Marketing Your Michigan Restaurant on the Web: Part 2 - The Fanpage

So, you have a beautiful new website that is nice to look at, easy to navigate and full of great content.  Now you need potential customers to find your restaurant in search engines.  Seems like a gigantic task.  The good news is that if you think of it in terms of a series of smaller tasks, it can be a bit less overwhelming.  What's even better, you can get your website ranked in search engines without spending a dime.  You can tackle this project for only the cost of your valuable time.  So, for part 2 of 7, I thought we'd discuss one of the easiest and most popular ways to get your Michigan restaurant ranked in search engine results - the Facebook Fanpage.

Setting up a fanpage on Facebook is very simple and can actually be fun.  It causes you to think about your business in terms of what potential customers are looking for, especially the demographic who are using facebook the most.  Since Facebook is the most used application on the web, I feel this is the single most important place to start marketing your restaurant and your restaurant's website on the internet.

Step one is to set up a facebook account.  Simply go to http://www.facebook.com/, fill out the quick application and click on the "sign up" button.  Once you've set up your account and filled out your personal information, click on the icon that says "set up a page for your business".  This will take you to the fanpage section of facebook.  The single most important part of the process is to fill out a comprehensive profile of your Michigan restaurant.  Be as specific as possible, highlighting everything your restaurant has to offer.   

Next, upload photos of your restaurant into a photo gallery.  Facebook users LOVE to look at photos!  Use your own digital images or hire a professional to take some beautiful pictures of your establishment, making sure you hire a professional who uses digital equipment.  Upload your photos and write keyword-heavy descriptions of each photograph.  Think in terms of how your customers will be searching when you write these descriptions.

A Facebook fanpage isn't much of a fanpage without...FANS!  You have to get followers engaged with your fanpage and there is only one way to do it.  Invite them.  Invite them through email.  Invite your facebook friends.  Invite your Twitter followers.  Put your Fanpage address anywhere you'd put your web address.  It's almost just as important.  If your Facebook Fanpage address is on your menu, internet-based mobile phone users will use their phones to become fans while their waiting for their meals to be served.  Put a link to your fanpage on your website. 

After that, you're good to go and ready to start posting content to your fanpage.  Add links to your website wherever possible.  Talk about specials you're having, events that will be happening in your restaurant and even coupon availability.  Provide links to your favorite websites.  When you have an event, talk about it the next day and post photos of the event.  Post photos of your specials along with detailed descriptions.  Start customer loyalty programs.  Take a poll.  Get your customers involved in discussions.  Have give-aways.  The possibilities are practically endless.  The more you can do to get customers to interact with you on Facebook, the better search engine results your website will get.  So do everything you can.  The only way you can get this wrong is to not do it!  Visit Michigan Flavor's Fanpage at http://www.facebook.com/michiganflavor.

So that concludes part 2.  Stay tuned for part 3 when we'll tackle Twitter.  Between now and then, make sure you check out the Michigan Flavor Restaurant Directory at http://www.miflavor.com/.  Have questions regarding anything in any of our blog posts or need help implementing any of our suggestions?  Contact me via email at jodi@miflavor.com.  Interested in advertising your Michigan Restaurant on Michigan Flavor?  Call Dennis at 248-302-2738 or contact him via email at dennis@miflavor.com.  He or one of our other account managers will be happy to visit your restaurant and give you a full demonstration of Michigan Flavor. 

Looking to Market Your Michigan Restaurant, Bar or Catering Business Locally? Start with the World Wide Web. Part 1 of 7

In light of the growing number of restaurants, bars and caterers in any city across the state of Michigan, marketing your business and building your brand can seem an insurmountable task.  Many owners don't even know where to start.  It may seem counterintuitive, but considering the current social climate, the best place to start marketing your Michigan restaurant business locally is on the World Wide Web.  This blog post will be #1 in a seven part series, so let's get started.

With the overwhelming popularity of social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and others, marketing your Michigan restaurant locally has become easier and less expensive than ever before.  Gone are the days of t.v., radio and print advertising for your Michigan restaurant, bar or catering business.  While the traditional markets still have merit, when marketing dollars are as tight as they are in the current Michigan economic climate, restaurant owners are no longer able to afford to saturate those markets.  And unfortunately, an occasional radio or print ad won't give your restaurant the return on investment for which owners are searching.

