Tag Archives: beer and wine

Do You Have a Reservation?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 26, 2010
Driving home one day I noticed a cute new restaurant that had just opened in my neighborhood and I made plans to try it out. A few days later I arrived around 6 pm ready to savor their atmosphere, cuisine and alcoholic beverages. Stepping in, I noticed the place had a full bar and also [...]
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Confessions of a Cook Turned Restaurant Entrepreneur

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 9, 2010
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 [...]
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Is Your Menu Varied Enough to Accomodate Vegetarians?

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 2, 2010
I recently went to dinner at a local French restaurant with a new friend only to discover that he is a committed vegetarian. Oops! While he was gracious and made do with bread, salad and soup, the experience reminded me of a growing trend as restaurants widen their menus to accommodate those who are lessening [...]
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The Three Most Highly Ranked Factors in Selecting Fine Dining Restaurants

By Jon Mejia | Published: July 1, 2010
A recent survey by industry maven Restaurant Rx indicates that diners are likely to visit their “favorite” upscale restaurant within the next 3 months. One important finding is that fine diners prefer one-of-a-kind establishments over upscale national chains by a margin of  81% vs. 19%. The three most highly ranked factors in selecting fine dining [...]
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When is Too Loud a Problem for a Bar or Restaurant?

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 29, 2010
Are quieter restaurants and bars a trend? Loud, crowded dining rooms and cocktail parties fueled by too many drinks can be a turnoff to many of your customers. One way to turn the volume down in your bar or restaurant is to pad the walls. To be sure, you’ll want to have enough buzz going [...]
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Is This the Most Exotic Whiskey in the World?

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 18, 2010
If you find beer and wine passe and conventional designer cocktails bore you, or if the Tequila worm is too tame for your manly taste buds, get a load of this alcoholic beverage — real Cobra Snake & Scorpion Whiskey. That’s right, each bottle of whiskey holds a real Cobra snake with a scorpion in [...]
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How to Make Every Alcoholic Beverage Known to Man, From A to Z

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 17, 2010
Here’s a great resource for home, bar or restaurant. drinkindex.com If you started from the first entry under the letter A and made it to the last entry under letter Z, you will make the Guinness Book of World Records for having too much fun. Keep in mind that this covers just distilled spirits. There’s [...]
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How to Make Your Restaurant Too Tempting to Ignore

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 15, 2010
“I can resist anything but temptation” So said British wit and bon vivant, Oscar Wilde. This quip holds more than a kernel of truth. We are all attracted to temptation. From delicious food and refreshing drinks to works of art and gracious spaces, the human spirit is nourished by the finer things of life. I [...]
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Is the Lighting in Your Restaurant or Bar A Turn Off or Truly Extraordinary?

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 14, 2010
Lighting. Too much and you feel like you’re being interrogated by the police. Too little and it loses it’s power to charm. To me lighting is, without a doubt, one of the most important features of a bar or restaurant. Along with the right music, lighting can create the perfect atmosphere for an exquisite dining [...]
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What Can the Hospitality Industry Teach Bars and Restaurants? Lots!

By Jon Mejia | Published: June 10, 2010
The hospitality industry has learned several important lessons about social media that operators of bar and restaurant owners can apply to enhance their business model. These include: carefully listen to customers and adapt your offerings and messages accordingly speak in your brand’s voice to engage your customers people are just as likely to post a [...]
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