Where to Eat At Coachella 2016

We're super excited for Coachella next weekend. Not only are we looking forward to the great musical acts and art, but also the amazing food lineup, featuring a few incredible Harri partners:

FRITZI DOG

Top Chef Neal Fraser's concept takes hot dogs to a new level. Not only are foods made from quality, antibiotic and steroid-free meats and ingredients, Fritzi Dog offers unique selections, such as stadium style and turkey maple hot dogs. Their fries and tater tots are also popular favorites.

Want to join the Fritzi Dog team? Click here to learn more.

SUPERBA FOOD + BREAD

Superba Food + Bread, a popular brunch spot in Venice and El Segundo as well, will make their way to Indio. At Coachella, they will be serving crispy fried chicken sandwiches and other small plates. Superba is all about sharing great food amongst friends, so expect lots of sharable food options here. 

Interested in being a part of Superba's crew? They're currently hiring Cooks and Bussers.

HANJIP

Hanjip, a familiar name in the LA food scene, is a solid KBBQ restaurant opened by Chef Chris Oh. Coachella attendees will be able to fill up on Hanjip's delicious KBBQ rice bowls and meaty barbecue fare. They will definitely satisfy the weekend's hungry crowds.

Why stop there? Join the Hanjip team today! 

TOP ROUND ROAST BEEF

Top Round Roast Beef, the chef-driven, fast-casual restaurant will be in attendance for the second year in a row, dishing out their signature roast beef sandwiches on the Coachella fields. Find them slinging their classic sandwiches in the Craft Beer Barn area.

Top Round Roast Beef is looking to hire new members! Check out their open opportunities here. 

Other notables include: 

• Blue Bottle Coffee
• Sweetfin Poké
• Eureka!
• The Church Key
• And more!

Are you going to Coachella? Check out one of our partners, take a photo on Instagram and tag #HarriEats.

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50% of Quick Service Restaurant Jobs Filled By First-Time or Promoted Workers

Restaurants continued to add jobs at a steady pace in February, and a sizable proportion of these job openings are being filled by either new entrants to the workforce or people being promoted from other positions within the same business, according to the NRA’s Chief Economist Bruce Grindy. His Economist’s Notebook commentary and analysis appears regularly on Restaurant.org and Restaurant TrendMapper.

The national labor market continued to expand at a moderate pace in February, according to figures released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The economy added a net 242,000 jobs on a seasonally-adjusted basis in February, which is generally on par with the average gains during the last six months. 

The restaurant industry remains one of the steadiest contributors to private-sector growth, with the 40,200 net new jobs added in February representing the ninth consecutive month with gains of at least 20,000 positions. 

While the industry added middle class jobs at a rate four times stronger than the overall economy in recent years, it also maintained its role as the training ground for America’s workforce. 

For new entrants to the labor force, the restaurant industry is one of the most common landing spots. In fact, roughly one-third of all U.S. adults say their first employment experience was in the restaurant and foodservice industry. 

According to new NRA research that appears in the 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast, restaurant operators reported that roughly one in five of their job openings in 2015 were filled by people for whom this was the first regular job that they have ever had.

The limited-service segment was the most likely to hire new workers, with 30 percent of quickservice openings and 25 percent of fast-casual job openings going to people getting their first work experience. 

Approximately one in six jobs at family-dining and casual-dining restaurants went to first-time workers in 2015, while eight percent of openings in the fine-dining segment were filled by new entrants to the workforce.

In addition to providing employment opportunities for first-time workers, many jobs are also filled by people advancing from other positions within a restaurant, typically because of the on-the-job training and knowledge of the business that they obtain from those roles. 

In 2015, approximately one in five job openings were filled by people who were promoted from other jobs within the same restaurant business. This trend was strikingly similar across each of the five major segments, with the fast-casual segment only slightly ahead of the others at 23 percent.

All told, roughly one-half of limited-service restaurant job openings in 2015 were filled by either new entrants to the workforce or people being promoted from other positions within the same restaurant.

(via National Restaurant Association)

Ways to Reduce Restaurant Turnover

Retaining and keeping employees happy has always been a challenge in any industry. It's both time-consuming and costly to keep hiring, so it's in your best interest to retain staff for longer periods of time. Here are some ways you can reduce the rate of turnover at your business: 

#1: Establish specific goals for new hires.

Refresh your new hires of their responsibilities on their first work day. Make sure they understand their duties and that they are able to accomplish them. Create goals for them to achieve, so they stay on task and are motivated. During the first week, sit down to discuss what you want to see from them after 30, 60, 90 days and beyond.

#2: Assign mentors to junior-level staff.

Mentorship is key across all fields, but especially so in the restaurant industry. Assign a mentor to a each new hire. The senior staff will have more experience and will be able to guide juniors around the restaurant, answer questions that they may have and provide moral support. 

#3: Allow time for team bonding.

Set aside time for the entire team to meet each other and interact during non-working hours. Consider breakfast or dinner outings as a group once a quarter, so staff can build relationships. Employees that develop workplace friendships feel happier with that they are doing, which definitely helps retention.

#4: Encourage and praise great work.

Take notice of the exceptional work done by your employees. By providing positive feedback, staff will feel a sense of achievement. Also, they will know that they are appreciated and able to contribute greatly to the business. Employees like feeling they are valued, or else, they will feel like they are not needed and thus, try to find a new job.

