedom.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
Freedom. Not just the freedom to do what we want but also the freedom to be ourselves and tell our own story.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Fighting against stereotypes. We all have a story to be told and no one black experience is alike. We would like to be seen as innovative business owners who just happen to be Black.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
Whenever you enter an industry, your main goal should be to disrupt and create change. Don’t be afraid to take risks and bet on yourself.

West Bar & Lounge

Location: St. Albans, New York

Owner: Deno Parker

Cuisine type: Caribbean and American fusion 

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
The two most important things to know about West is that we offer some of the most diverse Caribbean-American fusion cuisine in New York state, and every single day we make it a point to prioritize service. Come see for yourself! 

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
My father was an energetic and ambitious man who I emulate to this current day, especially for the fact that I had to be a provider from an early age given that I am the first born. Growing up my father embodied hospitality and regularly hosted gatherings, where I personified the importance of making people feel welcome. These two environments gave me my strength of character and strong desire to create warm, inviting atmospheres where people could relax and enjoy themselves.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
There are serval factors why being a restaurant owner is rewarding. Firstly, I have some of the most wonderful people working with us at West. Our chefs are happy to be here, they dance while they cook and sing songs, if this isn’t the most beautiful thing for an employer to experience then I don’t know what is. I am happy we provide that home-like experience for our workers who enjoy their job and their work environment. Secondly, we take pride in going the distance to ensure our customers are satisfied with our space and our offerings. The joy and satisfaction my patrons actualize when they dine with us at West is sometimes beyond me. I am sincerely grateful and happy we can provide that difference in the community and its environs.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
Ambiguity is inevitable. We understand and accept that. Given this, we always approach business with a happy and positive mindset or at least most times. Given that we are coming out of a rigorous pandemic, we were faced with staff shortages, economic changes that affected patrons and B2B partners that would have, of course, trickled down to us. We had challenges finding commodities for our production from time to time and prices were through the roof, well they fluctuate so they still are from time to time. However, as I said earlier, we find solutions for our problems and attack them head on as the reward is often sweeter when the effort is greater.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
I went on to build a career in hospitality, working in every restaurant position, from dishwasher and line cook to ultimately the role of general manager at a restaurant in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. My ambition and love of hospitality pushed me to explore my skills as a restaurant entrepreneur, which ultimately led to the birth of West Bar & Lounge, a great eating experience celebrating the best ingredients, cordiality, and service to the Queens, New York region and its neighboring surroundings. It doesn’t matter where you are now in life or what you are currently doing, if you have a dream, fight for it, chase it, and protect it. The restaurant business is rewarding intrinsically and extrinsically, and you will be happy you took the leap.

Gotti’s Restaurant

Location: Houston, Texas

Owner: Irv Williams

Cuisine type: Cajun Restaurant

What would you like others to know about your restaurant?
Gotti’s restaurant was inspired by family recipes and Houston’s love for flavor and culinary influence over the past few decades. We feature several Cajun-inspired dishes that our customers have quickly fallen in love with. We offer exciting, themed events such as Brunch & Bingo, a huge hit with locals and our most popular event.

What inspired you to open a restaurant?
Gotti’s is a passion project and dream achieved to build a multi-generation business that can be passed down to create careers and opportunities for the next generation. We currently employ several family members spanning several generations ranging from 16-68. Gotti’s has allowed our family to engage in the American dream and teach our children how to achieve that dream.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a restaurant owner?
The most rewarding part of Gotti’s is seeing people clear a plate, laugh, dance and truly enjoy the experience our restaurant provides. Gotti’s is not a traditional restaurant, and we play music, dance and aim to create a vibe that allows individuals to escape and let their hair down.

What challenges have you faced as a restaurant owner?
As a new restaurant, it was extremely hard marketing and finding customers initially, luckily Rewards Network helped me fill that void and offered an appealing opportunity to feature my business to new customers and it has been a key component of my growth.

What advice do you have for aspiring restaurant owners?
It seems very cliche, but I never give up, some days it was just my staff and I alone for hours in the building and within a few months we started becoming completely booked every weekend. So always believe and embrace technology, especially social media and promotion programs like Rewards Network.

It is local restaurants like these that truly make a difference in the community. From family recipes handed down through generations to passionate entrepreneurs taking a leap of faith and following their dream, each restaurant owner has a story to share that makes their experience unique. Thank you to all the wonderful restaurants that allowed us to share their personal and special stories.

