Start a Restaurant

There’s a trend happening in the world today that has spawned everything from reality television shows to lengthy books – the art of redecorating. Suddenly an old couch needs a new cover; walls need painting; and floors need stripping. And along with this sudden influx of style comes the inevitable attention turning to kitchenware. Because in the way of updating your kitchen – giving it a fresh, hip look – without breaking the bank, it’s easier and more cost affordable to replace the dishes rather than the cabinets!

Retro style has become something of a trend as of late. And there’s no better way to infuse some retro style into your kitchen than with the addition of restaurant glassware. The cost benefits are obvious; restaurant glassware is mass-produced, extremely affordable, and easily available at restaurant supply wholesalers.

But in addition to these benefits, restaurant glassware can provide a whole new look for your kitchen and home. Its simple lines and unadorned designs give restaurant glassware a retro chic. And its neutrality allows for it to fit in with any style of kitchen and table design. Creating a look for a holiday meal or dinner party can be done without having to change your glassware, as restaurant glassware is neutral enough to adopt any color or look of your dressed table.

Try using different cloth napkins to transform simple restaurant glassware into a custom table design. Folding napkins inside the glassware can be colorful and decorative. Tie ribbon around glassware for a holiday look or raffia for a garden party. The ideas are endless. (more…)

It’s the weekend and you have plans for an elaborate dinner at one of the best restaurants in the city. However, due to your busy schedule, you fail to reserve a table. And then when you walk in, its jam packed. Anyways, the hostess writes down your name and asks you to wait till your name is called out. You are waiting and walking around the restaurant when suddenly, your name is hollered over a megaphone.

You rush to the hostess but your name is hollered again and again till you reach the spot. You get the table alright, but you wonder whatever happened to good old privacy and discreetness. On the other hand, if the restaurant had a paging system in place, it would have been far easier and comfortable for both parties.

A Restaurant paging system is a simple to use device which utilizes the paging technology. As a guest walks into a restaurant and finds the tables occupied, he is handed over a pager and is asked to wait. Then as a table becomes vacant, the pager buzzes or blinks or even shows a customized text message and informs the guest about it. This brings about a certain level of organization and enhances the customer satisfaction levels.

You might think that a Restaurant paging might be extremely expensive. But that’s where you are wrong. A normal restaurant paging system comprising of 12 pagers, a transmitter and a central unit, usually costs around $500. There are cheaper and more expensive systems also available for purchase. (more…)

Starting a restaurant business is not an easy process. There are lots of things that have to be considered in order to make your restaurant business a success such as the location, target market, type of ownership, and of course your budget. From these four, it is the budget that will determine how much you are willing to spend during start-up. If you think that your budget is just enough, then you have to look for affordable deals that will help you save just like purchasing wholesale restaurant equipment.

Advantages of buying wholesale restaurant equipment

Buying wholesale restaurant equipment allows owners to find considerable savings. Compared to retail suppliers, most wholesale suppliers sell equipment at low prices because they usually have a large inventory and have the power to make bulk purchases. This allows them to offer bigger discounts to their customers who also make purchases in bigger volumes.

Aside from that, wholesale restaurant equipment that is placed on clearance can give you further savings. Clearance restaurant equipment is offered at discounted prices so you can really save a great deal. The turnover rate of this equipment could have been low. That is why this is offered at a lower price in order to liquidate the item immediately. (more…)

A PDA — personal digital assistant — is a system that makes it possible to increase to overall productivity of an organization. A restaurant is only one place where the tool could be used. The introduction of a PDA in a restaurant will impact the organization in various ways.

There are many functions and many different PDA’s, a restaurant requires one that uses:

• A simple product or service catalog
• An order unit that is able to accept the order of a client
• A communicating function that delivers the order to the kitchen
• Billing information that summarizes the order details and send these to the cashier

The PDA will have to communicate with other systems. In the first place with the kitchen, but also with the bar. Both this communication can only be done through an interface. If both organization work also with systems these interface will integrate both the PDA with the other system, otherwise the interface will have to be a simple user-interface; like a printer that is able to print the order from the client. The ticket will be used as a work order and after the kitchen order is finished for this client the agent (the waiter) will be signaled. Also in this case the interface can be as simple a Ok-sign marked with a pen on the printed order. In the same way the bar will sign-off drinks that has been “delivered” at the bar and distributed by the waiters. A simple paper interface will be sufficient here.

Information in the system will change from order to transaction once the orders have been delivered. Once the clients have finished their consumption the transactions from their table and served by the waiter will be summarized and sent to the cashier. This is where the last client-function is processed. (more…)

In restaurant point of sale a product passes through certain distinct stages during its life. This cycle of stages is called Product Life Cycle or PLC. The PLC is normally presented as a sales curve spanning the products course from introduction to exit. Concept lies in the fact that each stage in the restaurant point of sale is characterized by a typical market behavior and consequently each stage lends itself to the application of a certain specific marketing strategy. Understanding the PLC concept and managing it effectively can help prolong the profitable phases of the life span of a product.

