Best Practices
Obtaining Accurate Recipe Costs
Mark Kelnhofer / www.runningrestaurants.com
A fairly accurate assessment of current restaurant operations today do not have accurate recipes costs. Recipe costs are the foundation of much more strategic functions such as the menu engineering process and theoretical benchmarking. Too frequently recipes are not written to determine accurate costs.
They are generally written in cookbook terms and not manufacturing terms. Thinking about a restaurant as a manufacturer is a unique concept and not typically applied. It is a concept that can bring about greater benefits such as improving profits and greater efficiencies. There are two primary concepts to assist in obtaining accurate costs. Read the rest of this entry
10 Last-Minute Tax Deductions for Small Businesses
Barbara Weltman / Special to CNBC.com
As we enter the last few weeks of 2011, the to-do list seems to grow longer. One thing small business owners should do is consider whether they have done everything they can to reduce their tax burden. Even at this late date, there are things you can do that will reflect favorably when you file your 2011 return.
Here are 10 things you can do before the end of the year that will let you take advantage of tax write-offs. And always keep in mind, if you have any questions about tax rules affecting your business, discuss them with your tax advisor. Read the rest of this entry
Lawmakers try to delay swipe-fee reforms
NRA Staff
House and Senate lawmakers this week introduced bills to postpone action on skyrocketing merchant debit-card swipe fees. The National Restaurant Association is firing back, with letters to Congress asking lawmakers not to support the legislation.
The issue: The Federal Reserve in December proposed reducing merchant swipe fees for debit cards to a maximum of 7 cents to 12 cents per swipe, about 70 percent below today’s fees. The big banks and card companies don’t like the rules and have lined up support for bills that would kill the timeline Congress set.
Congress had instructed the Federal Reserve to issue new swipe-fee rules in April and put them into effect by July.
In the Senate, Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced the Debit Interchange Fee Study Act, S. 575, calling for a study and two-year delay in the rules. On the House side, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (D-W.V.) introduced a bill calling for an eight-month study of debit-card swipe fees. Her bill would then give the Federal Reserve Board an extra four months to rework its proposed rules.
Visit http://www.restaurant.org/cardfees to support quick action on merchant swipe fees.
Staffing: Take care of staffers who saw you through downturn
BY Stephanie Klein
DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
Economic-recovery indicators are cautiously encouraging. As business picks up and revenue starts to improve, you’ll be tempted to replace the staff you were forced to let go during lean times.
But first and foremost, you have to take care of your current staff members — the ones who stuck with you and worked longer hours for less pay and fewer perks during recent years.
If times have been tough at your company, even your most loyal employee may have a wandering eye.
Q&A on Health Care Reform Implementation
The National Restaurant Association has developed a Health Care Reform Implementation Q&A to answer restaurateurs’ most common questions. Get simple answers to your questions about the new health care reform legislation.
