Profitable Hospitality Podcast

Food technology and hospitality subjects are very popular at high schools. This is driven in no small part by TV food shows like Masterchef, and people like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay. Whatever you think of TV chefs, the interest in cooking is very welcome – now we need to leverage this to turn keen students into our keen young employees! In this interview I went back to school and talked with a Food Tech teacher and three students at Auburn High School in Melbourne. We discussed the most popular parts of the their cooking course, the range of topics covered, the Masterchef factor and what they imagine is the life of a chef in a restaurant or cafe. It’s time to make friends with your local hospitality teachers and students - talent is waiting!

A fast-growing business is exciting – more sales, more venues, more employees and more fame! Expansion also brings new challenges – not just finding talent, but also developing managers and scaling up the systems for recruitment, induction, training and clear communication. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Bree Vatner, HR Manager at the Mr Burger group in Melbourne. They are growing rapidly, and the group also includes food trucks and their own food truck park Welcome to Thornbury. We talked about the central importance of a strong and positive culture, and how that is articulated and put into practice with all their 150+ staff and leaders. We also discussed recruitment methods, in-store and online training, how the HR Manager’s role is changing and much more.

So what makes a business healthy? Ken Burgin talked about this with broker Dan Levitus of Linked Business Brokers – he specialises in the sale of cafes, restaurants and foodservice operations, and there’s not much he hasn’t seen! Financial health is a key element, not only the income and expenses, but how well information is recorded and the likelihood of good sales continuing. We also talked about the owner’s role in the operation, and how well systems are recorded and ready for use by others. Plus the vital importance of the lease and having premises that are ‘fit for purpose’. If you’re thinking about selling your business, or how to increase it’s value, this is information you can take to the bank!

On your website, how much is ‘just enough’ information to make customers and search engines happy? Or is a good Facebook page sufficient? More than 60% of your restaurant or café website visitors will use their phone, so ‘mobile friendly’ is essential. Ken Burgin talks with digital strategist and website builder Tim Hilton about what needs to be in an effective website, and what can be left out. You want to be found locally, compete with the big listing services (like TripAdviser, Yelp and Zomato) and give customers enough information so they divert their car or make a booking. Ultimately it’s all about sales! We also discussed the best way to work with a web designer and how to brief them, so the result is everything you expected and more. You can find Tim at Hiltonand.co and on Twitter.

There is definitely life after coffee, no matter how cool your local barista. Tea has infinite variety, full flavour and centuries of stories. Visiting your cafe or restaurant are hundreds of customers who either don’t drink coffee at all, or limit themselves to one cup a day. That means lots more sales between lunchtime and late night, if you add a variety of teas. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Corinne Smith of The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar. Over the last 6 years they’ve developed a thriving tea wholesale tea business, and now have their own beautiful tea bar, featuring quality brews and the food to go with it. These are robust flavours for all ages, and a valuable part of the profit mix. We talked about tea menus for summer and winter, brewing methods for a busy venue, staff training and appealing to a wide demographic. They are also part of the annual Sydney and Melbourne Tea Festivals – if you’re nearby, don’t miss them!

It was great to interview marketing expert Michelle Falzon of WeAreContent.com and the Content Sells podcast (one of my favourites). She talked to us wearing her marketing hat, and also as a resident in a rural area who enjoys the local cafes and restaurants. We looked at the ‘buyer’s journey’, marketing mountains, becoming known for something distinctive and all the ways a business of any size can build a tribe of loyal fans. We also discussed the importance of regular conversations via social media or email, and how ‘content’ can be used to attract, delight and convert. I know you will enjoy this podcast!

We like to keep the tone positive on this podcast, but it’s important to be realistic – where there is food, alcohol and cash, there are sure to be thieves. My guest in this interview is Nigel Pickhardt, one of the authors of the book How to Burn Down the House: The Infamous Waiter & Bartender's Scam Bible by Two Bourbon Street Waiters. Nigel now runs a popular seminar focused on strategies to reduce fraud and theft in hospitality. We discussed the basic methods of employee theft and how to find your vulnerabilities before dishonest employees strike. Plus specific defences and management responses for a range of scams, and how to develop a natural instinct for detecting the tell-tale signs of theft. There aren’t many scams that Nigel hasn’t seen over the years, and he shares with us fully and frankly. Find out more about his seminars and the book at Scambible.com.

