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.