Expert Advice Archives - Page 17 of 30 - Brand Points Plus
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    • In our increasingly digital age, it’s important for your restaurant to have a website. It’s become even more so in light of pandemic restrictions and consumer hesitancy about dining out. But you need more than a sharp-looking site that simply provides information. Your website should be an operational force for you and an inviting and functional experience for guests.

    So, what’s a small, independent restaurant without the resources and technical know-how of one of the big guys to do?

    Greenbridge Foodservice’s Brand Points PLUS program and the independent-restaurant-focused platform Sociavore have collaborated to offer small restaurant operators customizable websites with everything they need to compete on an equal footing with the big players.

    Sociavore understands the needs of independent restaurant operators

    Kristen Storer, Greenbridge’s VP of marketing and operations, says they were looking for ways to help operators with their technology needs but found that a lot of service providers focused only on the big chains. “And then we came across Sociavore. They are completely aligned with Greenbridge; that is, focused on the independent operator in Canada.”

    Amina Gilani, Sociavore’s co-founder and COO, says the all-in-one platform was built to help independent restaurants manage their business online. “We have all the features that you need to really create an amazing digital guest experience and allow you to sell through your own website and strengthen your guest relationships.”

    Sociavore is based on first-hand knowledge of the needs of independent restaurants. Gilani’s co-founder, husband Thusenth Dhavaloganathan, grew up working in his family’s restaurant. Later he and Gilani, who both worked in software at different companies, built tools to help his father market his restaurant. That’s when they realized there wasn’t a platform specifically designed to help independent restaurants with the digital side of their business.

    “That’s why we started Sociavore,” Gilani says. “It’s really based on our needs coming from an independent restaurant, knowing what they need day-to-day. It’s operations-focused, so the back end is built from the ground up for independent restaurants, based on their needs.” 

    Customizable websites for restaurants

    “Sociavore has been a beneficial tool for our company. Its capabilities were integral in keeping us on top of communication during these challenging times.” 

    Cindy Perri, brand guardian for the Charcoal Group of restaurants

    Cindy Perri, brand guardian for the Charcoal Group of restaurants, says, “Sociavore is an extremely user-friendly platform that allows us to make changes and updates quickly. The fact it specializes in the hospitality industry gives it that added bit of understanding to anticipate our needs. Sociavore has been a beneficial tool for our company since our partnership began, but especially during the last year with all the changes the restaurant industry has experienced. Its capabilities were integral in keeping us on top of communication during these challenging times.” 

    Professional, customizable, easy-to-build websites

    Sociavore offers a user-friendly website builder with a variety of designs so your online presence is a virtual representation of your restaurant. “Like social media feeds, your website is an online extension of your physical location’s experience…. I like to refer to it as our online hospitality experience and Sociavore is an important part of bringing that to life,” Perri says.

    You can use any or all of the features, including:

    Sociavore seamlessly integrates with many services restaurants may already be using, including reservations systems like OpenTable and Resy, social media platforms, email marketing software and many POS systems. 

    Contactless ordering
    Online menus
    Digital payments

    The online ordering delivery options illustrate Sociavore’s flexibility. “The restaurant can choose who fulfills the order,” Gilani says. “Some restaurants do the deliveries themselves, use a local delivery network, [or] can use our DoorDash Drive integration.” They also integrate with third-party delivery services.

    When it comes to measuring results, Gilani adds, “We have all the metrics that you need to be able to see who’s landing on your site and how your site is helping grow your business.” They also integrate with third-party analytics like Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics.

    Robust support if you have questions

    Although using Sociavore doesn’t require technical skills, they understand users may still have questions. Extensive video and written documentation along with chat support give users the know-how they need to solve problems while building their restaurant website.

     “The Sociavore team is always willing to help and listen to user suggestions,” Perri says. “They don’t hesitate to implement an update or additional function if it is beneficial to all of their customers. I actually view them as an extension of our marketing team.”

    The Brand Points PLUS advantage – Sociavore plans

    Three levels of service are available under the Brand Points PLUS/Sociavore alignment. Restaurant operatorscan choose month-to-month or annual plans, and there are no contracts. Brand Points PLUS members can visit Sociavore website to see plan and pricing details.

    With the Essential plan, restaurants build their websites themselves. “We built it in a unique way so you don’t need to know how to code and can pick and choose whatever features you need,” Gilani says. 