Conflict: between kitchen and front of house, chefs in a rage, managers with short fuses and owners yelling. When not handled carefully, it creates stress and negativity, leading to high staff turnover and low productivity. It’s not about being soft and gentle all the time, but the way most workplaces deal with disagreement seems to have negative results, not positive. In this interview Ken Burgin talks to business coach and communications specialist Berry Kruijning of Crowning Communication. Berry has worked across cultures and industries, and has a great deal of experience with hospitality employees. We discussed different types of conflict, generational and cultural issues, how coaching can make managers more resourceful, and whether it’s possible to have a life free of conflict. In our industry we have a potent combination of deadlines, pressure and diversity, creating many times where conflict flares. Contact Berry directly to discuss her coaching and consulting work.

It was great to talk with restaurant marketing expert Charlie Hopper about what’s working for smart operators, and how we all need to double down to stay ahead of the competition. He recently published his second book Nuggets, Nibbles, Morsels, Crumbs with articles on topics as diverse as menu vocabulary, discounting, food photos, branding, social media and the sophistication of children. He’s keen to eliminate the hype that’s so common in most restaurant communication – let’s be more direct, authentic and ultimately more persuasive. Find Charlie Hopper at his website, and his books on Amazon or your bookseller - Nuggets, Nibbles, Morsels, Crumbs and the previous book Selling Eating.

It’s inspiring to talk with restaurant managers who are looking at new strategies to overcome the age-old problem of staff shortages and high turnover. In most areas there are more vacancies than available staff for kitchen positions – the problem is widespread. But that doesn’t mean your business can’t work to minimise the problem and be the preferred employer in your town or street. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Lisa Hobbs and Breanna Lawler from the Dedes Restaurant Group in Sydney (with 8 separate brands). They’re working hard to improve the employee culture at their restaurant workplaces – developing the leadership skills of managers and head chefs. Part of this uses the techniques of Emotional Intelligence to improve staff happiness, develop team performance and reduce burnout. It’s had a significant effect on staff turnover and helping to reduce labour costs - we can all learn from this.

Ever feel like work is just chasing your tail? Managing all the hats you wear in a restaurant or hospitality business: marketing, recruitment, operations and even bookkeeping. And then there are family responsibilities - people at home need attention too! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unable to move forward - you’re busy, but things don’t seem to be improving. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with business coach Maureen Pound, about how she helps managers and business owners to be more effective and bring back satisfaction in their work. We talked about different types of coaching and the big issue of time management. We also discussed to-do lists, accountability and how coaching could work for your managers and chefs. Maureen operates with clients across states and internationally - talk to her about how coaching can improve performance and reduce stress.

In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with Tony Percuoco, one of Australia’s leading Italian restaurateurs. He and his brothers have opened a number of highly-regarded restaurants in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Australia. His current restaurant is Tartufo in Fortitude Valley. Tony and I sat outside the restaurant (hence the atmospheric sounds) and talked about menu and marketing developments, his profit secrets, managing staff and finance, the changing restaurant scene and how to keep customers happy. Here’s a chance to listen and learn from a master!

There are many types of management skills – in this interview Ken Burgin discusses them with communications and leadership coach Carmel Murphy, the Communications Queen. She’s also a senior manager in a restaurant chain, so she knows what’s needed in real life. We went through her list of essential ‘people management’ skills and how these can be developed in young managers and staff who want to take more responsibility. We also talked about personality types, working with cultural differences and overcoming fear – topics of relevance for all of us. You can also hear Carmel in one of our most popular podcasts (#30) on Understanding and Managing Employee Personality Types.

It’s time to turn the ‘problem’ of customer allergies into a positive opportunity for promotion. Let’s stop the eye-rolling and groaning every time a gluten-free or nut-free request comes in, and see that there are thousands of potential customers who will flock to your business if they know their food sensitivies and allergies will be understood and respected. In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with restaurant coach and consultant Joshua Clifton. We discussed the common allergies to be aware of, the dangers of an anaphylactic reaction by someone who encounters food they should not eat (potentially fatal) and Joshua’s personal challenges with this issue. We also talked about the correct wording for menus, the awareness training staff need, and how to manage a busy service while still taking this all into account. He recommends we check the Anaphylaxis Network of Australia, the Primal Pantry in Brisbane and see how Disney foodservice handles the issue at their theme parks.

