Awesome Monday!

Thank you for your support!!!

Today was fantastic. I took a risk and even though I was a little nervous, things worked out great!

See, I abandoned my comfortable menu and created a dinner special that was delicious, looked great and I would have been proud to serve to my grandparents.

I have owned the Diner for 7 years now. At first blush, 7 years doesn't seem like a long time. HOWEVER, 7 years in the restaurant world is like 20 years in real life. Almost like a Hollywood marriage... some of those relationships crash and burn in a year.

My point is, not a lot makes me nervous. I'm kind of a restaurant veteran at this point. But today made me both nervous and excited. And that, is a GOOD thing. I was creative, energized and thinking beyond the burger.

Now, don't fear, I'm NOT going to change the fundamental Diner. We will always be a neighbourhood burger and ice cream joint. But, once in a while, with your support I'm going to make something a little more special. I consider it a mom-style dinner. I will cook what I want, with local fresh ingredients, and you can either order it and enjoy it as served, or pass and pick a burger. The choice is yours.

Back to the ABCs of what happened. Today was Day 1 of the Diner Dinner Project.

I took fresh green beans from the Farmer's Market and built a home-style or mom-style meal around them. I used lean, local bison meat and topped it with sauteed mushrooms, onions and red peppers in a peppercorn gravy. I served with home cut fries and a whole wheat dinner roll.  The cost was $10 and it filled a dinner plate.

Everyone who ordered it and replied gave very positive feedback. More than that, the folks I chatted with loved the concept of an off the menu special.

Tuesday will be old style taco night. I'm going to make my own pico de gallo and guacamole and serve it with corn shell and ground beef tacos. 3 to a plate.

Wednesday will be BBQ pulled pork on a bun with coleslaw and fries.

The things that each of these specials will have in common:
1) Only available after 5pm  and while quantities last
2) $10 plus taxes
3) A healthful, colourful, full plate meal made with local, in-season products whenever possible
4) Not on our regular menu
5) Meals that I would be proud to serve my family and friends

And if this experiment does nothing else other than re-enerize me and indulge my creativity in the kitchen, it will be worth it. If I am excited to be at the Diner, our guests will see it and feel it too!

Day 1: Bison Salisbury Steak 

Trip Food

Back a while ago, I suggested that January was a great time to travel and explore other restaurants. I considered this productive use of down time.

I visited Southern California and had a chance to dine at SHOR. It's in the Newport Beach area and recently opened in the renovated Hyatt Regency Newport Beach.

This was my favourite breakfast. (pictured) It was fresh lox and bagel. It was perfect. From the plating, to the service and the VERY fresh taste and flavours. I really enjoyed it.

We had a number of menu items from SHOR during our 3 meals there. The staff were very knowledgeable and willing to modify meals and accommodate special requests. The only request we made, was for a small dish of strawberries and ice cream for dessert. However, it was clear that tables around us had requests relating to their diets and allergies.

One lady was particularly loud and demanding with her lunch requests. The wait staff and manager took it all in stride and were ever so gracious in their service.

I was impressed and inspired by their food and their hospitality. I would definitely recommend SHOR and I would also, once again, recommend dining out during your slow season.

Down time

So, it's January! Happy New Year!

Did your restaurant have a busy holiday season? I hope so!  Now, what to do in your down time? January is traditionally slow... everywhere.

1) Rest your key staff. If they don't have vacation time coming to them, rest them by giving them a change of pace. Is there a marketing course or a fun new mixology course available? A change of pace is a great way to re-energize.

2) Clean. Clean like crazy. What a great way to start a new year. When it comes time for your visit by the Health Inspector, you'll be much further ahead.

3) Bounce back offers. How about every paying customer that comes through your door in the next 10 days, gets a $10 voucher for use January 14-30?  Have them visit you twice!

4) Start planning your next great holiday event. What do you have planned for Valentine's Day specials?

5) Eat out! Yes, eat out at your friend's restaurants and the competition too. Eat, socialize and enjoy. Consider it research. Friend... or competitor, you'll find inspiration.

Trend spotting

Restaurants must continually upgrade, refresh and even re-invent their menu in order to keep guests interested and coming back. Being on the leading edge of a trend gives you longer to ride the wave. (Capitalize on the buzz) Catching the wave the end makes you seem like you're jumping on the bandwagon too late.

How can you spot a trend? Travel. Travel and see new regions, experience new cuisines and talk to people. Talk to local chefs, talk to chefs on the internet. Engage and be a part of social media. Reading blogs is a start. It's not enough, but it's a start.

