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Housekeeping & Maintenance Optimisation at Your Hotels... Guests rate cleanliness as the most important feature affecting their choice to stay in a specific hotel. There is nothing worse than assigning a dirty room to arriving guests. In the morning rush hours...

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Front Office Management: Increased Efficiency with... A front desk at a hospitality property is the place where a guest comes face to face with hotel staff for the first time. More often than not your guest has made a tiring journey and would like to be shown...

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Efficient Inventory Management with Barcodes Inventory accounts for a major part of any business investment, be it in terms of raw materials or finished goods. The profit of a business depends on how efficiently the inventory is managed. If you...

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9 Easy to Implement Tips to Increase Sales in a Retail... If you are keen to increase sales in your retail store, here are some easy to implement tips: 1. You should have a lot of signages that indicate to the shoppers where different types of merchandise...

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How can a retail POS system help me run my business... Are you looking for a way to operate your business more efficiently? Are you finding it hard to deal with increasing shrinkage issues? Is unnecessary paperwork and time management a big concern for you?...

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Home Delivery of Food: Bon Appétit At The Doorstep Of Foodies

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses

Some of India’s top sit down eateries are building on the wisdom of fast-food chains, saying bon appétit at the doorstep of patrons who are cutting expenses by eating out less.

What is making home delivery preferred over full-service restaurants?

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5 tips for sweet shop owners to increase sale in the festive season

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses, Smart Tips

 

A popular sweet shop (name withheld) in Kolkata is well-known for their sweets and unique concepts of gift for festive occasions like Diwali. This Dhanteras, I along with my wife went to shop some sweets and gifts for our family and relatives.
 
The shop is well-spread in 4000 sq ft area of a newly constructed residential complex. The shop was reasonably packed with Diwali shoppers either waiting to collect their pre-ordered items or for a fresh buy. Sharing the experience I had and felt pity for the business-owners as they could have made the most, if they would have taken certain measures.
  1. There was nobody to attend us as we roam inside the store for good 20 minutes. We approached the store-staff to help us find the right items to which we were asked to wait for at least 30 minutes. 
  2. Most of their staffs were busy packing the trays and gifts that were pre-ordered. Whichever counter we went to, we were redirected to another counter for help.
  3. The items put on display were rotten and we were advised not to purchase them.
  4. There was no price tag on any sweet so the idea of self-help also failed. 
  5. Asked a gentleman at the cash-counter who justified with the saying that "we are working overnights since last couple of nights so bear with us" 
We looked for the owner, who too were busy instructing his team for deliveries.
 
Frustrated and felt left-alone at that point, decided to step out of the showroom. Before leaving the shop, I wanted to leave a gentle note on the counter that we were here to purchase but nobody attended us for almost 35 minutes, so we are leaving. Meanwhile, the owner came to desk to rescue and called up one of the store-staff and instructed him to attend us. Finally we were happy that we got the sweets from our favourite shop. This inspired me to write down 5 tips for sweet shops to improve customer satisfaction and increase sale in the festive season. 
 
Price Tag with Item Name: When asked the price from store-staff we were given different prices for same items. 3 people gave 3 different prices for same item. A simple price tag along with the item name could have reduced the number of customer queries by at least 90%.
 
Computer Generated Bills: Hand-made bills with random discounts. After we were done with the purchase, 4 handmade estimate-slips were given to us from different counters. We ware asked to re-check the total of different slips totalling Rs.6010 which he rounded off (discounted) and made it Rs.5575. Fortunately, there was no totalling mistake. A simple point of sale billing software for sweet (mithai) shops could help to make faster sale.
 
Separate Order and Delivery Counter: The overall buying involved much interaction with staff like asking for price, placing the order, asking where to make payment, actually making the payment and coming back for delivery. What if they can have an ordering counter where order is taken along with the payment? The order is then sequentially communicated to the packing staff who packs and send it to delivery counter. Proper signage will help the customer to understand and adapts to the system in no time. 
 
Independent Cash Handling: I went to the cash-counter and paid the Rs.6000 to settle the invoice of Rs.5575.The gentleman (one of the family member, not operator) at the counter was busy, noting down slip number and amount. He refunded Rs.625 instead of Rs.425 [excess Rs.200]. I returned the same to him and told that this is excess to which he said this is Diwali time and it happens. What if there is a way which allows them to hand over the cash handling to a staff instead of depending on a family member. This will ease out the pressure of festive season and increase sale.
 
Order Management: In the festive season, it is common for customers to place the order in advance. These customers come back to store to take the delivery on that particular festive day. What if a home delivery can be arranged, if asked for? 

