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When it comes to restaurants (and well nearly everyone on Planet Earth), mothers trump all.  Mother’s Day has historically been the busiest sales day in the restaurant industry, even ahead of Valentine’s.  With Mother’s Day just around the corner, this restaurant blog wanted to get you bar and restaurant owners thinking about how you could capitalize on all that motherly love.  After all, your customers want to celebrate Mom’s special day the right way, and it would behoove you (and your bank) to make it easy for them to show Mom just how amazing she is!

Create Mom-Approved Specials

A day that Mom doesn’t have to cook or do the dishes is special as it is, yes, but creating some extraordinary menu items at affordable prices will make her feel like royalty…and you’ll leave a memorable impression with your savvy chef skills.  Keep your ingredients fresh and creative, and remember, a perfect price point will ensure the special is ordered up without Mom feeling guilty that her son or daughter is flipping the bill. Plus, it might give you a chance to try something you’ve wanted to add to the menu!  Just keep in mind that with a busy day ahead, you’ll want to prep as much as you can in advance and not create a specials menu that relies heavily on one part of the kitchen over the other so there’s less of a chance of delayed tickets and over-worked staff.

Consider a Mother’s Day Brunch of Buffet

Carving out a specific brunch or buffet menu, available between certain hours of the day only, will drive traffic at strategic times of the day for you to guarantee staffing and hot-from-the-oven meals.  Perhaps you want to partner up with a local tea or coffee shop to provide gourmet café drinks, or maybe you go for a wine pairing later in the day.  Instead of a buffet style, you could consider multiple service times and take reservations for your pre-arranged “sessions”, e.g., brunch at 10 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., and dinner at 5 p.m.  Set one flat rate and make it easier to plan your Mother’s Day success!

Set Tables for Larger Parties

Most likely, Mom and the gang are going to be a larger group than your average Sunday party size.  Are your tables set to accommodate parties of 5 or 6 or even more?  Make any changes to your table and chair configurations before your doors open on Sunday.  Your host staff will thank you for saving them the time (and sweat) it would take to pull those tables together during a crowded lunch service.

Give a Gift or Token of Mama-Appreciation

Whether you hand out a carnation to every mom, discount your gift cards for future sales, or give mom a free dessert, you want to make Mom feel loved and give her something <good> to talk about.  Maybe she’ll rave about the great day her kids (and you) gave her on Facebook, namedropping your restaurant and stirring all those warm-and-fuzzy feelings up that will continue to be associated with you.  Don’t forget to remind your staff to be extra sweet, even though business will be bustling.  You could even work with a local florist on a cross-promotion, or hand out certificates for a near-future visit.

Entertain Mom

Hire a local band, a harpist, or other entertainment to help you drive traffic to your restaurant on Mother’s Day.  With so much competition of choices out there, bringing in a “gotta see” act will help pack the house.

Promote Beforehand

Send an email. Advertise in the local paper. Post on all your social media accounts and your website.  Hang a few flyers in your store.  Add a memo to the bottom of your receipts a few weeks out.  Basically, you have to spread the word that your place is the place to be on Mother’s Day.  Invite your guests to come on Mom’s big day, so they remember you and know exactly what to expect when they make plans with the rest of their family.  Plus, the added online content will help your restaurant rank higher when potential patrons use search engines to find good “Mother’s Day restaurants” in your area.

Schedule Accordingly

If you are running a Mother’s Day promotion, you better be prepared for a full service.  Don’t be left understaffed on the busiest day of the year!  Also, come up with some simple ways to alleviate wait times at the front door, such as more bar seating or appetizer samplers in the waiting areas.

Reward Moms for <Positive> Yelping

(Or tweeting, etc.)  Set up a post-Mother’s Day contest for the moms who do brag about the special treatment your restaurant gave them.  Set clear time frames and rules, and either do a drawing or reward the mom who tells the most friends. Good reviews will boost your future business, and people who take the time to give you a good review online feel important and satisfied.

Hopefully, our Mother’s Day marketing tips for your restaurant will inspire you to have the best mother-loving day of the year!

Shrinkage is not a new term or a new concern for bars and restaurants.  Employee theft can be intentional, or it can be a consequence of under-trained staff who might not realize they are sabotaging your establishment’s profits.  For bar and restaurant management, shrinkage is an ongoing challenge.  Here’s a look at the top ways your bartenders and waitstaff are stealing from you.

1. Cash register antics. Whether it’s tearing up order tickets, under-ringing, over-ringing, short-changing, voiding sales, or outright stealing cash, there are a lot of scams that happen when dishonest employees are responsible for entering orders, cashing out checks, and closing out the cash drawers.  Many of these antics are hard to prove at the end of the night (i.e., is there proof that the customer really ordered and paid $22.50 in bar sales when their ticket number says there was only $12.50 in sales?). The cash register (or next-to-register tip jar) can be an accomplice for hiding the stolen funds until the end of the night, when it’s slower and easier to pocket all the money at once.  Limiting the ability to hit the “no sale” button to open the register is a first step to take in combating this issue.  Set up an alternative “petty cash” stash for when customers ask about making change (the amount of this stash should never change, just the denominations).  Spreading the responsibilities around may help counter some of these practices, too; for example, have a dedicated cashier on shift who doesn’t also enter any orders.  It’s also imperative that at least two people count down the drawer at the end  of the shift and sign off on the final Z-report (end of shift cash register report).  Your point-of-sale (POS) system should time-stamp the Z-report (and you need to limit access to changing the time on the system with an admin code), so you are confident that staff aren’t balancing the register earlier in the shift to under-report sales and pocket the last hour of service. The cashier or manager on duty, not the bartender, should be the one who counts out credit card tips from the drawer to distribute at the end of the night.

