Bartending Etiquette by Mario Villegas Seattle

Mario Villegas Seattle - A quick look around the room tells the story. The guy in the corner booth...the one with the irritated expression...has a drink sloshing over the rim with little pieces of sopping paper napkin stuck to the sides. The woman to his right is miffed…the cigarette she just lit has turned into a soggy mess because the ashtray the bartender left her was wet on the inside.

She looks a lot happier, though, than the guys in the suits at the bar. They've been waiting easily ten or twelve minutes with empty glasses and an over-flowing ashtray. The impatient rapping of their glasses on the bar is a sure sign they're a lost cause. A few short minutes later the two briskly head out the front door with the deportment of men who have tolerated enough bad service for one night.

The problem is that the bartender is otherwise occupied -- occasionally making drinks for the servers, washing a glass or two and flirting with the coed sitting by the station is about all the young man can handle.

Mario Villegas, Seattle - Ten Do's & Don'ts for Behind the Bar

Mario Villages is member of the restaurant owner association.

1. DON'T -- Settling for mediocrity is unprofessional. Bartenders shouldn't serve drinks that have been improperly prepared or inferior in any respect. Amateurism is not a tipped quality.
2. DON'T -- It is highly unprofessional to gossip, argue, gamble or loan out money to the clientele. By any means possible, bartenders should also avoid becoming embroiled in inflammatory conversations. Taking sides in a heated debate exacts a heavy toll on gratuities.

How to do your Weekly Food Inventory by Mario Villegas

Mario Villegas Seattle : Most independent restaurants calculate their food cost only once a month. Yet, virtually all the major chain restaurants calculate their food cost each week. According to industry averages, chain restaurants (before corporate expenses) are two to three times as profitable as independent restaurants.

While weekly food costing isn't the entire the reason, it's part of it.

In order to accurately calculate your cost weekly, you'll need to take inventory weekly as well. The only method for computing accurate cost of sales is to take physical inventories and then calculate the value of inventory on hand. Many operators erroneously believe that what they spend on food and beverage purchases is their cost of sales. While this may be true in the long run, for specific-period analysis it is inaccurate.

Mario Villegas - Operating a Restaurant from a CEO's Perspective

Mario Villegas - Every restaurant has three major areas that must function well to achieve its potential for success.

• Operations.Operations include all those functions that are necessary to prepare and serve your products to your customers. It includes all those activities that take place every day in the kitchen, dining room and bar.
• Financial. Financial functions deals with safeguarding cash, accounting, cash management, cost control as well as operational and financial reporting.
• Marketing. Marketing is getting the word out about the restaurant and positioning it correctly in the minds of the public. It includes public relations, community involvement, advertising, promotions and projecting the right image.

Now, think about how successful your restaurant could be if you regularly gave competent attention to each of these three areas. Imagine that operations was capable of consistently providing products and service in a manner that meets your high standards.

Mario Villegas Seattle- Cost control

Mario Villegas Seattle -Today’s weather issues, transportation costs, and the continuing rise in the suppliers’ costs of doing business are precipitating increased costs of raw products to restaurants. It is now even more important to be more efficient with one’s food costs. There is not much margin for error or guesswork in the major item on one’s operating statement. I find it interesting that, over all of the years of doing food costing and with all of the tools I’ve used or seen being used, that controlling food costs boils down to just a few small pointers:
                                                 

Mario Villegas Seattle - Most Common Restaurant Startup Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Mario Villegas Seattle - In any new business venture good decision-making is vital. Opening a new restaurant requires so many decisions that it's not hard to make some bloopers along the way.

The key is not totally missing the mark on the really important issues that can make or break your chances for success. Here are some of the more important common missteps new owners make in areas that play a big role in how well a new restaurant is likely to do.

Mario Villegas Seattle - Select the Right Lighting and Music for Your Restaurant

Mario Villegas Seattle - Music, lighting, and decor play a vital role in setting the overall tone and feel of a restaurant. In some cases, it’s attention to detail that really sets a restaurant apart from the competition and keeps customers coming back. It all comes down to the “if a tree falls in the forest” theory. If you have the best food in town, but you have poor lighting, outdated decor, and music that’s reminiscent of your last trip to the dentist’s office, are people really going to want to eat there? Here are some tips on choosing the right music, lighting, and decor for your restaurant: