Profitable Hospitality Podcast

Enjoy this great conversation between Ken Burgin and food writer Barbara Sweeney. We sat ‘at the kitchen table’ and talked about food trends, food writing, publishing, modern consumers and how restaurateurs can connect with this world of constant change. Barbara is the curator of Food & Words food writers’ festival, the ‘Talking Cookbook’ at one of Sydney’s largest farmer’s markets, and a food writer with Good Food, The Sydney Morning Herald and Country Style. She is also a member of TEDxSydney Food Team and a honey judge at Sydney Royal National Honey Show. Find out more about her achievements and interests on her website Barbara Sweeney.

It’s always a pleasure to watch a business grow from a dream, to the planning stage, through site selection, opening nerves and now popularity and profit. That’s how it’s been with the Little Green Corner in Geelong, Victoria, run by Hugh Whitehead. I met Hugh several years ago when he attended the Profitable Hospitality Starting a Cafe or Restaurant Workshop. The business is now open, popular and successful. In this interview, Ken Burgin talks to Hugh about choosing the location, why they keep the menu small, staff selection and scheduling, and working with customer expectations. We also discussed technology, social media and his approach to marketing. And as a bonus, Hugh is completely transparent about food, beverage and wage costs – which are excellent! Lots to learn here if you are starting a new business, or want to take a fresh look at your current operation.

Diversity is a big issue in hospitality, and we employ a United Nations of workers. But when you look at management, it seems to be overwhelmingly ‘white guys’. We can’t keep complaining about lack of skilled staff, when we tolerate the many ways other good talent is excluded from higher-paid positions. In this interview, Ken Burgin talks to Deborah Harris, Associate Professor of Sociology at Texas State University in Austin. She and her colleague Patti Giuffre recently published Taking the Heat – Women Chefs & Gender Inequality in the Professional Kitchen. It’s a detailed and fascinating study of why this trade remains so male dominated, and how to make changes. This is a topic I’ve long wanted to discuss on the podcast, and I was delighted to find this new book and connect with the authors. There’s no shortage of short articles about diversity in foodservice, but it’s rare to have people research the issue so thoroughly and present their findings in such an approachable way. I highly recommend you buy t

There’s always pressure to keep costs down, and we often look first to the vendors who supply us. Big ticket items like meat and seafood attract plenty of attention, and we should also be watching frozen and dry goods, paper and plastic, fruit and vegetables. Some prices are seasonal and others just seem to creep up over time. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Joe Dunbar, the Food Cost Wizard. We discussed negotiation tactics and what makes a ‘good deal’, including price, price stability, availability and delivery. The value of locking in a single supplier for long-term deals, the importance of product specifications, and using online ordering systems and portals. There’s not much Joe hasn’t seen in his many years working with restaurants, foodservice and vendors of all sizes – it was great to tap into his experience!

Is there a bad habit you want to kick, or a healthy habit you want to start and stick to? Maybe it’s smoking, overeating, too much alcohol or the way you react to friends and family. Perhaps you want to start walking and exercise regularly, and not quit like the last time. Sometimes there are bad business habits: disorganised, avoiding issues or reacting impulsively. It can be hard to maintain good habits and stop the bad ones. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with counsellor and therapist Jacqueline Stone of Wise Stress Mastery. She’s put together 10 tried and tested ways to make the changes you want, to stick with them, and succeed! After good habits are repeated often enough, they soon become regular and almost automatic – and that’s a great feeling!

‘Every work position, process, equipment piece and facility in a restaurant has a capacity that can be measured, and therefore, managed.’ This is the positive message from Brian Sill, of restaurant consulting group Deterministics. Since 1985 Brian has been evangelising the merits of an engineering perspective to restaurant executives. In this interview. Ken Burgin talks with Brian Sill about the five key areas to improve operational excellence: reduce variability in work processes, improve the output of work positions, identify and fix bottlenecks, throughput modelling of menus and recipes, and finally developing ‘labor recipes’ for each food and beverage item to understand the true cost of production. No matter what size restaurant, cafe, hotel or bar you operate, the insights and suggestions shared in this interview will help to boost your efficiency, cut costs and increase sales.

Why do some employees want to take it out on their boss, a co-worker or a business? Maybe they quit, or were dismissed: maybe the anger is justified, maybe not. It might be an allegation of unfair dismissal, of bullying or sexual harassment. Maybe they know something about the business that they’re threatening to reveal to a government department. And then there’s all the mischief that can be created with social media comments and review sites, watched by thousands of people. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Richard Edwards of Whites Legal, a Melbourne firm specialising in hospitality businesses. He has helped many owners and managers with employment issues, including a wide variety of staff who want to ‘get even’. We discussed how to make your business more ‘bullet proof’, the skills managers need to intervene and fix problems early, better record keeping, and how to negotiate with government authorities if they start to make inquiries.