2. Overcharging customers. The customer pays full price, but the order ticket in your system shows a happy hour price.  The bartender up-sells the customer to a top of the line brand and charges them the premium price, only to use the cheaper brand and take the difference for him/herself.  Inflating the number of drinks on a large tab to an unsuspecting group of patrons who lost count of everyone’s orders. Bartenders, especially, see which customers are easy targets to take advantage of when they’re serving up drink after drink.  Don’t let your customers be fooled by your staff, and talk with your employees often to really get to know them. Encourage an open door policy and reward staff who come to you about concerns they have regarding your establishment’s policies or their co-workers.

3. Talking your time away. Cell phones and mobile devices are revolutionary…and addicting to some of your staff.  You might have a cell phone policy in place, but do you really know what happens when you’re not there?  It’s impossible to manage your restaurant every second of every shift.  Staff who talk or text while on the clock are taking away from productivity, influencing your patrons’ opinions of the kind of staff you hire and possibly spreading germs (do you know how dirty cell phones are?). The best part, you’re paying them while they tarnish your restaurant’s good name.  The rate of employees using personal cell phones has increased across nearly every industry, but in the restaurant business, it’s critical to consider all the repercussions of employee cell phone use.  Reinforce your cell phone policies, teach and re-teach health safety practices, provide a list of daily activities that can be done when the shift isn’t so busy, and don’t be afraid to enforce a punishment on those who don’t obey.

4. Giving freebies. What better way to ensure a nice big fat tip than to offer some on-the-house drinks to your favorite customers?  Waitstaff who are tip hungry may pull out all the stops to get an extra buck, without thinking about the cost to you of those “free” drinks.  Make it clear that give-aways are not accepted, or if they are, clarify when it is appropriate and how many you permit on a shift without management approval.

5. Over pouring. Every ounce of alcohol costs you money, so when your bar staff accidentally over pour shots into drinks, they are unknowingly stealing from you.  Train your staff how to properly make each concoction you sell and invest in bar jiggers to aid your employees in measuring the accurate portion of alcohol.  There are systems available that help measure your inventory before each shift and again after each shift to determine how much alcohol was used during the shift, which will show the amount given away via freebies or over pouring.

6. Under pouring. Wait, how can that be stealing?  Well, what if your bartender purposely under pours 1/6 of the alcohol per drink, keeps track of the number of drinks he/she makes, and pockets the cash for every sixth drink?  That means under pouring now equals theft.  Other under pouring tactics include using one shot on two glasses, diluting the liquor with water, or leaving out one or more alcoholic ingredient(s) on mixed or blended drinks.

7. Drinking away your money. It’s a slow night, so your bartender pours a free round of shots for all the staff.  Or, your bus staff member is taking out the empty bottles to your dumpster and secretly grabs a few full bottles with the empties and stashes them in his/her car for later.  It happens.  Be sure you are keeping accurate inventory, so you can easily catch any culprits and prevent it from happening in the future.  On the flip side, there have been cases when staff bring in their own inventory of alcohol and skip the whole cash register process altogether, basically running their own business from behind your bar and keeping the profits.

Now that you know some of the things to look out for, what are you going to do about it?  One of the hardest steps to take as a bar/restaurant owner or manager is to identify the staff who is intentionally stealing…and then to fire him/her.  Even if they are a veteran team member or one of your most liked personalities behind the bar, if they are stealing from you, they don’t belong on your payroll.  Period.  A second chance could just be the opportunity they need to rob you blinder.

Know your staff. Know exactly what tasks they do and how you can train them to do each one efficiently. Know your policies. Know your inventories. Know your instincts.  The more you can arm yourself with knowledge, the less likely someone will be able to steal from you.

We here at East Coast Chair & Barstool are pleased to report on the 2013 Nightclub & Bar Show (NCB Show) in which we exhibited March 19-21, in Las Vegas.  It was our first trade show…ever!  The show was quite an experience, and we learned many good lessons, met many good people, and had a little bit of good fun, too.  After all, we were in Vegas!

The NCB Show kicked off with the first keynote speaker on Tuesday.  Founder of Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company, Jim Koch, took stage with beer in hand to talk about how brewers and bar owners can hit the ground running.  This entrepreneur shared his story of how he grew his company from its beginnings in his kitchen, an original accounting system that depended on shoeboxes, and his vision to recreate how Americans felt about beer.  His passion was evident, and he kept the audience engaged with storytelling, photos, and a lot of humor!  He talked about his first sale, when he forgot to ask how many cases the bar wanted to order and went on to talk about how his company has grown.  Koch also talked about how even though Samuel Adams holds a small percentage of the beer market’s share, they have been successful in changing people’s attitudes about American-brewed beer, especially with the rise in the craft beer market.  The biggest takeaway we got from Koch’s speech was that you have to do something memorable, so people start to talk.  For instance, they originated the beer dunking tank; a dunking tank filled with beer that had been returned to the company for being stale.  By setting up a dunk tank, it showed their customers that they’d rather put people into stale beer than stale beer into people.  Even though the word “company” is in his company’s name, he talked about how there are no companies, just people who share common goals.  “Do something you love, and that’s the ultimate work-life balance,” said Koch.  With social media, everyone is talking about someone, and they might as well be talking about you, right?

