AboutJeffrey Summers Expertise I am the Founder & Owner of Restaurant Coaching Solutions, Inc. We have experience on any topic related to the restaurant & hospitality industry - from Menu R&D, Menu Engineering, Marketing Strategies, New Store Openings, P&L Analysis, Lease Negotiations, Staffing, Policies & Procedures, Building & Design, Site Location, Branding, PR & Promotions, Multi-Unit Development, and any other area effecting the operation of your business. Check us out on the web for more information at www.RestaurantCoachingSolutions.com or call us toll free at 877-535-2324.
Experience I am the Founder & Owner of Restaurant Coaching Solutions, Inc. We have experience on any topic related to the restaurant & hospitality industry - from Menu R&D, Menu Engineering, Marketing Strategies, New Store Openings, P&L Analysis, Lease Negotiations, Staffing, Policies & Procedures, Building & Design, Site Location, Branding, PR & Promotions, Multi-Unit Development, and any other area effecting the operation of your business. Check us out on the web for more information at www.RestaurantCoachingSolutions.com or call us toll free at 877-535-2324.
Organizations The National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association's mission is to represent, educate and promote a rapidly growing industry that is comprised of 925,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing 12.5 million people. The Society of Hospitality Management The Society for Hospitality Management is an education and professional development association and organization serving the hospitality industry. The SHM is a network of hospitality professionals committed to the education, training, and professional development of employees at all levels in the industry. Through training and educational programs, products, and services, industry professionals grow personally and professionally and in the process improve the performance of the properties and companies they serve. The Gerson Lehrman Leisure & Lodging Council The Gerson Lehrman Group Councils are global networks of executives, physicians, scientists, engineers, attorneys, and other professionals who deliver expertise and decision-making assistance to businesses, governments and investment leaders from around the world. The Professional Business Coaches Alliance The Professional Business Coaches Alliance is a knowledge sharing and peer coaching organization that concentrates on the delivery of effective business coaching - with an emphasis on usable strategies and tools - for the small business owner. The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Founded in 1946, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education is the global advocate of hospitality and tourism education for schools, colleges, and universities offering programs in hotel and restaurant management, foodservice management and culinary arts.
Publications My articles and opinion pieces have been featured on several industry websites, magazines, blogs and forums including: Building Better Restaurants.com RestaurantOwner.com RestaurantEdge.com FoodService.com Ezinearticles.com RestaurantReport.com Restaurant Startup & Growth Magazine American Express' Briefing Newsletter Nation's Restaurant News and tons more!
Education/Credentials I hold degrees in Economics, English, Culinary Arts and industry certifications in Hospitality Management and Restaurant & Catering Management.
Past/Present Clients Here's a list of some of the teams Jeffrey has coached! Hardee's Super X Drug Stores Connie's Pizza Burger King Chili's Long John Silver's The Purple Sage Bistro Applebee's Shoney's T.G.I. Friday's Century 21 House of Realty La Dolce Vita Pastries & Catering Wal Mart 5 Seasons Sports Clubs Wendy's Bennigan's Riverside Publishing Godfather's Pizza Ovations Dining & Entertainment Romaine's Stew's Microbrewery & Eatery Xerox Food Service Double D's Sourdough Pizza and literally hundreds of other Independent Operations.
Question I'm living in Yellowknife, NT(Canada) and my "day job" is selling insurance. I'm 21 years old. I needed to get a second job when I broke up with my boyfriend, so I applied at this bar/pub, "After 8".
I've simply fallen in love with the place, the only thing is that it's basically failing.My boss has told me that she still has lots of credit left. I've decided to quit my day job and take over managing this place full time, after she offered me the position and I realized I've never looked forward to going to work so much in my life.
It's been in business for 13 years, and 5 years ago when the no-smoking ban came into place we lost a lot of business. We have 7 pool tables. The layout isn't very good (the bathrooms divide the place into 2, on one side its all the pool tables with hardly any seating on the other its nothing but seating), and the paint job is too dark. We're going to be putting in a kitchen in the next few weeks and we'll be offering good food all from scratch. We will be doing some slight remodelling and redecorating, and opening up under a new name (i haven't decided what yet) enabling my boss to become essentially a silent partner in the matter and leaving me to run things. SHe's had a hard couple of years with deaths in the family, etc, and is simply burnt out; no one wants to buy the bar because it's not making any money and she's simply at her wits end.
I am full of ideas, I know alot of people, and I feel like I can make this work. The only thing is, I don't know the first thing about the hospitality industry. I don't drink or party. I don't know how to draw people in, we have an add in the newspaper and on the radio but it's not helping. We don't currently offer any drink specials but I think that may be a good idea. Because it's dark about 9 months out of the year up here I was going to paint the walls a brighter color, and get as much local art as possible in there... I feel that advertising that we endorse local talent would be a good way to get our name in the newspaper somehow. We also have a very good coffee/cappuccino machine, and we're open 7 days a week with no liquor sales allowed on Sundays.
I feel like I can make this the hub for the more progressive, artsy people in town, essentially the "coffeehouse" crew, as there's no where for these people to go. We can have live bands, etc. We can cater to parties. This whole bar is full of potential, but I just don't know where to start.
Do you have any suggestions for starting a game plan to set things in motion? what are the most important things to look at first, to get customers into the place? what do you think my first prioriies should be? We will have a limited, although not stingy, budget. I want this to become a "hip, happening place to be". We can't advertise liquor prices or specials in the newspaper due to the liquor laws up here, so I don't knwo how I can let the public know that we have 20 different kinds of beer, or we're doing ladies night every night, etc.
I'm very excited for this, and I think it could be amazing, I just need some guidance.Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
Answer Your first and only priority right now, should be to get experienced help - either a consultant or a Coach who can help guide you through the myriad of issues and challenges you face now and in the future. Use him to create the business plan you need to establish the concept in the minds of the target market as well as the community and staff, address operational issues, develop the appropriate marketing plan and create the absolutely necessary financial controls and measures for long term success.