Fortunately, social media and internet marketing can be very inexpensive and in some cases, costs restaurant owners nothing but the investment of their time.  If a restaurant/bar owner can establish their brand locally with a good internet presence, half the battle has already been won.  A recent Google study revealed that 90% of Americans search for places to dine and drink on the internet.  That's right.  A staggering 90% of Americans are using internet search engines to decide where to have dinner, get together with friends or hang out for happy hour.  They're searching for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials and events online.  They're finding and printing Michigan restaurant coupons.  They're looking to join restaurant loyalty programs.  The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is this.  They're doing their research via internet search engines.

Step 1:  While internet and social media marketing can be a bit overwhelming at first, it's really quite simple when you break it down.  First and foremost, if you don't have a website, get one built.  Do it yesterday.  You must have a website in order to build a web presence for your establishment.  Your website is the center of what will become your entire marketing strategy.  This doesn't have to be expensive.  A simple, yet effective website can cost as little as $500.00 - $750.00.  You really don't need anything elaborate and flashy.  A clean, well-organized, easy to navigate website will serve your business well.  

Before you can get your website built, you need to buy a domain name or url.  This will become the internet address for your business.  If the name of your restaurant or bar is available, that should always be your first choice; i.e. if the name of your restaurant is Mike's Place, your first choice for domain name should be www.mikesplace.com.  However, sometimes your business name will be unavailable because it is owned by someone else.  In that case, you'll need to get a little more creative.  There are a number of websites you can visit to find out if the domain name you want is available, one of which is http://www.godaddy.com/.  Once you settle on a domain name or url, you'll need to purchase that domain and register it (again, this can be done through godaddy.com as well).  You can register your domain for approximately $10/year and, while you can register it for as little as 1 year, you should make a 10 year commitment.  You'll learn more about this later, but owning your domain for 10 years tells search engines that you plan on being around for a while and will increase your ranking.

Once you've chosen a domain name, registered your domain and chosen a developer to design and host your website, you need to start shouting your web address from the rooftops.  Social media marketing expert, Corey Perlman (ebootcamp.com) would tell you to "hurl your url"!  Your web address should be displayed on every piece of direct mail you send.  It should be posted on your business cards, written on your menu and displayed anywhere you can think to display it.  Use every opportunity you have to promote your website because remember, this website and the domain name that will become your Michigan restaurant's website address are about to become the center of your marketing universe.

So that concludes Part 1 of your online marketing strategy.  Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to choose a domain name (url), register that domain name (for 10 years) and find a developer to design and host your simple, clean and unique Michigan Restaurant website.  This is a great start to what will become a fantastic local marketing strategic plan for promoting your restaurant, bar or catering business in Michigan.  My advice, if you haven't done so already, is to get this done as soon as possible.  If your restaurant in Michigan doesn't have a website, you're missing out on wide variety of inexpensive brand management.  

This information is brought to you by http://www.michiganflavor.com, the most comprehensive guide to dining in Michigan available.  Michigan Flavor is a fully interactive, online directory of Michigan restaurants, bars and catering businesses.  Users can search by a variety of criteria including location, cuisine type, features, specials and events and even coupon availability.  Once a user finds your Michigan Restaurant Page, he/she can download and print your menu, browse through your photo gallery, view your daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials, link to your website or facebook, twitter & myspace pages, get a map and directions and so much more.  In some cases, users can even utilize online ordering and reservation applications.  Michigan Flavor is the place your customers will go before they go out.  Visit http://www.miflavor.com/ or call 248.302.2738 to learn more about this comprehensive guide to dining in Michigan.

Attention Bar Owners: Why not let your patrons do some of your marketing for you?

Word of mouth advertising is one of the most underrated, albeit important types of marketing a bar can use in this economic climate.  Many Michigan bar owners underestimate and often overlook the importance of WOM marketing.  It costs nothing and can be a powerful, powerful weapon.  If a customer finds his/her way into your bar in Michigan, is treated to fantastic customer service, gets chatted up by a friendly and charming bartender, is served simple, yet delicious pub fare made with fresh ingredients and has a good time in a great atmosphere, they will tell their friends.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned points aren't the only features needed in your Michigan bar to get the most out of word of mouth advertising.  What is it about your bar that makes it stand out from the rest?  In order to get WOM marketing to be the powerful tool it can be, your bar needs to have that intangable "it" factor; i.e. something to make your customers want to talk about your establishment.  This is why out of the box thinking is so important.  You need to come up with that something REALLY special that makes your bar in Michigan noteworthy.

