The restaurant business is one of the most influential industries, specifically because everyone in the world has to eat. This essay seeks to provide an explanation of the security measures that restaurant business can take to ensure that its tangible property is well secured.
Tangible property includes things that can be touched (Cheeseman, 2010). In the fast food industry, tangible property can be broken down into five categories: products, furniture and fixtures, electronic equipment, signage and packaging. In order to further explain what tangible products are, and the measures that can be taken to guarantee their security, we will explore take-outs and delivery pizza establishments.
The furniture and fixtures that can be found in the possession of the company dealing with the production and supply of pizza include tables, shelves and benches for customers to sit on while waiting to be served. Tables and shelves are used for storage of dry inventory and various packages. Furniture and fixtures of any particular restaurant follow the theme and product of the establishment.
The tables and chairs in most restaurants usually have decor on them to make the environment pleasurable to the customers. Pictures, glassware, baskets to serve food, sinks, counters, and storage are the other items that are found in restaurants.
Electronic equipment found in pizza restaurants includes computers for order-taking and receipt printing, ovens, refrigerators, coolers and mixers. All these pieces of equipment assist the business in preparing their product and tracking of customers’ orders.
Signage for a business would include visible external signs to attract business and car-toppers to advertise the business while delivering products to customers. Signage could also consist of a neon sign on the interior of the building, along with the logo on the nearest highway exit sign.
Signage is very important to the business because it exposes the business name at the physical location and surrounding areas. This helps encourage customers to visit the restaurant. The company should also invest in commercials on local channels showing its latest burger with the company logo.
A pizza place also needs to have specific packaging for its products. The packaging of the company’s product is generally presented in the form of carry-out items. These packages usually have the company logo on them with a menu sometimes stapled on the outer part of the bag to encourage future visits. The packaging can also bear the company name and/or logo for additional advertising.
All of a company’s tangible properties assist in the production of the final product, which is sold to the customer. It is extremely important that all the tangible property is accounted for and that it is maintained in proper working condition.
This is in order to ensure proper delivery and satisfaction to the needs of the customers. It is also important for a pizza restaurant owner to ensure that tangible property is protected and well taken care of.
Pizza restaurants usually have an appreciable amount of flowing cash on a regular basis which must be constantly protected. Security for this inflowing cash can be achieved by use of cash registers and safe credit-card check-off systems for transactions. Pizza business owners also need to consider installing additional security devices for the protection of their property. These include such gadgets as surveillance cameras.
A set of security monitors should also be installed to let employees know that they are being watched, thus lessening the likelihood of theft or vandalism. Additionally, in the event that the company has to file law-suits, the security tapes can be used as evidence. Apart from security cameras, there should be signs to inform the employees of the consequences of improper use of equipment, as well as theft and/or destruction of property.
Another measure that should be taken in an effort to secure property is ensuring that guidelines are established to keep employees from wastage. A key method of evaluating the effectiveness of the processes is an inventory count. Typically, these counts are done on a monthly basis but can be more frequent, if needed. The use of weekly, monthly and quarterly inventories will help keep costs low and profits high.
The owner should always know what is going on within the restaurant at all times. If there is more loss than profit the owner needs to take measures to ensure that the employees are not stealing from the company or that the managers are taking inventories correctly.
The owner should oversee all of the sales reports, inventory reports, food costs and labor costs. This will guarantee that there is no theft going on internally and ascertaining that the company remains profitable.
Finally, in order to guarantee profitability, the proprietors of restaurants need to ensure that they conduct a proper research of the market they are going into. This will help them make a proper estimate of the resources they will use in the development of their product, as well as provide proper approximation of profitability.
Conclusion
This essay had set out to provide an explanation of the security measures that a business establishment can take in order to secure its operations. In order to meet this objective, a pizza restaurant was selected to provide the necessary exemplification.
All property owned by a pizza restaurant, including non-tangible property has been listed and their relevance to the discussion well elaborated. In summation, it should be noted that a restaurant like any business needs to ensure that its investment is well protected and this can be achieved by ensuring that all tangible and intangible property are well secured.
Reference List
Cheeseman, H. R. (2010). Business law, legal environment, online commerce, business ethics, and international issues. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Remington Moren started a process against Jax restaurant for all harm that was made as to the result of a contradictory accident. The jury gave a brief ruling, dismissing the appellant’s third-party neglect complaint against the respondent Nicole Moren. Nicole was a partner in the restaurant and Remington Moren’s mother. Since the jury appropriately established that Nicole’s negligence liability rested with the joint venture in the business, even if the conduct of the partner partially gave her immunity, it is affirmed.
Jax Restaurant manages its business in Foley, Minnesota. The accident took place in October 2000. The whole situation can be described in several sentences. Nicole ended her work at the restaurant at 4:00 p.m. and proceeded to pick her son Remington from the day-care where he used to spend the biggest part of the day. Having realized that her partner, who was her sister Amy Benedetti, needs assistance, at 5.30 she came back to the staff area. Nicoles husband Moren said that he would pick their son in a while. The thing is that Nicole Moren never liked the idea of Remington playing around in the restaurant. That is why she decided to take him with her to the kitchen and then she placed him on the top of a counter. She started preparing pizza dough using a molding machine. While working with the machine, Remington managed to reach it with his hands. The child’s hand was crumpled rendering him enduring harm.
Remington started an act of negligence against the business. A third-entity objection was raised by the partnership claiming that the accident was serious enough and the owner of a business was obligated to recompense Remington. Besides, Nicole was subjected to contribution or indemnity as a result of her slackness in the event. The ruling was based on a legal verdict. It was concluded that Nicole Moren did not commit to indemnify the business as long as the accident took place while Nicole was involved in the official duty. The jury overruled the joint venture’s reasoning that its obligation to pay Remington is lessened in percentage to the predominating Moren’s neglect as a parent, nevertheless, it is accountable for Nicole’s conduct as one of the business owners.
As it becomes obvious, one of the main questions of this certain accident is whether the business has an indemnity right in contradiction of Nicole Moren in this very case.
Resting on this definition of the main issue of the case, it is possible to suggest a deep analysis of the main issues to understand the peculiarities of this accident.
Basing on the summary ruling application, the jury is to investigate this case and determine whether the court blundered in the ruling (Jentz, Miller and Cross 690). The evidence should also be viewed and analyzed to obtain the most credible results.
According to the Uniform Partnership Act of Minnesota1, a joint venture is a separate entity from its partner-members (“Minnesota Statutes” para. 5). Appropriately, a joint venture shall indemnify a member for liabilities sustained by a partner in the normal course of business operation. However, there are some other definitions of this issue. It can also be specified as the “act of a member which is apparently not for maintaining in the normal course, the conglomerate commercial or commercial of the typemaintained by the conglomerate binds the company only in case the act was official” (Jentz, Miller and Cross 690). A partner is guaranteed indemnity from the business, but the claim of the partnership of indemnity from the business partner is not necessary to be authorized according to the main principles of UPA2.
The court appropriately resolved that Nicole’s conduct was in the normal course of the business and indemnity by one of the partners to the joint venture was unfitting. It is undeniable that one of the chefs scheduled for that particular evening never turned up and that Nicole’s partner requested her to assist in the kitchen. Additionally, it is undeniable that Nicole was preparing pizzas for the company hence her son sustained the injury. Her conduct during the injury event was in the normal course of the partnership business.
