Filed under Food Industry …

May 14 2013
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Food Industry, Multi-Unit Restaurant Catering, Restaurant Leadership

Heading to NRA 2013? – Join the Celebration of Technology Dinner, May 19, 2013

I always look forward to this time of year.  As a restaurant operator in Vancouver years ago, I always made sure I attended the National Restaurant Association gathering, year after year.  Mostly, it was for the learning.  Lot’s of learning.

Even today, 15 years later, as the CEO of MonkeyMedia Software and the Founder of the MMS Catering Institute, I still go for the learning.

There are so many events to choose from in just 5 short days.  One of my favourites is the Celebration of Technology at Zed 451 on Sunday night, May 19.  I’d recommend you attend if you are in Chicago.  You can register here.

But today, it’s become more than just learning for me.  As our organization works with thousands of restaurant operators, day in and day out, all focused on their catering operations.  We owe it to our community to reach high and be the best that we can be.  A never ending commitment to make ourselves better.  We can only do that by taking part in community based activities.  We need the feedback, validation and the passion of others.

Well, over the years, you end up making great friends.  Real friends.  Nice people working in an amazing industry.  I enjoy circling back, year after year.  I really go there for community…. to be part of something fantastic and make sure that I have a place to “hang my hat”.  Check out this video that Dawn Sweeney made, as the president and ceo of NRA.

I think she does a great job at setting her passion for her work in this video.

Well, there’s always alot to discuss.  Me?  I’ll look forward to meeting you on the show floor, or perhaps, if you have time, you might come by our booth where we are showcasing the services of the MMS Catering Institute and MonkeyMedia Software.  Booth #6878.

Hope to see you there!

 

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May 08 2013
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Catering Operations, Food Industry, Multi-Unit Restaurant Catering, Multi-Unit Restaurant Operators

Order Execution – A key enabler for successful restaurant catering

This year, I am celebrating the beginning of my 16th year at MonkeyMedia Software.  As an entrepreneur, I am pretty much “path dependent” on my journey at this point.  For better or for worse.  It’s not impossible to shift gears, but at my age, it’s logistically challenging.  Just like catering out of restaurants.  Logistically challenging.  Don’t get me wrong;  I am not looking to change careers!  No Way!  I’ve got way to much learning to do and everywhere I go, all I see is opportunity for the US restaurant industry’s catering channel.  I absolutely love this business!  I see a $100 Billion dollar business out there.  It’s out there, but we HAVE to execute!

To keep myself interested every day, I am always looking for “shiny new objects”.  Well, according to my friend and colleague, Fred LeFranc, from Results Through Strategy, I can’t help myself. ” It’s classic entrepreneurial behaviour “, he tells me.  Oh, and by the way, those of you who might be looking for a great strategist, call Fred.  He’s doing great work for some our restaurant community’s best known brands.  So today, I will celebrate this part of me.  The part that can’t stop innovating.  Can’t stop imagining.  Can’t stop hoping.  It’s just that I feel SO certain!  Some days I feel like a child in a candy store.  I have to choose carefully or I will end up with a stomach ache!

As the founder of the MMS Catering Institute, it’s my job to document a business model for catering out of restaurants, that is predictable, scalable and repeatable.  I spend hours thinking about it, days writing about it, and weeks working in the field with my customers.  Customers like you.  Restaurant operators just trying to survive day to day.

I have learned that one of the key enabler’s for successful catering out of restaurant operations is “order execution”.  Too many of us fail at this.  Why?  Because logistics are complicated.  Logistics matter.  Like all industries, we can learn from others.  And so, I found this fantastic video that really shows the logistics execution of Airline Catering Operations.  It’s impressive, to say the least.

There are many takeaways for us as restaurant catering experts from this video.  I’d like to hear your thoughts on what you take away from the video.

Drop me a line.  Let’s talk Catering!

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Apr 16 2013
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Catering Leadership, Catering Marketing - External, Catering Marketing - Internal, Catering Operations, Catering Sales, Catering Strategy, Multi-Unit Restaurant Catering, Multi-Unit Restaurant Operators

On the Cusp of Something Huge – Keepin’ on

ON the cusp

Last week was just a great week at MonkeyMedia Software!

There are days when I just don’t know how I am going to get to “the end” of this project.  Whatever that means.  All good things come to an end at some point!  Isn’t that part of the plan?

All successful entrepreneurs plan for an exit at some point and time.  Me?  Well it dawned on me that it’s wholly possible that I am 15 years into a 25 year process!  That would mean, that I’ve got at least 10 more years in front of me to do my part in building our organization, and developing the vision of catering in the restaurant community.

If that’s the case, then what do I do to keep myself going?  To keep it fresh?  To keep it exciting?  And mostly, to keep it real?

Real people, real companies, real revenues, real expenses.  The never ending pursuit of creating value for our customers, restaurant operators.

I have learned that it’s not just about doing the right things.  No.  It’s about doing the right things, at the right time!  Markets are moving, and so must we.

So, last week I received a wonderful note from one of our customers.  They have 170 restaurants in the QSR space.  We’ve been working through their catering opportunities and deploying our software right smack in the middle of their organization.  It’s a pleasure for us to work with such a committed, professional and great group of people.

I sent a thank you email and the note I received back really energized me, so I thought I’d share it with you. Apply it to your own business:

Our client said,

“We are on the cusp of something huge!”

Well, that’s all I needed last week.  I’m hanging onto those kind words and am going to do everything I can to make that dream come true.

Keepin’ on.  Let’s talk restaurant catering.

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