The Best Salsa on the Planet

The best salsa on the planet contest is in the works, ok so not the best on the planet but all that we can have over the next few weeks. So far we have hit about 10 places 3 made the cut. One is in Mexico so that’s cool. If your salsa wants to be considered please send me some and I will be more than happy to try it. More info to come soon….But here’s a taste of some of the salsa at LaFonda Latin  and the Trio at Tin Lizzys in Buckhead. Man the Competition is getting thick… 

Tom Bianco saved Macaroni Grill $1.7 Million per year

Want to find out how Tom Bianco saved Macaroni Grill $1.7 Million per year just by changing one operational procedure? Call now and I will tell you 404-547-9668. Hi, My name is Tom Bianco, I love food, and the restaurant business and helping restaurants grow their business. My concept is simple: Give people what you want and you will get what you want. The hospitality business is one of the easiest businesses to get into; the problem is it is one of the hardest to stay in. Every day I see concepts that are dead in the water before they even lay the first brick. In this business it is what you don’t know that will kill you. But luckily for you, you found me and I am here to help you succeed. My Philosophy is simple. There are two things, traffic and sales. Increase your traffic and increase your sales. Every food service establishment is different. It is that difference that makes the difference. All have a USP/UVP, Unique Sales Proposition and a Unique Value Proposition to offer their customers. What is yours? Don’t know? Do your customers, bet they don’t either. I can show you yours and how to drive new and repeat traffic to your store using it. I have been in the restaurant business for over 15 years as an owner and consultant and have helped dozens of operations improve there operational efficiency, lower costs and increase sales and I can help you to. If you have any questions or comments about our products or services or would like to engage in an initial free consultation please contact me at 404-547-9668. You may also contact us by e-mail at: tom@atlanticconsultinginc.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Check out some of my testimonials: “Tom is a true talent at growing business” “he doubled business from $10k to $20K per week just by implementing one marketing concept” Mike Giovine-Wing Factory-Atlanta “Tom showed me how I should stop working in business and start working on my business, sales have jumped 30%” Linda Terral-Oterrals-Atlanta “I would have never gotten off the ground if Tom had not helped with the set up of my bar” “Surfer” Dave Showenburger – Cherries Egor City “Tom has got the know how to get it done” Scott Denny-The Palm Restaurant-Atlanta

Great Hot Dogs

ou know I love hot dogs and there are lots of great ways to prepare them. There are also lots of great places to get them, like the Varsity, where you can get a chili cheese dog or Sonic and get a Coney Island dog. Heck even Rally’s and Checkers is not bad. But I wanted to talk to you about convenience store hot dogs. Yes the kind on the roto grill See every Friday night I head out to see the team I help coach, the Riverwood Raiders. I don’t have time to get to the school and ride with the team and since they have no stadium this year, I have to meet them wherever they play on game day. Most teams have a pregame meal and this year they are lucky to have Roasters Chicken and Ribs cater the pregame. So by not being there I have to grab some thing on the road. Needing a paper to check out who is playing and to see if Dearal Maxie picked us to loose, I stop at the local QT if I can find one. If not I am in trouble. QT does a great job and the dogs are only .99 cents. But I was thinking what other convenience stores have really good dogs? Most stores let them dry out, get overcooked, and nasty. The Chevron next to North Spring High School sure does. So I got to thinking and could only come up with one, a little place in Brookhaven. The Mom and Pop Food Store. Now there is no Mom and Pop, well not any more. It is run by two Indian Guys and they take pride in there Dogs. 1. They always have some on the roto grille and 2. They are always cooked just right, see they rotate them. We all know how good they are so we all eat them and then they don’t go bad. And they don’t go bad because they take care of them so we will eat them. See how that works. Give people what they want and you get what you want. But the great thing about them is not the dogs themselves, but the fresh salsa the guys make every day. Fresh Tomatoes, Onions, and Jalapenos chopped up and in the chiller waiting to be put on a dog. Fresh every day. Now I know you are saying Salsa/Pico on dog, what? Yes, Yes, Yes. It is that good. I have at least one a week and a coke. I have no idea what they cost, like $1.25 or some thing. But they are good. So the next time you are in Brookhaven go see the guys at the Mom and Pop food store on Dresden Dr. You won’t regret it.

An energy crisis in the making

In the news again. What to find out why your grocery prices keep goign up? Go to Pizza Market Place and I will tell you.