This very case can also be compared with Flynn’s case (Jentz, Miller, and Cross 690). In the process of its analysis, the Georgian Court made the following conclusion.
At any point where a partner is individually sued by a plaintiff harmed by the negligence of the sole partner, the partner should not claim contribution from his fellow partners even though the negligence action took place in the event of the partnership business. (Jentz, Miller, and Cross 690)
There are still some differences in scenarios, however, it should be said that both these cases obtained a rather logical and expected ending. Moreover, the main stages of cases development and juries decision seem to be similar (Jentz, Miller, and Cross 690).
The appellant as well argues that since Nicole’s action of carrying the child into the kitchen was partially inspired by individual motives, her conduct was external to the usual business course. However, there is no Minnesota law which deals with this matter as it has not been addressed before (“Minnesota Statutes” para 6). Besides, two external Minnesota cases are addressing the matter in a convincing manner which states that business and personal issues should be distinguished, and in case of conflict of objective between them something, one should be chosen (Jentz, Miller, and Cross 690).
Espousing this basis, one may conclude that Nicole Moren’s behavior was no less in the normal business course since at the same time served private purposes. There is no use denying the fact that preparing pizzas Nicole was acting for the profit of the business when Remington sustained the injury and even though Nicole was instantaneously undertaking her role as a parent. Her conduct persisted in the conventional course of the joint venture.
The jury established, though energetically disputed by the appellant, that Benedetti permitted Moren’s conduct or that at least her decision of having her son in the kitchen was not illegal (Jentz, Miller and Cross 690).
Having analyzed the main peculiarities of the following case, it is possible to make a certain conclusion. Since the Minnesota act necessitates a joint venture to indemnify its members for their neglect result, the jury accordingly awarded a summary verdict to the respondent. Additionally, a conclusion may be made that the conduct of one partner may partly be stirred by individual facts and still happen in the normal business course of a joint venture. Moreover, it is possible to emphasize the impossibility of solving some private problems while working. The thing is that it can lead to a decrease in the level of attention and result in serious damage. Moreover, the law will not guarantee any restitutions as the fault of the worker is obvious.
Works Cited
Jentz, Gaylord, Roger Miller, and Frank Cross. Business Law: Text and Summarized Cases: Legal, Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Information about the laws connected with business, social and charitable organizations.
According to UPA, a partner has the right originating from the company to indemnity, but the claim of the partnership of indemnity from a member-partner is not required or authorized.
A key factor in becoming a successful manager is having vast knowledge and understanding of both management and marketing principles. To enhance their practical knowledge in management and marketing, students are required to undertake internship programs before they graduate. For most students, internship experiences have had a great impact on their lives.
Through internships, students can determine whether they will enter into the management professions or into other career fields. By being involved in the internship programs, students gain direct experience of working as managers. The paper below focuses on my internship experience at the Lobby Sports Bar & Restaurant.
Background information
Lobby Sports Bar & Restaurant is situated at Spring Street Elizabeth, NJ 821. The restaurant operates in a very competitive industry. The firm’s primary competitors are hotels and bars around Elizabeth. In the restaurant, I have been acting as an assistant manager. I have been occupying this position since September 2014. In May 2015, the restaurant expanded its premises by opening another facility on the second floor. Owing to the expansion, my responsibilities have increased.
My responsibilities have also increased because the general manager has been away for the last two months. I have benefited from my experience in the internship program. The opportunity has enabled me to enhance my confidence, develop management skills, develop marketing skills, and develop an awareness of what management is all about.
My first day in Lobby was remarkable. On this day, I was taken through the orientation process. Through this, I learned about the history of the restaurant, the structure of the restaurant administration, the location of various departments in the restaurant, and the restaurant’s goals and missions. Later, I was introduced to the general manager. The general manager introduced me to his fellow management team. With him, I discussed the roles of my internship in the restaurant. Thereafter, he assisted me in drafting a convenient time plan. I was informed that I was required to work under the general manager as an assistant manager.
As an assistant manager, I was informed that I was to undertake a number of responsibilities. The responsibilities included completing the hotel’s human resource objectives, operational objectives, financial objectives, estimates food and drink’s costs and profits, manage costs by appraising portion control and quantities of preparations. Other responsibilities I was required to accomplish were ensuring that the restaurant stick to the guidelines of the alcoholic beverage commission, capitalize on the restaurant’s profits, and advertise the restaurant by planning and placing advertisements.
How I have exhibited management concepts
As my internship progresses, I have gained fundamental skills on how to manage a restaurant. With time, I have been able to explore a range of issues related to organizing the entire operations of the hotel. It was not long before the staff members trusted and liked me. Through this, I have been able to prove my competence and skills by helping the staff members to solve various challenges related to management. As I have attended more shifts and interacted with more clients and employees, my confidence and interest in managing a hospitality firm have increased.
I have noted that management is among the most thrilling careers as it enables those involved to interact with several individuals boosting their self-esteem. Just as I had been taught in my course, I have noted that managers must ensure that their firms function professionally and profitably while upholding their status and ethos. During my internship program, I have learned that to be a successful manager an individual must put into practice what they learned in classwork. In my shifts, I have been able to combine strategic forecasting and customary management accomplishments.
In the last two months, the general manager has been away due to sickness. In his absence, I have been assigned his responsibilities. In his absence, I have been able to supervise all of the restaurant’s functions and marketing and sales roles. Through this, I have been required to undertake effective task scheduling and task assigning. Similarly, I have been required to come up with appropriate decisions that will lead to the essential profit-making outcomes for the restaurant.
While the general manager is away, I have managed the operations of the bar effectively. I have adopted appropriate leadership skills to manage the restaurant’s employees effectively. By implementing transformational leadership styles taught in class, I have been able to recognize transactional desires among the staff members and try to inspire them to achieve their full potential. Having been allocated the overall responsibility in the management of the restaurant, I am determined to influence the culture of this facility for the better before the end of my internship period. My ultimate wish is to see all the employees enhance their self-esteem, become more creative, become more flexible, and accept future changes with ease.
I always allow my subordinates to discuss their issues with me whenever possible. Through motivation, reflection, and admiration, I have been able to come up with an ideal organizational culture. Through my leadership, every employee is given a chance to be a leader and bear ultimate accountability in his or her role. By doing so, I have defied viewpoints and contemporary working practices and created a workforce that flourishes and is resourceful to the restaurant. By putting into practice transformational leadership styles, I will ultimately enhance the commitment of all employees. Through my capacity, I have also been able to meet the needs of all the employees and act as their role model. By doing so, I have been able to encourage the workforce to increase their productivity.
I have also been able to meet my responsibilities as a manager in the restaurant with ease. My programs have been a success because of my ability to enhance lateral delegation between the employees. I have encouraged the employees to share some of their tasks. Through this, I have been able to stir up innovation among the employees. By employing lateral delegation techniques, I have been able to promote skill development among the employees. I believe that the more the restaurant’s employees embrace lateral delegation, the more they would be accustomed to changes in the future.
How I have exhibited marketing concepts
During my internship program, I have not only been able to implement management concepts but also marketing theories and strategies. Under my directive, the marketing team has been able to advertise the facility through social media. During my first month at the restaurant, I noted that the restaurant was not actively engaged through social media promotions. I have managed to encourage the market media to focus on this platform because it has immense potentials.
