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16 Important Points To Consider Before You Hire A Hospitality / Food Service Design Consultant

By Lu Schildmeyer

1. Objective Advice. Consultants who are paid fees for there design and specifications are more likely to give you unbiased advice than food service equipment supply dealers, contract equipment salesmen and designers who earn commissions based on the amount of money you spend. If the consultant profits from food service equipment or furnishings sales commissions, he or she has an inherent conflict of interest because the more you spend, the more they make.

2. Experience. Hospitality and food services design today is so specialized and complex that I recommend you hire someone who has provided hospitality / food service design services for a minimum of 15 years. But, don’t make the assumption that just because the person has been in the business for 15 years, they have the knowledge, skill, judgment and experience you need. They may be competent – and they may not be. Make sure you thoroughly interview all consultants you are considering.

3. Service. Do you feel that the consultant sincerely wants to provide you with the help you need to make your business more successful? Or do you get the impression that they only want to do it there way, with little input from you and to have another project to add to there portfolio?

4. Access. Is the consultant hidden behind a secretary or administrative assistant screening? Or is he or she readily available to you by phone, fax, and e-mail. Does the consultant have a direct line to their desk or their cell phone so you can reach them anytime you wish?

5. Stability. Has the consultant been providing hospitality / food service design services for many years? Or is he or she new to the market and just trying to expand their practice into other areas – and just has one or maybe two hospitality projects under there belt and is just “testing the waters” with your project waiting for the opportunity to move on to other design areas they have more experience in?

6. Hospitality / Food Service Design Focus. Is the consultant a full-time hospitality / food service design professional? Or is he or she a part-timer who spreads themselves over a number of different design disciplines, such as office design, medical design, retail design, and residential design?

7. Authority. Does the consultant have enough experience that he or she is a recognized authority in there field? Or is he or she a relative unknown?

8. Size and Efficiency. Does the consultant have a large staff and/or a fancy office that clients pay for? Or do they operate a “lean and mean” operation with minimum overhead to keep there fees affordable? In other words, when you write a check, are you paying for their high level of knowledge, skill, judgment and experience? Or are you paying for their expensive office?

9. Travel. Does the consultant travel around the country from one client to the next, running up airline bills? Or does the consultant keep costs down by working efficiently with you by telephone, fax, mail, and e-mail?

10. Knowledge. Does the consultant have an intimate knowledge of your hospitality business? Does he or she ask you the right questions about your problems, goals, direction, and purpose for wanting to design new or re-model your hospitality facility? Do they sincerely want to help you succeed in your business? Or do they just want the project for the fee?

11. Attention. Does the consultant have so many clients he or she can’t provide you with the personal care and attention you deserve? Or do they limit their services to a few clients at a time who receive the best they have to offer?

12. Work. Does the consultant themselves – or a qualified colleague – perform all the work on your behalf? Or does the consultant bring in the work, delegate it to a junior associate, and then bill you at the consultant’s higher rate?

13. Design Specialization. Is the consultant a hospitality / food service design professional who works only with hospitality orientated businesses? Or do they spread themselves too thin by trying to be a “design generalist” instead of being a hospitality / food services design specialist?

14. Budget. Does the consultant ask you for a detailed project budget? Or does the consultant try to avoid asking the question?

15. Resources. Does the consultant have many resources at there disposal to help you with other non-design related aspects of your project? These are value added services, does the consultant offer them? Or does the consultant have only design resources and no contacts or sources they can refer you to for the many other non-design related needs of your project?

16. Communication. Does the consultant have the ability to communicate effectively with your project Architect, Contractor, Subcontractors, and you? Or does the consultant lack the skills and experience necessary for working with a project team from the beginning phase of a project through to the completion of construction.

Lu Schildmeyer is the new Restaurant Coaching Solutions Design Associate. For more information on RCS design services, contact us at 877-535-2324 or email us at Services@RestaurantCoachingSolutions.com.

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Building Better Restaurants Named To “The Top 50 Blogs For Startups To Watch In 2008″

If you have noticed the new badge on the right hand column, we were recently named to ” The Top 50 Blogs For Startups To Watch In 2008″ by Evan Carmichael. We are definately honored to be in such good company. Click on the badge to see the entire list.

