Our "90-day Plan" on Which SOP'S to Implement First

To start this exciting discussion of SOP'S first we need to understand what the definition of it means in general.

Definition of S.O.P.: A standard operating procedure is a set of instructions having the force of a directive, covering those features of operations that lend themselves to a definite or standardized procedure without loss of effectiveness. Standard Operating Policies and Procedures can be effective catalysts to drive performance improvement and improve organizational results. Every good quality system is based on its standard operating procedures (Sops).

OK, now that I have you hanging by you're seat let me start by saying without proper SOP'S in place, from the beginning, you as a restaurant owner/operator are leaving yourself at a tremendous risk as well as missing potential profit areas sometimes overlooked when going through the details of a start-up.

"Watch, listen, and learn. You can't know it all yourself.. anyone who thinks they do is destined for mediocrity."Donald Trump

Our "90-day Plan" on Which SOP'S to Implement First
Considering that 60-80% of our business will come from repeat customers I am somewhat unique when it comes to a typical Las Vegas Strip business as they tend to depend entirely on tourists with little if no focus on repeat guests; it's paramount that I meet or exceed my first time, & repeat guests, expectations over and over. First impressions do matter and I also bank on the second and third as well! What I have found is too many operators fail to recognize that in order to be consistent, they must have systems in place that promote consistency. Having a concise plan in place before the doors even open will help us as a start-up when something goes wrong...notice I said WHEN something goes wrong because trust me it will!

It's all about having systems and controls for everything we do. As the Executive Chef/Partner I need training systems, employee manuals, prompt financial reporting, job descriptions, checklists, customer service standards, recipe manuals, recipe cards,a marketing plan… but wait, what about master vendor list's...and the list goes on from there. All this means I will be working 12-15 hours a day ,nothing new for me, however this time needs to be spent wisely or I might as well just stay at home.
My answer lies in my S.O.P.'S! If there is a question about how to handle an issue the basic
answer will or should be, spelled out in the procedures or standards myself and my managers have set forth before we open the doors!

First 30 days!
The very first thing I need to do is to make a commitment that my managers & I will incorporate daily, weekly and periodic routines into the day-to-day management of our restaurant. In order for our restaurant to be consistent, the management must be consistent and act as one with our SOPS. Consistency I believe can only be achieved as the result of a top-down management practice.
One of the greatest challenges to restaurant management success is the ability to communicate incidents, messages, and other happenings from one shift to the next. For the last 15 or so years I have been a member of management the tool of choice has been a standard daily or logbook. The approximately 8" x 13" "red book", as it has been commonly referred to, can be purchased at any office supply. This particular version I am speaking of has an entire day dedicated to each page and the larger size accommodates lots of entry space.
Alternatively, several companies I have researched have created restaurant industry specific versions that allow operators to record daily sales,internal issues, and notes to each other. Regardless of which version we use, I am making a commitment now to begin using a manager's log to document daily events, especially employee or customer incidents. For serious incidents such as a food poisoning complaint or an employee getting hurt on the job, we will have forms specifically intended to record such occurrences (i.e. Food borne Illness Complaint form, Accident Report form, etc.)
If you're like myself, you're most likely already working 60-70 hours a week but even with that you simply can't do this alone. Since my first restaurant isn't large enough to have the luxury of several managers I need to recruit at least two or three key personnel that I can rely on to help run our restaurant.
The first thing I will need to do is to define our organizational structure and present that to management.
After we define our organizational structure. The logical distribution of accountability for our
full service restaurants (FSR) is to assign each department, kitchen, bar, and dining room, to a specific manager or key employee. With our first restaurant being a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) it should not be a difficult task however our initial SOP'S will carry over to every location we are planning to build ourselves as well as franchise throughout the country.