Restaurant owners were not compensated for their participation in this blog.

The post Q&A: Celebrating Black-owned restaurants appeared first on Rewards Network.

When all departments—kitchen staff, hosts, servers, and management—aren’t aligned on a common outcome, there can be severe disconnects that can negatively impact your business and customer experience. Poor communication is often the root cause of a team that’s not functioning cohesively. This can manifest as employees arguing, the staff having a general lack of consideration for their coworkers, and the front-of-house and back-of-house teams not communicating.

Fortunately, we’ve assembled some tips that can improve teamwork in a restaurant while helping employees work together to produce successful results.

1. Hire wisely

Ultimately, your hiring process should predict how well a candidate will work long term with your staff and customers. Key qualities to look for in a potential hire include:

• Motivated
• Committed
• Team player
• Confident
• Good people skills
• Organized
• Enthusiastic
• Reliable
• Leader

Someone who possesses these characteristics and aligns with your restaurant’s culture is more likely to stick around for the long haul. Involving team members in the hiring process that the new employee will be working alongside is a smart way to determine whether a potential hire will seamlessly integrate into your current staff structure. For instance, a manager may be looking for very different criteria than the new recruit’s team members. If a person checks all the boxes in terms of skills and culture, but there are potential personality clashes, this will do more harm than good.

Employee retention is crucial to a well-functioning and sustainable restaurant. Less employee turnover leads to a stable work environment, which in turn boosts the spirit of your entire team. Plus, investing in staff longevity cuts down on the time and resources you’ll need to allocate to training new hires.

2. Establish effective communication

Creating effective lines of communication across all departments and team members is vital to the success of a restaurant. Like with any business, when employees are happy and working well together, they’re more likely to provide better service to customers. Establishing and modeling communication expectations starts at the top with the management team and flows down to the other employees. Managers should be adept listeners and encourage their staff to always share honest feedback.

Communication can be improved by clarifying roles, setting expectations, specifying goals, and having clear processes in place. For example, it’s important to have your daily procedures written down and conveyed during regularly scheduled staff meetings. Such tasks may include prepping food in the morning, cleaning kitchen/bar stations throughout the day, and rolling silverware at night. When all employees are communicating effectively, your restaurant’s productivity, employee satisfaction, and staff retention can all thrive.

3. Clarify roles

Ambiguity regarding roles and responsibilities can lead to unbalanced amounts of work and resentment between employees. To combat this, it’s important for roles and responsibilities to be clearly documented. This documentation should be available in an employee handbook or posted in the back-of-house, so people can refer to it.

To define roles, look at the different positions within your restaurant, including management, and decipher the job description, tasks, and responsibilities for each. It’s equally important for your staff to understand their own personal role as well as the roles of their coworkers. By crystallizing each role’s expected contribution to the restaurant, the entire staff can work together more efficiently. This can reduce conflict and ignite productivity.

4. Outline expectations

It’s the management team’s duty to outline staff expectations to ensure everyone understands what they need to accomplish each shift. This can include:

• Dress code—define what attire the front-of-house and back-of-house staff should wear during shifts
• Cleanliness—kitchen, bussers, servers, and cleaning crew should properly clean their stations each day
• Guest relations—train your staff on how to appropriately treat customers to ensure they have an ideal dining experience
• Reliability—team members should arrive on time for their shift, so they don’t inconvenience their coworkers
• Attitude—maintaining a positive and team-oriented attitude is paramount since unforeseen circumstances can arise during a restaurant shift

5. Don’t micromanage

Micromanagement is a management style where a manager closely observes or controls the work of employees. This approach typically has a negative connotation because it can imply that the manager distrusts the employee to manage their time and complete their assigned responsibilities. Major pitfalls of micromanagement can include a loss of trust between managers and team members as well as high turnover rates when unhappy employees inevitably resign. This overbearing style of management can also lead employees to be dependent on “handholding” from management rather than tapping into their own confidence and drive. It’s often said, “innovation is the key to progress.” Micromanaging does not cultivate an environment where employees feel empowered to contribute unique ideas and perspectives. Your restaurant could be missing out on revenue-generating initiatives.