Currently, the restaurant fan base on social media has tremendously increased. Through social media, we have been able to encourage more individuals to visit the restaurant. Social media have also enabled the hotel to interact with potential clients and to understand their expectations.
Over time, I have come up with a SWOT analysis of Lobby Sports Bar & Restaurant. I came up with the analysis with the aim of understanding the threats and opportunities faced by the restaurant. I believe the SWOT analysis will be useful in analyzing both external and internal challenges faced by the restaurant. I have noted that the strengths exhibited by the business are brand reputation and experienced expertise. Unlike its competitors, the Lobby’s brand in Elizabeth is enhanced.
As such, the restaurant’s products and services meet the customers’ expectations. Similarly, the general manager has vast knowledge in business that can help the pub to increase its sales in the future. As compared to competitors’ subsidiaries, Lobby has few subsidiaries. Considered that there are huge competition and huge demand in the hospitality industry, the pub’s few subsidiaries can be a weakness. Therefore, consumers can opt for the competitors’ branches as alternatives.
In Elizabeth, a few pubs focus on specific communities such as religious, age, sex, or political minorities. If the pub focuses on specializing in satisfying one of the above groups in the future, it might increase its sales and enhance its market share. The market segment presents an opportunity for the business. If the pub focuses on satisfying these groups, it will gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. I have also noted that a major threat faced by the pub is speedy technological transformations in the entertainment industry. The threat puts pressure on the company’s future success.
Every year, the company must adopt new entertainment technologies to be ahead of its rivals. If they fail to do so, its rivals will fill the gap and gain an advantage over the company. I have also noted that the restaurant can differentiate its products and services by being innovative. Through continuous innovation, the pub can outperform its direct and indirect competitors. Other than retailing foods and drinks, the restaurant should also venture into outside catering and accommodation. By doing so, they will be able to increase their source of income.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be noted that a key factor of becoming a successful manager is having secure subject knowledge and understanding of both management and marketing principles. Through the above report, I have highlighted my experience at Lobby. As an assistant manager at the facility, I have been able to undertake a number of responsibilities. The responsibilities include completing the hotel’s human resource objectives, operational objectives, and financial objectives. I am also required to estimate food and drink costs and profits and manage costs by appraising portion control and quantities of preparations.
I have not only been able to implement management concepts, but also marketing theories and strategies. During my first month at the restaurant, I noted that the restaurant was not actively engaged through social media promotions. Under my directive, the marketing team has been able to advertise and market our services through social media.
Works Cited
Berger, Lauren. All Work, No Pay: Finding an Internship, Building Your Resume, Making Connections, and Gaining Job Experience. Berkeley, Calif.: Ten Speed, 2012. Print.
Brody, Derrick. Latest Trends in Hotel Industry. Chandni Chowk, Delhi: Global Media, 2009. Print.
While I generally consider myself a good person, there are some incidents in my life which greatly contradict this notion that I have of myself. One incident which quickly comes to mind involves my encounter with a waiter at a restaurant I frequent a few months back. I had decided to take a couple of my friends for a treat and I chose Horizon Restaurant as the venue of choice; more because of the friendly rates than anything I must admit.
When we arrived at the restaurant, it was virtually empty and the ambience was more than I could have hoped for. The waiter, who introduced himself as Gregory, came around to take our order. My friends and I placed our orders and sat back waiting to be served. The waiter came back in five minutes laden with our hot dishes. I am not certain what caused him to trip but he lost balance and while he managed to recover in time to salvage most of the dishes he was carrying, he couldn’t avoid pouring a bowl of soup on me.
“How dare you!” I exclaimed with all the indignation I could muster.
“I’m I very sorry! Let me help you get cleaned up,” replied the waiter who was obviously distressed by the turn of events.
“Oh, that won’t be necessary you incompetent fool!” I shouted leaving my friends all very visibly shocked.
“Excuse me, but this was an honest accident. Let me at least get your shirt cleaned for you”
“What exactly do you know about expensive silk shirts?” My tone was condescending at best as I said this.
By now the commotion had attracted the attention of the person I assumed was the manager in charge of the restaurant and he promptly made his way to our booth. Before the waiter could plead his case, I had bombarded the manager with my complaints. I accused the waiter of incompetence and proceeded to indignantly demand that I should be compensated for having been made to bear through such poor services. I must have thrown quite a feat since the manager actually proposed that I pay only half of the bill.
Needless to say, my lunch with my friends was ruined and I could sense their disapproval at my actions. As we ate, the air around was tense and I cursed myself for the outburst which had messed what would otherwise have been a memorable lunch.
My friends finished their meals in a rush and politely declined my offer for drinks. We left the restaurant and as I walked homewards, I couldn’t help feeling remorseful for my actions.
The next time I visited the restaurant, I did not see Gregory the waiter. On asking around, I was told that he had been fired following some incident with a customer. It was then that the repercussions of my actions hit me. I felt very bad about my behaviour and more so the results.
Since then, I am always keen to be polite and overly accommodative to waiters at all the restaurants I visit. As a matter of fact, I tip generously and generally try to be cordial with the waiters. I know this is mostly as penance for what I did to the waiter at Horizon restaurant but I must admit; I am a better person because of this experience.
Waste management has been identified as the most pressing environmental issue in Qatar. A waste management system is an organization’s approach to disposing of, reducing, reusing, and preventing trash (Hahladakis and Aljabri, 2019). It involves strategies such as recycling, composting, incineration, landfills, bioremediation, waste to energy, and waste minimisation. Unfortunately, Qatar’s rising population and ineffective waste management techniques have an upward trend in waste generation. Every year, the country produces more than 2.5 million tons of waste (Das et al., 2019). Based on this, food wastage is among the main contributors to the generation of waste products in the country (Nair, 2021). This indicates that restaurants are one of Qatar’s primary producers of waste.
Management of solid waste products is among the issues affecting restaurants in Qatar. Hemidat et al. (2022) investigated solid waste management in MENA countries like Qatar. They determined that solid waste management in these nations is attributed to a lack of planning, inadequate disposal, inadequate collection services, inadequate technologies, and insufficient funding. Even though MENA countries have adopted the idea of integrated solid waste management, it has not helped reduce the amount of trash that is dumped or thrown away in landfills. In addition, the main problems with waste management in the MENA region are that there are no enough laws (Zafar, 2019). Thus, one of the major issues is the absence of instruments to assess and monitor the operation of a waste treatment system.
Restaurants contribute to the increasing food waste in Qatar through their daily operations. According to Kim Wyatt, who is a known presenter of Qatar Media Corporation TV and who has been active in different programmes and food waste problems in Qatar for five years, the issue of food waste has presented itself at different levels in Qatar society (AlSharif, 2021). Most of Qatar’s food waste from restaurants and other eating outlets goes to landfills that quickly fill up and do not have much space left (Oledinma and Aktas, 2017). This has a negative impact for the environment because when organic waste breaks down in landfills, it creates more methane, staying in the atmosphere longer than carbon dioxide (Leong et al., 2021). If this problem is not taken care of well, it could get even worse (Leong et al., 2021).