Since we are operating a quick service restaurant I am considering splitting accountability between kitchen and service, or in other ways, such as according to a distribution of tasks (scheduling, ordering, training, etc.)
Regardless of whether I employ ten people or a hundred, each one must be held accountable for their job performance. While everyone is responsible for making the restaurant successful, in order to improve our systems we need assign areas of accountability to key players.

Now that accountability has been assigned, it is important that our team meet weekly to compare notes, review previous week's progress, and plan for the future. I've always found that Tuesday afternoons work best for a weekly manager's meetings. This gives the bookkeeper time to prepare weekly financial reports. In fact, keeping focused on weekly periods, we need to decide which day will begin our week. My preference, as for many operators, is to define the week as Monday through Sunday. However, I have seen several chains start their week on Wednesday and end it on Tuesday; or Thursday through Wednesday. It really doesn't matter which we choose; what matters is that we begin managing our business week by week.
Using our meeting times wisely and keeping agendas simple, we will limit our meetings to one or two hours. I prefer to do this in person and not teleconference however in the future this may prove prudent as we grow in size and number of locations.

Progress reports -- Now that our management team is assembled to meet weekly, and each member has a specific area of accountability, we are ready to start tackling task-oriented objectives such as the creation of forms, manuals, and checklists. Using our manager's log and weekly meetings to assign various tasks and continually communicate progress and objectives.
We will create opening and closing checklists. One of the best practices I have seen has been the use of opening, shift change, and closing checklist for each job position. This ensures that the restaurant is properly prepared to handle the demands of day-to-day business in a consistent manner.I do this mainly from my experience spent with my days at "Lettuce Entertain You" and the very successful reporting policies we used every day. I know if we begin by creating manager's checklists our team should easily be able to come up with a list of routine duties that need to be completed before and after each shift.
IE; items typically found on an opening checklist include turning off the alarm, checking the manager's logbook for notes, performing an opening cash audit, preparing cash drawers, review reservations, conduct unit walk-through as well as do a line check for quality control prior to every shift. Closing duties might be to set the alarm, inspect cleaning duties for each station, preparing the bank deposit for next day, placing phone orders to message machines, and dozens of other tasks that ensure the opening team walks into a clean restaurant and is ready to begin work.
Once the initial manager's checklists are complete our team can begin working on checklists for each job position in the restaurant, assign accountability to department heads and be sure to set a completion date for each sop.

I am prepared to modify our checklists as we add/remove more systems and controls. I know I may end up being surprised at how much our checklists will change over the initial 90 days but they need to be there from day one.

Establishing our customer service policy -- Many operators have the mindset that in order to draw more guests they need to first increase their marketing and promotions. While true that better marketing can generate more traffic, if we don't provide our customers with an excellent guest experience we will only succeed in more rapidly letting more people know that we don't have good customer service.
Establishing an all-encompassing customer service policy will be a work-in-progress project that should be done in phases. In fact, our staff and management should continually review ways to improve the guest experience. But the first step in establishing consistent customer service is to create some basic guidelines and expectations for staff and management.

Our team's objectives will be to define and document the following components of our customer service policy:
Greeting Policy -- It doesn't matter if it's our (FSR) Bistro "The World News Kaffee" or our (QSR)Coffee Shop "THE CUP"; making sure our guests feel welcomed as soon as they walk through your doors is a must if we intend on staying in business!
Steps of Service -- Every staff member should be aware of the service cycle for guests. For (QSR) the cycle begins with the ordering phase and continues with the preparation and delivery of the order. For our (FSR) it begins when the guest approaches the host stand, and then continues with a systematic method for order taking, delivery of product, payment of the check, and preparation for the next table.

Ticket Time Guidelines -- Our restaurant will establish service time benchmarks for each of the kitchen service order steps (appetizer, salad, entree, and dessert service). The same is true for beverage service .

Handling Guest Complaints -- No matter how good our restaurant is, we ARE going to experience complaints from time to time. Contrary to popular belief, you don't lose guests every time you make a mistake ,you lose them when you don't properly handle their complaints. Our staff must be trained on a consistent method for handling complaints.