On the second day of the NCB Show, speaker Nick Shepherd, CEO of T.G.I.Friday’s took the stage for his keynote, titled “Taking a Leap of Faith to Rebrand Your Venue.”  This was a great case study of how T.G.I.Friday’s have reinvented themselves through the flair of their customer-focused team members and mixology specialists. The company recently rebranded itself as the best corner bar in town, and Shepherd showed videos of how their local staff across the globe make the difference.  It was a positive, warm-and-fuzzy, and fun presentation, and it made us want to eat at T.G.I.Friday’s more often for that “Friday feeling” every day!

Following Shepherd’s speech, we rushed to see Nightclub & Bar Media Group’s President Jon Taffer (also from Spike’s Bar Rescue) and superstar CeeLo Green perform the ribbon cutting ceremony to open the exhibit floor.  A mad rush of bar and restaurant owners flooded the aisles of alcohol, music, technology, and of course, furniture vendors.  During the first day, 20,000 people circulated the show, and booth #319 (where our customer care specialists were working) showed a hustle and bustle all day long!

“My favorite part of the show was when our past customers stopped by to say hi,” said Janene DiSanti, co-owner.  “It was incredible validation to meet customers in person who shared that they’ve been happy with our products.”

Being a “dot com” (for argument sake, we’re really more than that) which ships to the 48 continental states, we seldom get to meet customers face-to-face, so this opportunity was really meaningful and rewarding to our staff.  Getting to know our customers and potential customers on a more personal level will help us serve people better in the future, and it was really enjoyable to make those personal connections with the people who are buying our bar and restaurant furniture.

Owner Dave DiSanti meets Bar Rescue's Jon Taffer during the 2013 Nightclub & Bar Show!

On Thursday, March 21, the closing day of the show, we were all attentive during Jon Taffer’s keynote.  We may have been a little star struck when Taffer took the stage – and then jumped off of it.  His unconventional style and loud personality kept us engaged (and awake) the entire time. “Fixing a business is easy. Fixing people is tough!” he shouted.  He echoed the thoughts of Koch and Shepherd when he spoke about hiring people who will raise the average and become brand ambassadors for your bar or restaurant.  He also talked about the product of a bar.  It’s not the food.  It’s not the cocktails.  In hospitality, the product is the emotional reaction that you create.  And the people you employ are part of delivering that reaction.  Taffer went on to talk about the anatomy of a Bar Rescue, the science of good menu design, and more.  He definitely had the crowd on the edges of their seats the entire time.

In addition to the keynotes, the three-day Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show was chocked full with in-the-know speakers who all gave killer presentations for the attendees, as well.  We learned a lot and came home energized with fresh ideas and new perspectives.

When the show closed, we were all exhausted but at the same time, very excited after meeting so  many new people and spreading the word about our new products.  A big plus, the team left in our Pennsylvania office also had a successful week at home.  Overall, it was a wonderful first trade show experience!

Were you at the NCB Show? Comment below with your thoughts on the event!

Do you want a fresh look for your bar or restaurant, but don’t have a lot of cash to spend? Here are some easy ways to transform your space on a budget!  Whether you pick just one or a combination of these ideas, your bar or restaurant will be looking like new without a lot of expense!

1. Curb appeal makeover. Your restaurant’s appearance from the outside says “come on in” or “don’t come at all.”  Do you have a prominent restaurant sign that drivers-by can’t miss?  Does your sign clearly say what you are?  For example, if your business name is just Joe’s Place, you may want to add “Good Eats, Tall Drinks, Live Music” beneath your name, so out-of-towners know exactly what they’ll find inside your doors.  Is your front entrance tidy and trimmed?  Maybe you need to add an outdoor waste receptacle, a friendly bench for waiting patrons, or a warm and welcoming porch swing or Adirondack chair for some added charm, depending on your business model.  When it’s after sunset, is there ample lighting for guests to enter and exit safely?  A welcome sign on the door?  You don’t necessarily have to hire a landscape artist, but a quick trip to the local greenhouse could really brighten up your entry way. Consider what your storefront says about you and what easy steps you can take to improve your curbside image.
2. Furniture re-arrangement. A simple restaurant remodel doesn’t mean dumping a ton of dollars into new construction projects and man power.  Thinking out your space planning and moving your existing restaurant furniture around could be just the trick you need for a fresh new look!
3. Table overhaul. Our customers have told us that they need to replace their restaurant tables about every 7 years in order to keep their dining rooms looking great.  There are a lot of ways to do this, though!  If you have solid wood table tops, you could have them refinished by sanding down and re-staining.  Not solid wood?  Don’t worry, there are a lot of inexpensive but quality restaurant table tops on sale year-round.  And the best part is, because table tops and table bases are generally sold separately, you only have to replace the top and can keep your still-in-good-shape table bases!  Not sure you have the budget for a new top?  Why not consider using linens to cover up any scratched or stained tables in your restaurant?
4. New seating. You don’t need to purchase new restaurant chairs to create a new seating look.  Do your chairs need new seats?  The seats need re-upholstered?  The frames need touched up with paint or stain? A little T.L.C. can go a long way in keeping your chairs looking like new!  But maybe it is time for a more modern look.  Or maybe you want to add some comfortable restaurant booths.  You can find great deals on restaurant seating that won’t break the bank!
5. Accessorize. Are the artwork and decorations getting less and less exciting in your place?  Create a new vibe in your bar or restaurant by adding some new lighting, new photographs, or doing something a little more wild, like a wall-to-floor mural or a chalkboard wall, where your guests can write messages and reviews.  Fresh paint, clean entry carpets, and some new decorations could really go a far way.  Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
6. Outward expansion. If your renovation goals are to seat more people, maybe it’s time you open an outdoor patio.  Even if you’re located in a four-season area, there are plenty of ways to extend outdoor dining after summer ends.  Maybe it’s time you applied for that permit and started shopping for outdoor restaurant furniture on sale.

