One week into the restaurant business

beaglebiz · #61 01/18/10, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerChick

We have a Red Robin restaurant Tony wanted to try. WOW the cost was huge! It was close to $40 with tip for lunch...I almost fainted. No burger is that good!

Cost is important. Keep it reasonable and offer good homemade items and I can afford to eat out.

I know lots of folks like to eat there for the all you can eat fries.
Im with you, I think they are way too expensive

YuccaFlatsRanch · #62 01/18/10, 07:48 PM

Chicken fried steak, and watch "Diners, drive ins, and dives" on the food network for ideas. Here in Texas we have a Dive that was featured on Triple D that specializes in Lambburgers. You have to reserve yours on the days they have them on the menu. They also serve chicken fried lamb chops - don't laugh till you try one.

YuccaFlatsRanch · #63 01/18/10, 08:05 PM

Its a shame that the bar does all beverages. Coffee and iced tea are money makers - big time.

FarmerChick · #64 01/18/10, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

I know lots of folks like to eat there for the all you can eat fries.
Im with you, I think they are way too expensive

YES---lol---the LURE of all you can eat fries.
WHO can eat more than what they give ya...I can't. Isn't no bargain for me..haha

along with that lure of all you can eat pancakes at Ihop. Who can eat more than one plate? no one (well mostly no one)

I bet they make great sales cause of those lures. Yup--Tony heard you could get all you can eat fries. He didn't finish the first plate..HAHA

Freya · #65 01/18/10, 09:28 PM

Sounds like you have your head on straight! Keep up the good job!

tinknal · #66 01/18/10, 11:20 PM

Hi gang. Thanks for all the great advise and comments. I won't address them now as I'm tuckered out! Good day today. One thing about keeping prices low, I get some great tips, sometimes approaching 100%! I've got the morning prep time down to almost zero. All I have to do is turn on the gas, light the pilots, and fry up a pound of bacon. People must like my fries, as the first few days most orders were sandwich alone (served with chips), and today I only served one serving of chips, all the rest were baskets. ( I call it a basket, but I actually serve on real plates) The Quesadillas are also really popular. I really enjoy working with my wife, and she seems to enjoy working with me.

Bluegirl · #67 01/19/10, 12:59 AM

Put some pulled pork on a burger. A chain restaurant here serves pulled pork, friend onion rings, cheddar-jack cheese, and honey-bbq sauce on a burger. I love it.

Peace n Quiet · #68 01/19/10, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

Just a thought...french fries with gravy are a big deal here. People flock to a certain restaurant in Wyalusing called "the Wiser Choice" for fries with beef gravy (real home made gravy, ahhhh)

YES!!! Love them there!!

PNP Katahdins · #69 01/19/10, 01:17 PM

OK, Al, what's the location again? Is there a secret handshake for HT customers? Not asking for a discount, just so you know you'll get feedback here.

If it's west central MN, lamb burgers might be a big hit.

Peg, who goes to Minnesota about once a year

MoonRiver · #70 01/19/10, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

Company Lunch to-go
10 Bacon cheese burger sliders, OR 10 pulled pork sliders (or mix and match)
3 pounds of fries.
$18.00
Additional sliders, $.75
Additional fries, $1.50 per pound

Comments?

I'm guessing the prices are something like $1.20 per slider and $2/lb for fries. If that's the case, I think you might be discounting when you don't need to. Instead of .75 for sliders and 1.50 for fries, why not go with $1 for sliders and $2 for fries? You're negotiating against yourself.

At first I thought saying 3 pounds of fries or $1.50 per pound was confusing. I don't have any idea how many pounds I need per person. But then I thought, maybe you could make it really unique and say

5 lbs of Sliders and Fries for $18. Feeds 5 (or 3 mechanics).

I have no idea how much hamburger you use per slider, so I just guessed about 3 oz per.

Not my best ideas, but just trying to help you think of ways you could make your advertising really interesting.

