Restaurant Association newsletter, The Thymes (June 2015) by Nicola Waldren

MAY 2015

JUNE 2015

03 ceo’s update does your 12 retention strategy need a tune up? It is well-known that the hospitality industry suffers from extremely high staff turnover rates. It is important to have a retention strategy in place so that you can do all you can to retain your key staff...

PHOTOS: ELIZABETH CAFE & LARDER, TAURANGA

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

Sales growth up, outlook positive Recent statistics indicate that New Zealand’s hospitality sector has put the recessionary years well and truly behind us, as annual sales growth for the industry reaches almost 10 per cent in 2015. Rebounding consumer and business confidence are playing a major part in the sector’s strengthening sales performance…. Here are some industry highlights for 2015: • •

•

disciplinary process

Recently we have noticed a number of employers getting themselves in trouble when it comes to the disciplinary process. The key is not just knowing the details of an employee’s misconduct, but in sharing that information with the employee...

21 events

CONFIDENTIAL - MEMBERS ONLY

• •

Nationwide sales (year end March) increased by 9.7 per cent and now exceeds $8.3 billion The strong sales growth carried across all sectors, including the dominant café and restaurant group which experienced growth of 9.4 per cent. Regionally, revenue growth in the Otago region was highest for the second year in a row, at 20.2 per cent, followed by Waikato, at 13.9 per cent. The number of hospitality businesses nationwide increased by 355 to 15,174. The industry currently employs over 108,000 people.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

...FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Without a doubt the hospitality industry has reached a turning point after a number of years of extremely challenging trading conditions. Last year, the year started with a barrage of good news stories about the New Zealand economy and the industry reported a respectable 6.7 per cent increase in annual sales. We are pleased to see that this looks like it was the beginning of a new strong growth trend. In 2015 our members have been telling us that trading, while still competitive, is better than it has been for some time. The long hot summer we had this year (although it may seem like a distant memory at this stage) bought diners into businesses and together with an increasingly optimistic economic outlook and more dining choices this has re-invigorated the café and restaurant sector. As we have highlighted, sales growth, for the year ended March 2015 was 9.7 per cent. We would say that currently the general mood of the industry is ‘cautiously optimistic’.

Cafes and restaurants continue to dominate, increasing sales by $345 million in 2015

The statistics look at five sectors within the hospitality industry: cafes and restaurants, takeaway foodservices, pubs, taverns and bars, catering services and clubs. A breakdown of the industry indicates, of note, that all five sectors showed strong sales growth in 2015. This is uncommon (and good news), as in recent years if one or two sectors reported stronger growth, we saw the other sectors suffering.

The clubs sector, which admittedly represents a very small part of the industry, grew by 14.7 per cent from 2013-2014; a positive turn around after a number of years of flatline sales. The sector continued this healthy sales performance in 2015 by reporting an annual sales increase of 9.3 per cent. In dollar terms, however, the sector is small, this accounts for just $355 million in sales per annum.

So how are each of these sectors fairing?

The pubs, taverns and bars sector has found the need to ‘reinvent’ its image over recent times to overturn a decline in popularity of its traditional model. We are now seeing more ‘gastro bars’ around, where the focus is moving away from just beverage sales, to food becoming a far larger part of their business. While reporting an unexceptional 2.6 per cent increase in sales in 2014 this year the sector recorded growth of 9.0 per cent.

In 2015 it was the takeaway sector that was slightly dominant. After sales growth of just 3.1 per cent from 2013-2014, takeaway foodservice reported an 11.4 per cent increase this year. This means that in 2015 sales for the food to go sector surpassed $1.8 billion. Without doubt the industry’s star sector is the restaurants and cafés. They account for 50 per cent of the industry’s sales as well as employing half of the industry’s staff. This sector also recorded significant growth in 2015, of 9.4 per cent, after posting similar growth a year previous. In dollar terms this is by far the strongest performer. Restaurants and cafes increased sales by $364 million in 2015 and now post annual sales of more than $4.2 billion.