Good luck and happy renovating!

After weeks of anticipation, we finally know who will be dueling for the title of Super Bowl 47 Champ on February 3.  If you’re a sports bar, you’re looking forward to the biggest night of the year.  Here’s some tips for how you can ensure your bar is the best place in town to watch the final four quarters of the NFL season this year.

PROMOTE
Even if you’re not sure what your menu will be or how many drink specials you’ll have, yet, you need to let your own fans know that they can count on you for a Super Bowl blast they’ll really enjoy.  Start promoting it now, so as people make plans for the night, they include your hot spot as the venue of choice!  Just letting customers know you’re planning a party and that you’ll be open that night is a great start.

SUPER BOWL WORTHY TVS
Chances are, you have a TV or two in your bar already, but for the Super Bowl, you need to make sure every seat in the house has a large enough screen to catch all the action on.  If you need to rent larger screens or add additional TVs, you should contact your local electronic rental company today and get a plan for delivery or installation if needed.

DECORATE
Get in the spirit of things with some Super Bowl 47 decor.  If you’re on the East Coast, you may opt for Baltimore Ravens jerseys, pendants, or pom-poms.  If you’re on the West Coast, you will likely decorate in red and gold to show support to the San Francisco 49ers.  Somewhere in the middle?  Split your bar into sides or opt for a more neutral football-themed decor.  Anyway you do it, the Super Bowl is a special day, so you want the game watchers to walk in and feel special, too.  They probably don’t want to see your same everyday decor when it’s the big game day.

RE-ARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE
Does your bar furniture all point toward the screens?  Perhaps you need a few more bar stools or want to add some stack chairs or folding tables to make room for more guests.  Make sure your restaurant seating is adequate and ample before the toss of the coin.

CHOOSE A MENU
Offer game munchies that are easy to share while concentrating on the score. Create new specials themed around the day.  And decide what drinks you’ll be promoting during the game.  You may want to do a 49 wing special (in tribute to the 49ers) or a Raven cocktail that’s purple in color and yummy in taste.  Make sure the items are easy to understand, priced well, and somewhat simple.  You may also want to talk to your vendors about having chips, popcorn, or extra nuts on hand.

CONSIDER A HALFTIME SHOW
Sure, your TVs will be tuned to the real Halftime Show, but you could invent some entertainment of your own.  Whether it’s a live band, an interactive guest game show (maybe a play on the “Harbowl”), or football on the Wii™, offering something extra fun for your guests may be a great break from the hardcore fan shouting and also edge out your own competition in the battle of the Super Bowl bars.

THINK ABOUT POST-GAME MARKETING
Is there a fun way to collect some guest information during the game festivities, so you can re-market to them post-game?  If your bar does email marketing, you may want to target a message to fans about all the great stuff you have going on, even after the NFL season ends.  Want to try a direct mail piece, or how about going mobile?   Be sure to collect some information from your Super Bowl customers, so you can continue to let them know about your events, specials, and every day happenings.

Have you had successful Super Bowl parties in the past?  Let us know how your bar keeps your customers cheering all game long!

We are really excited to announce the grand opening of our new showroom, and we’re calling our customers and our community to come check us out!

We’ll be hosting a morning coffee break open house on Thursday, January 31, from 9 to 11 a.m., at our new facility at 966 Perry Highway.  The event will be catered by Beans on Broad of Grove City, and guests will enjoy meeting all of the employees (including me!), be entered to win a door prize, and each receive a small gift of appreciation.  The Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce will perform a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. to welcome us to the neighborhood.  As many of our readers know, we recently relocated from a downtown Grove City location.

“We are thrilled to be in our new office and warehouse space!” exclaims Janene DiSanti, co-owner of East Coast Chair & Barstool.  “My husband, Dave, and I started this business in our Slippery Rock home ten years ago, and we have worked hard to grow what began as an eBay hobby. Today, we are fortunate to have a great team of staff and are excited for the opportunities our new, larger location is giving us.”

