By Luke LaBree
CMO, Dennis Food Service

Foreword

I’m a father and a traveler. I’ve been a restaurant dishwasher, waiter, maintenance worker, and even a touch-screen order system installer (my favorite part of that job was wiring the network connections.) I’m the son of a country store-owning mother and a lifelong food service industry father. I started a website design company and began working to promote local businesses while I was still in high school. I’ve spent the past two decades as a branding and marketing professional, nearly a quarter of which has been for an employee-owned food service distributor. I’m a native of Maine, and I not only enjoy the bountiful wilderness, coast, culture, and local cuisine New England has to offer, but I also recognize the seasonal windows our local businesses work within to attract new customers.

The image of a hungry family traveling through scenic New England perfectly captures “Decision to Dine” season. I used multiple AI-powered image generation tools and manual techniques to create it. The need to use the manual skills that I’ve spent the past 30 years mastering–that I have built a career on–is quickly being replaced by what is essentially a poorly written incomplete sentence. I share all of this because few people are more uniquely qualified than me to step onto a soapbox in front of New England’s hospitality industry and shout, “Double-check your digital presence, update photos, menus, map listings, and links. Respond to reviews and put systems in place to create consistent content across your channels. Decision to Dine season is coming!”

Depending on your outlook, I offer one more introductory word of encouragement or warning. This is likely the last season that AI won’t be heavily involved in the customer’s journey to your door. There will be powerful AI incorporated into our phones by next season; within two seasons, nearly everyone will be using it. That AI has not only been “fed the internet,” it reads the internet just like a human, but faster and far more efficiently. So, I ask again, how well represented is your business on the internet?

These 15 strategies will help you win “Decision to Dine” season by increasing foot traffic and revenue using your digital presence to attract more travelers and tourists.

What is “Decision to Dine” Season?

“Decision to Dine” season spans from early spring to late summer and represents the season for many foodservice and hospitality establishments. I’m not discounting winter, there’s a decision time frame there too, but the successes of summer often establish offerings, strategies, and even bookings for other seasons. Either way, a prosperous season for many New England businesses intertwines with their ability to attract tourists and travelers within a specific window–when those potential customers are actively exploring dining and destination options.

A robust digital presence will significantly influence a customer’s decision to dine at your establishment and impact their potential to browse, reserve, book, or even see your business as an option in their search results and social feeds. Food and hospitality operations that update and showcase their new seasons with refreshed visuals, new and unique offerings, and content-based encouragement around location, brand, and atmosphere stand a far better chance of attracting traveling customers than those that don’t.

Optimize Your Online Visibility

When traveling or visiting an unfamiliar area, one of the first and most frequent things your potential customers do online is search for nearby food and dining options. In the internet age of search first, decide later, having a complete online presence that ranks well in search results is crucial during “Decision to Dine” season. Here’s how to optimize your online visibility:

1. 1. Verify accurate and up-to-date business information across digital properties

In the absence of a dedicated website, potential customers will rely heavily on third-party sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to learn about your establishment. Claiming and updating your business listings on these platforms is essential to controlling the narrative and providing accurate operating hours, contact information, and menus. Unclaimed listings can become littered with outdated details and unflattering user-generated content, deterring potential diners.

1. 2. Tap into local SEO to rank higher in relevant location-based searches

Search engines like Google prioritize local results based on a user’s location and the relevance to the search. By optimizing your website and online listings with local keywords, geographic terms, and details about your cuisine and specialties, you increase your chances of ranking higher when travelers search for “restaurants near me” or “best seafood in [your town].”

To be clear, I’m not suggesting you use the term “restaurants near me” in your content. Rather, focus on specific terms that identify your business location and category, such as towns, streets, nearby destinations, cuisine category, best-selling items, etc.

1. 3. The role of search engines and review sites in the decision-making process 

Let’s face it, when we’re traveling or exploring a new area, we rely oh-so-heavily on web searches and “review and discovery” sites (Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor) to inform our choices. A well-maintained presence on these platforms, backed by managed reviews and enticing visuals, can sway a potential customer’s decision to visit your establishment over a competitor’s. Managing your online reputation and leveraging user-generated content can give you a significant edge during “Decision to Dine” season.

Showcase Your Brand’s Unique Essence

Your potential customer’s digital feeds are brimming with content aggressively vying for their limited time and attention. Having a website or a Facebook page is not enough – you need to showcase what makes your brand truly unique and captivating. During “Decision to Dine” season, travelers are bombarded by options. Here’s how to help your establishment stand out:

1. 1. Use compelling visuals to highlight your establishment’s ambiance, cuisine, and culture 

Visuals reign supreme in digital marketing. High-quality photographs and videos can transport potential diners into the heart of your establishment, whetting their appetites with mouthwatering imagery and immersing them in the ambiance that sets you apart. Don’t settle for stock – authenticity is key. Invest in a high-end smartphone to simplify capturing and sharing authentic images of your food, staff, and environment. Provide potential customers the opportunity to see for themselves and decide, “Does this look like the food I want?”… “Does this look like a place I would enjoy?”

1. 2. Share your brand story through authentic, behind-the-scenes content 

Every restaurant has a story to share – a tale of passion, dedication, the pursuit of culinary excellence, or the classic New England strategy of wicked-big portions. Share that narrative through engaging, behind-the-scenes content that pulls back the curtain and connects with your audience on a deeper level. From the sourcing of local ingredients to the kitchen camaraderie that fuels your operation, these authentic glimpses into your brand’s culture will work to lure diners seeking a genuine experience.

1. 3. Engage with customers and respond to reviews to build trust and loyalty

Make sure your reviews are on a two-way street; customers crave a two-way conversation with the brands they follow and frequent. By actively engaging with your audience, managing and responding to reviews (both positive and negative), and fostering a sense of community around your brand, you cultivate trust and loyalty that can sway the “Decision to Dine” in your favor. Remember, even a negative review can be an opportunity to showcase your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Capitalize on Social Media’s Influence

Social media has revolutionized how we discover, share, and engage with brands – with restaurants and food businesses contributing to a significant portion of the conversation. Why? Because hunger is a universal driving force. The tradeoff with social media is that it requires more of your time and active focus than updating a website or managing review and discovery sites. Making the time internally to leverage social marketing can make the difference between being overlooked and becoming the destination for someone’s next meal. Here’s how to leverage social media’s powerful reach to access more potential customers:

1. 1. Create a consistent and recognizable brand presence across social platforms

Consistency is key to building brand recognition and trust with your social efforts. Maintain a cohesive look, tone, and messaging across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Use consistent handles, profile pictures, and branded visuals to reinforce your identity. This unified presence is more professional and boosts the perception of quality and attention to detail across your entire operation. If your digital presence is sloppy, what is stopping someone from drawing that conclusion about your kitchen?