Scope of the Study
The research will focus on effective strategies to enhance waste management among restaurants operating in Qatar. Firstly, it will review existing literature on waste management in Qatar restaurants. This will help develop the research problem to be answered in the main research. For example, it will be important to understand restaurants’ current waste management practices. Secondly, the research will ensure the information obtained from participants through the interview. Finally, questions related to efficient waste management techniques will be developed for the survey. Therefore, this is a comprehensive study of restaurants in Qatar because it will provide context on what is supposed to be done to ensure effective management of waste.
Aim of the Study
The primary aim of the study is to determine the effective strategies that can be used to improve waste management in restaurants operating in Qatar.
Research Objectives
To identify the most effective strategies that restaurants in Qatar can use to manage their waste.
To assist restaurants operating in Qatar in effectively managing waste.
To determine the contemporary waste management techniques that restaurants can adopt.
To determine the role of policies and legislation in the effective management of restaurant waste products.
To identify how technology can be used in waste management.
To offer suggestions on how to lower the amount of food waste generated by restaurants.
Research Questions
What are the most effective strategies that restaurants in Qatar can use?
What is the impact of policies on the management of waste in restaurants?
How can technology be used in the effective management of waste?
Research Methodology
Qualitative research will be used in the collection and analysis of data. The main type of qualitative research is exploratory research. It is used to determine why individuals think, feel, and act as they do (Ravindran, 2019). This research provides additional information about the issue or facilitates the generation of concepts for further quantitative research. Qualitative research is also used to identify trends in how individuals think and feel and to gain a deeper understanding of the issue. Some techniques for gathering qualitative data can be either unstructured or semi-structured. It includes strategies such as focus groups, individual interviews, and observations. Therefore, qualitative research will play an integral role in this study.
Research Approach
Primary data will be collected from restaurant owners or managers. This type of data collection will occur through interviews to gather information (Sileyew, 2019). About 20 participants will be chosen from restaurants in Qatar and interviewed. The primary data collected using this method must meet the validity, accessibility, and sampling requirements for a particular research topic. In addition, access to data collection tools and field guides is expanding globally. This indicates that the primary data has become the most important source for empirical research in development economics. As a result, primary data is one of the data that will be collected to support the findings of this research.
Apart from primary data, secondary data will be used in this study. Secondary data are material that has been previously acquired from primary sources and made easily accessible to experts for their studies (Sileyew, 2019). The data has been accumulated in the past will be used in this study. Secondary data sources include books, personal sources, journals, newspapers, websites, and government documents. One researcher may have collected the data for a certain study, making it accessible to another. In this case, the existing literature about the current strategies used by restaurants in Qatar to manage waste. The information obtained from these sources will inform the basis for this study. Therefore, secondary data will be integral in this research because it helps understand its scope.
Random sampling will be used to select participants to take part in the interview process. This is a sampling technique where each sample has an equal opportunity of being selected (Sileyew, 2019). In addition, it is one of the most straightforward methods of gathering information from a large number of people. In the case of random sampling, each member of the subset has an equal chance of being selected as a participant in the sampling process. For example, the owners of the restaurants or managers will have an equal chance to participate in the interview. When random sampling is used, a researcher will be able to collect representative samples, which allows them to better understand a wider population by analysing only the people included in a sample.
Once the data has been collected, a thematic analysis will be used for evaluation. It is a method that involves searching through a data set to identify, evaluate, and report on reoccurring patterns (Sileyew, 2019). Although it is a method for communicating facts, it also contains interpretation in selecting codes and generating themes. The purpose of thematic analysis is to identify reoccurring issues, concepts, and meaning patterns by examining the data collected (Kiger and Varpio, 2020). There are numerous approaches to thematic analysis, but the most common involves six steps: familiarisation, coding, generating themes, discussing themes, identifying themes, and writing up the research outcome.
Ethical Considerations
Obtaining Informed Consent
One of the pillars of research ethics is the concept of informed consent. In a nutshell, informed consent requires participants to understand why they are participating in research and what the research requires of them (Brittain et al., 2020). This information may include the research’s objective, procedures, potential outcomes, and the demands, discomforts, and dangers that participants may experience. Although it is difficult to foresee what information a respondent will or will not want to understand, no information must be left out. This includes information that can impact whether consent will or will not be provided.
The concept that respondents should be willing to participate and not be pressured or misled into engaging in a study is another aspect of informed consent. If one is unable to obtain participants’ informed permission, they must offer an account for why this is the situation (Brittain et al., 2020).
Reducing the Risk of Harm
The other ethical aspect being considered during this research is lowering the participant’s risk of harm. There are various types of harm that participants can experience during this research (Brittain et al., 2020). Firstly, a subject may experience psychological stress and discomfort. To reduce this, the participants will be informed about the purpose of the study. In addition, a pre-interview will be conducted to understand the selected participants and understand some of the issues they might experience. For example, personal questions that may trigger emotions will be avoided. Secondly, participants may experience social disadvantages. To counter this, the interviews will be conducted in an environment where a participant is comfortable. Therefore, this study will make sure that all participants are not harmed.
Protecting Confidentiality
Protection of study participants’ identities and anonymity is another practical component. People are more ready to share information if there is a confidentiality agreement in place, especially when it involves private or sensitive information (Brittain et al., 2020). When insensitive data gathering procedures are used, it is possible that respondents will be hurt. However, the danger of injury occurring after data collection is larger. This occurs when data is not stored, analysed, or published in a manner that maintains confidentiality. Aliases will be used to safeguard the identities of those taking part in the competition. In turn, this will help to secure the participants’ identities, which will be especially important in cases when they do not wish to be identified as part of the research.
The Participants Have a Right to Withdraw
All participants will be given the option to withdraw from the study at any point along the process. If a volunteer decides to withdraw from the study, they will not be pressured or misled in any way to change their mind about their decision. The participants’ decision to withdraw will be respected because they have the right to choose whether or not to participate in the event. As a result, I will ensure that participation is voluntary and that no one is pressured into taking part.
Security of Data
The information gathered will be kept in a software such as MS Word and will be encrypted to prevent any sort of unauthorised access from occurring. Access to the file is restricted to the interviewer and other authorised users (Brittain et al., 2020). An interviewer who took part in data collection is accountable for ensuring that the information is stored correctly and efficiently. In the unlikely event that a device is stolen or lost in the field, data is less likely to be exposed as a result of this. In addition, the reference data is encrypted in the questionnaire, ensuring that no one outside of the interview will be able to access them during the interview. Thus, the reference data on the interviewer’s device is encrypted and cannot be extracted in a format that can be read.
The following is a breakdown of how the research will be conducted. The four steps will consist of a research proposal, literature review and methodology, data gathering and analysis, and documenting of the findings.
The Research Plan
The research plan will consist of several steps. First of all, it is necessary to gather a team and delegate roles to the people who will conduct the research. As the research will rely on primary sources such as interviews, ethical guidelines should be developed and communicated to the team members. After that, the questionnaire should be developed to ensure the efficient flow of the interview. The negotiations between the participants can be done parallel to the development of the questionnaire. After the interviews are done, the transcripts should be made and encrypted for data protection. Finally, the research will enter the phase of data analysis, where the trends and recommendations for waste management in restaurants should be identified.
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The business environment today has become highly competitive. Any business willing to sustain itself through tight competition and impressive profitability, in the long run, has to devote its efforts in attracting new customers as well as retaining existing ones (Hallowell, 1996, p. 27).
