This week, the most prolific and successful Restaurant Developer in the country, Bruce Russo, steps in for another fun convo with me on my Monday radio show at Laguna’s only community radio, KXFM Radio 104.7This time, we’re talking about Private Dining and Group Dining in restaurants, particularly around the holiday season. (And how NOT to let your big group dining events impinge on your beloved patrons who just want to be fed in a timely manner.)Typically, the last 60 days of the year are the most profitable AND the most difficult for restaurants everywhere. We talk about expediting, kitchen set ups, staff training and more. We also discuss the best month of the year to open a restaurant vs. the worst month of the year and why.SHOW NOTES & SUMMARYRevenue Pod #2We revisit Bruce’s “revenue pods” concepts for restaurants - he recommends a minimum of four revenue pods in any restaurant, with as many as 10 in any given restaurant. We jump into discussing private dining rooms (PDRs) and Group Dining as the next revenue pod.Group Dining in Seasonal Swing Towns Like LagunaWe start initially by talking about the trending decline in private dining rooms because of this one particular and universal fact.We then compare this “fact” to towns like Laguna that experience such a swing in seasonal traffic because I encourage group dining to bolster their revenues in leaner months. Bruce agrees with the marketing model, and we then talk about how Bruce has begun to design and place PDRs (private dining rooms) in the overall restaurant design to accommodate seasonal traffic.Is Group Dining Worth It?We discuss revenue in typical group dining scenarios vs. regular patron traffic and the extreme competitiveness between restaurants that brings the group dining revenue down.Where To Put All the People?If no PDR is in place, where does Bruce recommend you place your large group dining tables? How to minimize the crossing of paths between the “ins” and “outs” of a kitchen.Solutions For the Biggest Suffering During Group Dining EventsHow do you keep your regular patron from suffering during your group dining events? Bruce talks about “mini-kitchens” inside a kitchen for faster, more efficient expo and the group-efficient equipment Bruce always recommends.Controlled Phase DiningHe then talks about flipping prep lines to cook lines and we move into the practice of “controlled phase dining,” which brings Drake Laguna Beach into the conversation.The Drake’s open “Chef’s Bar” leads to Bruce mentioning a design he’s working on for a 40-seater fully open chef kitchens and where the “regular kitchen” is placed in this type of scenario. This trend is growing, largely because the public is fascinated with the machinations of great cooking, and the chefs want to have more interaction with their patrons.The 12 Days of ChristmasI talk to the end-of-year holiday season and the fact that a late Thanksgiving provides a smaller window - a “12 days of Christmas” scenario for your greatest group dining impact. Bruce also notes that the vast majority of revenue for restaurants is made in the last 60 days of the year.I mention that, in a tourist-oriented town like Laguna Beach, we have another “heyday” window between June 15th and July 30th, but the “tourist season” has been significantly impacted in recent years with school districts starting the new school year at earlier dates in August. So, it makes booking those 12 Days of Christmas that much more important … and then looking to rollover group events who couldn’t make it in that timeframe to the New Year, typically after Jan. 9th.What’s the Best Month to Open a Restaurant?Bruce mentions “The Magic Month” to open a restaurant anywhere, with mention of the second best month to open a restaurant in the year. I agree, even for Laguna standards, and we talk about the challenges of opening IN a tourist season, too.#1 Reason Why Restaurants Lose Immediately After OpeningBruce talks to training 30 days in advance of opening and what corporate concepts will often invest to ensure the highest and more effective training is done before the doors initially open. So, who are your two most important players in your front-facing staff when those doors DO open?The Difference Between Pre-Shift Meetings and Tastings vs. a Server who Hasn’t Tasted Most of the Menu’s Offerings.My probably #1 test question I’ll ask a server about the menu, which gives me all kinds of immediate information about that restaurant’s training program.“You invest in the real estate to build the restaurant. You invest in the equipment to prepare the food. You invest in the furniture and fixtures to make the place comfortable. The biggest investment you need to make, though … is training your staff.” - Bruce RussoThe Worst Month to Open a RestaurantThe worst month to open a restaurant and all the reasons why.Why The 60 Toughest Days Are Your Highest Leverage ...
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