Monday, September 15, 2014

i heart intelligence 20 hints for a happy life - I Heart Intelligence

If you are a type of person who is always searching for new ways to improve their life, these tips for living a healthier and happier life might be just what you are looking for. We have gathered 20 hints that can help you feel better and live your life to the fullest. Before you start reading, have in mind that not everything on this list is a must-do. You choose whether to try one, mix of few or all of the tips and see how they work for you.



1. Fit body

Our body is our biological computer, a suit for our souls. By staying in shape we help ourselves in many, many ways. The main advantages include physical strength, attractiveness, confidence boost and the list goes on. It takes only 3% of your day for a basic fitness workout. Remember: your body is the “device”with which you perceive and interact with this reality. Take good care for it!



2.Aware mind

In addition to physical power we need knowledge power. Knowledge can be obtained through reading books and through life lessons. The first way tends to be quite relaxing and stress reliving and it’s often considered a hobby. Life lessons are a better but also a harsher teacher– most of the time they are a result of difficult times in life and are accompanied by stress. However, they often lead to ways to be happy and positive in the end.



3.Thought control

Your thoughts shape your personality a lot more than you think. Most personality changing techniques include thought control. This can be done through various meditation and trans practices or thought control exercises. Controlling your stream of thoughts is a key point for learning to love yourself and a creating positive mindset.



4.Keep yourself inspired

A great way of keeping yourself motivated is reading something inspirational before bed and after you wake up. Anything from a quote by your idol to a self-improvement book will do. This trick works great when done in the morning– it’ll keep you excited and positively charged till the end of the day!



5.Decide what your true goals in life are.

This is crucial for your life’s meaning and development. Maybe living day for day isn’t such a great idea? Satisfying yourself with small goals won’t do the trick either. Deciding what’s your main goal in life is such a beautiful thing and it brings you freedom, too. You just have to set your priorities and remember that no one has the right to judge you: it’s your choice weather sitting behind a desk,wearing a suit is your thing, or you prefer an extreme, dynamic life with a skateboard under your feet. Or maybe both! It doesn’t matter, just decide what you want from life and go for it!



6.”The Burning Method”

It’s a pretty simple trick of dealing with small, annoying problems and fears: write down on a sheet of paper whatever bothers you. Then simply light it up and watch your worries turn into ashes.



7.”Sticks and stones may break my bones…..”

The most common expression of aggression tends to be verbal violence. Name calling doesn’t actually bother us, unless they call you something that it’s true. If someone calls you for example “an ass hat”, I doubt you’ll be upset, because you’re not actually an ass hat (wow). But you still are angry/annoyed– I connect that to the subconscious anger towards the intentions behind the words. In other words, the aggressor knows you’re not an ass hat but those words represent his intention to annoy you. You subconsciously know that and that’s why you’re really angry. Next time have that in mind, build up your response to verbal attacks. If someone ends up calling you stuff that are actually true, just swallow it up and thank them for pointing out your flaws. After that work hard on fixing them. Or don’t, it’s your choice.



8.Snap your negative thoughts away.

A good way to live a happy life by keeping positive thoughts is “The Rubber Band Method”. All you need is a rubber band, your hand and some pain tolerance. Place the band around your hand and every time a negative thought flies through your head, snap it against your skin. You’ll be able to control your thoughts easier because your brain will connect negative thoughts to physical pain.  Unless you’re a masochist, this method will guide you to more positive thoughts.



9.Travel

“The world is a book,and those who do not travel read only one page.” These wise words should make you think about spending some time travelling. It’s pretty romantic, exciting and relaxing to explore the beauty and uniqueness of different cultures and sights around the world. It helps you open your mind and think more globally, not to mention the knowledge our beautiful planet has to offer you!



10.Be kind to people

The simplicity in this tip is so beautiful! Swallow up your bad day and be kind to that waiter! Why ruin other people’s day with rudeness? Rudeness is the weak person’s imitation of strength.



11.Properly apply forgiveness.

