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I just listened to your interview with Dave Ostrander (both CDs) for about the 10th time and it’s really useful stuff. I’m wondering about menu layout for direct mail menus. The conventional wisdom of menu design is to focus on high-profit items. But I find myself disagreeing with the menu...

Or rather, how to get them to stop asking stupid questions. Let me first say that I have a pretty hands-off management style. I tell my staff that they are empowered to make decisions if it means solving a problem - particularly with customers and even if it means spending $20. Obviously, some...

George, It’s likely the security settings in your browser that delete those records at a pre-determined interval. Depending on your browser and OS we can help you fix it. However, the more Usernames and passwords you store (and the longer you let them be stored) the more vulnerable your...

Wow. I walked into a firestorm… Anyway, how do you communicate to your customers that your product is superior? You can’t rely solely on their tastebuds. They need to be told WHY you have the best pizza in town. We have table books which explain all about what makes Grande a superior product...

Deaconvolker - what state are you in? I thought you were in illinois? If so Im real confident your servers dont need to be 21. You Only need to be 18 to serve alcoholic beverages. Now opening bottles and pouring may be different…

First, unless you live in Utah, Nevada, or Alaska, you do not need to be 21 to bring open liquor to a table. In the vast majority of states, you need only be 18. What state are you in? In my neck of the woods, it is very standard to tip the bartender 1% of your total sales. Bussers get 2%. We...

That seems like a lot of yeast to me. Are you really using instant or ADY?

knightwing1995: I’m not exactly sure what you mean, but I think you mean this is a gross lease? Or is it NNN but that includes the estimated CAM. If so, is that just the estimated CAM or does that include tax and insurance as well? However, I don’t know many parts of the country where $12 a...

Our snowmageddan party was a smashing success. We only ended up with 12" or so of snow, but we still had a big crowd. Many of them walked up and everyone stayed for 5 or six hours. Our liquor ratio was a little off (50/50 where it’s normally 80/20) but that’s a good thing. Only complaint was...

I’m in Kansas City and they have already, essentially, shut down the city. FEMA declared an emergency and the governor sent out the national guard. So far? Rain. A very small amount of ice, but otherwise, just rain. Doesn’t matter as weather announcers vie for the most ridiculous snowfall...

As soon as our Groupons taper off (next 30-45 days) I’ll be in a position to invest in other marketing strategies. I’ve always hung doors in the surrounding neighborhoods, but it’s labor intensive and very difficult to be consistent. We’ll keep doing it, but I’m going to supplement it with some...

I won’t disagree with the idea of a positive message if that’s your/your restaurant’s personality. However, I do not think a negative messages are the antichrist. Remember, politicians use negative imagery because they are effective. Waldo pizza in KC, whom I mentioned before, has the slogan...

So, it’s my first January and I was expecting it to be slow. I was presently surprised the past few weeks were not to bad - down a bit, but not majorly. But this week took a nosedive. Anyone else see the same thing? Those of you that have been at it a while, is this typical?

I’ve seen places allow mobile setups right outside their business. Obviously, there is a cost of entry, but if you have something already…

I agree with keeping it short. Also, maybe build some excitement (soup nazi style by implying limited demand). Something like “Beat the Crowd” or “Don’t go Hungry” or “Avoid the Gameday wait”. Also, Super Bowl is a trademark and you may not use it in promotions. That’s why none of the big...

You can be sued for anything. But you would win the suit. There is no copyright/trademark infringement because you are not using their name, likeness, or slogan. The only thing you are concerned about is defamation. However, your statement that “Dominoes Sucks” is not meant to be and could not...

amelmor - You are correct. Return rates are based on how many people bring in the mailer/hanger v. how many you distributed. Obviously, you need a POS or some other method of tracking those redemptions. Of course, redemptions may not tell you the whole story. There is some residual impact of...

We’ve definitely have this happen. The worst part is, these tend to be the nicest customers. I guess most people with two or more bad experiences stop coming back. We had one guy who orders takeout every week (sometimes twice). We’ve messed his rather simple pizza order up at least 4 times. Now...

I think what they are trying to say is that you should not try to calculate killowatt hours, etc. Instead, you should be asking “as a percentage of revenue, how much do you spend on utilities”. Providing information about your operation will help us further refine the answers. However, I spend...

My wife and i just booked today. I’m looking forward to soaking up some knowledge for a few days. However, I think 4 days in Vegas is about my limit before I hit sensory overload. See you all there!