Headlines Through the Decades

Amid a foodservice industry still in its infancy and a nation emerging out of a Second World War and poised for growth, the Louisiana Restaurant Association was formed. Ever since, we’ve set the table for our industry’s success, championing your interests … turning new ideas and technologies into business-building trends … and investing in the people who drive our industry forward. Today, thanks to the strength, innovation and resilience of our workforce, the LRA is one of the largest business organizations in the state and is its largest private employer. Ours is an industry of trailblazers, the backbone of our communities, and the realization of the American Dream. As the LRA now marks its 75th year, we take a peek back at the pages of our magazine to tell our history, one headline at a time.

1940s 1950s

What Television Means to the Restaurant Operator

When actual telecasts begin in New Orleans on December 18 over WDSU-TV, every restaurant operator in the New Orleans television area (30 to 40 miles) will be asking himself the question – Shall I offer my patrons television? The answer of course depends on the type of operation.

Plan Your Menus in Technicolor!

Plan your menus in technicolor, because color can actually make food taste better. By pleasing the eye, it stimulates the taste buds and prepares them for a treat. Eye appeal sells a meal almost as much as taste appeal, and it gets there first. Try it yourself. Leaf through the pages of one of the women’s magazines. The food pictures that make your mouth water are the ones in color.

Beware of the 5 cent Customer!

I have repeatedly hammered away to my audiences all over the country that 50% of all new restaurants fail the first year, and after that 33% fail yearly from there on. The greatest single contributor to restaurant failures, in my opinion is the 5 cent customer. Yes, I know that you like to see customers come in, even for a 5 cent cup of coffee, but have you ever analyzed the 5 cent sale situation thoroughly?

American Restaurant Magazine’s “Eat Out More Often” Campaign

The American Restaurant Magazine has launched a campaign which should interest every restaurant man, not only in Louisiana but in the nation. Building its appeal around the theme and that it’s fun to eat out, the drive features the slogan: “Enjoy Life! Eat Out More Often.” It is designed to interest the American family in patronizing restaurants more often than they do. We all know that the future of the restaurant business lies in the patron who still takes too many of his meals at home.

The Unfair Excise Tax on Equipment Must Go!

Ever since the end of the war, the restaurant industry has been unfairly burdened with a ten percent excise tax on restaurant equipment. Many operators do not even know that they are paying this tax, since it is what is called a hidden tax. In other words, such a tax is added to the price of equipment by the manufacturer and the purchaser does not know that the price is raised accordingly. So you, Mr. Restaurant Man, have been paying ten percent extra for every unit of equipment you have purchased.

High Labor Turnover Still a Restaurant Problem

The high percentage of labor turnover in the restaurant business is a matter of concern to the majority of operators. The problem was present even during the 1930’s in the depression. The wartime manpower shortage with employers competing for a scare supply of labor intensified the problem enormously. Since the war ended, the story has been the same, and even today most restaurant men have trouble in holding their help.

Feature Egg Dishes on Your Lenten Menu

Eggs are cheap. Eggs are a good buy. Prices in most areas are the lowest since 1942. The current egg production is running 50% higher than the ten year average, and all indications point to an abundant supply for all spring months. Operators will do well to take advantage of the low prices and feature egg dishes on their menus for the coming spring months, especially during Lent.

1960s 1970s

Waitress Training Programs Outstanding Success

The LRA has been sponsoring a twenty hour FREE Waitress Training Course in chapters throughout the state. This excellent course is being taught by Miss Ruth Parkman, Restaurant Training Specialist, of the State Department of Education. The course not only includes teaching, demonstrating, and practicing various skills and techniques required to be a good waitress but a number of other important subjects such as “good grooming,” personality development, understanding the menu, handing customer types, courtesy, service and sales, etc.

State Menu Contest Featured at Show

One of the highlights of this year’s Restaurant Show and Convention will be a statewide menu contest. All members have been requested to send three copies of their menu to the LRA office. Menus will be judged by a special qualified committee as to content, layout, design, etc. The top winner in each of the various categories will receive a beautiful plaque, and the three winners in each category will receive certificates.

Plans Progressing for Food Service Management School

As you know, the LRA has been working with officials of the East Bank Vocational School developing a Food Service Management Course. The facilities and funds for equipment and an instructor were obtained and we have spent considerable time and effort in selecting and obtaining a most qualified instructor. We are most pleased to announce that Mr. Don Smythe will be the instructor for this new program that will start in the very near future.