Implement a DSR. What use is it in having a good restaurant if you're not making any money? Sound financial tracking begins with the accurate recording of sales. The Daily Sales Report (DSR) is the core tracking element for controlling cash.
Gaining the maximum effectiveness from our DSR entails a two-step process wherein the revenue (sales) side of the equation is generated at the cash register or POS level, and the settlement (receipts) side is based on actual receipts. The difference between the two is commonly referred to as Cash Over and Short (Cash O/S).
Most POS systems have built-in sales reports that give an accounting of recorded sales and receipts; however, all too often operators fail to reconcile their POS or register reports with actual cash and credit card deposits. A properly constructed DSR serves as the source document for posting to your accounting system. It also serves as a summary report of sales and receipts collected from server and cashier checkouts.

Using purchase orders- The last objective for our first 30-day goals will be to initiate some purchasing and receiving guidelines. While there are several aspects to having a complete set of guidelines, one of the most useful tools is to write a purchase order for everything we have delivered. A properly executed purchase order should have the correct quantity and price promised for each item ordered.
When deliveries arrive, have designated personnel verify that the price on the invoice and the quantity received is the same as that on the purchase order. One more thing -- don't take the driver's word for it -- visually verify that each item has been delivered by having the driver show you everything he brings in. Be sure to weigh all items purchased by weight to insure correct amounts.

Accomplishing these tasks in 30 days may seem like a tall order, but it is imperative to get these done so we will start the next 31-60 days!

Any suggestions on SOPS? I would enjoy reading you're opinion..

Looking For The Right Managers

The greatest challenges I think that everyone can agree on is money!
You've got to pay the right price to the right people, and I think the independents like me are always fighting the chains and hotels here in Las Vegas that have the deeper pockets not to mention very attractive benefits that as a small business simply cannot afford. Restaurant chains such as The Cheesecake Factory and the Applebee's of the world are successful for a reason. They've obviously done things right for a long time but do I want to emulate them?
So, what I am trying to do is watch what they're doing and try to make it applicable to my situation while still keeping my management style.

For example, the amount of hours we ask from our managers is always an issue. I didn't want to be the company that worked its managers 80 hours a week and they didn't get any time with their family or away from work. I can recall working at The Chateau on The Lake in Branson,MO as a banquet chef (don't get me started about that place) where 90-100 hour weeks was the norm for ALL managers yet what we ended up being where basically slaves with a salary! Well, I don't intend on doing that to my managers/chefs because I want a positive environment where my managers feel they are getting a fair shake. This does not mean I will carry non-performers on my payroll, but what I do instead is try my best to coach,mentor & motivate them the best I can. I find, even with the most amazing resumes, star performers need encouragement and coaching. One idea I have is telling them "I'm going to make it so that once a month you only have to work a four-day workweek. You get three days off. There's no vacation time involved, and I don't want you to work 15 hours a day on those four days to try to keep up with work. I just want to give you an extra day off once a month to have a three-day weekend, or wherever it falls in the middle of the week." This worked for me in the past when I was in management and I know it will work for my managers as well.

I will try hire from within or people I already know in the industry however I do stay away from friends! I intend once we are open to promote from within as much as possible actually, about 98 percent of the time. I say this realizing it's not possible in all applications because being a start-up here in Vegas is tough and even tougher considering the competition for good if not great managers.
I think the challenge I will face initially, when hiring from the outside, is that he or she does not know my culture,expectations and most of all management style. It's for this reason that I tend hire most of my servers and hosts with no experience. I like an unformed piece of clay that I can mold to make my own server. I can train for the talent. I hire for personality and that works for servers because then you can groom them and bring them in and bring them up to the management some day. As a manager, I don't want to have train you on my culture and learn how I serve my drinks and even how our food comes out. I want you to already have that knowledge. I want to teach you how I deal with my customers, my guests in my way! :-)