Forgiveness is critically important for relationships between people and is an indicator for a strong character. Handling forgiveness properly is crucial to your own well-being. After all, everyone makes mistakes. But have this in mind: was it really a mistake? And does it keep happening after you have forgiven that person before? There are people who would love to exploit your willingness to forgive. Beware!



12.Sleep cycle

Find the best sleeping pattern that fits your lifestyle. Sleep is important but there are various ways and techniques that can fit any schedule. Remember: it will be hard in the beginning. After passing the barrier of around 21 days it won’t be a problem!



13.Let the sunshine in

Ignore the speculations about skin cancer and so on and soak in that vitamin D from the sun rays! Sit on a bench, play some music on and feel the sun touching your skin, feel your body relaxing and charging itself with positive energy!



14.Focus on what’s happening now!

Don’t waste time regretting the past or worrying about the future. The past is gone, you can only learn from it. The future depends on your actions in the present so take action NOW and always have in mind the lessons you have learned from your past.



15.Correct hydration

This can be achieved mainly by drinking the right amount of water at the right time. Don’t fool yourself that drinking different types of soda will give your body the hydration it needs. 60% of your body is water. There are various apps that can help you hydrate your body properly through the day.



16.Smile

When you’re happy, you can’t help it but smile. This goes the other way too– if you smile, your brain releases the hormone of happiness serotonin. It’s a natural way of actually making yourself happy.  You can try this anytime you want, even in the morning while laying in bed. That’s a sure way to start your day off right.



17.Remember people’s names

That’s a great chance to make an awesome first impression. The trick here is to remember it, which shouldn’t be too hard. In the worst cases a rhyme would do the job. The key moment is to actually listen because most of the time you are anxious when you meet new people. Call your new friend back by name as soon as you get the chance. You’ll remember it for sure and make a good impression. People subconsciously love calling them by name.



18.Lucid dreaming

Dreams are the second “reality” everyone is sure exists. It’s pretty strange when you think of  it: while dreaming, you remember little of your “waking life” (enough to recognize places,people…)– just like after you wake up and don’t remember much of your dream. Furthermore, you experience the same emotions and react pretty much the same way, as if you were experiencing that event in “real life”. It’s like a parallel life that begins as soon as you fall asleep. So why not take it to another level? The web is boiling with methods of learning lucid dreaming. That’s the technique of being aware that you’re in a dream and getting  a hold on the situation. It also makes the dream really vivid and easier to remember. Exploit both of your realities to the maximum!



19.Emotion control

Note the effect emotions have on your decisions and how tricky emotional manipulation can be. So, next time someone tries to influence your emotional state, think twice! You are the one who chooses whether to remain happy or burst in anger.



20.Learn something new every day.

This will train your memory and enrich your fact/knowledge arsenal. It’s also a good indicator that you are growing, that you are making progress in a way, no matter how small. Spiritual growth and mind perfection– two precious causes that are worth fighting for!



Article Source:-i heart intelligence 20 hints for a happy life - I Heart Intelligence

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

How To Start a Successful Restaurant: GUIDE



If dreams of opening a restaurant have filled your thoughts for years, it might be time to sit down and draw up a plan to open your own business. To help you create a recipe for success, we’ve put together a how-to-get-started guide to make sure you have all the ingredients you need to open your restaurant with confidence.

While starting a restaurant is exciting, it’s also time consuming and one of the toughest businesses to successfully launch. In fact, 60 percent of restaurants fail in the first year.

We’re not telling you this to temper you passion. We’re merely pointing out that if you want a successful restaurant, you’ll need to invest some serious time and money.

What’s the biggest reason for failure? Lack of planning. Before you ever make dinner for a customer, you’ll spend a lot of time figuring out every detail of your restaurant. From kitchen appliances and menus to floors plans and staff selections, the planning stage will make or break your restaurant.