1. 2. Promote user-generated content to amplify your reach and credibility 

One of social media’s greatest strengths is its ability to harness content generated by other users. The authentic, unfiltered experiences shared by your customers can be highly effective marketing. Encourage diners to share their meals and dining moments by creating branded hashtags or running social media contests. Reposting and amplifying this “customer content” extends your reach and adds a layer of credibility that can sway the “Decision to Dine” in your favor.

Ready to run a contest? Use a free QR code on a table tent, menu, or poster to provide your customers with quick, convenient access to your message, contest rules, entry forms, social media accounts, and more.

1. 3. Start social media advertising strategies to target travelers in your area 

While organic social content may be the bread-and-butter of your digital marketing efforts, strategic paid advertising can give you a competitive edge during peak travel seasons. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer hyper-targeted advertising options, allowing you to serve enticing visuals and promotions directly to travelers within a specified geographic radius. These targeted campaigns can capture the attention of potential diners in the crucial “Decision to Dine” window.

Offer a Seamless Digital Experience

The high-speed, technology-driven experiences of the internet are now driving expectations in the real world; potential diners expect a seamless and convenient digital experience when researching and interacting with your brand. During the “Decision to Dine” season, removing friction from the customer journey can be the deciding factor that sets you apart. Here’s how to deliver a top-notch digital experience:

1. 1. Mobile-friendly and user-friendly website experiences are a must

A significant portion of the traffic heading to your current digital properties already comes from mobile devices, and that percentage increases dramatically during “Decision to Dine” season. This means that many potential customers only ever interact with your brand through a mobile device. Restaurant and hospitality websites must be optimized for seamless viewing and navigation on smartphones and tablets. Prioritize a clearly branded, responsive design that loads quickly and provides easy access to essential information like your menu, hours, reservations, and location. Today’s travelers are researching options on the go, meaning a frustrating mobile experience could cost you customers.

A mobile-friendly website doesn’t need to break the bank. Today’s DIY website platforms offer options to seamlessly format your website for smartphones–no coding required.

1. 2. It might be time for an online ordering and reservation system

5G networks provide near-instant search results. High-speed connectivity presents an opportunity for your business to meet the immediate needs of potential customers faster than ever. Offering online ordering and reservation options could add new revenue to your business during “Decision to Dine” season. Visitors appreciate the convenience of browsing your menu, placing an order for pickup or delivery, and reserving a table – all from their mobile devices. Incorporating digital tools that capture immediate consumer needs allows you to establish and engage new customers before they even walk through the door.

1. 3. Use geolocation and push notifications to engage nearby visitors 

Imagine being able to serve up a tantalizing promotion or featured special directly to a potential customer’s smartphone as they explore your area. Geolocation and push notification technologies enable this level of targeted, real-time engagement. By allowing users to opt-in to location-based notifications, you can capture their attention at the precise moment they’re making their decision, increasing the chances of drawing them to your establishment.

Measure and Refine Your Efforts

The digital landscape is evolving, and you should be too; it’s essential to continuously measure, analyze, and refine your efforts to ensure you’re effectively reaching and engaging potential customers during “Decision to Dine” season. You can fine-tune your strategies and maximize your impact by leveraging data and customer insights. Here’s how to stay ahead of the curve:

1. 1. Understand what’s working and what isn’t

From website traffic and social engagement to reach, views, and conversions, there’s a wealth of freely available data at your fingertips that can provide insights into the effectiveness of your digital efforts. Even occasionally reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) across your various platforms can help you identify what’s working, what’s not, and where there’s room for improvement.

Keep the terms from tripping you up. Start small and work your way to more advanced analysis. Engagement = Likes, shares, and comments. A KPI could be the number of likes a post receives. Depending on your goal, the KPI will change.

1. 2. Collect customer feedback like cash in the bank 

While quantitative data is essential, consider the value of qualitative feedback from your customers. Actively solicit reviews, comments, and suggestions—both online and in person—to better understand their experiences and high vs low points. These insights can inform everything from menu tweaks to website enhancements, ensuring you consistently deliver an exceptional experience that keeps diners coming back.

Pro-Tip: The reviews of your competitors may reveal a consistent pattern of customer low points, which could be an opportunity for you to build a marketing message around.

1. 3. Evaluate and improve your digital efforts for maximum impact

Resting on your digital laurels is a surefire way to fall behind the competition. Commit to a mindset of continuous improvement and optimization. Regularly review your content, analytics, and customer feedback, as well as industry trends, and be prepared to adjust your efforts accordingly. Experiment with new platforms, content formats, and advertising approaches to keep your digital presence fresh, relevant, and more likely to capture attention during “Decision to Dine” season.

“Decision to dine” season is the most important time of the year for restaurants and hospitality businesses to attract and engage travelers and visitors.

By leveraging the power of a complete digital presence, you can influence customer decisions, stand out from the competition, and drive more traffic and revenue to your establishment.

Remember, optimizing your online visibility through search engines, review sites, and local SEO is the foundation for your digital success. From there, showcasing your brand’s unique essence through compelling visuals, authentic storytelling, and customer engagement cultivates the kind of emotional connection that resonates with potential diners.

Although social media can feel daunting and time-consuming, it is a critical piece of your complete digital presence. In addition to offering a creative outlet to showcase your brand, social media platforms give you access to user-generated content and the ability to execute targeted advertising campaigns. Your social efforts should also regularly reference and link back to your website and vice versa. Offering a seamless digital experience—from mobile-friendly websites to online ordering and location-based engagement—will be a deciding factor that secures a future visitor’s business.

There is no finish line for your digital marketing education and efforts. Continuously measuring, analyzing, and refining strategies based on data, customer feedback, consumer sentiment, and industry trends is essential to improving your work and maximizing your impact each season. And the time for impact is now.

By implementing the strategies I’ve outlined here, you’ll be well on your way to captivating travelers and visitors with your brand’s story, cuisine, and outstanding dining experience. Embrace the power of a robust digital presence and watch as your establishment becomes a must-visit destination during “Decision to Dine” season and beyond.

Organize your kitchen with FIFO (First In, First Out) for better food service.

First In, First Out (FIFO) is a system for storing and rotating food. In FIFO, the food that has been in storage longest (“First in”) should be the next food used (“First out”). This method helps restaurant owners keep their food storage organized and to use food before it goes bad. First In, First Out is an effective system that should be a standard operating procedure for every food service establishment and a staple practice for food managers.

ORGANIZATION IS KEY

Everyone wants to be first, but food service works better when there is order (I’m looking at you, Martin the Milk). The key to FIFO is organization, and it all starts with use-by dates.

FOLLOW USE-BY DATES

First In, First Out organizes food by expiration or use-by date. For the system to work, all food in refrigerators, freezers, and dry storage must be marked with a use-by date. If food doesn’t have a use-by or expiration date, workers should mark the food package with the date received and use that date as a storage reference.