est sales growth

e high sector posted th The takeaway th ow gr nt per ce 2015, with 11.4

Finally, catering services, which recorded the highest growth a few years ago, from 2011-2012, then subsequently two years of declining sales, saw just under a 9 per cent increase in sales this year. Outlook for 2015 We know that for industry operators there is still a certain amount of uncertainty about the future and keeping your businesses profitable will always be a challenge. While consumer confidence is rebounding we know that house prices and household debt remain of concern to many New Zealanders. For business owners changes to the Health & Safety Act and the new Food Act regime will also impact. However, these latest statistics indicate a positive trend for the second year in a row and indicate to us that the industry has recovered from the dire recessionary years. Our expectations are for another good 12 months ahead, although we would expect a slightly reduced rate of sales growth compared to 2015. We expect the Auckland and Christchurch hospitality markets to dominate the sector’s employment growth, which next year will see more than 111,000 hospitality employees working in almost 15,500 outlets. This industry is a powerhouse!

need help? call us on 0800 737 827

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

FROM THE CEO’S DESK WINTER HAS REALLY HIT NOW AND THE SUMMER MONTHS MAY SEEM LIKE A DISTANT MEMORY FOR BUSINESSES AS WE HEAD INTO THE TRADITIONALLY QUIETER MONTHS. IT WAS HEARTENING HOWEVER TO HAVE PROOF THAT THE INDUSTRY’S BUSINESS REALLY HAS IMPROVED OVER THE PAST YEAR, WITH STATISTICS WE HAVE SOURCED FROM STATISTICS NEW ZEALAND INDICATING THAT SALES IMPROVED BY 10 PER CENT OVER LAST YEAR. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MESSAGE WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FROM MEMBERS OVER THE PAST MONTHS, SO WE WELCOME THIS NEWS. LONG MAY THIS LEVEL OF GROWTH CONTINUE! BY MARISA BIDOIS

t the Restaurant Association we are in the midst of Awards season through our involvement as administrator and sponsors of a number of the regional hospitality awards. Peer recognition is important and these events are a great opportunity for the industry to get together and celebrate our successes. Of course there is always a good party involved too, so we encourage you and your staff to join us if there are Awards coming up in your local region! The Auckland Lewisham Awards and the Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards were both held recently to great success and you’ll find the results of these, plus some photos in this issue. Next up, the Rotorua Hospitality Awards are being held on 21st June, so if you are in the region and would like to attend go to www.rotoruaawards.co.nz to find out more. The second Christchurch ‘Chevrons’ are also coming up in August, along with Taranaki’s Halamoana Awards in October. We are also excited to announce two new regional Awards which the Restaurant Association will be launching: the inaugural Bay Awards, incorporating Tauranga and it’s immediate surrounds is planned for October this year and the Waikato Hospitality Awards will be launched early next year. These are such exciting, celebratory events to organise and be part of, so our plan is to include other regions in this line up in coming years too. Please do let us know if you would like further information on any of these events.

As business has quietened down for many, we are taking the opportunity to host member networking events (we call them MeetMe’s). Winter is often a time when business owners take stock of their businesses and tweak and refine their offerings, so the MeetMe’s are designed to offer new ideas to assist. From recruiting techniques (at our Taranaki MeetMe), to menu costing (Manawatu MeetMe), employment law updates (Waikato MeetMe) and more, your local MeetMe offers an opportunity to network with local operators, partake in some of the local food and beverage and gain a bit of knowledge at the same time. There are MeetMe’s coming up in Taranaki (22 June), Queenstown (7 July) and Wellington (21 July), with more happening over July and August. Come along! Inserted in with The Thymes you’ll also find the latest professional development calendar (for July and August). Topics in this latest calendar - a combination of seminars and webinars - include ‘People and performance’, ‘Alcohol awareness’, ‘Recruiting right’, “Disciplinary process’ and the ever popular ‘Emerging manager’ course. Phew, there is a lot going on! Marisa Bidois marisa@restaurantnz.co.nz

proudly bought to you by Outdoor Concepts CEO’s update

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

PRESIDENT’S VIEWPOINT INTERNATIONAL TRENDS...

THE RECENT 96TH NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION (NRA) SHOW IN CHICAGO WAS, AS ALWAYS, A GREAT FORUM TO OBSERVE THE TRENDS THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR INDUSTRY...BY MIKE EGAN

he restaurant business in the USA is an important part of their economy with over 1 million locations employing 14 million employees and projected revenues of $710 billion in sales. Therefore it is vital that the industry understands the trends that influence customer and employee behaviour. The NRA published results of their latest industry surveys and these have revealed, among other trends, the following numbers: • • •

64% of consumers are more adventurous in their restaurant food choices than they were two years ago. 60% of consumers are likely to choose a restaurant that offers items grown or raised in an eco-friendly way. 76% of consumers are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthful options.