The "it" factor may come in the form of something as simple as really incredible artwork that will elicite conversation.  It may be a signature drink that is so incredible that customers will talk about the experience of trying it for days and weeks to come.  It could be an event or party celebrating a day not usually celebrated.  The possibilites are limitless, but whatever you choose to make your bar stand out must be so incredibly unique that patrons will simply HAVE to talk about it.  In this economy, good service, decent food and clean restrooms no longer do the trick.  Your Michigan bar has to be very different from your competition.  Figure out what is potentially unique about your establishment and make it even more unique, quirky, fun.

Don't get me wrong.  You still MUST have the great service, drink specials and quality food to back up your bar's uniqueness, but those things aren't enough anymore.  You need to figure out what gives your bar that "it" factor and let your customers do some of your marketing for you.  In this age of social networking, word of mouth advertising extends further than customers talking face-to-face.  If your bar is unique enough, your customers will not only discuss it with their close friends, but will also talk about their experiences on facebook or tweet about it on twitter or even include your Michigan bar in a blog post like the one you're reading now.  Think about the endless possibilites of word of mouth marketing from that point of view.  One customer's positive experience could potentially reach hundreds new customers very, very quickly.  And before you know it, those people will be shouting your praises from the rooftops (or their desktops) in no time at all.

Looking for other types of successful, cost-effective advertising for your Michigan restaurant or bar?  Michigan Flavor, Michigan's most comprehensive, interactive online directory of bars, restaurants and caterers may be the perfect fit for your business.  An enhanced listing on http://www.miflavor.com/ gets your establishment its own page complete with contact information, description, map and directions, photo gallery, downloadable, printable menus, specials and events listings, features and cuisine types listings, links to your website and social media sites and a customizable coupon.  The possibilities are endless.  Michigan Flavor is sure to be one of Michigan's favorite dining resources, with its mobile version up and running and google and Iphone applications in development.

www.miflavor.com

The Place to Go Before You Go Out!

Top Ten Tips for Tough Times

Do tough economic times really have to spell trouble for small businesses, specifically the restaurant industry?  Blogger Mike Clough wrote a great post called "Top Ten Tips for Tough Times".  

In this post, Mr. Clough says "Good business and financial practices are the ultimate defense against economic storms. And, they can provide the insurance you need to capitalize on new opportunities when good times return."  Nowhere is this more true than within the Michigan Restaurant Industry.  With Michigan going through one of the worst economic downturns in history, restaurant owners are faced with a whole new set of issues.  Read Mike Clough's "Top Ten Tips for Tough Times" at http://bestbizpractices.org/2010/03/10/top-ten-tips-for-tough-times/ for some great advice about keeping your restaurant afloat in a drowning economy.

Are you a Michigan restaurant owner who is looking to breath new life into your business?  Visit www.miflavor.com to see the Michigan Restaurant Directory that many restaurant owners in Michigan believe to be one of the best advertising investments they've ever made.  Call 248.302.2738 to speak with an account manager.

Candles as Condiments?

Who knew candles are good for more than Michigan Restaurant mood lighting?  According to a Food Network Magazine article, cooks in one Chicago restaurant are using candles as condiments.  Chef's at David Burke's Primehouse make edible candles out of bacon and beef drippings.  The wicks are coated in vegetable wax.  They use these edible candles to finish dishes with a few drops for flavor.  Not living in Chicago?  You can still try this trick yourself at home by ordering candles from the restaurant.  Just light one and add a little bacon flavor to your salad.  Perhaps Restaurants in Michigan should give this trick a try.  It is certainly a way to add a little "wow" to your menu.

Looking for interesting restaurants in Michigan or an interesting way to market your Michigan restaurant?  Visit http://www.miflavor.com/ to learn about a fantastic Michigan restaurant advertising opportunity or call 248.302.2738 to speak with an account representative.

According to the Michigan Restaurant Association the Foodservice Industry is a Ladder of Opportunity

According to the Michigan Restaurant Association, the foodservice industry has a wealth of opportunities available to the Michigan workforce.  Did you know that 9 out of 10 salaried employees at tableservice restaurants started out as hourly employees?  In fact, the average restauranteur started out at the bottom of the restaurant ladder as dishwasher, bussers or servers, dispelling the myth that entry level restaurant careers are dead-end jobs for the average restaurant industry worker.  Approximately three out of five salaried employees in the Michigan restaurant industry started out as hourly workers in foodservice.

The Michigan foodservice industry also hires more women and minority managers than any other industry in the state.  That statistic coupled with the fact that 58 percent of employees in foodservice operations are women and 12 percent of food industry supervisors are people of Hispanic origin, bodes well for the career advancement opportunities for women and minorities in the Michigan restaurant industry.

