Cost Control

A 2012 Action Plan from A-Z

by Jim Sullivan, CEO Sullivision.com

In 2010, 9,450 restaurants closed in the USA--more than 90% of them independent operators--according to the NPD Group. In 2011 an estimated 8,500 more have shuttered their doors. And so 2012 may be the most challenging year our industry has ever faced; the Year of Faster-Harder-Smarter-More. So what’s your plan? And does your team know how to execute it? Here are 26 fundamentals to help you keep your head in the game.

12 Basic Ways to Save Money in Any Foodservice Operation

by Jim Sullivan, CEO Sullivision.com

There’s an old joke that’s sad, but true, about the industry:

How do you make a small fortune in the restaurant business?

You start with a large one.

One thing for sure about the foodservice industry: there are more ways to lose money than make money.

Let’s Get Fiscal: Looking at the Other Side of Profitability

 By Jim Sullivan   There’s an old joke that’s sad, but true, about our industry: Q: How do you make a small fortune in the restaurant business? A: Start with a large one. Noted economist John Maynard Keynes said, “The engine that drives enterprise is not thrift, but profit.”  True. But the other truth is that the hospitality industry is the only business I can think of where there are more ways to lose money than make money.

11 Creative Ways to Reduce Costs (pt 1)

11 Ways to Control Costs

By Jim Sullivan

1.  Sell more of what you have.

This may be your best cost-cutting strategy of all. Selling rotates perishables quicker, makes advertising more effective, saves labor faster, and makes the guest happier.  Selling doesn’t cost.  It pays!

3 Ways to Build Better Partnerships with Your Distributors

by Jim Sullivan
The current economy has shaken the confidence of many once-proud and cocksure operators to their core, bringing to mind the words of Paul Rubin who said: “Never confuse brilliance with a bull market.” And while remembering the “good old days” days of a few years back may bring the comfort of memory, today’s reality requires better discipline and teamwork. We’ve got to re-think pricing and better leverage the knowledge and resources of our vendor and distributor partners. Here are three effective strategies to consider:

12 Smart Ways to Save More Money in Your Restaurant Today

By Jim Sullivan

There’s an old joke that’s sad, but true, about our industry:
Q: How do you make a small fortune in the restaurant business? A: Start with a large one.

Noted economist John Maynard Keynes said, “The engine that drives enterprise is not thrift, but profit.”  True. But the other truth is that the hospitality industry is the only business I can think of where there are more ways to lose money than make money.

Teach Your Hourly Team a Lesson in Cost Control and Selling

By Jim Sullivan
The shouted responses from the eighty-plus servers, greeters, bartenders, cooks and dishwashers who were sitting in the crowded dining room at 9 am that rainy Saturday morning were both frenzied and unnerving.
“Fifty cents.”“Eighty cents.”“Thirty-five cents.”“Seventy-five cents.”
This was no auction. It was an embarrassment. But I’m getting ahead of myself.