The Snug

Pushing the Envelope

barkeeper — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:29:52 +0000

Sad But True Department: Some 1,000 pubs have closed around the country over the last three years. Some closures surprised no one – such pubs were closures waiting to happen – anachronisms, if you ask me. They should never have been in the first place.
For these pubs, high footfall days were rarer than a steak sandwich on the Rainbow Warrior.
But in a slimmer, more efficiency-conscious pub-world, rural pubs continue to decline as does the rural ‘community life’ that they once supported – no ‘Hold-The-Front-Page’ news there either, I suppose…
But I was recently asked to what extent do the remaining rural pubs help rekindle ‘community life’ in Ireland and in doing so, rekindle their footfall?
It’s an interesting question to mull over in the night’s darkness and I discovered that successful pubs take a widely different approach by way of an answer.
All have one thing in common. They’re pushing the envelope in terms of broadening their appeal.
You see it in the signs as you walk into such pubs.
They make their offering clear via signs to those passing by: ‘We’re open from breakfast though brunch, lunch and afternoon tea to dinner’.
Some actually – gasp! – welcome children and with the provision of a family atmosphere in mind, proudly announce that Sunday lunch will be served throughout the afternoon. Well, who’d have thought it? Lunch in a pub…….

One of them is so audacious as to ensure that its environs are suitable for mothers nursing babies on a Sunday. This, no doubt, courts condemnation from the PC lobby for accommodating what are obviously dissolute unmarried mothers.
Still in maternal mood, I also note that such pubs provide all sorts of toys to keep younger guests happily occupied. No doubt these pubs get a crack of the whip from those who think children are being corrupted by the drinking environment, blanking out any argument to the contrary. Such a contrary argument might suggest that the vast majority of parents are responsible drinkers who’d like to enjoy a break from their children’s constant attention-seeking for an hour or two (perhaps with lunch thrown in) now and again. Where better to take time out than at their local – particularly if it’s toy and amusement selection helps soak up some of their offspring’s attention…
Other pubs have no hesitation in offering lollipops to keep the little ones happy and dog biscuits to help broaden the pub’s appeal to its hairier punters (and their owners).
Indeed, the provision of dog baskets around one such pub gives a strong signal that they’re in the business of rekindling community life, thus rekindling footfall.
Some rural pubs with worthwhile outside grounds don’t hesitate to help the visiting family outside on good days through the provision of picnic baskets as part of their food service.
With milder days in mind, another has even established a kind of sculpture garden featuring Buddas, totem poles, Easter Island Heads and other stone curiosities rather than just open a plain aul’ beer garden.
Leading light pubs aren’t afraid to put out for it by ensuring that there are free quiches and biscuits available on the bar for its customers on a Sunday evening. Helps boost trade, you see.
One hostelry likes to appeal to a different demographic a couple of afternoons a week through the provision of film screenings for pensioners. It’s now considering providing specially-priced meals for its early pm pensioner populace at these screenings and is even toying with the idea of extending this to a delivery/takeaway service.
But let’s go back to the more traditional pub offering.
Those selling a large variety of interesting and rare beers are never short of curious customers. Non-locals (like myself, when I’m not in my local) tend to make such a pub a destination venue because these pubs offer something different – especially if they’re giving customers the opportunity to taste before committing, as one pub of my acquaintance does.

As for entertainment, it used to be Karaoke for those quiet nights to make ‘em quiet no longer. Now it’s Nintendo Wii. And just because a pub has a certain profile doesn’t mean that this can’t be updated.
For example, there’s no rule against an Olde Worlde pub offering free WiFi. According to the complaints about levels of business custom there should be plenty of free space for setting this up.

Community initiatives operating successfully through the local hostelry include one which adds a small surcharge to some dishes on the menu which goes towards supporting the local primary school’s health eating education programme.

Another runs a second-hand book sales operation where – over a pint – customers can quietly browse with the proceeds going towards village improvements…

Yet another offers locals a prescription service in conjunction with a not-so-local chemist where the pub’s customers (or even those who’re not yet customers) can drop off and collect their prescriptions.

One particular pub decided to convert what was a straightforward bare boozer into a bustling beach bar – a summer draw.

