Boomer's Country Kitchen

In every restaurant’s serving process, there is always room to improve efficiency and service quality for customers. We have created a process flow chart, a check sheet, and a service blue print for Olive Garden’s customer service. These tools help us identify problems and indicate possible improvements to better serve customers. Below are our proposals for improvements in four identified areas.

Chang makes a point of putting their customers’ satisfaction at the forefront of their business. This position is illustrated in the 2010 financial report of P.F. Chang which stated that the company’s aim was to “strive to create a loyal customer base that generates a high level of repeat business in our restaurants and translates to interest and trial of our retail products [however] Our business is highly sensitive to changes in guest traffic and our operators concentrate on consistent execution of superior customer service while also focusing on additional opportunities for operating efficiencies” (P.F. Chang, 2011).

The nature of the products and services provided in the restaurant industry are based on customer satisfaction with the food and services that each location provides. Providing a selection of delicious and well-presented food made with quality ingredients that are simple and good tasting is exactly what the customer wants. Most customers go to restaurants to meet with others socially in a friendly environment. Making sure the restaurant is clean, attractive, and the décor is consistent with the food and restaurant’s image and making sure the waiting staff knows that it is ok to allow customers to linger adds to

Tung (2004) suggests that the SERVQUAL model provides a theoretical basis for examining the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. However to provide the best service quality available restaurants must look beyond the typical SERVQUAL framework. In this instance it is important that food quality, along with service quality, is considered to provide the best restaurant

Mike Anderson’s has been one of Baton Rouge’s premiere restaurants for over forty years. In 1975, Mike Anderson, a former LSU all American football player, opened Mike Anderson’s seafood restaurant with the hope that customers would “leave full and get their money’s worth”. He has been very successful to say the least, now with four different locations. The restaurant boast of its reputation for having the best fried and broiled seafood around town. When asking Michael Pearl, a manager at Mikes for over thirty years, what has kept Mike Anderson’s in business for so long, he said “consistency and excellence, this is a place that loves to make people’s day better” (Pearl Interview). It was remarkable to see a manager who has worked somewhere for thirty years still take pride in his job. After working there for about a year, I decided to finally give it a try. I have to admit, I’ve always thought Mike’s was just another seafood restaurant in south Louisiana, but was I wrong! Mike Anderson’s proved to be a wonderful dining experience. For starters, the quality and taste of the food is superb and it comes at a very reasonable price. Secondly, I noticed the warm and inviting atmosphere from the second I walked in. Lastly and most importantly, what stood out to me the most was the quality of service throughout the meal.

So what is the most important thing in a restaurant? You’d think it would be food. In a talk given by Thomas Keller, a restaurant owner, about what excellent food does to a restaurant, Mr. Keller talks a lot about the quality of food, and a customers experience. The experience that one has in a restaurant is something that should be completely about the consumer. If the consumer does not have a good experience at a restaurant, there is a good chance that he or she will not come back. The quality of the food at a restaurant can depend a lot on the quality of ingredients. It’s important to always have the

Thank you for your years of dedication to Boomer’s Country Kitchen you have helped grow this small business into the great success it is today.

During the start of the McDonald’s company, the McDonald’s Brothers had revolutionized the restaurant business through the idea of self-service. “Imagine — No Carhops — No Waitresses — No Dishwashers — No Bus Boys…,” they’d say (Schlosser 20). As a result of the new Speedee Service System, McDonald’s had never been in better shape. Ray Kroc, amazed by this, expanded the model all across the United States, increasing McDonald’s popularity. Apart from that, the creation of institutions like Hamburger University also solidify the service standards each restaurant should maintain. Hamburger University trained thousands of workers yearly, passing along “a common McDonald’s language” and “a common McDonald’s culture (Schlosser 31).” Through this, Ray Kroc created a single standard in which their service should be executed. This could make up for the lack of employee involvement in the new self-service model. McDonald’s was slowly becoming a beloved family name. The service prompted many families to stop by frequently, which boosted the idea of selling the brand to kids, perfecting McDonald’s marketing tool, and raising overall sales. Ray Kroc was closer to achieving his perfect business

The term “fast casual” was generated as part of the restaurant industry in the 1990’s. Fundamentally speaking, this category of restaurants do not offer a full table service. Fast-casual are strategically positioned between fast food and casual dining and as such is differentiated by the quick service offered, quality of food, casual dining, inviting ambiance, reputation, innovation, menu price and location. It is the practice of companies operating within this industry to use wholesome and fresh ingredients in the preparation of the high-quality food they serve. In addition, professional preparation and appealing presentation are highly prioritized by companies operating in this segment. (Parpal 2015).

