And the Winner is …

VSAG client Terrapin Restaurant has been selected to receive the 2011 Best of Virginia Beach ‘Best of Local Business’ Award. This award is given by the American Restaurants category of the US Commerce Association (USCA), a national advocacy group for small businesses and business entrepreneurs.

The prestigious, annual USCA award recognizes outstanding local businesses that demonstrate exceptional quality of service and marketing success in their local areas, while enhancing the positive image of small business through service to their customers and their community.

In recognition of this achievement, Terrapin receives the 2011 Best of Virginia Beach Award, designed for display at the restaurant for all their guests, who have supported them and therefore contributed to their restaurant’s development and success, to see.

We congratulate Terrapin on receiving this recognition for their restaurant’s service to the Virginia Beach community.

Coffee. The mere mention of the word can conjure up visions of warm family gatherings, an intimate date night, a casual business meeting or a fun-filled laugh session with friends. And to think, all that fun fits into one cup o’ joe.

Since the average US consumer drinks 240 cups of coffee a year, we know that coffee has made its way into the mainstream.  But, not all coffee houses should be just average or mainstream … you want to create a coffee house that is unique and modern, yet inviting and warm, not a place that only provides a jolt of caffeine but one that creates and experience.

In performing hospitality consulting, we spend a lot of time travelling and checking out concepts all over the country and the world.  Through our travels, we’ve identified a variety of concepts that we think represent the future of coffee houses.  We love Starbucks as much as the next person, but we are really inspired by brands like Intelligentsia, La Colombe, Blue Bottle and Farm to Cup who have taken the coffee experience – from bean to coffeehouse to customized coffee programs —  to the next level.

For those brands, it’s not just about the beans, although that is very much part of it.   These successful new generation coffee companies are committed to the beans and everything that goes into growing them.  This attention translates to the bricks and mortar coffee shops these brands operate or sell to:  there is as much attention to the materials used in the décor, the food they serve, the music that plays in the background and more.

So, how do you make the step to enhancing your coffee program?  The first step is an easy one:  Treat coffee like you would any other ingredient.  Coffee beans are so versatile: they come from different places in the world, have different flavor profiles and will contribute a different brew so feel free to experiment and try different coffees until you find one that suits your needs.

As the cold winter air seeps through the windows and the snow begins to fall, diners begin to crave hearty dishes that can comfort and warm them up all winter long.  Smart restaurants and restaurant business plans include taking stock of the season and create a menu that add little heat to the winter doldrums and brings guests back for more.

At VSAG, we use our menu development expertise to create specialized winter offerings that work well within the confines of any restaurant’s branding.  We believe that every season – just like every restaurant – has its own culinary direction. Spring and summer menus are filled with lighter fare that appeals to the freedom of being outdoors, with freshly picked fruit being a main ingredient. And the fall harvest prepares us for the forthcoming chill in the air, with apple, pumpkin and other hearty produce taking center stage.

Not sure what’s in season?  Take a look at Epicurious’ Winter Seasonal Produce Map or Local Harvest to get a sense of what’s in season when near you.

This winter let us help create the perfect seasonal menu for your restaurant. Our innovative chefs have the experience and the seasonal culinary know-how to satisfy your guests’ appetites for creative menu items.  Warming up your restaurant this winter with a seasonal menu your guests has never tasted so good.

The holiday season is finally upon us. It’s the time of the year where people gather around to share gifts and love for one another. It’s a joyous time filled with great food and drink, and it’s an excellent time for restaurants to market specialty items and selections geared toward the holiday season. So what can restaurants do to help their cause?

If you’re not using social media as part of your restaurant business plans, you may be missing out. Retailers know this and capitalize on it during Black Friday. It’s estimated that those with smart phones access the Internet through smart phones at least once a day. Many will use Twitter or Facebook to let friends and followers know the hottest current deals. Retailers are using these sites and others to reveal special promotions and other pieces of information to these savvy tech users.

Restaurants can do the same thing. Having a strong online presence can widely promote restaurant deals, new products or whatever else there is to promote. Restaurant consultants are constantly pointing to the importance of social media. As millions of shoppers are out there buying for their loved ones, they will need to eat somewhere (they even can buy a gift card from a restaurant as a gift). In that same regard, as friends and family greet each other after a long absence, they will need to have somewhere to congregate. A restaurant which capitalizes on social media promotions will certainly gain an edge for those who are looking to dine during the holidays.

More and more people are using social media sites as a go-to source for new places to visit – including new dining spots. Active participation in social media may be the tipping point for restaurants to enjoy a fruitful holiday season. Make social media an active part of your restaurant business plans. Happy Holidays!

Any restaurant consulting expert will tell you that marketing and branding is essential for a restaurant to succeed. Whether you’re a new restaurant owner or one solidified in your market, you need good marketing to stay relevant. One successful tactic is to personify your brand and promote the faces behind the names – and dishes.

Wendy’s was built on this premise, with owner Dave Thomas serving as the face of the brand throughout the 80s and 90s.  After Dave passed away, Wendy’s lost that personal connection, until recently, when Wendy (yes, that Wendy, all grown up) began to appear in the commercials.  The fact that she was launching a new product is certainly related but not the point.  Wendy’s has always been about the personal connection:  our family cares about what your family is eating.

This personal connection makes the customer feel connected and like they matter. They also feel that that the product the restaurant puts out was created with the customer in mind. The friendly face of Dave and now the friendly face of Wendy imply that personal connection and provide a lasting image that can create a base filled with new and repeat customers.

If you own or operate a restaurant, one successful tactic is to put a face behind the product. Whether it’s a gregarious chef of a fine dining restaurant or a host who will keep the patrons happy, guests patronize a restaurant as often for the front of the house as the food.  A restaurant consulting expert can help you find that face or image to keep your customers connected to the people behind your brand.

