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Cooking & Restaurant Management/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| slow days | 12/3/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: Two and a half months ago we opened a southern barbeque restaurant here in Canada. Weekends we are ... A: Why is that your only two options? 1. Mon - Wed are your slowest nights of the week everywhere. ... | ||
| Christmas promotion | 11/4/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: We have a Japanese restaurant in the heart of London. It's coming up to Christmas, and we are ... A: Simply answer the question; "What does Christmas mean to the Japanese?" Then you must answer this ... | ||
| Home dessert business | 11/3/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: Due diabetes and heart disease, my wife has reworked a number of dessert recipes and even invented ... A: That's a tough one to answer since there are SO many sources for recipes of all types, and so many ... | ||
| Starting a Fast food Business | 10/28/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I want to start a fast food business/Stall. I need your guidance in this regard. I don't have ... A: My advice is to find another business that you have experience in. No experience in this business is ... | ||
| Menu pricing | 10/24/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: How many ways are there to calculate a menu price and which is most commonly used please? Thanks A: Sadly, there are as many ways as there are operators! I wouldn't want the most commonly used ... | ||
| wages, mistakes, and tips | 10/21/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I'm a server/bartender in a small restaurant in WA state. Its been brought to my attention that the ... A: First, I have to say if you have that many questions about how your employer treats your service, I ... | ||
| how much | 10/20/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: i work for the hilton hotels and im one step away from sous chef but i want more and thats too own ... A: If you are asking about the Personal Chefs Network book, please conatct them directly. I am no ... | ||
| Cooking from Home Business | 10/14/2008 | Ginger Moreno |
| Q: I love to BAKE! I have always cooked and baked for family and friends and received rave reviews for ... A: Well my baking skills are not in your ballpark - you sound like a whiz! I've gone as far as red ... | ||
| Remoddeling/reno'ing a pool hall | 10/9/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I'm living in Yellowknife, NT(Canada) and my "day job" is selling insurance. I'm 21 years old. I ... A: Your first and only priority right now, should be to get experienced help - either a consultant or a ... | ||
| Cooking | 10/7/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: I was just wondering if you had to have a degree or a certificate to have your own catering service ... A: Nope, but you do have to meet local criteria for your health department and they vary from one ... | ||
| General Manager Salaries | 10/6/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: Generally, what is the base pay for general managers of high volume restaurants? I am looking for a ... A: They vary based on several factors, not the least of which is geography, type of concept, ... | ||
| Chef bonus/ salary structure | 9/30/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I am an owner of a 1.75 mil sales casual restaurant. My business partner and I started from nothing ... A: There is no formula. You need to call around and find out what the prevailing wage is for the ... | ||
| restaurant delivery service | 9/28/2008 | Mike Handy |
| Q: I would like to get some information on restaurant delivery service. How much money do I need ... A: One of the great things about starting a Restaurant Delivery Service is that you can start it with ... | ||
| Can you charge a server for mistakes? | 8/18/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I am a restaurant manager. Daily reports are filled out for our lunch and dinner shirt. My owner ... A: This is a culture problem. Which means it's a leadership problem. Legally, you cannot charge them ... | ||
| starting out | 8/13/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: I have a culinary degree and fifteen years in the restaurant industry. I am now looking to get into ... A: First off, personal cheffing and catering are two entirely different concepts so i recommend you ... | ||
| Food suplies control | 8/12/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I bought pizza restaurant recently and because i do another business at the same time i can't all ... A: The bottom line is that somebody has to be onsite driving the type of culture you need in order to ... | ||
| selling foods made in home kitchens | 7/23/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I have a great recipe that, everywhere I take it, people seem to love it. I've recently been ... A: 1. Is this legal? No. Not without the proper licensing and permits. 2. Do I have to have my kitchen ... | ||
| freezing half-prepped food | 7/14/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: I'm running a Tex-Mex and American restaurant overseas. I'm one of those fools who started from ... A: Well, take a look in the grocery store freezer section. There's all sorts of things like you're ... | ||
| freezer burn | 7/13/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: Can you successfully cook chicken that has some freezer burn on it. If you cut off the bad areas ... A: You can, but you'll have less flavor. I would use it to make something like chicken salad or ... | ||
| Question about selling home cooked meals | 7/8/2008 | Ginger Moreno |
| Q: My name is Adetinuke and i have dreams of one day owning my own Nigerian, west-African restaurant ... A: First of all forgive me for not answering sooner, however, I was trying to research the answer for ... | ||
| restructuring | 7/2/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: i am pleased to find an experts like you to talk with and ask him i am working in a company ( food ... A: What is happening that it needs to be restructured? How is it broken? You need to define the problem ... | ||
| Small Catering Business | 6/29/2008 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: My husband and I just completed a catering kitchen on our property where I plan to bake cakes, ... A: I hope you first checked with your local health department and built that kitchen to their code ... | ||
