For Immediate Release:
Dateline: San Francisco,
CA
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Perry Grouphttps://www.perrygroup.com/Hotel & Restaurant Experts For The Hospitality IndustryFri, 10 Jan 2020 18:02:54 +0000en-UShourly 1 - Tips from a Nightclub Security Expert on Bar Patron Safetyhttps://www.perrygroup.com/tips-from-a-nightclub-security-expert-on-bar-patron-safety/Sun, 15 Dec 2019 09:05:45 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2081Any advertising you see for a nightclub focuses on a fun experience for the guests. Music, drinks, food, and ambiance all play into what your guests will expect from your club. Before you can have a good time, though, you need to focus in on safety issues. Crowded venues and alcoholic beverages can combine to…
The post Tips from a Nightclub Security Expert on Bar Patron Safety appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Any advertising you see for a nightclub focuses on a fun experience for the guests. Music, drinks, food, and ambiance all play into what your guests will expect from your club. Before you can have a good time, though, you need to focus in on safety issues. Crowded venues and alcoholic beverages can combine to cause fights and injuries to patrons and employees alike. Learning to think and plan like a nightclub security expert can go a long way toward mitigating some of the dangers lurking in your club.Condition of the Club One basic concern to address is the physical condition of your club. Problems can arise outside if you do not have good lighting in place. Keep the sidewalks and parking areas both well-lit and free of damage. An injury outside can ruin someone’s night, and can damage your club’s reputation. Before people come inside and when they are ready to leave, they should feel both safe and seen. Staff Presence Your staff on site should provide a sense of security as well. Any nightclub security expert will tell you that both quantity and quality matter here. You should have enough security personnel on site to let people know you will keep things under control. They should be trained not just to restrain or remove unruly guests, but to defuse tensions and de-escalate arguments. When tempers flare inside, you do better in terms of both atmosphere and finances by calming people down than by kicking people out. Manage Your Crowds A large crowd in your nightclub can be both a strength and a weakness. You want to get a large number of guests; you don’t make as much money in a sparse venue. Still, having too many people packed in too tightly can be a recipe for disaster. To help reduce some of your risk here, you should keep track of the maximum capacity, and make sure you are not letting more in at one time than you can safely hold. Make sure you are also set up with room for traffic in the club to flow from the entrance into the club, from the main areas to the restrooms, and then back outside at the end of the night. Keep Track of Alcohol Consumption Serving drinks in your club is important. It helps people loosen up and enjoy the evening. At the same time, you need to train your bartenders and your security team to watch for signs of trouble. You may not like the idea of refusing drinks for someone, but serving an already drunk patron will lead to fights and falls, either of which creates problems in your nightclub. Depending on where you live, you may also face legal liability if someone leaves your club intoxicated and causes an accident on the road. You want everyone to relax and have fun, but you need to be cautious in managing the bar. Equipment Issues Any equipment you have in the nightclub should be both up to date and out of the way. Live bands can be great for your atmosphere, but you need them set up in a way that does not leave cords lying in walkways or on the dance floor. Any sound or electrical equipment needs to be checked to ensure it is in safe condition and does not create dangers for your patrons. By keeping on top of these details, you keep your guests safe and make your club a better place for everyone. Security in your club is about much more than bouncers and cameras. A nightclub security expert can help you identify some of the little things that most guests will never even notice. If you take care of the club and have your team trained correctly, you can avoid many problems that nightclub owners face every day. The post Tips from a Nightclub Security Expert on Bar Patron Safety appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - When You Should Use an Interim Hotel Managerhttps://www.perrygroup.com/when-you-should-use-an-interim-hotel-manager/Fri, 15 Nov 2019 09:05:11 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2038Your hotel management team focuses on long term goals. A given night, month, or even year can fall within the long term fluctuations of the travel industry, so building your brand and the quality of your property are the main considerations to sustain you over time. Unfortunately, sometimes you have turnover and transitions to manage,…
The post When You Should Use an Interim Hotel Manager appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Your hotel management team focuses on long term goals. A given night, month, or even year can fall within the long term fluctuations of the travel industry, so building your brand and the quality of your property are the main considerations to sustain you over time. Unfortunately, sometimes you have turnover and transitions to manage, and the short term becomes critical. At times, this can make an interim hotel manager the best option for you. When you have an immediate need, this can help you meet it.Setting Up for a Sale If you are getting ready to sell your hotel, interim management can help you keep it going. A foreclosure scenario, for example, may be a prime opportunity for you to bring in an expert in hotel management. Your current team may choose to leave for new opportunities, or you may simply want to focus on