    The optional Concierge service provides full website setup for users who don’t want to do it themselves. “The restaurant hands over their menus, any photography they have, logos, branding, anything like that, and we will look after the setup,” Kristen Storer says. “We know they’re busy; they’ve got lots of other things to do on a day-to-day basis.”

    The All-in-One plan is exclusive to Brand Points PLUS restaurant operators. This full-service plan is the simplest way to use Sociavore. It includes the Essential Plan, Concierge service and four annual website updates administered by the Greenbridge team. 

    “It’s really about Greenbridge and their network of distributors trying to say we’re here for the restaurant operators,” says Storer. “We want to support them. If they’re successful, we’re successful. We’re all in this together.”

    As an added benefit, operators can redeem their Brand Points PLUS points for Sociavore gift cards, “which means they could get this whole service potentially for free,” Storer adds. Gift cards are available in various denominations (e.g., a $50 gift card is 400 points and a $100 card requires 700 points).

    Highlights of Sociavore benefits for independent restaurant operators

    Limited Time Offers (LTOs) are a longstanding feature of the restaurant scene, keeping regulars engaged and bringing in new traffic. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, that hasn’t changed.

    In fact, LTOs are even more important now and will be post-pandemic, with consumer hesitancy about eating out expected to linger for some time. Restaurants Canada forecasts that foodservice sales won’t surpass 2019 levels until 2023.

    Use LTOs to continue testing new menu items — especially takeout

    Pre-pandemic, LTOs were often used as a way to test potential menu items. For full-service restaurants that previously offered only on-premise dining, LTOs still play this role but with offerings suitable for takeout and delivery.

    Chef Michael Hodgson, director of culinary operations for the Charcoal Group, located in Kitchener, Ont., says their strategy for LTOs has changed during the pandemic. “We shifted all of our thinking towards food that translates better for takeout. Even when we have been open for dining, the takeout has been a very important part of our revenue stream.”

    An LTO success story during the pandemic is their Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, which Hodgson says was “wildly popular […] and worked very well for takeout.”

    Wing Night!

    Use LTOs to sharpen focus on cost control 

    With restaurants doing all they can to survive the financial disruption of the pandemic, the cost control aspect of LTOs has taken on new significance.

    Jason Burns, general manager of the Lacombe, Alta. location of Cilantro and Chive, says, “More than ever, due to the last year, we’re very focused on our purchasing, inventory control, and benefits of getting products at a reduced rate.”

    He relates a Cilantro and Chive success story from April 2021: “One of our wine reps helped set up an LTO for mini bottles of prosecco, which we use quite frequently in-house and also for off-sales. Thanks to that one specific LTO we have saved upwards of $500 between both of our locations by buying that high volume product in bulk.”

    Looking to the future, Burns says, “I think LTOs are more important now than ever before. [The pandemic] has changed our focus in business to look at inventive ways to get the very best price on quality products and also increase communication with all of our suppliers.”

    “I think LTOs are more important now than ever before.”

    Jason Burns, general manager of the Lacombe, Alta. location of Cilantro and Chive

    Use LTOs to enhance communication with suppliers is key

    Whether the purpose of your LTOs is menu testing, cost control, or a combination of the two, working with your suppliers is key to a winning LTO program.

    Keep in mind that you and your suppliers have a mutually beneficial relationship — it’s in both your interests for your restaurant to succeed. Open and honest communication with your suppliers about your needs is crucial to building a relationship based on trust and respect and crafting your LTO program.

    “We are in constant contact with all of our suppliers on an ongoing basis,” Burns says. “They will often tell us of items going on LTO.”

    Hodgson explains how they work with suppliers to develop a successful LTO program: “Most of the time we have a concept and then reach out to suppliers to source products. […] Keeping a good relationship with our vendors is [also] important to us so we see new products when they hit the market, particularly with plant-based and gluten-free options.”

    Cindy Perri, brand guardian for the Charcoal Group, says that the pandemic shift is “where partnerships really came into play. Our suppliers have had to shift and adapt with us. If we didn’t have the solid relationships that we do, it would have made the last year much more difficult to navigate.”

    Taco Tuesday!

    Think out of the savings box

    If you can’t work out a special price with suppliers, ask if they can provide some merchandise for promotions. Most craft breweries, for instance, offer branded barware and apparel.

    Position LTOs to your customers

    LTOs are very versatile for restaurant operators wanting to develop positive guest relationships. Be inventive and build in a sense of fun whenever you can to delight your customers.