The moderate growth rate of the restaurant industry results in many competitive rivalries and the nature of business allows customers to switch freely. Therefore, among porter’s five forces, the pressures from substitute products tend to drive the most competition in the restaurant industry today (Restaurant 2015). In addition, restaurants face the threat of customer’s ability to choose other leisure activities such as going to the movies, bowling, or other social outings (Restaurant 2015). To effectively compete under such conditions, restaurants are heavily investing in brand building to create customer loyalty. Another trending strategy used to increase customer returns is servicing beyond food and beverages; restaurants are heavily investing in providing individualized, memorable and entertaining

In this paper I will attempt to explain the strengths and weaknesses of a restaurant. I also will attempt to show one way how they can utilize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses To be competitive. I will further explain how their ability to have Stylish Restaurants with Ever Changing Decor, their online and call in orders, Online and Phone reservations, Premium Cocktails, Ruby Tue Go, Full Service Catering, and Extensive Menu Variety give them a competitive edge in their market. With their online and call ahead service called Ruby Tue GO it gives you the ability to order your food before you lunch hour and stop by to pick it up saving yourself a considerable amount of valuable time. With being able to call ahead or go

The purpose of this summary is to show what was researched after completing and analyzing the results from the McDonalds Edwardsville, Il location. Most of the results showed satisfaction in our store. However, one of the five surveys taken showed a dissatisfaction in the location. This may seem alarming, being only that this individual showed dissatisfaction can mean they may not think highly of McDonald’s in the first place. Others relatively showed the same satisfaction towards the quality of service and entrées. Three out of the five individuals showed they would visit the location again. This may show they are regulars and they would still continue to come to this location, or they were completely satisfied to return again. For the two other dissatisfied customers will be an area of focus on improving this location. We will look into this as in cleanliness of the store, employee presence and helpfulness to customers. One individual who decided not to provide anymore information could have been a visiting customer who we can take into consideration. We may see regulars as not noticing the flaws in the location because they are constantly coming in and ignoring details. We also noticed cleanliness was all relatively the same through all individuals. Analyzing the results, cleanliness and customer satisfaction will be our main focus on improvements. Customers who would visit the location showed interest in returning to this location which can mean steady

1. INTRODUCTION 2. CLEANLINESS 3. REAL WELCOME & THANK YOU 4. HOSPITALITY GESTURES 5. CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS & RECOVERY 6. SECURITY 7. GOOD COMMUNICATION & FOLLOW-UP 8. BIRTHDAY PARTIES 9. LOCAL STORE MARKETING (LSM) 10. PRODUCT AWARENESS AND COMPANY INFORMATION 1 11 28 32 37 42 50 56 58 64

The fast food, or quick service restaurant industry (QSR), represents approximately 200,000 restaurants and $155 billion in sales in the U.S. alone, they are one of the largest segments of the food industry (Hoovers, 2011). This segment of the restaurant industry is “highly competitive and fragmented… number, size and strength of competitors vary by region, market and even restaurant. All of these restaurants compete based on a number of factors, including taste, quality, speed of service, price and value, name recognition, restaurant location, customer service and the ambience and condition of each restaurant” (Chipotle, 2010).

The way that Burger King and other fast food restaurant chains do business and markets their products to consumers is due to the change in our society to where the consumer wants the biggest, fastest, and best product they can get for their money. This change in society can be attributed to a process known as McDonaldization. Although McDonaldization can be applied to many other parts of our society, this paper will focus on its impact on Burger King and Taco Bell restaurants. My belief is that the process of McDonaldization has lead our generations toward a more a much more efficient lifestyle, with much less quality. From my observations and studies of these fast food resturants, several themes have become