If you hire employees that are a good fit and train them properly, there should be a mutual trust that tasks and responsibilities will be effectively completed. Be sure to encourage innovation from your staff, show each employee that you genuinely care about their wellbeing, and listen to all feedback you receive from team members.

6. Encourage feedback

Oftentimes, great ideas can come from unexpected places. To achieve your restaurant’s long-term goals, it’s wise to request ideas and feedback from all roles within the restaurant. Brainstorming sessions can be an efficient tool for generating ideas. This will also get team members that may not work together much to share insights and experiences that could fuel positive changes in the restaurant.

It’s also valuable to open as many feedback channels as possible. Some employees will deliver excellent insights during one-on-one meetings with their managers, whereas others may prefer to voice their opinions using an anonymous feedback box. It’s management’s job to take employee feedback seriously and make appropriate changes. This in turn can create a workplace culture where everyone feels valued, allowing the entire team and your business to flourish.

7. Reward excellent teamwork

One of the best ways to build camaraderie in a restaurant workplace is to give formal recognition for employee achievements such as excellent teamwork. If an individual goes above and beyond their role to help your business, ensure that they feel appreciated for their efforts. Also, remember to acknowledge employees who go out of their way to help other team members in need, even if this doesn’t correlate with their daily responsibilities. Showing gratitude for altruistic behavior is a surefire way to create a positive and friendly culture. Recognition can come in the form of kind words from a direct manager, or perhaps a reward like a gift card or a weekend off with a description of the achievement.

When you have a workplace where people are rewarded for helping one another, teamwork and business goals can naturally improve. In fact, organizations with formal employee recognition programs have 31% less voluntary turnover than organizations that don’t have any programs at all. And they’re 12 times more likely to have strong business outcomes. This illustrates how connected recognizing employee achievements is to your restaurant’s overall success and longevity.

8. Encourage social events

Social connections in the workplace can dramatically impact an employee’s mood, performance, and stress levels. Fostering positive workplace connections can have numerous positive outcomes for your staff such as reducing stress and increasing engagement, loyalty, and happiness—prompting an overall healthier life for your team. Curating planned social events and outings can give employees who don’t typically work together a chance to meet and bond.

Ideas that can spur socialization between departments and all team members include:

• Celebrations for birthdays, holidays, general employee appreciation, etc.
• Team building exercises
• Volunteering for a local nonprofit organization
• Team wellness challenges
• Hosting a potluck or team breakfast
• Creating a social spot in the back-of-house area
• Outings to local shows, events, and other restaurants

Be sure to regularly visit our free resource section dedicated to navigating the constantly changing foodservice industry. There, you’ll find blog articles, free downloads, and restaurant guides.

The post 8 tips for improving teamwork in the restaurant workplace appeared first on Rewards Network.

Having a clear vision is only one piece of the puzzle, you’ll also need to have the structure and a plan to make your idea a place guests will want to visit again and again. Performing market research and crafting a comprehensive business plan is key. When building your business’ roadmap, be sure to consider all the variables that could affect your restaurant’s success. Then, once you have your plan solidified and your financing secured, it’s time to get to work making your dream a reality.

To help you get started, we developed an easy-to-use free checklist that outlines what to do and when to do it to get your restaurant up and running for a successful opening night.

The essential checklist to opening a restaurant

First

• Establish a restaurant concept
• Determine your restaurant’s name

5-6 months out

• Finalize a budget
• Find a building to rent or buy that fits in your budget for your restaurant location
• Curate and design a menu
• Find local distributors and food vendors
• Order equipment
  • Kitchen—Ovens, freezers, slicers, etc.
  • Dining Room—Tables, chairs, dishes, etc.
  • Safety equipment—Wet floor signs, fire extinguishers, floor padding, etc.
  • Office equipment—Pens, computer, paper, etc.
• Once you have a business address:
  • Apply for a business license with your city or county
  • Acquire signage permits with your local municipality
• Install outdoor signage and window lettering on location

The post The essential checklist to opening a restaurant appeared first on Rewards Network.

Obstacle one: Quality of staff and retention

Even before COVID-19 changed the food service industry, restaurants struggled to find and retain quality employees. Now more than ever, motivated and enthusiastic employees are few and far between, leaving restaurants under-staffed, with a limited pool of potential employees to choose from. And while it is difficult, placing a greater emphasis on quality staff to lower turnover rate can reduce overall costs and bring your restaurant experience to the next level.

