Restaurant Trappers

As a restaurant management recruiter I am constantly bombarded with resumes all day, every day, on weekends and holidays. It is amazing how many great managers out there can run a profitable restaurant operation inside and out, but they have no idea what to write when it comes time to shop for their next opportunity.

In the restaurant industry it isn’t about where you went to school, what degree you have or what you like to do on your days off. Plain and simple is the best strategy for getting an interview in this field. You have to understand that the hiring managers who review your resume see more resumes than I do any given day. We are talking in the mid hundreds depending on how they have their needs and job hiring goals presented to the public. Many times a resume is passed over because it isn’t user friendly or it is out of order chronologically. The worst thing I ever saw was a resume that stopped over 2 years ago with no explanation. Go ahead and file that one in the round outbox on the floor.

Before we get started let me tell you if you are not using Microsoft Word you will probably never get another job. Compatibility is the key here and whether you like it or not Word is the king of word processing software. Please don’t try to reinvent the wheel using Word Perfect or something else obscure in the marketplace. When someone gets a file that can’t be opened with their existing software they take the path of least resistance and delete it. They don’t try and contact you via email and you just lost a potential career opportunity. So step one is always use Word or you will regret it later.

The first thing a resume should have is your name centered in 14-point bold Arial font. Arial is easy on the eyes and it doesn’t distort like some other fonts. Under that you want to put your address and phone numbers a smaller 10-point Arial. You do not need an email address on there and remember just because you have a cute or clever email address that your friends think is cool doesn’t mean anyone else will. And for your sake please change the messages on your phones to something clear and precise and welcome in the job arena. This is not the time to express yourself!

The second thing you need is an objective statement, which looks great in 12-point Arial. I would suggest keeping the text size and font the same for the rest of the résumé. This objective description should be clear and driven. Don’t ramble on for three sentences and think anyone will care, because they won’t. For example, a nice statement about how you want to contribute to the bottom line profitability of a team using your past experiences often works well. Through in some upward growth potential and you’re on the right track.

Next is the most important part and that is experience. Starting from the present and going back is the only way to go. All you need here is the name of the company, your title and the dates (from past when to present when). Don’t worry about exact dates, but do include months and the years obviously.

After that you will need to briefly bullet statements regarding actions while in that position. These should be one-sentence statements that are clear to the reader. Don’t tell them you are a great manager because that is vague. Instead tell me why I should hire you. For instance, did you increase sales over a two-year period or did you increase sales by 12% over a two-year period using local store marketing and targeting repeat guest counts? Do you see the difference? One statement keeps you reading and one is clouded in vagueness. Take this and run with it on all other details such as labor, food and controllable costs. Any training and development of team members is also a very good example that you are part of a team and you care about their success. Because of this you will also be successful and it will help you delegate lesser jobs onto key hourly team members.

If you follow these guidelines you will probably have about 6 to 8 bulleted statements that should get you noticed. Repeat these steps for all your previous positions as well until you have described your last 5-8 years depending on the timeframe of your career. No one cares about what you did 15 years ago in this field. They want to see the most recent performance and some career progression.

As far as references go I would consider them a waste of space. No one is going to ever list a reference from a bad experience and hiring managers know this. If you have a great looking résumé that flows and is widely acceptable you will be getting far more calls from interested parties than those others who don’t invest their time upfront.

Selecting a good wine off of a wine list can be a real challenge, especially if you have never heard of them before. You meal won’t likely be ruined by your wine selection, but you want to be able to enjoy your food and your wine together. Here are a few strategies to help.

The first strategy is to know which wines are food-friendly. You want your food to pair well with your wine selection. If you are ordering a bottle or two for a whole table, you will want a versatile wine that goes with everyone’s meal choices.

A food-friendly red wine is a Pinot Noir. A food-friendly white wine is a Riesling. Chances are that any respectable wine-serving restaurant will have both on the menu. There are great Pinot Noirs from Oregon and California. The best Rieslings are from Alsace and Germany, but if those aren’t options New York and Canada have good Rieslings as well.

The next strategy is to get a copy of the wine list in advance. This is great if you are trying to impress a group of friends or family with your wine knowledge. Take the wine list and do some research on the Internet if you need to. You can even look up pronunciations so that you can practice before ordering. Several restaurants have web sites or they can fax you a copy as well. Most restaurants will have no problems with sending you the list.

The third strategy is to ask for help. The person you would want to ask is a sommelier. They know wine and they will be able to answer all of your wine questions. Not all restaurants have sommeliers, but if you need to you can get a copy of the wine list and work through it with the sommelier. They will know a lot about the wines and will help you pair what people might be ordering with wines off of the list.

