| According to statistics released by the Federal | | | | their authority. |
| Reserve, Personal Savings in 2008 were nearly 5 | | | | A new wave over the past few years (and I did |
| times greater than in 2005. As a percentage of | | | | this in my last restaurant) was that all of the |
| income, this figure doubled again in January and | | | | servers had the authority to say "YES" to any |
| February 2009. | | | | special requests if they knew that we had the |
| At a recent food service seminar, the CFO of a | | | | wherewithal to make it happen. There was a |
| major international food conglomerate stood in a | | | | grocery store nearby, and we even |
| room with hundreds of restaurant owners and in | | | | accommodated extra special requests if we could |
| a brilliant presentation challenged that if a | | | | send a utility person to the store. |
| restaurant was not making money today, it is its | | | | Fast forward to today.. |
| own fault, and could not blame the economy. | | | | 1. Thousands of choices of wines. (who can know |
| Dollars are still going out in record numbers. What | | | | all about them..) Many of today's diners, instead of |
| has changed is where are these dollars going.. | | | | "choosing a wine" which the server kept bringing |
| In the past several years there has been a shift | | | | bottles to the table during the course of a meal, |
| in the way many people are dining out. | | | | pick a bottle to have "with the meal". |
| 10 years ago, if my parents went out to eat, | | | | 2. Cocktails, craft beers and glasses of wine will |
| they went to a nice restaurant, ordered apps, | | | | be served before, during and after the meal. It is |
| entrees, deserts and wine with the meal. You did | | | | much more bearable to pay 5 dollars for 4 |
| not share entrees, or worse yet, split an entree. | | | | cocktails than 35.00 for a bottle of wine. If they |
| The format of dining out was set and you did not | | | | want the wine, it will more likely be a glass. |
| ask for anything special, or heaven forbid asking | | | | 3. Flexibility in ordering. Apps as entrees, entrees |
| for a substitution. | | | | shared and split among the table, people who join |
| I will skip the lengthy transition and fast forward | | | | the table and only order drinks and no food, |
| to today's consumer. (However, I love to talk | | | | cocktails and glasses of wine during the meal |
| about it, so call me if you want to hear more...) | | | | (even if a bottle is present). Patterns in ordering |
| What has changed: | | | | food seem to no longer exist. With the advent of |
| Let's take Joe for example (not his real name). | | | | today's POS systems, you can (and had better) |
| Joe was reared by parents who both worked. | | | | split all checks, and be ready to split individual |
| With both parents working, Joe was on his own | | | | items between guests. |
| for meals most of the time. This involved Fast | | | | Guests demand flexibility and choice. The |
| Food, or Microwave food. Joe never learned how | | | | successful restaurants have learned to increase |
| to cook. Now Joe is married to Sue (also, not her | | | | the perception of value, and give people a choice |
| real name) Sue also has never learned to cook, | | | | to eat whatever they want (they have been |
| being brought up with the convenience of fast | | | | doing this in Europe forever).. In Spain, most |
| food, microwave dinners and everyone's favorite, | | | | menus offer a Racion (full portion) or as Tapas |
| a 99 cent box of macaroni and cheese. | | | | (to share). Dining in the US has become THE |
| Joe and Sue are fresh out of college and at 23 | | | | entertainment for many people. Not dinner before |
| years old, they eat out almost 5 times each | | | | a show or movie, many times the night in a |
| week. Joe and Sue will go into a restaurant on a | | | | restaurant IS the "Night Out" |
| special occasion and drink cocktails before dinner, | | | | The art of entertaining at home has dwindled with |
| maybe a bottle of wine with dinner, and a beer or | | | | a newer generation of people who did not learn |
| another cocktail after dinner. | | | | how to cook and entertain. If you cater to this |
| Joe wants to go into a restaurant and order two | | | | market of young professionals or a "hip" crowd, |
| appetizers, which he splits with Sue, one entree, | | | | the restaurants that are doing well, are either |
| which he shares with Sue. On Tuesday, Joe | | | | "Value Focused" or an extension of their own |
| wants to be able to go into his favorite restaurant | | | | home, a place to do what you want, how you |
| wearing jeans and a t-shirt (ok, its a hundred | | | | want it, and when you want it. |
| dollar t shirt) and sit at the bar and have a beer | | | | Are you going to be a success in your new |
| and a hamburger and be left alone. Saturday is | | | | venture? Make sure you throw out your |
| Sue's Birthday, and they will dress up, go to the | | | | pre-conceived notions of what people want, and |
| same restaurant and order wine, apps entrees | | | | go visit some of the restaurants that have a line |
| and dessert- in the same restaurant. Next week, | | | | out the door. You can bet that they have opened |
| for Granny's birthday, they want to go to the | | | | a restaurant that gives the people what they |
| same restaurant for a nice birthday party with | | | | want, instead of giving them what the restaurant |
| Granny with a table of 10 (separate checks (you | | | | owner feels the need to give them. |
| better be ready)) and orders will run the gamut | | | | There are institutions that have been in business |
| from 1 beer for "seat 1" apps, entrees, desserts | | | | for a long time, and there will always be |
| and wine for "seats 2 and 3" and everyone else | | | | anomalies, however this is the future of the |
| will order things ranging from glasses of wine to | | | | restaurant business. |
| five course meals. | | | | I am stuck in the generation between my |
| Flexibility is the key. | | | | parents, and young professionals of today. I will |
| I was invited to dinner at a restaurant with some | | | | always remember my mom afraid to differ from |
| friends. After meeting there and watching | | | | the "Norm" (whatever she believed that was) and |
| everyone have some apps, drinks and wine, I | | | | still feel a twinge of something when sit down at |
| noticed that no one was eating a "traditional meal" | | | | a table of 10 friends and order a beverage, |
| (whatever "traditional" really means). This was a | | | | calamari app, and dessert, because that is what I |
| first for me. It was decided that we would go to | | | | want at that particular moment.. |
| a neighborhood watering hole for the rest of the | | | | Today's consumers demand Value. With |
| evening. The checks were delivered. The check | | | | everything most people do today, they will be |
| average was still nice, and the server smiled and | | | | conscious of value. |
| received great tips. Everyone was happy. I was | | | | Do you encourage this freedom of choice and |
| fascinated. | | | | present a "perceived" value? |
| Years ago when I was working the floor, It was | | | | Perception is Reality. Restaurant owners who step |
| unheard of to go to a restaurant and "mix and | | | | back and understand their customers "perception" |
| match".. Back then, no one had the nerve to ask | | | | will almost always be successful. |
| the chef to split up orders of food (or you just | | | | My last thought: Isn't this the way it should have |
| brought an empty plate and maybe charged a | | | | always been? |
| "split charge"... Chefs ruled, and no one questioned | | | | |