How the iPod May Revolutionize the Restaurant Business

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 16, 2010

You say you want a revolution?

iPod’s aren’t just about music anymore. There are two guys from Canada who think they can start a revolution in the restaurant industry using the device.

Michael Benaroch and Emanuel Vintila, owner of Cluster Systems and Technologies, are now selling point-of-sale terminals to restaurants using an iPod Touch.

Waiters enter the order on the iPod, which connects to a printer in a kitchen. It also hooks up to another printer that can produce bills for customers. Waiters can also have a portable printer so that their invoices can be printed on the spot.

The device can be used at restaurants and bars.

Advantages of the mobile device:

  1. It eliminates jotting orders in a notebook then entering them into a large touchscreen terminal for meal preparation and invoice purposes
  2. It makes service faster and more efficient, thus increasing turnover rates
  3. It costs just $600 for a fully loaded iPod (compared with a second point-of-sale terminal that costs between $2,000 and $3,000
  4. The technology is relatively easy to use
  5. Training takes about 20 minutes

If the system works well in Canada, expect to see a US version in the near future.

Cheers!

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Arizona Rolls Back its Sunday Liquor Sales Hours

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 15, 2010

Arizona is rolling back its Sunday liquor sales.

Arizona is rolling back the hours that liquor can be served on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m.

The new law takes effect on the first Sunday in August.

Most bar owner feel the early Sunday alcohol sales could bring in several more hundred dollars a day.

According to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, the change affects 11,273 businesses statewide.

The change was approved with little opposition and should be a benefit to both business owners and consumers.

Cheers!

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How to Make a Margarita Without Having a Full Liquor License

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 14, 2010

You can now make a Margarita with no hard alcohol.

A new product by AL-RITE called Steve’s Sugar-free Margarita contains just 12% alcohol. That means you can sell this alcoholic beverage with just a beer and wine license.

“We wanted to make a great tasting, sugarfree cocktail that can sell without a liquor license and is kosher, and the truth is it took years to develop. We have created a drink which not only tastes great and freezes beautifully, but will actually change the Ready To Drink cocktail market forever.” Steve Bragg – President

So whether you own a convenience store or restaurant with only a beer and wine license, this product is sure to appeal to many of your customers.

Next sugar-free flavors in Steve’s line of RTD cocktails will be Cosmo and Long Island Tea, launching in September 2010, also in 1L and the 375 ml PET bottles.

Cheers!

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Should a Sommelier Taste Your Wine Before You Do?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 13, 2010

Should the first sip belong to the sommelier?

A recent article in the New York Times reminded me of one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever experienced.

I was on vacation in Vancouver B.C. and, not having made reservations, I found myself ducking into an unknown restaurant that, from the exterior, looked charming enough.

My partner and I surveyed the menu and asked the friendly waitress about their wine selection. It was clear from her answer that she was clueless when it came to wine.

Feeling wary, I asked for a taste of a Merlot. When it arrived it was obvious the wine had turned and was undrinkable. I asked for a second taste of a Cabernet only to have the same result. When I asked for a third taste the restaurant owner came to the table, opened a new bottle of wine for me to try and insinuated that the other two wines I’d rejected were fine.

At this point, rather than leave as I should have done, I settled for an inferior glass of wine to accompany an equally inferior meal.

My answer to the question posed in this posting, Should a Sommelier Taste Your Wine Before You Do?, is absolutely yes!

I’d far rather a wine steward or restaurant owner or even a restaurant server know if they are presenting a product that is worthwhile because you never have a second change to make a good first impression.

Cheers!

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How to Pair the Perfect Wine to Cheese and Food

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 12, 2010

The perfect tool to match wine and cheese.

Have you ever found yourself in a market staring at an endless wall of wine bottles trying to decide which goes best with the cheese you just bought?

If so, the folks at Wisconsin Cheese have come up with a nifty on-line tool that takes the guess work out of pairing wine and cheese.

With a click of your mouse you now know that Asiago cheese goes well with Cabernet Sauvignon and that Brie and Chardonnay are delightful together.

So whether you use this tool for a home gathering or for Happy Hour at your restaurant, you’ll probably find this pairing tool quite useful.

Cheers!

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Confessions of a Cook Turned Restaurant Entrepreneur

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 9, 2010

Aldea Restaurant

After fifteen years working as a chef in other people’s restaurant,  George Mendes opened his New York restaurant, Aldea, specializing in Portuguese food. He is at his restaurant for every service, lunch and dinner, six days a week.