A typical product at restaurant point of sale passes through distinct stages during the course of its life. During the market pioneering stage, the product is in its introductory stage in the market. Here there may not yet be a ready market for the product. Sales are low; the product undergoes teething troubles; profits seem a remote possibility; demand has to be created and developed; and customers have to be prompted to try out the product. One of the crucial decisions to be taken at this stage is the pricing strategy to be adopted for the product. (more…)

Today when it comes to looking for the right kind of restaurant inventory software no longer should you look at visiting your local computer retail outlet. Rather you should start searching for what it is you want online. Certainly you will often find that the service you provided with by an online software vendor is much better than your local computer retail store can offer.

Generally a retail outlet will only provide you with the software programs and nothing more, but with an online vendor they will not only provide the program but also help you with other issues concerning it as well. Plus on the internet you are more likely to find a software program which perfectly meets the requirements of your restaurant business.

Through the use of such a program you will be able to control what you are actually purchasing and what you are using. These programs are able to monitor very closely all those items that you will purchase to run your business and if at any time will highlight when additional stocks or inventory may be required.

As well as programs being able to monitor your stock requirements there are some that also provide you with a billing facility as well. This again is where the internet comes into play as sometimes you may well discover that you are able to download the software program that is suitable for your particular restaurant business for free. Not only does this save you money but also means that you can have your system up and running in no time at all. (more…)

Many pressure washing companies try to stay away from the restaurant pressure washing business, while other specialize in it. One reason some do not like it is due to the all the grease, which gets on their hoses and equipment, which in itself is difficult to clean off. Another reason is due to the difficulty in retaining the waste wash water. Sometimes the jobs can be tough as I remember one where in a Chinese Restaurant the owner finally leveled with us that the place had not been cleaned for 20-years. Needless to say we killed our share of cockroaches that night indeed.

When discussing pressure washing with a Restaurant Manager, they need to know that you specialize in steam cleaning of restaurants. They are looking for a company that has cleaned thousands of restaurants and fast food outlets. If you have not done this you will be competing against people who know the lingo and what to say to get the job so you may wish to go to; www.DCS1.com and buy a “How to Clean Restaurants” video set first, before attempting a sales call.

Restaurant managers know, a customer who has a pleasurable dining experience is three times as likely to return. A recent article in Nation’s Restaurant News surveyed 20,000 dining patrons and discovered that cleanliness was rated second only to food taste as the #1 reason to frequent a food establishment. First impressions are obviously important. The competent restaurant manager puts themselves in the shoes of the customer and asks themselves; What does a customer see as he/she approaches your restaurant? Then they look around at the; Signage, Trash Areas, Parking Areas, Drive thru, Walk Ways, Awnings, Patio Areas and Building. (more…)

When restaurant owners or management refer to purchase of supplies, it is difficult for most people to imagine the vast number of items that may be required. For customers, concerns regarding a restaurant are limited to hygiene, affordability, choice and taste. Restaurants undertake detailed planning of their supplies to meet customer needs and ensure their own profitability. Wholesale restaurant supplies refer to large quantities of supplies sold to retailers for resale to actual consumers. Generally, wholesalers buy from manufacturers and then sell to retailers. There are many companies that specialize in buying wholesale restaurant supplies from manufacturers and resell these supplies to restaurants at retail prices. Retailers and consumers with a need for a large quotient of supplies may also purchase directly from manufacturers at wholesale prices.

The supply needs of a restaurant are enormous and the costs involved in purchasing restaurant supplies are huge. Profitability is unthinkable unless these costs are optimized. Every dollar paid in excess strains resources that become problematic when managing operating costs. Most restaurants purchase restaurant supplies in the wholesale market, as they are at discounted prices when compared to market prices. Restaurants require a large amount of supplies on a daily basis. As a result, the industry thrives on wholesale purchases, which ensures favorable returns on investments. (more…)

Forget about top of the line equipment for home cooks…get bottom of the line restaurant equipment!

Serious home cooks will often invest quite a lot of money in top quality appliances, pots and pans, ranges, ovens and even indoor grills, and the best of products for the home cook can be quite good, and generally look great.

An alternative approach, which will generally save you money, and will almost always result in better quality equipment truly meant to last a lifetime–especially for home cooks–is new or used professional restaurant equipment.

While restaurant equipment is rarely built for looks, it is designed to handle the heavy demands of round-the-clock cooking in volume, and with occasional home kitchen use, they will last forever; and because restaurant kitchens need to pump out a lot of food, restaurant equipment is designed for power and volume. While you might not really need it in a home kitchen, you’ll love being able to boil a big pot of water in a minute or two, and love making great January steak-house quality steaks on an indoor grill!

Pots and pans

Rarely do you see shiny and bright stainless pans like the best of the home models in a restaurant kitchen. Instead, pro kitchens sport dull and plain looking heavy gauge aluminum, that is built to last for ever, costs a fraction of the price, and offers very good even heat.

Ranges and ovens

Instead of a top of the line home range, get a bottom of the line professional restaurant range. You’ll pay about the same amount, but the functionality and power of the professional model will greatly better even the best of home models. Get a great 6 burner gas range with lots of extra room, incredible speed and power, and rock-steady-low all day simmers. (more…)