We all love customers who appreciate our offer, and aren’t afraid to spend. People who want good food, the best wine and great service – bring it on! These people are often ‘tourists with money’ – they like to travel in comfort and experience the best that’s available in your city, town or countryside. But how do smaller operators attract these visitors – isn’t this all tied up by the big hotels? And what if you’re a cafe, boutique patisserie or quirky bar? In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Jeff Ward, the Savvy Navigator. With many years experience in airlines and travel, he knows all about the expectations of well-heeled travellers from the USA and Europe; he organises tours for these people all the time. We talked about the food & beverage experience they’re after, the value of authenticity, the role of online review sites, and dealing with hotel concierges. You don’t need to be a big, high-priced establishment to access these travellers, but they won’t find you by accident.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a podcast listener who was keen to share his story. Dane Adkins wrote: ‘I'm opening a community café/bar in the beautiful, seaside suburb of Semaphore, South Australia in the not too distant future. Sweet Amber Brew Café will be home to South Australia's tastiest craft beers - and home to those who enjoy drinking them. Our food will be largely inspired by the craft beer revolution with many of the meals using beer as an ingredient, and then paired with particular beers to enhance the tasting experience. All of which will take place in a relaxed, eclectic café-style environment. Whilst listening to your podcast on my morning walk an idea came to mind; many of your interview subjects are already successful hospitality professionals (who offer knowledge through recounting their experiences). However, it would be great to hear the 'real time' experiences of a novice opening and establishing a café. It could be produced and published as an ongoing case study, identifying the sig

Video is the hot format for all types of online marketing – on Facebook and YouTube, or playing on your website. Keep it short, sharp and interesting, and use it to promote a conference or wedding venue, show your dining facilities or bar, the entertainment, behind the scenes in the kitchen, happy staff and happy customers. In this video Ken Burgin talks with video maker and TV presenter Duane Strauss. We discussed the types of video storytelling that work for a venue, how to get the best from a video maker, how to plan content to tell a good story, and how to hold people’s attention. Duane’s craft is making short videos for TV, so he knows how to tell a story that keeps people watching right to the end. You can find him online here. 

Is the work ethic of your young employees frustrating you, or maybe it’s just hard to understand? Your feelings are shared by many hospitality business owners and managers, even of the same age! Maybe we’re trying to fit ‘square pegs into a round holes’... ignoring the terrific skills and aptitude of staff in this younger generation.  These are our future leaders, and in some countries there are now more Millennials working than Baby Boomers - it’s time to be more understanding. GenY or Millennials were born 1980 - 2000 Generation X – between about 1960 - 1980 Baby Boomers – post WW2 to 1964 In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with HR strategist Avril Henry. She is passionate about transforming leadership models, building diversity and reforming out-dated workplace practices. She has worked with organisations of all sizes, from small companies to the Australian Defence Force. We talked about different motivators across generations, how to make feedback relevant, status symbols, training styles, mentoring, b

There’s a lot involved to make your job application concise, interesting, and relevant to the organisation you’re applying to. And in the digital age, many applications are received and sorted electronically, before they are reviewed by a human – so many factors to consider!  In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Catriona Watt, the CV Saviour. We discussed the essential elements of a good CV, how long it should be, and what to leave out. We also discussed the importance of Linkedin, the right and wrong way to talk about your achievements (with her format of Challenge, Action, Result), and what should be included in the Cover Letter. There’s so much great information in this conversation – make sure you also download Catriona’s 20-Point CV Health Check to put you on the front foot and get that interview!  

It's easy for rural towns to feel left behind – a small population, it’s hard to find good staff, and just too far from the action. But there are many rural communities that are thriving – from natural resource booms, agricultural expansion and a growing number of residents from internal migration. At the centre of successful small towns are good cafes, restaurants and bars where people can relax, enjoy a meal and meet with friends – your business can be the heart of the community, if you want it. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with Becky McCray, business owner, resident of Alva, Oklahoma (pop. 5000) and an advocate for the natural strengths of rural towns and small business. She says people from rural areas ‘have characteristics, part of the culture you grew up with, that makes you a stronger and better business person’. Her website Small Biz Survival, her enthusiasm and the hundreds of businesses she connects with give us a big, rich serving of ideas to help make your business dynamic, competitive and p

Lots of people dream about having their own business, but get stopped by a lack of funds. It takes money to buy equipment, renovate premises, legal fees, builders, electricians, marketing and the stock to get started. Maybe the bank will help, or a rich admirer – we wish! Another option is Crowdfunding – where you put an investment proposition together and raise money from a lot of small investors. In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with icecream entrepreneur Scott Kilmartin of VintageIceCreamTruck.com. He’s currently funding the renovation of his vintage icecream truck Grace. Crowdfunding is a great idea and it can be successful IF you prepare properly and understand how the process works. That’s what Scott explains to us in detail – how he’s going through the funding process and how it could work for your new restaurant, cafe or bar. Just recently a country town in Australia raised $600,000 through this process to rebuild their beloved pub that burnt down – anything is possible!  