Solution:

Unsurprisingly, you can’t magically flip a switch to make quality workers appear. You can, however, attract quality talent and improve the working environment for existing staff by emphasizing the importance of communication. To cultivate a welcoming environment, make sure to be transparent during staff meetings and encourage suggestions. Make your team feel heard and find out what motivates them, whether it’s bonuses, more recognition, schedule flexibility, free meals, or getting the proper training that helps them reach their goals. Once those pieces are in place, make sure you only bring in talent that is a good fit for your restaurant and not a reactionary quick fix.

Obstacle two: Increases in expenses and operating costs

It goes without saying, operational costs are rising – as much as 5% year over year – and restaurants are feeling the squeeze. We’ve seen restaurants close due to high costs of rent, food and liquor, back-of-house maintenance, credit card fees, uniform rentals, and labor.

Solution:

If managed properly, rising operational costs won’t break your business. Start by looking at your menu and consider reducing its overall size. Getting rid of unpopular menu items and sticking to a single style of cuisine can help reduce food waste and unnecessary costs. You can also work with suppliers to see if any items have less expensive substitutes. Most importantly, you need to monitor your cashflow to ensure your food and labor costs aren’t higher than 70%. If they are, it will be crucial to come up with a plan and adjust accordingly. A more modern approach you can take is to implement contactless payment. It is estimated that this payment method will triple from 2 trillion to 6 trillion by 2024. You’ll be able to lighten the load of your current staff while providing a more convenient payment option.

Obstacle three: Reaching new customers

In addition to the litany of struggles facing restaurants, there are new dining options opening every day, making it difficult to stand apart from the competition. The hard truth is that foot traffic alone probably won’t help boost your sales substantially and grow a loyal customer base. So, what can you do to make sure your operation gets noticed?

Solution:

Focus on going above and beyond customer expectations and create a unique selling point. That means pushing for quality in all aspects of your business, not just food and service. Your unique selling point will help set you apart from your competition and give diners an idea of what makes your restaurant special. Once you establish yourself in that regard, you’ll need to develop a solid online presence. This can be daunting but being easily accessible online and on social media can make a world of difference for your customers. Offering an online experience also opens the possibility for customers to leave a review of your restaurant. And while reviews can be a scary thought, 89% of customers claim they won’t act until they read reviews, so they are critical for your success. From there you can start pushing out special promotions and embrace your community to bring in even more potential patrons.

Implement your solutions

It can seem like quite an undertaking to address these major problems, but by making incremental steps and using the information at hand, you can start your journey towards lasting success. At the end of the day, it is all about enticing new and loyal customers, finding quality staff to serve them, and reducing your costs while doing so. They really do lead into each other and will make a substantial difference for your operation long into the future.

Be sure to regularly visit our free resource section dedicated to navigating the constantly changing foodservice industry. There, you’ll find blog articles, free downloads, and restaurant guides.

The post Three Major Problems Restaurants Face appeared first on Rewards Network.

Popular review sites

We’ve assembled a list of the most widely used restaurant review sites to help you get started building and monitoring your restaurant’s online reputation.

Yelp

One of the most widespread restaurant review and reputation management sites, Yelp is a go-to site for foodies to vet a restaurant prior to dining. Most reviews on Yelp are for restaurants and it boasts 142 million monthly users. It’s important to claim your business listing on Yelp so that you can respond to reviews and maintain customer engagement.

Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to promote your business through Google. It showcases your restaurant’s basic information as well as your Google restaurant reviews when anyone searches for your restaurant or for restaurants in your area. Google accounts for 76% of all global internet searches, making it the world’s leading search engine. It’s critical that the information you populate on your Google My Business page is accurate, so that local patrons searching for your spot can easily find it.

OpenTable

Functioning as an online review site and reservation service, OpenTable is one of the most popular sites people use to book a table. OpenTable features more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide, meaning it’s imperative that your restaurant’s reviews are topnotch, since eager diners can quickly discover other dining options on the site.

TripAdvisor

Although you may think that TripAdvisor is only used to find restaurants when traveling out of town, many people will be served up TripAdvisor restaurant reviews when searching for local places to eat as well. The site also allows visitors to book reservations. It’s a good idea to claim your business on TripAdvisor and ensure all information, images, and links are correct to attract both local and visiting guests.

