Astoria Park is Car-Free August Sundays for Shore Fest

Shore Park in Astoria is going car-free for three Sundays in August.

The annual Shore Fest celebration returns to Queens this weekend. Each Sunday will have it’s own theme.

Aug. 4: We Heart Astoria is sponsoring a food festival featuring samples from local restaurants — including BareBurgerOvelia, and The Thirsty Koala, and City Harvest will be sponsoring a cooking demo for kids.

Aug. 11th: Astoria-based recycling group Build it Green! NYC is hosting arts and crafts for kids, a clothing swap, and a composting demo, and Socrates Sculpture Park is hosting a pinata making workshop.

Aug. 18th : Big River Jam, a lineup of live musical performances from local bands.

A full list of Shore Fest events is here.

Pulley Launches Roastery Collective In Red Hook

We wrote yesterday about Joe , which is now becoming a roaster-retailer. They are making this leap as a roaster at the Pulley Collective, which has a feature in today’s New York Times.

The Pulley Collective is based in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and offers rental time for independent roasters.

Read the full article here.

Joe Becomes a Roaster Retailer, Launches “Waverly” Espresso

Joe , the New York coffee shop enterprise, after 10 years in business, is becoming a roaster-retailer. Sprudge‘s Alex Bernson talks with Director of Roasting Ed Kaufmann about their path, and how they’re making the transition.

Read the article here.

The Rice Krispies Stand Alone: Treat House

Grub Street reports that Chris and Jennifer Russell are opening Treat House in a couple of weeks on the Upper West Side, the first brick-and-mortar shop dedicated to selling Rice Krispies treats. Planned flavors include bubble gum, cappuccino, caramel sea salt, and blueberry pie. Ten cents from each treat will go to the Food Bank for NYC.

 

 

Operational Keys to Implementing the 80-20 Rule

Recently, we posted about the 80-20 rule, which says that roughly 80 percent of an enterprise’s sales will come from roughly 20 percent of its guests.  This powerful realization means that you as an owner need to know who those “valuable few” guests are and how to optimize your operations to serve them well and increase their numbers.  Below are some operational keys to help you do so.

 1)    Harness the Power of Your Service Flow

In order to take advantage of the 80-20 rule, you need to know which of your guests are your regulars.  A loyalty program can be a simple way to do so, but in order to utilize it well, you have to make the program visible and easy to use for your guests.  Whether you choose a program with reporting and advanced data collection, or a simple e-mail list, make sure that you integrate the sign-ups, check-ins, or other loyalty activities with the flow of your retail store.  Guests should be invited to use the program as they move through the enterprise, whether it is by a check-in point at the door, a message advertising a promotion for loyalty program members as guests browse the grab-n-go cases, or a sign-up and reward redemption reminder at the register.

2)    Integrate Your Systems

Make sure that your P.O.S. system, loyalty program, and contact-management program work together, so that you don’t lose track of valuable information.  Integration does not need to be high-tech.  Even if you just use an email program for sending emails to regular guests, make sure that your P.O.S. has an entry to record whether e-mailed promotions were redeemed and by which guests, for example through a unique promotion code.  Another simple option is a mobile loyalty app, which can have multiple features that integrate and offer easy data reporting.  For more about mobile loyalty programs, see our recent piece here.

3)    Empower Your Employees To Be Your Greatest Asset

Train staff so they know how important building a base of regular guests is to the enterprise, and ask them for their help in doing so.  Include in their steps of service a question asking guests if this is their first visit to the enterprise and whether they belong to your email list or loyalty program.  Be sure they know what special promotions, considerations, rewards or extra services are available to regular guests and that they use them.  And when staff encounters new guests, always be sure they make a spectacular first impression by welcoming new faces and inviting them to return.

Happy implementing…TaraPaige Group.

Jamba Juice Chooses Spendgo as Loyalty Partner

Jamba Juice has resisted any loyalty program or partner for several years. They now have announced they will be using Spendgo.

BKLYN LARDER: SPECIALTY AND PREPARED FOODS MARKET

228 Flatbush Avenue at Bergen Street (Prospect Heights) • 718.783.1250

bklyn larder 3

BKLYN Larder

Their Success…creating multiple revenue streams under one roof in a way that feels cohesive, organized, and inviting.  Walking into BKLYN Larder, a food lover will feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store.  And while there is literally candy (as well as chocolate, ice cream, and other sweets) all around, the store also contains a variety of crackers, pickles, meats, cheeses, and snacks, as well as a prepared foods bar and sandwiches made-to-order.  In addition, BKLYN Larder caters for holidays, parties, and meetings.   All these different business models could overwhelm a small space, but instead they work together in harmony to create an enterprise that is simultaneously bustling and intimate.

What makes this multiple revenue stream enterprise work is, first and foremost, the clear vision driving each component.   Since its opening in 2009, BKLYN Larder, from the owners of nearby Franny’s, has sought to be the go-to market for sustainable, local, homemade specialty food.  That ethos shines through in each piece of the market—from the traditionally-made cheeses, to the Mast Brothers chocolate bars, to the homemade pastries and prepared foods.

It is this vision that really helps BKLYN Larder create a synergy between its revenue streams. The vintage feel of an old-school market saturates the enterprise, harkening back to an era when the neighborhood market was the go-to place for foods of all kinds, be it a sandwich for lunch, a turkey for your holiday table, or the perfect basket of treats for a special gift.

Secondly, BKLYN Larder succeeds because the owners have kept each piece relatively simple.  They have a carefully chosen selection of prepared foods, pastries, and sandwiches, a straightforward catering menu, and a well-curated assortment of specialty items.  The store layout is likewise simple, so that guests are able to move through the enterprise freely and see each component easily against the minimalist design aesthetic.

BKLYN Larder is a model for making multiple revenue streams not only work, but work in a way that adds to its overall concept and charm.

Take Aways…When creating an enterprise with multiple revenue streams, keep in mind the vision for your enterprise and how each piece fits into that vision.  Make sure that each piece adds to your vision in some way other than additional revenue.  Each revenue stream should also enhance your overall concept.  Furthermore, it should be simple enough in its execution to keep it from overwhelming your operations and service flow.

Daniel’s NYT Review: The Art of Disclosure

Pete Wells’ review of Daniel, published yesterday in The New York Times has been pulled apart by the industry, other critics, and diners everywhere. The review earns the restaurant 3 stars, one less than the 4 it had held previously in the paper. The catch was Wells sent in another diner to eat at the same time to see how their treatment differed.

We’re curious to hear your thoughts. This is not a new trick, to write as a VIP and non, it was well worn by Ruth Reichl during her tenure. How do you handle reviewers, critics, and the like in your own operations? When a reviewer comes in, how and does service change around them? Do you have a code that the staff communicates to the kitchen? Photos of reviewers on the walls of the kitchen?

The review is here.

Star Chefs Congress: Get Early Bird Tickets Before July 30

The Star Chefs International Chefs Congress is a three-day culinary symposium that gathers more than 140 of the world’s chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers to present the latest techniques and culinary concepts to their peers. The event, from September 29 to October 1, includes Demonstrations, Hands-on Savory, Pastry, and Mixology workshops, Wine Tasting Seminars, and Business Panels on current industry topics, all gathered under the umbrella of this year’s ICC theme, Guts and Glory: Leaving It All on the Line.

Read more about the event and get tickets here.

Grow NYC: The Greenmarket on the Web

The 37th Year of the NYC Greenmarkets has seen us busy attending their many events. Now we’ve discovered some armchair browsing is in order on their website – full of Greenmarket information and initiatives, and their Annual Report is now online.