How to Ride the Wave of Big Data Trends in the Restaurant Industry [Podcast]
In this podcast episode, Tom Kaiser, editor and podcast host of Food on Demand and a senior editor at Franchise Times, discusses how to navigate big data trends and focus your strategic goals. Tune in to hear how to expand your catering business and use customer data to improve your marketing.Episode Takeaways:Data allows you to stay competitive. Collecting and translating data can help you develop targeted marketing messages and differentiate yourself from the competition.Set simple goals. Choose one or two strategic marketing opportunities by focusing on the data that matters to your brand.Consider outsourcing. Many new vendors offer specialized marketing and analytics services for restaurant operators. Outsourcing lets you to focus on the customer experience and delivering incredible food.Build partnerships to expand your business. Whenever you work with a new third-party ordering or delivery service there's a chance to expand your customer base.
-------- Â
20:12
--------
20:12
How to Maintain Your Brand As You Scale Your Catering Business
Guests love your food and your team supports your restaurant concept. You're ready to take the next step to scale your business beyond the four walls. But how do you deliver the same brand experience, while staying true to your core values as you grow?
In this podcast episode, Torchy's Tacos' GJ Hart, Chief Executive Officer, and Mike Rypka, founder and chef, discuss identifying growth opportunities and scaling a business, while honoring brand values. Tune in to hear how to make strategic decisions to expand into new channels and hire a passionate team to support growth.
GJ Hart is Chief Executive Officer of Torchy's Tacos, where he oversees operations and strategic growth. A 36-year veteran of restaurant operations and management, he is passionate about growing casual dining concepts and expanding brands into new markets. Prior to Torchy's Tacos, GJ served as executive chairman and CEO of California Pizza Kitchen, as well as president and CEO of Texas Roadhouse.
Mike Rypka is the founder of Torchy's Tacos. A food service and restaurant operations veteran, Mike served as executive chef for Dell Computers, Enron, and the World Bank before developing the concept for Torchy's damn good tacos. He's laser-focused on providing opportunities for his employees and developing a restaurant culture that promotes fun, innovative, and affordable gourmet.
-------- Â
21:14
--------
21:14
How to Enhance Your Customer's Experience Through Packaging
How to Replicate Your Restaurant Experience for Catering Guests
In this podcast episode, Allison Casey, the Director of Catering for Luke's Lobster, discusses how she expanded catering operations by focusing on the guest experience. Allison shares how a few tweaks to catering packaging, staffing, and loyalty programs can better align your catering business with your restaurant experience and generate major ROI.Episode TakeawaysCreate brand awareness through catering packaging. Put your logo front and center so guests know who prepared their meal.Train your staff to treat catering customers like restaurant guests. Empower everyone on your team to represent your brand to improve the customer experience. This includes your sales people and your delivery drivers.Use catering deliveries as marketing opportunities. Bring print collateral and coupons to highlight new menu items or promotions.Reward loyal catering customers. Design a catering customer program that rewards order frequency. That way guests will think of you for their next big catering order.
-------- Â
15:09
--------
15:09
Recruiting and Retaining Catering Staff without Sacrificing Your P&L
In this podcast episode, Grub Burger’s Angela Saunders, Director of Talent Management, and Jim Saunders, Chief Operating Officer, share how talent management and operations go hand in hand. Angela and Jim discuss how to find the perfect team members to stay competitive as your catering business grows. Tune in to discover how investing in labor can transform your catering brand.Episode TakeawaysTrain hiring managers to look for personal qualities your brand values, like confidence and friendliness, in addition to experience.Staff for the business you want. Don't make cuts in labor before looking for other ways to improve efficiency.Embrace flexibility in staffing. If you're only hiring managers who can work 50 hours a week, you might be missing out on incredible new hires.Create a strong operations and talent management strategy. Without a strategy in place, off-premises sales can actually hurt your brand.
About The Catering Feed: The Catering Growth Podcast
At ezCater, we want to help restaurants grow a successful catering business. Whether you're in the early stages of building a business or an industry veteran, let us help you dip into the $61.5 billion catering market. In each episode of "The Catering Feed," we talk to restaurant industry leaders of thriving brands who share insights and tactics to ramp up your catering business.
Ireland