STORE THE SAME FOOD TOGETHER

Under FIFO, Food is organized to keep the same kinds of foods together. For example, packages of the same food should be stored in one area so they are all kept together. This organization makes finding food easier and cuts down on the time it takes to stock items.

ARRANGE OLDER FOOD IN FRONT

Storing food by category isn’t enough on its own. Food in storage should be arranged from oldest to newest according to use-by dates. Newer foods should be put at the back of the shelf behind older foods, leaving the oldest food in the most accessible place near the front of the shelf.

This system makes it easy for food workers to find the oldest food and to use it first when that ingredient is needed. FIFO organization saves food service operators the time they would have spent searching for an item or comparing expiration dates.

MAINTAIN FIFO

For FIFO to really work, the organization system must be maintained. The process of date-marking, organizing, and arranging food in First In, First Out order should happen every time the facility receives new shipments of food. Different foods require different steps to integrate them into the FIFO system. Some foods may need date-marking. Other food will need some preparation before it can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer. Depending on the size of the packaging, a row of over food may need to be shifted forward or temporarily taken out so newer food can be placed in the back.

FIFO Benefits

It takes extra effort to organize food according to First, In, First Out, but the effort pays off. FIFO keeps older food from being shoved to the back where it can be forgotten or overlooked. FIFO helps food establishments cycle through their stock, keeping food fresher. This constant rotation. helps prevent mold and pathogen growth. When employees monitor the time food spends in storage, they improve the safety and freshness of food.

FIFO can help restaurants track how quickly their food stock is used. This information is useful in managing inventory and adjusting orders to more closely fit the needs of the facility, reducing waste. FIFO also makes it easier to identify food that is about to expire. Food must be discarded if it is past its use-by date, and FIFO can help food establishments catch items that are almost expired and use or sell them before this date passes.

For organization, tracking, safety, and usefulness, FIFO can’t be beat. If your establishment hasn’t tried First In, First Out, give it a trial run and enjoy the benefits.

FOOD STAFETY REMINDER

To minimize waste in your establishment, use older products first as long as they are safe to use.

The Rameking-Simplifying FIFO Systems  Other ways to Waste Not Want Not

By Luke LaBree
CMO, Dennis Food Service

First, while it might be the most significant piece of the equation, your focus should not fall solely on food costs. There are several categories that restaurants should examine when setting prices, including the cost of ingredients, labor costs, competition, and customer demand. Restaurants need to strike a balance between setting high enough prices to cover their costs and generate a profit while still being competitive and appealing to customers.

To set prices effectively, restaurants may use various pricing strategies, such as cost-plus pricing, value-based pricing, or competition-based pricing. Some of the key factors to consider when updating pricing include the following:

1. Cost of ingredients: The cost of ingredients can vary due to changes in the market or supply chain disruptions. Restaurants need to stay up-to-date on the cost of ingredients and adjust prices accordingly. Your Dennis Account Executive can help with menu costing software.
2. Labor costs: Labor costs are an important factor to consider when setting prices. In many places, minimum wage or the competition for quality employees has increased the starting pay range, so restaurants may need to adjust their prices to account for the increased labor costs.
3. Competition: Restaurants need to stay competitive with their pricing. This may mean adjusting prices to be in line with other restaurants in the area or offering special deals or discounts to attract customers. It’s also important to note that not all ingredients are the same; quality plays a role in customer decision-making. In other words, don’t blindly lower the cost of your premium dish to follow a competitor’s similar but lower-quality menu item. Instead, differentiate with marketing that educates and appeals to your customer base, creating demand.
4. Customer demand: The demand for certain menu items can fluctuate, and restaurants may need to adjust their pricing to reflect this. For example, if a particular dish is very popular, your restaurant may be able to increase the price slightly.
5. Inflation: Inflation has a direct impact on all of the above; food costs, labor, even the utilities needed to prepare food can be affected. It’s important to remember that inflation also reduces the purchasing power of consumers, as the same amount of money will buy fewer goods and services. This can make it more difficult for restaurants to attract customers and drive sales.

How often should you update your restaurant’s menu prices? There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how often restaurants should update their menu pricing. However, all restaurants should regularly review their menu prices to stay in line with market conditions and ensure that they remain profitable, course correcting with price changes as needed. In a “food service vacuum” food cost is always at the top of the list, and with that in mind, here are a few food costs that restaurants should be mindful of:

1. Meat prices: Meat prices can be volatile and are often influenced by factors such as the cost of feed, weather conditions, and the demand for different types of meat.
2. Produce prices: The cost of produce can fluctuate depending on the season and the availability of certain items. For example, certain types of produce may be more expensive during the winter months when they are not in season.
3. Seafood prices: The cost of seafood can be impacted by factors such as the availability of different types of fish, the demand for seafood, and the cost of fuel for fishing boats.
4. Dairy prices: The cost of dairy products can be influenced by the cost of feed for cows, the demand for different types of dairy products, and the cost of production.

The bottom line is that restaurants must stay up-to-date on the factors that impact pricing and be flexible in their pricing strategies to remain competitive and profitable. Reviewing menu prices, food costs, and labor expenses at least once a year provides valuable insight into your establishment’s profitability.

More articles on menu pricing and profitability:

And, don’t miss episode 70 of the Dennis Knows Food podcast! Dennis account executive and industry expert Josh Henderson shares his insider tips and tricks for reviewing menus with maximum impact. With over 20 years of experience in food service sales, Josh knows what it takes to succeed.

Listen to Ep. 70 Now

Multitasking ingredients such as flavored butters, sauces, dressings, and gravies save time and money in the kitchen.

Multitasking ingredients can enhance several dishes keeps food costs, labor, and inventory in line. Ingredients that can be used in more than one item are the Holy Grail of menu management, keeping food costs, labor, and inventory in line. Dennis offers a variety of products from multiple vendors that are designed with multitasking in mind—you can use them as is, or as speed-scratch basics for multiple applications.

Consider the following examples as a template for maximizing the utilization of your own flavor-building inventory. 

Flavored Butters

One of the easiest and most convenient ways to add flavor to food is by mixing seasonings and other ingredients into butter, which can then be chilled or even frozen for later use. In addition to using on steaks and other proteins hot off the grill, these butters can be used to:

• Sauté or dress vegetables
• Slip under the skin of chicken before roasting
• Include in a signature bread service
• Offer with cornbread or muffins
• Float on a bowl of soup
• Top off a baked potato
• Spread on grilled or toasted sandwich bread

Nestlé Professional Chef Mary Locke suggests the following to offer as schmears for corn on the cob, but the butters have many other uses:

• Fire Roasted Poblano Flavor Concentrate with butter, Cotija, and a squeeze of fresh lime
• Herb de Provence Flavor Concentrate and goat cheese
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Flavor Concentrate thinned out with a dab of good olive oil and toasted pine nuts
• Fire Roasted Jalapeño Flavor Concentrate and mashed, ripe avocado
• Chipotle Flavor Concentrate, blue cheese, and crumbled bacon

Dressings as Marinades

Many dressings, particularly vinaigrettes, include an acidic ingredient such as vinegar or citrus juice, which also serves as a tenderizer in marinades. Other common dressing ingredients that tenderize proteins include honey and yogurt (think of tandoori marinade), which also aid in flavor-boosting caramelization when cooked.

