Restaurant Masters Podcast

This episode of Restaurants Masters is hosted by Ken McGarrie, co-founder of Korgen Hospitality. The author of The Surprise Restaurant Manager, McGarrie has helmed many successful restaurants, bars, and entertainment-based venues for over two decades. Ken has helped launch new concepts and train hospitality leaders throughout the United States and Canada. In part three of his three part series on insight for restaurant industry leadership, McGarrie gives valuable tips for managing your restaurant’s reviews. McGarrie suggests these tips on taking every opportunity to embrace reviews and improve your restaurant’s ratings: -Avoiding the lazy manager table touch. -Understanding why people post reviews.-Not playing detective to determine the legitimacy of the review.-Realizing it is not about being right, it is about disappointment.-Acknowledging the level of passion it takes to write a long one star review.-Changing the communication and making the discussion private, one on one. -Never mention the star rating. “When you reach out, never focus on the star rating itself, focus on the philosophy for why people feel that they have to reach out and for their level of disappointment they experienced and you will be able to recover them each and every time,” says McGarrie. Check out the episode above to learn more expert insight on navigating reviews in the restaurant industry. Also be sure to listen to McGarrie’s part two of Expert Insight for Restaurant Industry Leadership where he talks about management communication strategies. For more industry education listen to the Restaurant Masters Podcast!

Communication strategies can help you manage your team, address challenges, and benefit the day to day operation of your business. Avoiding communication blunders will guarantee staff retention and create a great working environment. This episode of Restaurants Masters is hosted by Ken McGarrie, co-founder of Korgen Hospitality. The author of The Surprise Restaurant Manager, McGarrie has helmed many successful restaurants, bars, and entertainment-based venues for over two decades. Ken has helped launch new concepts and train hospitality leaders throughout the United States and Canada. In part two of his three part series on insight for restaurant industry leadership, McGarrie shares important strategies for management communication. McGarrie identifies five key points on how management should effectively address the staff through proper communication strategies: How managers lose good people. Managers not having balance between hands-on and delegation support. Overestimated familiarity, communicating with staff in an overly casual manner.Using emotion over data in order to communicate with staff. Communicating that someone is not performing. “People that you work with will take cues from your behavior and your energy so if you are the one that comes with positive energy then people sense positivity and mirror likewise.” Mcgarrie advises management on communication. He also points out that a manager’s team must see them as a value to the operation. Check out the episode above to learn more expert insight on communication strategies in the restaurant industry. Also be sure to listen to McGarrie’s part one of Expert Insight for Restaurant Industry Leadership where he talks about assembling the right team. Be on the lookout for more tips from McGarrie on Restaurant Masters Podcast!

Assembling the right team can sometimes be a challenge for even experienced restaurant industry managers. It is important to locate and effectively interview candidates as well as foresee warning signs during the process. This episode of Restaurants Masters is hosted by Ken McGarrie, co-founder of Korgen Hospitality. The author of The Surprise Restaurant Manager, McGarrie has helmed many successful restaurants, bars, and entertainment-based venues for over two decades. Ken has helped launch new concepts and train hospitality leaders throughout the United States and Canada. In part one of his three part series on assembling the right team, McGarrie shares insight on hiring new candidates for your restaurant. McGarrie suggests every restaurant manager should follow these insights before they begin the hiring process to attract top talent:Use creative and welcoming job posts.Change the mentality from “how lucky someone is to work for you” to “how appreciative you are that they choose to work with you.”Use non-traditional means to uncover true personalities.Red flags not to hire an applicant.“It is no secret that right now finding staff is a challenge globally.” McGarrie adds “In order to rise to the top you have to make sure the first thing you are doing is understanding that the people that work for you, you need them more than they need you.”Check out the episode above to learn more expert insight on finding top talent in the restaurant industry. Be on the lookout for more tips from McGarrie on Restaurant Masters Podcast!

In this episode of Restaurant Masters, host Paul Barron sits down with Helen Lao, the founder and president of ClearPath Solutions, to explore how companies, brands, and individuals can survive a major setback.