Another……. but by now I’m sure you get my drift.

But HERE’S THE KICKER – all the pubs I’ve mentioned above are in England. Isn’t it about time that pubs in rural Ireland took another look at to what extent they’re really rekindling community life, putting something communal back into their environment rather than treading on its coat-tails?

As the saying goes, ‘Nodding the head does not row the boat’.
If you’re able to match or outdo any of the above activities, I’d love to hear from you…..

I can’t believe what some restaurants are charging

barkeeper — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:06:37 +0000

I recently travelled between Ireland and the US from Shannon Airport. I had an early morning flight and once I arrived at the airport, checked in my bags and headed to the café for a quick bite to eat before going through security. Now, I have had bad experiences in this café in the past. Some of you may remember, that on a previous occasion for lunch there, I wasn’t allowed to choose my vegetables for my lunch from the selection available because THEY decided for you! This time round, I thought I’d play it safe and had a super-health breakfast: One mini innocent smoothie, one Actimel and a small bowl of fruit.

My breakfast at Shannon Airport

The cost of this? €5?, €6? Or even €7?. Not even close. The total for this tiny breakfast was €12.50!

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW TO CONSIDER THIS!!! Ireland is going through it’s biggest economic downturn in decades due to over-inflated prices, greed and a lost knowledge of the difference between cost and value and here we are in Shannon Airport, the first stop for thousands of tourists coming in to Ireland for the first time and this is the robbery they are subjected to. Tourist numbers in 2008 experienced their first decline in years with many claiming Ireland was overpriced. Is it any wonder?

Shannon Airport and whoever it is runs the café there needs to get serious. They need to wake up and realise that having the monopoly over food service in an airport is not a license to rob people. With most customers passing through the airport only once in a while, no doubt the café thinks they can get away without the repeat business. Well I say that they can’t. Sharp practices like this need to be stamped out once and for all.

If Ireland and the rest of the world is going to climb its way out of this recession, they need to start being competitive and pricing in a manner that stimulates spending and growth, not stifles it. Increasing your prices is NOT the way out of a recession.

Bad Bar Food Signs

barkeeper — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:15:35 +0000

I recently made the drive from Cork to Dublin and decided I would see whether, in light of the current economic downturn, any bars or restaurants were being more creative to entice potential customers through the doors. The results may surprise you:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Video: How to manage your food cost and develop a profitable kitchen

barkeeper — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:09:22 +0000

I have added a few videos we developed for our American sister website http://manageyourbar.com which I think you may find of interest!

Part 1

Part 2

Irish pub food – stand up & take a bow

barkeeper — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:04:41 +0000

Ruminating over the Christmas period about sunnier times in 2008, I experienced a certain warm glow when remembering my summer hols which were somewhat soggy as I topped them off with a week on the Shannon, often cruising through the Irish version of Cyclone Gustav. At the time though, my thoughts were not on the weather but rather on the fortnight we’d spent immediatly before the Shannon trip – in France. Now I like my grub as much as the next trencherman but it makes me very happy to be able to relate that these days, French cuisine couldn’t hold a candle to our own. No matter where we went in France – and we traversed the country quite thoroughly by car – the food was practically an identikit version or variation of Steak Frites, Crepe Frites, Spaghetti and other pasta dishes etc, all cooked with a nonchalant air which showed up in the lacklustre flavours and couldn’t-care-less attitude to tourists. This was finally brought home to me by the really really good food and service we experienced in pubs and restaurants along the shores of the Shannon.

