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Re s ta u ra n t D a i l y N e ws 4 3 M o n d a y, M a y 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 WHAT $10.10 MINIMUM WAGE AND OBAMACARE REALLY MEAN FOR YOUR RESTAURANT By PeopleMatter Restaurant costs are skyrocketing. Between a potential $10.10 minimum wage hike, having to provide healthcare coverage and rising commodity costs, restaurant businesses' razor-thin margins are getting even thinner – on top of still- sluggish consumer spending and a mar- ket that's becoming increasingly crowd- ed and competitive. What does all that mean for your restaurant? To stay profitable and rele- vant, restaurant owners have to be strate- gic about the costs you can control, in order to recoup the fixed ones you can't. Your biggest controllable cost with the biggest bottom-line impact is your labor. Here are five proven ways you can maximize the effectiveness and efficien- cy of your people to make your restaurant thrive in 2014: 1. Don't wait another second to automate. Paper and manual processes are killing your efficiency. Automating hiring, train- ing, scheduling and HR processes increases manager productivity, compli- ance and operational efficiency. Workforce management software isn't a fad or a trend. It's a proven tool that every top restaurant brand depends on. Bersin found companies using automated workforce solutions generate 26 percent higher revenue. Don't wait. 2. Prepare for part-time hiring. The 'Pay or Play' Employer Mandate might have gotten pushed to 2015, but restaurants need to figure out their strate- gies for managing the Affordable Care Act now. If you're planning to cut hours to keep your full-time workforce below 50 employees, make sure you're pre- pared to handle the resulting increases in paperwork, compli- ance and scheduling complexity. 3. Use your gut when hiring, but use even more science. Screen every applicant with a hir- ing assessment test. These tests are scientifically proven to identi- fy the best-fit candidates for specific jobs in your specific industry. Weed out bad applicants before you even see them, and you'll increase new-hire quality, manag- er productivity, time-to-hire, retention and more. 4. Verticalized solutions are key to success. Your restaurant operates in completely different ways than typical salaried, blue- collar businesses. You need workforce solutions that understand how restaurants really work; software that is built for multiple locations, hourly workers and high turnover. Verticalization of work- force software is gaining big ground, but the systems that are already specialized for restaurants will continue to have the upper hand. 5. Increase the value of each hire. When each employee incurs a higher cost, you need to increase the value you're getting from each. That means making sure you're maximizing their productivity, per-revenue potential, tax credit, engagement and retention. Leveraging a workforce man- agement platform that automates and connects all of your hiring, training, scheduling, HR and communication is the most effective way to measure and increase the value each team member brings to your restaurant. Find out how PeopleMatter can help you maximize your cost-savings and drive profitability through its set of work- force solutions built specifically for restaurants. Visit booth #6662 or www.peoplematter.com/nra to learn more and see our products in action. For more information, visit www .peoplematter.com, call 843-300-3447, email media@peoplematter.com or stop by booth #6662. PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: FUSIONCHEF BY JULABO DIAMOND XL SOUS VIDE COMBINATION The Diamond XL immersion circulator and 15.3-gallon water bath is the compa- ny's largest and most powerful sous vide combination. With three timers and 15 customizable pre-sets for meat, poultry and fish, this premium combination pro- vides your hectic kitchen convenience and an incredibly durable built-in sous vide solution. The Diamond circulator guarantees a temperature stability of ±0.02 °F (±0.01 °C). From the exact needs of smaller, casual-dining or test kitchens, to the industrial-strength demands of large hotel, casino and resort kitchens, the Diamond series delivers sous vide "peace of mind" with a durable, preci- sion-engineered casing and computer- ized storage data. When using the core temperature sensor (fusionchef™ Pt100) in conjunc- tion with the Diamond, the stainless steel temperature sensor works hard to keep chefs confident of internal cooking tem- peratures. Combine this with the fusionchef EasyChef Software and you'll be able to keep all Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) data documented and easily accessible. The EasyChef Software helps chefs control, visualize and log their cooking processes from start to finish, and is an essential tool for developing recipes, training pur- poses and for complying with documen- tation requirements. High volume institutional or corpo- rate cooking is made easy with the Diamond. Get consistent results for a large number of people. Due to its unfailing results, as well as the low man- power and maintenance requirements, sous vide is gaining popularity in pro- fessional kitchens every- where – stop by booth #6359 during NRA to get started! The fusionchef by Julabo sous vide units are built to last. They are consistent, accurate and reliable under any kitchen conditions. The units were recently redesigned to integrate an additional vapor barrier protection to block off the moisture that may cause damage to the control electronics, and to give an even better peace of mind, they come with a two-year warranty. One of the first companies in the world to produce commercial sous vide cooking equipment, Julabo has been rec- ognized as the global leader in fluid tempera- ture control equipment for research, science and industry for more than four decades. The company created the fusionchef by Julabo product line to bring a new level of precision to sous vide cooking equipment and the related support services for professional kitchens. The complete fusionchef prod- uct line includes sleek, high-quality and durable immersion circulators, stainless steel baths, as well as an array of sous vide accessories designed to create an effective, customized sous vide program for any sized commercial kitchen. To find out more about fusionchef by Julabo, please visit online at www.fusionchefsousvide.com, stop by booth #6359 during NRA or call 877- 436-CHEF (2433). GROWING TRADE FUELS CHINESE ATTENDANCE AT NRA SHOW Thirty-five percent is the number expressing the increase in Chinese visi- tors to the 2013 NRA Show compared to 2012. The rapid growth is a testament to the growing two-way trade between the U.S. and China. The Chinese attendees represent importers, restaurateurs and HRI suppliers hailing from many parts of China, including Beijing, Shenyang, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing and a number of other cities. Their interests include flavorings, health foods, organic foods, meat and poultry products and equipment. Food and hospitality occupy a cen- tral place in Chinese culture. Entertaining is a big deal! New Western visitors to China are likely to be awed by the size of some of the restaurants, some of which can seat several thousand people in a combination of large open spaces and hundreds of private rooms. Meanwhile, as more and more Chinese families include two wage earners, the number of meals consumed outside the home is growing rapidly. The HRI (hotel, restaurant and insti- tutional) sector is one of the main benefi- ciaries of China's economic boom that began more than 30 years ago. The growth in business activity and incomes, which has spread across most of China, has created a new and growing middle class with higher standards and expecta- tions. The Chinese middle class is creat- ing new generations of young people who have never experienced or wit- nessed the hard times experienced by their grandparents. Middle class consumers are expect- ed to be more than 50 percent of all consumers by 2015. As a result of this widespread increase in wealth, there will be millions of addi- tional consumers with disposable income to spend in better dining establishments. These trends are obvious to travelers visiting coastal cities like Dalian, Qingdao or Xiamen, and more recently interior cities such as Wuhan, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xian. The HRI sector is also supported by increasing demand for a wide variety of Chinese and international cuisines. Pushed by the influx of foreign business residents and by the booming Chinese travel industry, many restaurants are finding success selling a wide variety of non-Chinese foods and in infusing Western foods into their traditional menus. In addition, the huge number of visitors to China is supporting an equally booming business for five star hotels. Although China's popula- tion includes a high ratio of seniors, the sheer size means that there are plenty of young customers open to international styles and cuisines. In addition to the above factors, food safety concerns on the part of Chinese consumers are providing a lift for import- ed food and beverage products from trusted suppliers in the U.S. and Europe. All of this means that China is a strong and growing market for imported food and institutional kitchen products. Don't be surprised if Chinese visitors are interested in your product! For more information about opportu- nities in China please visit www.usdachina.org.