So all this goes back to how I look for managers and what kind of"team" I want to put into my place.
Each manager has specific responsibilities, and then we have the General manager. I like to compare our management team to a football team. I use a lot of sports analogies, and I call the GM the coach. The coach isn't out there running the plays. He or she is not the quarterback. Assistant managers and floor managers are like the quarterback coach or the defensive line coach. They're the ones who are out there kind of running your team. Your team players - your host and your bartender, your servers - those are the players, and those are the people who are out on the field doing the day-to-day front line jobs. So, your GM is not going to be out there running the plays. He or she has got to be the one who makes sure the proper team is assembled so that all of the holes are filled. The GM, in our organization, will have a lot more responsibility, but it's more of an overseer's responsibility. Our GM doesn't even schedule the staff. We've got one of the other managers, actually the assistant general manager, doing the overall scheduling. The bar manager orders the bar product and schedules the bar staff . The chef orders the kitchen product and schedules the kitchen staff.

Now if something doesn't get done right and I walk in on a Friday night ,after being in another location all day, and we we are out of half the menu from 8 o'clock on , and I'm pissed off, I'm not going to go to the chef. I get to go to the GM and say, "What's going on here? Why is this failing?" I think that's how our team should be split up.

Although as the Executive Chef I certainly can berate the chef myself it will make him loose face in front of the line cooks and waitstaff, which is not the right thing to do, so instead I will empower the GM to make the right decision and expect them to perform at peak levels at all times.

I am still working out who will fill these roles but I think I am on the right track. Any opinions?

Culinary School vs.The School of Hard Knocks

When I looked into going to a culinary school I encountered two distinctly different "opinions" from Chefs I had worked with in the past. One set said "you can't learn anything in culinary school that you have not learned already, hey just look at me I didn't go to school!" The other set said "A culinary degree shows you are looking at the culinary profession as a career instead of just a job... I value my education and the opportunities it brought me as well as respect others that have done the same."

What I found out based on my experience.... it's a combination of both!

Yes, you can go to a top culinary school, be an apprentice, and learn great culinary skills and yet somehow still come out a complete moron in the kitchen! Trust me I have seen that so many times , it's just sad. Is it the culinary schools fault or the student?? In some cases it is the school however most times it's the graduate.

Of the chefs I met over the years it is approximately a 70/30 (positive~ negative split) on those that went to culinary school & feel it has helped them and even then, as I later found out, it also mattered where they went to school!

Of the chefs that did not attend school I sometimes found they had a chip on there shoulder about culinary grads as they see them as "spoiled brats that think they know everything!" Not always the case, but a stereotype none the less, unfortunately and that perception is our reality.

In my extensive research on culinary schools I decided to go straight to the top not wasting any time with "art schools" and after 6 weeks of research toured the top 3 schools in America mainly because after cooking for 10 years I did not want to play around! These are the schools I went to....NOT in order just in order of my visit to them: (CIA) Culinary Institute of America,Hyde Park NY, (JWU) Johnson & Wales University,Providence RI & (NECI) The New England Culinary Institute,Montpelier VT.

I chose NECI because they actually make you cook from day ONE with no "demo kitchens" & therefore no excuses. The Student /Chef ratio at that time was 8-1 and fit me and my A.D.H.D. like a glove! What I did not expect however was how much I DID NOT KNOW which was just about everything I thought I knew!
I was wrong with even basic knife cuts,stocks,sauces and even soups! That first year I dreaded going to class only to be told that way "I had cooked it" for years was wrong and here is "the right way" now throw that shit away...oh I laugh now........not so much back then!

I eventually came around however and credit that entirely to the chef instructors as most had industry experience. They where very patient with adult students and they took my frustration in stride and stayed on me until I finally got rid of my old school habits and finally learned the classic way of cooking in a professional kitchen.