To help you plan, fund, and manage your new restaurant, we’ve asked three owners to share their trade secrets. Kim Strengari owns three successful restaurants in the Philadelphia region, including Stella Blu. Yuen Yung owns fast sushi restaurants called How Do You Roll? which received a million dollar investment from the hit ABC show “Shark Tank,” and now has 10 stores in the U.S. Lambrine Macejewski, is the co-founder of Cocina 214, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in Winter Park, Florida. Below are their tips for success.

Planning:

Have the right intentions

If you want to make it as a restaurant owner, you have to love what you do, Kim Strengari says. While she knew a restaurant was the right path for her, she had to work nights cleaning office buildings to make ends meet when she first opened her restaurant.

“I wanted the restaurant more then anything else in life, so the sacrifices were endless and I never minded making them,” she says.

To be successful, you’ll invest a lot of time and money—so make sure that starting a restaurant is your passion, not just a business venture you hope will make money.

Have a solid business plan in place

You can’t scratch a business plan out on a cocktail napkin. You need a detailed business plan that charts the course for your success. That said, we suggest beginning with a “lean plan” rather than the cliché long, dry business plan. 

Yuen Yung’s plan included a list of everything he would need to buy for the restaurant. “It looked like a novel by the time we were done,” he says. “But it helped us stay on budget and keep track of our capital.”

Your business plan should include market research, a comprehensive look at your competitors, explain your target audience, outline marketing plans, and offer a solid budget projection. To get you started, check out these templates specifically for restaurant planning, or check out LivePlan software that will walk you through the process.

Location, location, location

With a restaurant, location is everything. You need a spot that draws crowds, is easily accessible, and has potential for growth. Of course, you need a location that fits within your budget too. The perfect spot can be hard to find, so take your time, Yuen Yung says.

Whether you rent space or build from scratch, selecting a location is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as an owner.


Test your menu

You probably have several stellar dishes in mind for your new restaurant, but you’ll want to test them out before you laminate your first menu, Yung says.

“Have a small party and invite people over to try your food before you open. Get honest feedback from people on the taste, the pricing, and the location.”

You might love the taste of a certain dish, but if customers won’t pay for it or aren’t keen on its taste, you won’t make money.





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Coffee Shop Secrets is not for people who think they can sit on their couch and have a coffee shop magically open for you. Opening a coffee shop is work! But Coffee Shop Secrets will guide you straight through the process with the fewest possible mistakes (saving you money and your valuable time).

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Restaurant Review - Lunch Venues in Port Dickson

Where to have Lunch in Port Dickson








Looking for good pork free places to have lunch in Port Dickson can be a daunting task. So here’s a simple list of restaurants that serve nice and tasty lunch in Port Dickson. Here is where those staying in Port Dickson normally go for lunch.


Restaron Kulit Kayu Manis

This restaurant have a few branches around Port Dickson  nevertheless the one I like to go is located en route to Lukut town. At the Restoran Kulit Kayu Manis, there is a variety of local dishes to select from, all in all about 20 different dishes.. You choose what you want from the food displayed and they only charge you what you have taken. Its quite reasonably priced. The restaurant is quite popular with the locals as well as the regulars to Port Dickson, therefore you should head there early because the majority of the dishes will likely be finished by 1.30pm. I like eating here cause not only is the food nice, the service and ambience is also good. The landmark to look for is the Sunshine Hotel since it is located below the hotel
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View Restoran Kulit Kayu Manis in a larger map


Sukand Food Station

Sukand’s Food Station Kopitiam  is situated in the city centre of Port Dickson, The landmark to look for is the Ambank  as well as the Port Dickson Bus Terminal. Their signature dish is the Hailam Chicken Rice which I usually order for my sons. As for me I will always have their Mee Kari and my wife naturally the laksa. They also serve western food here like mushroom soup, fries, chicken chop, waffle with ice cream and so on. As for beverages they have the standard kopitiam fare such as local coffee, ice coffee, sirap  and many more. It might be a little pricey to some however service here is quite fast, Sukand Food also serves breakfast and dinner too.
 