The customer globally has become more demanding. These tips will help you to adapt to the growing expectations of customer and deliver them round-the-clock service and more personalized product offerings. FusionRetail protects you from price-cutting and competition pressures and helps you remain fit and lead the race.

Efficient Automation of Restaurant, Kitchen and Billing: Challenges, myth and facts.

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses

 

In a typical mom and pop restaurant, the waiter takes order on a handwritten KOT (kitchen order ticket) pad. Typically the traditional KOT pad contains 3 copies i.e. Red, Yellow and White paper and waiter takes order using carbon paper. The order process is like….
 
  • The Red goes to kitchen to process the food. Kitchen keeps this copy and ideally should send all the KOTs to the audit team after the day end.
  • The Yellow remains with the waiter until the food is served. Once the food is served, this copy is sent to the billing counter. The cashier enters the KOT in the system. Finally all such KOTs are sent to audit department to create their jobs. Kidding?. But somehow this is boring task and often ignored and delayed for this very reason. Most of time the entire audit process is stopped.  Moreover if the audit function exists then the report comes after 15 days. The action is delayed. You cannot go to that customer and ask that you have forgotten to bill 2-3 item which was consumed by them.
  • The White remains in the KOT pad. Loads of such pads are created and stored. Finally all those pads are sent to recycle bin. 

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Consumerism and Recent Trends In India

Category : News and Events, Simplifying Restaurant Businesses, Simplifying Retail Businesses

 

Consumerism essentially means the growing wants and needs of an individual for goods and services. India is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world. The consumer’s standard of life is going higher and hence his needs are escalating as well. Consumerism in India, is in a new high, and refuses to show signs of budging anymore. The Indian consumer, due to his exposure, of the global market, strives to get the best of the goods in his home land.

Consumer tastes and preferences are definitely changing. Even children have their own preferences. The retail sector- both organized and unorganized, strive hard to cater to the vast range of the Indian consumers. The retail sector in India, with its present pace, is expected to grow at a rate of 25%- 30% annually.

 

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How to build a scalable Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) model in 3-4 months?

Category : Customer Loyalty, News and Events, Simplifying Restaurant Businesses, Smart Tips

Everything in life has become fast and quick. We need to speed up our internet connection, we need the latest and fastest mobile phones, the shortest way to get to a desired destination and so on. Similarly, nowadays entrepreneurs are also looking to build scalable quick service restaurants because it is exciting, quick money and fast service with high returns.

Quite a few people have engaged in this kind of business for some time now and there are others who are planning to launch their debut role in this sector. Mr. Kiran Nadkarni, the CEO of Kaati Zone is a fond and popular name in the food circle. His journey was not all that easy as it may seem at the moment.

And now the latest news that seems to be doing the rounds is that Mukesh Ambani, the owner of the oil and gas giant has entered into a deal with Rishi Negi, the COO of Fame India which is partly owned by Mukesh’s younger brother, Anil Ambani for starting a new QSR concept within 3-4 months.

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Pizzas And Second Innings: An Inspiring Story

Category : Customer Loyalty, News and Events, Simplifying Restaurant Businesses, Smart Tips

Pizzas. The very word throws us into a images of dripping cheese, a carnival of flavors and a stream of adorable aromas. That is the aphrodisiac for us, the contemporary generation; better known as GenY or GenX. The food of the western world has long taken the place of our parathas and kulchas. Sometimes, our generation is more defined by our continental and oriental and Italian and Mexican platter than anything else. And somehow, we can never imagine these cuisines being associated with the people from the generation before us. That will be purely unthinkable and quite a ridiculous prospect.

Hence when we hear anything that remotely sounds like pizzas by grandpa and grannies, we pinch ourselves just to make sure we are not dreaming. But well, nothing is outside the realm of impossibility. And well, pizzas by grannies and grandpa, as improbable as it may sound, are quite a lethal combination. The uniqueness of the combination is the USP of such a concept.

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Why Use Retail Management Software for Restaurant Business

Category : Customer Loyalty, Point of Sale (POS), Simplifying Restaurant Businesses, Simplifying Retail Businesses, Smart Tips

 

Why do you run a restaurant? May be you like cooking or you like to feed people or it is just another business for you. But it is definitely a hectic business. Remember orders, sending KOT to kitchen, manually create bills, keep in mind the pricing. Its a lot to ask for.

Wouldn’t it be really nice if a software could take care of these necessary but time consuming and difficult tasks? It would leave you with enough time to develop the business or create new recipes and add to the menu.

Many restaurants are opting to give up the cash register and manual billing and using available new technology. Whether it is taking orders or customers using their credit cards to pay the bills. Retail Management Software are helping to make restaurant business once again a pleasurable option.

