Jersey Mike’s Subs Raises $21 Million in March
For local charities nationwide. Manasquan, NJ (RestaurantNews.com) Jersey Mike’s Subs and customers across the country rallied to raise a record-breaking $21 million to help more than 200 local charities during the company’s 13th Annual Month of Giving in March. Jersey Mike’s locations nationwide accepted donations throughout the month, building to the company’s Day of Giving on March 29, when nearly 2,500 restaurants donated 100 percent of sales, not just profits, to local charities including hospitals, youth organizations, food banks and more. “We were humbled to see how our customers came out in droves to support their local charities on Day of Giving,” said Caroline Jones, Senior Vice President, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc., and daughter of Founder Peter Cancro. “Day of Giving is our busiest day, and we look forward to it all year. Thank you to our customers, franchise owners, team members and charity partners for making a difference!” This fundraising total exceeds the $20 million raised during last year’s campaign. Since Month of Giving began in 2011, Jersey Mike’s has raised more than $88 million for local charities. “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life” has been the mission of Jersey Mike’s from the beginning.
Inside Yavonne Sarber’s Epic Vision of Hospitality
Sarber champions progress on all fronts. Chefs and restaurateurs in the NextGen Casual movement are ever-evolving artists and acrobats, walking a tightrope between traditional cooking techniques perfected over centuries and progressive ideals of running a modern business. Entertaining an audience (or customer base) requires extensive forethought, and restaurant brand leaders like Yavonne Sarber aren’t afraid to think outside the box when designing a dazzling show, from restaurant decor to innovative takes on classic menu items like tacos. These NextGen-ers are setting the trends for the rest of the industry and raising the bar on what hospitality means—and the world is watching. Yavonne Sarber has always had a talent for taking care of people, so a career in hospitality seemed a natural direction to take—but her journey to creating and scaling Agave & Rye to 16 locations, plus launching a myriad of other concepts under EPIC Brands, took an untraditional route. From surviving a challenging upbringing eating out of food kitchens to dropping out of school and getting her first job at a restaurant, Sarber is one of those rare restaurateurs who understands from firsthand experience how difficult working in foodservice can be. That’s why Sarber seeks to make improvements and change the industry from within and set a new standard for the hospitality model of the future.
Restaurant Online Food Delivery
Looking at the pros & cons. Online food delivery has been one of the hottest foodservice trends in recent years and is pegged at having a market value of over 150 billion dollars. The market for food delivery has tripled since 2017, especially being fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions brought with it. Oline food delivery is set to grow further due to no signs of slowing customer demand and is slated to make up to 40% of restaurants’ revenue in 2023. Despite all the advantages of offering online food delivery to customers, the approach has its own set of pros and cons business owners should consider before offering delivery options to customers. We look at the various considerations before setting up a delivery option for your business and the benefits versus the shortcomings of this option. Since 2020, more restaurants have begun offering food delivery to customers to mitigate the losses brought about by the lockdowns. Food delivery services have helped several businesses remain afloat through the grim periods of the pandemic, and also allowed customers to eat from their favorite establishments while avoiding transmission risk. If you’re interested in setting up food delivery for your establishment, here are a few tips to consider:
Senate Grills Former Starbucks CEO
Over union conflict. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz denied the coffee chain broke labor laws and insisted it is willing to bargain with unionized workers during an appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday. The two-hour hearing saw Schultz face off against Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont Independent and champion of the union movement, who accused Starbucks of waging “the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign” in the country’s modern history. “The fundamental issue we are facing today is whether we have a system of justice that applies to all, or whether billionaires and large corporations can break the law without impunity,” Sanders said. Schultz denied any wrongdoing and objected to being characterized as a union-buster. He acknowledged that unions have “played an important role in American business” and said they generally have worked on behalf of employees at companies where people are treated unfairly. “We do not believe we are that kind of company,” he said. “We do nothing nefarious. We put our people first.” The union conflict started in 2021, when a store in Buffalo, New York became the first to unionize. More than 360 stores across 40 states have held union elections since then, and around 300 company-owned stores have voted to unionize. Under an agreement between the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Starbucks Workers United, the group working to unionize stores, union negotiations must take place on a store-by-store basis.