| marketing ideas for pizza restaurant | 5/20/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: Our store is a franchise of a pizza corporation. LOCATION: It is located in a city surrounded by ... A: I have no information on which to base a businesses marketing strategy. Only you do. No one could ... | ||
| the disadvantages of RDS | 5/18/2008 | Mike Handy |
| Q: what puzzles me is all I here are GREAT things about owning and operating a RDS, what are some of ... A: Hey Shay, Like any small business there are your typical challenges that relate to the owners ... | ||
| marketing ideas for pizza restaurant | 5/18/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: Our store is a franchise of a pizza corporation. LOCATION: It is located in a city surrounded by ... A: Yes. Build a marketing plan that makes sense for your guests, involve them and learn what it is they ... | ||
| How could increase sale and drive customer in | 5/17/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I'm Restaurant Manager in Asian Restaurant,e just open our business about last 3 month,Business is ... A: You need to understand that you are in this position because you did not have a plan for success. ... | ||
| Finding a balance | 5/9/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: We own and operate a 2 year old, 65 seat white table cloth restaurant (3000 sq ft), serving dinner 5 ... A: The number one question is, why aren't you considering raising prices? Other than that, I don't ... | ||
| Hawaiian BBQ | 3/29/2008 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: See L&L growing, like to open the Hawaiian BBQ restaurant. I got a great deal, the owner runs a ... A: This is a risky venture in general. Costs are rising at a very rapid rate right now. I would not ... | ||
| Starting Ezy-E's Takeout Delivery | 3/19/2008 | Mike Handy |
| Q: First of all let me thank you for being available and adding your expertise on this. I'm looking to ... A: . What licenses', permits, ect will I need. I know this proly differs from state to state(in South ... | ||
| Restuarant Turnover | 2/9/2008 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: Within different classifications of restuarant business', i.e. Quick Service, Fast Casual, high ... A: Kelly, I can't imagine any reason a restaurant - in any category - would want higher turnover. It ... | ||
| Organizational Turnover | 2/9/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: Within different classifications of restuarant business', i.e. Quick Service, Fast Casual, high ... A: Encouraged? Yes and no. It depends on a discussion of definitions. Yes in the aspect of needing to ... | ||
| Restuarant Turnover | 2/9/2008 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: Within different classifications of restuarant business', i.e. Quick Service, Fast Casual, high ... A: Each category has a slightly different average turnover rate. The reason primarily revolves around ... | ||
| organizational chart | 1/21/2008 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: I asked you a question earlier in response to a college project I'm involved in. If it helps, I'm ... A: If you worked with them on an internship, surely you would have a resource to ask for that document. ... | ||
| Where to begin on trying to open my own small restaurant | 1/20/2008 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: I wanted to know where i should begin on trying to start my own small restaurant , i saw a vacant ... A: There are different state laws so some of the details depend on where you are located. As a first ... | ||
| is it too late? | 1/9/2008 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: All my life I have done data entry/office work but while stuck at my desk, I always have the Food ... A: Yes, that is a perfectly acceptable route to take. In fact, some CEO's of top restaurant companies ... | ||
| Packaging | 12/24/2007 | Chef Wendy Perry |
| Q: What type of packaging options are available for personal chefs,and what are the nutritional ... A: Sorry for the delay. I turned my computer off to spend time with my family over Christmas. There are ... | ||
| Apprenticeship/Culinary school | 12/8/2007 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: I'm 35 years old and considering a career change from IT into a culinary field. I love to cook. I ... A: The restaurant industry is the largest non-government, non-agricultural employer in the United ... | ||
| coach others in job skills | 11/21/2007 | Jeffrey Summers |
| Q: how do i train others in job skills A: Thousands of books have been written on the subject and I could write one here too. Some of the ... | ||
| low sales | 11/18/2007 | Aaron Allen |
| Q: We have a 90+ cover family style restaurant with home delivery in Lucknow ; India. our sales are ... A: Such a dramatic drop is likely from a serious perception issue. It is unlikely competition alone or ... | ||
| Opening a Mexican Restaurant | 11/17/2007 | Mike Handy |
| Q: I am planning to open a restaurant in India for Mexican and Lebanese cuisenes. How should I go about ... A: Regardless of the Restaurant cuisine, the basics for managing a restaurant are the same. Cash ... | ||
Cooking & Restaurant Management
Answers by Expert:
Jeffrey Summers
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am the Founder & Owner of Summers Hospitality Group. We have over 300 years of successful experience in operating and consulting with chain, franchise and independent restaurant & hotel operators around the world. Check us out on the web for more information at http://SHGWW.com or call us toll free at 888-9988-SHG(744).
Experience
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.
Organizations
The National Restaurant Association.
The Society of Hospitality Management.
The Gerson Lehrman Leisure & Lodging Council
The Professional Business Coaches Alliance
The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
Several state restaurant & hotel associations.
Publications
My articles and opinion pieces have been featured on several industry websites, magazines, blogs and forums including: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, RestaurantOwner.com, RestaurantEdge.com, FoodService.com, RestaurantReport.com, Restaurant Startup & Growth Magazine, Money Mgazine, American Express' Briefing Newsletter, Nation's Restaurant News, 22 State Restaurant Association Magazines, and much 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 brands we have worked with: 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.
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