cutting expenses and maximizing short-term revenue. Either of these pushes you away from the longer term approach that usually applies to hotel management and planning. Investors or owners may want to sell a high-performing hotel to maximize their opportunity. While keeping the current management team can help, you may find the current team looking to leave before you sell. Alternatively, you may simply wish to eliminate the costs involved with a full team at your hotel. An interim hotel manager can run a leaner operation and lock in on current performance to ensure you remain attractive to would-be buyers. Property Change Management A prime position for interim management comes when your general manager leaves. Whether the departure comes at the manager’s option or the property’s, you need to find a replacement. An interim manager can provide time and flexibility for you to conduct a comprehensive search for the right person to run your hotel. He or she will work to ensure the property is run effectively and efficiently. The interim manager can clean up irregularities and maintain or improve current operations to ensure the next manager steps into a good situation. Further, investment in new properties can leave a hotel short-staffed. You may want your most experienced manager to help with the opening of a new location, or have an industry leader manage the initial growing pains. In either case, one of your properties needs new leadership. An effective, experienced interim manager can help you navigate the change and set yourself up for long term success. Entering Receivership You don’t always have a choice in the matter. If a court appoints a receiver for your property, you need to work with that person to improve the property’s performance quickly. This may mean pulling you out of the red and getting to where you can pay your bills and operate profitably again. The interim manager’s short term focus can be ideal for cutting costs efficiently and driving your property forward. On the other hand, you may be beyond being able to keep the property. In this case, the interim manager will work to get to a point where you can sell the property at the best price. A current team might struggle with motivation or with shifting into the mindset of creating the best immediate value. Bringing in someone to help navigate the crisis at hand can be an effective alternative to help you through a difficult time. Not every period of change makes sense for an interim hotel manager to come in, of course. There will be times that you want to keep continuity or reward a current team member with a new role. Still, managing short term crises and transitions often works best when you have someone experienced in locking in on the moment at hand. An expert interim manager will avoid the trap of doing what you’ve always done, and instead help with what the moment requires. The post When You Should Use an Interim Hotel Manager appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Why a Hotel Interim Manager Does Not Always Make Sensehttps://www.perrygroup.com/why-a-hotel-interim-manager-does-not-always-make-sense/Tue, 15 Oct 2019 09:05:57 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2036A hotel interim manager can help your hotel through many transitions. Still, it will not be the best option for every situation. Some circumstances will make a temporary manager less practical or less cost effective. When you enter a transitionary period for your hotel management, you need to assess where you are and what your…
The post Why a Hotel Interim Manager Does Not Always Make Sense appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>A hotel interim manager can help your hotel through many transitions. Still, it will not be the best option for every situation. Some circumstances will make a temporary manager less practical or less cost effective. When you enter a transitionary period for your hotel management, you need to assess where you are and what your hotel needs to get through to the next management team. If an interim manager is not right, you need to look for alternatives.Cost Concerns If your property goes into foreclosure, you are working to maintain the hotel value until either you bring it out or the property or loan gets sold. In this case, part of your equation is the need to cut costs. An interim manager may well be able to help get the balance sheets under control. When you are already in bankruptcy though, the monthly fees that the interim manager would charge can cut into your ability to save, especially in the short term. If the hotel has performed well, there are still cost incentives for you not to bring in someone from the outside. An interim manager creates a new salary, often higher than what elevating someone in-house would give you. You can maintain a healthy status quo for the short term, and save the cost of an additional salary during your transition. Continuity Concerns When your hotel has performed well, you may not want to shift gears with a hotel interim manager. One scenario where this comes into play is where you have an experienced management team in place. The lead manager leaves, but you have a strong group of people who understand how things have worked. Even if you plan to conduct a full management search, you can benefit from a manager experienced with the hotel running things until the new manager comes in. Similarly, when investors or owners decide to sell a high-performing property, changing management teams in the middle of the process can send the wrong signal. New buyers will want to see opportunity to take over a property that has everything working well. Bringing in an interim manager can disrupt the comfort level of those working there, and concern a new buyer about whether the performance can continue as effectively. Finding ways to keep the current team running the hotel gives a clear benefit in those sale scenarios. Hiring From Within Hotels are not fungible properties. If you