Here lies a good example of Irish pubs that are firmly not part of a major conurbation making a go of it in ‘the wilds’. The food and the beverages were excellent as was the atmosphere. After all, that’s what we’d come for and I’d reckon we must have been representative of millions of other ‘tourists’ all looking for the same thing from our hostelries, unmindful of the Irish weather. I was particularly impressed by the food and service in the excellent Larkins in Garrykennedy and decided to firmly moor ourselves to one of their tables in this scrupulously clean establishment on a number of occasions during our week afloat. We weren’t disappointed. The fare was fabulous. I don’t even like Fish Chowder but was encouraged to try a spoonful by my better half. I ordered it for myself the next time we were in. Atlantic mussels, roast duckling and as much steak as you could comfortably spancel in a weekend – all immaculately cooked and presented before the pub settled into a traditional music session for the evening. Maura and Cormac Boyle took over the place two years ago and a great fist they’ve made of it too. The coup de grace came when – uncharacteristically – someone forgot the order of French Fries which, on being reminded, arrived at the end of the meal. Still nobody minded; we’d eaten our fill and the Guinness was good. When the bill arrived, Maura insisted that there would be no charge for an order that didn’t arrive on time. So free chips and a fulsome feeling as we waddled back to the boat that night, having enjoyed Irish hospitality at its finest. If our experience is replicated by other tourists visiting this country there could be no finer place to eat than in Irish pubs such as Larkins. We should be proud. Footnote: Alas our enjoyable evening in Larkins wasn’t to last the night. We returned to our craft and had to let out one sick dog from the boat’s cabin which Hurricane O’Gustav had rocked and rolled mercilessly for the evening while we were in the pub, leaving us with doggie vomit and other attractive traits of the family pet in a number of unsuspecting places……

Source: Drinks Industry Ireland Magazine

5 aspects of a successful staff incentive programme

barkeeper — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:10:48 +0000

Once an aspect of chain restaurants and bars only, a well thought out, strategic incentive plan for your managers and staff can improve the bottom line, improve job satisfaction among staff and allow for “buy in” from your managers/staff into the overall success of your independent business.

There are many types of incentive plans you can introduce, however most will have the same basic principles. We have described these here to help you create an effective programme:

Make the incentive programme simple and easy to understand. Don’t overcomplicate the programme by having it tied into so many areas of the business that its both hard to measure and equally hard to achieve. Determine the key areas you want results on and work these into your plan. For example, increase average customer spend by 10% or Eur 5.00.
The incentive program should be designed in a way that allows your staff to work smarter and not necessarily harder. After all, if you implement a programme that requires staff to work longer hours to achieve it, you may end up paying for the extra hours labour as well as any reward earned by the staff so encourage and train staff to work smarter. Increasing the average spend per customer requires smarter thinking so would work well in the programme. Serving more customers in the day wouldn’t as staff might stay later to serve them.

Members, read the rest of the article here:
http://www.barkeeper.ie/3page.asp?menu=143&page=734&Subpage=594

‘Dublin is not Ireland’ – thank God!