Likewise, many marinades can be used as dressings for salads and other chilled foods—perhaps with the addition of an ingredient to make them more clingy, such as oil or mayonnaise.

Creamy Sauces

Creamy, relatively neutral-flavored sauces such as béchamel, Alfredo, and cream gravies have many uses in addition to adding a luxurious touch atop cooked foods.

• Use as a replacement for cream sauce or béchamel in a casserole or au gratin
• Flavor mashed potatoes or other vegetables by substituting a creamy sauce for some of the liquid
• Customize with the addition of tomato, pesto, sautéed onions, mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and so on
• Use in cream soups, such as Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice or Seafood Bisque
• Substitute for cream sauce in a classic Spinach and Artichoke Dip recipe
• Mix with vegetables and a protein (optional) for a main course stuffed baked potato

It’s All Gravy

Talk about a menu workhorse: Gravies of all kinds are the ultimate multitaskers. in ways that go way beyond the mashed potato.

• Over hearty sandwiches like French dips, open-face turkey, and New Orleans-style po’ boy sandwiches
• As a dip for fries or tots, or for a classic poutine
• In casseroles, shepherd’s pie, and pot pies
• As a binding for meatloaf or meatball mixtures
• As a flavor-building thickener for soup
• To moisten a brunch-worthy egg strata
• In a simmer sauce for pot roast, chicken fricassee, and other braised proteins
• In quesadillas, instead of—or in addition to—cheese

Sauces = Spreads = Dips

Sauces are the true shape-shifters of the menu-making world. Depending on qualities such as flavor and thickness, a sauce can be used as-is or in additional uses such as a warm spread (for sandwiches, for instance) or a dip for finger foods.

The cheese sauce is a perfect example. The binder for mac-and-cheese and the topping for nachos and steamed broccoli can also be used to create a cheeseburger, fondue, or dip for fries. Thicken cheese sauce with a product such as cream cheese to make it more spreadable or add flavor and body with products such as crumbled cooked chorizo or crabmeat to create a dip.

Stir into scrambled eggs, mix into fritters, layer on flatbread, or mix into beer and broth with sturdy vegetables to create a soup.

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional
GreatMenusStartHere.com

I stumbled across this article while doing research for a podcast episode. I’ve always been fascinated by the things that “encourage” people to purchase. One of my favorites in the foodservice industry is exploiting a customer’s olfactory sense. Whether intentional or not, wafting aromas and delicious smells sell more food! In episode 35 of Dennis Knows Food, I discuss the success one operator saw by tapping into the power of scent. Check out the episode to hear their secret scent weapon for selling more pies. 

Admittedly, this tactic has secured my brand loyalty for decades. Whenever I travel, I prefer a particular chain of gas stations for their restrooms–simply because they’ve always smelled pleasant (and clean). 

This article does have a retail vibe, but it’s easy to replace “shoppers” with guests, customers, or diners as you’re reading.

-Luke LaBree

The Smells That Make Shoppers Spend More
By Marisa Sanfilippo

While shopping, you might want to pay more attention to how things smell in the stores you visit. Those scents just might make you spend more. While lighting and music can play big roles in how much people spend, research has indicated that certain kinds of smells can also inspire shoppers to spend more.

• Smell has a strong link to emotion and, therefore, spending.
• Scent marketing and scent branding are complex strategies involving science and art, intended to enhance customer loyalty and spending.
• Using ambient scent can make your business smell good and has other applications, such as decreasing stress and anxiety.

What is scent marketing?

Scent marketing is simply the strategic use of fragrance at specific consumer touchpoints. The right scent can allow you to create an instant emotional connection with the customer and make the shopping experience more memorable.

It is both aggressive and subtle. It is aggressive because it allows businesses to reach people beyond the confines of their shop as the chosen scent can be wafted through open doors and windows. It is subtle because most consumers don’t realize the scent they’re smelling is intentional rather than coincidental.

The power of scent

Scents can influence people’s emotions, so they have the potential to affect consumer behavior, according to ThoughtCo. Aromas of lavender, basil, cinnamon, and citrus are relaxing, whereas peppermint, thyme and rosemary are invigorating. Ginger, cardamom, licorice, and chocolate tend to stir romantic feelings, while rose promotes positivity and happiness.

Simple smells, as opposed to complex blends of scents, are powerful motivators when it comes to spending, researchers at Washington State University found. That’s because simple smells, such as citrus and pine, don’t require much mental processing from the shopper, freeing their brains to conjure images associated with these fresh scents.

How do businesses use scent marketing?

Scent marketing is used to trigger a certain emotion in potential customers, subtly encouraging them to not only incorporate a scent into their brand identity, but also to spend more time in their stores or places of business to improve customer experience, all the while creating positive memories with those scents that will keep them going back to the product or service (brand loyalty).”

One study published in the International Journal of Marketing showed that scent marketing increased Nike customers’ intent to purchase by up to 84%, suggesting scent marketing could have a powerful effect on consumer behavior. Another case study indicated that gamblers put 45% more quarters into slot machines when the area is artificially scented. The research noted that our sense of scent is linked directly to our limbic system, which controls memory and emotion, and that ambient scent offers the following benefits:

• Ambient scent boosts recognition and memory performance.
• It increases the time consumers spend in a shop or business.
• It elevates mood and a person’s level of enjoyment
• It improves the quality of a service encounter.

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has impacted the restaurant workforce. According to data from 350,000+ restaurants that use 7shifts at the time of publishing, while overall shifts being scheduled are still sitting 24% below pre-COVID levels, shifts for delivery-related roles have increased 38%.

According to CareerPlug, three in 10 restaurant workers are currently unemployed, and of those who are working, 56% are looking for new positions.

Restaurant recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic can be advantageous for restaurants because so much restaurant talent is looking for work. Restaurants must be picky, however, to ensure that new hires are good fits for the long term and that they’ll work safely alongside existing staff.

It’s important for restaurant hiring and training processes to reflect new COVID-19 safety measures. When hiring restaurant employees, it’s also important to find staff that will take these measures seriously. In this guide to COVID-19 restaurant recruiting you’ll learn:

• How to adjust your restaurant recruitment process including:
• Rewriting your “Careers” page
• Adjusting job descriptions
• Learning how to interview restaurant staff during the pandemic
• What to look for when hiring restaurant staff during and after the pandemic
• How to safely train new hires

How to adjust your restaurant recruiting process during COVID-19

Bringing on employees in the new climate of COVID-19 needs to change—just like your roles, restaurant, and the industry itself have over the past few months.