We are a national hospitality furniture retailer, and we are proud to be an authorized dealer of many national furniture manufacturers; plus, we directly import several commercial furniture product lines and have launched an in-house production.  Our staff of Amish craftsmen construct restaurant booths and solid wood tables from the workshop space in our new location.  Since moving in October, we’ve grown our in-house production, are now more convenient to the major interstates for shipping and receiving, and continue to expand our business.  Nearly doubling in staff size in 2012, we have 15 employees and ship to the 48 continental United States.  Selling to a range of business customers, from small corner bars to large theme parks, the company’s client base includes the Denver Broncos, the Mr. Hero restaurant chain, several Golden Corrals, and the local Springfield Restaurant Group, among others.

“The open house will give our new neighbors a chance to stop and see who we are and what we do,” explains Dave DiSanti, co-owner.  “I’m looking forward to meeting some new faces and letting the community know we are here.”

Click for our Beans & Barstools flyer.

Balancing good quality with low prices is going to be the main act restaurants must master in the new year. Here are the restaurant trends we’ll be seeing in 2013:

1. FRESH, HEALTHY, & ALL OVER GOOD – Quality is being questioned at every turn these days.  People want made-in-house meals with fresh, locally grown ingredients.  They want less grease, less artificial sweeteners, and more health-conscious items.  And they want it to taste great too!  If you are an unfreeze and re-heat kind of kitchen, you may want to consider what small changes you can make or menu items you can add to make your products more competitive in today’s chef-inspired culture.  Form a relationship with your local bakery for freshly made desserts or start a special salad menu that promotes ingredients from your local farmer’s market.
2. PRICES IN CHECK - All that locally grown food cannot mean higher prices on the menu, though – at least not obviously to your customers.  It’s almost a catch 22, so for successful restaurants, it’s about adjusting the profit margins on different items across your menu, negotiating with your food suppliers, or offering different types of specials and sales. You may opt to increase some of your drink items to offset food losses, or vice versa.  Experiment with the bottom line, so the customer isn’t feeling robbed at the register, but you’re still making money.  With the ‘fiscal cliff’ and ‘debt ceiling’ all over the news, you know money concerns are on everyone’s mind.  You may opt to do smaller, seasonal menus instead of committing to the same one big menu all year round in order to keep things fresh yet your budget in check.  Plus, it’s intriguing for guests to know that every time they come, they can try something new.  However, I do recommend keeping a few signature items that people will want to come back for again and again.
3. QUICK & CASUAL – With fine dining down and quick serves rising in popularity, more people will expect quick (but high quality) food in a casual atmosphere.  They want to stop in after class with friends, or not have to worry about changing their kids’ outfits, and they want to wear jeans and caps everywhere they go.  It’s a more casual world today, and restaurants need to cater to that sense of being part of their customers’ everyday routines.
4. FULL COURSE TAKEOUTS – You know the mom who works a full day (probably is running late), and still has to get her son to basketball and help her daughter with that book report that is due tomorrow?  Yeah, well she’s looking for a healthy and hearty meal for her family on the run, and your restaurant could save her day.  Restaurants who splurge on their takeout packaging and promote their ‘to go’ menus will win in 2013.  Include heating instructions and an after dinner mint for that added touch.  Launching a new takeout strategy may work well for the existing finer dining establishments who want to try to target a new more casual customer base this year.
5. MOBILE FRIENDLY – As mobile continues to integrate into everyone’s every day, your restaurant will need to continue to adopt to its fury (whether you like it or not).  Make sure your restaurant is being found on mobile GPS units, your website is mobile-friendly, and your menu is easy to find and up-to-date.  Offer paperless discounts and be sure your point-of-sale system is equipped to record such transactions.  Use social accordingly, and integrate everything you do to promote your business with mobile in mind.  Keep your eye on new restaurant apps, emerging technologies, and evolving customer behaviors to come in the future.
6. SPECIAL DIETS – Pick a trend and go with it.  Whether you want to offer Weight Watchers® points on some of your meals, provide gluten-free courses, or star your low carb items, making it easy for someone to read your menu and pick a meal that fits their special diet will do wonders for your reputation and improve your customer satisfaction scores.  You may want to do something simple – like separating your vegan meals – or go full out with sections dedicated to people who must eat pareve or who are on the Atkins diet. If you’re not sure what special diet most of your customers are committed to, ask them.  Have in-store conversations, host a poll on your website, or open up some diet-related discussions in online social media spaces to see what’s trending within your target audience.
7. INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR – Asian cuisine has been popular for a few years, and maybe that’s why dine-outers are more experimental when it comes to international flavors.  Regardless of what new cuisine you introduce, try something exciting from a different part of the world.  South America and the Mediterranean might be good places to draw inspiration from this coming year.  Cautious?  Try it as a monthly special before putting it on the menu year-round.
8. GO BIG, OR GO SMALL - America is torn deciding if bigger is better or if they want small sample-sized tastes.  Fast food and quick serve joints are doing phenomenal with their big dinner box type promotions, but also ranking high in popularity are dessert shots, small sized meals, and snacky kind of foods.  ‘Average size’ seems almost boring these days. So try something big – or something small – and see what portion size works best for you.
9. SIMPLE FOODS INFUSED – Some of the best selling items are the most common ones.  But how can your restaurant do them better?  Whether it’s a burger, a meat-and-potatoes meal, wings, or even a sloppy joe, you can turn something simple and ordinary into something out-of-the-ordinary by infusing some unexpected ingredients.  Get creative!