If the restaurant does have sommelier, they will know their wine list intimately. They are taking care of all the aspects of the wine at the restaurant. In most cases, they have personally chosen the wines, stored them, written the descriptions and trained their staff.

In some restaurants, the wine list can be your friend. The list will also let you know what quality of wine is available at the restaurant. The list can be very simple with just a blush, a white and a red. On the other hand, you may have several options for each category. Some lists will provide household wine names that are highly advertised, popular and considered “everyday” wines. If the restaurant really cares about your wine experience, they will offer a variety of different brands and types so that you can mix and match throughout your meal.

Once you have a wine list, you may have to do some deciphering. The list may be very basic and only list the names of the wine and the price. This can be difficult if they are wines that you have never heard of before. Then the wine list may be divided by country or varietal. This is a little more helpful as you will know where the wine is coming from and if it is red or white. Another wine list that is extremely helpful is the “stylish” wine list. These listing the wines under headings of “Dry and Crisp” or “Full-Bodied Reds.” They may even include descriptions such as “oaky” or “hints of chocolate.” This gives you a better idea of what you are getting when you order that wine. The progrogessive wine list may include all of the above. They will most likely list the wines from lightest to richest, or sweet to dry. The price may also be progressive with the most expensive being at the bottom of each section.

Now that you have an idea of what you are going to order, how do you know if it goes with your food? Look for chef suggestions in a menu first. These wines will be off the wine list and have been tested to see what dishes they go with best. The dish you are ordering may have a suggested wine below it.

If a food leaves a sour taste in your mouth, then a wine that is high in acid will complement it. A sour food might include fish with lemon squirted on it or a vinaigrette dressing on a salad. A wine with a high acidity level might be a Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or Chenin Blanc.

The sweeter the food, the less sweet the wine will taste. If you order dessert, get a wine that is sweeter than your dessert. Even a moderately sweet wine may taste bitter if paired with something really sweet. Suggested sweet pairings include New York Cheesecake and Muscat, Tiramisu and Port, or Bread Pudding with a late harvest Riesling.

If your food has a hint of bitterness, you will want a wine with some bitterness such as a red wine with some tannin. For example, you may choose a Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.

“For Immediate Release”

Marranci and Miller Open New Restaurant Brokerage Operation in Mid Town

Doug Marranci and Fred Miller are pleased to announce the opening of the offices of Atlanta Restaurant Exchange, at 1708 Peachtree Street, Suite 110, Atlanta GA 30309

404-892-4999 www.atlantarex.com

The company will work with restaurant owners who are transitioning; either expanding to a new location or selling their current location. In addition, Atlanta Restaurant Exchange will assist potential new restaurant owners to find locations in the Atlanta area.

The owners are using their experience in the industry to create a brokerage operation which brings a unique approach to the purchase and sale of restaurants in the Atlanta area. They will help restaurant owners recognize the full value of their businesses as going concerns. Atlanta Restaurant Exchange will seek to serve the middle market of the restaurant and food service industry. This is a market targeting smaller, independent businesses.

Fred Miller, CEO of Atlanta Restaurant Exchange has hands on experience with the Food Service Industry. He came from a family which for a generation was involved in the Industry. He understands the unique needs of the owner / operator. He also grasps the concerns of the purchaser of a restaurant operation. His unique insight comes from having owned two restaurant operations of his own. Most of Fred’s professional life has been involved in the analysis, financing and oversight of all types of small business concerns during his 35 years in the banking industry. He has been involved in the valuation and sale of hundreds of small concerns in the restaurant and other small business areas.

Doug Marranci, General Manager of Atlanta Restaurant Exchange has spent his entire life in the restaurant business. His parents before him were in the business, which is where he gained the huge store of knowledge he has of the industry. Doug has managed restaurants for others, mom and pop operations as well as those of major franchises. In addition he has owned several restaurants of his own. Doug has been involved in the sale of many restaurant properties as a representative of the seller and counselor to the purchaser.

Marranci’s vast experience in the food service industry makes him eminently qualified to advise others in the sale or purchase of any food service operation. He can match the buyer to a suitable property. At the same time he will expose a restaurant operation to a wide range of prequalified and likely prospects. This assures the client that his business will be presented fairly to the broadest number of serious purchasers possible.

It will be the mission of the company to assist the restaurant owner in finding a buyer for his business, with the goal of maximizing value (sales price) determined by a professional approach to analysis.