<![CDATA[HOOSIER HOSPITALITY CONSULTING, LLC - Articles & Blog]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2024 22:38:08 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[Never Expect a Tip - And 73 Other Tips For the Restaurant Server]]>Mon, 19 Aug 2013 14:35:43 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/never-expect-a-tip-and-73-other-tips-for-the-restaurant-serverMy daughter Rebecca recently started her first "real" job working for a local restaurant. Now, since I'm a hospitality (restaurant mostly) consultant and trainer, I just had to give her some tips so that she could be a superstar. So, while driving back from a client site the other day, I came up with this list. (I dictated it - for all of you law enforcement readers out there.) It's not in any order, but  it's full of smart advice for any server. 

Restaurant owners and managers take note: your servers should be doing these things too! If they aren't; train them!


1.       Never expect a tip. You have to make somebody WANT to give you a tip.

2.       Always greet a table with a smile.

3.       Always make sure the menu is clean and complete before handing it to a guest.

4.       Always hold a cup or glass from the bottom.

5.       Never take someone's fork off of their plate and put it on the table when you know they will need it again. Just bring them a new fork (or knife or spoon).

6.       Think about what your guests may need or want before they do.

7.       When pouring coffee, leave a space at the top of the cup if you know that they like to put sugar or milk.

8.       Clean up the wrappers from sugar, and the empty creamer containers right away. Don’t leave a pile of trash on the guests’ table.

9.       Always give people some dollar bills as change when they pay their bill. It makes it easier for them to tip you.

10.    Always use a guest's name if you can. Many times you can get it from their credit card. (“Thank-you Mr. Jones.”)

11.    Lay with the left and remove with the right…or serve from the guest’s left, and remove dirty plates, etc. from the guest’s right.

12.    Always serve the women at the table first.

13.    Don't bring the food to the table until everyone's food is ready.

14.    Don’t auction off the food. Saying “who had the burger?” is unprofessional. You should know who had the burger before you go to the table.

15.    Never point at a guest either up close, or across the dining room.

16.    If someone's credit card declined, ask them for a new form of payment discreetly. Sometimes it's best to just return the portfolio to the table with a note inside asking for another form of payment. You never want to embarrass someone in front of a friend or client.

17.    You can't sing the happy birthday song to anyone because its copy written.

18.    Always make sure your uniform is cleaned and pressed (or at least wrinkle free).

19.    Always have breath mints available for yourself.

20.    Offer to hang up someone's coat if there is a coat rack available.

21.    Always make sure the menu that you hand someone is clean, correct and complete.

22.    If you spill something on somebody offer to pay their dry cleaning bill even if you have to pay it out of your own pocket.

23.    Be on time for work every day.

24.    If your boss calls you in to work an unexpected shift say “yes” if at all possible, especially if you are new to the job.

25.    Always make sure the tables in your section are clean, set up the same, and all condiments are fully stocked.

26.    Help your coworkers out whenever you can.

27.    Always be listening for what a guest needs no matter whose table it is.

28.    Always try to sense the mood of your tables. Some of them may like to chat with you and others want to be left alone.

29.    If a table has paid its bill but they stay and keep talking, keep servicing them.

30.    When you have extra time ask for extra work. An employer appreciates a hard worker, and staying busy makes your shift go faster.

31.    Don't worry about a co-worker that is working less hard then you. Just do the absolute best job you can.

32.    Learn as much as your employer is willing to teach you. It will help you in the future on other jobs.

33.    Never reach across a person to pick something up or set something down if at all possible.

34.    Never ask a customer to hand something to you, if at all possible.

35.    Never take food to the table if you aren't happy with it. You are your guests advocate and representative. If you wouldn’t want to eat it, why would they?

36.    Know the menu... forwards backwards and inside out. You need to know prices, options, etc.

37.    Clarify Coke or Pepsi. Some people refer to coke when they really mean Pepsi and vice versa.

38.    Always wear a name tag. You want your guests to know your name so they will ask for you again.

39.    Memorize what your regulars like to eat and drink. People like to be remembered. It makes them feel important.

40.    Remember that the most important person to a person is themselves. People tend to enjoy having you ask them about them more than they enjoy hearing about you.