Latest empirical research has demonstrated that the only way businesses can attain above goals is through long term customer satisfaction (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.535). It is against this reason that the term customer satisfaction attracted more attention in the last two decades. This paradigm shift in attention was due to benefits associated with customer satisfaction.
Additionally, several studies have also supported the hypothesis that customer satisfaction increases price loyalty, positive word of mouth advertisement and boosts customer loyalty. Undoubtedly, customer satisfaction can be directly linked to customer retention and growth of a firm’s share in the market (Hallowell, 1996, p. 30).
It is against this background that it has become critical for businesses to improve quality of their services since it immensely and positively contributes to customer satisfaction.
Service delivery occurs when the service provider and the customer interact. During this interaction, commonly known as service encounter, the customer’s gauge the quality of the service provided and related the experience with the preconceived ideas (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.540). If the quality of the service received exceeds the expected outcomes, the customer is usually satisfied.
However, if the encountered quality of service falls below the expected, dissatisfaction is inevitable (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.546). The type of service encounter that a customer experience is what leads to either service failure or success.
Previous researches in the service industry have identified several characteristics that customers use to gauge the quality of service being offered. To begin with, customers are concerned with the timeliness and convenience of the service. A case-specific study in the restaurant industry showed that customers are concerned with time taken to receive their orders.
Likewise, studies in the service industry like mail delivery shows customers will be dissatisfied if the provider does not dwell on timeliness and convenience (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.537). Secondly, customers are more concerned with personal attention they receive from a company’s employee during service delivery (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.538).
They will also gauge the level of employee competence and professionalism as well as responsiveness incase of a query or a problem. Finally, availability, reliability and dependability of the service are key determinants in customer satisfaction (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.538). Hallowell (1996, p. 42) adds that time factors is the most important aspect that determines customer satisfaction in this fast-paced environment.
According to Hallowell (1996, p. 38), any business willing to survive in the cut-throat competitive business environment should consider improving the above factors. This is because the negative effects of customer dissatisfaction can have disastrous effects on a business.
Chen and Hu (2010, p.542) add that a dissatisfied customer tends to complain mainly to friends and other acquaintances, thus creating a negative corporate image. This negative publicity through the word of mouth will impact on a business negatively since it dissuades other potential customers from that particular service provider.
The strong correlation between customer satisfaction and loyalty is what has led marketers to design slogans that exemplify the same (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.558). As aforementioned, customers want to be appreciated and the above marketing strategy is one way of communicating the same to existing and potential customers.
Literature in marketing classifies customer loyalty under two distinct categories. The first distinction is where customer loyalty is viewed as an attitude (Hallowell, 1996, p. 27-42). The attitude of an individual is what creates emotional feelings that are responsible for detaching or attaching the person to the product or service. That positive attachment is what breeds to customer loyalty (Hallowell, 1996, p. 28).
The second distinction is that which treats customer loyalty as behavioral. Hallowell (1996, p. 28) relates the above classification with a situation where a customer after many purchases from a particular provider becomes royal based on the outcome of a past relationship.
The above literature has exemplified that there is a direct correlation between customer satisfaction and quality of service delivery. The many elements of service delivery impact either negatively or positively on customer satisfaction. Armed with the above information, I will undertake a qualitative research to determine the level of customer satisfaction among X-restaurant customers.
Decision and research problem to be addressed
The vital role of customer satisfaction to the success of a business is what has led most businesses to focus their effort on analyzing customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction levels (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.542). For the last two decades, the business environment has experienced what may be termed as customer service revolution.
This revolution came about when marketers realized customer satisfaction as the core of any business (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.550). Since then, consultants in business have undertaken researches to determine characteristics that an organization should adopt to attract and retain more customers.
As exemplified above, businesses have realized the need to focus on customer satisfaction so as to increase customer loyalty, increase customer base, jump-start their revenues and profits, increase their market share and above all to survive in the competitive world. The focus has shifted from attaining higher profits towards rejuvenating customer experience.
Scholars and other interest groups have tried to define the term customer satisfaction. The definition, however, has been very elusive as customer satisfaction levels vary from one situation to another depending on the type of goods or services (Hallowell, 1996, p. 29). Despite the disparities in opinion, customer satisfaction has been viewed as an emotion element that is partly dependent on the customer’s expectation.
The variability of customer satisfaction levels is what led individual business to conduct customer surveys to determine what their customers want (Chen & Hu, 2010, p.548). According to Chen and Hu (2010, p.548), customer surveys are important as the results can act as a guideline in designing the methods of increasing customer experience levels.
Numerous case studies have been conducted to investigate the correlation between customer satisfaction and service quality. However, researches that are focused on assessing the same in the restaurant industry have been limited. Further, the few that have been conducted focus on restaurants where the customer goes to the place of service delivery.
This study will be unique as it focuses on customer satisfaction levels and service delivery from X-restaurant that provides outside catering services. The study will analyze quality factors such as food quality, X-restaurant staff responsiveness, timeliness, pricing and complaints response, to find out how they influence customer satisfaction.
In addition, depending on the availability of resources, the study will identify the negative attributes that lead to X-restaurant customers’ dissatisfaction. The solution on how the above attributes if any will be provided.
Significance of the study
This study is important since collected data will shed light on the attributes that influence customer satisfaction in outside catering restaurant business. As exemplified, studies that explore a similar topic as the one being studied are very limited; hence, the results of the study will contribute positively to the literature.
The study’s finding will create awareness to the managers of X-restaurant on whether their service is eliciting the desired outcomes. Assuming high levels of customer dissatisfaction are identified, the information on what makes the customer dissatisfied can be used to modify the element of service delivery.
Research objectives
Main objective
To investigate customer satisfaction level with the services provided by X-restaurant.
Specific objectives
To establish the link between customer satisfaction and quality service delivery.
To determine what elements of service delivery leads to customer satisfaction
To investigate what elements of service delivery makes X-restaurant customers to be dissatisfaction
To determine the effects customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction on X-restaurants profits
To find out what elements of service delivery the customers of X-restaurant customer would like to be improved
To investigate the impact of customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction levels on X-restaurant image
Research hypothesis
The research questions highlighted above will be answered under one broad hypothesis.
Hypothesis 1: Customer satisfaction is dependent on quality and reliability of the service
Many empirical studies have focused on the relationship between customer satisfaction and reliability of the expected service. These studies have concluded that reliability of service affected customer service either negatively or positively. Reliability is gauged on whether the provider delivers the service, both in an accurate and dependable manner (Hallowell, 1996, p. 34).
Customers will gauge service delivery based on their perception of what they consider to be accurate, dependable and consistent (Hallowell, 1996, p. 32). The results will either qualify or disqualify the above hypothesis. The finished research study is expected to include an abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, findings and discussions as well as conclusion
Methodology
This research study will give emphasis on the analysis of customer satisfaction based on the level of service they receive from X-restaurant. The factors that lead to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction will also be analyzed. To achieve the above goals, data for analysis will be obtained from primary and secondary sources. The primary sources data will be obtained from respondents using primary data collection methods.