“Your job postings and hiring process should look different today versus pre-COVID,” explains CareerPlug’s director of HR, Natalie Morgan.

“Revise your job descriptions to include details about how you’re keeping them safe on the job and during the hiring process — what social distancing guidelines are in place? What PPE will you provide? Will any of the hiring or training be conducted remotely? Provide answers to these questions upfront to stand out and build trust with candidates” she says.

Here’s how to implement those restaurant recruitment changes to keep your current staff safe and give job candidates peace of mind.

1. Update your careers page with a safety section

Let job candidates know what your restaurant is doing to keep employees safe during the pandemic, and what its expectations are for staff. If job candidates think your safety measures are too strict, their values don’t match yours and they won’t be good long-term fits for the team anyway.

Are you making wearing PPE mandatory? Are you providing staff with PPE? Are you conducting daily health checks and making results available to the whole team through notice? Are you offering paid sick time to ensure that staff doesn’t worry about missing a paycheck? Share your protocol with job candidates on the restaurant hiring page of your website.

“For bonus points, tell the story of how your company reacted to COVID-19 on your careers page (or at least be prepared for this question),” says Morgan. “If you were able to support employees, what did that look like?”

2. Add safety measures to job descriptions

When it comes to COVID-19 restaurant recruitment, pandemic-related safety measures need to make it into job descriptions, as keeping customers and fellow staff healthy is now an important part of every restaurant’s role.

Here’s a sample server job description with requirements for upholding safety measures and valuing the safety of staff and customers:

Server Job Description

Customer-facing duties:

• Informing guests of COVID-19 protocols and making sure that guests follow them
• Teaching guests how to use contactless ordering technology
• Recommending menu items to guests
• Upselling menu items
• Bringing orders to tables
• Professionally handling complaints and feedback from guests

COVID-19 safety duties and expectations:

• Maintaining social distancing measures and enforcing guest social distancing
• Wearing PPE and holding staff and guests accountable for doing so as well
• Maintaining sanitization procedures
• Participating in daily temperature and symptom checks
• Holding fellow team members accountable for adhering to COVID-19-related safety measures

Use this sample job description for hiring restaurant staff by customizing it for different roles.

3. Adjust your interviewing practices

Adjust your restaurant interviews procedure by reducing or altogether eliminating in-person meetings with candidates and adding new questions around health and safety.

Want to know how to interview a restaurant manager, server, or cook remotely? Stick to phone or video interviews until it’s absolutely necessary to bring candidates into the restaurant. When candidates come in for restaurant interviews, conduct temperature, and symptom checks.

Use 7shifts’ Manager Log Book to ensure that all restaurant recruiting managers understand and follow the new restaurant interviews process.

Restaurant hiring in a pandemic: What to look for in job candidates

There’s a new layer of qualities you need to look for while hiring restaurant employees that you either haven’t had to think about before, or need to emphasize now.

For all roles, it’s important to ask how strictly job candidates adhere to COVID-19 safety measures in their personal lives. If they understand the importance of slowing the spread of the coronavirus, they’ll take pride in doing that at your restaurant too.

Here are other qualities you should look for while hiring restaurant staff based on role:

Management

• Not afraid to enforce safety measures.
• Will report rule violations.
• Able to swiftly adjust staff schedules if staff members fail health checks.
• Able to carry out traditional restaurant manager skills and responsibilities.

FOH

• Care for customer wellbeing.
• Can maintain appropriate distance from customers.
• Not afraid to hold fellow staff accountable for following COVID-19 safety measures, like wearing PPE.
• Not afraid to enforce COVID-19 safety rules for customers.
• If you’re considering asking FOH staff to work as delivery drivers, make sure they have valid drivers’ licenses, access to cars that are in good condition, car insurance, and clean driving records.

BOH

• Care for customer wellbeing.
• Not afraid to hold fellow staff accountable for following COVID-19 safety measures, like wearing PPE. Wearing masks is of utmost importance for food handlers, even if it’s hot in the kitchen!
• Able to maintain strict hygiene standards, including ensuring up-to-date food handling certification.

Candidates will also be curious about how your restaurant reacted to and fared through COVID-19, so be ready to answer questions about that.

How to adjust new hire training during COVID-19

You should aim to complete as much new staff training remotely as possible. Conduct a virtual training with all new hires that covers general procedures, like your COVID-19 protocol, employee handbook, rules and expectations, and shift scheduling. With 7shifts’ chat and announcement functions, you can share procedures and organize training sessions with staff quickly and efficiently.

Conduct in-person training on an as-needed basis.

• Keep cooks-in-training safe by staggering training times, doing one-on-one sessions, and conducting them when the restaurant is closed to ensure the kitchen isn’t crowded.
• Keep servers-in-training safe by conducting one-on-one shadowing trainings and asking trainees to maintain 6 feet/2 meters of distance between themselves, their trainers, and customers.

Once employee training has been completed—whether onboarding new employees or providing more training to existing ones—you can use the Manager Log Book to keep track of which employees have been trained on what and when. That way, any manager or owner can search the log at a later date to find which employee has what training to schedule or further train accordingly.

Wrapping up: recruiting during COVID-19

Hiring restaurant employees during the coronavirus pandemic presents new challenges for restaurants. However, it also presents an opportunity to find candidates that are great long-term fits for your restaurant’s team.

Update your job descriptions, restaurant interviews process, and training process to reflect COVID-19 safety measures to find new staff who are as serious about the health and safety of your team and guests as you are. You can easily weed out candidates who object to your new way of doing things.

Source: Ana Cvetkovic, 7Shifts

Take a closer look at some of the stats behind popular marketing methods, see what channels make the most sense, and start thinking of creative ways to reach your audience today!

This article is from The Pineapple Post newsletter – Get valuable food service insights delivered to your inbox once a week. Subscribe Today

Phase One: Get Data

Loyalty Programs

The proof is in the pudding. Here are a few statistics about restaurant loyalty programs sure to blow your mind.

Dunkin’ Donuts: 7 million active members to the DDPerks rewards program.

Panera Bread: 21 million active members with 50% of transactions happening with MyPanera cards.

Starbucks: 13 million active members with mobile orders having a 16% YOY growth, now at 7% of total sales.

Virtual Events

Virtual events are a great way to engage existing and prospective customers with your brand and offerings. Not sure how to get started? Take a look at some ideas on how restaurants can join the virtual event trend…

Entertainment: artistic and personalized experiences like corporate demos from Cocktail Academy.

Cooking classes and tastings: coordinated food delivery kits and personalized professional touches, like TeamClass, Cozymeal, or Boombox.

Advice: think of online wine classes, like Napa Valley Wine Academy or Disgorged Wines.

Contests/Giveaways

For the food and beverage industry in 2020, the top hashtag by engagement rate was #giveaway, which generated a rate of 3.65% for those companies that utilized it.