Are you trying something new or innovative in 2013?  Let us know how you’re keeping things exciting this year.

PS: If you’re looking for a fresh new look this year, please remember that some new, fashionable restaurant furniture will spruce your space up. (And we can help!)

By now, you’ve probably heard about this Pinterest thing.  Maybe you even pin a collection of boards for your personal interests, must haves, or need-to-dos.  But how do you use Pinterest for your bar or restaurant?  And why should you?  Well those are answers I’m happy to address for you.  As the head pinner for East Coast Chair & Barstool’s Pinterest page, I have been nearly obsessed with this platform for the past year.  And I’ve learned a  lot.  Here are some tips I think you’ll find really interesting, and I hope they will inspire you to jump on board – the pinboard, that is.

Why Pinterest?
Pinterest has taken the social media world by storm.  It was the fastest growing social media site ever; actually, it was the fastest growing site ever, period.  When the site began, users required an invite, but today, users do not need an invite to join.  Launched in 2010 with the biggest boom in general awareness occurring around January 2012, Pinterest is now the 4th largest social media site and the 3rd most popular, behind Facebook and Twitter.  With over 23 million unique monthly visitors in July 2012, it showed a 5,124% increase in traffic from July 2011 to July 2012, according to a CBS News article.  And when people visit Pinterest, they don’t just stop by, they are spending an average of 14.2 minutes (as reported by a SaltyWaffle.com article), and I know many pinners (myself included) who spend hours at a time searching through the virtual pinboard for ideas, helpful hints, and inspiration. What’s more is that Pinterest is referring more traffic to external websites (like yours!) than YouTube, Google+, and Tumblr combined.

Beyond gaining referral traffic, Pinterest is helping businesses (just like yours!) close the sale.  According to Econsultancy.com, Pinterest users spend more than twice as much as Facebook users.  And although the site is predominantly used by women, the men who are on Pinterest are about twice as likely to buy, according to a recent Compete survey.  So don’t rule out men, yet, especially because more males are slowly joining the party on Pinterest.

With the Food & Drink category being the most popular (says Repinly), it’s only obvious to me that bars and restaurants belong on this platform!

What Should I Pin?
Worried about good content?  That’s the fun part!  Here are some ideas and examples for you.

• Food, food, food.  People love saving and sharing recipes.  So give them what they love.  Post recipes to some of your restaurant’s signature dishes, or create a pinboard about possible menu additions in the future, or both!  The recipes on your Pinterest page could link directly back to that menu item on your website, or maybe you’ll want to create a special recipe section on your website that you can pin directly from, so it makes sharing your recipe even easier.  The other recipes could be repins from the Pinterest community, because remember – it’s nice to share others’ content sometimes, too.
• Drinks.  Cocktails.  Alcoholic concoctions.  You get the idea.
• Real photos. Whether they’re of your store front, your different locations, your staff, or your trendy restaurant furniture and must-see decor, your establishment’s own photos give a personal touch to your brand and are oftentimes the most enjoyed. So get out your camera and start adding real-time photos of your real-life restaurant; you’ll be really glad you did!  (If you are a new restaurant, you can showcase the progress you’re making in getting things up and running.  Or, if you do a remodel, you can show off your before-and-after pictures in a special board. The possibilities are endless!)
• Customer photos.  Someone’s at your restaurant and snaps a picture.  Minutes later it’s on their Instagram page and being shared on Facebook.  Why not invite them to pin it to one of your pinboards, too? 
• Historical photos.  Are you a landmark establishment in your town?  If you’ve been around a while, you might want to start a pinboard collection of photos through the ages.  Don’t stop at just what your bar looked like 50 years ago; add in photos of what the town looked like 50 years ago.  And of course, you’ll want to pin photos of the people who helped you get to where you are today: founders, past bar owners, and your long-time customers!
• Geographical-specific images.  If you’re in Houston, pin things that are specific to all things Texas.  If you’re in Boston, pin other places to go or stay while in Boston.  Gain the support of your local community, or make recommendations to out-of-towners – who in turn will remember your restaurant when they visit.  Now you’re thinking!
• Health & fitness tips.  If you’re committed to offering a healthy menu, then this topic is one your customers have much interest.  And Pinterest is full of pins in this subject matter.
• Sports.  Didn’t think I’d say that, huh?  But if you’re a sports bar, this is a great fit for you.  Pin photos from your local sports teams’ websites, articles/scores/blogs from your local sports reporters, and photos of your customers dressed in their favorite players’ jerseys.
• Music.  Do you have live bands?  Known for the hottest dance floor in town?  Associate a certain kind of cool tunes to your overall atmosphere?  Go to YouTube, find music videos that fit your brand, and pin them to a board dedicated to the sound of your bar or restaurant.
• Merchandise.  Do you have an e-commerce section to your website, featuring t-shirts, growlers, or gift certificates?  Be sure to pin your merchandise with a dollar amount included.  This will help your pin be seen by more people, because the dollar sign will help it land in the Gifts section, too.
• Videos.  Create and upload videos to your YouTube channel, then pin them at Pinterest, too!  You could do a series of “how to” videos of your chef or staff members teaching the viewers how to properly dice their veggies, how to safely store food, how to stuff a turkey, how to mix a cocktail, how to set a table, etc.  Or, you could do quick customer testimonials in video style, or post videos of recent events or other happenings in your bar or restaurant.  Get creative!  Videos are hot right now, and the most engaging ones are quick to go viral.  Don’t forget to also upload them to your restaurant’s website.
• Community or charity.  Does your restaurant team give back?  Make a board for that!  Post photos of staff volunteering, or pin photos from the websites of the charities you support.  It helps make you look all warm and fuzzy inside.  And that’s a good thing!
• Infographics and humor.  If you want to get your pins shared, pin things worth sharing.  An infographic, cartoon, or funny quote that somehow ties back to your brand will be a surefire way to get others to repin away!  The more interesting your pin is, the more likely that it will be repinned and shared on (and off) Pinterest.
• Anything unique to you.  Ask yourself, “What is my restaurant best known for?”  “What makes my bar different?”  The answer should be in your pins!