The one thing culinary school did not need to each me was speed! I was always fast on the line, no matter where I had cooked , as well as being a fast learner I understood the basic workings of a kitchen line so that gave me an advantage as well. In the industry I was usually the only "gringo" in the kitchen and I always felt I had to prove myself with all these guys who, most of Latin decent, thought I was just slumming until I found a better job! One thing I had that they respected was my background as a U.S. Marine but that's for another story!

Upon my completion of culinary school I set out to concur the culinary world....well....not really.
I took a sous chef position right away and started this trek eventually leading me to starting my own restaurant. What I have found is the "stigma" of going to Culinary School vs.The School of Hard Knocks was ,and still is, everywhere ! Do I favor either school of thought? No & no! School showed me the basics I was missing in the industry and the hard knocks taught me to appreciate the hard daily life of a chef. If I was to truly succeed I needed to learn the "right way" and never to accept second rate cooking nor ingredients & NECI instilled that in just as the Marines prepared me with the tools I needed to be the best! Yes, I take culinary much more serious than I did before as this is not just my passion but my career!

I see a benefit of doing BOTH! Just choose the Right school if you have experience! If no experience get you're butt in a real kitchen BEFORE going to a school and see if it's for you.

If you are still considering a culinary school you must realize that the name of the school does matter when you apply for a position in a professional restaurant. Based on my personal experience a culinary degree from the CIA,NECI & JWU, combined with experience, is much more appealing to a Chef.

I have found CIA & JWU grads are very good with large "hotel & multi-unit operations" and NECI specializes in the smaller scale operations however all of these grads have literally cooked there ass off to get to where they are and provide the foundation for success needed in today's kitchens that are first and foremost a business.

In conclusion I believe both culinary schools as well as real world experience is what separates myself from others and highly recommend anyone going into the culinary industry to experience both.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?

It'sThe Economy Stupid

“High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true.”
~Robert H. Schuller

We had a series of meetings today with some people who are on the peripheral of the 3 concepts we are putting into City Center and you would think from the reactions they gave we where trying to reinvent the wheel! We where told if we "wait just two more years",even though it would cost 5 times more than what we are paying for construction now, we will have a sure bet on our hands. The funny thing is the guys who where saying this have never owned a business and don't have a dime invested. After thanking them for there sage advice (wink) we got back on course to opening THE CUP which as you are aware by now is the first restaurant we are to complete. Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing these guys but merely pointing out the difference between an entrepreneur and a mid-level manager. Entrepreneur's actually make it happen where management, through no fault of there own, can only stay within the lines because that's what business school has taught them!

To be clear All of us are well aware of how tight the economy is and how bad things are as I am sure everyone has someone, as do I, directly or indirectly affected by this recession and believe me we are all being as cautious as we can. What I see however is the possibility of entrepreneurs like myself and my principle investors to make something happen for the better.

"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big."-Donald Trump

Upon completion of all three concepts we will have approximately 60 full time and 40 additional part-time positions to fill all at a time where layoffs are decimating the rest of the country...we are building..cautiously mind you but building still!

City Center itself will have close to 10,000+ employee's supporting numerous families throughout Las Vegas not to mention all the support a city within a city needs to thrive from the surrounding area.

I believe we are making the right moves at the right time! Our goal is to provide exceptional,sustainable coffee & food at a reasonable profit all withing the walls of a green building.

Yes, I agree It is the Economy Stupid and what we do NOW is what will shape us all into the future and sitting buy and watching is not an option.

THE CUP Menu!

The CUP
Draft menu by: Chef Steven K. Jacobson

Bagels
Asia go, Parmesan, Cinnamon, Raisin, Cranberry Orange, Everything, Roasted Garlic, Walnut Raisin, Honey Grain, Jalapeno, Onion, Plain, Poppy seed, Pumpernickel, Rosemary & Olive Oil, Sesame, Sourdough, Sun-Dried Tomato, Whole Wheat.