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5 Reasons The Restaurant Industry Is In Good Shape

The restaurant industry started the year off weak, at least based on sales indices. Black Box Intelligence said same-store sales fell 0.8 percent for the month. According to MillerPulse, same-store sales increased 1 percent. Both were the weakest figures in years.

But both numbers mask what was, in reality, a good month for the industry and what could be the start of a profitable year. Here’s why:

The two-year trend is still strong. Both MillerPulse and Black Box were comparing themselves to a January 2015 that was the strongest month in recent years thanks to a run of stupid good weather. So sure, January’s sales weren’t quite as good as the previous year, they were still quite good on a two-year basis. MillerPulse’s two-year same-store sales trend of 6.3 percent was the strongest for that index in two years. For Black Box, the two-year trend is 5.3 percent. Two-year trend numbers factor out one-time events like weather that can influence a single year’s same-store sales.

Overall sales were stronger. According to recent federal data, sales at food services and drinking places increased 6.1 percent in January, to $53.5 billion. Federal data tracks all sales, rather than same-store sales, and so it can account for increases in sales from new units as well as independents. Overall retail sales excluding auto sales, by comparison, increased just 2.5 percent. Sales at grocery stores, 2.3 percent.

Restaurant owners are hiring. This is the best indication of an industry still in expansion mode. Restaurateurs hired 46,700 workers in January, or close to one out of every three jobs the economy created in the month. Over the past year, the industry has added more than 380,000 jobs. What’s the point of adding workers if you don’t think your business will need the added labor?

Gas prices are still ridiculously low. Gas prices averaged $1.70 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to AAA. While that’s a bit higher than it was a week ago, it’s still 60 cents per gallon cheaper than a year ago. Gas prices are expected to be low for some time, as long as there remains a glut in oil, putting money in the pockets of more consumers. When consumers get more money, they really want to spend it on dining out.

Food costs are coming down. These additional sales are coming as beef costs finally join other commodities in deflating. Lower prices for beef, pork and chicken should make for a more profitable industry in 2016. Indeed, Texas Roadhouse executives said on the company’s earnings call Monday that they expect higher margins this year thanks to more sales and lower food costs.

None of this is to say that there aren’t challenges in the industry. But barring some major calamity, it appears this could be the best year for restaurants since the start of the Great Recession.

(via Nation's Restaurant News)

2016 Restaurant Industry Challenges Continue

The National Restaurant Association projects that restaurants in 2016 will post sales of $782.7 billion and employ 14.4 million people in more than 1 million locations. Released today, the 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast reveals that the U.S. restaurant industry will remain the nation’s second-largest private sector employer, providing career opportunities for 1in 10 working Americans.

“Though the overall economy is trending in the right direction, the operating environment isn’t without challenges going into 2016,” said Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of Research for the National Restaurant Association. “With overall tightening in some labor markets, we’re seeing recruitment and retention making a comeback as a top challenge for restaurant operators.”

Top restaurant industry trends for 2016 include:

• Not all smooth sailing. Restaurant operators will face a number of headwinds in the 2016 business environment. From legislative and regulatory pressures and moderate economic growth, to labor cost increases and cybersecurity, both new and old issues will challenge profit margins and muddle operating procedures.
• Labor pool is getting shallower. Recruitment and retention of employees will re-emerge as a top challenge for restaurant operators, as a tighter national labor market means greater competition with other industries for employees. Workforce demographics are shifting to include a greater proportion of older workers while the younger labor pool is shrinking.
• Everybody’s business. The restaurant industry has always been one where people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve the American dream of owning one’s own business. The restaurant industry is home to a growing number of women-owned and minority-owned businesses, where many current owners started their restaurant careers at entry level. Eating-and-drinking-place firms owned by women and minorities continue to grow at a faster rate than the overall industry.
• Moderate sales growth. The restaurant industry will see its seventh consecutive year of real sales growth in 2016. Substantial regional variations will continue, reflecting local business conditions. The long-term trend of quickservice sales growth outpacing tableservice sales growth will also maintain its momentum, along with strong growth of snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars.
• Technology growing pains. The availability of technology options is starting to move from novelty to expectation among many consumers. In the race to be tech-forward, new systems are popping up in more places as guests say they want to use them. However, two in five consumers say that technology makes restaurant visits and ordering more complicated, indicating that perhaps not all these new systems are as user-friendly as they could be. Restaurants will be focusing on closing that divide in the year ahead.
• Mobile payment gaining acceptance. Few technologies are advancing faster than payment platforms. Security and convenience are converging in mobile payment systems, with a number of wallet apps and devices entering the market. Although a majority of consumers remain on the fence about paying for meals via smartphone, a growing number say they would use – or are already using – that option when available, and the trend is expected to keep its trajectory through 2016.
• American foodie 2.0. The typical restaurant guest today is not the same as the typical restaurant guest 20 years ago. Having essentially grown up in restaurants, younger generations have a very sophisticated world-view when it comes to food. Restaurant operators say guests have higher expectations of their dining experience and pay more attention to everything from diet-specific food, to sustainability, to food sourcing and production than even just two years ago. Operators will carefully balance how to cater to these precise tastes without becoming too niche or alienating more mature guests. 

For more information on the 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast, including graphics and video, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.

(via National Restaurant Association)