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New diners, new opportunities: how restaurants turn first-timers into VIPs

In 2019 a whopping 70% of OpenTable reservations came from diners booking a restaurant for the first time. Given that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression, we reached out to restaurant owners and managers to learn more about their approach to serving new guests. While it starts with the reservation, that’s really just the beginning. The way the restaurant uses information, trains staff, shares data with servers, records preferences and experiences, and ultimately serves diners are all crucial to turning first-timers into regulars and VIPs.

New or Not?

While you may be able to tell if a diner is new to a restaurant from a reservation, it’s also possible that you won’t know. One person may be reserving for a group, so even if the person reserving isn’t new to a restaurant, someone else in the party could be. 

Of course, the easiest way to find out if they are new to the restaurant is to ask. But should you ask? 

At Saffron Nola, a James Beard-nominated Indian restaurant with Cajun influences in New Orleans, general manager Taylor Adams says yes. 

“We like to ask guests whether it is their first time with us,” he explains. “If we don’t recognize the patron as a regular, we look at a guest’s booking history with the restaurant. Of course, they may have visited before under a different account or with friends, but there is a distinct chance that an account booked via OpenTable with no previous record is a new guest, and many also choose to note that it is their first time under booking notes.” 

Likewise, at Ocean Prime restaurants, Director of Training Tricia Finke shares that servers are given a preview of what is printed from OpenTable when guests are seated. Managers also encourage service staff to ask if guests have dined with at the restaurant before. 

“When making reservations, we train our guest services team to make sure we are getting our guest’s name, accurate phone number, and email address so we are able to identify if they have dined with us before,” she says. 

Jerry Tabije, the general manager at Trailblazer Tavern in San Francisco, says he spends much of his day identifying first-time diners and VIPs. Being able to see who’s been and how often they’ve been in is a big advantage. 

Nearby at Perbacco, owner Umberto Gibin says that while it isn’t a general practice for servers to ask if diners are new, some servers do. It also depends somewhat on when they are dining. “At lunch we have a lot of repeat guests; at dinner we have travelers and locals. With everyone, we listen to what they say.”

Service & Training

It comes as no surprise that it’s important to treat all guests well, regardless of whether it’s their first visit to the restaurant or not. But should they be treated differently if they are new? 

According to Finke, no. “We treat new guests and returning guests very similarly because we believe every guest is a VIP. We train our associates to get to know our guests by genuinely interacting and understanding their wants and needs. It starts with their water preference, to the way they enjoy their steak and continues until we learn their favorite after dinner drink or dessert.” 

At Saffron, Adams says they train staff to read guests’ energy and gauge whether or not a guest would like pointers to navigating the unique menu and experience. “In our pre-shift meetings, we discuss specific guests for the night, emphasizing any notes regarding dietary restrictions, preferences, or special occasions,” he says. 

A high-touch experience is something Gibin strives for, too. He adds, “If the server sees the guest is hesitant or doesn’t understand the menu, if they are less sophisticated, a little extra care goes a long way.”

“I talk with my team before shifts to highlight what we can do,” says Tabije. “It doesn’t mean you have give away the house, but people are looking for the experience. Putting them at a table where you know they’ll have a good time, we curate the experience—if they order a couple of appetizers and they are vegetarian, we might send out an amuse to try out that’s also vegetarian.”  [Read more…]

Beyond zero food waste with Zero Foodprint

The USDA estimates that 30 to 40% of the United States’ food supply is wasted, so it’s not surprising that one key element of the zero waste movement is reducing food waste in particular. 

Some cities like San Francisco and New York are passing legislation to achieve the goal of zero waste, and restaurants in Europe – such as Silo in the UK, Amass in Denmark, and Nolla in Finland – have become models of zero waste. It’s not clear whether those efforts will be enough to combat climate change, but according to Anthony Myint, one of the founders of Zero Foodprint and the Perennial Farming Initiative, restaurants hold the key to literally reversing global warming through regenerative agriculture. 

If that sounds crazy, it’s important to note that very recent research shows that removing carbon from the soil is a major solution – perhaps even the primary solution – to the climate crisis. Recognizing that the restaurant industry represents the biggest economic sector in the food system (beating retail and agriculture), Zero Foodprint not only helps restaurants to improve sustainable practices, reduce food waste, and become carbon neutral, but also to fund regenerative agriculture by connecting diners, restaurants, and farmers. 

“Many restaurateurs are pretty disconnected from farming, so they don’t understand the potential that the 8 billion acres of farmland and grassland represent to society in terms of turning bad atmospheric carbon into good soil carbon,” Myint explains. “They also don’t understand the actual levers for change.” 