Given the current state of unemployment in Michigan, these statistics from the Michigan Retaurant Associaton are highly encouraging.  Total restaurant industry employment is expected to reach 12 million people this year, and, just like other business executives, restaurant industry executives can earn six or seven figure salaries annually, including health benefits and vacation time.

So what's the moral of the story?  When jobs are hard to come by as they currently are in Michigan, the restaurant industry jobs may be among the best choices for the unemployed.  Studies show that workers who start in entry level restaurant jobs have many advancement opportunities and may be able to parlay an entry level job into a highly successful career. 

This is good news for both employer and employee.  Employers should be able to draw from a larger pool of interested and capable job candidates.  Employees can now choose the Michigan restaurant industry as a career path instead of just a means to an end.  In the end, this all leads to more stability for this popular service industry.  The jobs are out there and these jobs are leading to careers, strengthening the Michigan economy.

If you are a Michigan restaurant owner or manager who is interested in learning more about new ways to market your product and promote your service, contact Michigan Flavor at 248.302.2738.  An enhanced listing for your establishment on http://www.miflavor.com/ will not only drive customers to you, but that listing can also help attract skilled workers with an interest in a foodservice industry career.  Your listing on Michigan Flavor will help optimize your Michigan Restaurant or Bar's website for search engine queries.  Partnering with Michigan Flavor may be one of the best marketing/PR investments you'll ever make.

*source: http://www.michiganrestaurant.org

How Michigan Bars and Restaurants Can Retain Current Customers and Attract New Diners with Their Daily Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Drink Specials

So you've put together a collection of fantastic daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials.  Your chef has worked ceaselessly on his or her signature dishes to highlight on the dinner specials menu.  You've decided which drinks to feature for your happy hour.  You have a fantastic breakfast special that rivals any morning fare available.  My question to you?   How can you use these specials to bring in new diners and retain your current customers?  And perhaps more importantly how do diners find out about these specials? 

I've asked this question of restaurant after restaurant.  Answers vary from "we post them on the board in the entryway" to "we put them up on our sign" to my favorite "we post them on table toppers".  Those are all fine answers.  The problem?  No one is going to know about your specials unless they were either already walking through your door or just happen to be driving by your establishment slowly enough to read your sign.  You're definitely not getting the most out of your specials.  Your specials should be attracting new business.  Your specials should be drawing diners back into your Michigan restaurant for repeat business.

The only way a restaurant in Michigan can use its breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials to attract new business or draw repeat business is if potential diners know about these specials ahead of time.  Wouldn't it be great if customers could search the web specifically for such specials?  Wouldn't it be great if diners could search for a type of special in a specific city or area and get a full list of establishments that match that diners search?  Guess what?  Now, they can.


Michigan Flavor is a fully interactive, online Michigan restaurant and bar directory that allows users to search for establishments by location, cuisine, features, specials and events.  Each restaurant or bar with an enhanced listing on the website has a dedicated page complete with photo gallery, contact information, map and directions, hours of operation, a description of your establishment, links to your website and social media sites, your menus and perhaps most importantly, your breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials.  So how can you use this enhanced listing of your specials and events to attract new diners and retain current customers?


If a Michigan restaurant or bar has an enhanced listing on miflavor.com, potential diners can browse that establishment's daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and drink specials or events.  If a user is looking for a happy hour in a specific city and your Michigan bar has listed your happy hour, chances are that user may walk through your door and become a valued customer.  If a user is looking for a place to hold a breakfast meeting and your restaurant's breakfast specials are listed, chances are, that breakfast meeting will take place in your establishment.  If a couple is looking for a new place to have a date night and your dinner specials are listed, that couple will probably end up with a reservation at your restaurant.


The point is this, if your establishment has great daily specials and exciting weekly events, you should be shouting them from the rooftops instead of hoping customers will happen upon your establishment by chance. Given that according to a recent Google study 90% of Americans use the internet to search for information about Michigan bars and restaurants, listing your specials and events online increases the chances of your specials and events being found by potential customers exponentially.  Michigan Flavor offers your establishment the opportunity to take full advantage of the power of your fantastic specials and popular events.  When users go to the site, they can search specifically for the kinds of things that your restaurant or bar specializes in.  It's time you started capitalizing on this phenomenal opportunity.