Newsletter Signup on Websites

Every $1 spent in email marketing can expect an average return of $42. No other marketing form, digital or physical, comes close to this ROI.

Phase Two: Check the Mediums

Who doesn’t like having options? But sometimes, the paradox of choice can get overwhelming.  Here are a few of your different options, based on your preferred medium.

Email

Great for developing a gathering via newsletter signups, but make sure your content is valuable to keep people from hitting that god-forsaken “UNSUBSCRIBE” button.

Newsletters

Some of the industry leaders paving the way include BBQ Bus, west~bourne, and Hedge Row.

Drip Campaigns

Increase sales opportunities by 20% with drip campaigns like welcome emails, confirmations, and birthdays.

Text/SMS

Texting is the preferred communication channel of the present, so why should your marketing be anything different?

Boston Market: currently uses SMS marketing for coupon distribution, promo offers, and to drive traffic every three or so days.

Chili’s Grill & Bar: sends SMS marketing promos every four days with currently ordering option availability.

Olive Garden: MMS coupons, SMS marketing promos, and restaurant news get sent out on a weekly basis.

Social Media

Social media is another increasingly popular marketing channel. You can boost engagement by utilizing poll features, contests, and giveaways. Here are a few ways how.

Phase Three: Get Inspired

&pizza is hardly your average run-of-the-mill pizza joint. Based out of Washington, D.C., &pizza first opened in 2012 and has since expanded to 13 locations across the local region. The core values as set forth by co-founders Michael Lastoria and Steve Salis are unique yet straightforward:

• Celebrate oneness
• Make it personal
• Keep it fresh
• Elevate everything

One year after launching, to keep in line with their core values, &pizza reached out to their following on Instagram to text them directly. A simple, cryptic message “Text Us” followed by a phone number instantly allowed consumers direct access to a real person.

#ThePizzaPlug, the name given to this marketing directive, opened doors unheard of from a company prior. According to an &pizza associate, “The Pizza Plug allows our guests to text us directly with any questions or comments, and get real answers, in real-time, from a real &pizza employee.”

The answers are coming directly from Cal Millien &pizza’s NYC digital community manager. Millien is available to answer texts Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Customers are encouraged to send texts any time, any day, though.

“We use texting for internal communications as it’s the most familiar, relatable way for us to stay connected. After seeing how texting let us build deeper relationships with our employees in real-time, we decided to expand it to our guests and take the guest experience to a whole new level.”

Phase Four: Get the Message Out

Regardless of your platform, you want your message to stick with your audience. Here are a few tips to consider when it comes to crafting your messages.

Email

The goal should be to create a monthly email that provides extraordinary value via recipes, cooking or cocktail demos, event invites, etc. Here an amazing restaurant newsletter created by Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar with “badass” offers.

Texting

Texts are brief and most effective for sending out time-sensitive information on a more intimate level. Taco Bell, Papa Murphy’s, and Subway and making moves in the SMS marketing world.

Social Media

Choose the platform where you have the most engagement and create a contest that demands interaction. You know what matters to your guests so it should be easy to tempt them into engaging. Respond to every comment inviting them to the restaurant just like Sweetgreen.

This article is from The Pineapple Post newsletter – Get valuable food service insights delivered to your inbox once a week. Subscribe Today

Perhaps that’s why Meal Kits were the second most popular new entrée item added in late 2020, according to Technomic. Meal kits for multiple people are proving especially popular among busy families who want to get lunch and dinner on the table quickly with minimal effort.

In fact, Technomic data reveals that about one-third (34%) of 18- to 34-year-olds are likely to purchase family meal bundles, including meal kits. By offering multiportion kits that feature comfort foods (including items such as sliders, fried chicken, pasta dishes, and pizza) operators can leverage the fact that consumers are continuing to turn to these family favorites—especially when they’re updated to add interest and appeal.

From an operational perspective, meal kits help with cross-utilization and the search for new sales. Ingredients and prep can have multiple applications, while the kits themselves can be promoted across varied dayparts, menu categories, or service modes (including takeout, delivery, and grab-and-go).

In addition, meal kits can put house specialties or other customer favorites in the hands of more patrons, including those who prefer to dine at home rather than on-premise. These DIY meal packages provide a chef-quality experience that helps build and maintain customer loyalty.

Pairing the entrée with the diner’s choice of side(s) and an appetizer, dessert, and/or beverage creates a diverse meal kit that builds sales and satisfies any craving.

Many large chains have created meal kits around popular existing menus, such as Blaze Pizza’s DIY Pizza Kits with dough, sauce, and toppings for one, two, or four people; and Lazy Dog’s Backyard BBQ “pantry kit,” which includes steaks, hot dogs and buns, ingredients for a hot dog toppings bar, red potatoes, and coleslaw fixings.

Meal kits also offer an opportunity to innovate. Though known for its sandwiches, last spring Chik-fil-A introduced a Chicken Parmesan meal kit for two, featuring pre-measured and ready-to-heat ingredients (two seasoned, breaded, and pressure-cooked Original Chick-fil-A Chicken filets, marinara sauce, Italian-style cheeses, and creamy garlic and lemon pasta) and an easy, step-by-step recipe to prepare a meal for two in 30 minutes. The kit could also be customized upon request by substituting the Original Chicken filets for Grilled or Spicy filets.

In addition to providing food and beverages, meal kits that include an experience component, such as a theme or shareability, are apt to be more appealing.

1. Add a kit component, such as a salad that can be tossed with dressing or a dessert to reheat and finish, to a larger fully prepared takeout meal package.
2. Curate a full dinner experience with DIY cocktails, multiple courses, wine, and a chef-guided prep video so that customers can enjoy a restaurant-level meal at home.
3. Pack cold cuts, cheeses, and condiments for DIY sandwiches into a returnable picnic basket or a branded tote bag for an outdoor adventure.
4. Portion and price meal kits by the person for families, coworkers, groups of friends, and other large orders.
5. Create beverage kits—smoothies, fortified or enhanced juices, and batchable cocktails—for multiple services. For example, a sangria kit could include a bottle of wine, cut fruit and other garnishes, and brandy for a group.
6. Develop one-size-fits-all modular meal kits, such as basic pasta or pizza that can be customized with various proteins, sauces, and other toppings.
7. Put meal kits in the grab-and-go case along with prepared, ready-to-eat items.
8. Consider family-style breakfast and brunch kits with all the ingredients needed for favorites like pancakes or hash.
9. Add meal kits to online ordering systems to make them more convenient.
10. Be sure to provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions for all meal-kit offerings.
11. Investigate in-house or third-party delivery services or partner with an online marketplace, in addition to more usual takeout/pickup.
12. Observe all safety protocols including not only sanitation and food safety but also touch-free options like pay-ahead and curbside pickup.