41.    Always suggestive sell. It makes more money for your employer, and you.

42.    Always know if something on the menu is unavailable. An unavailable item is “86-ed”. (ie: “86 the catfish.”)

43.    Always know the daily specials, what is in them, and how they are made.

44.    Never touch someone's food with your bare hands.

45.    Always know if a menu item contains common allergens. If you aren’t sure, ask the chef. If you can’t ask the chef, recommend an item that you are confident about. Allergen’s can kill.

46.    Never quit one job without another one already secured.

47.    Use “my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome”, and mean it. People like how “my pleasure” sounds.

48.    Even if you can't get to a table right away at least acknowledge the fact that the guests are there. Tell them you'll be right with them.

49.    Always let people pick a table that they would like. Don't make them sit anywhere that they don't want to sit.

50.    Never let a table get cluttered.

51.    Ask if people want drink refills before they have to ask you. Alternatively, give them refills without asking.

52.    If you sense that someone is displeased, try to get them to tell you “why” even if they don't want to. They may just be trying to be polite or not make a scene, but you can't fix it if they don't tell you what's wrong.

53.    Remember that the guest is always right even when you know they are not.

54.    You can't always make everybody happy, but you need to make sure you did everything you could.

55.    Never talk bad about another server, your restaurant, another restaurant, or another guest.

56.    Keep your voice down. No one wants to hear about what you did last night while you're talking to your co-workers.

57.    Don't use your phone at work. You can talk and text when your shift is done or while you are on break.

58.    Always park away from the front doors. The best parking spots are not for you.

59.    If a guest is dining alone, offer them a newspaper or magazine to keep themselves occupied.

60.    If there's an item on the menu that you don't like, don't ever say you don't like it. You should say that it's just not your personal favorite.

61.    If someone asks you what you'd order, tell them what your favorite is. if someone asks you what's good on the menu, don't say “everything”.

62.    If you are responsible for answering the phone, answer it in three rings.

63.    If you are responsible for answering the phone, and you're talking to someone face to face, excuse yourself and answer the phone. The person you are talking face-to-face will understand, but the person calling just knows that you aren’t answering and will get angry.

64.    Even if you don't enjoy your job do it to the best of your ability.

65.    If you are sick then don't come to work. No one wants you to serve them food if you're sick.

66.    Always ask for time off as far in advance as possible.

67.    Learn how to carry a tray with confidence.

68.    Never set a tray on an unoccupied table.

69.    Never go onto the floor without a tray in your hand.

70.    Never make a trip onto the floor empty handed.

71.    Learn how to “count-up” when giving making change for someone.

72.    Always admit when you screw-up. Don’t try to cover up a mistake by making up a story or giving an excuse. Admitting your error defuses the situation.

73.    Teach your co-worker these tricks of the trade too. If they are successful, and you are successful, the restaurant will be successful. Everyone makes money when the restaurant attracts more guests.

And, so, there it is. 73 things you can do to "WOW" your guests and your boss. I'm sure there are more, but these are the things that came to my mind first. Maybe I'll add to the list down the road. Stay tuned...
]]><![CDATA[Coupons That Drive Me Crazy]]>Fri, 19 Jul 2013 23:33:16 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/coupons-that-drive-me-crazyI'm taking my wife out to dinner tonight. We've managed to become kid-free (not a small task), and so we're going out. I think we're going to try out a new mexican restaurant, so I decided to check out their menu in advance online.

First of all...I've discovered that their menu isn't online. That frustrates me...but that's another post.

Second of all, I've discovered that they have an online coupon, and it's a pretty good one. The coupon is for $5 off of a dinner purchase of $25. That's 20%! NICE! I'm glad I don't own the place.

Why? Well, the service that posts this coupon is well known to me, and I'm not a fan (from the restaurant ownership point of view). There's a few reasons why:
  1. There's no limit on how many times I can print this coupon. I can only use one coupon per visit, but if I visit for the next seven days then I can print out seven coupons. 
  2. I've seen the front door of the restaurant before. It has a sign saying that they offer coupons online, and they give the website address. Yes, that's right, on the door. (Let's just return to the car before going in so we can look up that coupon.)
  3. The coupon is too costly. It is for $5 off of a $25 purchase. If it were for "buy one, get one free entrees", the coupon would likely be just as effective, and less costly. (Food cost on a $10 entree is probably about $2.00-$2.50 for Mexican food depending on the dish, so instead of giving away $5 they'd be giving away $2.50.)
  4. The coupon website the restaurant is using requires that the restaurant have a coupon available at all times during the contract period (most likely 12 months). Habits form in 30-45 days, so the customers are going to get used to coupons, and only go when they have a coupon. Luckly for them; they can just print another. Not a good thing! Ask J.C. Penney about that.