EvanCarmichael.com is the Internet’s #1 resource for small business motivation and strategies. With over 260,000 monthly visitors, 1,700 contributing authors, and 42,000 pages of content no website shares more profiles of famous entrepreneurs and inspires more small business owners than EvanCarmichael.com.

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Lu Schildmeyer Joins RCS To Lead Design Services

Before designing over 450 restaurants and over 1,200 food service facilities over the last 22 years, Lu’s career in Hospitality Design began in 1980 at Western International Hotels (now known as Westin Hotels), where he was a staff Interior Designer for four years. This after graduating from the very highly rated College of Architecture at Arizona State University in 1979, with a BDS Bachelor of Design Science in Interior Architecture and Design. Lu has also taken graduate courses in Lighting Design.

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Where Did The “Wow” Go?

Did you ever have it?
What happened to it?
Can you get it back?
Do you really want it back?
What’s different about it now that needs to change in order to have it back?
What does “Wow” look like today? Tomorrow? Next year?
Is “Wow” a core value? Why not?
What did you do today to create “Wow”?

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Restaurants To Benefit From Stimulus Bill

WASHINGTON (Feb. 8, 2008) Restaurants would be able to write off 50 percent of their 2008 equipment purchases and expense up to $250,000 of their investments in new buildings or other tangible property under the economic stimulus bill that President Bush said he will sign into law next week.

The measure also provides tax rebates of $600 for individuals making $75,000 or less per year or $1,200 for couples earning no more than $150,000. Families would receive another $300 per child. The rebates are reduced for persons above those income thresholds.

The rebate checks are scheduled to be mailed starting in early May. Some observers have said the rebates should have a positive short-term effect on restaurants’ top lines as consumers use the newfound money in part for dining out. But they say the upswing in sales fizzle out once the rebates are spent.

The bipartisan stimulus bill, first proposed by President Bush just two weeks ago, is expected to pump more than $152 billion into the economy.

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Big Fat Lie #3 - Bad Economy Or Simply Bad Attitude?

The discussion once again revolves around our “bad economy” and what operators can do to “weather the storm”. This is the essence of the points that need to be made. continue

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More About The Rise of Social Media and Why You Can’t Afford To Ignore It

[slideshare id=35304&doc=social-media-35304-18552&w=425]

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What’s New?

I’ve logged nearly 27,000 air miles lately, working on some of the most challenging client projects - which is why I haven’t posted in a long time! I am back in the office for two weeks before flying off again. Look for several posts on these experiences over the next few days - they are extremely interesting!

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Keep Your Keepers: 16 Cost-Effective Ways to Grow Your Staff’s Loyalty

Employees matter. No, really, think about it: Your competitors have access to the exact same resources as you—which means infinite choices exist for your customers, and for your employees as well. According to Joanne G. Sujansky, Ph.D, CSP, if you’re not seeking ways to nurture employees and meet their needs, they will seek greener pastures—and your customers will follow them over the fence.

“Many leaders don’t realize that the rules of business have changed almost overnight,” says Pittsburgh, Pa.-based KEYGroup’s founder and CEO Joanne Sujansky. “The old paradigm says that your primary focus should be on keeping your customer happy. The new paradigm says the employee has taken over that spot. Keep her engaged and she’ll keep your customers happy. Neglect her needs and she won’t be so concerned about keeping her end of the bargain. In the end, not only will she go elsewhere, your customers may follow suit.”

Make no mistake: when employees start searching for greener pastures, it’s a bona fide disaster. So the million-dollar question is: What are the secret little things that will help you keep your employees engaged and productive? And how can you do it without breaking the bank?

Here are 16 easy-to-plant and inexpensive “seeds” that will help your pasture be the greenest for your future and current employees:

1. Don’t misrepresent your culture.
Employee engagement begins with the first interview. What are you telling your new hires about the company? Are you giving an accurate representation of your corporate culture? “When new employees find out how things are really done, not only will they resent you, they’ll likely find somewhere else to work,” says Sujansky. “Every company should be honest about the kind of work environment it represents&hellipIf your culture isn’t quite where you’d like it to be, tell your new hires about the type of company you are striving to become, tell them how you are going to get there, and how they can help you get there.”