barkeeper — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:43:53 +0000

Something has been happening in Dublin over the last few years. And it’s not nice. Dublin’s service industry has become gruff in nature and most importantly, that’s being voiced abroad. Our capital city would want to take the squashed laurels from under its posterior for it has been resting on them for too long in the area of customer-friendly service.
Rural pundits have often claimed quite rightly that ‘Dublin is not Ireland’ and I’ve the chance to take this to heart as I absconded from the office to take a week’s holiday on the waters of the Shannon.
And the contrast between my experiences of late in Dublin and those outside the capital could not be more stark. It’s something that the service industries in Dublin both retail and restaurant are going to have to look into.
One horror story in particular is brought to my attention by the organisers of an international conference in Dublin this summer.
It was held in a venerable educational establishment closed to students for the summer but open to conference business (for how much longer, I ask myself). Apparently the rudeness of Dubliners predominated the conversations of overseas guests beyond the confines of the conference theatre.
In particular, the organisers couldn’t get over how rude the catering staff in this well-known educational establishment’s canteen had been, even to the point of shouting at guests queuing for their meals.
And of late on too many occasions I have endured similar experiences in going into shops and pubs in Dublin where the staff actively resent their jobs nearly as much as they resent you interrupting their conversations and reveries.
Only last week I went into an off-licence in Monkstown to be given the cold stare treatment as I perused for a purchase. With a scowl instead of a simple sweet word my purchase was cashed up and handed to me. I left the shop stunned at the attitude of the bloke behind the counter, clearly wishing he was anywhere but there and taking it out on the customers coming in.
To me, getting friendly service these days in the shops in Dublin’s city centre in particular is about as rare as a wolf-whistle in a leper colony.
And so with my own experiences and the declamations of foreign visitors – that they’d never met people as rude as those behind the counter in Dublin’s shops, bars and restaurants – ringing in my ears, I delight in escaping the capital to find a completely different universe along the banks of the Shannon.
We’ve hired a six-berth cruiser – a brute of a beast for mooring in high winds – for a week to navigate the inland waterways of the Shannon and the high seas of Loch Derg.
Arriving late in the afternoon at Terryglass this evening, we find the marina full and press on to a lesser-populated mooring in Kilgarvan where we find ourselves…. well…. in the middle of nowhere really.
We’re aided into our mooring by an extremely amicable gent who introduces himself simply as ‘Pat’. He works in Dublin but has a cruiser and a couple of smaller boats moored here. He also has a holiday home in the area.
Our brief survey on foot confirms that there’s not much to do here but by now it’s now too late to go any further before dusk falls and we’d dearly like to have dinner.
Still, we’ve our trusty barbecue and are just contemplating lighting up, opening the wine and popping afew tinnies when Pat appears back at our boat. He kindly offers to give us a lift the three land miles to Terryglass where we’re assured of good provender aplenty at its two pubs, the Derg Inn and Paddy’s Pub. We accept gratefully. He advises us that there are two fine pubs there – the Derg Inn and Paddy’s Bar – and a taxi back to Killaloe can be hailed afterwards.
En route we’re even more delighted when he announces that he’ll take us by the ‘scenic’ route to Terryglass showing us the various sights in the area and even offers my daughter and her friend the use of his inflatable boat (filled with fuel and ready for use) should we wish to take a spin out of Kilgarvan for some diversion on the morrow.
Indeed, he says, if he’s back there himself tomorrow, he’ll give us the opportunity to find our water-skiing feet if we feel up to it.
Eventually we arrive in Terryglass and can only thank our genial host for his kindness in providing four weary souls a lift and in putting at our disposal his own mini-fleet the following day.
We’re soon enjoying a drink or two and a meal but when we try to book a taxi back to our mooring, things begin to go wrong . Alas it’s the Tuesday following a particularly busy August Bank Holiday and we cannot find a taxi anywhere for love nor money. Taxi drivers at all numbers called locally are taking the night off to lick their wounds from the Bank Holiday weekend.
Time passes and I phone from 10pm to 12pm constantly without result. One number that has originally been on voicemail returns my call but he, too, is off-duty for the evening, but he’ll see what he can do.
He phones back two minutes later agreeing that a taxi cannot to be had for love nor money.
Around midnight we reluctantly resign ourselves to the long dark tramp back to the marina when my mobile rings out. It’s the taxi-driver again. Have we got a taxi yet? Dog-tired, we explain that despite our best efforts we’re preparing for the traipse back to the mooring.
“Now I tell you what you’ll do,” says he, “You’ll go down to Paddy’s Bar and explain your predicament to Brendan Tierney the proprietor there and ask if he can help you out — he will”.
And with that the taxi-driver who’s taken the trouble to ring us three times wishes us well and rings off.
And so it’s down to Paddy’s Bar with heavy heart to beg a lift.
Brendan listens to our predicament and apologises that as he’s the only one in the bar that night he can’t get away or he’d run us back himself. However, he tells us to hold on. With that he has a quiet chat to a customer over the bar and in an instant has organised a lift back to the boat for us.
All that has happened this evening is, to me, service above-and-beyond the ordinary and represents all that a big city lacks. Everywhere we go, people are more than helpful and friendly and it only re-inforces the work that Dublin must do to train sullen staff and recapture the reputation as a city friendly to foreigners, tourists and those indigenous to the greater Dublin area.
Otherwise, mark my words, the present attitudes to customers by frontline staff will come back and bite us all in the bum.
And we’d only deserve it.
Wake up Dublin. Your reputation precedes you – and it is not one you’d want to have…

10 Kitchen Secrets your Chef is Hiding from You

barkeeper — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:43:06 +0000

THE kitchen is unchartered territory for many bar and restaurant owners who are afraid to question the chef on matters that they are not too familiar with. Well. It’s time to get familiar, because your kitchen could be hemorrhaging money and if its your business, you’ll want to know how and why. Read three reasons here:

When stock is ordered, it is normally stored by a cook or cleaner with no interest in the First In First Out system of storage and so piles everything on top of older stock, increasing spoilage and expensive unnecessary wastage.