View Sukand'S Food Station in a larger map


Medan Selera Seri Bayu

When we were residing in Shah Alam, we used to frequent Port for a short getaway as its about an hours drive from Shah Alam. Whenever we are in Port Dickson, we will visit the Medan Selera Seri Bayu for their Siput Sedut. Siput Sedut which could be regarded as the Malaysian Version of the Escagot. In Port Dickson they usually cook it with coconut  milk just like my grandmother used to make. A word of caution, as with all shell fish be careful exactly where you eat. I had a bad case of diarrhea when I ate at a shop in Teluk Kemang. Medan Selera Seri Bayu is located just infront of the Bayu Resort or PD Yacht Club. Its basically a food court with shops selling a variety of pre cooked dishes for you to choose from. Same as the Restaron Kulit Kayu Manis, pay what you have taken. Medan Selera Seri Bayu is located near the Port Dickson  military camp, lunch is normally very busy with soldiers having lunch.
 
View Medan Selera Seri Bayu in a larger map

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Part-Time Entrepreneurship

If you’re not ready to take the leap and quit your current job to run your own business full-time, you can still enjoy entrepreneurship on a part-time basis while maintaining the security of being an employee with an income. But, to do this, you need to keep the following points in mind:

Say Goodbye to Personal Time

Having a full-time job and a part-time business leaves very little time for yourself. You’ll need to make sure you can handle putting most of your time an effort into work and this will mean you’ll probably have to skip out on vacations or even spending a relaxing weekend with friends and family! But that doesn’t mean you’re cut off from the rest of the world – just plan your down time wisely. But there’s always an upside. Get your friends and family involved in the business by giving them tasks based on their skills. This gives you the benefit of “free” help for your business while spending time with those you love.

Don’t Let it Interfere With Other Responsibilities

It’s important to keep your two jobs separate and not let them overlap too much. Don’t risk losing your current job by working on your side project during work hours. Try to keep your mind on the job at hand and leave your business to off-hours. This may mean that phone calls and emails have to go unanswered until after 5. Keep yourself disciplined by scheduling blocks of time to complete your own business tasks in the off-hours to keep your mind on your job when you’re at work.

Use Technology Wisely

There are so many websites out there to make life easier for the small business owner. Whether it be setting up e-commerce on Etsy or Shopify, building a custom website through SquareSpace, or getting payment processing on Square, all of this can be done on your own for a lot less than it would cost to hire a professional. Do some research online to find software to help you manage your business. It may take a bit more time to set up, but it will save you money in the long run and will be much easier to maintain over time.

Be Patient!

Anything part-time is going to take a little longer. But be patient – it won’t always be part-time! Count yourself lucky to have a source of income as you work towards your goal of being a full-time entrepreneur and use this goal as a motivator to work hard during your spare time to achieve your goals. The harder you work in the early stages, the better the pay off will be in the end!


Article Source :- Part-Time Entrepreneurship | CorporationCentre.ca Small Business Blog

Sunday, August 17, 2014

TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - THE STORY OF WILLIAM WALDORF AND GEORGE C. BOLDT

  
WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR AND NANCY ASTOR
GEORGE CHARLES BOLDT
(April 25, 1851 to December 5, 1916)
He was a Prussian-born American hotelier. A self-made
millionaire, he influenced the development of urban hotel
as a civic social centre and luxury destination.

 It was a stormy night. an elderly couple looking for a room for a night, came to Belle Vue Hotel, Philadelphia. The young clerk at the desk informed the couple that all rooms of his hotel were booked and also that not a single hotel room was available that night in Philadelphia because of an international conference. 


          However, seeing their plight, he decided not to let them to go out in that bad weather. He, therefore, offered them his personal room. The couple were reluctant as that would cause great inconvenience to the young clerk. "Where are you going to sleep, young man, if you give your room to us?" asked the old man. "Oh, I am young and single. I can sleep at the reception area in the night. I insist that you accept my offer as I cannot let you go out in this storm. You may not even get a taxi in this kind of weather." Having been left with no choice, the elderly couple accepted the young man's offer and spent the night in his personal room. 