Last trip I took I saw many examples of "small plates" or "tapas". Even in the fast food joints they are serving "minis." I see these as an opportunity to sell more, not less. Rather than selling one plate of nachos to a table of four out for drinks, maybe you could sell them 2 or 3 small plates instead. Nachos $12 .... then a price point of 3 small plates for $16.  As in, one small plate for $7, 2 for $13 or 3 for $16.

It's the same as a jean store offering one pair at regular price but a second pair for half price. You can always use a second pair of jeans right? A slam dunk sale for a salesperson with a little experience and personality. The same goes for your wait staff.

The customer is drawn to the smaller menu item for several reasons... a perception of fewer calories, less money, less of a diet cheat, less of a risk of trying something new. However, they DO realize without discussion that it will not fill them up and they will need to add something else. A bowl of soup, perhaps another mini or two, a dessert etc.

So ultimately, serving smaller, may be an opportunity to sell more. I shall keep my eye on this trend. What do you think?

The Daily Special

Again, with the Dr. Oz Show reference. Dr. Oz suggested, and his guest discussed the restaurant daily special as being a "clearance rack" for items and ingredients that are near their expiry date or at the end of their shelf life.

I would vehemently argue that's not the case in my diner! I can only speak for my own kitchen, of course, but I would never hesitate to choose our special and here's why:  We are such a small diner, with limited dining space but also limited freezer and fridge space. We operate on an on-demand supply system. We get stock 4-6 times a week. Yes, that's nearly every day. We operate with one head chef, and 2 sous chef. There is constant communication and we always know what's fresh, what's new and how we rotate stock. Fresh is our way of life. And our kitchen motto is "if you wouldn't serve it to your own Grandma, you don't serve it to our guests. Period."

The way we choose our daily special is based on stock availability. What do we have the MOST of. Keeping the right quantities on hand, so you never have to tell a guest "sorry, we're out of your favourite" can be a delicate balancing act. Therefore, in order NOT to run out of chicken fingers, we would discount and feature a burger instead. When something is discounted and marketed as a daily special guests tend to choose it, especially if they are in a rush or consider it in the top 3 items they would eat at your restaurant normally.  So, it takes the "pressure" off chicken, if burgers are the popular choice that day.

Similarly, we can choose a special to counter-act a mistake in ordering. Whoops.... ordered all bottle cokes instead of cans? Then today's special is a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a bottle coke for take-out. It's a perfect set.  Hard to sell a taco salad with a bottle coke.

There have been instances where a supplier will offer you a quantity discount on in-season produce. I like to jump at those opportunities and cook with what's fresh and delicious in the moment. Fresh peaches make amazing parfaits with hot caramel sauce. While it's not on our regular menu it sure sounds good, tastes good and sells well as a special.

That's how we roll at the Retro Diner.

Restaurant Secrets

Today on the Dr. Oz show they talked about restaurant secrets. They video clips and previews they showed made it look like something sinister and like running a restaurant was some sort of sneaky society attempting to deceive the public.

Curious, I watched the show.

Ultimately, they simply offered a few common sense tips. They talked about the bacteria levels on cafeteria trays. You know, the plastic trays you might use to carry your meal to the table at the mall food court. They revealed that they are rarely washed and dozens or even hundreds of hands can touch the trays between washing. Oooooooh.... a good reminder, but hardly shocking.  A real world remedy to this situation would be to use hand sanitizer after you touch the tray and not eat any of the food that comes in direct contact with your tray.

Another supposedly shocking "restaurant secret" was that buffet food can spoil if left out too long, or at incorrect storage temperatures. Yes. Absolutely right, but again I think that is common sense. If something is crusty or dry looking or has been there a very long time, don't eat it. I would suggest, if you do love buffets to go early, within the first hour or so, of the buffet commencing. Never in the last hour. (That food is just minutes away from the garbage, for a reason.) For example, if the lunch buffet is served from 11AM-4 pm, I would never consider eating it after 1 pm. (But I might be more cautious than most.)

Another note was how restaurants design their menus to lead your eye to the items with the greatest profit margin. They can do this with bold print, or feature symbols or even by putting it at the top of the page. Absolutely that's correct. Not sinister, or deceptive in my opinion at all. It's called marketing. The restaurant business has a very narrow profit margin and in order to compete, you need to be able to provide the meals customers want, at a price that the consumer is willing to pay and that the restaurant needs in order to cover its costs. It's BUSINESS. Very simple.