So what could the restaurant do differently? Here are some ideas!
  1. Run a coupon in a local paper and have an expiration date on it. How many newspapers do you buy each day?
  2. Hang coupons with expiration dates on doors in the local neighborhood, or do a mailing to the local zip code.
  3. Take coupons with expiration dates to local businesses.
  4. Take treats and samples to local businesses, and hand out mini menus. (You don't always have to give away coupons; give away free samples instead.)
  5. Don't put "We have coupons" on your front door. The guest is already there! You don't want them to touch that smart phone.
  6. Do the math. See what it really costs to give away an appetizer, or a dessert, or an entree. Don't give away a monetary value; steer them to a specialty or to whatever menu item you feel highlights your restaurant best.
  7. Don't sign a contract that forces you to do anything when it comes to coupons. Issue coupons when you need to, and don't issue them when you don't.
  8. Give a discount on gift cards. People don't buy gift cards for places they don't like. Sell gift cards for a couple bucks less than their face value. Your customers that like you will buy them and "refer" others via gift cards.


So, "thank you" to the restaurant that inspired me to write this. My wife has arrived home from work and we're leaving soon. I'm looking forward to trying out my $5 off of $25 coupon. In the meantime, hopefully you'll read this post!

]]><![CDATA[Let's Try This Again!]]>Fri, 12 Jul 2013 14:46:46 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/lets-try-this-againIt's been  eight months since I wrote a blog post. 

REALLY? EIGHT MONTHS? Wow! I can't believe it's been that long. It feels like time just moves faster the older I get.

I know how important it is for me to blog on a regular basis. Search engines love blogs. But, just because I know how important it is, that doesn't mean I always do it. OBVIOUSLY.

Are you that way with your business too? Are you reading this and thinking about "that thing" that you should be doing, but aren't? Time management experts tell us that it's not about not having time; it's about our priorities and what we really value as being important.

I know blogging is important. I'm raising its level of priority on my daily to-do list. Check back tomorrow, and the next day, and the next to see how I do!

Oh...and maybe it's time for you to start doing "that thing" too.]]><![CDATA[You're Still Going to Need Napkins]]>Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:15:05 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/youre-still-going-to-need-napkinsI was talking to a new restaurant owner not long ago, and he was very proud of the system that he had for finding the best deals from his food vendors. He explained how he talks to all of his vendors each week, has them submit bids, fills out a spreadsheet with updated pricing, and then splits up his purchases line-by-line. Based on the story that he told me, I can only imagine that it takes a few hours each week to find the best deals on all of the items that that restaurant needs to run: chicken, lettuce, etc. While the timing wasn't right to disagree, I do in fact disagree with his system.

I've worked for several large companies throughout my career, and all of them had one thing in common. They all worked with a couple hand-picked, and contracted vendors. You see, the companies that I worked for realized that it was best to review pricing once per year, and then pick the vendor with the best mix of service and price, and then get back to focusing on running our own business. A mentor of mine that I worked for years ago used to say, "You can't save yourself to profitability", and he was exactly right. 

Let's say you are looking at paper costs and want to buy a cheaper disposable napkin. You could hunt around each week and find out which company has the best price in the market for napkins, but in the end you're still going to have to buy napkins. It's impossible to bring the cost to zero. And while you are hunting around, burning your time, and comparing costs, what are you really saving? It's quite possible that any cost savings that you uncovered were completely devoured in your time spent, or the fact that you needed to drive to pick-up the napkins instead of getting delivery. Not to mention the fact that while you were crunching numbers there may have been food quality issues, service issues, or worse that weren't addressed because you were looking at a computer screen.