South to Get Worst Effects of Minimum Wage

Now we know which sections of the country will be affected by the proposed Minimum Wage Bill and to what extent. The NRA employed an eminent private research firm to do this study. The results show that much of the country will hardly feel its impact at all, while the South will be greatly affected. The prime reasons for this unequal distribution of impact are higher state minimum wage laws and union contracts in the East and the West.

No More Butts in the Coffee

Guess what, I don’t throw cigarette butts in the coffee cup anymore. I’ve learned my lesson. Until my experience at the Holiday Inn strike in Baton Rouge, I thought nothing of putting my cigarette butt out in an unfinished cup of coffee, jabbing it into the uneaten eggs on my plate, or crushing it into the mashed potatoes. But not anymore, no sir. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. The chickens came to roost when I became a pots and pans man and operating engineer of the dishwashing machine at the Holiday Inn South.

Another New Chapter is Brewing

By the time you read this, chances are that the LRA will have another new chapter. It will be no small time operation either. In fact, at its present rate of growth, it may start pushing some of the larger chapters in numbers. It is already pushing the very best in enthusiastic activity. The location? Just draw a line from Hammond to Slidell and take fifty miles either side and both ends, all the way to Amite and beyond, Franklinton, Bogalusa, and a few other towns thrown in, and you have the Tri-Parish Chapter area.

“Glass and Cloth” a Family Affair

Allen, Allen Jr., Mike Maxwell and son-in-law David Ducote, with the sales representative Aubrey Heumann and Pat Searcy, T-shirt department and artist, have taken a Louisiana based industry and expanded it worldwide. Custom designed and printed glassware and t-shirts have developed into an effective, lowcost advertising medium used by many Louisiana restaurants and lounges. The successful “Hurricane glass” with Pat O’Brien imprint is famous the world over. Use of the glass and t-shirt advertising media saves costs by using glassware with the business imprint whose individual item cost is nearly the same as the cost of the item without imprint.

LRA Adopts Scholarship Program

The Education Committee has met and approved a Scholarship Loan Fund Program, which was accepted by the State Board of Directors at its January meeting in Shreveport. The original idea was to award direct scholarships with the funds, which started with a $1,000 gift from long-time member, Rush Lassiter. When the Education Committee met to discuss the matter, however, several points were brought out that favored loan scholarships over outright gifts.

1980s 1990s

Counterfeit Money and You

A relatively recent problem is color copiers which can print on both sides of a sheet of paper. They’ve only been in use for a few years, but already, they’ve been used to counterfeit paper money, stock certificates, postage stamps, paychecks, and cashier’s checks. One suggested way of detecting this type of counterfeit is to rub the suspected bill with white tissue. If it’s genuine, the smudge on the tissue will be the same colors as those on the bill; if it’s a color copier counterfeit, the colors won’t match.

When Coats are Stolen Who’s Responsible for the Loss?

The restaurant is responsible when…it provides a checkroom, attendant, accepts money and issues a check for the customer’s belongings. Courts sometimes classify such a transaction as a “bailment” – the temporary transfer of possessions of personal property for the performance of a service. In such cases, the restaurant is required to exercise reasonable care and is responsible to customers for negligence. Posting a “not responsible” sign does not eliminate this responsibility.

Drunk Driving is a Costly Problem

Drunk driving is a major issue affecting the restaurant industry today. The situation has been described as “a time bomb ready to explode.” With an average of 70 people dying each day in alcohol-related crashes, pressure is mounting nationwide to stop drunk driving. Restaurant and bar owners are increasingly being singled out for blame for accidents involving drunken drivers.

Do You Need a Computer to Run Your Business?

The question now days seems to be, “Do I need a computer to run my business?” Well, having been in the business of data processing for more years than the computer has been on the market, let me be the first to say, ”Not everyone needs a computer.” The computer is not a magical black box to solve all our problems. In fact, it is a dumb machine that has the ability to work very fast, accurately and cheap. It is another tool designed to make our job of management a little easier and with the increase in power and decrease in cost is has become more attractive to every business. So the real question should be the same as it is for any other purchase we would make for our business. “Can I cost justify the purchase?”

Cashing in on the Sports Bar Opportunity

Sports bars are taking this country by storm and their performance is proving that they are here to stay. The eyes of Louisiana operators are being opened by the huge success of such national franchises as Champions, Baltimore Original Sports Bar, and Chammps popping up all over the country. Back in 1988, an associate in Atlanta, Victory Trapani contacted me and said he had found a great bar/ restaurant concept for the Louisiana market. In an attempt to stay in touch with new trends, I flew to Atlanta to see what all the hoopla is all about. The answer was plain and simple, SPORTS BARS.