    What type of restaurant LTO works for you?

    It’s time for sensational skillets to race through your menu. Sizzles, pops and delectable smells drift through the air when you cook in a skillet or fry pan or sauté pan. A technique that brings out the flavours of simple ingredients in a short amount of time is an unbeatable choice for busy foodservice kitchens.

    Who you are and where you grew up (even who fed you) are key when you consider what “skillet” means to you. But for everyone, skillet evokes the feeling of nostalgia. A warm hug from your mom or dad, aunt or uncle, grandparent. A weekend breakfast ritual or a comforting weeknight meal.

    As the pandemic continues — we are so close to being on the other side — customers are still looking for comfort to ease the anxiety caused by ongoing changes to normal routines.  

    Do skillets have a place on current menus? Most certainly. Who doesn’t want the comfort (or a reminder) of simpler times? So, go ahead, take your skillet to the starting line, stay true to your brand with your eye on the finish (and bottom) line, in this crazy race back to the new normal.

    Breakfast Skillet
    For James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods, breakfast is the first place he thinks of for skillets.

    On your mark

    James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods, continues helping restaurant operators streamline their menus by promoting value-added ingredients.

    For Keppy, breakfast is the first place he thinks of for skillets. “But they can be offered through lunch, dinner and finishing with desserts. Often made as a family meal, they are perfect for operators to create as individual meals that can arrive hot and steaming to the table.”

    Skillets, sautés and stir fries are also a perfect option for restaurant LTOs. And Keppy adds, “One-dish meals are great to serve on the patio as well as for delivery. Small skillets can be prepped and quickly cooked allowing for easy variety and daily menu features.” 

    “One-dish meals are great to serve on the patio as well as for delivery. Small skillets can be prepped and quickly cooked allowing for easy variety and daily menu features.”

    James Keppy, corporate chef for Maple Leaf Foods

    Menus have been gradually shrinking for many reasons and that won’t likely change once we finally get to the other side of the pandemic. 

    “With smaller menus, ingredients need to be used in multiple applications throughout the menu. Each restaurant has its signature dishes and a skillet can be a way to possibly offer those dishes as a stir-fry, a sauté or simmered in a sauce,” he suggests. 

    With planning and proper prep, operators can focus on utilizing lower cost ingredients but still give a powerful flavour boost.

    Skillets Are Associated with Comfort Food
    The word skillet evokes feelings of comfort and familiarity for Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada.

    Get set

    “I love the word skillet! It evokes feelings of comfort and familiarity,” says Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada. “We have a huge portfolio of products that really work well with skillet concepts.”

    Escalon and Mama Linda brand of tomato and tomato products, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Velveeta, Richardson’s, Diana’s, Renée’s are a few he mentions as being “skillet-friendly.”

    “Skillet meals are an effective choice for today’s smaller menus for a combination of reasons, including cross utilization of menu items and decreased labour requirements.”

    Thomas Heitz, corporate chef for Kraft Heinz Canada

    “Skillet meals are an effective choice for today’s smaller menus for a combination of reasons, including cross utilization of menu items and decreased labour requirements.  This results in increased quality because staff can focus on a smaller inventory of ingredients and then reap the rewards of decreased costs.”  

    It’s so easy to create a daily skillet using ingredients that may need some attention, either from your fridge, freezer or pantry.

    Finishing your skillet dishes with unique offerings created by Heitz’s speed scratch approach offers the benefits of consistency and time savings without compromising on flavour.

    “My speed scratch Singapore Sauce is gastronomically intense but so easy. A 50:50 blend of Richardson’s Butter Chicken Sauce and Richardson’s Szechuan Sauce.”

    As customers come out of lockdown fogs, they are shifting their eating habits. They still crave comfort, but want some healthy with that comfort.

    Heitz reminds us, “Skillets may not necessarily have a healthy connotation, but they certainly can offer indulgent and familiar flavours with healthy twists. They are just screaming for spinach, rapini, broccolini or tomatoes to be added.”  

    Dessert Skillet
    Your brand and your ingredients can be put together to make delicious and memorable skillets. 

    GO!

    It’s the bits and pieces of you, your background, your brand and your ingredients that can be put together to make delicious and memorable dishes, one skillet at a time. 

    “Like adding bacon or ham to Lunch Mac ‘n Cheese Skillet,” says Maple Leaf’s James Keppy.