have a culture established for your hotel, your employees and guests rely on that culture as a reason to work or stay there. No matter how good an outside interim manager is, he or she will have trouble replicating the culture. Elevating a manager from the current team, even during a temporary period, can show your commitment to maintaining the feel of a hotel property. Even beyond the cultural benefits, lifting up someone from the current team can help your staff’s morale considerably. Bringing in an outside consultant can signal to the team that they can expect outsiders to come and threaten everyone’s jobs. Lifting people from within, especially if you have a charismatic, well-liked team member, gives you a chance to demonstrate commitment to the staff you have in place. Planning for the Next Phase No matter what route you take, it is critical for you to think and plan for not only the next phase of management in your hotel, but the interim stage as well. A hotel interim manager often provides advantages. Sometimes, he or she can impose burdens on the team you have. Take the time to assess your situation, how your hotel is performing, and what goals you actually have. A 90-day plan built to set you up for your goals, based on where you are now, can make all the difference in your ability to meet them. The post Why a Hotel Interim Manager Does Not Always Make Sense appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Hotel Security Expert Tips to Manage Security for Female Travelershttps://www.perrygroup.com/hotel-security-expert-tips-to-manage-security-for-female-travelers/Sun, 15 Sep 2019 09:05:15 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2032Women today are traveling on their own more than ever. While this comes from a combination of greater opportunity and more liberty, it also creates some dangers to them. Whether they are famous travelers with obsessed fans or just people subject to attacks that men do not as typically face, their travel can leave them…
The post Hotel Security Expert Tips to Manage Security for Female Travelers appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Women today are traveling on their own more than ever. While this comes from a combination of greater opportunity and more liberty, it also creates some dangers to them. Whether they are famous travelers with obsessed fans or just people subject to attacks that men do not as typically face, their travel can leave them vulnerable. As a hotelier, you should not only be aware of the concerns women face, but take steps to address them. You can improve your business performance and reduce your liability potential by moving to protect your female guests. Work with a hotel security expert to implement an effective plan.Opportunities for Women Traveling The days of women remaining home are fading. Whether married or single, women represent a growing segment of the workforce. A Pew research study in 2017 found that almost a third of married women now earn more than their husbands. Their salaries, with more room to grow, are increasing much faster than men’s. With this growing potential comes enormous market potential for hotels. According to travel expert Marybeth Bond, “Estimates are that women will spend some $125 billion on travel in the next year.” This boom should benefit those hotel owners and managers who take steps to earn their business. This means not only marketing to women, but adjusting policies and procedures in ways that connect with female travelers. Security Concerns Women Face Some of the worries that women face in travel may be obvious. Women traveling alone are vulnerable to robberies and sexual assaults. This can occur not only outside of your hotel, but even inside the building. The perception that they are vulnerable can create dangers for your guests and put your business at risk. The dangers are not always obvious or directly physical. In 2010, ESPN Reporter Erin Andrews filed a lawsuit against the West End Marriot hotel management. A stalker was allowed to book a room next to hers, drill holes in the wall, and film her. The hotel was found liable and ultimately settled the claim with Ms. Andrews. The event became an international news story that represented risks both to women traveling and to hotels not taking care to protect their guests’ privacy. Tips for Hoteliers to Enhance Security With these risks and dangers in mind, hotel owners, operators, and managers should work with a hotel security expert to develop a plan to not only protect their female guests, but to make those protections visible. This can begin at check-in. When you check your guests in, make it a policy not to announce their room numbers aloud. Simply point to the number on the card or paperwork you provide. Keep a guest line positioned several feet back from the counter as well to help prevent others from looking. From here, offer your female guests the option of an escort to their rooms. This can include assistance with luggage, but should focus on helping them feel safe. Include a security check inside the room while the guest waits in the doorway, combining the security check with an overt focus on making her feel safe. Test the windows to ensure they are locked, and explain emergency exits. Train your staff to keep the interactions professional; fraternizing with guests can make them uncomfortable. Finally, you should offer a 24-hour escort to your guests when they want to go out to their vehicles. This is important especially at night, but do not neglect the daytime security needs along the way. You should have someone on staff willing to assist at any times. Again, keep all interactions professional; you do not want to seem either condescending or uncomfortably friendly, as either can undermine the sense of safety your guests feel. Protect Female Guests and Yourself Hotel security for your female guests should not be a matter of choice. Today’s travelers want to feel secure in and around their hotel, and the more