We usually go all out to ‘win’ – nail down tough conditions and low prices from a supplier, and not give an inch to customers who ask for a better deal. And as for more pay, forget it! Sometimes we win, but sometimes our negotiation ‘foe’ takes their business elsewhere. Then it becomes Win-Lose, not the Win-Win that will put both sides ahead. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with business development consultant Diana Tapp of Real Changes. She has helped hundreds of business owners and managers to develop their negotiation skills and become much more effective with business communication. We discussed negotiation tactics with staff asking for a pay rise, and with organisers who want your ‘very best’ price for an event package (when you’ve already at rock-bottom). We also talked about how to set up an agreement with a new supplier so both parties can move ahead with confidence. It’s easy to just focus on price, price, price – and that usually shows lack of experience. Diana Tapp gives us four winning ways to

The words we’re often so nervous about saying, or hearing: We Need To Talk. It may be an honest conversation with an employee whose performance has slumped, with a business partner about sharing the workload, a supplier about prices, or even with someone in your family. Most people aren’t good at these conversations, and we don’t learn it at home or at school.  In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with Andrea J Lee, a business coach and writer who’s helped hundreds of people to handle interpersonal communication much more effectively. Her new book We Need to Talk sets out a simple and powerful model to help ‘untangle the stuckness’ with the conversations we fear. It can help with money conversations, employee interviews, time-wasting meetings, handling apologies to customers and even just saying No to requests you’re not excited about. We all need to be more assertive and ask better questions – I'm sure you’ll find this interview extremely helpful in all areas of your business and personal life.  

Partnerships sound like a great idea – share the resources, the work and the brain-power. More inputs mean more profit, so 1 + 1 = 3, right? But most partnerships don’t work out as hoped – the expectations were unrealistic, the profits weren’t there, or the division of time and responsibilities led to disagreement. In this interview Ken Burgin talks with lawyer Richard Edwards of Whites Legal. He’s helped many business partners set up a cafe or restaurant, helped others to fine-tune their agreement, and assisted others to end their partnership. Hopefully the termination will be amicable, sometimes it’s not. We discussed essential elements of a partnership agreement, the division of work and profits, buy-sell agreements, and how family members can come into the equation. If you’re planning a partnership for a cafe, restaurant or bar, or you’re in one and have questions, this is an excellent source of information.   Richard was also interviewed in Podcast 93 on Legal Essentials for a New Cafe, Restaurant or Bar

Effective teams need good leaders, and that's the topic of a new book by Gihan Perera – ‘There’s an I in Team’. It upends the cliché that 'there's no I in team', and examines the leadership needed for a modern organisation – effective teams need good leaders, they don’t just wait for the right course of action to emerge. In this interview, Ken Burgin talks with Gihan about the three essentials for an effective leader in the digital age: Be a Leader People Want to Follow, Build a Team They Want to Be a Part Of, and Reach Out to a World that Wants to Help. Gihan Perera has a unique ability to make management concepts clear and achievable – you will enjoy the many insights he has for all of us in hospitality. You can buy the book in paper or digital format at There’s an I in Team, and follow Gihan on Twitter and LinkedIn.    

So much social media activity done by business is random and inconsistent, with little thought as to how it will lead to sales. Hospitality venues miss so many photo opportunities, and use the same sales pitches that they use everywhere else. But social media is about connections and conversation, not just being talked at! In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks with Holly Galbraith of Go Future Media. Holly is an experienced tourism marketer with great hospitality experience, and a strong desire for businesses to put a social media strategy together before they go firing off Facebook updates and tweeting in all directions! Amongst the many topics covered, we discussed the content ‘pillars’ that can support your social media, how to choose the right platforms, how to maintain consistency and how to measure results. You can also hear Holly on her own Tourism Tweetup podcast and find her on Twitter.  

Let’s face it – a lot of wine dinners, tastings and events are dull and a bit disappointing. Too much talk, too many frowns, and not enough of the enjoyment and pleasure that wine is all about. They don’t help to grow the audience for wine, or they're not events that people rush back to. In this interview Ken Burgin talks to Dan Sims – he’s committed to ‘producing large scale events for wine drinkers that are informative, interactive and not in the slightest bit scary.’ His company Bottleshop Concepts produces the wildly popular wine events Pinot Palooza, the new Game of Rhones and many more. They’re full of fun, passion and attract a younger (and more female) demographic – wine with enthusism, not snoozing. If you want to bring your restaurant wine list, staff training and wine events to life, you’ll find this podcast full of inspiration.