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Foodservice Secrets: Getting your Product to Market

May 17, 2010

It was a pleasure being a guest speaker at the University of Davis for the Post Harvest Technology group (PTRIC). The group has  30 conferences over the years and it is designed to make the growers aware of the needs in the market place which is backed up with a considerable amount of  data and research.  My piece was focused on how suppliers can crack the code getting their product to market — please view the presentation below.

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Crafty Ways Restaurants Cut Costs

May 13, 2010

Synergy was interviewed for this WSJ article by NEIL PARMAR:

When it comes to dining out, Kevin Moll is the kind of frugal patron restaurant owners would love to see more of. The father of two from Denver always passes on the cream and sugar. He never pours a blob of ketchup next to his fries. Even better, after enjoying a plate of barbecued ribs, he usually prefers to wipe his saucy fingers with a cloth napkin, since the cleanup job would require at least three of the paper variety. And don’t even get him started on carbonated beverages. This is a guy who prefers cola a little watered down.

With hard times still taking a bite out of restaurant profits, more Kevin Molls are turning up at their tables — not as patrons but as professional nitpickers. The 50-year-old CEO of National Restaurant Consultants is one of a burgeoning wave of efficiency experts who focus on restaurants, checking for unused half-and-half and testing the syrup level in fountain drinks.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

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Is your Restaurant all a Twitter?

Apr 29, 2010

We have been harping for a long time about social media being the best marketing tool for restaurants. Every day some restaurant business comes up with a bright new concept to bring customers through the door.

The latest is Subway®, the sandwich shop franchise with 32,000 locations in 91 countries.

Subway has had a notable group of famous stars and athletes appear in their commercials. Now they have them all appearing in snippets on one ad. “Followers are encouraged to tweet to @subwayfreshbuzz and describe why the Famous Fan of the day is a great fit for SUBWAY restaurants.”

Each day’s contest will be focused on a different Famous Fan including Laila Ali, Carl Edwards, Jared Fogle, Jay Glazer, Blake Griffin, Ryan Howard, Nastia Liukin, Michael Phelps, CC Sabathia and Michael Strahan. The company gets involvement, a popular spokesperson chosen by the masses, and a database of people who will read whatever Subway texts to them.

Of course there is additional incentive.  By tweeting their views, followers will be entered into the chance to Subway gift cards, every day. People are also encouraged to follow the Famous Fans on Twitter who will be weighing in with their feedback on what makes them a great fit for the brand. Read the full press release here.

Who will win the competition? Truly, the winner is Subway.

How are you turning social media into mass market advertising? Need help with it…or even to understand it?  Contact us today at Synergy Consultants.

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How to Choose a Restaurant Consultant

Apr 14, 2010

Any qualified restaurant consultant brings experience, credibility and the ability to find information most restaurant owners never access. Consultants can advise restaurant owners on a variety of issues including menu design, concept development, interior spaces, development assistance, financial information services and real estate. Our product, or deliverable, can take the form of a written report or, as is often the case with Synergy, a hands-on approach.

 

The term “restaurant consultant” is actually a very broad definition encompassing a wide variety of disciplines and areas of expertise. Within Synergy Restaurant Consultants we have experts across the spectrum: real estate, design, litigation, accounting and operations. While the consultant you may need can vary widely, the selection process and client/consultant relationship are very important and quite similar. Whether you select Synergy or one of our competitors, it is important to know how to select the best firm for the problem or project you have in mind.

how to choose a restaurant consultant

Once you have determined you need a restaurant consultant, you begin the search process. Here are some basic steps:

 

  1. Begin a preliminary search. The goal here is to contact different consultants who appear to be qualified to serve your needs. Similar to receiving quotes on products, it is better to identify more than one consultant. One good place to start is talking to restaurant business colleagues for a referral. Discover who they have used in similar situations and if they were satisfied
  2. Pare the group down. Discuss the project with your preliminary search group. Narrow the list down. When you have two left, go to step 3.
  3. Ask for written proposals, company brochures, references and other collateral
  4. Analyze the proposals. Look at each proposal carefully; if you have any questions, ask the consultant to explain them. Check references, also.
  5. Select the best consultant. Based on your analysis, pick the most qualified consultant to perform the project.
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Synergy Restaurant Consultants Announces Strategic Alliance with Scarpello Consulting

Feb 09, 2010

The IRS has released industry specific guidance regarding cost segregation studies in the restaurant industry. Now restaurant owners/operators can accelerate depreciation on 20-40% of total building costs.

The IRS has released industry specific guidance regarding cost segregation studies in the restaurant industry. Now restaurant owners/operators can accelerate depreciation on 20-40% of total building costs.

Dean Small, co-founder of Synergy Restaurant Consultants explained the significance. “This is an effective means of reducing a restaurant’s income tax liability. Many restaurant owners’ asset components within their properties may be depreciated over a 5 year or 15 year recovery period versus a straight-line 39 year recovery period. In simple language, what this means is accelerated depreciation allows restaurant owners to reduce current income tax liability and significantly enhance cash flow. The bottom line is that it improves a restaurant’s bottom line.”

For over 20 years Synergy has been helping its valued clients improve their financial performance through improved operating efficiencies. Cost segregation is a natural extension of our efficiency services that leverages sophisticated accounting practices and mechanical engineering. This new team of Scapello and Synergy has extensive restaurant design, estimating, engineering, and construction experience, permitting the group to identify and quantify items of personal property accurately and in a manner acceptable to the IRS. Cost Segregation is a specialized area of tax. Scarpello and Synergy works directly with your CPA providing all necessary documentation and support.

Danny Bendas, Synergy’s other co-founder expounded on the benefits. “What all that means to you, the restaurant owner, is that you can now “catch up” on tax deductions that were missed…all the way back to 1987 and without amending prior tax returns. This deduction can be applied to current income tax liability significantly reducing the amount of income taxes owed this year.”

The team’s combined experience in the real estate and construction industries provides the restaurant owner with a unique base of experience to take advantage of the new taxpayer privileges. Cost segregation studies are designed to maximize an owner’s depreciation allowance while minimizing the risk of audit exposure.

“We do more than properly classify an asset as real or personal property; we clearly document how the values of the various component assets were identified. We now identify improvements on the building plans, quantifying the property using the most detailed level of cost information available, and describe the costing method employed.” Dean Small reports.

Want to learn more? Contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants right away to see how you can truly benefit in a major way through Cost Segregation. For more information please contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants or go to www.CostSegregation.net.