Sources: Technomic, New Item Trends, U.S., Q3 2020 – Technomic (November 2020); Technomic, August 2020 Off-Premise COVID-19 Menus: Food & Beverage Report

Content courtesy of Nestle Professional

Technically there is no “red meat season”, but if I had to pull one out of thin air, the kickoff would be July.

Summer is the season for grillin’, chillin’ and letting your internal carnivore come to the dinner party.

What did the perfectly-rested steak say to the prematurely-sliced steak?
You need a rest… you’re bleeding.

“What cut should I use?”

There is no good answer. I could tell you what cuts of beef you should use & those you should steer clear of – however, it is simply a matter of personal likes vs. product use vs. your grocery budget. Other considerations include how you will be using the product. Will you be using a slow cooking technique, like braising or smoking? Are you going for a quick seared steak presentation? Will you be roasting and shaving for sandwiches? Once a clear path of production/use has been paved, your account executive (or myself) can better assist in steering you in the right direction.

There is no bad cut of beef, but there is improper product handling that can lead to unsatisfactory finished product. The rule of thumb is to choose heavily used muscles (higher use of muscle + stronger protein structure with less marbling) for longer cooking methods, such as slow smoking, braising and slow roasting. On the opposite side, a lesser used muscle (better marbling due to muscle inactivity) is suitable for quick cook techniques such as grilling, searing and slow roasting.

Be sure to place careful consideration when choosing the perfect cut for your platform. Beef is a big expense, so don’t overspend on a tender cut if you plan to treat it like a tough cut. On the flip-side, don’t use a tough cut like a tender cut and expect a suitable outcome.

If you choose wisely, season well and use proper cooking techniques, you will be hitting menu home runs all day long.

For more information about Beef from Dennis, check out these pages:

BBQ Foodservice   Rangeline Meat & Provisions   Premium Beef Products

Chef Tim’s Surf & Turf

By Luke LaBree
CMO, Dennis Food Service

Let’s start by acknowledging the fact that you are busy. You probably “don’t have time to take photos,”… not to mention finding the time to do anything with them. And, if you were to find the time, you’re still not quite sure what to take photos of. If that sounds like you, then this article is most definitely for you.

First, I’ll share with you an excerpt from “Grow Your Foodservice Business with Content Marketing” But, the just of it is, photos of your operation “doing its thing” are beneficial to your business.

“Content is as important to your digital presence and marketing efforts as the food you serve is to your dining room. It shows who you are, what you do, and what you’re capable of – but most importantly – it can impact a visitor’s decision to return. Like a great meal, great content helps customers establish an affinity for your business and brand.”

Every piece of content you put out should include a visual. Your visuals can be a photo, video, or some other graphic. Please do not mistake this to mean that anything goes. Keep it real. Preferably it shows your real food, establishment, or people. For this article, we’ll focus on photos. Why? Because a high-quality picture is an easy way to add “stopping power” to your posts. Hopefully, enticing people to slow their scroll long enough to read what you’re putting out there and absorb a little bit of your brand. It also provides an honest visual context of your business – the type of context that helps consumers make decisions.

As I said, the intent of this article is not to convince you to take photos. It’s how to make your photo-taking efforts more productive. My goal is to help you carve out more time for photography, grow a library of photos and improve the quality of an image before it’s used as content.

How to carve out time for photography

1)    The “best smartphone available” should be a part of your yearly budget. Using the latest technology ensures you’re getting the highest resolution images possible by taking advantage of new lenses, sensors, and software. Today’s modestly-upper-end smartphones have HDR (High Dynamic Range) sensors and processing features that capture beautiful photos in even the worst lighting conditions. Plus, better pictures on the first try means you’ll be more encouraged to keep taking pictures!

2)    Scout your establishment for the best “scenes.” Walkthrough your dining areas and kitchen, view the world through your camera, and discover your best picture-taking locations. I find it handy to carry around a test subject, like a cheeseburger or a salad. Make a note of the areas that are:

• Adequately lit or have unique lighting. (Natural light is always a winner, but things like heat lamps and spotlights can be interesting/unique light sources too.)
• Visually engaging, seasonal, and exclusive to your operation or methods.
• Suitable for providing context about your facility, people, and general atmosphere.
• Ideal for showing staff performing their duties without interfering.
• Highlight customer activity, again without interfering.

3)    Make sure your staff knows what’s up. Picture this scenario. You see a moment to capture a great shot. The chef is just about to pour a ladle of sauce over your signature entrée. You take your phone out to capture the magic, and then the chef sees you and stops. “No,” you say, “Keep going.” Quickly they pour the sauce, but it’s before you can get your camera ready, and the moment is gone. 

My recommendation for taking photographs in an active foodservice establishment is to instruct staff “not to stop” if they see the camera coming. Only if they asked directly, “Hey Tim, can I get a photo of you/that?” should they stop for a picture. This simple instruction enables you to more effectively capture “action shots,” which can be more exciting and contextual than their “still life” counterparts, helping you better tell your story. It also means the camera is less likely to interrupt staff during busy meal times.

4)    Snap, snap, snap and snap. To get a few great photos, you need to take a lot of OK ones. There is generally no concern about running out of storage space when sending your photos to the cloud. Yes, they’re on your device too. The short version is that cloud syncing utilizes compression and other technical stuff to make your photos exist in both places. Modern devices add to this convenience even more with faster processors, increasing storage capacities in every new model, and gigabyte level cloud services. The best photo you get might be the first one, but it doesn’t hurt to snap five more and a bit of video before putting your phone back in your pocket.

5)    Look for opportunities to tell a story or show a process. The dishes you serve aren’t delivered to you cooked and plated. Show what it takes to get to the finished product. What goes into creating your best sellers? Is there a from-scratch step? Is there a local ingredient you can highlight? The finished glamor shot or “still life” of a plated dish will always have appeal, but your visitors also appreciate an insider’s perspective. A peek behind the scenes is an opportunity to differentiate. Any reason you can give a potential customer to choose your food over the similar-looking food down the street increases the potential they’ll choose you over a competitor. And, don’t worry if you miss a step. Chances are you’ll have multiple opportunities in a shift to capture production shots of your top sellers.

6)    Review them later. Nothing slows you down faster than worrying and reviewing. Did I get the picture? Is it any good? Reiterate point number four to yourself. Snap, snap, snap. Let them go to the cloud. 

To help prevent photography (something that is essential preparation for the marketing of your business) from becoming a point of stress, set aside time when you’re not as busy to review and select your “keepers.” 

7)    Shoot for next week, today. Sure, there will be things that happen “in the moment,” which you’ll want to post right away. But, in general, patience is the better practice. If you set a goal of capturing 100 share-worthy photos in a week, you’d be able to post using a new image every day for 14 weeks before needing to take more pictures. And chances are, you wouldn’t go 14 weeks without taking more pictures. 

100 photos overwhelming? Take 30 photos tomorrow from those select 14 keepers. Now you’ve got visuals for seven days’ worth of Facebook and Instagram posts covered.