To learn more about Michigan Flavor, visit the website at http://www.miflavor.com or call 248.302.2738 to speak with an account representative.  An enhanced listing on Michigan Flavor restaurant and bar directory offers your Michigan restaurant or bar the chance to attract new customers and to turn your current diners into regulars.  With our mobile version up and running and our I-phone application in development, the opportunities for your establishment to be seen are endless.  Don't miss out on this one of a kind opportunity to become a part of our directory of Michigan bars and restaurants.

Your Restaurant Invested in a Beautiful Website - Now What?

You know your restaurant needs a website.  You know that diners choose places to eat by searching the web.  You know all this, so you went ahead and invested a significant amount of capital into having a beautiful website designed.  You picked out and purchased a domain name, probably the name of your restaurant.  So how do you drive traffic to this beautiful new website?  How do you get diners to find your beautiful website, click on your carefully chosen domain name and eventually walk through your door?

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the words, "I am ranked #1 in google when you search for the name of my restaurant".  That's wonderful, but what if diners don't know the name of your restaurant?  Diners search for restaurants and bars by typing keywords into a google, yahoo, bing, etc. search.  They're not typing the name of your restaurant into these search engines unless they've already been to your restaurant or they have heard by word of mouth that they should dine at your establishment.  

Diners are much more likely to type in searches that look something like this "restaurants in Any City, Michigan" or "Michigan Asian Restaurants".  How does your restaurant website rank in searches like that?  If you have a website and a website alone, I'm guessing you don't rank as high as you'd like.

There are services all over the internet promising to get you ranked high in search engine results.  You can pay consultant after consultant to ensure that diners are finding you on the web.  You can invest countless capital trying to buy adwords or pay for sponsored advertising in these search engines.  You can do all that and chances are, you'll be pretty successful in driving customers to your site; but you're going to have to invest a significant amount of money to make these strategies work for you.

The key to ranking high in search engines in content.  Search engines browse the web for relevant, keyword-heavy content about your restaurant, your city and your industry.  Content, content, content is the key to inexpensively driving traffic to your website.  So how do you build content?  Social media (facebook.com, twitter.com, myspace.com, etc), videos (youtube.com, dailymotion.com), articles (digg.com, ezine.com), press releases, social bookmarking (delicious.com) and blogging (blogger.com, wordpress.com).

Creating a combination of all of the aforementioned media will no doubt increase the amount of content related to your website spread throughout the web just waiting for search engines to find it and direct diners to your site.  Seems pretty simple right?  What's the problem then? Time!  Anyone who has tried his/her hand at social networking and internet marketing knows that it becomes a full time job.  You end up with dozens of sites to keep track of while making sure you update your social media pages and writing blog posts.  Even then, there are articles to write, press releases to submit, photos to upload, videos to produce and the list goes on and on.

So what if you could partner with a website who did all this hard work for you?  With an enhanced listing on http://www.miflavor.com/, you essentially receive the benefits of all of our hard work.  Your restaurant will essentially receive a mini-website inside Michigan Flavor's directory of Michigan Restaurants.  Once there, your restaurant reaps the benefits of all the behind the scenes search engine optimization that is going on at Michigan Flavor.  We'll worry about getting Michigan Flavor ranked in the search engines.

When diners find our Michigan Restaurant directory, they'll find your restaurant page, complete with photo gallery, downloadable menus, a listing of your specials and events, a map and directions, a listing of your hours of operation and a description of your establishment.  Your restaurant page on Michigan Flavor has a direct link to your restaurant's website and social networking pages, automatically boosting your website's organic search engine listing, leaving you, the restaurant owner/manager, the time to do what it is that you do best, run your establishment.

To learn more about our fully searchable, interactive online directory of Michigan Restaurants, visit our website at http://www.miflavor.com/ or call 248.302.2738.  If you have search engine optimization questions you'd like to email, direct your questions tomailto:jodi@miflavor.com.  To learn more about getting your restaurant listed on Michigan Flavor, email dennis@miflavor.com.

Promoting Michigan Culinary Tourism

According to a December 15, 2oo9 Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) Press Release, The MRA is planning to partner with the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Travel Michigan in order to promote Culinary Tourism in Michigan.  The MDA will play a leadership role in forming a Michigan Culinary Tourism Alliance, together with the MRA and Travel Michigan on a project that will be funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and matching funds from an MDA program, the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council.


"We are excited to be a part of this project" said Rob Gifford, president and CEO of the MRA. "Many of our members are already actively supporting local producers and offering a unique Michigan experience when people dine as they travel throughout the state.  With the coordinated efforts provided through this grant, we will expand these experiences and help make Michigan known as a travel destination that allows people to fully experience the bounty of our great state."