you can do to meet that need, the better your guests will feel staying with you. In addition, it protects you from liability when something happens. Develop a plan with your hotel security expert, and take the steps you need to keep your female guests safe. The post Hotel Security Expert Tips to Manage Security for Female Travelers appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Choosing a Court-Appointed Receiver or Restaurant Turnaround Consultanthttps://www.perrygroup.com/choosing-a-court-appointed-receiver-or-restaurant-turnaround-consultant/Thu, 15 Aug 2019 09:05:04 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2029When your restaurant or bar goes into default, the court may appoint a receiver to help protect the value of the establishment. This provides a neutral third party without an emotional stake in the restaurant to help protect revenue and cut expenses. While this process protects the lenders, the receiver may also be able to…
The post Choosing a Court-Appointed Receiver or Restaurant Turnaround Consultant appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>When your restaurant or bar goes into default, the court may appoint a receiver to help protect the value of the establishment. This provides a neutral third party without an emotional stake in the restaurant to help protect revenue and cut expenses. While this process protects the lenders, the receiver may also be able to save the business itself. After all, if the restaurant can succeed over time, it can repay lenders and investors. For this reason, a court-appointed receiver can also serve as a restaurant turnaround consultant. The same skill set and business approach serves both roles effectively.Why Restaurants Go Under Everyone loves a great restaurant experience. Unfortunately, that does not always mean restaurants will perform well. The costs can run high; people can make a good meal at home, so they go out for the service and the experience. Labor costs can rise quickly, and the lease, utilities, decor, and operating equipment make for small margins. Even in bars where margins are higher, free or stolen drinks are frequent enough to eat into the profit line. Competition is fierce enough to keep menu prices down, so there is little room for error. Further, many of the payments made at restaurants never drop to the bottom line. Card payments include fees that go to the processing company. After that, some of the funds go directly to owners and investors. If you are not careful in your audits, you can be vulnerable to additional skimming from some of these recipients. The margins grow thinner and reduce your profits over time. In the midst of all of this, a major problem can sink a restaurant or bar. Kitchen equipment fails, a health inspection shuts down service, or a natural disaster strikes. When this happens, emergency funds or savings may not be enough to keep the business afloat. Court-Ordered Receiver or Turnaround Consultant? Whatever the cause, a failing restaurant leaves everyone in the lurch. The court will often order a receiver with the first focus on protecting the lenders’ ability to recover. He or she will help cure defaults, cut expenses, and work to get revenue flowing again. In this case, the receiver is now running the restaurant, and the primary beneficiaries are those lenders and investors. All decisions come from a perspective of preserving value, whether to raise enough revenue to pay debts or to reach a sale that allows them to recover what they have put in. On the other hand, if you own or operate the restaurant, this focus does not quite match your own goals. Preserving value might look the same, but you want to get the restaurant running again in a way that you can sustain over time. The consultant does not necessarily take over, but instead offers direction to you or your managers, helping you get the business operating in the black again. For the lenders, then, the best option will usually be the court-ordered receiver. This gives them the ability to recover without any concern of dual loyalties to the restaurant ownership team. A restaurant turnaround consultant keeps more power in the hands of restaurant ownership, returning a little more risk to the investors and lenders. On the other hand, if the consultant can help manage a viable restautant, everyone can ultimately win. To some extent, everyone is at the mercy of the court on whether a receiver or a restaurant turnaround consultant works the best. If you have an individual serving in one role, though, you may be able to suggest using the same person in the other role as well. Absent conflicts of interest, you can take advantage of the same skills to cut expenses, to increase revenues, and to drive the restaurant into a more successful, profitable model. Lenders and owners should work with each other on this approach. In the end, all are interested in a profitable, successful restaurant or bar, as this protects everyone’s financial interests. The post Choosing a Court-Appointed Receiver or Restaurant Turnaround Consultant appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Case Studies in Using a Restaurant Receiver for Resolving Disputeshttps://www.perrygroup.com/case-studies-in-using-a-restaurant-receiver-for-resolving-disputes-2/Mon, 15 Jul 2019 09:05:51 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2027The concept of a single owner-operator running a restaurant on his or her own seldom meets reality. Instead, owners, partners, managers, and investors work together to help a restaurant function smoothly and serve its patrons. For this arrangement to work, the restaurant should usually take the corporate form of a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). Not…
