Ken Burgin

Restaurant Productivity

Productivity & Cost Control

How to Support Staff to Give Productive Feedback & Suggestions

November 16, 2020 No Comments

Your staff have plenty of bright ideas, but do they know the best way to present them? If you want your staff to keep taking a positive interest in your business, you may need to teach them about ‘managing upwards’. Sometimes known as ‘managing the boss’, and it’s a lot more than knowing how she likes her coffee or what beer he drinks. Many staff have bright ideas for new menus, equipment, service and efficiencies.

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Restaurant Job Advertisement

How to Write Restaurant Job Advertisements That Get Great Results

October 19, 2020 No Comments

It’s not hard to write a good advertisement – most are so poorly written yours will stand out with just a little care! Demand for staff is increasing with the end of Covid lockdowns, There is a lot of pent-up demand, and the same tired old advertisements that don’t get the phone ringing! Here’s how to beat the completion… What makes an advertisement for your Cafe or Restaurant Job really stand out? The secret is

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Using Toyota’s 8 Waste Control Methods in Your Restaurant or Cafe

October 13, 2020 No Comments

Toyota built its world-class success by watching and controlling every step of the manufacturing process, especially waste. It’s very useful to apply the discipline of manufacturing to hospitality – we make things too! Use Toyota’s classification of 8 different types of waste, and discover new ways to cut costs and improve your bottom line. Over-Production: creating more of a product than is needed. The enthusiastic bar staff over-prepare fruit garnishes for the evening. Salad trays

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Online Events for Restaurants

Talking Food Costs & Restaurant Management – Podcast Interview

September 10, 2020 No Comments

I’m getting fairly excited by what some see as a fairly dry topic – but not for me! Great to share ideas and information about food costs, inventory, ordering, kitchen technology, kitchen teams and staff management with Venessa Barnes and Adam Moore, two chefs who really know what the industry is about. ? See more podcast interviews here on the Ken Burgin website. ? Check the weekly discoveries on Hospo Reset – information & inspiration

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Online Events for Restaurants

Developing and Promoting Online Events – my podcast interview with facilitation legend Leanne Hughes

August 27, 2020 No Comments

I’ve known Leanne Hughes for almost a year, and her great work as a workshop designer and presenter has been a constant source of inspiration – from her First Time Facilitator Podcast, her Facebook Group and several in-depth workshops. It was an honour to have a conversation with her for the podcast, and talk about how I’ve built my workshop experience and developed digital presentations and online events for restaurant and cafe chefs, managers and

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Online Events for Restaurants

My Podcast interview with James Henderson of Hospopreneurs

August 18, 2020 No Comments

It was great to have a solid podcast conversation with James Henderson, looking at COVID challenges and how the restaurant and cafe industry is adapting… ? See more podcast interviews here on the Ken Burgin website. ? Check the weekly discoveries on Hospo Reset – information & inspiration for restaurant, cafe & foodservice operators.

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Planning for the Worst: If You Decide to Close your Cafe or Restaurant

August 5, 2020 No Comments

As the COVID crisis drags on, there are many operators who are contemplating closing up shop and walking away. Before it was hard work and OK profits, not it’s still hard work and no profit for the forseeable future. The best way to get out is to sell your business, and a good broker will help you to do that quickly. But what if that’s not possible? Here are some resources that could be useful…

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How to Have More Life When You Own a 7 Day Business

August 3, 2020 No Comments

Have a life and a business. It works fine if you have a Monday to Friday cafe in a business area. But if you’re part of the raging weekend cafe market, Saturday and Sunday are top earners – they can’t be neglected. Maybe you can’t have office hours like your corporate friends, but there’s a lot you can do to have more time away from business and still have control. Build your Remote Control Systems:

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Online Events for Restaurants

Talking Reset & Refocus with Dani Valent on the Dirty Linen Podcast

July 1, 2020 No Comments

You can also listen to the podcast here. From Dani’s description: ‘Ken Burgin is a hospitality consultant who reckons he’s stopped hundreds of hospo wannabes from sacrificing their own homes and futures for a starry-eyed food dream. He’s a realist and a numbers guy who loves helping people see the beauty – and the necessity – of a nice set of numbers. He sees the pandemic as an opportunity to reset and refocus…’ See more

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Measuring Staff Costs – Go Deeper for More Control & Better Results

June 29, 2020 No Comments

Wages costs and productivity are everyone’s big issue. To track performance, you need figures that are accurate, easy to find, and easy to explain to people they affect. Managers need them to benchmark rostering and hiring decisions. Staff need to understand the productivity that’s expected, and how they contribution to business success. Important Staff KPIs: Total cost of labour – wages plus all on-costs. Some aren’t paid at the same time as wages, but are

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