2. Learn the rules of engagement.
Boredom hinders not only productivity, it prevents happiness. Although many employees may complain about their workload, not having enough work will have the same disengaging effects. Present staffers with challenging assignments and provide them with opportunities to grow and develop. “Not surprisingly, employees appreciate it when their employers take an interest in their future inside and outside the company,” says Sujansky. “A great way to do that is by providing opportunities for employees to improve on their skills or learn a new skill they can use in their everyday jobs.” When employees are satisfied, they’ll stick around.

3. Cross-pollinate your culture.
Make your pasture the greenest by embracing diversity A diverse workforce—in race, ethnicity, gender, age, geographic origin, education, personality, experience, etc.—creates an energy that can rarely exist in an environment of uniformity. Companies that bring together a diverse group of people to get the job done are richer, more stimulating and more fun.

4. Be a good corporate citizen.
Today’s employers are finding that they have to care about more than profits if they want to keep employees happy. Environment, health, and safety issues are in the public spotlight and, as a result, employees want to work for companies who take these factors into consideration. A study from the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College found that 30 percent of employers say that good corporate citizenship helps them recruit and retain employees.

5. Give praise where praise is due.
Tell your workers when they’ve done a good job—it’s that simple. And let his co-workers and even customers know. Recognizing a job well done isn’t an expensive proposition, but it will mean the world to your employee. Utilize an employee recognition program to ensure continual achievement recognition. This will also give managers the ability to reward a job well done with a more tangible prize—such as a gift certificate.

6. Get creative with benefits.
Normal benefits—such as health insurance and a 401(k)—are usually given by all companies. And when most employees can get the benefits they need almost anywhere, these perks lose their valuable appeal. Organizatons need to think outside the box and figure out which benefits will benefit them the most in terms of rentention. “Take a note from Qualcomm. In addition to offering an amazing healthcare package, the company caters dinner for employees who work late, a relatively inexpensive perk that is sure to please hungry, hardworking employees.” says Sujansky. “Other options include providing access to dry-cleaning services, treating all of your employees to lunch once a week, or providing them with on-site educational programs delivered by local experts or company vendors in a wide variety of fields.”

7. Be aware of the changing needs of your employees.
Change is inevitable in business—and that includes your employees’ needs. As your baby boomer employees get older, so do their parents and children. Be understanding when they need to take time off to take care of Mom, Dad or child. And never give them a hard time when they need to take care of their own health issues. By understanding their changing needs, you show sensitivity to what’s going on their lives and build loyalty.

8. Great employees thrive under great leaders.
It’s the managers who have direct contact with employees, and it’s their leadership that is a company’s best bet to retention. The buck starts and stops here—it’s commonly said that employees don’t quit their job, they quit their manager. “Pay attention to your front line managers. Keep a close eye on their relationships with employees and get rid of bad managers when necessary. If your employees see that you care about who you enlist as a leader, they’ll feel more secure and will work even harder,” Sujansky says.

9. Conduct “stay” interviews regularly.
Regular “stay” interviews provide a great opportunity for leaders to compliment their high performers on their great work and also to inspire them to do more to take the company to the next level. “Use these interviews to gauge how well you are meeting your employees’ needs,” says Sujansky. “Be open and honest with your employees and always seek out their suggestions on what you and the company can do to improve.”

10. Create a “best” work environment.
Is your work environment restrictive and stifling? Make sure your employees are allowed to develop and implement their own ideas within your organization. It will help keep them passionate about their work—and keep them on your roster.

11. Help employees achieve work/life balance.
In today’s high-tech world, it is easy to allow employees to work from home in different types of mobility programs. “Providing flexible hours or allowing your employees to work from home shows them you value the lives they have outside the office,” says Sujansky. But the problem is that too many companies expect mobile employees to then be “on call.” If you give even a slight impression of this, you’ll disrupt their delicate work/life balance that they probably already struggle to maintain. Employees in today’s workforce saw their parents give their lives to companies while missing soccer games, recitals, and family dinners only to be laid off at age 55 without much hope for finding other employment—and many refuse to let it happen to them. Promote time-off from work as much as you promote productivity and bottom lines.

