Living and learning from experiences are a part of everyone’s life. Even my father who “jokingly” claims that he is right 90% of the time allows himself 10% room for error. It is simply a fact of life - no matter how much or how little thought you put into something, there is always that possibility that it doesn’t work out the way you expect. Shed in another light, there are instances when people choose to duplicate actions they have done in the past because the result was exactly what they had hoped and expected. This is usually done in blind faith without considering what other options may be available to them. In each scenario, we have come across instances that we have been able to rectify and/or guide in a more effective way. The purpose of this blog isn’t to pound our chests but to point out goings-on that we see all the time goings-on that you would probably like to avoid. The following four situations have come up in the last 2 months.
4 Lived and Learned Menu Board Experiences
Random Menu Board Thoughts
As I sit here on a crisp Friday morning trying to collect and organize my thoughts for this very blog I have quickly realized that I can’t. I have some random thoughts going through my head about menu boards, drive-thrus, digital menu boards, and design but I cannot seem to put together enough about any one of them to write an entire blog about it. So what is a guy to do? (Insert light bulb over my head.) I have decided that this week I am going to touch on an array of unrelated topics. I think this should turn out to be useful information, but I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. Here goes nothing…
10 Ways to Increase Your Bottom Line in 2013
2013 is upon us; the time of year where people analyze their lives and make resolutions. People become reinvigorated and a sense of motivation fills the air… for about a week. As for businesses, many take the New Year to take a look at the past and plan for the future. Here at Origin Displays we have our own laundry list of items to tackle in hopes of reaching that allusive “next level.” One of our habits that we agreed to continue was our blogging. Not only do we enjoy passing along our knowledge to our readers but it also forces us to stay on top of the industry, keeping us keenly aware.
Year End Industry News
With us all but ready to tie the bow on another year, I thought I would scour the Internet looking for interesting articles to get the expert’s take on 2012 and what they expect in 2013. In fairness, it didn’t take too long to find four articles that I found compelling and definitely worth the read. If you have read any of my blogs by now then you already know they are very opinion based (what a blog is in its essence). Anyways, we all form our opinions in a variety of ways and I challenge you to read these articles and take a stance on what the “experts” are projecting. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have something to add? Let us know!
What We Saw In 2012
For the second year in a row our team here at Origin Displays sat down last week and talked about 2012. What trends did we see? Where did we make our biggest strides? Where can we improve? What markets are we missing out on? What products can we develop? What other markets can we penetrate? These are just a small sampling of the questions we addressed during our full-day, off-campus meeting. We had a couple members of our sales team, a representative of Operations, our Administrator and general leadership as part of the conversation to make it as well rounded as possible. The result was similar to last year; eye opening for some, some differing in opinion, but the most overwhelming feeling was a sense of excitement as we stare down 2013. Many of the details of the meeting are business related and would be of no interest to you, but some of the trends we saw were interesting and are worth keeping an eye on.
Menu Board Ordering Checklist
As you embark on your menu board ordering journey there are certain measures you should take into consideration. Remember, you are not ordering napkin holders or air fresheners for your restaurant, you are ordering the engine that could drive sales positively or adversely. It still amazes me that a lot of restaurant owners will not give menu boards a second thought when it comes to their overall operation. Objective #1 should be getting people to your restaurant, followed closely by Objective #2 which is selling what you want to sell to your customers. Menu boards play an intricate role in this. Instead, many will go the sign company route or put up a Coke/Pepsi/Boar’s Head freebie, but what is that going to do for you? Now for those who have the foresight and who are in the market for a new menu board system, the following checklist should help the process go smoother and end up yielding what you want.
Industry Trends
With our corporate headquarters being located in Long Island, NY, it has been a trying time for everyone in this area over the course of the last 12 days. Here at Origin Displays, we consider ourselves some of the lucky ones. We were without power for a handful of days but each of our employees and their families made it out safely – with little to no damange. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those in surrounding areas. Being surrounded by and seeing the devastation so closely is something I have never experienced. However, in the face of catastrophe, my spirit has once been lifted again by the outpour of good in so many people. New Yorkers are often seen as obnoxious, with a “nothing can get us down” attitude. They’re simply full of bravado! It has been a compelling dynamic to see vulnerability sneak in only to have it bridged by people donating, opening their houses, and volunteering. With that said, many are not out of the woods yet but hopefully the end result will be stronger communities and a more robust infrastructure around our coastlines.
Sandy reared her ugly head, which left us and many other businesses in catch-up mode. Because of this, we weren’t able to get last week’s blog out to you. Over the course of the next several days we will be sure to make up for it. As for today, we are going to pause from talking menu boards and drive-thrus and highlight some interesting “goings-on” in the restaurant industry. There is a lot that is going on out there and staying on top of this can be a daunting task. Fear not, Origin Displays has done the leg-work to bring you some of the latest trends.
Menu Board Terms From A to Z
The restaurant industry isn’t the most technical, nor is it the most confusing when it comes to the verbiage that is used, however I get the sense that there are instances when people on the other end of the phone are left scratching their heads when I use certain terms. To help curb some of the confusion, I have created an A to Z list of menu board terms that I often use. As you make your way through the list you’ll notice that they aren’t all exactly “technical terms.” Some refer to feelings you may have along the menu board process. And to be frank, coming up with terms for some letters was tough!
Sometimes ‘Less is More’ When it Comes to Menu Boards
When it comes time to buy your menu boards or to revisit your existing ones a lot of thought has to be given to how you set your menu boards up and what is actually going to go on to the panels. As far as how to set the boards up, a lot depends on your location and how you can make things work in the most effective way. Different footprints and different concepts should lead you in the appropriate direction. As for what goes on the menu boards, that is a different story. We live in a world where it is becoming more and more difficult to carve out a niche in the restaurant industry. I see Chinese restaurants now offering sushi, Italian restaurants with burgers on the menu, convenience stores with fried chicken and the list goes on. As a result these types of restaurants are ending up with enormous menus in an attempt to be “everything to everyone” and are spending way more than they should on their menu board system. In an attempt to minimize this, you should entertain the following 5 suggestions.
Your Menu Board Questions Answered!
As the days go by, and conversations are had, I have taken notice of some of the common questions that I get asked. I thought it may be useful to address some of them this week. The reason is two-fold. For one, they are more eloquently answered in written form and two, it can provide as a soundboard for questions that others are asking but what you may have yet to think about. A couple of notes to consider before reading the Q&A:
- For the most part, the questions are written in a formal way than how they are actually asked.
- Some of the questions aren’t actually stated, but insinuated through conversations. Put another way, they are questions that people are asking themselves.
