Making a Menu: Guest Grievances, Personal Preferences, and Assessing Sales Analytics

Making a Menu: Guest Grievances, Personal Preferences, and Assessing Sales Analytics

Author: Kara Restaurant Group November 1, 2023 Duration: 14:27

Whether you own one restaurant or a few, you know you’re always working to refine your menu. From seasonal menu refreshes to weekend specials, it’s a constant exercise in expressing your creativity and accepting constructive feedback from colleagues and customers. So, when a dish isn’t selling well or is consistently getting negative feedback, what do you do? Nikos, Peter, and Yianni are discussing:

  • What do you do when a dish on your menu gets consistently negative feedback?
  • Should you add a special that is successful to your regular menu?
  • Do you revise your menu if a few items don’t sell often?
  • Are you more likely to order a restaurant special if the server describes it well?
  • Does Restaurant Punk have any viewers/listeners left in Kentucky, Texas, or Maryland anymore?

Behind every great meal is a story that’s often messy, chaotic, and surprisingly funny. Restaurant Punk is that story, told straight from the trenches by the team behind Kara Restaurant Group. This isn't a polished, corporate guide. It's the raw, unfiltered conversation that happens after hours, where decades of hard-won experience collide with the absurd reality of running restaurants. You'll hear the kind of hilarious, cringe-worthy anecdotes that only come from a life spent in hospitality, paired with genuinely humbling advice on building a business that actually treats people well-staff and guests alike. Each episode feels like pulling up a stool next to veterans who have seen it all, offering a necessary release valve for the industry's daily pressures and a spark of inspiration for entrepreneurs brave enough to try it themselves. It’s a blend of business savvy, artistic struggle, and comedic relief, all served up without the pretense. Tune into this podcast for a unique mix of lessons learned the hard way and the unvarnished truth about creating a place where people want to be, all delivered with the kind of energy that keeps the kitchen-and the conversation-moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 219

Restaurant Punk
Podcast Episodes
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The Ketchup Catch-Up: Restaurant Practices and Rules of Refilling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
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Bad Busser Habits: What Are Servers’ Assistants Responsible For? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:00
A member of Kara Restaurant Group recently developed a training manual for bussers/server assistants. Among the many do’s and don’t, one rule stood out to Yianni: Should bussers have any interactions with guests, or shou…
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Duration: 14:12
It’s a question as old as time – or at least as old as the first restaurant: how did you create your menu? When you’re working in the hospitality industry or any creative profession, it can become challenging to remain i…
Nickel and Dime Dining: Why Do Restaurants Add Extra Fees? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
Dining out can be expensive, especially when the restaurant starts adding on charges left and right. From corkage fees to plate sharing upcharges and everything in between, Nick, Noelle, and Peter are diving into why bus…
Acquiring An A-Team: Hiring for Hospitality in Seasonal Towns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:35
When you operate a restaurant or bar business in a highly seasonal community, how should you approach hiring? Do you only onboard team members who can stick it out 12 months a year, or should you consider hiring employee…