Happy New Year

I'm a Restaurant Guy....

and I'm already thinking about 2011. You may think I am a little premature in celebrating the new year with all of the Christmas season still in front of me and Thanksgiving was just last week right? Well the truth is that next years plans are being finalized as we speak in most of our organizations.

As in store operators sometimes (especially during busy seasons) we tend to deal with our business day by day or even from a reactionary standpoint. This is a luxury that should not ever be afforded in this business. Even as the customers continue to pile through the door we must think future at all times! For Upper level managers (CEO's, Directors of Operation) they must plan for the upcoming year before it ever gets here.. Yes, that is right they have planned your sales trends, marketing strategies, and budgets already for 2011.

As a General Manger or Store Manager we cannot afford to think less than 90 days out. We should always be preparing for the upcoming quarter. What are we going to invest our budget into? How much sales does it take to make our budget? What was budgetary short fall and how can we recoup that for Company in the next quarter? This also means in Q4 we HAVE to think about Q1 of 2011.

So, Let's look at current trends.
The past 2 years have been a horrible time for Our Industry and America.
The food Service Industry actually began to show positive numbers in Q3 of 2010
The companies we work for will do major reinvesting in 2011
They will not finance growth but pay from bottom lines
We will invest in maintenance and construction.
Some people will have even received merit increases.
People are still eating out versus cooking at home.

Looking at these trends we can expect that:
 1) There will be no negative sales projections in the industry at all.
 2) Minimum of 5% (as high as 12%) sales growth expectation for every restaurant in America.
 3) There will be a minimum of 2% expectation of controllable profit industry wide.
 4) There will be about a 3% re-investment into the operation.
 5) There will be less Discount offers or new programs to drive traffic.

As operators we have to be looking at these numbers and expectations and planning now for a way to make this happen. (For those of you who are challenged a bit by this, please read "The Impossible Scenario" posting) We must take this time and evaluate our Business and prepare for the upcoming year. My brother was a boy scout so the motto "Be Prepared" was used often around our house. I didn't have to be a Boy Scout to take advantage of the saying and apply it to my business.

Plan your work and work your plan! Do not plan for negative results or you will have a self-fulfilling prophecy. Plan a Super 2011 and deliver the results needed. If you start thinking and planning now you can Make it happen.

Happy New Year!!! (just a little early)