Zomato

Formerly known as Urbanspoon, Zomato is a frequently used restaurant review site. The site features reviews from customers, food critics, and bloggers. Zomato users can search for restaurants, read and write reviews, view and upload photos, order food delivery, and book a table on the website. Restaurant partners of Zomato can access industry-specific marketing tools that help them to better understand and engage customers.

Rewards Network

Rewards Network members have generated over 20 million reviews at participating restaurants. Rewards Network ensures that all reviews are from actual customers prior to publishing reviews online. Customers tend to review their restaurant experience immediately after they dine since they may receive rewards for doing so. Restaurant owners are also able to reply to customer comments directly from their restaurant dashboard.

Third-party delivery platforms

Many third-party delivery platforms allow customers to leave reviews about restaurants. If your restaurant uses well-known delivery services such as GrubHub, Postmates, Doordash, UberEats, or Seamless, it’s important to monitor what customers are saying (both positive and negative) about your establishment. If unfavorable reviews begin to pile up on these sites it can adversely affect your revenue.

Managing your restaurant’s reviews

Regularly monitoring and managing your restaurant’s reviews is crucial because 84% of people trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation. It’s completely up to your discretion if you want to respond to a customer’s review/comment. However, experts in the industry do recommend publicly addressing negative reviews in a timely manner to show ownership and transparency. Acknowledging the customer’s feelings and clearly communicating that providing them with the best guest experience is your top priority, can go a long way. Possible solutions to negative reviews may include asking the customer for feedback, comping their meal, or guaranteeing this issue will not arise again. Restaurant owners are also encouraged to respond to positive guest reviews to illustrate that their establishment is paying attention to their customers’ thoughts—responding with a simple “Thank you” works just fine. Your customers are the lifeblood of your restaurant, and their feedback can offer valuable insight into your business.

Be sure to regularly visit our free resource section dedicated to advising restaurants on how to navigate the changing rules and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post The importance of online customer reviews for restaurants appeared first on Rewards Network.

We recently surveyed our members and received over 1,700 responses, to uncover their expected dining activity during this spring/summer and what they expect from restaurants. Below, you can read about what they have to say and see how consumer sentiment compares to a similar survey we ran near the end of 2020.

Your guests are hungry to dine out

Let’s start off with the best news: 83% of our survey respondents said they would be dining out regularly. That is up from 75% from our previous survey where respondents who said they would “never or rarely” be dining out positively fell from 7% to 2%. The biggest indicator of changing dining frequency is that 43% of respondents said they would be dining out more frequently than in 2019 to release their pent-up demand. And while only 14% of respondents said they would be dining out less (compared to 48% in our last survey), their main reasoning was from fear of catching/spreading the virus.

What it means for restaurant owners

Clearly, people are ready to dine out again now, more than ever, as warm weather hits us, vaccinations become widespread, and indoor restlessness hits an all-time high. Restaurant operators will need to pay attention to what their guests are saying and better understand how their preferences have changed to attract their business.

Safety first…still

Although consumers are a bit more relaxed about COVID compared to last year, 58% of respondents said that it’s still very important for restaurants to practice strict COVID-19 safety precautions, with only 16% saying it was not important.

We also asked our members which restaurant safety precautions are most important to them when dining out. The answers largely followed the same pattern as our last survey. Consumers expect frequent sanitation of surfaces, socially distanced tables, restaurant staff wearing PPE, and availability of outdoor seating. For restaurants that take the proper precautions, 82% of respondents say they feel comfortable eating in their dining rooms, with only a fraction still feeling very uncomfortable.

What it means for restaurant owners

Restaurant owners will have to treat safety precautions as a prerequisite for the foreseeable future, as this will be a baseline needed to attract hungry crowds. While the basics should work here as virus fears continue to subside with positive news, restaurants should still consider going above and beyond with touchless menus and bathrooms, since the pandemic has turned many people into semi-germaphobes.

What sounds good tonight?

Although many restaurants unfortunately did not survive the pandemic, consumers still have plenty of choices of where to eat. With safety being the foundation for their dining choice, there are other factors that influence the decision.