Hiring quality, motivated employees does not necessarily make for a great team. Operators in the hospitality industry also need to invest in their staff with proper training programs, review systems, and management protocol to cultivate a safe, healthy work environment built to last.This episode of Restaurant Masters is hosted by Doug Radkey, the founder and president of creative agency KRG Hospitality Inc. The author of Bar Hacks, Radkey offers listeners over two decades of food, beverage, and hospitality development experience. In part three of his series on team building, Radkey explores the necessary processes behind setting thoughtful, well-crafted objectives for your staff.

Doug Radkey is the founder and president of creative agency KRG Hospitality Inc as well as the author of Bar Hacks. Radkey offers listeners over two decades of food, beverage, and hospitality development experience. In part two of his series on team building, Radkey advises restaurant and brand owners on how to build a positive work environment and how to inspire and create brand ambassadors.

Doug Radkey, the founder and president of creative agency KRG Hospitality Inc. and the author of Bar Hacks, offers listeners over two decades of food, beverage, and hospitality development experience. In part one of his series on team building, Radkey examines best practices for crafting a top tier staff. Learn about Radkey’s background in the industry, setting employee expectations, and crafting a training plan!

Rudy Miick, the founder and president of Colorado-based Leadership In the Fall Line and the Rudy Miick consulting group, talks about the process behind equipping employees with fiscal knowledge, and the ultimate payoff for cultivating an inspired workforce!

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Klein, the vice president of culinary strategy for CSSI Marketing + Culinary, and Brandon Wise, the vice president of beverage operations at Sage Restaurant Group. Klein and Wise explore how restaurants can implement beverage programs and other creative options to increase revenue as they begin to reopen.This episode is brought to you by Marlin Network. © 2020 Marlin Network

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Charles Dottore, a culinary associate director for CSSI Marketing + Culinary, and Nick Kokonas, the chief executive officer of Tock. Dottore and Kokonas discuss some of the recent innovations within the restaurant technology space.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Murray Kastner, a senior manager of social media for Marlin Network, and Kyle Noonan, the founder and owner of Free Range Concepts. Kastner and Noonan discuss leveraging your social media as a new or emerging business.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Aviva Goldfarb, the director of marketing for HipCityVeg, and Stephanie Lueck, the senior digital marketing specialist for Marlin Network. Goldfarb and Lueck explore how they implement impactful marketing strategies in their businesses.This episode is brought to you by Conagra Foodservice. © Conagra Foodservice, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In today’s crowded restaurant industry, most brands focus more on year-to-year survival than mastering their particular market. To compete, companies lower prices, offer promotions, and do everything they can price-wise to get customers in the door—and while rewarding at first, these techniques tend to do little to engender consumer loyalty.This episode of Restaurant Masters features restaurant coach and former restaurant owner Donald Burns. In part three of his series on building a successful restaurant brand, he offers his best tips for creating a “badass” brand that dominates—rather than competes in—your chosen market. He has written the acclaimed books 2017 Your Restaurant Sucks! and the 2019 Your Restaurant STILL Sucks! and was featured in restaurant software company Toast’s Top Restaurant Experts to Follow in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Thomas Talbert, a vice president for CSSI Marketing + Culinary, and Nico Nieto, the head of marketing for Roti Modern Mediterranean. Talbert and Nieto discuss guest expectations for the “new normal” as pandemic lockdowns begin to ease.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators working to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, we sit down with Charles Dottore, a culinary associate director for CSSI Marketing + Culinary, and Katherine Thompson, the co-owner of Hank’s Texas Barbecue. Thompson also previously served as a senior marketing executive for CSSI. Dottore and Thompson share tips and best practices for reworking and reinventing your menu in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.

A restaurant’s brand identity is more than a logo, color scheme, aesthetic, or type of food. Your brand is your foundation: successful restaurants are built on clear, concise, and comprehensive brands.This episode of Restaurant Masters features restaurant coach and former restaurant owner Donald Burns. In part two of his series on building your restaurant brand, he offers his best tips for cultivating a successful vision and company culture for your business. He has written the acclaimed books 2017 Your Restaurant Sucks! and the 2019 Your Restaurant STILL Sucks! and was featured in restaurant software company Toast’s Top Restaurant Experts to Follow in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. Podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics, and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, Matthew Luaders, chef and director of culinary research and Renee Howarth, associate research and development chef, both from CSSI Marketing + Culinary, provide their insights on the new formula for the restaurant model–combining retail plus foodservice.