There's another issue with this system too: none of those vendors that your squeezing are really giving you their best price. And since there isn't a contract between you and your vendor, there probably aren't any limits on what percentages the vendor can raise prices. This can become extremely costly when the market price spikes on a particular item like coffee, chicken, beef or bacon (as is expected to happen next year in 2013).

You really can't save yourself to profitability. You can only cut so much. I propose that a better strategy is to "shop" vendors once per year and then sign an agreement with whichever vendors you choose. Then get back to work on things that really do improve profitability like a smart marketing plan, excellent service, a quality product delivered consistently, and building strong relationships with your guests and your community. 
]]><![CDATA[Where Will You Shop on the 24th?]]>Tue, 20 Nov 2012 18:23:09 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/where-will-you-shop-on-the-24thOver the past few weeks I've seen and heard a bunch of advertising promoting "Small Business Saturday" on November 24th. The event, originally started by American Express in 2010, promotes shopping at brick and mortar small businesses in the local community, and was meant to offset the two other heavy promotional events of national retailers: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The question I have is: shouldn't every day be "Small Business Saturday"?

I live in Sheridan, Indiana, a community of just 2,667 according to the last census. We have a lot of small businesses here, and I try to use them as much as possible. It's true that sometimes it's more expensive to shop in Sheridan, but if I want the convenience of driving four blocks to the grocery store for milk or eggs on a Saturday morning, then I need to support the local grocery that sells those items. Sure, I could get both the milk and the eggs for less, sometimes substantially less, if I go to the other grocery chains just a few miles away, but then eventually our little grocery would probably disappear.

I was in a meeting the other day with a small business person, and was stunned when he mentioned that he was using a well-known online company for the printing of business cards and letterhead. This person runs a local small business, but doesn't buy locally himself. When I asked "why" his answer was, "Too expensive". I think he's making a mistake.

It's obvious to me that if you want your local community to shop (or eat) at your establishment, then you need to return the favor. Now I'm not saying to ignore the cost of locally sold products; cost is always a factor. What I am saying is that it is vital to the success of any small business to support the community not only through philanthropy, but also through good old-fashioned commerce. "I'll shop at your store, if you shop at mine." The increased cost of buying locally will hopefully be offset by increased revenues from other local customers. And even if it doesn't completely off-set, a bit of community "good will" can never hurt either.

And while we are talking about it, I think that shopping local starts by joining the local chamber of commerce. Some businesses don't see how the chamber can benefit them, but it all comes down to one word, "relationships". That's what "Small Business Saturday" is really all about - starting and maintaining relationships. People do business with who they know and trust, and small businesses need to build those relationships to increase business and stay in business.

So...where do you get your business cards?]]><![CDATA[Really?]]>Sat, 17 Nov 2012 23:22:03 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/reallyBy now you've probably heard about, or read about, the review of Guy Fieri’s new restaurant on Times Square in New York, Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar. If you haven’t, check it out HERE, and then come back to read the rest of what I have to say.

The restaurant which has only been open for a few weeks was roasted in a review (if you want to call it that) by Pete Wells, New York Times dining critic. I haven’t been to the restaurant so I can’t speak as to the accuracy of the review, but I am a Christian and was raised by my parents to be respectful of others, so I do have a couple thoughts that I’d like to add to the national conversation. 

My first thought is “Really?” I can understand that the restaurant may not have met the expectations of the Mr. Wells, and apparently didn't do so on more than one occasion. However, what exactly makes Mr. Wells believe that his poor experiences justify a total cessation of respect for Mr. Fieri? Sure, he made headlines when he wrote the review, but at what cost? It certainly seems to me that Mr. Wells has shown us all that he isn't very professional, and certainly not very couth. It would also seem to me that either his parents failed to impress on him the need to show other people basic respect, or his parents are horrified at the fact that he turned away from the core family values upon which he was raised.

The next thing that comes to my mind is “bully”. Schools all across the country have taken great efforts to teach children about the dangers of bullying. Mr. Wells, it seems to me, has just created a great case study for how bullies operate. Mr. Wells used his platform to make himself look better at the expense of others; in this case, Mr. Fieri. Had Mr. Fieri personally touched Mr. Well’s table on one of those visits, would Mr. Well’s have stated his critique face-to-face? I doubt it. People who bully others typically do so only when they have no real fear of reprisal. Bullies use their position of power, or their perceived position of power, to enhance their own personal self esteem. 