Manage and grow your library of photos

Let your photos go to the cloud. Incorporating “the cloud” into your photography workflow enables you to view, edit and manage your pictures from any of your devices. Cloud syncing not only helps reduce the stress points mentioned above, but it also helps reduce real-world bottlenecks such as:

• Limited device storage space. 
• Files sizes that create sharing limitations (especially with video). 
• Ease of access for staff or 3rd party content creators.
• Trying to find that one picture from months or years ago.

Even if you’ve never considered these as bottlenecks to your marketing efforts, they are. With the cloud, they’re a lot easier to manage. Apple and Android include some level of cloud service by default, with an easy upgrade option available. Plus, there are 3rd party platforms available such as Dropbox and OneDrive, with free and low-cost tiers.

Share your cloud. In addition to using the cloud to share a library of photos with your marketing team or content creators, you can also provide “upload” access to select individuals. You could choose to instruct your staff to take photos “when and where appropriate.” And if that’s something you’re comfortable with trying. Well, you’ve just enabled a new source of images to come directly to your library. Want to take it one step further? Credit the staff member who took the photo when you post it online, or reward staff with a gift card during your monthly, internal “staff photo contest.”

Narrow down to your “favorites”… “Hey, thanks a lot, Luke! Now I have to scroll through 200 photos of someone making scrambled eggs. Snap, snap, snap my ass.” Yes, it’s true. This method leads to large photo libraries and redundant images. But that’s OK, and here’s why. On Apple and Android devices, you can tag photos as “Favorites.” Currently, on both platforms, that function is indicated by a “heart” icon. Click the heart to add the selected photo to your album of favorites. The next time you’re looking for a picture to post, you can skip “All Photos” and head right to your “Favorites” album. This strategy saves time otherwise spent “looking for the good one” when you want it and time perseverating over numerous options. Plus, if you’re working with an external content creator, they’ll know which of the 200 scrambled egg pictures you prefer they use.

Don’t trash the unused photos. Yes, you can delete the blurry pictures and the shots where someone stepped in front of the camera. But, the other “OK” photos can come in handy for several reasons, such as:

• You want to promote something several weeks in a row and know you should use a different picture each time you post.
• You want to promote something on multiple platforms simultaneously (Facebook and Instagram, for example). You know that the best practice is to use different photos for each so that the users who follow you on both platforms see slightly different visuals. This reinforces the need for them to engage you on multiple platforms. (Using the same content, at the same time, on multiple platforms has the opposite effect over time.)
• When playing the role of photographer, we sometimes click the “video” button by mistake and end up with a short video clip instead of a photo. No problem, pause the video and scroll to the point where you wanted a picture. Then take a screenshot.
• Sometimes we take a photo but wish we’d gotten a video. Most modern smartphones now take what is called “live” photos… the photo turns into a video when you press/hold or choose the playback option. These “live” photos can be exported as video clips. That bad photo might be a great video clip in disguise.

Here’s the key takeaway on trashing photos. Unless you’re on the verge of running out of cloud storage space and no upgrade options are available, keep all your photos except for the very worst.

Improve the quality of photos for better content

I’ve used digital photography and Adobe Photoshop for over 20 years. I can tell you with absolute certainty that there has never been a better, easier, or more accessible time than now for the average individual to take, edit and share stunning imagery. That “power in your hands” is increasing daily with advances in technology. Again, this is why I recommend that a high-end smartphone makes your list of indispensable restaurant equipment.

SnapSeed is a powerful photo editing application (or app) for smartphones and tablets. It’s also a completely free app and is available for both Apple and Android devices. SnapSeed features around 30 different tools and filters which let you easily turn your average-looking food photos into mouthwatering masterpieces. The feature set alone is enough to warrant a separate, lengthy article. Bottom line, I highly encourage you to download the app and experiment with it for yourself.

One of my favorite features in SnapSeed is the “Undo” option. SnapSeed’s ability to review the changes you’ve made to your images is unprecedented. It gives you the standard ability to undo the last change you made, as well as the ability to view all the edits you’ve made and then edit them individually. SnapSeed also lets you save your photo, open it back up later, and still have the ability to adjust or remove any of your edits. 

In practice, this means that you can use SnapSeed to turn one of your pictures into a gorgeous black and white photograph, and then a few weeks later decide to share a color version with some stylized text as a social media promotion. It can all be done using one photo and SnapSeed. The undo-magic comes from SnapSeed’s convenient export feature. Choose the first option, “Save,” which saves your photo with changes you can undo. You can also choose “Save a copy” or “Export,” which both leave your original photo completely untouched.

Suggested workflow for using SnapSeed to improve your photos

1. Take a whole bunch of pictures.
2. Review your photos for “keepers” and add them to your Favorites album.
3. Let all the rest, except for the very worst, go to the cloud.
4. Edit your keepers in SnapSeed

Next, polish your pictures SnapSeed

1. Open the SnapSeed app, then click “Open” to open a photo.
2. Choose “Open from Device”
3. Choose “Albums”
4. Choose your “Favorites” album
5. Choose the photo you want to edit.

Example

As an example, I’ll be using (this) an average-looking photo, which I took using my iPhone earlier this month. It’s an image that could have been taken at thousands of restaurants around the country. And that’s the point. I want this to be relevant to real-world use. The edits we’re focusing on are basic adjustments to enhance your photos. We’re not aiming to win a major photography award here. We’re taking small steps toward improving your visual content.

To the photo, I made minor tone and color adjustments. I noticed crumbs on the stainless steel, which are easy to remove with the healing tool. The top and right sides were also a bit distracting, and so I cropped out the gas line and heating element in the service window.

The Edits

1. “Healing” tool to remove the crumbs (Green)
2. “Crop” out the distracting elements from the top and right sides (Red)
3. “Lens blur” to put additional focus on the burger (Blue)
4. “Vignette” to darken the outside and bring more attention to the burger, lightening the inside to make the burger pop just a little bit more (Yellow)
5. “Tune Image” to very slightly adjust the “Ambience” and “Saturation” to improve the tone of the image.

Before & After

Lastly, here a few tips to keep in mind when editing your photos.

• A little goes a long way. Please don’t overdo it. It doesn’t take much for food photographs to look over-processed.
• Start with the basics first… Color correction, Cropping and rotating, Healing, Tuning shadows and highlights.
• Use the Vignette and Lens blur tools “lightly.” I’ll even admit that I’m not completely satisfied with the lens blur I added in this photo, as it feels a little forced. But not many people will notice, so don’t perseverate too long. Push it out and move on.
• Explore the “Text” tool, but use it selectively and sparingly. Overuse has the potential to become a distraction that can take away from your photo’s appeal.

Remember… Snap, snap, snap. Review when you can. Love the ones you like. Use SnapSeed to export a mouthwatering masterpiece that you’ll post next week.