It’s great to interview Brooke Adey, the manager of Yellow restaurant in Sydney and 2015 Winner of the Appetite for Excellence Young Waiter Award. This is Australia’s premier national award for chefs, waiters and restaurateurs. She happily admits to being a ‘lifer’ in hospitality, and is sharpening her skills in management after a wide range of experience in Adelaide and Sydney restaurants. Brooke says “I have always loved great food and wine, performing and learning, being a waiter allows me to do all of these things and more. As for my service philosophy, I believe you should treat the restaurant like your home, your colleagues like your family and your guests like your friends. Take pride in your venue, from the way it is presented to the energy that it gives; like members of your family, you might not get to pick your team but they can be some of the greatest relationships you will ever have.

It's not hard to write a good advertisement for staff. And most of your competitors' ads are so poorly written that, with a little care, yours will stand out like a beacon. The secret is to offer benefits that match the desires of the people you want to hire. Don’t just talk about what you want, but list in detail the benefits you offer that will appeal to applicants. These are much more than just ‘good pay’. although that’s important. In this podcast Ken Burgin tells you how to get into the mind of an applicant, and put together ads that will get the phone ringing. This works for chef employment, front of house staff and managers - each of these groups have their own requirements and expectations you need to meet. Make use of the Profitable Hospitality Staff Management department and the Staff Management Downloads - we've got your employee management needs covered!

More than 106 million people from China will vacation overseas in 2016 – the numbers are staggering! Just to Australia alone, there will be more than one million visitors, creating massive pressure on travel infrastructure and the staff resources needed to meet demand. The opportunities are fantastic, especially as more than 30% will be independent travellers, looking for good cuisine and great experiences, ready to enjoy the great food, drink and coffee at your restaurant or cafe. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with John Hart, CEO of Restaurant & Catering Australia. John recently travelled to China and has been working closely with Tourism Australia on their extensive China Ready program for restaurants. Welcoming the new wave of Chinese tourists is a very exciting development for foodservice operators everywhere – be prepared!

Ken Burgin talks with Adam Reiner, who says the mission of his website Restaurant Manifesto is about ‘helping people dine more successfully by decoding the secret language of restaurants from an insider’s perspective. Certainly, I have a lot of life lessons from my work in restaurants that I’m happy to discuss with the listeners, but I’d prefer the conversation center more around the themes of how people can become better diners. So many blogs today spend so much energy ranting and raving about how awful restaurant guests are, but precious few come from a place of love or, God forbid, offer the guest any advice on how to use this information more constructively.’ Adam has worked in New York restaurants for almost 20 years. He was a member of the team at Mario Batali’s iconic Italian restaurant, Babbo, for nearly ten years and he currently works for Major Food Group as a captain at Carbone in Greenwich Village. He spent the majority of 2015 living in Hong Kong, where he was hired to be the New York Liaison and

A smart online marketing strategy is essential for modern events – whether they’re conferences, meetings, entertainment, dinners or festivals. Your restaurant, club or bar can have the same promotional success as a big venue if you use imagination and the wide variety of social media and online channels available. In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks with Sheila Scarborough of Tourism Currents, a high-powered trio of smart marketers who share a wealth of information about social media and online marketing for destinations, events and small business success. Sheila has a wealth of ideas on how to make your special occasion a big success, and shows us the importance of having separate strategies for before, during and after the event. 

Why automate? Not because we want to be robots, but it can make replies and communication faster and more reliable. And it also keeps labour costs down. It won’t replace warm smiles and a human voice, but how many calls have you forgotten to return? It’s also about setting up systems that other people can do for you. Some automation involves information coming IN to you eg reports and price information, and other automation sends decisions and information OUT eg email auto-responses, roster updates for staff etc. And some automation replaces time-consuming work with the labour of others eg an online assistant who types up lists or recipes. Start with areas where the most human errors are occurring – slow replies, inaccurate reports, tasks forgotten etc. This is expensive. Use this podcast list to start automating your processes, and send us suggestions if you have other areas that work for you.  Lots more information about developing an efficient and profitable business at Profitable Hospitality.