What are Best Pinning Practices?
Don’t pin things blindly.  Here are some best practices that I recommend.

1. Get a content plan.  Decide what types of content and what pinboards you’ll start with.  Remember, you can always add categories and new pins as you go.  But start with 5-7 pinboard themes that you know you want to focus on at first.  Remember, anything that you blog about or post on your website can essentially become a pin, too – so start thinking visually in all your other content, as well.
2. Decide who will be your restaurant’s pinners.  Note, I said pinners.  Pinterest makes it easy to set up your pinboards to have more than one pinner.  Invite your staff who are natural Pinterest lovers, so while they’re pinning for themselves off-duty, they can also pin for you.  They won’t even feel as if they’re working.  It also means you can invite your vendors or your customers to pin to a board.  You might not want every pinboard to be a group board, but having more than one pinner can help you grow your pins rapidly and diversify your content.  Each board can have different pinners assigned to it, but one person should be the administrator of your overall business account.
3. Set up a business page, or verify your existing one.  This will give your page an official look and also link directly to your website.  Win win!
4. Be sure to include a description for your main page and each board. The text is search-able, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to be seen.
5. When you describe an individual pin, be brief.  Much like Twitter, use #hashtags to make searching for similar pins or topics easy.
6. Create content before you launch.  With Pinterest’s new “secret boards“, it’s easy to get your pinboards prepped and ready before they go live.
7. Balance your content with others’.  Don’t have 100 pins, all pinned from your website of your menu items.  That’s not only egotistical, it’s boring.  And it isn’t good in a social space like Pinterest.  Mix it up.  Sure, you can self-promote sometimes, but don’t forget to give a nod to your fellow community members.
8. Balance repins with fresh content.  There are a ton of existing pins on Pinterest that might fit well onto your boards, and it’s always nice to comment and repin and be an active and friendly Pinterest user.  But, it’s also vital for the health of Pinterest and your brand on the platform, to share new content.
9. Rely on visuals.  Some text is OK for each pin, but don’t write a story to accompany your photo.  Make sure the link is working properly and take pinners to more content on your website when they click through.  Once again, your content off Pinterest could be shared by others, so think more visually in everything you do.

Who is Ace at this Pinterest Thing?
I am glad you asked, because I can’t wait to share these awesome examples of bars and restaurants using Pinterest.  Please note, I didn’t look at every bar or restaurant on Pinterest, so I’m sure there are many more exceptional pages.

We often look to the “big dogs” in our industry to emulate their successful strategies.  Looking at Chili’s pinboards, here’s what I love:

• Breaking down their food boards into more specific categories, much like their actual restaurant menu
• Featuring funny and share-able content in the Someecards board
• Linking to their Create-a-Pepper site which features user-designed peppers that are colored for a good cause (warm and fuzzy, right?!)

I have to admit, this may be my favorite restaurant pinner I found.  HoHut Mongolian Grill is verified, which signifies right away that they know what they’re doing.  Here’s why I love, love, love them:

• Featuring brand-relevant Mongolian culture and places, even though they are an American restaurant chain
• Integrating what’s happening on Instagram with their content on Pinterest (so smart!)
• Hosting recipe contests to increase engagement with their brand
• Creating a board for Fu Manchus – that’s brand-savvy and fun!
• And oh yeah, they also feature their menu and merchandise items, but it’s a great balance!

I also give Moe’s Original Bar B Que lots of love for these reasons:

• Featuring “real” photos – they aren’t afraid to share pictures taken by their staff and customers and give us a “real” look inside their restaurants
• Showcasing news, awards, and ads, which makes it really easy for them to then point media to one place for all their information (like an online and visual media kit!)
• Balancing food and recipes with other stuff that interests their customers, like music and events

What are You Waiting For?
That’s what I thought!  I’ll be seeing you on Pinterest soon.  Don’t forget to follow us, and let me know if you use any of these pinteresting ideas.  I’m glad I could be of help.

On behalf of all of at East Coast Chair & Barstool, happy pinning!