          Next morning, before leaving the hotel the old man after having expressed his gratitude offered a handsome reward to the young man. "Please don't embarrass me with offer of money for my room. I didn't give my room expecting any monetary compensation. I just wanted to be of some help to you." The old man was really touched by the young man's compassion as well as high sense of honesty. "You are really a good human being, my son! I thought God had stopped making people like you. What are you doing herein such a small hotel? A person like you should become the manager of the best hotel in the world."



          "I am quite happy working here in this small hotel and moreover, I don't have skills to run anything bigger than this. However, thank you for your kind words and compliments." said the clerk.



          "Tell me, if I built some day the best hotel in the world, would you come and join me?" asked the old man with a cunning smile. The young man thought this as some kind of jovial gesture of an old man at an emotional moment. "Yes, if you built one, I will definitely join", said the young man, wanting somehow to get rid of the old couple as he had to take up the pressing list of day's work lying on his desk. "Good bye", said the old man. "You would hear from me soon." "Good bye", replied the young clerk.



          Three years passed, the young clerk was already promoted to become manager of the hotel. While going through his mail one day, he opened an envelope and found a return air ticket to New York, with an invitation letter to attend an inaugural function. However, not much details about why was he invited, were given. 



          The young man became curious and decided to go. Upon his arrival at New York, the young man was welcomed by his host who personally took him downtown. There, in front of him, lay the finest hotel he had ever seen.



          "That," said the gentleman, "is the hotel I built for you to manage." While standing on the street corner beside the soon-to-be world-renowned WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, the young clerk, GEORGE C. BOLDT, was titled its first manager. 



          For the next twenty three years, until his death in 1916, Boldt remained faithful to the hotel and to the confidence WILLIAM WALDORF ASTOR had placed in him.    
WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL
Article Source :


TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION - THE STORY OF WILLIAM WALDORF AND GEORGE C. BOLDT

The Moral of this Story:- "Do not turn your back on those who are in need, for they might be angels"

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Health and Medicinal Benefits of Honey

Honey is produced in most countries in the World. Ayurvedic medicine has been using honey as a vital ingredient for centuries. Even in the Quran, there is a verse on the goodness of honey. It goes like this ”And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect. (Surat an-Nahl, 68-69) “ Today scientists have found that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage it does not harm diabetic patients also. When I was small I had asthma, some how as I grew older and was active in Scouting Activities my asthma went away. But I sometimes find it hard to breathe when the weather is cold. I read somewhere that drinking a concoction of honey, lemon juice and warm water will help. Tried it and it works. It helps to clear the respiratory channel and I can breathe easily. I still drink honey with lime juice. It’s great even when you are tired and lethargic. 
Just a note These tips should not be used for self treatment. I strongly suggest consulting a doctor for regular medicines. This can be used as supplementary medicines.

 Honey as a Source of Energy Booster 

As a great natural source of carbohydrates honey provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduces muscle fatigue of athletes. If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, try some honey. Spread it on hot toast or replace the sugar in your tea with it for a refreshing surge of energy. Medical experts are of the opinion that this helps the kidneys to flush out completely.

Honey as an Immune System Booster 

Honey’s antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease. Before breakfast, mix a spoonful of honey and lemon juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink it.

Honey as a cure for Arthritis

In a research done in Copenhagen University, it was found that when doctors treated their patients with a mixture of honey and cinnamon before breakfast they found that within a week, out of 200 patients treated 73 was relieved of pain. Within a month all the patients who could not walk or moved around started walking without any pain. Arthritis patients can drink a mixture of one cup hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Drink this twice a day in the morning and at night. If drunk regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured.

Honey as a cure for Cough

Having a cough? Mix it with lemon and hot water to soothe sore throats and coughs. This is because it has strong antibiotic properties. Researches from Penn State College of Medicine asked parents to give either honey, honey flavored deztromethorphan or no treatment to the children.
Significant symptom improvements were seen in the honey- supplemented children compared to the no treatment group and the deztromethorphan treated group. 