The hope is that from this effort will arise a boost in Michigan's economic development, given that agriculture and tourism are Michigan's 2nd and 3rd largest industries.  Michigan should be positioned as a worthwhile travel destination for an educational and healthy culinary encounter.


According to the press release, the goals of this collaborative efforts are to first increase sales and productivity for specialty crops in Michigan by offering menu choices packed with local produce at Michigan restaurants and also to promote Michigan as a culinary travel destination.

Members of the public and allied industries are encouraged to sign up to be a fan of the “Michigan Culinary Tourism” page on Facebook.

*source: www.michiganrestaurant.org.

If you'd like to learn more about Restaurants in Michigan, visit Michigan Flavor's online directory of Michigan Restaurants at http://www.miflavor.com or become of fan of Michigan Flavor on Facebook.  You can also follow Michigan Flavor on Twitter or read our Directory of Michigan Restaurants Blog.

Interested in having your restaurant featured on Michigan Flavor?  Call 248-302-2738 or email dennis@miflavor.com.

TheRestaurantExpert.com Tip of The Week: Know Your History to Forecast Your Future

Know Your History to Forecast Your Future 

According to David Scott Peters, TheRestaurantExpert.com, one of the most important things for a restaurant owner to remember is that you must know your establishment's history in order to forecast its future.  "You can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been," says Peters.  Budgeting, scaling up for labor, purchasing and many other restaurant systems rely almost solely on forecasting in order to make a restaurant efficient and profitable. 

However, the only way to forecast sales is by knowing what your business has done in the past.  To forecast your future accurately, you must know your history, even if it is simply a couple months worth of invoicing, payroll reports and sales figures, together with your memory of events. 

This is an important tip given that we are at the beginning of a new year.  Make it your restaurant resolution to put the pieces of your past together to develop a plan for your future.  Even in the wake of the financial difficulties Michigan restaurants are facing, a dining establishment in Michigan can still become successful in the future if the owners take the proper steps to analyze what's gone on in the restaurant's past.

For more advice like this, visit http://therestaurantexpert.com.  If you're a Michigan restaurant looking to increase your visibility on the internet, visit http://www.miflavor.com and click on the "contact us" link or call 248.302.2738 to speak with a Michigan Flavor Account Specialist.

*source:  David Scott Peters, http://www.TheRestaurantExpert.com

Restaurant Expert Says, When Thinking of Opening a Restaurant, “Look Before You Leap”.

David Scott Peters
is a restaurant expert, coach, trainer and speaker, specializing in systems for independent restaurant owners. In a recent article on his website, he advises potential restauranteurs to "look before you leap".

As you might imagine, as an industry expert, Mr. Peters gets a ton of inquiries from people interested in taking the leap and opening their own place. For most independent restaurant owners, the venture is a lifelong dream and they can imagine every detail of having a successful restaurant. Usually these owners have a very certain idea about what it is going to be like to run their own place; but without proper preparation, the reality and the dream are nothing alike.


It's a known fact that running an eatery is one of the most difficult businesses an entrepreneur can embark on. 61 percent of all new restaurants fail within the first three years, according to an Ohio State University study, with the failure rate reaching as high as 87 percent in some segments. And to make matters worse, restaurants are a very unattractive business investment for lenders because the average restaurant only makes about 5 cents out of every dollar it brings in. Potential restaurant owners must first do their homework in order to convince the banks that they can make it in the restaurant biz.


Mr. Peters' first piece of advice is to start with a business plan which includes thorough market research. This may seem like an obvious piece of advice but still, the number of restaurant owners who fail to create a business plan is absolutely shocking despite the statistics that back it up. A business plan is absolutely essential to ensure success. Details which should be included in this plan include what makes the concept unique, the type of service and menu planned, price points, an evaluation of the market and the target demographics, a marketing plan, a financial plan and an operational plan which includes the key players from industry experts and key suppliers.


A potential restaurant owner must be able to show on paper that the concept will work. This is the most important attribute of the business plan because lenders look for key financial indicators as a predictor of success.

1. The restaurant owner must plan on bringing in $1.25 for every dollar borrowed in the initial year's revenues
   
2. Total occupancy costs and overall debt service must stay between 8-12 percent
   
3. A full service restaurant must show at least $150-$250 in sales per square foot or $200-$300 in sales per square foot for a quick service restaurant.
   