We asked our survey-takers what most influences their dining out decision. In our previous 2020 survey, the overwhelming influence was the restaurant that has the highest degree of cleanliness. While that was still a popular answer in this survey, it was not the top selection. The most influential factor was if it’s a favorite restaurant of theirs. Furthermore, the top write-in answer from respondents who chose “other” was that it was a restaurant that had great food and service, joining “favorite restaurant” and “high degree of cleanliness” at the peak was restaurants at which they can earn rewards.

This is not surprising, as consumers increasingly expect rewards programs for many types of purchases, dining being no different. In fact, nearly half of respondents said that earning rewards at a restaurant is even more important now than pre-pandemic, with nearly the other half saying it was just as important, and only 5% saying it was less important.

What it means for restaurant owners

While this data is helpful to steer restaurants in the right direction, every community is different. Owners need to listen to their guests and find out what will keep them coming back. Over the last year, experiences have been lacking for consumers, so most of them are just looking for a restaurant with good food, atmosphere, and service that they feel safe dining at. And clearly, restaurants that offer some type of incentive to visit are most likely to gain loyal, repeat customers. That means they should find out what is important to their guests and potential patrons or consider partnering with a company like Rewards Network that has loyalty programs already set up with more than 20 of the world’s biggest loyalty brands.

Takeout and delivery are here to stay

Takeout and delivery have been a lifeline for many restaurants as they adapted to the pandemic. Although it may not be as profitable for most establishments, it has been a critical revenue source to keep the lights on. Many restaurants have even gone above and beyond to launch their own delivery service to squeeze more money out of the bottom line.

We asked our survey-takers how often they plan to order takeout/delivery compared to before the pandemic. While nearly half said the same as usual, 37% said they would be ordering out even more than before COVID hit.

So, what about the 13% that said they would be ordering takeout/delivery less? That isn’t an insignificant number, but the good news is that two-thirds of these respondents said the reason they would be ordering-in less often is because they plan to dine out more.

What it means for restaurant owners

Consumers seem eager to dine out more and order out more, perhaps speaking to their pent-up demand for good eats that go beyond their personal culinary skills they have tolerated for the past year.

Restaurant operators will still want to consider offering multiple ways for consumers to experience their establishments: dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Since dine-in customers are usually more valuable to a restaurant, they can use takeout/delivery to gain new customers and entice them to dine in.

Restaurant operators should also continue to find efficiencies in their delivery offerings by considering starting their own in-house delivery service, or by partnering with a third-party that helps them operate that side of the business profitably. Rewards Network has a takeout/delivery program that restaurants should take a look at, where they are charged a 10% flat fee plus processing for online orders through loyalty dining sites and select search engine results.

Incentivize your guests

We asked how important it is for survey-takers to receive reward incentives for dining out compared to earlier in the pandemic. 47% said it was even more important compared to before, with nearly half saying it carried the same importance as before. Looking at a different consumer survey we conducted in May, we found respondents overwhelmingly said that receiving incentives was more important or just as important as before the pandemic. When correlating these responses between surveys, it seems that being incentivized to dine is showing increasing importance among consumers as the pandemic goes on, with little signs of dissipating.

What it means for restaurants

Earning rewards for dining or takeout/delivery experiences is becoming even more important to consumers. Restaurants should make sure they are offering some kind of loyalty program or partnering with a third-party, especially as the grip on wallets has tightened. Be sure to continue marketing to your guests to remind them of the awards they can receive by revisiting your establishment or the special promotions you are offering. Encourage them to review your restaurant post-purchase on the platform of their choice, as this will not only grow their affinity with your restaurant, but also encourage visits from others.

Conclusion

Restaurants are not completely out of the woods yet, especially with additional challenges like staff hiring, but consumers are looking to come back to restaurants with a vengeance. Restaurant owners will largely want to do more of the same: offer great food, exceptional service, loyalty incentives, purchase options, and a safe environment expected by today’s restaurant-goer. Those that do it best and continue to adapt to the inevitably changing landscape will rise above the rest today and in the future.

Looking to boost your dine-in traffic and takeout/delivery orders? Let us know and we can tell you exactly how we can help you do it.

We conducted this survey of Rewards Network partner members for approximately one week in May of 2021. All of the information contained in this article summarizing the survey results is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as providing tax, legal, accounting, career, or other professional advice.

The post Spring/Summer consumer survey results appeared first on Rewards Network.

