Joseph Tarnowski’s Post

Once upon a time there was a brunch restaurant... 🥞 ✨ The restaurant was closing soon, so they decided to serve their final pancake-craving customer with the biggest pancake they'd ever seen. It was their last order of the day, so the cook thought "Why not? I'll just use the rest of the batter for their order. It's going in the trash, anyways!" It was the customer's first time dining at the restaurant. They LOVED their pancake. "This is the biggest pancake I've ever SEEN!" they'd exclaimed, gleefully. That next Sunday, they came back to the restaurant - this time bringing their friends & family for the occasion. Everyone ordered 1 pancake. When their food came out they all looked at their plates disappointingly, then over to their friend questioningly. Nothing stings worse than being hyped up about a killer meal, only to be brought out one normal-sized pancake! 😢 This is a real story. I was the manager called to the table to explain the situation to the customer who had only dined with us twice & was threatening never to return (alongside 8 other brand new customers!). This is a story about the importance of #consistency in a business model, level setting #expectations, & celebrating with your clients when you #exceed those expectations (as opposed to acting like they're the norm). This translates SO WELL to the #businessdevelopment space. Does anyone else have a pancake story? How did you handle it? Did it build or break trust? 🤔 💭

Stratford-upon-Avon: Some great meals and some average dishes I’ve just come back from Stratford-upon Avon having celebrated my tenth wedding anniversary (thank you to Mrs Mills who is a fantastic partner and support to me!). Whilst I was there I had the pleasure of enjoying some truly fantastic meals and, if I’m really honest, some fairly average dishes too (the prawn taco was not to be revisited). As I quite often do I spent a bit of time looking at TripAdvisor to try to understand a bit more about what was on offer and help to formulate some thoughts about what might appeal – there are loads of options! I’m not one to spend hours thinking about it but it’s great to understand what is on offer. Having arrived though, we spent the afternoon wandering the streets (Stratford-upon-Avon is a great place I have to say) and came across Sheep Street. Restaurant after restaurant, all in a row. What I found fascinating was the number restaurants offering an identically priced set course meal. Each looked reasonably busy and if I’m honest each looked as though you would receive a meal that represented reasonable value. But I couldn’t help thinking: Is looking and feeling a bit like your neighbour and charging the same price really the best way to maximise your profitability? (not something I shared with Mrs Mills at the time)! At a personal level it left me feeling apathetic about all of the options. From a business perspective I couldn’t help pondering whether each restaurant had thought through their margins and priced up a menu accordingly. Perhaps they have, or perhaps the steady footfall is sufficient to mean that it doesn’t matter enough and that each generates an acceptable profit. Either way, I felt certain that each could achieve more. Don't get me wrong - it is important to understand your competition, but if I was their advisor I would be encouraging them to make clear – what is it that sets you apart from your competition that is not price – because in my experience, if you only compete on price you will quickly end up with no profit at all. Let me know if you would like to talk to me about how I could help your business achieve more Old Mill #margins #food #drink #growth

A True Story of Persistence and Success! In a small town, there were two brothers named Richard and Maurice. They had a big dream, to open a restaurant that served delicious food quickly. So, they worked hard and opened a small drive-in restaurant. But things didn’t go as planned. The restaurant struggled, and they faced many challenges. 😟 One day, they had an idea. They decided to make their restaurant different by creating a system that made food fast and fresh. They called it the "𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺." They simplified the menu to just a few items, like burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and focused on making those items really well. They also designed their kitchen to be super efficient, like a factory line. 👌 At first, people were reluctant. They didn’t think it was possible to get good food quickly. But the brothers didn’t give up. That little restaurant? It was McDonald’s. Today, McDonald’s is one of the biggest and most famous fast-food chains in the world. The story of Richard and Maurice McDonald teaches us that with hard work, innovation, and persistence, we can turn our dreams into reality. 🤗 Keep believing in your dreams, work hard, and never give up, even when things get tough. Your persistence can lead to amazing things! 😎 Parth Verma #motivation #growth #linkedin