The tree has been strung with lights all aglow, and we at East Coast Chair & Barstool are eagerly awaiting Santa’s ho ho ho!  Last year, one of our very first blog articles featured our staff’s favorite things for this festive season.  Because it was such a hit and we’re all in the holiday spirit once again, we thought we should share our new list of hot items and must haves.  I’ve polled the elves, and here are their votes for 2012′s favorite furniture offerings.

SOLID WOOD TABLE TOPS

After moving into our new office and warehouse space in October, we’ve been able to expand our in-house production line to include solid wood table tops.  We’re all very excited about these!  Made by our on-staff Amish craftsmen, our table tops use either red oak (shown) or beech solid wood and can be stained in four standard colors (natural, cherry, walnut, mahogany) or custom stained per request. Traditional and elegant, these solid wood table tops offer a natural beauty that cannot be denied.

RESTAURANT BOOTHS

We keep our production team busy, busy, busy, because when they’re not making table tops or assembling our chairs and bar stools, they are building and stocking our restaurant booths.  These Amish-made booths come in singles or doubles, standard black or wine vinyl or a plethora of choice vinyl colors by Naugahyde, with or without crumb strips, with or without wooden trim, and with smooth backs or multi-channel seaming.  With lots of options that all look amazing, these booths are commercial grade and use quality parts and materials. Plus, they also offer a comfy place to sit!

STELLA OUTDOOR CHAIR

One of our staff members is admittedly nearly obsessed with the next item on our favorite things list!  Our Stella chair which was introduced in the springtime features an aluminum frame and plastic wicker weaving that shows off a star-shaped pattern.  Great for outdoor restaurants and cafes, this chair is also lightweight and easy to carry from our staff’s back porch to her backyard campfire.

STEEL CITY COLLECTION

Last fall, we launched our Steel City Collection of restaurant chairs and bar stools that combine the warm  look of wood with the trendy, chic look of metal. A few of the East Coasters have Steel City bar stools in their homes, but our customers have really made this one of our most popular lines for bars, restaurants, and even church cafes!

NATURAL RESIN TABLE TOPS

In addition to our solid wood table tops, we carry in-house laminate tables as well as these resin coated table tops.  Designed to look like real wood, these glossy finished resin tops are a beautiful addition to any restaurant table — and at low prices every day, they are a beauty for your budget, too.  Although one of the elves here recommends the natural color, our resin tops also come in walnut, mahogany, or cherry finishes.

BLACK BANQUET STACK CHAIR w/ GOLD DOT

Hurry! If you like this banquet stack chair as much as one of our elves does, you’ll want to act fast, because it is a closeout item right now!  The clearance sales price will make you happy, but once our inventory is gone, this chair will not be available.  With black fabric that features a gold dot pattern, this padded chair has many purposes and stacks easily for storage.

RED RETRO BAR STOOL w/ DOUBLE CHROME BASE

Now that I, myself, have been at East Coast Chair & Barstool for over a year, I’ve had plenty of time to think up what my favorite item would be for this year’s list.  Just like my coworkers, I had a hard time deciding on just one product, but this red retro bar stool with double chrome base definitely tops my list.  I think it’s fun and funky, and the cherry red is a bright color that demands attention.  And I like that about this stool.  While it has a certain ‘tude in the throwback style, I think it would also work well in a myriad of designs.  Mixing a little retro flare in a contemporary space is never a bad thing,  in my opinion!

SNEAK PEEK!

Now we’ve come to the most exciting item on our list: a sneak peek for a new 2013 item!  One of our owners is so excited about a new line we’ll be launching this spring, that when I asked him what his favorite item was, he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer!  We have yet to finalize the design or give it a name, but this aluminum and industrial styled chair will be joining our product line up soon!









Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or not celebrating at all, we wish you a happy holiday season filled with all of your favorite things!

We’ve been in our new office and warehouse since October 1, and our new home gives us more workshop space, allowing us to expand our in-house production. With a team of authentic Amish staff, we’ve been promoting our newest Amish-made outdoor tables, indoor restaurant table tops, and restaurant booths. These are not Amish-inspired or partly Amish-crafted items. We’re proud to say we have some really talented craftsmen on staff, who happen to be Amish and bring their strong work ethic and quality standards to the products they’re producing for customers like you – bars, restaurants, and resorts across the nation.

While the craftsmanship of each item is unique and personal, our in-house production includes processes that help us maintain consistency among all of our products.  So when you order a plank table top today and need another one tomorrow, they’ll match and be of the same high quality.  Yet, if you need something custom-built, our talented staff can adjust the product specifications according to your unique needs.  Now, that’s something you can feel good about!

We feel lucky that our location in Mercer, Pennsylvania, just happens to be near several Amish communities, making it easy to recruit some experienced furniture makers.  But regardless of race, religion, or heritage, every one of our staff carries out our high quality standards – from customer service to warehousing to production.  We are a diverse group of employees, but we all work toward the same goal: making our customers happy.

As we continue to diversify our product lines and offer more made-in-America items, we will continue to focus on quality and offering you products that you’ll be proud to show off in your restaurant, bar, or resort.  And, as always, we will bring you restaurant furniture at low, fair prices.  It’s just the way we want to do business with you.