Monday, January 29, 2018

Roscoe’s Files its Exit Plan from Chapter 11


Roscoe’s Files its Exit Plan from Chapter 11


Under Chapter 11 management by The Next Idea, Restaurant Consulting And Management Group In Partnership with Restaurant Finance Group, Triple Enterprises; reporting into court appointed Trustee, Roscoe’s parent company, East Coast Foods filed a repayment plan that returns the bankrupt business to its owner and repays all creditors in full.

This is a very unusual and favorable outcome for a Chapter 11 business, and is a direct result of the operational improvements and financial controls installed by The Next Idea and Triple Enterprise teams. 

The result was an ability to show the long-term profitability of the business with a higher than market average cash flow, and thus an ability to repay the entire debt over a reasonable timeframe.

We are delighted to see such a positive result for Roscoe’s and wish them well as they emerge from bankruptcy.

This case demonstrates that it is always possible to turn around a troubled business and emerge without negatively impacting jobs, suppliers or customers.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Top Restaurant Marketing Strategies to deal with Fastidious Restaurant Customers

Top Restaurant Marketing Strategies to deal with Fastidious Restaurant Customers

Even when we try bending over backwards to please our clients, sometimes we encounter people impossible to please and display negative behavior too.

What can a restaurateur do to avoid a confrontation with these people in your establishment, and how do you neutralize (and perhaps eliminate) their disruptive behavior?

This is not an easy task.

It might help you to remember: most of the time, these people are using your restaurant or your employees in order to vent their personal frustrations.

Sometimes, people come to your place bringing along their emotional baggage. It would be great if they could leave it at home, but unfortunately, they do not.

You must always try to maintain your cool. Keep your emotions out of the discussion and think about your other customers. They do not need to have their experience spoiled by witnessing an unpleasant public argument.

Here are a few Restaurant Marketing Strategies to deal with fastidious customers feasibly:


The author of 151 Quick Ideas to Deal With Difficult People, Carrie Mason-Draffen, writes that this kind of person grew up surrounded by negativity. They were probably criticized by their parents or others and developed a negative attitude by replicating what they heard.

These people will wear you down if you keep listening to their continuous complaints about everything - from the way your napkins are folded to the temperature of the food to a two-minute delay in the delivery of their appetizers.

You must always remember that although these complaints may be directly directed at your staff or yourself, the roots of their unhappiness are inside of them. These people are just venting their unhappiness and negativity at your establishment.

Ask your waiters to try to Diffuse The Negativity by responding with understanding and saying something positive. For instance, if your Critic claims that the food is cold then your staff can respond by saying, "I'm sorry about that. I will bring it back to the kitchen, warm it up and get it right back to you."

Remind your staff to always be positive in their attitude, and not to take the criticism personally. Critics thrive in conflict and they look for it.

You owe it to your other customers to keep a nice, relaxed ambience. If they see that, despite these complaints, your staff is trying to correct the situation and keeping a positive attitude, they will value your place even more.

Please notice that I am talking here about a person with a pattern of negativity, not an angry customer that may be reasonably upset because of a specific dining issue.

One of the best ways to deal with an angry person is to actively listen to what they are saying. Often the angry person is frustrated because they don't believe they are being heard and think no one wants to help them."

Always try to listen first to your customers if they are angry. They may have a reason that can be easily solved. Listen to what they have to tell you, and try to come up with a satisfactory solution. This often diffuses their anger and leaves everybody happy.

However, if you see that these people are purposely disruptive, politely ask them to leave your place and suggest they come back when they feel less upset. Tell them something like:

I'm sorry that you are not having an enjoyable experience. Perhaps you should leave tonight and we can start over another time. Since you haven't enjoyed your time here, your meal is in the house."

To conclude, you must try always your best to be polite when dealing with difficult customers. Remember that these people are bringing their own problems and issues to your place, and your restaurant and staff are just the vehicles through which they vent their frustrations.

Monday, January 8, 2018

The Necessity of Restaurant Architecture Design for a Company

The Necessity of Restaurant Architecture Design for a Company

Restaurant architecture design


Restaurant architecture design plays a stellar role when you are simply starting up in the food world. You have to make sure that your customers are in an environment where they are getting some satisfaction from the surroundings; you have to make sure that it is practical too. Both of these aspects are important.

Restaurant Interior Design phase

The following are some of the things that you have to think about when it comes to the Restaurant Interior Design phase.

Impression counts


Most people will tend to agree that first impressions count and this is why it is important to focus on the External Look Of Your Restaurant. If you spend a lot of money on the equipment and the planning of the food, but people do not find the building attractive, you are letting yourself down. This is something very important to keep in mind.

Waiting staff also have to be able to get to the food and pick it up with ease.


Communication is essential in the kitchen because everyone should work as a team so all the equipment and work surfaces should be grouped together like an island. You cannot have the meat section on one side and the vegetable section on the other end.

The waiters should be able to come into the kitchen without causing a big noise.


You may have been into a restaurant already where the kitchen is located at such an angle that it does not allow customers to actually enjoy themselves. If you are in an environment like this, it cannot be very pleasant.

Your budget is obviously something that you have to look at before you get started


The budget is above all for most people; after all, all of these costs add up and you will soon find that out. Someone who has a bigger budget can afford to use materials that are more expensive but you still have to plan. If you do not research then you are going to lose a lot of money.

People who do not do their homework and find out about what goes the best in their situation, usually end up with regrets.


They also end up in debt because most people will have a loan to pay off so this is something to keep in mind when you are going ahead with this. You can still create something fantastic on a smaller budget, using materials that are more affordable.

Look for the specials and the deals


If you look around, you will be surprised to find a lot of materials that are priced reasonably. This is where you have to look for the specials and the deals. There are also a lot of deals online and if you go to the retailers’ sites, you may come across something where you can save a lot of money. You should also realize that if you can't afford marble or something genuine, there are lots of substitutes that are made to look like the real thing.

At the end of the day, it is restaurant interior design about architecture, which contributes to the production and value of the food. If the veggie chef is placed on one side of the kitchen and the meat chef is on the other side, it is going to slow things down. These are some of the things that you have to think about when it comes to the design phase.