Topic 1 The Holidays are for Restaurant People Too

The signs of the Christmas season and the Holidays are all around
us. For many operators, this means a welcomed increase in
business as diners choose to eat out during their extended
shopping expeditions and family get-togethers.

Being part of the retail segment, restaurant owners and their
employees often find themselves too busy to spend extra time with
family and friends during the holiday season. Yet, as an owner,
it's important to recognize the need for family time, especially
during this special time.

In a Cornell University study, "Why Restaurants Fail", here's
what authors said about the importance of family in a successful
restaurant business:

"Family and spousal support is essential for the success of a
restaurant. Family support goes beyond that of the owner. It
means recognizing that employees have families as well."

"On New Year's Eve 1999, when most restaurants stayed open past
midnight taking advantage of the millennium celebrations, one
successful restaurateur whom we interviewed, closed the doors at
5:00 p.m. so that the employees could go home and spend time with
their families..."

This Holiday Season, remember to recognize that the most
important things in life are also important to your employees AND
your restaurant's long term success.

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a successful, satisfying
New Year!

 Topic 2 Frequent diners will spread the word about

restaurant pest problems and might never return

Atlanta-based pest control company Orkin, Inc. conducted an

independent poll of foodservice consumers about their perceptions

of pest control issues in restaurants. As many hotels pride themselves

on their fine dining establishments, an off-putting restaurant experience

can impact the hotel reputation as well.

For frequent restaurant diners (i.e., respondents who eat out three or

more times a week), seeing a pest calls for discretion ?at least as long

as theye still in the restaurant. When asked how they would react to a

cockroach ?alive or dead ?in the dining area of a restaurant, 70 percent

of respondents said they would alert the server and 47 percent said they

would tell the manager. Only 9 percent of respondents said they would draw

other patrons?attention to the pest.

After leaving the restaurant, however, diners who have seen a pest are less discreet

?more than 60 percent said they would tell five or more acquaintances about the incident.

Almost 8 percent said they would go so far as to call the health department.

In addition to generating negative word-of-mouth, pest sightings can significantly impact

repeat business.

Nearly three out of every 10 respondents (28.5 percent) said a cockroach sighting would

make them leave an establishment and never go back.

he threat restaurant pests can pose to a bottom line are very real,?said Orkin Director of

Quality Assurance Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D. otels should work with their pest management

professionals to implement programs that focus on non-chemical techniques, like sanitation, to

help make their restaurants less attractive to pests and more enjoyable for customers.?

Poll Methodology
Perception data is based on the responses of 267 requent diners?(those who indicated

they dine out three or more times per week, out of 410 total respondents) to an online

poll promoted via email campaign to a wide demographic target