Espresso/Cappuccino: Smell the Aroma of Success

Espresso coffee is a rapidly growing market in Louisiana where the demands and sophistication of the clientele is changing faster than many restaurateurs are aware. The West Coast has been netting enormous profits from espresso and cappuccino for years. Louisiana markets are now beginning to reap these profits and at, possibly, an even greater margin.

Can You See the Writing on the Walls… Violence is Here

Workplace violence has emerged as a critical employee safety and health issue. Violent acts took the lives of 1,071 workers or 16% of the 6,588 fatal workplace injuries in 1994. Workers in retail establishments face an above average risk of encountering violence in the workplace. Of the 1,071 deaths due to workplace violence in 1994, over 50% occurred during the robberies of small retail establishments, including grocery stores, restaurants and bars, liquor stores and fast food restaurants.

Poll Shows Consumers Favor Accommodating Smoking Choices in Restaurants

Smoking or no-smoking? Despite the intensity of the debate, one thing remains unequivocal – 77% of adult American consumers believe we should find a way to accommodate both non-smokers and smokers in hospitality establishments. Nearly 80% think good ventilation can have an impact on solving smoking issues.

Anti-Alcohol Groups Expected to Push Reducing BAC in 1999 Legislative Session

During the 1998 Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the restaurant industry won a major battle in defeating a reduction of the blood alcohol content level for DWI from .10 to .08. Those anti-alcohol groups pushing the measure mounted a very strong grassroots effort based on emotional arguments.

2000s 2010s

Teens and Summer Jobs – Make Their Time with You a Safe One

Companies facing a labor shortage – perhaps your own – may look to fill some of the gap by hiring teenagers, especially in seasonal work and vacation periods. Unfortunately, while teen workers may indeed help fill holes in your staffing, the solution they represent doesn’t come free of cost. Statistics show that young workers suffer disproportionately higher injury rates, despite your best efforts and federal rules to protect them.

Will Employees Be Working Longer? Planning for Changing Retirement Trends…

Will people born in the ‘50s and ‘60s still be working when they’re in their ‘70s? It is too early to say for certain what will happen, but there are signs that baby boomers will retire at a later age than their parents. That would reverse a 35-year trend. From 1950 to the mid-1980s, the average retirement age for Americans dropped from 67 to 63. Since then, however, the average retirement age has stalled at 63. If as evidence suggests, people begin working to an older age, it could have a major impact on the way employers design their retirement plans and other employee benefits.

The Internet Makes Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment a Reality

Unless you are planning to open a cyber-café or sell homemade pralines and Cajun mustard on the World Wide Web, the Internet has probably not been priority number one. Sure the Internet comes in handy for research, travel, email and such, but is it necessary to run a restaurant well? The answer is “yes.” Why? Not because it is fun, or flashy, or chatty but because it makes good business sense.

First Confirmed Case of BSE in United States

On December 9, 2003, a 6-year-old dairy cow was slaughtered in Washington State. What made this incident newsworthy around the world is that the cow became the first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to be confirmed in the United States. BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. The USDS recalled 10,000 pounds of meat from the infected cow and 19 others that were slaughtered at the same time. The USDA has stressed that there is “essentially zero” risk to consumers.

Family at the Core of Many Louisiana Restaurants

Many restaurants in Louisiana are owned and operated entirely or, in part, by members of a family. While these restaurants are common in our state with nearly 80 percent being family owned, it’s almost the exact opposite from the other 49 states.

Peyton Manning “Ate Here!”: Managing Privacy Concerns in a Modern Workplace

Privacy can be an elusive goal. In today’s world, the Internet allows us an almost unlimited access to information. Yet, the more information that becomes available, the more insatiable desire grows for still more detail on a moment’s notice. Unless your name ends in “ardashian,” however, you likely still crave some semblance of privacy. The crossroad between these competing tow forces can create issues for employers in today’s society.

Farm to Fork Effort Grows in Louisiana

The spirit of Louisiana to support its own has positioned the state to beat the forefront of a movement in culinary arts. While there’s been much reported on the concept of farm to fork, some Louisiana chefs have whole-heartedly embraced it offering season ingredients on their menu year round.

FDA Outlines Nutrition-Disclosure Rules for Restaurants

The Food and Drug Administration recently released final regulations to explain a 2010 law that will require many chain restaurants (those with 20 or more locations operating under the same name) to add calorie data to menus. It will also require them to provide additional nutrition information to guests upon request. Restaurants will have nearly a year to comply, the rules go into effect December 1, 2015.