For primary data collection, both qualitative and quantitative approaches will be applied. The combination of the above approaches is necessary since each will cover limitations of the other (Hallowell, 1996, p. 38). The qualitative approach to be employed will be in the form of surveys. Customer surveys will be conducted by use of questionnaires.
On, the other hand, secondary data will be obtained from literature materials published in scholarly publications. The published materials will be consulted to obtain the information necessary for designing the data collection materials. To gain more understanding on the factors that affect customer satisfaction, journals and books on customer perception will be reviewed.
Research Plan
The proposed research will be undertaken within a period of one month. This is due to the fact that the study will be limited in scope as it will only explore customer satisfaction with the quality of service they receive from an outside catering restaurant X.
The first week will be dedicated to carrying out research to identify restaurant businesses that offered outside catering services. The goal is to identify more than 10 businesses to enable random sampling. The following week will be dedicated towards distribution of data collection materials to the customers of the identified restaurant.
The data collection materials will be administered to the identified customers to measure their perception of the quality of service they received from the said businesses. After data collection, data analysis will be commenced in the following week. The collected data will be measured against the relevant data from previous researches.
This will assist in results interpretation and discussion of the same. The data analysis and results interpretation task will be combined with final presentation of the findings. It is expected that with the availability of the needed resources in terms of literature, personnel and finances, the research will be completed successfully within the timeline identified.
There are quite a number of limitations and opportunities that are likely to be encountered when conducting this research study on customer satisfaction. The limitations which may be encountered evolve around primary research. For instance, honesty and thoroughness of the answers in the questionnaires will be an area of concern. Some responses given by the participants may not thorough or honest enough.
Another limitation will be in relation to the interviews; it may be cumbersome to obtain the right respondents for the interviews, especially if adequate time and financial resources is not allocated to the study. For the secondary research methodology, some of the challenges that may be inevitable include outdated sources, and the confidentiality of certain reference materials that require authentication before accessing the data.
References
Chen, P. & Hu, H. 2010. “How determinant attributes of service quality influence customer-perceived value: An empirical investigation of the Australian coffee outlet industry”, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22 (4): 535 – 551.
Hallowell, R. 1996. “The relationships of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability: an empirical study”, International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7 (4): 27-42.
The company will focus on determining the profitability of investing $500,000 in the fried chicken restaurant business. The purpose of the research is to persuade the investors to infuse funds into the proposed fried chicken restaurant business for five years. The New York entity name is “American Fried Chicken”.
The researcher authorizes the administration to include this paper in the current registered academic program. Placing one’s scarce cash resources in the fried chicken business will profitably benefit the investors. BODY. Marketing strategy will ensure the investment fills the growing needs of fried chicken clients (Schlosser, 2012, p. 52). First, the company will produce quality Chicken products.
The chicken products will contain 12 secret herbs and spices. The current and prospective customers of the company will prefer to continually return for another fried chicken meal. Next, the company will advertise the benefits of buying the company’s fried chicken products. The company will spend $25,000 for advertising and promotion activities.
The company will take advantage of advertising its products using the television, newspaper, and radio alternatives. The company will set up the fast food restaurant chain in New York City. With the huge population, the company will be able to generate revenues and net profits. Lastly, the company will price the fried chicken products at reasonable prices.
The company will mimic the average price of the company’s biggest competitor, Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food chain. The company will also strive to sell competing fried chicken menu choices.
The menu choices are based on the popular Kentucky Fried Chicken menu choices. The food choices include the breakfast meal, the bucket meal, menu containing six fried chicken pieces, and menu containing two fried chicken pieces (Wenderoth, 2009, p. 7).
With the $500,000 investment, the entity will generate favorable investment reports (Stickney, 2009, p. 904). The first quarter financial performance projection, as shown in Appendix A, vividly indicates the company is projected to generate $300,000 revenues. The company is projected to generate $ 160,000 gross profit. The company is projected to produce a $70,000 net profit.
With the investment, the company’s generate higher financial performances. Appendix B shows the entity’s projected revenue amount is $360,000. The company is projected to generate a higher $ 198,000 gross profit. The company is projected to produce a higher $88,000 net profit.
The investors will surely generate dividend income from their $500,000 investment. Investors will be happy to see the company pay investor dividends (Bernstein, 2010, p. 4). Dividends crop up only if the company generates net income.
During 2013, appendix C shows that the $500,000 investment will generate $70,000 net income during the months of January, February, and March. The company should strive to increase its net profits during the next quarter, April to June. Appendix C shows the company’s first quarter financial reports will generate return on investment amounting to 14 percent financial statement analysis ratio.
The first quarter ratio will persuade the investors to invest more funds into the fried chicken business. If the company generates a net loss financial operating performance, the investors will be forced to divest their fried chicken investments. The company’s second quarter return on investment, as shown in Appendix D, shows that the same $500,000 investor fund will produce $88,000 net income during the months of April, May, and June.
The company should continue to increase its revenues further up the revenue trend line. The company must focus on advertising its products in order to increase its net profits during the next three months of July, August, and September.
Appendix D shows the company’s second quarter financial operating reports indicate that the company will generate a return on investment amounting to the higher 18 percent financial statement analysis ratio.
The second quarter ratio will significantly encourage the fried chicken company’s investors to invest additional funds into the fried chicken business. Because of the favorable ratio, more investors will be enticed to invest their scarce financial resources into the New York-based fried chicken business.
Concluding the above discussion, the company will focus on determining the feasibility of generating increasing profits in the fried chicken restaurant market segment. Advertising the restaurant’s fried chicken products will persuade current and prospective customers to visit the restaurant.
The advertisement will help increase the company’s current month’s revenues. In turn, the revenue increase will augment the company’s net profit amount. The research shows that the financial reports generate favorable business operation outcomes. Establishing a food store in New York will meet the local residents’ demand for high quality fried chicken food products.
The store will supply the high quality fried chicken menu choices to current and prospective New York customers. The net profit results will translate to returns on the investors’ funds.
In turn, the business outcome will encourage the current and prospective investors to pour more financial assets into the proposed fried chicken restaurant business, “American Fried Chicken”. Indeed, the New York-based fried chicken company will be established to ensure the investors will get their five year return on investment amounts.
References
Bernstein, W. (2010). The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessonsfor Building a Winning Portfolio. New York: McGraw-Hill Press.
Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press.
Stickney, C. (2009). Financial Accounting. New York: Cengage Learning Press.
Wenderoth, M. (2009). Particularities in the Marketing Mix for Service Operations. New York: Grin Press.
The evaluation of the process of economic ruin incurred by Marco’s restaurant, and the suggestion of remedies thereof is the key objective of this report. An elaborate analysis was done with a specific focus on how the current organization of the restaurant has led to continue to occasion losses and dismal performance. The process includes Operational Costs, Declining Profits, Staffing, and Promotion as the main areas that would determine the analysis and rescue process. Generalized recommendations were made with certain specifications that centered on the need of improving the staff morale, the need to bolster competition in the local industry, and the need to launch aggressive promotion campaigns that would ensure a return of profitability and systematic growth of the clientele. Secondary sources were cited to give force to some of the opinions that are represented in this report.
