Learning to be a good restaurant manager is a skill that must be learned. Pay attention to the customer and listen to what they actually want. Sometimes, a good manager needs to read between the lines of what a customer is actually saying. Using technology to decrease errors and improve customer relations helps to ensure that your restaurant provides the best service possible.

Using new cool technologies like Digital Menu

Using Digital Menu to show updated specials, remove items from the menu that are temporarily unavailable and improving the overall customer experience provides an excellent way to impress customers. The easy-to-read menus with graphics and descriptions can be instantly updated and changed.

Reducing Ordering Mistakes

The iPad Menu and the eMenu both make it possible to provide your customers with an iPad instead of a traditional menu. Customers make their selections and then the waiter can concentrate on answering any questions. This helps to reduce errors and provide a fun and new way for customers to order.

Management Skills

Managers know that customers want good food, prices and correct orders. When an order doesn’t meet the customers expectations, the manager needs to step in and correct the problem for the customer. Digital menus make it possible for the manager to see the exact order and know whether the mistake of the customer or restaurant. Either way, the manager should offer to correct the order. However, the accurate order-taking process makes it possible for the manager to know whether the cooks and waitresses need to receive additional training.

Planning to travel? Trips and/or Vacations can be wonderful and exciting, or they can be huge disasters. Here are some tips to avoid stress and heartache while travelling.

First, always have a plan. Write out your itinerary, the transportation plans, accommodation, any travel documents (plane tickets, passports, insurance, etc.).  With a good plan you beat the stress.

Book early

If you are planning to fly out, get your booking as early as possible, and why not look for hotels at the same time. Certain websites make deals between flights and specific hotels, find what works for you. Also, if travelling with a pet, consider hotel rules and regulations for pets find out the charges and requirements.

Make a check list

We’ve all had that feeling that we’ve forgotten something. Create a check list a couple days before you leave, and before you pack. While packing, check off the list, then the next day, or just before you leave, check it off again. During the second check you might remember something you didn’t think you needed! Don’t forget luggage tags. One trick is to have a luggage tag on the inside as well, just in case the exterior tags get detached.

Be Ready for Anything

Get a map of the area you are visiting. Better still install a GPS device and know well how to use it. In case of emergencies, be prepared with all necessary medical documents, and always carry original container of any medication that you or your travel companion is using.

Have a plan B. Anything can happen. But remember, as long as you have everything you need and the people with you are healthy and safe; don’t be afraid to let go of your base plans and go with the flow. It is a vacation after all. And most important, once you leave, after all of the prep work is done, lighten up and enjoy yourself.

Have a lovely vacation!

The brewers of New Planet Beer are making waves with their tasty beverages designed to be better for you and the environment. Gluten-free beer is not a new concept, but as with any attempt to modify the ingredients of beer, the results can sometimes be slightly off. In New Planet there is finally a version of gluten-free beer that tastes as good as any regular high-quality beer. In addition to the healthy nature of the beer, the production methods used by the company focus on being green with methods like recycling glass.

In simple terms, there are no carbohydrates in a New Planet Beer. A lot of flavor is carried through carbs, so removing them and maintaining a good brew is an art-form. New Planet has managed to do this in three great varieties of flavor: the light and tangy Tread Lightly Ale; the sizzling Off Grid Pale Ale; and the fruity and tart 3R Raspberry Ale.

Currently New Planet is being sold out of Colorado and 10 states in the surrounding area. They are looking to expand their distribution area to 20 states by the end of the year. Keep an eye out for it on your local watering hole’s eMenu or Inifnity iPad Menus.

Feeling stressed out?

First realize that knowing how to relieve stress is extremely important to your health and well-being, and then begin to focus on reducing the stress in your life before it gets the best of you.

Call a friend.

Talk to someone, clear your head, when you leave things unspoken they build up, causing stress. Sharing helps a great deal.

Spend time in nature.

Walking is not just a form of exercise or a means to get where you are going, but it also has a way of taking your mind off things. As you seek solutions, focus on what is around you, cling to the beauty in the world.

Take some you time.

Even if it is just 30-45 minutes a day. Take that time to do something for you. It can be learning a new skill, starting a hobby, or simply wrapping yourself in your blankets and just being.

