If we have any luck, we will have a few dry, sunny days ahead of us just in time for the July 4^th weekend. The rain has not only put a damper on our favorite pastime of grilling but I would bet it has affected the business slightly at your local independent restaurant. People are moping around, not feeling like going out and in turn, your favorite restaurant suffers. So here’s some advice for this upcoming weekend. Split up your food cravings, grill a little and take a stroll down to your favorite local independent restaurant or steakhouse. They miss you…

While reports indicate restaurant business is down across the country, a National Restaurant Association survey indicated that many restaurant owners are optimistic about a bright future this year. So don’t make them wait. Go down, have a great time, spend a little money that will go back into the economy, tip your wait staff well and have a great time this weekend. And on your way home, visit your local independent meat and seafood retailer and grab a few good steaks and maybe some Nautifish seafood products and have yourself a great cookout.

Happy 4^th of July!

AGAR has been known to help many local charities and worthy causes over the years. As a New England Food Distributor, AGAR has tried to help those in need when it comes to food related issues. This July, AGAR is doing it again by supporting the Boston Firefighter’s Local 718 Burn Foundation (BFFBF) with their inaugural Firefighter’s Cook Off being held at Fenway Park on July 18.

Twenty teams of firefighters have signed on to whip up some of their firehouse favorites. We all know that firefighters have a pretty good track record of creating some great meals so there will be no shortage of food or great recipes at this event.

A sneak peek of the firefighter’s cooking-up their specialties including our own Chef Merry can be seen on sponsor how2heroes’ website http://how2heroes.com/newsletters/06.25.09_firemen/

How2heroes is a great website that allows people to upload and share cooking tips and other food-related advice. They recently stopped by the AGAR Test Kitchen to film Chef Jeff Merry create his own breakfast style recipe and a few Taunton firefighters joined him to sample his fantastic cooking.

“The Firefighter Cook-Off,” according to Steve Turley, the BFFBF Director and Co-Founder, “is a fantastic opportunity for the BFFBF to raise desperately-needed funds, while engaging the public and having a memorable time doing so.” All of the proceeds from the evening will directly impact the Boston Firefighter’s Burn Foundation so that the organization can establish greater funding for burn victim’s families during emergencies, temporary housing, meals, transportation and support.

For more information about the event or the Boston Firefighter’s Local 718 Burn Foundation, please contact Kait Muhlfelder, Kait@RedArrowComm.com (415) 216-8494. Additional information can be found on the BFFBF’s website www.BFFBF.org

It was a pleasure on Sunday to attend Twin River’s first ever Vine & Dine & Iron Chef Competition.  AGAR’s own Chef Jeff Merry was invited to participate in the competition along with five other chefs from restaurants in Rhode Island and Connecticut.  Over 1,000 people attended the event which showcased Chef Merry and the other talent on the stage.

Now it kills me to tell you this but Chef Merry did not win. Can you believe it? But I can say it was exciting to see the Chefs compete against each other and have the opportunity to tell these people about AGAR, and of course Chef Merry.

AGAR is fortunate to have Chef Merry on our team and customers of AGAR should feel that was as well. He doesn’t need to win any competitions to prove his skills. He’s helped countless restaurants in the AGAR family improve their menus, profitably and efficiently during this economic downturn and most likely saved a few restaurants from closing as a result. I know Chef was just honored to be asked to join the other chefs on stage.

Here’s a great photo from the Iron Chef competition last week.

There is really more to public relations than just bugging reporters about your company and sending them press releases about items they would never cover or care about. Every topic, subject or discipline has what I would call a 101. So let’s talk about PR 101. It’s critical in keeping customers and generating new ones. When I talk about PR in this context, I’m not talking about press coverage, although it sure helps a business create awareness. I’m talking about the true meaning of public relations; building and maintaining a rock solid image.  

I always tell people have your house in order before you go inviting a bunch of guests over. That goes for any type of restaurant, retail establishment etc… What do I mean? Where do I start?? Let’s start with the entrance to your business.

And I’m going to go all the way back to your website. Do you have one? Is it up-to-date? Does it tell the story of your place and why people should come see you? Do you offer a way to communicate with customers on a regular basis and does it look like a three-year-old did it? These are the questions you need to ask.

When customers walk into your place are they greeted immediately? Is the place clean and orderly? How long do they have to wait and does your staff understand the importance of each and every customer and the word of mouth each has the potential to generate? My wife is a perfect example. One bad experience and it is her opinion that the entire company doesn’t care. She’s not alone in the way she thinks.

Do you focus on the little things? When a customer says thank you do you respond with, “You’re welcome” or do you thank them back? I would thank them back…Do you argue with customers when they have a complaint or do you just ask them what you need to do to make it right? Guess where I stand on this one…

As a New England food distributor, we see a lot of customers each day. Many are still thriving in this challenging economy because they know the importance of great customer service and the value of understanding PR 101. Also because they have partnered with a food distributor like AGAR but you knew I was going to say that…

You can get more tips in the great article I found on FastCasual.com; http://www.fastcasual.com/article.php?id=14737&na=1

A recent report by the National Restaurant Association indicates that restaurant business overall in this country is looking up. The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index tracks many things in the industry but overall, looks at the health of the restaurant business in the country.

It tracks trends such as same store sales, labor costs, customer traffic and capital expenditures as well as expectations for the future. Recently, the NRA cited a four-month gain in this index at 98.6 which was up 0.8 percent from the previous month of March. What does all this mean?

There are two indices that make the entire RPI index. The first is the Current Situation Index which tracks current indicators such as same store sales, traffic and labor among other items. The other is the Expectations Index which as the NRA puts it, tracks forward thinking trends such as again same store sales, capital expenditures and business expectations. The NRA conducts a nationwide survey of restaurant operators on a monthly basis to get their data.

The Current Index is still in a downward trend; however the Expectations Index is the one that is driving a more optimistic outlook of the restaurant business. While restaurant operators cited less traffic into their establishments, they did overall report an optimistic view with many saying they expect business conditions to improve in the next six months or so.

As a food distribution company in New England, AGAR sees many trends on a regular basis. Obviously the most important indicator would be order size from customers but AGAR also sees what is hot and what is not when it comes to food trends. Some of those are coming soon to this blog. Stay tuned.