How to Negotiate Better Deals With Hospitality Suppliers
Your suppliers can have a huge impact on the profitability of your hospitality business. Food, beverages, cleaning products, packaging, linen and other supplies can represent a significant portion of your operating costs. Yet many hospitality businesses simply accept the price on the invoice. That’s a mistake. Negotiating with suppliers isn’t about bullying someone into giving […]
Why Your Cafe Has Empty Tables at 2pm: How to Fix Your Quiet Periods
Your cafe might be packed at 8am. The coffee machine is working overtime. The kitchen is flat out. There is a queue at the counter and every table is occupied. Then 2pm arrives. Suddenly, half the tables are empty. By 3pm, the staff are looking at the clock. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. […]
How to Control Labour Costs in Your Cafe, Restaurant or Hotel Without Cutting Staff
Labour is one of the biggest costs in hospitality. And when the numbers aren’t working, the first solution many owners reach for is simple: Cut the roster. Sometimes that is necessary. But cutting staff isn’t always the answer. If you take one person off the floor during a busy service and suddenly customers are waiting […]
How to Stop Over-Ordering Stock in Your Cafe, Restaurant or Hotel
Walking into a full storeroom can make a hospitality owner feel prepared. The fridge is full. The freezer is full. The dry store is stacked. There are plenty of drinks in the cool room. Nobody should run out of anything. Sounds good, right? Not necessarily. Too much stock can be just as much of a […]
How to Reduce Labour Costs Without Cutting Staff
Labour is one of the biggest costs in most hospitality businesses. And when profits are under pressure, the first instinct is often: “We need to cut staff.” Sometimes reducing hours is necessary. But cutting staff isn’t always the best solution. If you remove the wrong person at the wrong time, you can create longer wait […]
Why Your Hospitality Business Can Be Profitable But Still Have No Cash
You look at your accounts and see a profit. Sales are strong. Customers are coming through the door. You have worked hard all month. But when you look at the bank account, there’s barely enough money to pay the next round of bills. So you start asking: “Where has all the money gone?” This is […]
How to Build a Hospitality Roster That Actually Works
A hospitality roster can make or break your week. Get it right and your team is ready when customers arrive, the kitchen has enough people to keep up, the bar isn’t overloaded and staff know what they’re doing. Get it wrong and you can end up with: A good hospitality roster isn’t simply a list […]
How to Get More Repeat Customers in Your Cafe, Restaurant or Hotel
Getting someone through the door once is good. Getting them to come back next week is better. And getting them to become a regular customer who brings friends, recommends you to others and chooses your business automatically is where hospitality businesses can really build value. Yet many businesses spend most of their marketing effort trying […]
How to Create a Hospitality Marketing Plan That Actually Generates Customers
Most hospitality businesses don’t have a marketing plan. They have a Facebook page. They have an Instagram account. They occasionally run an offer. Someone posts a photo of the food. Someone else remembers to update the website. Then the owner wonders why sales are unpredictable. Marketing shouldn’t be a collection of random activities. A good […]
Why Your Cafe Is Busy But You’re Still Not Making Money
There is a frustrating situation that many cafe owners know all too well. The cafe is busy. Tables are full. The coffee machine is running constantly. The kitchen is pumping out food. Staff are running around. The EFTPOS machine is constantly being used. And yet, when you look at the bank account, there doesn’t seem […]
How to Make More Money With Upsells in Your Cafe, Restaurant or Bar
One of the easiest ways to increase revenue in hospitality is to get more value from the customers you already have. You don’t necessarily need more customers. You don’t necessarily need more advertising. Sometimes you simply need to give the customers already standing in front of you a better reason to spend a little more. […]
How to Reduce Food Waste in Your Cafe, Restaurant or Hotel Kitchen
Food waste is one of those costs that can quietly destroy your hospitality business. You buy the ingredients. Your staff prepare them. Some get used. Some get thrown away. And because you don’t necessarily see the money leaving your bank account at the moment the food hits the bin, it can be easy to ignore. […]