Honey as Cure for Bad Breath 

People of South America, gargle with a teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water every morning. This is done to keep their breath fresh throughout the day. Now there's even propolis t0othpaste that claim to eliminate bad breath by killing the bacteria that resides in the oral cavity. To know more about propolis you can click here Propolis : The Natural Antibiotic 

Honey for Healing Wounds

 In studies around the world, honey has shown to be effective in treatment of wounds burns and surgical incisions. Even Egyptians had a standard wound salve consisting of grease, honey and fibre. The Assyrians, Greeks, Chinese and Roman employed honey for wounds and diseases of the bowels. Its antibacterial properties prevents infection and it is also believed to reduce scarring. It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitute for wound dressings. When using honey it may help to heat it up before putting it on your wound (caution test the heat before you place it on the wound).Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases, and tissue can grow back. A study has been made on this is the finding Honey as a Dressing for Wounds, Burns, and Ulcers: A Brief Review of Clinical Reports and Experimental Studies

Honey as a Moisturizer for your Skin

Honey is an excellent natural herbal moisturizer as well as a good detoxifying gel. On regular application, honey helps to radiate skin glow as it removes the spots on face due to accumulation of toxins under skin tone due to environments pollutants. You can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because if its high content of the acid. It is also safe for sensitive skin.

You can also use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin. For preparing a soothing honey moisturizing mask, take 2 tbsp of honey and 2 tsp of whole milk. Warm it slightly in a microwave. Smooth the paste onto your face and neck and then lie down for 10 minutes. Later rinse off with water and pat dry.

Honey as a  cure for Sore Throat

Some people believe that when you have a sore throat, a cup of honey and tea is very soothing. Because of its antibacterial properties, it not only soothes your throat but can also kill the bacteria that sometimes cause them

Honey as a Cure for Toothache

A paste made of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey when applied on the aching tooth (may be done 3 times a day) reduces the pain within a matter of 15 minutes.

Honey as a Cure for Colds

For those who are suffering from common or severe colds, they should take one tablespoon of luke warm honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

Honey to Improve Blood Circulation

Regular consumption of 1-2 teaspoon honey helps in natural purification of blood and improves blood circulation of body. It  contains a variety of antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Pure honey contains lecithin which dilutes or dissolves the cholesterol in the hearts blood vessels. When cholesterol gets thicker, supply of blood to and from the heart becomes limited, resulting in heart attack.

Honey to Cure Stomach Upset and Ulcer

Honey is an effective natural medicine in treatment of ulcers. It is easily digestible; even in sensitive condition, regular consumption of honey helps to improve kidney and intestinal functions. Honey taken with cinnamon powder also helps in curing stomach ache. For people who are suffering from gas problems, honey should be taken with cinnamon powder in equal quantities, relieves gas and pain in the stomach. Just dilute 2 tablespoon in a glass of water and drink it once or twice a day.

Honey for a Good Night Sleep


Are you losing sleep over problems at work or having relationship problems? Honey can be highly beneficial in such cases. Take a glass of milk and add a teaspoon of honey to this. This can help to calm you down. Honey is known to act as a mild sedative in this case.


Honey for relief of Asthma, Bronchitis and other Respiratory Ailments
For relief of coughs and wheezing associated with bronchitis or other minor respiratory ailments, mix 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh thyme in a little honey. Take the mixture as needed to soothe inflamed lungs and airways

Friday, July 25, 2014

A Summary of my Restaurant Promo Ideas through the years (Cont'd)

Being in the Food and Beverage industry almost 26 years, what I have discovered is that the success of the restaurant isn’t just the food served, its more than that. I am really passionate about my line of work, so much so I am constantly scouring the media for anything new related to the food and beverage industry. I am always searching for fresh strategies to promote my product as well as services. The internet provides you with tons of ideas and tips. I started this Restaurant Promo Ideas blog in 2011 as a avenue to write out some of my ideas (tried as well as untried), hoping that it will help someone out there as other blogs have helped me in promoting my restaurant. Here’s a summary of my earlier post. Some might or might not be feasible to your outlet or business. Use whatever you feel is workable. Here is the continuation of my previous posting in A Summary of my Restaurant Promo Ideas through the years.


