The Restaurant Business is Looking Up!

In his latest commentary, the National Restaurant Association's chief economist Bruce Grindy analyzes the latest employment trends.  The private sector added nearly 1.1 million jobs in the last five months, the strongest five-month span of job growth in nearly six years.  In addition, the restaurant industry remains one of the brightest spots in the economy, adding at least 20,000 jobs for the seventh consecutive month.

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For restaurant design information, layout and equipment specs. contact Frank Stocco. www.nationalrd.com

How is the hospitality industry doing these days?
The blue dots in this map from Deloitte shows the areas of the US where the market is picking up.
For instance, the hospitality industry in Chicago continues to emerge from the recession; in fact, economic indicators and industry data appear to suggest continual, albeit mild, improvement in the market.
Or Las Vegas, which remains one of the largest hospitality markets in the world attracting both leisure and business travelers. In fact, the tourism industry continues to show signs of a steady recovery, as the city welcomed 39 million visitors in 2011 (up from 37.3 million in 2010).
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So, You Want to Open a Restaurant on a Budget

The costs to open a restaurant these days are increasingly surprising. I opened my successful pizza, pasta and ribs restaurant 20 years ago with $25,000. It's not just the price of materials, labor and equipment that's made the difference, it's the codes and requirements. How can you possibly anticipate and budget for all of that?

I've been in the restaurant business, cooking, owning, operating, designing, opening... forever. I've never had a job that wasn't in the food service business. My desire is always for positive cash flow. That's why I wrote a book to help you open your restaurant with an understanding of costs before you get in over your head and have to scramble for cash.

Take a look at the samples from "How to Open a Restaurant: Due Diligence", that I published last January. It's a workbook style for you to record your research, discoveries, contacts, concept, plans, needs, etc. Follow the instructions in this book, so you will not miss a beat. This book is your own personal consultant at the fraction of the cost. That's not to say that you wouldn't benefit from a consultant or independent food service designer.

After you've looked at the book, done some of the work, call me for a free consultation. Let me know you got the book and I can help you with you layout and drawings at a discounted fee.

Opening a restaurant is an experience - make it a great one!

Menu Design

Have you been to a restaurant where the menus are sticky and dirty, or the covers cracked and broken? If this is your restaurant maybe it's time to update your menu. Today, everything is about the "big-wow-factor" - that must include all of your graphics, especially the menu. Don't give your customer any excuse to be critical. Provide them excellence in all areas. Graphics are such a big part of your brand. Take time to review all of your graphic materials including your web site.

And when you do update your graphics think about updating your menu items and prices as well, plus refresh your Web Site. Stay current, offer something new, and watch the customers come back for more.

The Importance of Working Every Job in a Restaurant

This article from Allfoodbusiness.com struck me as worthy to pass on especially for the restaurant owner, for those aiming to open their own restaurant...  - Frank Stocco, Independent Restaurant Designer/Consultant


Maybe you’ve heard this advice before, but it’s worth saying again. A restaurant operator or manager should work every job in this business before taking over a store. This business is different from others in many ways. Unfortunately, one of them is the disparity between the front and back of the house. However, most jobs are easy to get a basic understanding of.

For those reasons, it’s a good idea to spend a little time everywhere in a restaurant—from the hostess stand to the dish pit. Many great operators start out as dishwashers or prep cooks. Others come into this business straight from other industries. In either case, there are many things an operator can miss out on by not having a familiarity with every role in the building.

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Chef Survey - What's Hot in 2011

The annual National Restaurant Association survey of American Culinary Federation member chefs is one of the industry's leading culinary forecasts. More than 1,500 professional chefs gave their professional opinion of whether 226 culinary items will be a "hot trend," "yesterday's news," or "perennial favorite" on 2011 restaurant menus.

Download the "What's Hot in 2011" chef survey results (PDF).

Top 20 Trends:
1 Locally sourced meats and seafood
2 Locally grown produce
3 Sustainability
4 Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes
5 Hyper-local (e.g. restaurant gardens, do your own butchering)
6 Children’s nutrition
7 Sustainable seafood
8 Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
9 Simplicity/back to basics
10 Farm/estate-branded ingredients
11 Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
12 Locally-produced wine and beer
13 Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price
14 Organic produce
15 Nutrition/health
16 Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients)
17 Newly fabricated cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, Petite Tender)
18 Fruit/vegetable children’s side items
19 Ethnic-inspired breakfast items (e.g. Asian-flavored syrups, chorizo scrambled eggs, coconut milk pancakes)
20 Artisan cheeses
http://www.restaurant.org/foodtrends

Video - 2011 Forecast for the Restaurant Industry

The 2011 Restaurant Industry Forecast includes economic, workforce, consumer and menu trends, as well as information for restaurant operators to overcome the current economic challenges and position themselves for future growth.