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Operations and Maryland
February 26, 2014
In the restaurant industry, success depends on a strong brand concept that is successfully executed, tightly managed for profitability, and delivers a consistent customer experience. The challenge facing the leaders of food and beverage operations is how to successfully align leadership, management, and staff in accomplishing these objectives. In our experience, the most successful organizations have maintained competitive advantage and realized profitable revenue growth by establishing core values that help everyone make decisions that best support the brand.
Core values are the...
February 26, 2014
Restaurants consume five to seven times more energy than other businesses. From long operating hours to energy-intensive food preparation, it’s easy to see why restaurants use such a high amount of energy. Unfortunately, this means that restaurants also waste more energy than a typical business. In fact, according to Pacific Gas and Electric, the food service industry wastes around $8 billion in energy every year. In the District, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) offers rebates on everything from energy-efficient stoves and fryers to refrigeration and HVAC upgrades that can...
February 14, 2014
By Betsy Craig (CEO and founder of MenuTrinfo®)
A senate bill was passed on January 23rd, 2014 in Maryland that mandates all commercial kitchens to have allergy awareness training . Beginning March 1st, 2015, it will be mandatory for food establishments in Maryland to have one employee on the premises at all times who have completed a food allergen awareness training course and passes an accredited test approved by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Of those individuals who have gone through training, one employee must be available to discuss meal options with customers...
January 8, 2014
By Julian Hattem, The Hill
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is backing down from a fight over a contentious regulation that would have required most businesses to display posters about union rights.
Two federal appeals courts struck down the rules in separate cases last year, ruling that they amounted to an overreach from the labor rights agency.
The NLRB’s last recourse to save the rules was to appeal to the Supreme Court. On Monday, it declined to take that step, effectively killing the regulations for good.
Read More.
December 18, 2013
Are your GAS and ELECTRICITY costs hurting your bottom line? Let's see if we can help you reduce your costs, increase profits and potentially earn FREE ENERGY.
As Independent Consultants with Ambit Energy, we offer you the opportunity to reduce your cost with competitive rates and potentially FREE ENERGY. There is NO COST to taking advantage of the savings we offer. Our goal is to help you save money and earn FREE ENERGY!
For a free evaluation of how much you can save, e-mail Clayton or Alva Bourges at usave12@gmail.com. You may also call us at 703-863-4086 or...
October 1, 2013
Business owners can reduce operating costs by evaluating energy expenses. A new report, Best Practices: Electricity Procurement, discusses the major impact that electricity costs have on middle-market operating budgets. View the report for information and best practices regarding how to select the right electricity supplier, what to consider before signing a contract, and which hidden items impact your final electricity bill. You can also benchmark your energy usage and costs, and become better equipped to make smart energy-related decisions. View the report.
October 1, 2013
Jason Dangle, Fishbowl SM3 Team
It happens to every restaurant at some point. A bad day has led to a displeased guest. In the old days, you might have to deal with negative word of mouth. But, with the rise of websites like Yelp, a bad review can have a boomerang effect, impacting the bottom line of a restaurant substantially over time.
Fishbowl’s SM3 team works with restaurants every day to alleviate the damage a bad review can create. Over time, they’ve developed a system of best practices to give you the confidence to deal with harsh criticism. We sat down with SM3...
September 23, 2013
Tony Ventre, Heartland Restaurant Solutions Insights
For restaurateurs, mobile payment acceptance solutions are giving new meaning to the saying “think outside the box.” By transforming smartphones and tablets into mobile point-of-sale systems and providing the freedom to accept credit/debit/gift card payments from anywhere at any time, mobile payments enable you to take your business beyond your four walls.
With the use of mobile payments, many restaurateurs are taking advantage of untapped sales opportunities. Consider utilizing mobile technology to facilitate...
September 4, 2013
Julie Jargon, Wall Street Journal
Gratuities Added for Larger Groups Will Be Taxed as Service Charges
An updated tax rule is causing restaurants to rethink the practice of adding automatic tips to the tabs of large parties.
Starting in January, the Internal Revenue Service will begin classifying those automatic gratuities as service charges—which it treats as regular wages, subject to payroll tax withholding—instead of tips, which restaurants leave up to the employees to report as income.
The change would mean more paperwork and added costs for the restaurants—...
June 30, 2013
Michelle Basch, WTOP
Nearly a year and a half after Montgomery County's 5-cent bag tax took effect, a public hearing was held Tuesday night to consider possible tweaks.
A bill being considered by the Montgomery County Council would scale back the tax so it only applies to food stores. A food store would be defined as any retail store where food makes up more than 2 percent of gross sales by dollar value.
The bill would make takeout food bags exempt from the tax.
Read more: http://www.wtop.com/41/3362788/Exemptions-proposed-to-Montgomery-Countys-bag-tax
June 3, 2013
When Is a Tip Just a Tip?
Tipping in the hospitality industry is considered the normal course of business. However, the IRS considers tipping, in certain situations, to be taxed differently through payroll. Employers in this industry now need to be diligent in their recordkeeping. ...