Restaurant Promo Idea # 12:- Promotional Letters

I searched the World Wide Web for addresses of the surrounding schools. I send out promotional letters with different types of menus to these potential customers and followed up with a visit where possible. I dropped in a couple of my business cards into the envelope together with the letters and menus. We got a few calls enquiring about doing their dinners from this schools, of which we told them that we can also tailor make their menus to suit their guest. I didn’t get all the schools but I managed to secure some dinners from some of the schools Read more here


Restaurant Promo Idea #13-Promote through Kids

Did you know that kids choose 50% of restaurant visits and according to a recent study 75% of parents consider their kids preference when choosing a restaurant. This is the main reason why most fast food restaurants target their advertising at children and students. One excelent example is the McDonald’s “Happy Meals”. Their gifts are much sought after by the young and the young at heart. Promotions targeted at kids don’t have to be expensive, there are a lot of cheaper ways to promote through the kids and you don’t need to give them a toy too. Below are some of my suggestions and a few that I have tried. Read more here.


Restaurant Promo Ideas #14- Repeat Business with Balloons

Recently I joined a family resort as the head of the Food and Beverage Department. As with most businesses, we are always looking for ways to enhance our customers experience thus bringing in repeat business. In my previous post “Restaurant Promo Idea #13-Promote through Kids”, I’ve mentioned that kids choose 50% of restaurant visits and according to a recent study 75% of parents consider their kids preference when choosing a restaurant. So we added a few things like a corner in the breakfast buffet, food ideal for kids like oatmeal porridge, fish fingers. All kids love balloons, so we have incorporated some balloon giveaways in our restaurant. Below are two ways we used balloons to enhance our customers experience, thus bringing in repeat business. Read more here.


Restaurant Promo Ideas #15:- Halloween Specials

Halloween like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day is another festival that is currently being commerlized by businesses especially those related to Food and Beverage. Instead of doing it on the Halloween day like most establishments, we held our ipromotion for a week and on the Halloween’s Day we made it really grand. As with most of my promotions in this blog, below is a simple account on how we organised our Halloween Week. Hope if it will be of some help for your establishment. Read more here  

Restaurant Promo Ideas #16- Look Busy

I have in my many years in the restaurant industry learnt that there are some simple methods you can use to bring customers into your restaurant. One of them is where you seat your first few customers. People will normally shy away from a restaurant that looks empty or is very quiet. They usually have the impression that the food there is not very good, that’s why its empty. So a busy restaurant will give the customer a feeling that this place is really good. For me what I normally do is to seat my first few customers towards the front of the restaurant. This will give the impression that the restaurant is quite full. Read more here.


Restaurant Promo Ideas #17 – Create a Signature Dish

/In my previous guest post by Amanda Cusack 8 Tips for Successful Restaurant Marketing, one of the things she mentioned was that most successful restaurants have at least one signature dish. Take Madam Kwan’s for instance. When you mention Nasi Bojari, the first thing thats comes to most  people’s mind is Madam Kwan Restaurant. In the 90′s in Singapore when you mention Chicken Rice, most  people will say Chatterz at the Singapore Mandarin Hotel.  Their Chicken Rice was the talk of Singapore at that time, so much so it was a signature dish in every Singapore Mandarin Hotel.. Read more here 


Restaurant Promo Ideas #18 – Publish and Give out Recipe Books

One way you can promote your new menu is to publish a recipe book of yoursignature dishes. Famous chefs have been doing this to promote themselves and their creations for quite some time. Those that had the chance to market their recipe books abroad also attracted tourist to venture to their outlet from afar. Most restaurants don’t like giving out their recipes fearing that people will open another food outlet close by using their recipes or their guest will be able to cook the dish at home so they won’t be dining in your outlet. So what if you lose a few customers, but cooking is not about exactly following the recipe, its about passion. Read more here  