The post Case Studies in Using a Restaurant Receiver for Resolving Disputes appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>The concept of a single owner-operator running a restaurant on his or her own seldom meets reality. Instead, owners, partners, managers, and investors work together to help a restaurant function smoothly and serve its patrons. For this arrangement to work, the restaurant should usually take the corporate form of a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). Not only does this formalize the roles that everyone serves, but it provides legal advantages by reducing taxation and limiting personal liability for suits against the restaurant. While the LLC can help eliminate many potential problems, it also provides ground for conflict among its members. The on-site managers may not communicate problems effectively to the managing member and other owners and investors or may try to resolve those conflicts on their own. In addition, financial issues identified off-site can conflict with on-site realities. When these internal conflicts arise and an LLC dispute ensues, a restaurant receiver can help resolve them in financially and operationally responsible ways. The receiver focuses on both running the restaurant and monitoring its performance, so it will target comprehensive, workable solutions for the ongoing problems.1. Restaurant Manager Under-Reporting Financial Transactions Often, the restaurant manager has control over restaurant expenditures. He or she directs purchasing decisions as the person closest to immediate, day-to-day needs. Unfortunately, the manager may not provide thorough details justifying the expenses. This can include incomplete purchase orders, neglected receipts, or even false records. As a result, even though the restaurant is profitable, the reported expenses seem bloated, cutting into the margins that other members of the LLC believe should be in place. This may just reflect financial inexperience. A restaurant manager may not be savvy in accounting processes and techniques, and the paperwork requirements can fall through when the restaurant is busy. Still, a cash and credit card business is vulnerable to skimming, fraud, and theft. The manager is in position to redirect money into other accounts, or to misrepresent spending for his or her own benefit. Whether LLC members suspect criminal activity or not, a court appointed receiver can help resolve disputes over expenditures. As a neutral third party, the receiver can dive into the financial records on site and make sense of why expenses are higher than expected. If there is nothing illegal taking place, all parties should welcome the receiver, because he or she can shed light on the finances to everyone’s benefit. A neutral party who weighs in with the benefit of expertise in both restaurant management and financial considerations can not only resolve the dispute, but recommend restructuring or reassignment of duties to put everyone involved in the best position to help the restaurant succeed. 2. Conflicts Among Personalities in the LLC Sometimes the conflicts move beyond finances. Running a restaurant sometimes requires a firm hand, but at times this can push over the edge toward someone becoming domineering and adversarial. Employees start filing lawsuits against the restaurant, and the manager threatens other members of the LLC with lawsuits if they don’t leave him or her alone to run the restaurant. Litigation of this nature can derail even the most successful restaurants. The LLC needs to find a way to push past the emotions and make decisions that protect everyone involved. Here, a receiver without an emotional stake can help by both managing the litigation and working throught he personality conflicts. Ideally, members of the LLC can move to this solution before the court has to get involved. The more the members can do to handle these matters internally, the better the chances of moving forward with a successful restaurant. Restaurant Receivers and Business Success In these and countless other scenarios, running a restaurant LLC comes with the potential for miscommunication and mistrust. At the time of formation and during times of success, everyone feels ready to work effectively as a team. When things go south, though, members can turn quickly on each other. A restaurant receiver brings a steady hand to connect the moving parts and bring everyone back to the same page. The process may not always work; not every restaurant can be saved. Before closing the restaurant or breaking down the membership, working with a receiver can often give the LLC its best chance to move forward effectively. The post Case Studies in Using a Restaurant Receiver for Resolving Disputes appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Choose Receivership Over Bankruptcy in Restaurant Foreclosurehttps://www.perrygroup.com/choose-receivership-over-bankruptcy-in-restaurant-foreclosure/Sat, 15 Jun 2019 09:05:42 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2025Foreclosure is never a pleasant experience for any business. If you own a restaurant, it means not only that your property is in danger, but your ability to dig back out of debt and turn a profit can be in trouble. Fortunately, there are foreclosure alternatives worth considering. If you are facing foreclosure, restaurant receivership is an option that can…