Introduction
Marco’s Restaurant on High Street in Birmingham is in the grips of imminent collapse unless drastic rescue measures are carried out in good time. For the last seven years since 1994, the restaurant has witnessed a steady decline in profits and is now encumbered by a series of increasing losses. The almost dysfunctional situation has arisen mainly because of administrative oversights. The owners of the facility have been reluctant to introduce operational systems that would adjust the restaurant to the commercial realities of the current economic dynamics. Consequently, the restaurant is now faced with bankruptcy as it is practically insolvent due to the heavy losses it has incurred. This scenario usually results from unchecked overheads against returns. The objective of this report is to point out the fundamental weaknesses that have stifled the growth of Marco’s restaurant leading to its current dismal performance.
Operational Costs
One major reason why Marco’s restaurant has stayed on the path of losses is the heavy costs of operation. Marco’s restaurant relies on a menu of expensive ingredients that cost lots of money. The problem is that the continued making of these expensive foods is without regard to consumer preferences. Most of the food prepared goes to waste since customers have revised their tastes from the times the restaurant began. For instance, the restaurant offers 15 pasta dishes and 25 types of pizza per day. The facility also offers about 12 deserts and all prepared from the restaurant. One major weakness of this restaurant is that in order for the restaurant to sustain its exotic menu the budgetary allocation of ingredients must come up to 657 pounds a week. However, about 365 pounds, about half the weekly budget goes to waste because of the shifting trends in food consumption at the restaurant.
Most of these foods go to waste as the restaurant does not attract sufficient clientele during the breakfast and lunchtime hours. Despite this reality, the owner has stuck to the same routine for the sake of preserving the Italian traditions which is one of the trademarks that the restaurant has always endeavored to use as premium. The opening up of another Italian restaurant in the locality with a flourishing performance is proof that the Italian factor must be customized to meet the specific preferences of the clientele. The owner of the restaurant Marco and Maria have stuck to the exotic tradition despite the fact that it lacks any meaningful commercial value.
Declining Profits
The steady decline of profits at Marcos restaurant in the last seven years testifies the dire need for revamping the organizational structure of the restaurant. The shift from profits and loss over the last seven years is illustrated in the profits of 250 pounds in 1994, to losses of 1800 pounds in 2001. The fact that the business is also exercising the repayment of a loan of 350 pounds per month heightens the predicament. Looking through the functions of the restaurant there are certain areas that could be revised to save the business certain expenses. The core areas of this business could be revised such that there is more focus in areas where much of the firm’s profits seem to originate.
Some of these areas that might be revised to save costs include the abolishing of the breakfast and lunch shifts given the high costs involved in running them against the low profits they bring to the restaurant. The business has been losing about 150 pounds by operating a breakfast and lunch schedule whose profitability fell from 30 percent seven years ago to insignificant levels in the current economic environment. The implication to this abolishing of the breakfast and lunch schedules would be that the business would be able to save over 600 pounds in costs. Shedding off non-performing sectors of an enterprise is one way through which beleaguered firms have turned around their fortunes. This money could be used in meeting some of the firm’s operational overheads in servicing the monthly debt.
Staffing
Marco should inject some professionalism into the facility. The restaurant runs mostly by family members and friends. He should do a gradual fading away of the staff from the friends and family and advertise for positions. As a measure to instill a sense of professionalism at the restaurant, the management should consider promoting some of the skilled workers in the restaurant to managerial positions. For instance, the management should consider hiring Steven in the Kitchen department so that he replaces Marco as the staffer in charge of kitchen operations. This is because Steven is an expert in the field with proven experience and skills. The hiring of trained personnel usually gives the workplace a formal ambiance. He should also assign more staff at the most crucial hours of the evening and face out the rest.
Marco and his wife should not engage in the direct running of the business but instead, delegate the work to skilled workers. The roles of administrators at workplaces should remain administrative and if possible they should limit their physical presence in the working area in order to relax the working environment for the junior staffers. The handing over of the management activities should therefore involve the active selection of managers from the workforce to create room for service improvement. This will give the workplace some ambiance of professionalism and restore the morale of the workers. The management should also take steps and delegate. Similarly, Maria and her sister Clara should relinquish their positions at the front area to employed staffers so that the operations of that particular section capture the spirit of dutiful enterprise.
Conclusion
The rescue of the Marco Restaurant is an activity that shall be anchored on three main areas. These areas are the intervention against the continued drain of profits by cutting on costs and halting non-core activities of the organization. It will also be done by improving the existing services to brand the facility, as an ideal destination for meals and recreation.
Recommendations
As part of a strategy to return the business to profitability, the management should launch aggressive customer promotions and relations exercises. Sales promotions usually create a significant euphoria that a struggling business can effectively convert into goodwill. This should be in form of gifts and other forms of value additions to their services that might be useful in capturing their lost clientele and retaining the present ones.
The restaurant should also make forays into the commercial niche of its main competitor Guiseppe by seeking alternative lunch deals with local offices. This should be done in ways that shall bring out its competitive edge especially through the provision of better and trendy services.
The management should also seek to improve the morale of its workers through the change of their dress code to align with their individual preferences at the workplace. For instance, the uniforms should be replaced with some form of smart casual. This will help rejuvenate the spirit of the workers towards service delivery.
Marco should consider revising his strong cultural links to Italian cuisine in a way that would also celebrate the emerging trends and preferences. One way through which this could be achieved is by aping the system of the main competitor Guiseppe and adding improving on it as a matter of identity.
References
Brigham, F. E, and Ehrhardt. 2008. Financial management: theory and practice. Edition 12. New York: Cengage Learning.
Buttle, F. 2008. Customer Relationship Management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Harte, J. 1997. Management crisis & business revolution. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.
Kincaid, W., J. 2003. Customer relationship management: getting it right! Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall PTR. 2003.
Kotler, P., and Gary, A. 2010. Principles of marketing. Edition 13. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Nieuwenhuizen, C. 2009. Entrepreneurial Skills. Edition 2. Cape Town: Juta and Company.
Veblen, T. 2005. The Theory of Business Enterprise. New York: Cosimo, Inc.
Bueno Y Sano is a popular trend in Western Massachusetts serving Mexican food. It was founded in 1995 by Bob Lowry. Bob uses his original ideas to make the special recipes. The slogan of his trend is “to make people happy”. Food is one of the things which make people happy. Bueno Y Sano is located in Burlington, Springfield, Amherst, and Northampton (Bueno Y Sano).
The idea to found his restaurant came to Lowry when he was eating a burrito at the local restaurant of Nantucket Island. A month later Bob Lowry paid attention to the sign “for rent” which was on the window near Antonio’s pizzeria in Amherst and thought about the idea to open a burrito shop. Bob decided to realize his idea and worked up to the collar. He created projects for his restaurant with exact calculations and he even made profound research on whether the citizens of Amherst are interested in a burrito. He consulted with many people who had already opened restaurants. When Bob made all preparations, he convinced his father to make investments in his business. His father invested $20,000. The restaurant was opened after four months when the idea came to Bob Lowry. The demand was great and there were long queues to try Bob’s burrito. The restaurant was broadened in 1996 and was renewed in 1999. Bueno Y Sano has become a family business and has achieved great success in this area (Bueno Y Sano).