    Constantly building concepts for customers, Keppy tempts us with Spicy Mexican Chorizo Sausage Breakfast Skillet or gives us great examples of cross utilization using boneless chicken thighs in both a Creamy Chicken & Biscuit meal or Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet.

    Serving up skillets for flavour, comfort and health that use simple ingredients that can be cooked fresh to arrive on the plate or in the delivery box in less than 15 minutes is definitely a race you and your customers both win!

    Food trucks are having a moment… again! With the pandemic still keeping a number of restaurants closed or confined to takeout & delivery, the food truck — a sort of pop-up version of the full meal deal — is looking appealing to a number of operators.

    Not all restaurant operators choose to stay inside in the comfort of their bricks and mortar buildings. Some decide to take their act on the road and try out a more mobile culinary experience.

    Lancaster Smokehouse owner-operator Chris Corrigan decided to plunge into the food truck business in 2014. He purchased and outfitted a heavy-duty chassis with help from a local stainless-steel fabricator. “I built a versatile mobile kitchen and went with commercial grade quality to make it an extension of our Kitchener restaurant,” he says. “It cost more, but we feel it was important to do it right — especially as it reflects on the restaurant and our brand.” 

    Corrigan chose a late model lower mileage vehicle to outfit to his specifications. Originally he planned for curbside operation, but once he started running smack into webs of regulations, he decided to focus instead on catering and events. 

    “By putting our focus on catering, the costs and profit margins are more controllable,” he explains. “Our barbecue style product lends itself well to mobile operation, and we just modified our existing recipes to simplify and streamline where necessary. By catering events where we know the number of plates going in, we can be more efficient and it is far more lucrative.”

    Tasty, Mobile Food
    Food Truck Food
    Lancaster Smokehouse’s barbecue style product lends itself well to mobile operation.

    The pandemic has not put a damper on the food truck operation. “We are expecting a very busy season if we can ever get past this situation and are allowed to operate. It is my opinion based on enquiries and bookings that there is a lot of pent-up customer demand for both private (weddings, parties etc.) and corporate events,” says Corrigan.

    Under normal times, Lancaster’s mobile kitchen helps increase the traffic at his standalone location and vice-versa. As part of the preparation for an event like a wedding, customers often come into the restaurant for a tasting session to help them decide on menu items for the event.

    The restaurant’s kitchen staff love working the truck, he says. “When we go to events, they are competing to be along. There’s a lot of time pressure at the events and high energy. The service is fun because we’re parked at a location where everybody is having a great time.”

    Corrigan is part of one of a growing number of foodservice operators choosing to go mobile. Canada-wide, estimates put the number of food trucks at more than 400, with more in the west than the east. 

    Corrigan’s takeaways

    Top truck tips

    Calculate the $$$

    Getting a food truck up and running is a challenging, competitive and potentially expensive venture. New fully operational trucks run to $120,000, and conversions of existing vehicles can cost between $30,000 and $100,000 plus the cost of a used truck like a step van. 

    As well, consider the costs of: 

    Sources: Canada Business Network, Internet search engines

    Food truck start-up checklist:

    How to Start a Food Truck Business in Canada

    Source: Canadian Visa

    Build your brand 

    Food trucks that distinguish themselves through smart marketing and menu choices can stand above the competition and reach customers they want to attract, says Small Business BC. Developing a strong brand is a top priority for successful food truck operators. “Aside from your menu, think of what sets you apart from your competition and sell it.” 

    Some food trucks proclaim their brand with LOUD letters and artistic flair, while others use a subtler approach. Experts say it’s important that branding fit and speak to your particular product niche and target clientele. 

    The Lancaster Smokehouse Food Truck
    Lancaster Smokehouse opted to mirror the look of their restaurant with colour scheme, fonts and design.

    Lancaster Smokehouse opted to mirror the look of their restaurant with similar colour scheme, fonts and graphic design. “It gives us a consistency and helps build brand awareness between our mobile kitchen and our standalone location,” Chris Corrigan says. 

    What’s in a name? 

    Looking to be whimsical, clever, memorable, or humorous? Play on words, or keep it simple and descriptive? A name can make or break a food truck’s success. Some of Canada’s more popular food trucks over the past few years have featured names that are short and memorable: Winnipeg’s Tot Wheels (think tater tots), Duck Truck MTL (nothing but duck on the menu), Toronto’s Fidel Gastro’s (retro food), Vancouver’s Aussie Pie Guy (self-explanatory). 