Cream Cheese
Plain, Light Plain, Garden Veggie, Light Garden Veggie, Bacon, Scallion, Honey Walnut Raisin, Jalapeno, Onion, Chive, Smoked Salmon, Strawberry, Herb Garlic, Olive Pimento.

Sandwiches
1) Vegetarian: Avocado, Red Onion, lettuce, Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato, Cucumber, Sprouts, Havarti Cheese

2) Smoked Turkey: Smoked Turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, Tomato, Mayonnaise and Mustard

3) Italian: Salami, Parma Ham, Provolone, Tapenade and Vinaigrette

4) Roast Beef: Thin sliced Lean Roast Beef, Horseradish sauce, Red onion & Tomato

Salads
1) Asian: Grilled Chicken, Romaine, Snow Peas, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Green Onions, Crispy Noodles, Almonds, Sesame Seeds with a Ginger Soy Dressing

2) Pear: Endive, Radicchio, Arugula, B utter Lettuce, Roasted Pears, Blue Cheese, Candied pecans & Tomato

3) Market Salad: Roasted Beets, French Green Beans, Hard Boiled Egg, Tomato, Walnuts & Goat Cheese over Mixed greens

4) The Cup Salad: Baby Field Greens, Granny Smith Apples, Tomato, Candied Walnuts

5) Spinach Salad: Baby Spinach, Roasted Pine Nuts, Mandarin Orange, Golden Raisins

Soup of The day

Sides
Granola & Yogurt
Fresh Fruit Cup
Fresh Fruit

Smoothies
Yogurt Smoothies available with choice of: Banana, Strawberry, Peach, Blueberries, Mango, Cranberry Orange Power Smoothie or a combination of you’re choosing.

Menu for The World News kaffee

Here is the draft menu for The World News Kaffee:
WORLD NEWS KAFFEE
City Center/Las Vegas
Draft Menu: Executive Chef Steven K. Jacobson

Breakfast:
Crepe of the Day
Bagel & Lox
Fresh Breakfast Pastries
Breakfast Panini
Choice of: Ham & Egg, Vegetarian, Egg& Cheese
Fresh Fruit in Season
Assorted Artisan Cheese & Charcuterie
House Yogurt & Fresh Granola



LUNCH (11:00am/3pm)

Soups
Soup de Jour
Classic French Onion Soup


Salads
Roasted Beet Salad:
Arugula, Endive, Roasted Beets with Roasted Walnut dressing and Artisan cheese

Grilled Chicken Salad:
Grilled Chicken Breast served on Baby Mixed greens with Artichoke, Avocado & house Tapenade

Spinach Salad:
Baby Spinach, Roasted Pine Nuts, Mandarin Orange, and Bacon vinaigrette

Caprice Salad:
(Seasonal) Heirloom Tomato, Artisan mozzarella, Fresh basil, Balsamic reduction

Classic Caesar Salad:
Romaine, French croutons’, White Anchovies and House Caesar dressing (Grilled chicken breast on request)

Sandwich/Panini

Turkey:
Smoked Turkey & Brie

Italian:
Mort Della with Fresh Mozzarella, Organic Heirloom Tomato

Grilled Chicken:
Roasted Artichoke, Roasted Red Pepper, Grilled Annatto Chicken Breast, Fresh mozzarella and Pesto

Meat Lovers:
Braised Short Ribs, Caramelized Onion and Artisan Blue Cheese

Vegetarian:
Oven Roasted Portabello Mushrooms, Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables with Artisan Asiago Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Crepes
Spinach & Cheese Crepes

Savory Shrimp & Asparagus Crepes

Ham & Cheese Crepes

DESSERT

"LES PROFITEROLES"
Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Ice Cream, Served with Warm Chocolate Sauce

Dessert Crepe of the day

Dinner
4:30pm/11pm

Soups

Soup de Jour

Classic French Onion Soup

Appetizers

Brie Cheese and Cranberry Bites

Calamari

Fresh Fruit & Artisan Cheese Plate

Salads

Classic Caesar Salad:
Romaine, French croutons’, White Anchovies and House Caesar dressing (Grilled chicken breast on request).