After one year in business, here are some of his insights for success:

  • always satisfy the customer
  • love the interaction with your customers
  • keep your staff motivated and happy
  • alter your menu regularly
  • offer a tasting menu that’s not on the a la carte menu
  • master customer relations

Most restaurants find that to be competitive and satisfy customer demand, they must also provide alcoholic beverages, if not a full line of distilled spirits, then at least beer and wine.

Our hat is off to George and anyone else who pursues their dream.

Cheers!

Confessions of a Cook Turned Restaurant Entrepreneur

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Do You Need a Fixed Bar to Serve Your Customers Cocktails?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 8, 2010

Tableside cocktail mixing is good entertainment.

Answer: No.

All you really require is a competent bartender, a state issued full liquor license and a portable bar. Bingo, you’re now offering your customers a full complement of alcoholic beverages.

If your restaurant is too small to accommodate a fixed bar, the table-side cocktail service is made to order.

“When you don’t have a bar itself, so much of the show and experience is the sound of the shaking drink, the look of it being poured into the glass. There’s something so very visceral, and that’s one of the great things about being able to do tableside service.” Toby Maloney of Alchemy Consulting

While perhaps not the best example, think of the drink service provided by airlines. Now multiply that by a customer service factor of 1000 and you have delicious handcrafted cocktails to offer your customers.

The key is to make sure your table-side drinks are as good, or better, as one you’d get at a bar.

So if you’d like to know how to get a liquor license for your bar or restaurant, give me a call. I’d be happy to help you secure one.

Cheers!

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Can a “Local Drink” Philosophy Make Your Customers Happy?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 7, 2010

Local wines complement the locavore movement.

The locavore, or local food, movement is all about eating local meats and produce. The idea is to eat food that is fresher and doesn’t have to travel great distances, making the dining experience greener.

Locally produced craft beer and locally made wines are, of course, the natural complements to the local food movement.

One way to promote local libations is the “all-American” approach. It’s also a compelling story for your customers to learn that the locally produced steak is a neighbor to the winery that produces the delectable Merlot on your menu. For many, the green aspect is also quite appealing.

If your state is not yet producing the quality of wine you’d like to serve, start with the All-American approach and offer California, Washington, Oregon and New York wines. Eventually, as the wines get better, you can get closer to home.

Be sure you know your wines yourself, otherwise, hire a talented sommelier (a wine pro) to ensure your wines match your menu.

Between tasting menus and happy hour specials, you’ll soon create a new stream of customers eager to try locally grown and produced fare and libations at your restaurant.

Cheers!

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How Important are ‘Word of Mouth’ Recommendations to Your Restaurant or Bar?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 6, 2010

Word of mouth recommendations can make or break your bar or restaurant.

According to a consumer survey conducted during May and June by Market Force Information, the answer is simple.

Critical.

The results also confirm social media’s increasingly critical role in communicating with restaurant patrons. About half now indicate that they sometimes read online reviews and blog and tweet about restaurants.

“Very satisfied” customers — those giving a five out of five rating to a restaurant — were found to be three times more likely to recommend (both online and offline) a restaurant to friends than merely “satisfied” customers.

So what are customers looking for in a dining experience?

  • great-tasting meals,
  • healthy meals,
  • portion control (not too much food on a plate), and
  • locally grown foods

It’s also important to offer your customers their drinks of choice. This often means a full line of distilled spirits as well as beer and wine.

So be sure you hit the four points shown above, perhaps throw in some craft beer and cocktails, and let the word go out via social media that your restaurant is on the map.

Cheers!

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Are Celebrity Bartenders the Next Big Thing?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 5, 2010

Can Celebrity Bartenders help boost your business?

Do you remember Tom Cruise in Cocktail?

Well, it seems that at least in New York, reality is now mimicking fiction. Bye-bye celeb karaoke DJ and hello Celebrity Bartender!

I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make. Cocktail

At selected bars around New York, bartender’s who have developed a following are encouraged to place one of their signature cocktails on the drinks menu.

Bar owners in New York are also experimenting with barrel-aged cocktails, a new trend, in which the ingredients of a mixed drink marry in an oak cask for several weeks before being poured into a glass.

Will celebrity bartenders work in your town? There’s only one way to know. The take-away for me from this new trend is that creativity will always find a way to generate business. Just make sure you have a full liquor license, a well-stocked bar and the hottest mixologists in your area, and you too can bring in a whole new crowd to your bar or restaurant.

So stop thinking out of the box, and start thinking out of the bottle.

Cheers!

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