Here’s a look at some reasons why restaurant businesses should use retail management software.

Convenience

In a restaurant business, there has to be constant communication between the waiters and the cooks. Constant relaying of messages can be a time consuming as well as a tiring process. Specially in case of fast food joints. Fast food restaurants survive on the speed of delivery. A retail management software can take care of these orders and communication between the kitchen and the dining area remains minimum.

Versatility

Retail management software are very versatile. It can be programmed for any type of restaurant whether you run a cafe, a bar or a multi cuisine restaurant. It can also take care of links between suppliers and retailers from whom you purchase the raw materials to run your business.

Calculation

Sitting and counting the money in the cash register in the middle of the night is probably the worst thing you have to do as a restaurant owner. Then there is the division of tips. Balancing the ledger and a host of other things that need to be done on a daily basis. Retail management software would help you do that in a jiffy.

Customer relations

Cafes and bars generally cater to a section who are commonly known as “regulars”. They have a set routine of what they would eat and drink. Retail management software helps keep track of who is buying what and thus helps to serve the customer better. In cases where there are time bound elements like “happy hour” involved, retail management software can be used to spot which product sells more during which point of the day.

Less human resource

Installing a software can reduce the cost involved in keeping extra people for accounting and other functions. It can also calculate accurately thus reducing the risk of human error.

The inventory control is the heart of a restaurant business and retail management software is just ideal at doing it. It is not wrong therefore to conclude that retail management software used in restaurant businesses are definitely a huge help.

Planning a restaurant or got one already? Check out how FusionRetail software can help you manage your day to day work much more efficiently.

 

Tips to improve your restaurant home delivery service

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses

Keeping pace with the development in the retail industry, one of its major segment i.e. home delivery system is also witnessing a significant growth. Unlike the restaurant, where the visitors come to your outlet, in home delivery service, the work involves rather taking orders on telephone or online. The job of managing such a venture is all the more tiring, if you mean to sit by the telephone ordering the staffs to prepare that, take the invoice, deliver it there, within this time and many such instructions. A Point of Sale software support will be useful for managing such a complex job.

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Weekly Inventory Management System to Cut Food Cost & Reduce Theft

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses

Whether you run a take-away counter or a fine-dine restaurant, the amount of money you make depends to a sizable degree on how well you manage your food inventory. Food cost is often a restaurant’s largest single expense in the overall cost of running a restaurant.

It’s easy and, unfortunately, common for restaurants to lose money through poor inventory management. Beginners are particularly exposed to this cash drain, since they often do not have their financial control systems secured. But even the most well-managed, established restaurants have ongoing challenges in this area.

Now, as a restaurateur, consider the challenges of dealing with food. First, your inventory is not like peanut at a bar counter. Most of it is highly perishable. Your ingredients have a limited shelf life, much of it less than a week, some as short as just a day or two. Fail to use a product within this short time frame and off to the garbage it goes, along with some of your hard-earned profit. Second, you have a lot of people who handle your food inventory. From the time your products are ordered, received, stored, prepared and ultimately served to your customers, even a small restaurant can have more than 15-20 employees involved in the food production process.

The more people involved in taking “raw” inventory and converting it to the delivered product, the more difficult it is to control loss, waste and misuse of inventory. Remember, too many cook, spoils the food. Waste and theft become hidden problems, gradually nipping away at your gross margins like termites. And on the subject of theft, even a small eatery has dozens if not hundreds of raw and partially prepared food products in storage. You’re stocking lots of desirable products to which many people have access. Depending on your concept and recipes there’s a good chance that you’ll have between 200 and 500 different raw food products in your storage rooms that are of value to everyone. The more products you have, the more challenging it is to control their use. The more of anything you have, the less likely one or two items will be immediately missed.

FusionRetail provides you with a easy-to-use interface to record your physical inventory and tallying it with your computer inventory. It also allows you to adjust the inventory if there is any discrepancy. Smart ways to control and reduce inventory cost with variance report that forces you to focus on bird’s eye and helps you earn more.

Basic steps to normalize recipes

Category : Simplifying Restaurant Businesses

Following are a few basic steps to standardize the recipes and bring cost in control.

  1. Decide the quantity of ingredients for an individual dish or portion (semi-finish products).
  2. List the ingredients in order of use.
  3. Reference utensils and equipments to use.
  4. Specify oven temperature, mixer speeds, container sizes, cooking times, serves to # clearly.
  5. Give decoration detail for each plate.
  6. Display final photograph of each plate so that anyone can look at the picture and see how it is supposed to look when it is ready for customer.
  7. Make this information easily available to each chef and cooks.