Myint says that nature can heal itself quickly as soil increases in vitality, and as atmospheric carbon becomes living things in the soil. A ranch that sells cows into a feedlot may not have the money or resources to switch to grass-fed practices, but “society needs them to use that land to take carbon out of the atmosphere.” With a different model, the same ranch might be able to pull enough carbon out of the atmosphere each year to offset the emissions of millions of gallons of gas. 

“This program allows an average restaurant, and by extension, the average citizen, to invest in projects on the land,” says Myint.

The Zero Foodprint website details their crowdfunding approach to capturing emissions through farming, using restaurants as the engine and the science behind the project. A few cents from every meal at a participating restaurant (1% added to the customer’s bill) adds up to provide the funds needed for farms to switch to renewable farming practices, or restaurants can participate by going carbon neutral, which begins with an audit, called the Life Cycle Assessment.

While most Zero Foodprint restaurants are in San Francisco, New York, and Copenhagen, we spoke with three chefs and restaurateurs in other parts of the country to learn how they have adopted more sustainable practices in partnership with Zero Foodprint. 

Audit

The Zero Foodprint program requires a Life Cycle Assessment, which gauges the climate impact of operations in the restaurant. 

For chef and restaurateur Stephen Williams of Bouquet in Covington, Kentucky, the audit was fairly easy. As a farm-to-table restaurant, he says, “we were already composting and using compostable paper and little to no plastic. Most of our food is locally sourced. It just took time to fill out the form.” 

Executive chef and co-partner Kevin Fink of Emmer & Rye in Austin, Texas agrees, adding that an energy audit from your city is an easy first step that allows you to “recognize very quickly where you’re wasting energy.” 

Chef-owner Ryan Ratino of Bresca in Washington DC points out the simple, achievable changes, noting that a lot of ideas save money without impacting the guest experience. “We eliminated 80% of the gas in the kitchen – there’s one gas range and everything else is electric or wood fire,” he says. [Read more…]

What’s cooking with cannabis?

Join us as we look at some of the biggest dining trends of 2020. Today, it’s all about cannabis and CBD in restaurants – read on, then download our Year in Review infographic here.

It’s easy to be confused when it comes to cannabis – understanding the plants, chemical compounds, and laws can all be a bit complicated. But one thing is perfectly clear: the popularity and accessibility of cannabis is on the rise. 

New Frontier Data predicts that in 2020, legal marijuana sales will earn over $19 billion in the US and Canada. With up to another dozen states anticipating legalization of recreational marijuana in 2020 according to industry publication Marijuana Business Daily, it’s a good time to see where we’ve been and where we might be headed. Read on to learn what’s on the menu when it comes to cannabis and restaurants. 

The lowdown

Cannabis is a flowering plant, and hemp is cannabis cultivated for non-drug use with very little THC, the main psychoactive compound. Another cannabinoid, called cannabidiol (CBD) is not psychoactive, but has been said to offer medically useful properties (how the compounds work together is still being studied).

According to the US Federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana and cannabis are considered “controlled substances,” and are illegal to possess for any purpose. However, many states have passed laws allowing for medicinal or recreational use of cannabis. 

The 2018 farm bill legalized hemp, although according to the FDA it is currently illegal to market CBD (even CBD derived from hemp) by adding it to food or labeling it as a dietary supplement.

On the menu

In 2018, following the passage of the farm bill, some restaurants began adding CBD to drinks. We covered two restaurants in southern California featuring cannabis cocktails on the menu, Gracias Madre in Los Angeles and Madison in San Diego. When we caught up with those restaurants this time around, we found that CBD is long gone. CBD is also gone from the menu at Havana Beach and 5th and Mad on the East Coast, places we featured in a 2018 story. 

That’s because FDA Commissioner Scott Gottleib stated in a speech that “it remains unlawful to introduce food containing added cannabidiol, also known as CBD, or the psychoactive compound THC, into interstate commerce, or to market CBD or THC products as dietary supplements.” 

He went on to explain that both CBD and THC are active ingredients in FDA-approved drugs, and both substances have been the subject of substantial clinical investigations: “For CBD to be legally marketed as an ingredient in a food or dietary supplement, the law requires that the FDA first would need to issue a regulation to permit such marketing.” 

As a result, most recreational marijuana dining and drinking options remain somewhat underground at this point. Private caterers such as Elevation VIP Catering have gained publicity for hosting cannabis events and a quick search for “CBD pop-up dinner” yields plenty of results. 