    Looking to be whimsical, clever, memorable, or humorous? Play on words, or keep it simple and descriptive? A name can make or break a food truck’s success.

    By choosing a name that is easy to pronounce, understand and remember, customers are more likely to tell their friends and colleagues. Avoid names that are too long, confusing or trendy because fads pass, after all. Consider the visual impact of any name you choose; how will it look on the side of your truck? 

    A useful name recognition exercise from the website mobile-cuisine.com: Share with 10 people the name you are considering and then, a week later, “connect with them again and ask them to recall that name. How many people were able to accurately remember it? If it was fewer than seven, you may want to consider other more memorable alternatives that truly grab people’s attention.”

    Built to serve

    In Canada, food trucks are outfitted by a range of manufacturers and fabricators. Here are just a few:

    So, what’s stopping you? It’s time to get truckin’.

    Could catering help restaurants bolster their bottom line? The question may seem counterintuitive since catering, like other areas of foodservice, has been hard-hit by the pandemic. But restaurateurs who have weathered pandemic restrictions and public hesitancy about dining out may be considering whether or not to add a catering operation. 

    The pros and cons of adding a catering operation

    Glenn Whitehead, owner of Plant Matter Kitchen and Plant Matter Café in London, Ontario, says, “Adding any possible revenue stream is probably just good common sense, to be honest. […] If you own a business right now and you’re open, then offering whatever you can is certainly something that I would strongly suggest.”

    Jeff Dover, principal at fsSTRATEGY Inc., a foodservice and hospitality industry consultancy, adds, “The pro is that catering is more profitable than the restaurant business. Some of the fixed costs that impact the profitability of restaurants are known. You know how many orders, of what, and at what time. It also makes use of kitchens and kitchen labour that are idle or have excess capacity during COVID.”

    On the con side, he points out that pandemic gathering limits affect the size of events, decreasing demand for catering. And many businesses that used to have staff meals catered now have those staff working remotely for the foreseeable future. No staff = no office catering.

    Large event catering
    Office catering

    Is the future in event or office catering?

    Which has a better future: event (e.g., weddings) or office catering? The answer depends on whether you’re looking at the short term or beyond.

    Dover says he’d choose event catering because these contracts “are typically larger and can involve alcohol-generating additional revenues.” He also notes the pent-up demand for event catering. 

    Public health restrictions, however, continue to restrict catering demand for such events. Whitehead is well aware of the pandemic’s impact on this part of his business. He catered hundreds of events before COVID-19 took hold, but that business dried up once restrictions hit. “Basically, we haven’t done a thing in a year,” he says.

    Many variables influence when a hundred or more people will be able to get together again, Whitehead says. He doesn’t anticipate catering large events of any kind before mid- to late-2022. However, he does see opportunity in catering office lunches, especially in office towers where there are multiple businesses open with non-skeletal staffing.

    Think of catering differently

    Adding a catering operation requires fresh thinking about what catering means and how to plan carefully, especially as the third wave of the pandemic is making its presence felt in Canada.

    Whitehead says, “Looking for other [revenue] streams is a critical piece to try to get enough sales to cover things and keep moving forward.”

    Rather than the traditional weddings and conferences, foodservice operators looking to get into catering need to consider smaller-scale approaches that can generate revenues in the short term. In addition to the office lunch trade, options include catering meals for small gatherings at people’s homes and meal kits, both of which have become more popular during the pandemic.

    Meal kits are a popular option - Restaurant catering

    “45% of younger consumers, including Gen Zers and millennials, are buying more meal kits now from restaurants compared to before the pandemic.”

    Technomic, Inc.

    Technomic, Inc., which provides insights to the foodservice industry, reports that for the second quarter of 2020 in Canada “45% of younger consumers, including Gen Zers and millennials, are buying more meal kits now from restaurants compared to before the pandemic.”

    Whitehead says that with people being more cautious but also bored of cooking, restaurants can offer them more variety through items like meal plans and seasonal kits. “It’s a little bit less catering and more meal kits, but I would put it under that same category.”

    He has always offered a meal plan service, with clients who come twice a week to pick up several days’ worth of assembled meals. “They don’t have to do anything but heat them up,” he says, “so that’s certainly an option that I think will continue to grow.”

    Restaurant catering - Chef Connexion

    Tips for adding a catering operation

    Operators exploring adding a catering operation should think about the following considerations.