O'Dell Restaurant Consulting Blog

Through the coordinated effort of a food service friend and veteran, and others who have donated time and resources, a program has been started to send portion control packaged condiments to our brave soldiers fighting in Afganistan and Iraq. While I haven’t had the pleasure of tasting the MRE’s made for our soldiers to eat, I’m told that [...]

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I just finished reading my pre-publication, review copy of The Chef’s Commandments: Maximize your kitchen’s profitability by J.A. Mendez from Pineapple Publications. Good read.
To be honest, I have to tell you that I was interviewed for this book, and the publisher used some of my blogs and articles for content, so I may be biased. Either way, [...]

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That’s an important question. There isn’t enough reporting and record keeping in the restaurant business. Many chain restaurant can see by the end of the week whether they made money or not. Most independents have to wait until their account returns the monthly numbers anywhere from 4 days to 4 weeks after the end of [...]

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If you don’t already have 2 to 3 primary colors you use in your logo, signage, marketing, and indoor and outdoor decor, then pick some! A color scheme will help people identify you. If you keep the same color scheme congruent in all facets of your restaurant, new customers will find you more easily, and [...]

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Do:
Concentrate your marketing efforts and dollars on people who already know you.
Don’t:
Try to be all things to all people. Find your niche.
Do:
Incorporate a few “signature” items into your menu. Having items that your competitors don’t have gives your customers a reason to come to you instead of them.
Don’t:
Depend solely on word of mouth marketing. Word [...]

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