The post Choose Receivership Over Bankruptcy in Restaurant Foreclosure appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Foreclosure is never a pleasant experience for any business. If you own a restaurant, it means not only that your property is in danger, but your ability to dig back out of debt and turn a profit can be in trouble. Fortunately, there are foreclosure alternatives worth considering. If you are facing foreclosure, restaurant receivership is an option that can help ease the pain. In some cases, it can even give you the opportunity to get back up and running.How Restaurant Receivership Works If you are going into foreclosure, one risk you face is that of losing the business entirely. If your creditors take possession, they can start selling off assets to recover what you owe. It is a drastic remedy that protects lenders and leaves you as the borrower out in the cold. Receivership is different, because it places the custodial responsibility of your business into the hands of a receiver. The receiver cannot have a prior business relationship with either you or the lender. Because the receiver is neutral, he or she has no incentive to push in your favor or the lender’s. The receiver’s job is to simply settle the accounts and debts in an equitable and fair manner without going through the expensive process of litigating it out. Instead of turning your property over to a bank, receivership gives the benefit of an experienced manager. The receiver effectively manages the business and determines whether the business can be saved, or should be gradually wound down and operations ceased. Receivership Encourages Settlement For lenders, liquidating your restaurant is not the best scenario. They stand to gain more if your restaurant stays open, and can save significant legal costs by working with you instead of litigating against you. They want to be made whole, and going through a bankruptcy process usually does not give them the best way to do so. For this reason, requesting a receiver can trigger a settlement from creditors. They see the benefit of having someone experienced in running a restaurant and protecting the value of your assets. Not every business can be saved, but this gives you and your creditors the best chance to get your restaurant back in the black. Settling with you can help you keep afloat and give creditors a better result than fighting through the bankruptcy usually gives. If the receiver can revive your business, everyone can win. Receivership Protects Your Property In a bankruptcy proceeding, it isn’t just your building that you lose. Assets like your fixtures and your cooking and processing equipment get stripped from the property and sold separately. Creditors can take possession of anything you have claimed as collateral on their loans, in the order of their priority in the proceeding. If you lose some of it, even if that eliminates your debt, it can be very difficult to get back up and running. A receivership prevents the sell-off and protects your property. This reduces liability for all parties involved. The receiver assesses the value of what you own, and works to protect the value of your restaurant. If there are assets that are not adding to your value, the receiver can sell them. On the other hand, if the restaurant can gain more value in keeping them, the receiver will work to maximize the value of what you have and boost your revenues with what you have. A Better Alternative to Foreclosure Thus, if your business has a strong reputation and potential to earn money, restaurant receivership provides s a foreclosure alternative that may save the business. This may include new ownership or management, but it gives a way for you to recoup your investment and your creditors to get value for what they lent. You are in a difficult position when you face foreclosure, but receivership can give you a better path forward than losing everything. The post Choose Receivership Over Bankruptcy in Restaurant Foreclosure appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - Not All Court Appointed Receivers Are the Same: Choosing Right for Your Industryhttps://www.perrygroup.com/not-all-court-appointed-receivers-are-the-same-choosing-right-for-your-industry/Wed, 15 May 2019 09:05:00 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2023Having a court appointed receiver take over restaurant management can be daunting. While you have a chance to nominate someone, the receiver is a neutral third party who does not answer to you. On the other hand, the right person will manage a property efficiently and ethically, using expertise that you may not have. You also…
The post Not All Court Appointed Receivers Are the Same: Choosing Right for Your Industry appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Having a court appointed receiver take over restaurant management can be daunting. While you have a chance to nominate someone, the receiver is a neutral third party who does not answer to you. On the other hand, the right person will manage a property efficiently and ethically, using expertise that you may not have. You also need to ensure the person understands the industry; operating a restaurant brings different challenges from running other kinds of businesses, so you need someone prepared for the unique difficulties he or she will face. Vet carefully before agreeing to someone so you know it is the right person to manage your property.Experience in Asset Management The first goal of a court appointed receiver should be to maintain or improve the value of the property in question. With this in mind, you should look into the receiver’s experience in managing assets. This experience can include any active management, whether as a receiver or as the manager of a restaurant. Look into the performance of properties the receiver has managed, to determine whether he or she delivered effective, lasting results. If the receiver’s record shows a focus on selling off assets individually, this may not be the right fit for maintaining the overall value of a restaurant. On the other hand, evaluating assets and enhancing the business value can show the kind of expertise that allows a failing restaurant to thrive over time. Experience in Your Industry Different industries require different experience. If your court appointed receiver has worked in a retail or other business environment, he or she may not be prepared for the unique challenges that a restaurant brings. Similarly, someone with no experience in the region where the restaurant sits might struggle to adjust to the nuances of operating a restaurant with your local clientele. This is where you need to dig deeper into the types of businesses a court appointed receiver has managed. A restaurant’s assets have particular and specific uses. You need a court appointed receiver