4. Prime cost, total labor cost plus total cost of goods sold, the biggest expense, must stay under 65 percent of sales for a full service establishment and 60 percent for a quick service establishment. (although, to be safe, Mr. Peters recommends every restaurant owner aim for 55 percent).
   

If the proper research is done and a strong business plan with smart financials is created, potential restaurant owners have a real shot at getting the funds to open and be successful.

It's never too late to write a proper business plan. Even if a restaurant has been operating without a business plan, restaurant owners can still create a plan that will uncover a restaurant's potential for the future. 


If you'd like more information like the advice in this post, visit David Scott Peters' website at http://www.TheRestaurantExpert.com and sign up for his newsletter. 


To read more about dining in Michigan or to interactively search for restaurants in Michigan, visit http://www.miflavor.com, http://mobile.miflavor.com, or visit Michigan Flavor's Directory of Michigan Restaurants blog.

Michigan Legislature Passes Smoking Ban That will Become Law

The Michigan Restaurant Association Press Release:

In a December 14, 2009 Press Release The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) put out a press release indicating that Michigan Legislature Passed a smoking ban in Michigan restaurants.  The Senate passed the bill on Thursday, December 10^th which will prohibit smoking in ALL public places, including bars and restaurants, in the State of Michigan.  The state House of Representatives quickly followed suite and the bill made its way to the desk of Gov. Jennifer Granholm for a signature.

This new law will ban smoking in a wide range of public places and covers all bars and restaurants as well as all public and private workplaces.  Casino gaming floors, cigar bars, tobacco specialty retail shops, home offices and commercial trucks are the only exemptions to this ban which will take effect on April 30, 2010.

During Senate consideration of this legislation, The MRA successfully added important amendments to significantly reduce the regulator burden of this new law on Michigan Bars and Restaurants.  The MRA amendment covered the following areas:

• ·         Written non-smoking policy – The MRA amendment eradicated the necessity for a written non-smoking policy.
• ·         Enforcement – Enforcement of the original bill would allow the health department to enforce fines for both individuals and establishment owners for violations.  The MRA amendment allowed for the health department to enforce the law on both individuals and owners but limited fines to individuals.
• ·         Civil lawsuits – The MRA amendment removed the option for civil action by individuals against food service establishments that violate the act.
• ·         Rule-making authority – Further smoking-related rule making for food service establishments was eliminated by amendment.
• ·         Revocation of license –The MRA amendment removed the possibility of a food service establishment having its health license revoked, forcing permanent closure of the restaurant or bar for non-compliance.
• ·         Pre-emption of even tougher local ordinances -  The MRA amendment pre-empted the right of local governments to add additional workplace smoking ordinances that are more stringent and punitive than the original legislation.
• ·         Affirmative defense for operators – If establishments post “no smoking” signs, remove all ashtrays and smoking paraphernalia, and inform any individual smoke that his or her action is unlawful, any citation against said establishment will be dismissed.
• ·         Effective Date – The MRA amendment clarified that this new legislation will take effect on April 30, 2010, since the original bill had no explicit effective date.

There are still many questions surrounding this new legislation.  The Michigan Restaurant Association wants to help its members understand the new law. Members are invited to contact the MRA with any questions or concerns they have about the new smoking ban.  Call Andy at 800.968.9668. 

*Source: The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) website www.michiganrestaurant.org.  The original press release can be read by following this link http://www.michiganrestaurant.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=1101.

Michigan Restaurants by the Numbers

Michigan Restaurants by the Numbers

Michigan’s restaurants are an increasingly important part of our state’s economy. Restaurants are a key driver of employment in Michigan, and their sales generate tremendous tax revenues for our state.  Michigan restaurants contribute to the economy by creating jobs, building careers and generating revenue, but that's just the beginning.   Michigan dining establishments today are leaders in nutrition and healthy living, sustainability and social responsibility, and entrepreneurship and business opportunites according to www.restaurant.org.

Did you know...

• More than one in four American adults got their first job in a restaurant?
• Nearly 50% of all Americans have worked in the restaurant industry at one point in their working careers?
• American restaurants employ more minority managers than any other industry?
• Almost 1 in 10 working Americans are employed by the restaurant industry?
• Annual restaurant industry sales nationwide exceeds a half-trillion dollars?
• In 2007, there were 16,565 eating-and-drinking places in Michigan?
• Every $1 spent in Michigan’s restaurants generates an additional $.99 in sales for Michigan’s economy?
• Restaurant jobs represent 10 percent of total employment in Michigan?
• In 2009, Michigan’s restaurants will register a projected $12.6 billion in sales?