Roasted Beet Salad:
Arugula, Endive, Roasted Beets with Roasted Walnut dressing and Artisan Cheese

Grilled Chicken Salad:
Grilled Chicken Breast served on Baby Mixed greens with Artichoke, Avocado, House Tapenade

Spinach Salad:
Baby Spinach, Roasted Pine Nuts, Mandarin Orange, and Bacon Vinaigrette

Caprice Salad:
Heirloom Tomato, Artisan Mozzarella, Fresh Basil, Balsamic reduction

Entree:

Steak Frites
Herb Marinated Steak & Fries

“The Worlds Best Ham & Cheese Sandwich”
(Crouque Madam/Monsieur)
(Sunny side up egg for Madam)

Braised Short Ribs

Fresh fish of the day

Roasted Half Chicken

Spinach & Cheese Crepes

Savory Shrimp & Asparagus Crepes

Ham & Cheese Crepes

Pasta of the Day

Sides

French Fries

Gratin Potatoes

Mashed Potato of the day

Three cheese Macaroni

Bistro Style Green Beans

Steamed Asparagus

Vegetable of the day

Dessert

"LES PROFITEROLES"
Cream Puffs filled with Vanilla Ice Cream, Served with Warm Chocolate Sauce

Crème Brule

Blood Orange Ricotta Tart

Dessert Special of the Day

Dessert Crepe of the Day

Bar Menu

Chorizo Stuffed Dates

Charcuterie Plate

Fresh Fruit & Artisan Cheese Plate

Steak Frites

Calamari

French Fries w dipping sauce

We just got approval on our THIRD concept! Woo Hoo!

Ok, we just received approval for our third concept on the strip in Las Vegas! I will have more details soon!

Making a Decision on Point Of Sale Systems! (POS)

This is the week to decide on our POS system for both restaurants. Boring stuff...trust me!

Infogenisus-Agilysys,MICROS,Aloha are just a few of the 2 dozen or so systems my general mgr. and I have looked at. Infogenisis is by far the most expensive however Las Vegas is there biggest market and MICRO's is the largest in the world but there service in Las Vegas is not that well regarded. Aloha seems outdated and slow with little of no ability to change the menu quickly!

My requirements are these: Ease of use,Can I change my menu quickly,Price & WHEN it crashes do I have a back-up to run my numbers? This all seems so simple to me however I am not the expert!
One thing that I stress to my team is I do not want to purchase a system that has no "physical" support. In other words I do not trust companies to fix my POS when it crashes over the web! Out of the dozens of companies out there only a few offer local technical support which eliminates the majority of them. I am also looking for BOH (Back of House) applications that can help with labor,food & inventory costs that can attach in some way to my POS system.

Am I asking for too much?

Everyone is telling me they are "The Best" and then they all go on to trash each other which I find tiresome and no-productive! I came across the same thing while searching for equipment and it did not impress me then either.

Today I get the final bid from Infogenisus and I have a sneaking suspicion it is astronomically higher than everyone else but we will see.

Any advice out there? Anyone been through this? Keep in mind I am still looking at POS systems so if you know of one send them my way!

Our First Construction Delay..

Well, it's official! Our first construction delay will be for The World News Kaffee! The Cup will still open December 4Th 2009 as planned however the third floor of "The Crystals" in City Center is not complete so we are now given an additional 6 months to open. Construction on the Kaffee will resume in February.

So, is this a good time to tell you about The World News Kaffee?

The concept itself is a classic "European Bistro" serving "The Worlds Best Coffee & Tea" in a classic setting. It is 3,983sf with a full bar,deli & kitchen. Seating 80 for full table service with 20 at the bar and 70 addition seats outside the restaurant. We are on the third floor of The Crystals Mall situated at the entrance and exit of the "People Mover" which is a cable car system that not only goes between all the properties in city center but connects to the Bellagio Hotel & Monte Carlo as well. Next to us is a nightclub (38,000sf) that is currently empty but the R&D has been done and they will open around the same time as us.

