RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#36 - 8 Ways to Pack the Place on Monday Night A restaurant can't survive on Friday and Saturday nights. We pay rent all seven days of the week, and so it behooves us to fill up those other five days. And yet so often businesses limp along all week and then try to grind it out all weekend long. That approach may work for a while, but it's not a long-term strategy. In time you and your staff will burn out or things will simply fade away. In this week's episode I'm sharing my approach for how to fill that downtime business - 8 different ideas for boosting business on those off nights. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Entrepreneur Magazine - "Thinking Outside the Box" - (LINK) GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#35 - Use Content Strategy to Build Trust with your Guests I always like to say that businesses these days need to think of themselves as mini-media companies, putting out consistent, high-quality content on a weekly basis. But what does that mean, content? Stick around because in this week’s episode I’m going to explain what content strategy is… I’m going to show you how it can help your business… and then I’m going to explain the best ways to get started. If you’re struggling to gain traction, or you’ve been wondering what else you can do to move the needle in your business, this is one episode you don’t want to miss. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Content Chemistry GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#34 - Kill 'em with Kindness There’s this thing in our industry… call it tradition or whatever… where the Chef is often portrayed as this tyrant, lording over the kitchen. Slamming pots and pans, screaming at the cooks, and striking fear into the servers that dare to enter that sacred space. But the longer I spend in the industry, the more I’ve been questioning that behavior. This episode is an addendum of sorts to the string of episodes I did a few week back where we talked about leadership, staffing, and management. I'm going to make the case that treating people the right way is the only way to build a successful business. The restaurant industry is always slow to change, but I want to help all of us find a better way forward. And yes… I promise it all comes back to marketing your restaurant.  CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Power of Nice GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#33: INTERVIEW - Alexander LaPratt, Master Sommelier This week I'm thrilled to bring you another interview, and trust me it's a good one. I sat down with Alexander LaPratt, Master Sommelier and owner of two neighborhood restaurants here in Brooklyn: Atrium DUMBO and Beasts & Bottles. His journey in the industry has taken him from Detroit where he got his start to Napa where we worked for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, before finally making his way to New York City, where he's worked with some giants: Daniel Boulud at Daniel, Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten at his flagship property in Columbus Circle. He talks honestly about the secret sauce for each of those restaurants, and explains how he applied what he'd learned to his own restaurants. In all the interview is nearly two hours long, but well worth your time. If you've ever dreamed of running your own restaurant or if you're struggling to get your place up off the ground, I urge you to listen in! Atrium DUMBO - LINK Beasts & Bottles - LINK Court of Master Sommeliers - LINK Restaurant Daniel - LINK Jean Georges - LINK The French Laundry - LINK Le Bernardin - LINK CONTINUING EDUCATION: GRIT by Angela Duckworth GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#32: Y-E-L-P is a Four Letter Word! What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say YELP? If you’re like a lot of other industry professionals you can’t help but use other four letter words to articulate your disdain. But regardless of how we feel about it, the site has become an important piece to a business’ digital presence and so it’s worth taking some time to talk about the Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to this polarizing website. This week, we’re talking all about YELP. Specifically I'm laying out 10 steps you can do right away to get your Yelp House in order. They are:  Set up an account and Claim your page Check out your competitors Build out your profile Respond to reviews Repurpose those reviews Utilize some of Yelp's key features Track your analytics Show your Yelp pride Advertise on Yelp Whether or not to ask for reviews CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk GET IN TOUCH:  As always, if you have questions or ideas about future episodes, please reach out... chip@chipklose.com  

#31: Thriving in the Attention Economy The market is saturated, we’re inundated with images and ads everywhere we look, people spend all day on their phones, and WE have the unenviable task of crafting the kind of experience that can only happen in real life. I’ve said it many times before, but the real currency these days is ATTENTION. So how then do you not only survive, but thrive, in this new Attention Economy? That's what this week is all about. We talk about the problems and pitfalls we all deal with and then I break it all down into 4 manageable areas. THE MARKETING SEMINAR: Click Here CONTINUING EDUCATION: The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk  

#30: INTERVIEW - Nathan Mergen, Chef/Owner of 107 State This week is a departure from our regular format, so I hope you'll come along for the ride. I recently had the chance to interview Nathan Mergen, the Chef/Owner of 107 State (Madison, WI), and so I thought it might be helpful to hear about the successes and struggles of such a young restaurant. My hope is to start sharing more of these interviews over the coming months as a way of applying some of the academic lessons from the show. I hope you get a lot out of this one, and remember - if you want to be featured on the show, send me a message and we can chat.  

#29: The Keys to Management and Marketing This is the third and final episode in a 3-episode arc where we've been talking all about Leadership, Staffing, and Training. Why? Because people run your restaurant; people are responsible for much of what happens on a daily basis in your restaurant. And so it makes sense that we would talk about how to find, train, motivate, and cultivate great employees. In the episode we talk a lot about Danny Meyer and his "Salt Shaker Theory", which he outlines in his book SETTING THE TABLE. I then give you a handful of ways you can begin integrating Danny's theory into the day-to day of running your own restaurant. As you get toward the end of the episode there's a pivot I want you to see... a perspective shift that, if applied properly, will fundamentally change your relationship with your staff and your guests. Simply put, I believe it can transform your business. CONTINUING EDUCATION: SETTING THE TABLE by Danny Meyer  

#28: How To Build a Great Staff This is the second in a 3-episode arc where we're talking all about Leadership, Staffing, and Training. Why? Because people run your restaurant; people are responsible for much of what happens during a meal. And so it makes sense that we would talk about the people in your organization. As we talked about last week, it all starts with strong leadership. That means you... setting a vision for the company and inspiring others to go where you want to go. Next up is your staff. How do you attract great employees? How do you find them? And how do you develop them into great employees. That's what this week's episode is all about. And we're going to break it down into four areas: How do you find great staff? How do you train your staff to be even better? How do you retain the very best employees? How do you turn those people in your secret weapon? ASSIGNMENT Start with #1 and tighten up your hiring process. Rewrite your job postings, and refine the interview process. Take a look at your on boarding process and make sure you present the restaurant as professionally as possible. Make sure that people know what kind of place you're running. CONTINUING EDUCATION: GOOD TO GREAT by Jim Collins  

#27: Great Marketing Starts with Great Leadership This is the first in a 3-episode arc all about Leadership, Staffing, and Management -- three areas that I believe have a greater impact on your bottom line than any other promotion and initiative you could put in place. Why? Because your PEOPLE are what brings your business to life. Your PEOPLE are the ones responsible for communicating your vision and executing it night after night, dish after dish. In this first episode I'm going to show you why Leadership is so important and why it has everything to do with Marketing. ASSIGNMENT Write down your MISSION and your FOUR CORE VALUES. CONTINUING EDUCATION: Start with Why by Simon Sinek