Restaurant Promo Ideas # 19- Restaurant Happy Hour Specials

Whenever you say “Happy Hour Specials”,  the very first thing that comes into everyone’s mind is usually Happy Hour at Bars or Pubs. My boss mentioned that there was a Wet Market in Selayang, Malaysia which has all sorts of seafood. Some which is imported. He was going on and on about the how fresh the seafood was, so much so that a few Chinese Restaurant opened around the wet market. You can  acquire whatever seafood you like bring it to the restaurant and they will| prepare it to your preference with some charges. My boss said that this wet market even had Happy Hours Specials when seafood is sold at a certain time at discounted prices. So that got me thinking if a seafood market can do Happy Hour Specials, why not do this for my coffeehouse. Read more here


Restaurant Promo Idea #20 – Promotional Buntings

I pointed out in one of my article in my blog, Restaurant Promo Ideas in which during one episode of Apprentice with Donald Trump, how a team utilized sandwich boards to get the message to the public. I discovered that if I put up one banner, how strategic the location may be. I will only capture a certain amount of coverage. Nevertheless if I were to put up buntings around I most certainly will capture much more people. They might overlook one however if there is a lot around town they will sure to notice a few. And if your buntings leads the guest to your restaurant, that’s even better. And I have also discovered that the overhead for putting up 30 buntings is the same as putting up a single banner. Therefore now I put up much more buntings. Read more here


Restaurant Promo Idea # 21- Food and Beverage Bazaar

Each year in the event that the hotel occupancy is high particularly during school holiday season, we usually set up a buffet for dinner. This is to entice some families to dine in as well as reduce the strain on the kitchen with ala carte orders. However recently with the ever increasing cost associated with raw ingredients and also the decreased spending of customers, we have noticed a decrease in our buffet crowd. Families were a lot more calculative in their spending and we couldn’t reduce selling prices. So this year during the high occupancy we created a food bazaar. We had stalls offering dishes from our various kitchens. We had| local favorites such as Char Koay Teow, Chicken Rice, Murtabak and so forth. From our western kitchen we had Roasted Chicken, Burgers as well as Roasted Beef. From the Pastries there were Waffles, Ice Cream as well as Cakes. All items were individually priced. Read more here  


Restaurant Promo Ideas #22- Little Things to Help your Customers Spend More

My boss liked to use this quote often. He used to say “A Customer is a Person who has Our MONEY in his Pocket“. Then he goes on to say how we are going to take our money from him. If you think that this quote is dishonesty, then you are in the wrong line of business. You have spend thousands on advertising and promotions, you need to get the returns right. Once a customer steps into your restaurant he has set his mind that he is going to eat here. Most of the time the customer has already decided what to eats. In my restaurants I use certain tactics to get the customer to spend more. The methods are simple task that you and your staff can do in order to increase your sales from the existing customers. Read more here


Restaurant Promo Ideas #22 – Mother’s Day Specials

Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away. It is one of the most popular occasion of the year to dine out and celebrate according to the National Restaurant Association in America. This year its celebrated on the 11th May 2014. Most family restaurants will be planning special buffets or hi tea for that Special Lady in Our Life. Mother’s Day like Valentine’s Day and Christmas offers you an opportunity to come out with special promotions thus increasing revenue.Read more here


Restaurant Promo Ideas # 23 – Five ways to Market the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is played once every four years and this year in 2014 the World Cup will be in Brazil beginning 13th June 2014. There will be millions of fans in every country on the planet following their favorite teams. These people, the fans will also be seeking venues to watch their favorite team in action along with their buddies. Reason being its more enjoyable watching as well as cheering along with others than just watching in your own home by yourself. So screening The World Cup in your restaurant or bar will definitely boost your revenue. You can add numerous television and also a large screen however you still need to do things differently from the rest in order to bring the masses in. Here are some methods on how you can market the World Cup as well as run specials that are lined up with the game schedules. Read more here