9 Back Burner Posts That Will Boost Your Profits

After three months and 124 posts, The Back Burner is fast becoming a wealth of information for anyone involved in the restaurant industry.  The downside of putting up so much content, however, is that some really good posts kind of get lost in the mix and are quickly buried in the archives.

That’s why we’re starting a new series of posts that bring some of these “oldies but goodies” back to the surface in case you missed them the first time.  Recent news has suggested that food service might finally be turning around, and as we look forward to a brighter summer (couldn’t get worse, right?), take a moment to peruse these 9 Back Burner posts that will help your establishment pile the black onto your bottom line.

1. Engineer Your Menu – Discover some simple menu layout strategies that are proven to improve check averages and get your customers buying rather than looking.

2. Improve Your Restaurant’s Energy Efficiency – Having a green restaurant isn’t just a hot buzzword, it’s a great way to brand your restaurant, build customer loyalty, and slash expenses.  Get some front-of-house energy saving tips here.

3.  The Economics of Free – It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but giving things away for “free” can actually help you build your customer base and boost profits.

4. Why Fast Food Lunch Is Good For Your Restaurant – Value minus time equals a busy lunch rush.  Learn to market your lunch menu properly and fill your establishment all week long.

5. Dirty Restrooms Will Keep Patrons Away – Sometimes it’s the simple things that can affect customer retention and therefore profits.  A recent poll shows just how badly a dirty restroom reflects on your restaurant.

6. Should You Cut Costs In Payroll? – When profits are suffering, it’s tempting to cut costs where you tend to spend the most: payroll.  Unfortunately, this can turn out to be a sharp double-edged sword.  Learn more here.

7. The 4 R’s Of Driving Server Sales – Well trained servers are the engine driving your restaurant’s sales.  Learn how to turn that engine into a well-oiled machine that fires on all cylinders.

8. Use A Bar Spotter To Increase Profits – As tips decline for bartenders, the bar and restaurant industry have turned to “secret shoppers” for help reducing graft and improving sales for bartenders.

9. How To Improve Dessert Sales – Selling dessert is probably one of the toughest jobs any server will encounter.  Get some tips on how to help your customers go from saying “No” to saying “Yes.”