If I could go a little further and add a snippet of my own restaurant advice, I would urge the guest to stick to the popular menu items if they are at all concerned about the restaurant's food quality. If you are at a place that is not very busy, has an incredibly detailed menu, or perhaps has uneducated kitchen staff, ALWAYS choose the most popular item. (Get this info by asking the waitress. - Don't be confused with the daily special, but ask about popularity.) Why do I give this advice?  Because, the most popular menu item will be the freshest, because quantities are always being replenished. Plus, if the staff is weak, or untrained, they should still be able to make the best seller.... because they are doing it 20-30 times a day anyway.  There.... there's an insider tip, not seen today by millions of viewers.

So you want to own a restaurant?

I was driving home a babysitter the other day, and making small talk with the young lady I'd barely known two days. (Ok, let's stop for a second before I get a lecture for leaving my kids with a near stranger. Let me assure you that the young lady's references were rock solid. Most of my close friends are high school teachers. Believe me, that's invaluable when choosing a potential sitter. High school teachers KNOW the kids in their classes and give detailed references.)

Forgive the sidetrack. I'm actually going somewhere with this story.

So, in polite exchange, I ask the girl if she's taking any classes that she really likes or has she identified a direction for a her future career.

"Oh yes!" she gushes.  "I've been really excited to meet you. I know you own a restaurant and that's kind of like what I want to do, you know, for my career and stuff. "

Then came her barrage of questions. "What kind of recipes do you use? Where can I get some good knives? What does a good knife cost?  How much money do you make? How many staff do you have?" And she went on and on.

I was glad to answer questions, though already exhausted from my day. I do feel that it's important to inspire youth to consider Culinary Arts as a career path. So many of us, in the business, are exhausted though and our own enthusiasm has disappeared. It's a fairly short lived career for some. It's not something the body can keep up with 7 days a week for a decade or more. And if you do have the personal stamina, sometimes the finances and business circumstances force you out before your time.

I encouraged her to consider evening classes through the local college, to get a glimpse of what life could be like. I also suggested a part time job in a restaurant. I asked her what in particular did she see herself doing... front of the house manager, chef, pastry chef, restaurant designer, waitress, or what?

She replied, as only a dreamy eyed teen could... "Oh actually, I already know." She said. "I'm going to own a Bed and Breakfast, that is also a cafe and tea room. But we'll be kind of like a youth hostel too and I hope to make wedding cakes for people on the side and do gourmet dog biscuits."

"Wow. Good for you." I said. "Sounds great! Better work out a detailed business plan and start saving your money. That's going to be a lot of work."

Lucky for me, I had her safely at her house by that point. Goodnight, I told her and thanks again.

I have to admire people who dream big. That's the kind of things great stories are made of. Some people will do it, you know. Others have their dreams shattered all too young by other circumstances. Others still, will take a life path dictated by others and put their own dreams aside.  I'm glad that night I bit my tongue and did not let out the jaded beast within me - the beast that says "you're kidding yourself, kid. Life will eat you up and spit you out. There's no way you're going to do it all."

I don't want to be the one who tells people they can't, especially young people. There's a whole big world out there that people battle daily. Everyone overcomes something in an effort to be happy. If it's not drama, disease, natural disasters or peer bullying, the economics of life and the walls that surround you will get in your way. I wish people would help each other more. Say, "go for it, or let me help" rather than "you can't or you're kidding, right?"

Nothing today is handed to anyone on a silver platter. Well, except for high tea at the Empress. But I think at least we can support each other's dreams. Dreams still cost nothing. Dreams are still meant for everyone.

TV Fare

It's a wonder we ever leave the house. The Food Network keeps raising the bar and enticing viewers with fabulous new cooking shows. I'm pretty much glued to the Food Network, if I'm not at work in my own restaurant.

I don't know anyone who hasn't tuned in to shows like Iron Chef, Diners Drive-Ins & Dives, or Cupcake Wars. Or anyone who hasn't referenced an episode in conversation.

Personally, I'm into anything done by Bobby Flay. I think he's a fabulous chef and just as good as a TV host. His show 3 Days to Open is pretty great.

As a restaurant owner, I can related to the challenges shown on TV. None of it appears unrealistic. You'll always face challenges with staff, trends, schedules, suppliers, customers and outside forces (like weather, economic conditions etc). So it is genuinely interesting to see how other restaurants face and overcome their obstacles.