Listen to music.

Listening to good, soulful music refreshes the mind and soothes the soul. It takes you back to good memories and focuses you on the relief

Try Yoga.

Regular exercise mixed with meditation. Yoga is all about soothing your body, mind, and soul. Sure they also push those things to their limits, but the only way we can reach those limits is with a clear head and no weight on our shoulders. Go to yoga and connect your mind and body and focus your energy on something good.

Art Therapy

Take some paint, paper, crayon, or anything you can draw with, and get artistic. You don’t have to be good, just draw out your emotions.

Cry.

Don’t be afraid to cry. Everyone has their moments. A good cry can be very cathartic.

LAUGH.

April 22 is Earth Day and restaurants and hospitality industries are sprucing up for various celebrations, activities and programs. More than one billion people from across 192 countries are expected to participate in Earth Day worldwide, and exciting programs await each earth friendly individual as events will be kicking off geared at encouraging people to go green with Earth Day fairs.

Eco-friendly hotels aim at improving their management of energy resources and the environmental benefits from decreased levels of various forms of pollution. Green friendly hotels offer eco-friendly amenities using recycled materials for their carpet and bathroom tiles, utilizing solar powers to help conserve energy and having large windows to let natural light come in to the rooms. For their indoor decor and furnishings, they use rapidly renewable bamboo and other recycled contents to evoke a stunning and sustainable green atmosphere experience for their customers. Trendy ergonomically designed “green” LED desk lamps from recycled e-waste can also be used as well as green products for bathroom facilities, dispensers and toiletries which are both environment-friendly and cost-effective. Eco-hotels also can use a Digital Menu to offer their customers quick access to the hotel facilities and services with a single touch of their fingertips.

Restaurants go green by using locally sourced food that can benefit both customers and the environment. Some offer eco-friendly lunch bags with certificates printed on tree-free stone papers with freebies on Earth Day. These eco-bags can be produced by “upcycling” using recycled materials from tarpaulins and billboard advertisements transforming them into usable, earth-friendly products. Chic restaurants can also use the latest trend Touch Menu on their iPads, replacing the disposable old paper menus with the eMenu featuring organic recipe choices for their customers.

The Operator Innovations Awards has finally chosen last April 11, 2012, its inaugural three finalists for each of the five categories under sustainability, technology, food safety, health and nutrition and menu development. The 2012 Operators Innovations Awards Finalists are as follows :

For Sustainability :

1. Starbucks Coffee – focuses on its goal of recycling all the cups and other food establishments’ polycoated cups by the year 2015 and making recycling a profitable and practical method to save the environment.

2. Uncommon Ground – built the first certified organic rooftop farm in the country. The green restaurant offers urban agriculture internship concentrating on sustainable food systems, farming and beekeeping.

3. Evelyn Hill, Inc. (Liberty Island) – continuously applies innovations by way of waste reduction and energy and water conservation. They have also introduced their new LEED Platinum-certified pavilion which recycles about 94% of its wastes.

For Food and Safety :

1. Waffle House – has a comprehensive business opportunity plan for food safety and ensuring fast and safe reopening after occurrences of natural disasters.

2. Colorado Spring Schools District 11 – they have adapted what they called the Allerschool System which was designed to identify individual food ingredients and allergen found in school menu recipes.

3. Sodexo North America- aims at providing safe, high quality products and services that meet strict ISO Standards.

For Health and Nutrition :

1. USCF Medical Center – The medical center adapts an integrated approach by incorporating nutrition education and marketing to its restaurant settings and utilizes Digital Menu boards and customer receipts.

2. Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services – its nationwide program “Balance U” was designed to educate both students and employees to eat healthy food

3. Sodexo School Sevices ( Did You Know Cafe) – their goal is to cater to teenagers and educate them about healthier eating by way of lifetime good eating habits.

For Menu Development :

1. UNC Healthcare (Chapel Hill) – has a unique approach centered around 13 self-branded ideas adapted after famous commercial restaurants.

2. The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. – uses stylized small-plate menus to counterbalance the large portions.

3. Sodexo School Services (Future Chefs) – holds culinary competitions engaging students nationwide to prepare health recipes.