The menu is all European comfort food such as:Crepes,Steak Steak Frites, Roast Chicken in a Pot, Penni sands, Great soups,Artisan cheese & Charcuterie, Croque masseur (the world best ham & cheese sand)& great salads all combining to create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. One piece of advice I took from a pretty well known french chef was to take ALL the French & Italian names off the menu and make sure everything is in simple English so my guests will not be confused. Based on personal experience I have found most people don't like to be embarrassed about pronunciation's so I agreed with the chef!

Our wine list is being hammered out as I write this and as you get to know me I have no problem going to wine tastings! I am focused on varietals vs. regions. Pairing with my food is paramount as well. What is interesting is the amount of coffee & tea
tastings I have done and am planning to go too! Did you know coffee has Terroir?? Neither did I!

With coffee being our focus I made the menu simple but delicious, let me know you're favorite european comfort food and maybe I will put it on the menu and give it a try!

Did I mention we will be open 24hrs as well! More on that later....

My first "Taste Memory"

As a chef I always think of my first true "taste memory" when looking to where all this passion for food started. I was twelve and staying with my Aunt Virginia and her family in Mercer Island, Washington outside Seattle. I was quite a headstrong boy and thought I knew everything but my trip to Washington changed me forever.

My Aunt Virginia was perhaps the best gourmet cook I have ever known! Every single meal in her house was absolutely from scratch. My first true memory of her wonderful food was from helping her make (2) strawberry & rhubarb pie’s in which I got to slice the fresh strawberries and rhubarb while she made the crust. The assembly was fairly simple but the flavors it produced where amazing! While the pie's baked we made homemade vanilla ice cream that would go on the pie. With the wonderful aroma of the pie lofting through the house she sat me down and explained to me how these recipes where from my grandmother who was a great cook in her own right!

When she took the pies out of the oven they looked and smelled simply amazing with this picture perfect lattice crust that held the beautiful pie underneath. She placed one on the counter and the other on the kitchen table explaining that one was for the family however this was ours to “sample”! To this day I can taste that "fresh from the oven" pie with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream!
My Aunt Virginia passed away this spring at the age of 84 and my first recollection was that pie as well as all the wonderful food I experienced in her kitchen that summer. She once told me she was proud that I loved to cook and looked forward to eating in my restaurant someday.

I truly believe she will be with me in spirit when the doors open to my restaurant……and in her honor Strawberry Rhubarb pie WILL be on the dessert menu!

Construction Starts!!

Today is the first day of construction for "The Cup" which is the first of the two restaurants being built for us in City Center. The Cup is a "green" approach to a coffee shop with an emphasis on sourcing our coffee from sustainable coffee growers as well as biodegradable products. World News Kaffee is our second restaurant and I will get into that later.

My menu for the cup is fairly simple with fresh bagels,pastries,sandwich's/wraps & salads. The cup is a true QSR (quick service restaurant) with volume being the key to business! We estimate we will need a staff of twelve to run this 7 days a week being open 16 hours. All the sandwiches and salads will be pre-made with dressings & condiments on the side. The plates we are using are quite unique in they are made from corn leaves! www.verterra.com These plates are %100 biodegradable and we will be the first in Las Vegas to use them!

It has taken us 14 months of planning to get to this point! Now that the construction has actually started is a true relief for us! Up until this point I have been in charge of everything from equipment decisions,menu design,kitchen layout,SOP's (standard operating procedures) and establishing relationships with all vendors! I am not complaing just going though some of what is expected from a chef when you are in charge! As I write more I will explain as much as I can about the everyday life and decisions I (wheather good or bad) I must make to get these restaurants off the ground and running.