“Disappointment” is something else that I felt after reading Mr. Well’s supposed critique of Mr. Fieri’s restaurant. I was disappointed that the New York Times actually published the article as written. I’m not suggesting that the “review” not be genuine, but I am strongly suggesting that the New York Times should have had Mr. Wells re-write the “review” to reflect the level of professionalism that the Times is known for. Mr. Wells could have raised all of the same criticisms in a professional and respectful manner. In my opinion the Times certainly didn't benefit from the “review”; in fact it suffered some loss of credibility. 

And speaking of “credibility”, Mr. Wells has lost most of his in my opinion. I have over 25 years of experience in the hospitality business: hotels, restaurants and catering. I've had angry guests throw keys and desk clerks, scream at twenty-something servers, and use foul language at a high volume at the hostess stand because they couldn't get a table exactly when they wanted one even though they had no reservation. Surely I must not have realized “who they were”? Sure, we might have made a mistake or provided poor service in some of these instances, but a guest who loses complete sight of the fact that the employees in my establishment are HUMAN BEINGS doesn't motivate me to take their concerns too seriously. After all, if a guest can’t treat me and my staff with respect, I’m pretty sure I don’t need them to return. 

Don’t get me wrong; I do believe that the guest is always right. However, there is absolutely a line that can be crossed, and Mr. Wells crossed it. If I were Mr. Fieri, I wouldn't be too concerned with Mr. Well’s opinion on anything else going forward.
]]><![CDATA[86,400]]>Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:41:21 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/86400Someone sent me an email the other day with a good "food for thought" story.  I don't know who originally wrote it, but I wanted to share it with you.
Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your 
bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account 
for your use. However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules . 

The first rule would be: Everything that you didn't spend during 
each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply 
transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it. 
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with 
another $86,400.00 for that day. 

The second rule is: The bank can end the game without warning; 
at any time it can say, "that's it", the game is over! 
The bank can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for
yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don't
know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You
would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!

Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. 
We just can't seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when
we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us. What we haven't lived 
up that day is lost forever. Yesterday is gone forever.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account
at any time....WITHOUT WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more 
than the same amount in dollars.

Think about that, and always think of this: Enjoy every second of your life, 
because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So how are you spending your 86,400 seconds?  Who is controlling your 86,400 seconds, YOU or YOUR BUSINESS? 

If it's YOUR BUSINESS, then we need to work together to make it YOU. It can be done.
]]><![CDATA[Indecision, Stubbornness and Denial]]>Fri, 20 Jul 2012 22:15:09 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/indecision-stubbornness-and-denialI see it often.  The owners of a failing restaurant can’t make a decision.  Or worse yet; they are too stubborn to make a decision that makes sense.  Or maybe they deny that there is a problem at all. I can see it clearly, and often their partners and friends can see it too.

There is the employee or manager who isn’t the right person for the job, or who just doesn’t do their job. Yet, ownership can’t seem to confront the person and find solutions. 

There is the money gushing out the door due to theft, poor cost controls, poor accounting and a myriad of other reasons.  Yet, ownership can’t seem to implement better accountability and security.

There is a better way of preparing a dish, or serving a table, or handling a customer complaint.  Yet, ownership refuses to rock the boat and change “the way we’ve always done it”, or re-work a family recipe.

There is a major food code violation in the kitchen and the inspector has written it on the report for the last three inspections.  Yet, ownership is more worried about a dollar, than the health or life of a child, or a senior, or a cancer patient.

There is a hard decision to be made, or a decision that really isn't a decision at all. Maybe "it’s just the right thing to do”.  Yet, ownership continues to push back due to money, or anger at the government, or a general disbelief that they need help.

There is a time that all businesses need outside help, or a new perspective, or non-biased input. Sometimes the truth hurts. Yet, ownership doesn’t feel that they need help, or can’t afford it.

There is a cost associated with indecision, stubbornness and denial.

There is a restaurant for sale. Cheap.