More and more restaurants are doing their part to save Mother Earth and be more environmentally friendly. As many households embrace going green, food establishments are also joining the bandwagon by using eco-friendly materials and furnishings. Owning an eco-friendly restaurant is not only for the good of the environment as there is an ever-increasing percentage of responsible individuals who are getting conscious over earth friendly practices, but it can also help your business save money. Going green is not just following the trend but a whole new smart way of doing your food business.

Instead of disposable paper menus, why not use an eMenu that is both sleek and trendy and offer organic dishes that will satisfy the palate of your earth friendly customers. A combination of an innovative Digital Menu and green ambience would provide a wonderful dining experience. Some conventional dining establishments have various green features such as solar panels, on-site vegetable gardens and recycled materials that could reduce carbon footprint. You can create stunning interiors and use earth friendly recycled materials as designs and furnishings to evoke a green restaurant ambiance. Others use non-toxic cleaning supplies, low- maintenance durable recycled finishes and high-efficiency HVAC while some install eco-friendly toilets that use less water and energy-efficient dishwashers.

Some of the authentic eco-friendly restaurants we can find are :

1. Billy Kwong’s in Sydney, Australia- It is New South Wales’ “first climate neutral restaurant” where one can find locally grown and organic recipes in a chic Chinese teahouse.

2. De Kas in Amsterdam- Owned by chef Gert Jan Hageman, a wonderful place to eat which was originally a greenhouse with an exciting menu of locally produced sources.

3. Noma in Copenhagen- It was voted as the best restaurant in the world that features locally seasoned ingredients.

With the advent of touch technology, it seems natural to follow modern times and replace the age-old paper menu with the latest Digital Menu on your iPad or Android. Acquire a state-of-the-art eMenu right in the palm of your hands with this breakthrough. Infinity Menu gives you a critical edge over your competitors.

For Restaurants :

Infinity Menu Software can feature captivating photographs of your special dish with its full list of ingredients as well as wine pairing suggestions. The software has the ability to categorize your restaurant’s menu with just one click. It was designed to be extremely user friendly, allowing you to navigate easily and make changes with ease at any time. Infinity Menu is the future in high technology as an effective marketing tool. With Infinity Menu Software’s customizable feature, we can configure your own personal choice of design to suit your needs.

For Hotels and Spas :

With Infinity Menu, your hotel and spa guests can have ready access to as many services you want them to have with a single touch of their fingertips. The software enables guests to access your Room Service Menu, and place orders or simply look up spa packages offered. Infinity Menu Software can help you get an edge over your hotel and spa competitors by enhancing your guests’ experience with greater privacy and easier access to your services.

For Lounges and Bars :

Lounges, bars and VIP sections in clubs will all benefit from the revolutionary touch screen menu system. Infinity Menu Software can feature your premium drinks with ease. The eMenu also further enhances the experience of your VIP customers by allowing them easy access via iPad. A virtual wine cellar also contributes to guest enjoyment, allowing patrons to conveniently order directly through the Digital Menu.

Hospitality industries often have multiple opportunities to make a sale. Guests will suddenly decide that they want room service or they might want to order a movie. Impulsive whims can disappear, causing hotels, restaurants, lodges and other services to lose sales.

Use eMenus to Win Over Customers.

One of the most convenient ways to help customers order services is to offer guests an eMenu. These are menus that operate on a touch-screen tablet or iPad. Users can easily browse through a variety of services and select one that is the most enticing. The software is also highly customizable so that graphics can be used to support branding efforts.

Digital menus are captivating because they can contain high-resolution images that create a desire for the service. Delicious dishes are accurately portrayed, allowing customers to see exactly what proportions they will receive. A massage service can be paired with an attractive image of a customer receiving a sensuous massage and experiencing bliss.

Digital Menus are Highly Intuitive.

Even more beneficial is the way that services such as Infinity Menu allow users to run an internal search engine to find services that they are interested in. Products and services can be tagged and categorized in a way that makes it easy for even non-technical users to figure out how to operate.

Users do not simply find the services they want, but they can immediately access them and communicate with the department that provides the services. The finance department can immediately receive the order and keep track of each transaction.