Top Tips for Your New Restaurant

Here is an encouraging article from Kevin Moll who is in the restaurant consulting biz about the successes rate in the restaurant business. Are we getting better or is this number skewed in some unseen way? Want to hear some good news? Your chances of success are better than most people think. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the survival rates of all new businesses started between 1998 and 2002 find that 66% of them are still open two years after they started. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the survival rates of all new businesses started between 1998 and 2002 find that 66% of them are still open two years after they started. A Cornell University study of restaurants in three major markets showed a first year failure (or closure) rate of 27% with only a minor (4%) difference between franchised and independent restaurants. Regardless of how you crunch the statistics, and I might add that quality statistics for the restaurant industry are hard to find, approximately 30% of all new, first year restaurants go out of business on the average. This means you have a 70% chance of first year success if you have a viable, well thought out concept in a worthwhile location. It is important to note that of the 30% of restaurants that close during their first year, most of those operators were under-educated, under capitalized (most common reason), or were not willing to make the time commitments necessary to get the job done. Why am I concentrating on the first year aspects of survival? Because statistics and logic both say that if you make it past your first year, the percentages are in your favor beyond year one. How can you minimize the risk in your first year? These Top Tips listed below will aid in insuring your survival: Tip #1. Know your market. The easiest and fastest way is to get a Feasibility Study done! I know of a restaurateur who was looking at placing a Mexican restaurant into a major metro area. His Feasibility Study revealed that a quickly expanding localized chain was inevitably going to greatly diminish his potential success, so he changed his concept, thereby avoiding an expensive potential failure. You too can avoid major failure by knowing your market, and concentrating strongly on your biggest competitor. If you can’t or don’t want to fight for market share, reconsider your concept niche or location. Tip #2. Find your niche. We have all heard this before, but you can’t be everything to everyone, and do it well. Select the market you enjoy and have experience in. If you know everything about the burrito business, and know for a fact that your burritos are superior in quality, then chase down that great location, know your market, and fill that niche. It’s important to minimize the competition in your chosen niche, and done right, you can own the entire niche market. Why compete when you can own the market? Tip #3. Have a plan. Don’t shoot in the dark with your capital resources. Pay for a quality business plan, and have a qualified restaurant consultant do it. You pay for legal and accounting advice because they’re professionals in their industry. Same thing with your Restaurant Consultant. A business plan is not cheap, but it will guide you on the path to growing your business profitably, and you’ll find that your business plan will quickly pay for itself. Tip #4. Know the industry, or pay for the knowledge. Just a few pieces of quality advice at the right time can save you thousands of dollars. Did you know that if your Restaurant Consultant negotiates your pricing with your foodservice vendors, you’d get better pricing than if you had negotiated the prices yourself? The author of this article was Director of Business Development with a large foodservice distributor, and is able to lower your food cost significantly by representing your interests with your vendors. Tip #5. Your menu is your number one tool in insuring a profitable operation. By costing out each menu item and placing it in the correct menu location, you can bring more dollars to the bottom line. Operators are so concerned with food cost percentages, but fact of the matter is that you take dollars and not percentages to the bank. It costs a little bit, but your reward is great when you have your menu professionally designed. Regardless of the size of your operation, you can’t afford not to have your menu evaluated. Why miss out on lost profits? Tip #6. The menu controls everything. From what you serve, to what equipment you need, to your signage design and concept name–everything revolves around the menu. What are you serving, and what is your position in the market? If you don’t know, get help immediately. Tip #7. Build your team. You need a few good players on your team, and the team members are as follows: An attorney with restaurant experience, an accountant with a list of restaurant clients, a banker that understands the restaurant industry, and Restaurant Consultant that understands startup ventures. When interviewing your Restaurant Consultant, know in advance that there is only one proper way to figure your food and beverage cost percentages. If you are told that you take your total costs and divide that number by your sales, you are getting inferior advice-keep looking. May I humbly suggest our services? If you would like to know the correct formula for computing food and beverage costs, please contact the author of this article, Kevin Moll, at 1-800-961-6005 for some insights. Tip #8. Cover your business bases. This includes: Insurance, corporate formation, business registration, company structure, funding, design, architecture, location, building codes, health department regulations, permits, and others. These will all have to be factored into your plans for opening and staying open! Tip #9. Understand your marketing and have a plan. You may, “Own a niche”, you may serve the highest quality products, and you may be the best in your market. But if nobody knows where you are located or what you offer, how will you pay the bills? A big part of the business plan is a high quality marketing plan. Has this convinced you to consider having a business plan done? Tip #10. Go forward. Until you are open, you will be faced with many obstacles that may be new to you. Use your team, stay focused on the goal of not only getting or staying open, but excelling in your brand management, delivery of product, and above all, listen to your advisors. As they have nothing to loose by telling you the unvarnished truth, they’re in your court more than you know!

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