In 2019, Georgia restaurants, coffeehouses, and bars removed CBD-infused items once Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black issued a warning that CBD remains barred from food and drinks. This followed on the heels of New York removing CBD from menus, due to a health department crackdown. In parts of California, food inspectors also mailed out notices to restaurants and cafes, warning them that CBD was not yet a legal additive to food or drinks and advising them to remove it. 

Clarifying the subject, the California State Attorney General’s Office issued a letter dated January 24, 2019 explaining that “although California currently allows the manufacturing and sales of cannabis products (including edibles), the use of industrial hemp as the source of CBD to be added to food products is prohibited.” He added that “until the FDA rules that industrial hemp-derived CBD oil and CBD products can be used as a food or California makes a determination that they are safe to use for human and animal consumption, CBD products are not an approved food, food ingredient, food additive, or dietary supplement.”

So far, the FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug product to treat two rare, severe forms of epilepsy. In a document titled “What You Need to Know (And What We’re Working to Find Out) About Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD,” the FDA notes that they have seen only limited data about CBD safety and that the data points to real risks that need to be considered before taking CBD for any reason.  [Read more…]

Seeing 2020: Industry Experts on Food Trends to Watch

The beginning of the year always brings a myriad of predictions and trend forecasts from various sources in the world of food and restaurants. It can be overwhelming to read them all, so we’ve done the hard work, homing in on what’s most relevant for chefs and operators today. Explore all that the new decade brings to dining below, with expert reflections and tips to make new menus, processes, and ingredients work for you. 

No- or Low-ABV Drinks

International food and restaurant consultants Baum + Whiteman single out no-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks, noting “boozeless packaged beverages are imitating the flavors of gin-and-tonics and martinis…and they’re marketing canned and bottled drinks that mimic the flavor profiles of rums, bourbons and various whiskeys.” 

Nation’s Restaurant News predicts that 2020 will be all about the low-proof cocktail. In a recent survey, they found 47% of respondents over 21 are looking to decrease their alcohol intake. They expect “softer liquors” to grow more popular on restaurant menus, and sherries and port to become ingredients for low-ABV libations. 

Restaurant and hospitality consultants AF&Co say, “It’s essential to offer enticing, highly curated beverage options for those who choose to avoid alcohol but still want to partake in the celebration.” They highlight non-alcoholic spirit brands and specialty spirit-free “euphorics” formulated to enhance drinking experiences. Camper English, a San Francisco-based cocktails and spirits writer, recently compiled a list of non-alcoholic spirits. “People choose not to drink for a lot of different reasons,” he says. “Leaving off non-alcoholic options from the menu or only offering sodas is just bad hospitality.” 

Tip: Add both low-ABV and sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages to the menu instead of just soda and juice. English notes that customers may expect to pay less for low- and no-ABV drinks, which can be a challenge when non-alcoholic replacements are still expensive. Be hospitable to all diners, and offer them even if you need to charge the cost of a regular cocktail.

Better Beef

Beef is in the news again, in many different forms. Bauman + White call out lab-made meats, noting that “more than three dozen companies around the world are racing to produce beef, chicken, pork and shrimp that, they hope, will not mimic the real thing but actually be the real thing.” They also mention “old cow meat,” or the use of retired dairy cows such as Holsteins for meat. It’s something fast food chains have long done, but the practice is gaining traction at upscale restaurants as well. 

In Food & Wine’s trend report, Chef Michael Lomonaco of Porter House Bar & Grill notes an increase demand for high-quality, hormone-free meat. He says that with paleo, keto, and high-protein diets on the rise, unprocessed beef presents a go-to option. 

While Bauman + White calls out plant-based burgers, Nation’s Restaurant News predicts an expansion of plant-based beef beyond the patty. 

Tip: Expand your beef options to cater to a range of guest preferences. Consider wagyu, plant-based meats, and high-end aged Holstein. In every circumstance, prioritize sustainable sourcing. 

Kinder Kitchens

2020 ushers in a new era of kitchen culture. “The labor shortage has played a large role (good benefits help with employee retention), but this focus is also reflective of reverberations from the #metoo movement and an industry acknowledging – and trying to change – its storied history of anxiety, stress and drug use,” AF&Co explains. 

In addition to addressing mental health issues, restaurants are increasing staff benefits, offering on-site mindfulness centers, and providing and free childcare for employees. Food & Wine quotes Cassidee Dabney, chef of Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm, who welcomes the end of “bad boy” chefs, and a new focus on health, mindful eating, sustainable foods and lifestyles, and fitness. 