]]><![CDATA[Top 5 Ways to Improve - TODAY!]]>Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:18:21 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/top-5-ways-to-improve-todayEveryone has something that they could improve upon in their life.  I know that I could be better about turning off my computer at the end of the day, and just enjoying family time.  I know that my wife could improve by not putting my chef's knives in the dishwasher time and time again.  My daughter could study more, and text less.  My son could be less forgetful. My Mother could stop worrying so much.  Politicians in Washington could...well that's a blog for another day. But here are five things that I think almost all restaurants could improve upon starting today that would have an immediate positive effect on business.

1.  Improve your curb appeal.  Is your sign fully lit?  Did someone empty their car's ashtray in your parking lot?  Are the flowers in the planters alive? Is your sign fully lit? Before a guest even enters your building they have started to get a first impression about what to expect.  If it's bad enough, they might just get back in to their car and leave. 


2.  Clean your restrooms.  The restroom lets you know what a restaurant's cleanliness habits are.  If the bathroom isn't clean what does the kitchen look like?  While you're at it, fill the soap and paper towel dispensers, and get rid of the nasty smell.  Nothing ruins my appetite like a poorly-kept restroom.

3.  Clean, clean, clean.  I'm not just talking about the basics such as cleaning your bathrooms, vacuuming the floor, or cleaning the windows.  I'm talking about cleaning the bottom of the sugar caddies, and making sure the squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard don't have dried gunk on them.  The edges of the tabletops, and the bottom side where someone has deposited their chewing gum should also get some love. And, when is the last time the seats in the booths were removed and cleaned?

4.  Hire good people and train them.  Your staff represents you, and sometimes they might not represent you well.  Individuals who don't perform quality work should be held accountable. Everyone needs training on the menu and menu item ingredients, how to address a table, and how to respond to a complaint or concern.  When someone tells your staff that they are a first-time diner, your staff know how important it is to make a good impression.  And when asked for their opinion as to "what's good", the answer shouldn't be "everything". 

5.  Touch tables.  It seems to be a lost art unless I'm paying $40+ for an entree.  Why don't managers take the time to touch tables and inquire as to how the dining experience is going?  The cost of this seemingly rare practice is nothing, and the impact can be great! Just because a restaurant is "casual" doesn't mean that the manager or chef shouldn't be able to say "hello". And once they do touch a table, they need to respond appropriately to a guest's complaint and make things right instead of making excuses.

If any of these issues applies to your restaurant, you need to stop what you're doing and take action NOW. You'll be surprised at how just improving on the points above will improve your restaurant's image, and improve your business overall. ]]><![CDATA[Fresh Start]]>Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:52:17 GMThttps://hoosierhospitalityconsulting.com/articles--blog/fresh-startChampaign, Illinois lost a successful eatery in March of 2011.  Mia Za’s Italian-themed restaurant was destroyed when a fire swept through the historic building that was home to the establishment.  But the loss of Mia Za’s was short, and what seemed at first to be a disaster, ended up being a fabulous opportunity for a fresh start.

Bruce Hink, Mia Za’s owner recreated the restaurant from the ground up – literally.  He redesigned the décor, changed menu items and added new ones, and embraced technology.  Now, one year later, diners of the new Mia Za’s can influence the music being played by using their smart phones.  Big-screen monitors display art instead of using conventional artwork, and diners can even submit art to be displayed.  And there is a monitor at the entrance so that you can look up menu items that may be unfamiliar to you, and you can view those items and learn more about them. And for all of us who occasionally find our laptops and phone batteries dead, Mia Za’s is happy to lend us a charger to use while we dine.

But as cool as all of the new technology is, this story isn't really about the technology.  This story is about a fresh start. It’s about rethinking and reworking a concept, and challenging the established ideas, beliefs and habits. It’s about changing with the times.

You don’t have to wait for your business to burn to the ground in order to have a fresh start, and I’m certainly not suggesting you get the ball rolling by starting the fire yourself.  What I am suggesting is that you look closely and think about what could be different.  Could you refresh your menu?  Could you redecorate a bit?  Can you find ways to embrace technology? How about new uniforms for your staff? There are a lot of things that can be done to refresh a concept without changing the concept outright and they don’t have to be huge or drastic.

If you’re not sure where to start, maybe it’s time to ask your customers. Better yet, invite some people in the community who aren’t your customers and ask them what they think, or invite a consultant to take a look and make recommendations. You don’t have to wait for disaster to strike to get a fresh start. You can start tomorrow on your own terms.

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