Nip Negative Reviews Before They Happen
Customers can be stopped in their tracks. Negative reviews are a detriment to restaurants since they impact not just reputation, but revenue as well. 86 percent of customers hesitate to purchase from companies with negative reviews. A single negative review can drive away 22 percent of customers and three negative reviews can drive away 59 percent of customers. Before the digital age, if customers were unhappy with their experience, they would simply share their unpleasant experience via word of mouth. Now, with review platforms such as Google, Yelp and Facebook, to name a few, unhappy customers can share their discontent causing further damage to a business. Since 79 percent of customers put as much weight in online reviews as they would recommendations from family and friends, it’s critical to nip negative reviews in the bud. Most customers do not sit down at a restaurant with the intention of leaving a negative review. Many factors contribute to a negative customer experience. If a customer is unhappy and feels as though they were not heard, or if there was no action taken to rectify the situation, it could result in a negative review. However, steps can be taken to prevent these reviews and ensure that every customer has a pleasant experience. Through communication with the customer, whether that be in person or through technology, situations can be remedied—stopping negative reviews before they happen.
How Restaurants Can Stay Healthy During Cost Volatility
Three tips for protecting your business. The restaurant business has always been fickle and in these past few years, the industry has seen its fair share of headlines ranging from record high inflation to store opening acceleration. As pandemic woes subside, the world continues to be impacted by its aftermath including labor shortages and supply chain disruptions, all contributing to the rise in costs we’ve seen recently. It’s crucial for restaurants to anticipate continued volatility and prioritize the necessary investments to prepare their businesses for potential prolonged uncertainty. We have seen that consumers still have a strong appetite for restaurant experiences, whether in-person or digitally, and in eating high-quality, delicious food despite higher prices. The right preparation and approach can equip businesses to reduce the impact of volatility and, with these strategic moves, potentially edge ahead of their competition. In the wake of the pandemic, restaurants were forced to be reactive with the sudden closure of dining rooms across the country. Without knowing when restaurants would be able to reopen at the time, many businesses that invested early in contactless delivery and off-premises dining capabilities for the safety, comfort, and convenience of their guests outpaced their peers.
Amazon Eases Its Way Into Restaurants
With online ordering partnerships. After Amazon’s ill-fated early forays into the restaurant industry, the company is reapproaching the space. On Wednesday (March 29), fast-casual giant Panera Bread announced that it is letting its loyalty members order by voice or touch via Amazon’s Alexa. The news comes just one week after the bakery-café chain announced the rollout of Amazon One pay-by-palm capabilities for members, making the brand the first national restaurant to leverage the technology. In fact, as George Hanson, the restaurant’s senior vice president and chief digital officer, shared in an interview with PYMNTS on Monday, the eCommerce giant approached Panera with the technology. Amazon is also finding other ways to get its foot in the restaurant industry’s door. Last summer, for instance, the company announced a commercial agreement with Grubhub that could offer it a 2% stake in the aggregator, which could grow to 15% if the partnership performs well for Grubhub. Per the deal, the eCommerce giant offered free one-year Grubhub+ subscriptions to Prime members, a partnership similar to the one that Amazon made with the United Kingdom’s Deliveroo in 2021. These forays into restaurant ordering, payments and delivery follow on the heels of the demise of Amazon’s initial efforts in the restaurant space back in the 2010s. Back in 2015, the eCommerce giant launched Amazon Restaurants, offering Prime members the opportunity to order one-hour delivery from restaurant partners without the fees typically associated with the channel.
Did You Know?
7 Restaurant Chains making a big comeback after bankruptcy. While filing for bankruptcy is thought of as being the end of the road for a restaurant business, this worst-case scenario is often avoidable. When restaurants declare a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they will also propose a plan to keep the business running and arrange to pay their debts over time. With time and proper management of resources, restaurants can survive bankruptcy and make a comeback.
Employee Tip
How “Ben’s Friends” is changing lives for those with addictions? The hospitality industry is rife with people struggling with addiction and substance abuse. According to a report from the American Addiction Centers, almost 12 percent of foodservice workers reported binge drinking during the last month when they were surveyed, and 19 percent reported using illicit drugs. Steve Palmer had been concerned about substance abuse and addiction in the hospitality industry for many years when he established Ben’s Friends in 2016, following the suicide of his friend and colleague Ben Murray.
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Alert
BIELAT SANTORE & COMPANY SELLS MYSTIC ISLAND, NJ RESTAURANT!
John & Sonia’s Luncheonette, a breakfast and lunch staple for locals and vacationers alike for over twenty years recently sold according to Real Estate Agent, “Diner Bob” Gillis of Bielat Santore & Company. Husband and wife, John & Sonia Spinelli successfully ran and expanded the restaurant business, which has a sixty-year history at the Radio Road location. Located in a condominium strip center, the 2,200 square foot restaurant experiences consistent year-round business from a loyal clientele with an explosion of business in the summer months. The new owners plan to continue the John & Sonia’s tradition of friendly service while offering great breakfast & lunch selections at a reasonable price.
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