Creative recipes and learning about regional cuisine will always interest me. In order to succeed in this business, you need to stay current and stay inspired. Lucky for me, the Food Network is there, in my off hours (the wee hours of the night) to keep me company and show me what the outside world looks like. It's a comfort that we all face the same challenges, and an inspiration to see how people succeed in their local markets.

Sweet Luxury

To have your own commercial kitchen is one of life's little luxuries.

The smooth, cool, stainless steel counters and utensils are so durable and clean. A big, sharp chef's knife chops fresh produce with ease and makes meal preparations a snap.

Cooking is a pleasure when ingredients and equipment are logically set out before you. Equipment that is easy to clean and easy to handle make preparations a breeze.

We overlook these joys sometimes, working in a commercial cooking environment. You're under pressure constantly and constantly scruitinized. As a chef, you are only as good as the last meal you served. Guests are not very forgiving these days. With Twitter and Instagram and Facebook and bloggers everywhere, your reputation can be sliced and diced on that plate, and around the world in minutes.

It is fresh? Do we have enough? Where's my cumin? Who took my whisk? Even little things going wrong can set you back and frustrate you when minutes and seconds matter. And believe me, in a commercial kitchen, seconds count! Timing is everything.

But to be the master of the kitchen, YOUR OWN KITCHEN, is a dream come true. We all love it! Students aspire to it and television shows glamourize it. And I, for one, have to say that as much hard work as it is to own a restaurant, and to live in the intense environment that is a kitchen, it still is a luxury. A sweet luxury that I do not take for granted.

Why Retro?

Everything old is new again. From television shows to classic cars, there is a North American affection for the 50s and 60s. So when I had the chance to buy a sleepy little ice cream store, I thought I'd breathe new life into it by going retro.

The classic neon sign from the 60's (when the store was first established) still stood proudly outside the store. It was outlined with a big cheesy flashing arrow and twinkly "running" lights that flashed after dark. So, I figured it would be pretty easy to have the sign refurbished and then match the interior decor to the outside sign.

Once I had a theme, it was pretty easy to locate and purchase furniture, signs, and other decorator items. A couple keyboard strokes and everything was on its way.

A working jukebox was harder to find, but when I did I felt like the Fozz from Happy Days. "Ehhhh!" 

Acme Chrome provided all the new, but retro furniture. It was custom coloured and could not have been better. I'm pleased to say that after 5 years of daily use, all the chairs and tables are holding up great. They sure knew how to make it back then! And lucky for me, Acme Chrome is still pumping out the top quality, Canadian-made furniture  that generations have loved.

The one thing about the retro decor and 60s music, it brings a smile to people's faces. And once you have a relaxed and cheery customer in a comfortable environment, it is much easier to then dazzle them with good food and top notch service.

Back to the Beginning

The moment that started this journey, was the moment I lost my job. I had a neat and tidy desk job, in a large public institution. I travelled for work, I hosted meetings and parties, and held court with the media. I had a good job. A great job even. I liked it. I even had a fancy title.

A round of budget cuts and I was out the door. I had two young children. My youngest was just three months old when this all took place. Talk about adding to my stress level! A toddler, an infant and my phone ringing off the hook with all my friends and coworkers calling to see what I was going to do. 

What was I going to do? 

Survive. At the most basic level I knew I would be fine. I had a supportive husband, a loving family, concrete job skills and a network of contacts right across the country.  But what did I WANT to do? That was harder to define. 

Ultimately, I boiled it down to what I WASN'T going to do. And I wasn't going to work for anyone else anymore. I did not want to be at the mercy of a corporate board or anyone else who felt I wasn't critical to the success of an organization. Not again. 

I'd always wanted to run my own business. But what? When? Where? How? And then my toddler spoke up. (And I'm not kidding.) "Mommy, buy the ice cream store!"   

My boy wants ice cream I figured. Well, we were occasional customers at the ice cream store down the street from my old office building. Another visit to the ice cream store couldn't hurt. My son had insisted "buy store" not "buy treat." And wouldn't you know it, he had indeed overheard the owner talking about selling. Apparently he had heard the conversation loud and clear the last time we had been in. Sure enough there was a tiny 11x 8.5" sign in one of the windows this time. "For Sale." 

We had ice cream that day and drove away without a word. But later, I just couldn't get that place out of my mind. I mean, I DID have years of restaurant experience from my college days. Hmmm, I wonder...