The Restaurant H.E.L.P. Podcast is a dedicated resource for industry operators to prepare for the future. This series provides best practices, tactics and innovative approaches from some of the top minds and experts in the industry.In this episode, host Lauren Wion and Peter Thornhill, chef and associate director of culinary R&D, and Jessica Bograd, chef and director of culinary R&D, both from CSSI Marketing + Culinary, dive into innovative ways in which brands can tactfully elevate the takeout experience. Bograd and Thornhill have a vast experience within the foodservice industry from management of chains to independent restaurants and even menu innovation and development.

In this episode, host Lauren Wion and Thomas Talbert, chef and vice president of culinary marketing and Matthew Luaders, chef and director of culinary research, both from CSSI Marketing + Culinary, explore all facets of the delivery sphere as we tactically pursue ways of recovering the restaurant industry. Talbert and Luaders both have a wealth of knowledge and many years of experience from culinary to management within the foodservice industry.Leading up to COVID-19, operators were beginning to test out the delivery waters whether it was through their native channel or third-party platforms. “Restaurant chains and self operators were starting to gear their menus towards delivery and making sure they had a product that was able to withstand the packaging process,” says Luaders. The pandemic completely flipped the business model and created a dire need for chains and locales to move into delivery application immediately.The recipe for success is being able to simultaneously deconstruct menu features in creative fashion, provide functional packaging, instill safety and sanitation trust into the delivery experience, all while maintaining engagement with customers to notify that you are operating as closely to business-as-usual. Talbert asks, “do you have the items that are going to give that customer confidence that the product was last touched by the person who made it or packaged it?”One major aspect to consider is how to maintain control over the customer experience during delivery and third-party hand-offs. Luaders suggestions honing in on what you do great and integrating a signature item within the packaging to enhance the overall experience. The additional touch of branded promotional items such as mugs, glasses or bottle openers can remind the consumer where the meal originated but more so drives the full meal and restaurant experience home.Meal kits are a new, innovative way for operators to capitalize and create additional revenue streams, whether its arranging cocktail kits or themed family-style meals. Operators are stretching their visionary mindsets to address food trends and include plant-forward offerings into these cook-at-home, meal kit experiences. “It’s not necessarily just about having a meat analog, as much as it is thinking about plants themselves,” says Talbert.On the other side of this pandemic, the industry will continue to see a rise in meal kits but the driving force in these new offerings will be the story behind the ingredients. “It comes down to everything. A piece of wilted lettuce could deter somebody from ordering a burger from your restaurant,” adds Luaders. Inventive strategies such as including an insert with a narrative around each ingredient, executing virtual tastings or cooking classes, and opening up to dark kitchens could be the edge to climax your brand.

Company culture can make or break a restaurant. Having a clear vision and a well-crafted set of core values is essential for ensuring the longevity of your business.On the latest episode of Restaurant Masters, restaurant coach and former restaurant owner Donald Burns shares his best tips for creating a brand that keeps your restaurant thriving. He has written the acclaimed books 2017 Your Restaurant Sucks! and the 2019 Your Restaurant STILL Sucks! and was featured in restaurant software company Toast’s Top Restaurant Experts to Follow in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Drugs in the workplace have become a prevalent issue with the opioid crisis and legalization of marijuana, employers are struggling with how to deal with policies in the workplace and the misconceptions associated with a drug-free workplace. In this episode, Lexington explains the bright-line rules to handle these issues effectively and within the bounds of the law.

Why is it important for owners and operators to know and understand about disability discrimination? Firstly, because it is becoming Increasingly common and employers don’t understand what’s protected and what’s considered a disability under the law. Finally, they also don’t know what they’re legally required to do when an employee requests anaccommodation under the ADA.

Lexington Wolff is a former litigator who saw what a waste of time and money litigation was. She started a practice to help restaurant owners avoid the risks that lead to lawsuits in the first place. Lawsuit prevention is about handling everyday issues on the front end. In this episode, Lexington talks about understanding management’s legal obligations when a sexual harassment complaint is made and how to effectively handle it.