*Sources: Figures are based on National Restaurant Association research and data from federal and state government agencies.  See www.restaurant.org/research/state for more information.

**Sources: Figures are based on National Restaurant Association research and data from federal and state government agencies.  See www.restaurant.org/research/state for more information.

Restaurants and Institutions Magazine’s 2009 Menu Census: Top food items restaurant owners across the industry rely on to bond their menus.

Every two years,  Restaurants and Institutions polls  commercial and noncommercial restaurant owners and managers to communicate what is currently anchoring their menus and what they're considering adding. Below is a depiction of what's frequently featured on their menus mounting sales and garnering the most attention.

Appetizers: Commercial

1. chicken wings
2. Chicken Strips/fingers/tenders
3. Onion rings
4. Mozzarella sticks
5. French fries

*Items commercial restaurants may perhaps include in their menus: Mini burgers, flatbreads, stuffed jalapenos/peppers.

Appetizers: Noncommercial

1. Chicken strips/fingers/tenders
2. Chicken wings
3. Chips and salsa and garlic bread (tie)
4.  Mozzarella sticks
5.  Nachos

Items noncommercial restaurants may perhaps include in their menus: Mini burgers, bruschetta, Asian lettuce wraps.

Center of the Plate Proteins: Commerial Seafood        

1. Salmon
2. Grilled/broiled/sautéed shrimp
3. Scallops
4.  Breaded and fried shrimp
5. Crab cakes

Center of the plate proteins: Commercial Meat

1.  Rib eye steak
2. Filet mignon
3. Strip steak
4. Pork ribs
5.  Prime rib/sirloin steak (tie)

Center of the plate protein: Commercial Poultry

1. Grilled Chicken breast
2. Chicken strips/fingers/tenders
3.  Chicked wings
4. Sliced turkey
5. Grilled/broiled chicken

*Center of the plate proteins commercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Calamari, crab cakes, hanger steak, short ribs, duck, chicken pot pie.

Center of the plate proteins: Noncommercial seafood

1. Canned tuna
2. Cod/scrod
3. Breaded and baked fish portions
4. Breaded and fried shrimp
5. Tilapia

Center of the plate protein: Noncommercial Meat

1. Meatballs
2. Meatloaf
3. Roast Beef
4. Beef stew
5. Baked ham

Center of the plate protein: Noncommercial poultry

1. Chicken strips/fingers/tenders
2. Sliced turkey
3. Turkey breast
4. Chicken nuggets
5. Grilled chicken breast

*Center of the plate proteins noncommercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Scallops, tilapia, beef and pork ribs, chicken pot pie, rotisserie chicken.

Side Dishes: Commercial Potatoes

1. Straight cut french fries
2. baked potatoes
3. Mashed Potatoes

Side Dishes: Commercial Vegetables

1. Broccoli
2. Mushrooms
3. Carrots

*Side dishes commercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Sweet-potato fries, house-made potato chips, asparagus

Side Dishes: Noncommercial Potatoes

1. Plain mashed potatoes
2. Baked potatoes
3. Straight cut French fries

Side Dishes: Noncommercial Vegetables

1. Broccolli
2. Carrots
3. Green Beans

*Side dishes noncommercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Sweet-potato fries, spiral/curly/waffle fries, steamed/grilled vegetable platter, sugar snap peas.

Desserts: Commercial Desserts

1. Brownies
2. Hard Ice Cream
3. Cookies
4. Bread Pudding     
5. Creme Brulee

Desserts commercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Mini desserts, crème brûlée, cobblers/crisps, dessert samplers/flights

Desserts: Noncommercial Desserts

1. Cookies
2. Brownies
3. Fresh fruit
4. Cobblers/crisps
5. Bread pudding

*Desserts noncommercial restaurants are considering adding to their menus: Gingerbread, mini desserts, frozen yogurt, éclairs/cream puffs. 

Resource:-- Restaurants and Institutions, 12/16/2009 10:51:00 AM

Read More:

2009 Menu Census Data: Breakfast

2009 Menu Census Data: Soups, Salads and Sandwiches

For a fully interactive directory of Michigan Restaurants, visit www.miflavor.com or users on the go can visit our mobile version at http://mobile.miflavor.com.  Search for Michigan restaurants based on a variety of features and cuisine types, browse photo galleries, download, view and print menus, search Michigan dining specials and events and so much more.  www.miflavor.com is the only Michigan dining resource you'll ever need.