Kat Kinsman, senior editor at Food & Wine and founder of Chefs with Issues, says, “In the past, outward kindness and empathy may have been treated as a weakness in a kitchen, a sign of a person who wasn’t tough enough to hack it in a professional environment. Increasingly, it’s celebrated both in the industry and in the media. These kinder kitchens are the ones that will last.” 

Tip: Think creatively about ways to support employees as they strive for wellness and work-life balance. Start with the resources listed in a story we shared last year: A New Kitchen Culture: Mental Health in the Restaurant Industry. [Read more…]

Domestic Caviar: A Primer

Besides being California’s state capital, Sacramento is also the domestic caviar capital, with a combination of local producers – both large and small – supplying about 80% of caviar production in the US. Not surprisingly, given their proximity to the producers, Sacramento restaurants are particularly savvy when it comes to sourcing, selling, and serving domestic caviar. 

This year many Sacramento restaurants participated in both National Caviar Day and the first Celebrate Caviar Sacramento, a weeklong promotion of domestic caviar to help educate consumers. In anticipation of the holidays, when caviar takes center stage — namely on New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day — we spoke to Sacramento chefs and beverage directors to learn how they recommend sourcing and serving this festive delicacy.

Sourcing

During Celebrate Caviar Sacramento, Chef Jay Veregge, the Director of Culinary Operations for Harvego Restaurant Group, hosted an event at The Firehouse in Old Sacramento with caviar served on canapés and a comparison of caviar from three different local purveyors: Tsar Nicoulai, Passmore Ranch, and Sterling Caviar. 

Veregge’s recommends that chefs looking to purchase domestic caviar start by sampling. “Don’t buy from off brands – it’s just repackaged product. Buy it from an actual producer.”

Deneb Williams is the chef and partner at Allora, and like Veregge, he recommends learning as much as you can about caviar before adding it to the menu. “You want to know what the sturgeon’s diet is and the quality of the water,” he says. “Sturgeon are bottom feeders, so if they eat mud your caviar will taste like it.”

In addition to sampling, Williams recommends inspecting the product. “Eggs should be full and round, not deflated – no liquid in jar or tin. It’s salt cured, so when old, it bleeds into the jar. It should smell like the fresh water and no fishy odor.” 

Serving

When considering introducing caviar, try it as a special to beta test it. The holidays are a perfect time – guests are more inclined to splurge. 

A self-described traditionalist, Veregge’s preferred way to serve caviar is with corn blini, sieved hard-boiled egg, washed red onion, and crème fraiche. He suggests pairing caviar with seafood, or with a mild flavor like potatoes: “On smoked salmon or turbot or even Kennebeck potato chips if they are not too salted. Know what you can and cannot do with it.”

He also stresses that it’s important to use it in the appropriate contexts. “You wouldn’t want to put caviar on pizza with red sauce and olive oil. Your platform has to fit. But it doesn’t have to be completely upscale.”

While it may be tempting to add caviar to other luxury ingredients like steak, that can be a mistake, as well as using it with too much heat.

Veregge explains, “It’s so expensive, you should put it where it will be the feature – where the salt of the caviar is an enhancement of the dish. Use it as you would salt on lighter flavors such as scallop, lobster, or any of the white fishes, such as turbot, sole, halibut or haddock with beurre monté.” 

For serving, Williams also favors pairing caviar with seafood, especially oysters and cold smoked hamachi crudo. His other suggestions? “Go seasonal with relatively neutral flavors — a lot of vegetables work. I try to not put it on something hot, and I like it to be the star of the show. I would be careful with stronger flavors.” At his restaurant, he showcased caviar in a multi-course brunch. 

Can caviar work at a more casual concept? It does at Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co. Beverage Director Chris Tucker takes a playful approach, adding it to cocktails to complement canapés (think caviar with potato chips, deviled eggs, and smoked salmon). Since there will be economies of scale, he suggests using it for multiple occasions, including happy hour and brunch. 

Pricing

Setting the right price is crucial, too. Williams’ $55 caviar service includes 12 grams: eight grams on an oyster and four with hamachi.

“I want to keep the price down so I can sell it and keep it moving,” says Williams. “We make it approachable. I don’t want to scare people with $150 caviar service.”

Still, that doesn’t mean buying inexpensive product. He says to go for quality: “Make it fit with your restaurant’s brand. Choose your vendors and source your products from people you trust. Getting staff excited depends on being excited yourself. Talk to your staff and feed them information. Get them pumped up about new menu items.” [Read more…]

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