who understands how your equipment fits into the kinds of foods prepared there, how the safety and health regulations and standards fit in, and how all of that affects the value of what you have. The receiver’s focus is on values and numbers, but you need someone in place who understands how all of the parts affect the value of the business. Financial and Competitive Conflicts The flip side of experience in your area is the potential for conflicts. A court ordered receiver must be truly neutral–not just in terms of relationships with the restaurant owner or creditors, but to the overall competitive landscape. The more restaurant experience a court ordered receiver has, the more potential he or she has for interests in a competing restaurant or chain. If someone has worked for one of your competitors, you should look deeper into what experience that is, and what continuing interests the person may have. Experience with competitors does not always create a conflict, but a continuing relationship probably would. Beyond overt conflicts, a court ordered receiver may own stock or retain other financial interests in the industry. The world is shrinking in many respects, so the reach of this kind of conflict may extend well beyond your local area. Any interest in another restaurant deserves a closer look before you agree to work with that receiver. This is an area where, even if the receiver in question provides work that is above reproach, the appearance of a conflict can lead to litigation down the road. If you vet for any potential conflicts, you have a better chance for a smooth transition for the restaurant. Vet Receivers Carefully The right court appointed receiver can greatly enhance the value of a restaurant. Anyone can look up values of assets and sell them for good prices. To get the value of deep experience and integrity gives the ability for a failing restaurant to turn around, delivering on the needs of the owners and their creditors. Take your time to identify the right person, a neutral party with experience in your industry and experience in asset management. The post Not All Court Appointed Receivers Are the Same: Choosing Right for Your Industry appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - How a Restaurant Safety Expert Can Help You Avoid Lawsuitshttps://www.perrygroup.com/how-a-restaurant-safety-expert-can-help-you-avoid-lawsuits/Mon, 15 Apr 2019 09:05:00 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2021Running a restaurant comes with risks. Anytime a customer gets sick, you may face a complaint or a lawsuit. While you can’t control everything, you do have control over many potential problems. Taking care of your kitchen and making sure you don’t invite problems in can go a long way in helping you avoid problems.…
The post How a Restaurant Safety Expert Can Help You Avoid Lawsuits appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Running a restaurant comes with risks. Anytime a customer gets sick, you may face a complaint or a lawsuit. While you can’t control everything, you do have control over many potential problems. Taking care of your kitchen and making sure you don’t invite problems in can go a long way in helping you avoid problems. A restaurant safety expert can help you identify and limit preventable issues in your kitchen.Avoid Allergy Problems Food allergies can create serious health problems for people exposed to food products that are dangerous to them. Chances are, you serve foods that have ingredients harmful for someone, whether it is gluten, eggs, nuts, dairy, wheat, or any of a host of other allergens. You cannot create a menu that does not have something in it a person would find unsafe for their needs. You can, however, disclose potentially hazardous ingredients. Good communication can prevent someone from eating something he or she should not, or at least protect you if someone does. A restaurant safety expert can help you identify potentially harmful ingredients and craft a message to help evade or defend against lawsuits related to allergic reactions. Source Your Foods Carefully Contaminated foods and ingredients can bring trouble to your restaurant. E. coli and other bacterias that infect your products get passed on–typically to several customers all at once. To help prevent this, make sure you rely on vendors you know and trust. Order meats and eggs that are USDA-inspected and approved. Work with certified vendors and make sure a process is in place to help ensure safety. The more robust your vendor selection and purchasing processes, the less likely your customers will become ill–and litigious. Tighten Your Receiving Processes Even foods that come in safely can create problems if your intake process fails you. Your restaurant should use checklists and procedures for safe receiving and handling as part of your restaurant business plan. Both food and materials should be subject to your defined receiving processes, and you should audit regularly to make sure everyone follows them. This includes checking food temperatures, looking for signs of thawing, and storing foods immediately and correctly. Refusing foods or insisting on following processes will not always be easy, but the risks are too great when you deviate from the right way to bring product in. Sanitize Your Kitchen You must follow sanitation guidelines for your kitchen area to prevent food-borne contaminants. This includes surfaces and equipment, wherever you are storing or preparing food. Carefully separate foods to avoid cross-contamination with bacteria. Disassemble and clean all of your equipment and preparation surfaces with hot, soapy water and recommended sanitizers. Wash fruits and clean vegetables separately. There is no excuse for failing to keep your kitchen sanitized every day. Focus on Hygiene Finally, your restaurant staff must practice good personal hygiene. Use uniforms and keep them clean with recommended procedures for the fabrics they contain. Have them remove aprons