Welcome to Pate Dawson. Log in or Register

The Library...

We scour the internet daily to find the most helpful and pertinent information for you and your business, always keeping our eyes and ears open for new ways to help promote your success.

Here is a collection of some of the best ideas and knowledge that we have found... 

Best Practices

  • Eight Basics of Cost Control

    (By Eric F. Nusbaum, PhD, CHA)

    Recently I have been getting a lot of phone calls from operators experiencing food, beverage, and labor cost problems.  Given the stagnant economy, increase in competition from new chain units, and rising costs of ingredients, the need to control costs is understandable. Now is probably a good time for a refresher on the basic principles of cost control. 

Food Safety

  • Safety Tips For Cooking Meat

    (By Bill Tomson)   Meat cutters at grocery stores aren't necessarily trained to address health issues regarding meat. But harmful bacteria like salmonella and E.coli are often present on raw meat. Here are some ways to remove the threat.

The Bottom Line

Service

  • Food & Beverage - Rudeness, Manners & Etiquette: what should staff know?

    (By Ken Burgin)  Chances are they can take orders, serve, clear and be reasonably attentive...But if schools and parents forgot to teach the finer points of etiquette, you'll have to be coach, tutor and guide - you set the standard. Walk it through and practice the words, don't just write it a list: most learn best by doing and talking, not reading text books.
    How good are staff with these finer points?

    Conversation on the phone: how formal or casual should they be? How is advice given on directions and location? Do staff know how to make light of problem situations like parking or if you're booked out? How confidently do they describe food, wine lists and prices?

  • 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

     

     (by Bruce Buschel)  Here is a modest list of do's and don'ts for servers at the seafood restaurant I am building. Veteran waiters, moonlighting actresses, libertarians and baristas will no doubt protest some or most of what follows.
     
    They will claim it homogenizes them or stifles their true nature. And yet, if 100 different actors play Hamlet, hitting all the same marks, reciting all the same lines, cannot each one bring something unique to that role?
     

Marketing Strategies

  • The Brave New World Of Social Media
    (Source: Technomic/American Express MarketBrief)  
    Social media are relatively inexpensive and easily accessible platforms that encourage online sharing of information. As such, they can be used to communicate, collaborate, provide entertainment, and offer reviews and opinions; they have also become a great way to exchange news and opinions about restaurants.
  • Your Crew Is Your Brand

    (By Christopher Wolf)  Think of your crew training as a marketing project and your brand experience will benefit.
  • 9 More Ways Restaurants Can Use Social Media

    (Allison Perlik, Senior Editor -- Restaurants and Institutions)  For foodservice operators who still aren't sure how to work social-networking sites to their advantage, R&I shares a host of helpful ideas straight from the trenches.
  • How to Use Twitter for Restaurant & Bar Marketing

    Modern marketing is about conversations, not just one-way broadcasting.

    Twitter is a great tool for online or 'social media' marketing: it's free, and only needs a small time commitment. It's also a good way to 'find your voice' and practice writing short sales messages. If you have time to write one promotional text message each week, you can manage Twitter!