Another idea (I learned from Bruce Smith) is this

Hand out a Big Cookie with each flyer. People will remember the cookie long after the flyer goes in the trash.

Mel- · #71 01/19/10, 01:31 PM

there are places online you can file your own press release. gets picked up by search engines and maybe some out of towners will see it. we had a local place (which has now developed into selling franchises) that was bringing people in from louisville 90 miles away. they only sell custard ice cream. and the first few years were only open in the summer.

mnn2501 · #72 01/19/10, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerChick

We have a Red Robin restaurant Tony wanted to try. WOW the cost was huge! It was close to $40 with tip for lunch...I almost fainted. No burger is that good!

.

But there's no burger better than Red Robins A1 Peppercorn Burger, worth the money and the drive

tinknal · #73 01/21/10, 01:25 AM

Just a little observation. I have a couple dessert items. First Giant cookies, and now brownies. I didn't sell a one............ UNTIL I put a plate out where people can see it. Now I'm selling a batch of cookies and a pan of brownies every day!

tinknal · #74 01/21/10, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluegirl

Put some pulled pork on a burger. A chain restaurant here serves pulled pork, friend onion rings, cheddar-jack cheese, and honey-bbq sauce on a burger. I love it.

Great Idea. I think I'll throw it on the menu. I'll top it off with some bacon.......

tinknal · #75 01/21/10, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluegirl

Put some pulled pork on a burger. A chain restaurant here serves pulled pork, friend onion rings, cheddar-jack cheese, and honey-bbq sauce on a burger. I love it.

I think I'll call it the "Carnivore"......

Ken Scharabok · #76 01/21/10, 02:32 AM

Experiment, but remember you can't be all things to all people.

Beware of menu growth which exceeds the ability of the kitchen to keep up with it. A few things done well is better than many things done mediocure (sp?).

McD's and such limit you to what you can see up on the boards. Asian places may have an extensive menu, but they really are just different combinations of maybe a dozen ingredients.

And, I'm doing this in my eBay store. Dropping items which haven't sold very well or are labor intensive.

tinknal · #77 01/21/10, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PNP Katahdins

OK, Al, what's the location again? Is there a secret handshake for HT customers? Not asking for a discount, just so you know you'll get feedback here.

If it's west central MN, lamb burgers might be a big hit.

Peg, who goes to Minnesota about once a year

It's in Princeton, east central. Lamb would not be a seller here but I'd prolly like it. I'm guessing either Kevingr or Cabin Fever and WIHH will be first HTer's, but if yer up for a road trip come Sunday and help us cheer on Favre et al and try one of my burgers and one of Missy's incredible Bloody Marys.

fantasymaker · #78 01/21/10, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

I actually serve on real plates.

GREAT! Im a guy that eats most of my meals "out"" and I really RALLY like real plates and GLASS glasses!

(of course I use paper at home) maybe thats why I eat out so much?

unioncreek · #79 01/21/10, 10:24 AM

Tinknal,

It's good that your doing a good job with the restaurant. Our's has been open for three weeks now and I've had two evenings off. Our biggest seller is hamburgers, I finally convinced my wife to order 100 pounds so we don't run out again. We go through 60 pounds of fries a day, which I couldn't believe we could do. My wife makes 6 pies a day and they almost always sell out. We decided not to do breakfast since we didn't want to spend 16 hours a day there and there's already a couple places that handle breakfast. We also offer a 6 and 9 oz. sirloin tip steak and sell 10 to 12 every night, which I didn't think would happen. It's a good thing that I have a day job so I can get some rest.

Keep up the good work.

Bobg

PNP Katahdins · #80 01/21/10, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

It's in Princeton, east central.

Al, we sold some bred Katahdin ewes to a family at Buffalo, which would be SW of you not that far. I may have to deliver a ram to them in the future and know where to eat now.

I've been told that lamb chislic is a popular and profitable bar food in South Dakota and wondered if it would work in your area.

Peg