The Chef keeps no record of what he has produced each day so has no way of referencing how much preparation he needs to do each day resulting in over production and thrown out food. A record of Production should be implemented that cross references number of orders with items produced with any other details relevant such as local special event that brought in business etc.

The Chef has no “Kitchen Bible” in place that should contain all his recipes, guidelines for production, induction for new cooks etc, meaning that when the Chef is off duty, all recipes are prepared byu the cooks the way they want to prepare them resulting in inconsistencies and potential unhappy customers.

Members of Barkeeper, click here to read the other seven secrets:
http://www.barkeeper.ie/3page.asp?menu=117&page=700&Subpage=593

The biggest menu mistakes most restaurants make and what to do about them

barkeeper — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:46:26 +0000

Every restaurant has a menu but not every restaurant uses the restaurant as the real selling tool that it is.

A restaurant menu should not be an afterthought or something that should be put together over a coffee the week before opening. It takes time, decision and analysis to make the most of your menu but the results of such effort can be hugely rewarding.

The biggest make made by restaurants? Poor layout and design.

A good menu design can improve sales an average of 2 to 10 percent, according to restaurant consultants interviewed by Restaurants US. That means that for a restaurant turning over 1,000,000 a year, the opportunity to earn an extra 20,000-100,000 a year is either being won or lost based on the menu alone. Worth paying attention to? We think so.

So let’s look at some of the biggest design and layout mistakes:

Not keeping the colours in theme with your restaurant. An Italian Restaurant might make use of red, white and green on their menu, but this might not suit a French fine dining restaurant. Don’t overdo it on colours and fonts so that your customers are distracted, however make sure your menu is appealing enough to be read thoroughly.
Placing the highest profit margin items in the wrong places. There are different “sweet spots” on a menu where a customer’s eyes are naturally drawn depending on the layout of the menu. On a twofold menu, this spot is on the right hand page a few lines from the top. On a trifold menu, it is in the centre page, a few lines from the top. Putting low margin items here directly affects your margins. The top grossing restaurants know this and carefully plan what items they allow into these prime spots.
Not grouping products together. The best menus have distinct sections that help guide a customer from course to course, making it easier for them to choose more and spend more. Clearly identify what the appetizers are, the main courses are and the desserts.
Not offering something more than the competitor but charging more. What is your restaurant’s unique selling proposition? Are the chips handcut, are the vegetables grown onsite? Whatever it is, you need to sing about it to justify your prices if they are higher than your competitors. Customers are clever and know the market prices of most items so sell to your strengths.

Could your staff be turning away customers?

barkeeper — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:52:30 +0000

What would you do if you knew that after spending thousands on marketing, promotions, advertising and enticements to get customers in to your bar or restaurant, you find out that your own staff are preventing them from spending any money?

A recent visit to a carvery style restaurant highlighted this fact to me.

The roast of the day was Roast Pork which I ordered. Next came the decision of choosing what vegetables/potatoes I wanted, but a quick glance didnt whet my apettite for any of the potatoes on offer so I asked for a portion of the rice which was an accompaniment to the stir-fry on the menu.

Instead of happily dishing up a portion of rice, I was told that I wasn’t “allowed” to have rice with pork. Why not? because (according to the oblivious server) the rice is only for the stir fry. No offer of serving it as a side order or any accomodating of my request, simply a no. Surely a carvery style operation allows the customers choose (within reason) their accompaniments?

Not that I was the only one…the next customer who simply asked for a plate of potatoes and french fries was told they would have to pay for two meals. Honestly, if this is how paid staff are representing your restaurant, its time to reconsider your calling as a hospitality business owner.

Standard operating procedures are one thing, but when it gets to the stage of scaring away customers, then its time to rethink them.

Ensure your staff are offering hospitality and not just civility. There’s a big difference. Induction training and on-the-job evaluation will ensure you dont have a repeat of my unfortunate experiences in your business.