12. Insist that your employees take vacations.
Several studies show that employees who take vacations are less stressed, lead a healthier lifestyle and are at lower risk of having heart disease. All of that means lower healthcare costs for you. Furthermore, employees who get away from the office are less likely to suffer burnout. If it isn’t possible for employees to take a full week off, encourage them to take shorter more frequent vacations.

13. Create an environment of trust.
Employees are happier and work harder when they feel like they can trust their leaders. And they decide which leaders they can trust based on how their fellow employees, company vendors and customers are treated. Do you treat all with the same level of respect? Do you behave ethically and hold others accountable for their actions? If an employee sees you treating someone else poorly, his level of trust diminishes and he starts to care less about doing a good job for you. But remember that trust is a two-way street. Your employees need to feel that you trust them as well. Again, this is where flexible work hours and mobility programs come to benefit.

14. Get rid of weeds.
Poor performers and negative employees stifle the good attitudes and high performance of their fellow employees, just as weeds choke out green grass. If poor performers are allowed to thrive—and even protected—then your stars employees will feel mistreated and leave. “Any environment where employees are not held accountable for their actions, whether they’re positive or negative, can create a poor working environment,” says Sujansky. “The greenest pastures are never filled with weeds so keep that in mind when you are growing and developing yours.”

15. Use internship and mentoring programs to grow and nurture new talent.
Grow and nurture talent by allow your promising prospects and employees to learn what your company culture is all about and develop their own professional skills. It’s a win-win situation for your company: Employees see growth opportunities and feel appreciated while you get a sneak-peak at your internal talent pool.

16. Take a seasonal approach.
“There are any number of ways to do this,” says Sujansky. “Be creative. In summer, consider giving half-days off on Friday, or give a half-day off before an employee’s vacation to help her minimize the stress of leaving town. Even something as simple as providing fresh fruit or flowers for the office can make an impact. At the holidays, bring in gift wrappers or give employees a day off to take care of their seasonal shopping. These ideas aren’t expensive, and they go a long way toward showing employees that you care.”

Joanne G. Sujansky, PhD, CSP, has helped leaders to increase business growth and profitability by creating and sustaining what she calls a Vibrant Entrepreneurial Organization for over 25 years. Her expertise, insight, wisdom, humor, and practical solutions have made Joanne a highly sought-after speaker for keynote addresses, seminars, conferences, and workshops. For more information, please visit keygroupconsulting.com or joannesujansky.com.

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Eating With Your Mind’s Eye

Garnishes are to a dinner plate what accessories are to fashion models: They set off attributes to their best advantage. But making food look nice — the “halo effect” of plate presentation — doesn’t require foam machines or truffle shavers. Here, a three-element plate gets a simple, effective makeover.

One caveat: Because we tried to show as many techniques as possible on one plate, this comes dangerously close to overdone. Learn to stop garnishing at the first moment of satisfaction — or even before.

Select the plate: Go with plain white, and keep proportion in mind: For three components, a 10-inch plate with a 1 1/2 -inch rim and a slight well gives the food a little room to breathe. The well defines the space and keeps liquids from running. The rim frames food just as margins frame words on a page.

Watch dimension: A little piling goes a long way. Towers of food that topple with the first cut of a knife have gone the way of the ’90s.

Use a kit: When having guests over for dinner, do what restaurant chefs do. Have some of the following items handy to choose from as the muse strikes, provided they make sense where you use them:

• Chopped parsley.
• Chopped and/or whole chives.
• Chopped scallions.
• Diced red bell p epper.
• A bunch of clean greens or herbs (such as watercress, flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme or sage).
• Black or white sesame seeds.
• Toasted pine nuts, pecans, slivered almonds or other nuts.
• Smoked paprika.
• Edible flowers.
  

Make garnishes work: Too much color can look clownish, and everything should belong. On our makeover plate, the red pepper strips on the sugar snaps and black sesame seeds and scallions on the couscous set off the colors and enhance the foods’ flavors instead of clashing with them.

When it comes to greenery, keep in mind that parsley goes well with all savory dishes, but other herbs should be used only if they are already components in the dish. Basil would be fine on our makeover plate because it’s in the sauce, but sage leaves would be inappropriate.

Some of the most fashionable finishing touches are also the tastiest: varieties of coarse sea salts and freshly ground peppercorns.

Source: The Washington Post 

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