Converting Your Forecourt into a Moneymaker
Answer honestly: Is your forecourt a neglected part of your gas station/convenience store operations? You might be focusing more on gas volumes and...
Amusement Park Inspections and the Importance of Picking up Trash
The next time you visit Disney World park, look at the ground. I know it may seem odd in a sensory-overload amusement park, but trust me for this one...
Why Movie Theaters Need to be Audited
“I’ll just wait for it to come out on Netflix or Redbox.” Those are the dreaded words for movie theaters, which continue to struggle in foot traffic...
Bowling Alley Operations & The Upscaling of an American Pastime
Photo by Jonathan Haeber, on Flickr Bowling is one of those versatile activities that could be at the center of a child’s birthday party, a corporate...
Trend Watch: The Upscaling of Airport Restaurants and Retail
Derek Jeter may be considered a first-ballot MLB Hall of Famer, but he recently struck out in a big business deal. Jeter had reportedly signed a...
Tracking Competitor Promotions With Mobile Technology
What promotions are your competitors running right now? If you don’t readily know the answer to that question, you may not be utilizing mobile...
What’s the Beef? Restaurants Consider Other Protein Options
While there’s nothing like a good steak or hamburger, U.S. consumers have been steadily cutting down on red meat and looking for other sources of...
How to Audit Your Gym Like a Boss
A gym or fitness center is like its very own small city where all the residents – or members – are working toward the common goal of better health and...
Trend Watch: Food Courts
I’ve seen this coming since 2009 when I visited the newly opened Yankee Stadium and paid $5 for a cup of freshly squeezed lemonade. I passed on the...
Lessons from Listeria: Food Safety for Multi-Unit Operators
If you Google food safety news, you’ll see Listeria stories dominates headlines. Here are just a few of the recent stories: Blue Bell Creameries...
How to Perform Efficient Restaurant Line Checks
“Bloody hell. Here we go again.” Gordon Ramsay as restaurant patrons file into Hell’s Kitchen. It’s another busy night at the restaurant and the...
The Hospitality Industry’s Love-Hate Relationship with Social Media
It’s a sign of the times when the U.S. House of Representatives is looking to protect free speech on websites like Yelp. Four legislators introduced a...
Why Hasn’t the Stockout Problem Been Solved?
I’m going to start suggesting that retailers hang up a mirror in their office, tack a piece of paper above it on the wall and write, “The Reason You...
How to Better Manage Your Field Sales Team
In my experience, the best salespeople are the ones who don’t view closing as part of their job – it’s part of the fun. The excitement of making a...
What Makes a Successful Beverage POS Promotion?
Walk into any convenience or grocery store in the United States and you’ll notice the beverage space is a lot like an elementary school classroom...
Why a C-Store Rack Jobber is Like a TV Showrunner
In the entertainment industry, a showrunner is someone who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a television series. For instance, Matthew...
How Frozen Yogurt Became a Mainstream Hipster
Frozen yogurt is no longer a niche trend. The smaller players have died out, and the larger chains survive. Perhaps it’s survival of the fittest, but...
Preparing Your Restaurant for Outdoor Seating
Not everyone has the advantage of operating a restaurant in San Diego where the weather is picture perfect year-round. Even Zenput’s home city is...
Command & Control: Lessons from Cruise Ship Operations
A friend of mine was vacationing in Florida recently and struck up a conversation with two other women at the pool. Suddenly, one of the women said,...
How to Prepare a Hotel for Summer Guests
The warmth of a mid-afternoon sun. The summer breeze that gently rustles the trees overhead. The dirty swimming pool that hasn’t been vacuumed in a...
How to Improve Discount Retailer Operations
Walmart is often the subject of negative press, but that’s bound to happen when you’re No. 1 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list of the world’s largest...
How to Improve Hotel Operations ‘Hotel Impossible’ Style
A tough-talking New Yorker can give a good kick in the pants. That’s exactly what Anthony Melchiorri provides as host of Travel Channel’s “Hotel...
Boutique Hotels: Quality Before Quantity
The reason why the smartphone selfie-stick was invented is the same reason why more boutique hotels are popping up across the nation. The hospitality...
So, You Want to Open a Hotel Restaurant
Opening a restaurant in a hotel comes down to two questions, depending on your side of the business. If you are a hotelier, you must ask yourself,...