Calculate the value of adding staff

Begin by asking the obvious question, “Is my current model working?” While we can’t predict exactly what post-COVID dining trends will look like, we do know that 15% of consumers plan to order carryout more often than dining in. Many restaurants are most successful offering only takeout and delivery, or those options with a limited dine-in plan. Take stock of the other establishments in your area: if they aren’t seeing long waits and multiple turns of full rooms, do you believe you will?

If the answer is maybe or a definitive no, consider keeping your staff tight and reducing your lowest earning hours to increase profitability. On the other hand, if you find that your wait times are steadily increasing, leaving money outside of your doors isn’t an option—you must hire. Don’t put out the sign just yet. Before you begin hiring in an employee market you need to develop a cost of acquisition threshold. In other words, you should have a good grasp on the value each staff member brings to the business and what you can afford in terms of acquiring and retaining them as an employee.

Promote from within

If you’re in the position to hire, it’s important to assess your current staff and evaluate their potential for promotion. Promoting a qualified staff member has two major benefits: the individual already knows your business, which not only means that there would be less training and staff disruption, but also that he/she feels a sense of connection and personal responsibility towards your brand.

Consider employees for roles different than their current positions based on individual strengths. For example, a food runner may not have serving experience, but she has in-depth knowledge of the menu, table numbers, and will acclimate much faster than a new hire. You may also find that promotion from within widens your options for hiring. It is much easier to find and hire entry-level employees as opposed to more skilled staff positions.

Referrals and bonuses

When hiring, one of the best things to do is leverage your current network and staff for referrals. While this is normal practice, in the current market you may want to sweeten the deal for employees whose recommendations lead to qualified hires.

Creating a strong bonus offer using your cost of acquisition threshold is the first step. For example, you could offer every referral and resulting new hire a $100 bonus after the first month and another $250 after 6 months. While these seem like large amounts to pay upfront, if you consider that the bonuses are being paid over the course of a 30-hour work week, then you are increasing the cost of an employee by less than a dollar an hour if they stay the full 6 months and that extra cost will decrease every shift after the initial 6 months.

Bonuses can be especially effective for enticing qualified back-of-house (BOH) employees who do not typically receive tips. The goal in hiring for any particular position is longevity—high staff turnover can be disruptive and may cost you money in the long run. To avoid this, make sure that your bonuses are drawn out over time, which keeps your risk low and the employees’ opportunity to continually earn more, high.

Sell the job

Before you dust off your old ad for line cooks and repost, consider that in the current environment, you’ll want to really sell your establishment to find the best, most-qualified applicants. While bonuses are great clickbait, writing an engaging, clear job description is more important than ever. State clearly how you value and reward your current staff when writing/updating your ads. Do you give free meals during each shift? Offer flexible schedules or the ability to work overtime? Consider asking your staff why they love working at your restaurant and incorporate the best responses into your posting.

If the open position includes tips with pay, be sure to include the average tipped value that people in those positions make weekly. While their base pay may be minimum wage, servers, hosts, and even bussers typically make much more when tips are included. These small additions can make the difference between a forgettable job post and a standout listing.

Pay for placements

Once you’ve written a great job listing, you may post on sites like Craigslist, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Facebook. Consider investing extra to promote your listing, which ensures that your ad receives top billing when candidates perform related searches. Ideally, you want the most eyes possible on your posts—a helpful way to build a large, diverse candidate pool. Posting on other, lesser-known sites may also help.

• Poached Jobs
• Restaurant Careers
• Hospitality Online

The three sites above offer hospitality-focused job boards.

Remember to post any position openings on your website and social media channels as well, a customer who loves your brunches may just be your next hire. Also, if writing isn’t your strong suit, be sure to have an extra set of eyes review your posting for grammatical errors, as an error-filled posting may raise red flags for potential applicants. Budgeting a small amount for a copywriter to craft engaging copy is always a great idea—upwork.com is a great option for hiring skilled writers for projects of any length.

Staff hiring can be a challenge, and COVID has created a new normal in the restaurant industry, but careful consideration of your establishment’s staffing needs and a look at best hiring practices can help you find the qualified staff you need to keep your restaurant running well!

Be sure to regularly visit our free resource section dedicated to navigating the constantly changing foodservice industry. There, you’ll find informative articles, e-tools, and restaurant guides.

The post Discover how to meet your changing staff needs appeared first on Rewards Network.