In my opinion, McDonald’s has pretty much been the same since I was a little boy. But now, for the first time in 60 years they’re going to open up a new restaurant concept called CosMc’s. At these restaurants you won’t find their famous burgers and fries or a big lobby with a play gym for kids as this concept instead focuses on adults who want to pick up something quick like an iced coffee. The menu is rather small with items like spiced lattes and flavored lemonades. The food items are rather limited as well with options like an avocado tomato sandwich, McDonald’s egg McMuffin, ice cream, and other snacks like hash brown bites. You won’t find any of the new concept restaurants in San Diego. They will have about 10 test locations in Texas cities like Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, but you still have to wait until the end of 2024 to test out this new concept. I guess after staying with the same concept for 60 years or so, it does take some time to get a new concept off the ground. With a price/earnings ratio around 25 and a dividend of 2.33%, the small 10 concept restaurants will not move the needle for the stock price. #mcdonalds #fastfood #cosmcs #restaurants #newrestaurant #stockprice #market #investments #economy

In my opinion, McDonald’s has pretty much been the same since I was a little boy. But now, for the first time in 60 years they’re going to open up a new restaurant concept called CosMc’s. At these restaurants you won’t find their famous burgers and fries or a big lobby with a play gym for kids as this concept instead focuses on adults who want to pick up something quick like an iced coffee. The menu is rather small with items like spiced lattes and flavored lemonades. The food items are rather limited as well with options like an avocado tomato sandwich, McDonald’s egg McMuffin, ice cream, and other snacks like hash brown bites. You won’t find any of the new concept restaurants in San Diego. They will have about 10 test locations in Texas cities like Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, but you still have to wait until the end of 2024 to test out this new concept. I guess after staying with the same concept for 60 years or so, it does take some time to get a new concept off the ground. With a price/earnings ratio around 25 and a dividend of 2.33%, the small 10 concept restaurants will not move the needle for the stock price. #mcdonalds #fastfood #cosmcs #restaurants #newrestaurant #stockprice #market #investments #economy

Our customers enjoy an abundance of options, rivalling even a Chinese roast restaurant. Moreover, their access to information via the internet makes them well-informed. Amidst fierce competition, businesses grapple to distinguish themselves. While many claim “service” sets them apart, have you ever heard of a sales rep admit their service is merely average? How did they rank their services against their competitors in the first place? I doubt they have anything of substance to back the claim. More often or not, it is a cop out sentence. So, how can you make a mark in this cutthroat market without leaning on the word “service” in your pitch? Would you be willing to give it a shot to determine your company’s unique selling proposition? How do we choose when there were too many yummy choices at this restaurant? So dad just ordered all of them.

Tacos are not sandwiches. Tortas are sandwiches. Food is a critical part of understanding the Hispanic audience. Ask someone from Central America or Mexico who has best tamales and you will have a bigger argument than asking a New Yorker where to get the best slice. Mexico is the undisputed taco champ. But tacos are not sandwiches.

Happy Valentines Day! Or, if that’s not your thing. Happy Wednesday. Either way, if you’re in BC or any part of the world really, Show some love to your local restaurants. Go buy some croissants at your local corner bakery. Get a table at the cute restaurant with the nice atmosphere (that’s not part of a chain) Go to your local farmer’s market and get some homemade jams. Shop local. It makes a difference. And why not do it on the day celebrating love? #foodcostingsoftware #valentinesday

"People who say food is overpriced, sometimes I want to say back, ‘You have Nikes on your feet, and they’re charging a 1,000 percent markup," said Geoffrey Davis of Burdell in Oakland. "Nobody says that a pair of Jordans are overpriced or an Hermès bag is overpriced when it costs them pennies on the dollar to produce. And that does nothing to keep you alive or have jobs in your community and a place to celebrate your birthday or anniversary." One of many, many, powerful responses from some of the best chefs in the business, taken from a fantastic feature from Julia Moskin. And somewhat serendipitous that it would be published in the same week as Dani Valent's feature looking at the industry in Australia, and asking "is the restaurant industry on the brink?". If you love food and dining, or have some connection to the industry and business of food, please take the time to read both of these. Against all odds, chefs, operators, and servers, are reshaping the industry. But with the knowledge and understanding of what the industry is facing, we can all - from government, to brands and media, landlords, and customers - do our part in helping ensure it is sustainable. Links in comments below. #foodandbeverage #restaurant