How fast is too fast for your fast food? That may be the question facing many quick service food chains pretty soon. The popularity of online and mobile app-based ordering has reached new heights for many casual dining chains like Five Guys and Chipotle. Pizza has been in on the trend as well. Many pizza restaurants and chains allow you to order your food from home or on the road from your mobile phone or tablet. It offers an added layer of convenience and customization. However, should fast food restaurants incorporate online and mobile ordering into their restaurant services? It’s really a tough call.

For the most part, fast food restaurants have veered away from the idea of mobile and online ordering because of the logistics involved. Fast food restaurants are already geared towards fast, convenient food and some feel that mobile and online ordering may interfere with these operation plans or affect the quality of the food. It was never cost-effective as many customers are on-the-go or in a hurry anyway. However, with the successes mentioned above, some quick service restaurants are beginning to question whether there might be a market for online ordering in quick-service restaurants too.

Recent news from Sonic Drive-In restaurants suggests that this may be the case. Sonic will be testing out online ordering in a select number of its restaurants in Arizona. Snapfinger, the service provider that includes several restaurant chains like Subway, Baja Fresh, and Outback says that it has the technology to ensure that food quality doesn’t go down. If this is the case, food consultants might encourage more online ordering in quick-service restaurants. It should be interesting to see what the future holds.

Congratulations to VSAG friend and client, Terrapin Chef Rodney Einhorn, on having been invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard Foundation.  Chef Einhorn will bring his culinary talents to NYC’s Beard House on November 29^th, during a celebration of Robert Foley Wines.

An acclaimed culinarian, Chef Rodney has received praise from critics and patrons alike, and participating in this prominent event is just another achievement in the professional career of this imaginative chef.

Named the 2007 Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine magazine, Robert Foley’s Napa Valley portfolio attracts raves with every new vintage.  According to the James Beard House, “[Foley's] bold and expressive wines are a natural match for Rodney Einhorn’s modern approach to classic New American cuisine.

We wish Chef Rodney much success at the event – and bon appetit!

For more information about this event, please go to: http://www.jamesbeard.org/index.php?q=events_beardhouse_112911

Principal Dan Simons with recipient, Lily Belter

Soon the school year at George Washington University will come to a close, and one student in particular has VSAG, Founding Farmers and Farmers & Fishers restaurants in her corner, with a $5,000 scholarship to help get her closer to her BBA from the GW School of Business in 2012.   Lily Belter was selected as the first recipient of the new Scholarship for Sustainable Hospitality, and over the next four years four other students will be selected to receive the $5,000 prize.

Last fall, VSAG Principal and GW School of Business ’92 alumni Dan Simons presented the award to Lily at Founding Farmers in Washington, D.C., just two blocks from campus.  VSAG Principals Dan Simons and Michael Vucurevich have committed to to continue awarding this scholarship for a total of five years, seeing the scholarship as a way of not only helping to support a bright future for a student that will make very positive contributions to the preservation of the earth and our environment, but also as a way to give back in support of the GWU community.  ”We’re really proud to see someone as accomplished and as motivated as Lily be our first Scholarship for Sustainable Hospitality recipient.  It’s encouraging and fulfilling to know that issues of earth-friendly practices are as important to the next generation as they are to us,” offered Simons. Both Dan and Mike have greatly influenced and contributed to more sustainable practices and awareness through the restaurant community (and beyond) in D.C. since launching Founding Farmers in 2008, the region’s first LEED Gold Certified Restaurant, and one that continues to draw thousands of guests a week.

Congratulations to VSAG client, Terrapin restaurant in Virginia Beach, on being one of the top 50 US restaurants to win the coveted, “Diners’ Choice Award for Restaurants Providing the Best Service,” awarded by OpenTable, a leading online provider of restaurant reservations and guest management systems.

Winners of this prestigious award were chosen after more than 7 million OpenTable diners submitted reviews on their service experience at over 12,000 restaurants throughout the US over the course of the last year.

Terrapin, which opened in 2006, offers guests modern, yet classic American fare, with a dedication to using local and sustainable ingredients. Chef Rodney Einhorn helped design a space to compliment his innovative cuisine, and provide guests with the exceptional service experience they were honored for.

We wish Terrapin continued success and congratulations again on this well-deserved Best Service recognition.

For more information on Terrapin,please visit www.terrapinvirginiabeach.com

In the restaurant business (or in any business, really), when there’s two people in a room, somehow there’s going to be three opinions.  While this can be frustrating, any smart operator knows the value of opinions and harnesses that as a secret weapon as they develop their concept. 

In the service industry, opinions never stop.  People (involved or not….experienced or not…) have opinions every step of the way during planning, strategic growth, concept development and implementation.  And we’re not just talking about your designer, Director of Operations or Chef … we’re talking about your Mother, or your fish purveyor or your landlord.  And the opinions don’t stop once you’ve made and implemented your decisions:  in fact, a slew of new opinions will begin to flow the moment guests walk through the door. 

A strategic operator knows that the earlier you seek out opinions – from those related to your project and not – the better prepared you will be for the public reception of your project.  Nothing is more frustrating that getting feedback on something that is too late to change.  The earlier you seek out opinions – from your designer and chef but also your mother or newspaper deliveryman – the less you’ll have to rethink a decision you spent money and time on.

Now, we’re not saying to grab the next person who walks by on the street – be strategic in your opinion seekers, and seek balanced, informed people to weigh in.  Opinions are subjective and it’s important to remember that the foodie friend you ask for feedback on your menu may just not like salmon.  But the more of the right people you consult, the more you are doing research on how the public and consumer will receive your venture.   And this may save you headache – and heartache – in the long run.