Resolutions to pep up your business - The Caterer - 10 February 2005

With Christmas and New Year's Eve out of the way, there's a tendency for restaurant and bar owners and managers to take their foot off the gas. However, this is the perfect time to put a few New Year resolutions into place for your business.

• Implement business strategies that are common in other industries but are ignored by most restaurants and bars, especially independents. These include thoroughly checking the references of all applicants, conducting regular marketing activities, and creating and using a customer database.
• Hold regular staff meetings. This helps to motivate and educate staff, and is an excellent form of market research. Staff can tell you what customers like and dislike about your establishment.
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• Resolve to continually train your staff. Training shouldn't end a couple of weeks after an employee starts work..
• Most people feel the urge to get fit and healthy in the new year, so your food and drink menus should reflect this. Items such as fresh-fruit smoothies and salads will help to attract customers trying to detox in January.
• Information supplied by Guy Holmes at Captivate Restaurants