Quick thoughts on '15

Bob Gershberg

• Easy comps for the early months, as last year's polar vortex brought weather related sales havoc to the industry during 1st quarter.
• Favorable commodity costs for the most part.
• Lower oil prices will help keep food and utility costs well-controlled.
• Labor costs and healthcare expenses......not so much!
• M & A as well as IPO activity will continue to be strong in 2015, with sustained interest in growth concepts.
• Emerging concepts, particularly fast casuals will maintain their glimmer as many established concepts will remain sluggish.
• The talent pool will continue to tighten in most disciplines. A true candidates' market is our new reality.
• Technology will affect every aspect of the dining experience, from reservations to ordering to paying.
• Brown whiskey, high-end in particular, will push Vodka to the side.
• Is Pimm's Cup #1 really coming back?
• Locavores will remain a dominant influence. Demand for locally sourced products from produce to proteins to beer will endure.
• The drive for sustainability will be sustained.
• Less formal will be the trend.
• Peruvian sandwich shops called sangucherias will be hot.
• Say it isn't so....American style tipping is losing the battle. Service charge add-ons may well become the norm.  Full Article � 

Restaurant Operational Opportunities, 2015

John Gordon

In our business, 2014 was a wild year, and 2015 is already looking to be the same. Some operational themes keep showing up time and time again, and restrict restaurant performance. Here are five recurring issues; every issue could be both a problem and an opportunity at the same time.  Full Article � 

Restaurant Trends of 2014 - The Good, the Bad, and the Silly

Joe Radice

The economy finally gained positive momentum in 2014, and while restaurateurs are finding increasing opportunities, they are also experiencing a crowded field of competitors, and therefore, an ever-increasing need to distinguish themselves from the pack. While local sourcing of food, the environmental sustainability movement, and ethnic- inspired menus are initiatives that appear to be having a long term impact on the industry, restaurants also need to work to find new ways to compete in their markets. In some instances, this is simply being accomplished by recycling the standards and presenting them with a new twist. Examples abound from Bon Appitit Magazine's annual survey.  Full Article � 

Employment trends for 2015

David Ulrich

The employment trends going into 2015 are very encouraging for employees, however, there is still one hurdle that will need to be overcome for us to really feel like things are getting better. The on-going discussions by many of the talking heads on the various business shows whether it's CNBC, Morning Joe, or even CNN is that they all point to the central issue of wage inflation as being the last headwind before the economy can really kick into gear and get above the 3% GDP milestone that propels the economy forward. According to the latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics this past Friday the 9th, the overall unemployment rate was down close to 5.8%, and that mining and professional services had the largest increase of 5.6%. These figures, combined with the substantive drop in oil prices during the past couple of months will certainly keep things going in the right direction.   Full Article � 

Assessments provide "ABCs" to a restaurant organization

Tom Rollert

Hiring well should not be as complicated as crime scene investigating. So when the ProfileXT� (PXT) and two other Profiles assessments offered by Wray Executive Search helped save a Nebraska hospitality organization $345,000 by allaying management turnover, the executive director of HR was pleased to see an additional benefit-simplicity.  Full Article �