In the whirlwind that was last year, we saw takeout save the day, the morning meal rush decline as workers stayed home, and outdoor dining spaces become fixtures—even during the coldest months. As the industry finds its footing, we’re all looking forward to the day when things get back to “normal,” even as we recognize that the definition of normal has changed considerably. Along those lines, here are some of the COVID-related dining trends that are most likely here to stay:

Cleaning and sanitation

Pre-COVID, restauranteurs were no stranger to food inspections. Usually carried out an average of 1-3 times per year, every state has updated their inspection guidelines to reflect FDA and OSHA recommendations that limit the transmission of COVID-19. Staying up to date is crucial, not just to pass inspection, but to inspire the confidence needed for consumers to dine out. In Zagat’s Future of Dining Study, diners were asked what would most influence their decision to dine out after COVID restrictions were lifted. An overwhelming 75% cited “health & safety concerns.” Looking forward, you will want to not only build your reputation on great food and service, but a commitment to keeping your diners and employees safe through clean, safe food preparation and serving practices.

What this looks like is different for every restaurant, but for most it includes continued transparency in cleaning practices—signage and advertisement of regular sanitation helps customers feel safe. Also, many are looking towards hygienic (and eco-friendly) options like single-use serving utensils made from biodegradable/sustainable materials and non-print menus, which are becoming increasingly popular with the rise of QR codes and in-app ordering at the table. Highly visible sanitizing stations for diners and workers placed strategically throughout the restaurant, as well as contactless payment, even while dining in, are most likely here to stay.

Takeout and delivery

Amid 2020’s shelter-in-place orders and shutdowns, third-party delivery apps saw their business double. However, when many dining rooms opened across the country late last year, OpenTable still reported a decrease of 52% in the number of seated diners. As more individuals are vaccinated and restrictions lift, expect the caution around dining out to remain. Now is the time to make sure that your takeout and delivery processes are seamless. Unsure of where to start? Statistics show that 64% of diners prefer to order direct through the restaurant for delivery. Perhaps it is time to set up your own delivery service—it’s a revenue-generating investment that is also likely to increase overall customer satisfaction.

Similarly, with takeout you’ll want to explore additional channels. If you don’t have the space to create a drive-thru window, consider adding curbside pickup—50% of diners last year said they are using the service more than before. Not only is it a great way to create another point of contact with customers, but curbside service can help redirect some of your drive-thru traffic: eliminating bottlenecks, potentially shortening drive-thru wait times, and creating the perception of immediacy. For the best customer experience, consider integrating your curbside pickup/delivery options within your app or website.

Value

Consumers will be driven by value moving forward. Last year, QSR’s data showed that 40% of diners were looking for “a good value for the money” when dining out. Surprisingly, attributes like variety of menu offerings, atmosphere, and even convenience were on the decline. In general, the markets are rebounding better than most predicted, but 2020’s high unemployment rates and market instability cast a long shadow, and consumers are cautious about how they spend their money.

Another force behind value-driven dining is the emergence of the home chef. Last year, folks picked up their spatulas more than ever, and though many will return to their pre-COVID dining patterns in the next year, it’s estimated that about 37% of diners will opt for home-cooked meals—a $50 billion dollar industry difference. In this type of climate, competition is high, and brand loyalty is key. Creating an in-house rewards program or linking up with a larger partner is a great way to incentivize guests to return. Loyalty programs encourage habit and create a sense of reward for customers each time they order from your establishment.

You may also want to consider offering coupons and family-style menu options. In April of last year Datassential asked consumers how they would save money after restrictions were lifted and 23% cited coupon usage, while another 15% percent said that they would order from shared or large portion menus.

Communication is (still) key

Adaptation was the name of the game in 2020, and while there’s no crystal ball, last year’s dining data can tell us much about what to expect moving forward. Positioning your restaurant to respond to these trends may increase overall customer satisfaction and show you exactly where to invest your resources to generate the most revenue.

Regardless of what changes you make, remember that transparency and communication with your customers is paramount. Updating your restaurant’s web page and social media to reflect changing hours, new/renovated dining areas, and current menus will help your patrons stay engaged. Much is changing in the industry, but this is also an unprecedented opportunity to reset and discover what works best for you and your customer base.

Be sure to regularly visit our free resource section dedicated to advising restaurants on how to navigate the changing rules and regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post COVID restaurant trends here to stay appeared first on Rewards Network.