What would you change?

I'd raise my prices and increase the customer service level.

I firmly believe the thing that will get you through a bad economy in a service industry is customer service. I might not necessarily lower my prices on the food, but I might increase what they get as far as service.

The other option is to sell smaller portions of the top quality product which is, in effect, raising prices.

I would raise my prices. Quality is what got me here in the first place. If I backslide, then, I'm just another slop counter.

Bigmista said:

Even though I put in bold that you had NO OTHER OPTIONS!

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At least I got around to that in the end - raising prices, and I voted that way.:biggrin:

My last year and half of business as a restaurant went like this...
Prices stayed the same
Portions remained as they always were
Quality was the same as day 1
Unfortunately the doors are closed.
Good news is catering is up and pricing isn't as much of an issue. Yeehaa!

Never ever lessen the qualiy you serve. Cost of food is pretty much down, so that should not be an issue.

I have to agree with Steph. Quality will always shine through...

is there anything cheaper than select briskets?

Lets see... baked beans, nope has to be bushes or i will start from dried.

It would have to be raise prices... when you look at BBQ in the past... well... it was always about turning cheap cuts of meat into something special.

OKAY NOW MY BABBLING

I would first turn to my paper prod... oh chit, I use Butcher paper so I can't get any cheaper there

look at stuff that takes other stuff to sell it... eg when you have a side that is hitting the trash... so is the fork and container it goes in.

I would also look at stuff to NOT make first.

A restaurant near me copied my Collards recipe. I let them... I mean I came in and taught them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6u_owUBXxc

Went real well for them... but its labor intensive. But then... he cheapened it.... started macerating it in a freakin food processor or something. Ruined it. So he invited me to see what was up. As he was arguing with me about the bottom line I am chomping on his brisket. Very good Brisket from an electric cookshack... if there is such a thing, anyway I am watching his kitchen staff... four of them, pulling his pork.(the kind you eat)

Now those four farks took the ENTIRE MEAL of mine pulling and BSing. I asked, whats your least popular BBQ. He said the Pulled Pork. I added "because its too dry?"

He turned around to look at what I am looking at... I said you have four people picking through your pulled pork and pulling out every STITCH of fat. Bark too... I said...they have pulled 3 butts in 18 minutes.

I said get a set of Bear Claws (he likes his pork in Big Chunks like I do... Maybe its because if you don't do it in large chunks your wrong, as opposed to right..which is my way), use those claws to pull, then remove only the fat thats not attached to the bark, and only let one person do it, now you do that and have two to go back to making your sides like collards better. Plus, another body, I said, somebody to clear the tables for the customers and make note of what THEY throw away and either nix it of fix it.

Once it goes in the self serve trash can you lose the impression of what people do not like.

You have to really watch what happens AFTER you get in the swing of things. Loss of revenue will bury you as well as rising costs. And in the example of those collards... there's a huge difference in the taste of dumping collards in a broth thats made from simmering a hock or irregular FIRST and dropping them in water and adding that same Hock and simmering.

Its like the deli I had serving my Brisket and Pork that didn't understand why it took off at first then slowed down... I came in and where they used to keep it hot in a bath (where everyone can smell it) they simply Nuked it to order.

Can you imagine asking someone to pay 5 bucks for popcorn at a movie theatre while holding a bag of unpopped microwave corn.

You have to look at everything. EVERYTHING. Not just price and cost. You must find the WHY.

Raise the price.

You can get customers back with prices, but once your reputation is gone, it is gone forever.

timzcardz said:

Raise the price.

You can get customers back with prices, but once your reputation is gone, it is gone forever.

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My sentiments exactly.

I'm sure someone already covered this, but in case they didn't....

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER change your product, EVER!!!

Here's a couple reasons to get you started....

The "New" Coke vs. the original recipe.
KC Masterpiece sauce before Clorox bought it vs. after they bought it.

People come back to you for your product. They expect the same thing. Consistency is important for a reason. If oyu change it, your regulars will simply ask if they can pay more for the "older, better stuff", and then your new customers will never realize you were as good as you were. Your old customers who know how good your product are will eventually leave out of simple attrition reasons, so you need to keep attracting new customers.

A reputation is at stake. You couldn't lower quality at your level of cooking. I don't think you'd be happy cooking that way. Just look for bigger jobs and be choosy.

I say lower your quality








































NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come on, brother Neil! Did you really even consider this for a second? It's a no-brainer...do whatever else you have to do, but DO NOT lower your quality.

Bigmista said:

Times are hard and lots of businesses are struggling. If you had tried every other option and had no other choice would you sell a lower quality product or raise your prices?

Please state your reasons.

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Raise prices - Over 25 years experience has taught me to "fire" the least profitable customers and work on cultivating additional profitable ones - They'll last and not drive you crazy with BS.

C Rocke said:

Raise prices - Over 25 years experience has taught me to "fire" the least profitable customers and work on cultivating additional profitable ones - They'll last and not drive you crazy with BS.

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I like this! Add it to my response. You have to raise your prices. If you have to make cut FIRE the least profitable, least appreciated, sides or entrees.

Kick up the prices... I did this to the guys that I sell package to... When I told them I would have to raise my prices their comment was "As long as the quality doesn't go down, that's fine with us"