and wash hands thoroughly after using the restroom or working around garbage. Require shoes that are both slip-resistant and resistant to transferring contaminants. Your team members should wear gloves, keep hair and nails trimmed, and take all measures needed to avoid creating sanitation problems for your restaurant. How a Restaurant Safety Expert Helps The legal and regulatory side of running a restaurant can be complicated and frustrating. Your recipes and the quality of your food and atmosphere gain much of your focus, but you always need to remain aware of baseline health and safety issues. A restaurant safety expert can go through your kitchen and entire restaurant to help you identify the potential hazards you face, including allergies, kitchen sanitation errors and receiving processes. Beyond personal expertise, he or she stays up to date on the maze of regulations that affect your business. At Perry Group International, we have the experience and expertise that can help you do all you can to avoid food-related lawsuits. The post How a Restaurant Safety Expert Can Help You Avoid Lawsuits appeared first on Perry Group. ]]> - 90 Day Planning for Temporary Hotel Managementhttps://www.perrygroup.com/90-day-planning-for-temporary-hotel-management/Fri, 15 Mar 2019 09:05:44 +0000https://www.perrygroup.com/?p=2034Hotels operate on long term plans, and rely in part on stable management over time. That said, if your hotel is struggling, or if your manager leaves, you may face a transition period. You want to conduct a search and evaluate your options thoroughly, but you also need someone to keep things running while you…
The post 90 Day Planning for Temporary Hotel Management appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>Hotels operate on long term plans, and rely in part on stable management over time. That said, if your hotel is struggling, or if your manager leaves, you may face a transition period. You want to conduct a search and evaluate your options thoroughly, but you also need someone to keep things running while you do so. This is the space where temporary hotel management serves a critical role.During these transitional times, you often need to move to a shorter-term planning approach. Building out a 90-day plan can help you focus on the transition itself, either righting the ship or maintaining stability so your new management team is set up to succeed. Why Hotels Avoid Short-Term Thinking Short-term thinking usually does not work for a hotel. You function in a world of seasonal shifts and occupancy rates that change with the local, national, and even international economies. If you lock in too intently on a particular week or month or even year, you can get a false look at your hotel’s performance. High short-term performance can trick you into thinking you have no concerns. Low short-term performance, on the other hand, can trigger unnecessary panic. You build out financial projections for the long term to avoid putting too much meaning onto temporary fluctuations. They tend to take into account the short-term variations that you can expect to encounter. You build in a capital budget, revenue projections, improvement plans, and cost projections that cover you across anywhere from one to ten years. You track interim numbers along the way, but do so while building in the context required to understand them. Short-Term Planning for Hotel Overhauls The planning becomes entirely different for temporary hotel management. Here, think about the primary purpose of an interim plan. If you have a hotel in distress, you need to focus on bringing everything into order. If your invoices are lagging behind, work to prioritize these and get them up to date. You want to find ways to cut costs and boost revenue quickly. Resolve payroll issues, and fix what is wrong now so you can return to looking forward. In this situation, a 90-day plan is critical to working through the transition. An interim manager should approach management in this situation not as planning out for the future of the next management team, but in building a solid foundation for them. Chart out the financial deficiencies and a path to address them through a 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day plan. Righting the ship cannot wait for ideal conditions to emerge. Maintaining Performance in Transition Periods Not all transitions are emergencies. Effective managers sometimes grow into new roles, retire, or simply choose to move on. The hotel may be performing very well, but still needs to move forward to a new team. Here, the goal is not to overhaul a poorly performing hotel, but to manage in a way that at least maintains good performance. Interim managers face what is still a difficult task, stepping into a successful situation and needing to maintain it. Here, too, forming a strong 90-day plan is important. Your goals with the temporary management should include identifying what is working well to keep it in place. Even here, though, you should look for any irregularities or areas that have room to improve. Look at the financials and remaining team members’ morale. Examine the property and find areas that need maintenance attention. Focus on maintaining the positive and addressing the negative to set the next team up for both continued success and even improvement. Growing into Greater Success Temporary hotel management teams, by definition, should not focus on long term goals. You bring them in for inflection points that help you move from the past to the future. In between, your planning should reflect the goal of building a bridge between management teams. By focusing on a 90-day window, you plan to work quickly and effectively while also working with the next change in mind. A short-term plan gives you a chance to drive quickly toward a bright future at your property. The post 90 Day Planning for Temporary Hotel Management appeared first on Perry Group. ]]>
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