Bueno Y Sano attracts a lot of customers with its delicious food and qualified service especially it targets students on campus. Bob Lowry uses a lot of special propositions to make customers interested in his production. Most of these propositions are located on the site of the University of Massachusetts where students have such a great possibility to use different discounts. For example, there are special burrito and taco club cards that allow the clients to have the tenth burrito or taco free having bought nine of them. The current online Bueno Y Sano coupon on the site of the University of Massachusetts provides a special proposition of getting two fountain sodas free having bought any two burritos or quesadillas. Special propositions and new ideas make Bueno Y Sano popular in Massachusetts particularly among students of the University of Massachusetts. The company basically caters to students who are very fond of such food and spend a lot of time going into restaurants. Bueno Y Sano’s propositions are very profitable for students as far as not very expensive food prices attract more clients and increase sales.
More than that, the company uses modern technologies to make its services more convenient and available. The company provides online coupons which allow the customers to use discounts and special propositions. These online coupons which may be printed out help the clients to plan they are going to the restaurant and calculate their costs (Glover, 2009). Such online coupons are advantageous both for the company and for the clients. The company reduces its efforts to send e-mails to every client or to spend a lot of paper to print out their advertisements. Online coupons are available for every customer via the internet and it reduces ad costs of the company. Everyone who is fond of Mexican food and is going to Bueno Y Sano may print out the online coupon and use its special propositions and discounts. More than that, such online coupons increase sales as far as special propositions are based on the sales of those products which are not very popular among the clients.
The development of modern technologies facilitates the availability of ads and makes it cheaper to move ahead of the company. Bob Lowry having used all modern business tricks including online couponing makes his business more profitable and his chain of restaurants attracts more and more clients, students particularly.
Reference List
Bueno Y Sano. Official Site. Web.
Glover, K. (2009). E-Coupon Trend on the Rise. Vanguard. Web.
A number of foods have varied nutritional attributes. They can either support the normal functions of the body or act as predisposing factors to a number of health complications. It is due to this fact that I take deep concern on the issue of the proposition that nutritional information to be included on the restaurant menus. Thus, I hereby consider it important to include such information on the menus due to a number of reasons.
This practice will serve to attract a huge number of customers if they realize that a certain restaurant is offering foods recommended by their physicians. Nowadays, most customers are concerned about the value of dishes served in restaurants in terms of calories, cholesterol, and fats among other nutrients. These restaurants can capture the attention of such customers through the preparation of dishes such as low-fat chicken, low-calorie tostadas, and full-course meals like seafood or chicken that contain low levels of sodium or fat and high fiber in addition to high levels of vitamin A and C (Kurtzweil 1).
According to the National Restaurant Association (Kurtzweil 2), more than half of Americans 35 years and older have the tendency of looking out for menu options that offer low-fat diets when eating out. The same has also been observed in 2 out of 5 for customers aged 18 to 34 years (Kurtzweil 1). Besides, most restaurateurs claim that their clientele is increasingly asking for meatless foods. Indications show an increasing interest in healthier restaurant fairs by restaurateurs to cater to the interests of their customers.
This has increased the customer’s health watch in terms of maintaining the ideal body weight. If a manager wants to include in the menu such foods claimed as healthy
(Such as) low-fat, heart-healthy, and cholesterol-free, he should ensure that the nutritional information is readily available to the customers (Brown 108). Basically, these managers must be able to show that the claims are consistent with the standards set by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act. Inclusion on the menu of the ingredients and nutritional facts about the foods sold seem convenient for most health-sensitive customers. The information should include the value content of the dish in terms of its ingredients such as fats, sodium, carbohydrates, and proteins among other nutrients.
Nutritional information on the menu will serve to control the eating habits of many customers besides giving them the opportunity to know what is taking place in the kitchen. According to the article on Men’s Health, it was discovered that obesity is brought about by factors mostly related to foods offered in most restaurants (Zinczenko and Goulding 110). According to the New York Department of Health, one-third of the meals in most restaurants contain wrong proportions of calories and fats in comparison to those proposed by the FDA. This can be avoided through accurate measurement of the ingredients which should also be indicated in the menu. This is possible since nobody would wish to lie about this information since most claims on food contents must be certified by FDA (Brown 108).
Discussions
It is not affirmative that provision of the nutritional information on restaurant menu helps with increasing the customer’s health watch. Eating dishes with high calories and high fats has not been clearly linked with incidences of diseases such as cancer. This is because the relationship between cancer and diet is not as strong as that existing between cancer and smoking.
Additionally, the rate at which restaurants have been taking customer preferences into consideration relative to the claims made on menu items is not clearly accounted for (Kurtzweil 2). Thus there could be no evidence to link the provision of nutritional information on the menu and an increase in the number of customers who prefer certain kinds of foods in such restaurants.
Moreover, restaurants may provide misleading health and nutrition claims (such as) low-fat for desserts that have high fats or claims that certain foods can lower blood pressure and improve vision (Kurtzweil 2). Thus by providing this information, such restaurants can gain an upper hand in business to the disadvantage of others. It is also noted that FDA exempts restaurants from giving information about their dishes and the means of preparing them. Thus it is meaningless to give information that authorities do not expect of you or your business.
In as much as the counter-arguments may be true, far too much evidence is available to support the importance of giving nutritional information on the menu. Firstly, despite diet not bearing a strong relationship with incidences of cancer, preliminary evidence reveals a link between nutritional factors and cancer (Pensiero et al. 5). It is also estimated that certain dietary factors contribute to about 20-40 percent of all cancers. In contrast, other dietary factors are known to have a beneficial effect on cancer development. Therefore, customers can use the nutritional claims to identify foods that are healthful to them or look for statements that comply with FDA’s dietary guidelines.
Furthermore, there have been indications showing that restaurateurs are concerned with the growing preferences of their customers. For instance, an Arizona-based restaurant that helps restaurants and other food processors develop and promote dishes suitable for nutrition and health has shown a steady rise of its clients since 1990 (Kurtzweil 2).
Finally, the probability of a restaurant providing misleading claims is almost negligible currently. This is because; claims about the nutritional values of dishes must meet certain criteria set by the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These standards require a meal claimed to be healthy to provide one or more of the six key nutrients and contain no food substances beyond levels that can cause a health hazard.
Summary and Conclusion
In this paper, I did look at the various ways in which provision of the nutritional information on the menus is important to both parties involved in this case. Firstly, I managed to show how the volume of sales can be increased by merely mentioning the contents of your products. Secondly, when this information is provided, customers find it much easier to watch both their health and eating habits. Finally, it is much easier for an individual to maintain an ideal body weight when he/she follows the FDA dietary guidelines and understands the contents of what he/she eats.
It is worth noting that provision of this information is not an expense. In fact, this information can just be incorporated into the menus by simply mentioning that the amount of the said nutrient does not exceed the limit set by FDA. However, this information should be accurate but not necessarily precise and due to the changes in taste associated with most healthy meals, it is important to alert your customers in advance. This will help in minimizing customer complains and aid in developing a positive response from one’s customers.
Works cited
Brown, Douglas. The manager’s handbook: how to set, operate and manage a financially successful food service operation. Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. USA. 2005. Web.
Pensiero, Laura, Osborne, Michael, and Susan, Oliveria. The strange cancer prevention center cookbook: a complete nutrition and lifestyle plan to dramatically lower your cancer risk. Library of congress Publication: New York. 2004. Web.
Zinczenko, David and Goulding, Matt. 16 secrets the restaurant industry doesn’t want you to know vol. 23, No. 1. 2008. Web.
