Ken Burgin

Restaurant Productivity

Hospo Reset Spotlight

Food Delivery Truck

How to Get a Better Deal from Food & Beverage Suppliers

February 16, 2022 No Comments

The relationship between hospitality venues and their suppliers is a complicated one. Sometimes, vendors act like a business partner, tipping you off to new products and trends. Other times, you feel as though they are competition, squeezing out every last cent. The best way to manage this paradox is to have some supplier tips and tools up your sleeve – here are some suggestions. Many small hospitality businesses run their price negotiation on a weekly

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Developing Young Leaders

Podcast 10: Developing Leadership Skills in Young Hospitality Staff

February 14, 2022 No Comments

More young people are being given management responsibilities early in their career, and running a hospitality business is becoming more complex. This can mean added stress and errors, and much more to learn about. Training and development for new leaders can be done through professional courses, and many times it’s through guidance on the job. How can business owners and senior managers make this process more effective and efficient? In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks

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Restaurant Efficiency

How to Get Better Results on the Busy Days

February 8, 2022 No Comments

Being busy is great, but chaos is not – it leaves customers frustrated, staff upset and a real loss of potential profits. Here’s a quick checklist to prepare front and back of house so you maximise results, contain costs and avoid drama. Be well organised Anticipate the Busy Days. Based on the other factors, like weather, day of the week, TV and sporting events. Over time these have predictable results on customer numbers – check

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Restaurant Payments

10 Ways to Make it Easier for Customers to Spend Money – Remove the Friction in your Cafe or Restaurant

February 8, 2022 No Comments

Nothing should interrupt a customer who’s keen to give you money! The sales term is ‘grease the slide’ – removing any friction that stops a customer completing a sale. Check for any bumps or roadblocks you may have created – here are some solutions: Take more Credit Cards: Do you accept the whole range? Amex fees are a bit higher, but ‘no Amex’ rules get people offside, especially if they want the points. Are you

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Kitchen Recruitment

Podcast 9: Take a Fresh Look at Finding and Keeping Kitchen Staff

February 7, 2022 No Comments

Foodservice operators need to be more creative and flexible in their search for staff, and more thoughtful about how they look after those they have. It’s more than just offering higher pay – that might be part of the equation, but there are many other factors involved. In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks with Paul Rifkin. a chef consultant who works with a wide variety of clubs, pubs and foodservice operators. He’s a practical optimist,

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foodservice outsourcing

Podcast 8: Outsourcing and Labour Saving in Modern Foodservice

January 31, 2022 No Comments

Shortages of skilled staff are nothing new in hospitality, but Covid lockdowns and job losses have only made the situation worse. It’s time to stop waiting for things to improve, and take a fresh, hard look at your menu and how many people you need in the kitchen. Customers still want quality and service at an affordable price, but how else can this be provided? In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks with Graeme McCormack from

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Regional Cafes

Podcast 7: Building Strong Cafes & Restaurants in Regional Communities

January 24, 2022 No Comments

A good cafe, good food and a good bar can often be the heart of a country town – for locals and the people who visit. What makes them successful, especially if they don’t have a big-city population and workforce? In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks with Deb Brown from SaveYour.Town about the many ways that regional cafes and restaurants can grow and prosper through community connections and innovation – it’s an inspiring conversation. Topics

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Restaurant Consultant

Podcast 6: How to Be a Successful Cafe, Restaurant or Foodservice Consultant

January 17, 2022 No Comments

Many chefs, managers and business owners have built up years of experience running kitchens and restaurants. They often think about consulting as a way to take their career to the next level, and an opportunity to have more regular time with friends and family. In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks to Shaun de Vries from Open Pantry Consulting, about how he’s developed his very successful consulting business, including the excellent Principle of Hospitality Podcast. Topics

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Restaurant Customer Data

Podcast 5: Using Restaurant Customer Data for Better Marketing & Loyalty Schemes

January 10, 2022 No Comments

It’s more important than ever to keep in touch with your customers – promoting delivery, reminding them about new opening hours, publicising events or just a friendly message to the community. Social media has its place, but email and SMS are much more direct and under your control – they’re not subject to the whims of Facebook formulas or Instagram algorithms. In this podcast, Ken Burgin talks to Sarah Franklyn from Impact Data, one of

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LInkedIn for Restaurants

Podcast 4: How to Make LinkedIn More Effective for Chefs, Restaurant Managers & Owners

January 3, 2022 No Comments

Want to be taken seriously as a professional? A good LinkedIn profile is essential, and this means more than just dropping your CV into a new location. It can also be a powerful marketing channel for your business. People who want to know more about you for a job, as a referee or for a professional opportunity will always Google your name – your LinkedIn profile will appear high up on the first search page,

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