At the Show much discussion was had in various forums on how our industry can effectively connect with Gen Z and Millennials as both customers and employees. Eric Chester author of Employing Generation Why: Understanding, Managing, and Motivating Your New Workforce, observes that these young employees want rationale when you ask them to jump. They say “Why; give me reasons. Maybe I don’t have to jump. Maybe there’s a different way.” With training this segment of the workforce he believes you need to lead with the why. He also says that Millennials often don’t want to learn an entire manual up front. They want the least amount of information to get the job done. Some restaurant groups take this into account with their training programs and have a “Rule of 8 Minutes”. They tailor the induction and training to how much a person can grab and learn in 8 minute chunks.

Gen Z are even more challenging than Millennials, as both customers and employees, as they are a hyperconnected market segment. They want your brand to be quirky, weird, funny and with a unique personality. Advice was also given that as operators we need to get social in the channels where Gen Z live, as this is how they operate online. I’m reserved on Facebook (if and when I use it). I’m informed on Twitter. I’m a showoff on Snapchat. I’m a troll on Reddit. I’m creative on Instagram. They also segment themselves into countless separate tribes as their interests are limitless. Are they into making short films, archery, quirky fashion, and knitting? They can connect with like-minded people easily. They can spot a fake message a mile away. They also want to find a cause as they know that even in a small way they can make a difference. As operators we all realize that the industry is “forever young” and the changes that we see happening are great for refreshing and exciting our industry. We must adapt and accept that the evolution is inevitable and happening fast. Mike Egan mike@monsoonpoon.co.nz

proudly bought to you by Starline president’s report

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

RESTAURANT TRENDS GOING

MAINSTREAM IN THE USA... Just back from his visit to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Show in Chicago, Mike Egan outlines some of the hottest trends in the United States right now...

1 2 3

Child friendly, nutritionally healthy items on menus.

Gluten free and allergy friendly menus.

Vegetarian, natural, non GMO ingredients are all part of a movement described as “enlightened eating”.

Artisanal spirits – this is emulating the craft beer movement. Brands like CH Distillery’s Peppercorn 5 Vodka made with Tellicherry peppercorns or Ransom’s Whippersnapper Whiskey.

Electronic scheduling software – www.wheniwork. com.

Plating food so that it photographs well when customers invariably share their images of what they are eating!

6 7 8 9

Food trucks as small business incubators whereby they morph into brick and mortar establishments.

Video job applications through video selfies. 90% of Gen Z use smart phones to research jobs and some now don’t bother with a resume but send a video of themselves to the prospective employer!

10 11

Oysters everywhere with restaurants even doing dollar oyster happy hours

ABC - anything but Cola. Concerns over sugar and artificial sweeteners has meant customers are drinking house made or artisinal soft drinks.

From 1 December this year the Federal Food and Drug Administration in the USA will require restaurants to list calories on menus. They must be laboratory analyzed and the only exemption will be daily specials.

Reservations as tickets. Just like a show you pay in advance. The tickets are non refundable and are for a time slot. The more popular the slot the more expensive. So a Saturday night ticket at 7.30pm has a premium over a 9.30pm ticket for a Monday “performance”.

Whilst some of these trends, of course, have no relevance in our markets and may be short lived it is still interesting to note them and revisit them next year to see if any of them have migrated to our markets.

We’ll Be Booking 1,000,000 Diners Into New Zealand Restaurants In 2015

need help? call us on 0800 737 827

THE THYMES MAY 2015

... don’t forget to support the businesses that support you & the Restaurant Association STRATEGIC PARTNERS...

MEMBERSHIP

BENEFITS WESTPAC Access specialist banking solutions and lower credit card commission rates (1.48% -1.62%) with Westpac. If your monthly credit card turnover is $7000 (and assuming your current rate is 3%), on the 1.62% rate you will save $96 per month. NOVA ENERGY Exclusive Restaurant Association member energy offers. Contact the membership team at the Restaurant Association to find out how Nova Energy can benefit your business. Nova Energy - The Multi Energy Experts - Electricity - Natural Gas - LPG - Solar

KEY PARTNERS...

OFFICEMAX Your one-stop shop for stationery, technology, furniture, cleaning and hygiene products - and more. Member discounts of up to 50% off OfficeMax’s already low, everyday prices. Open an account or identify yourself as an association member in store or online and take advantage of these discounts.

CROMBIE LOCKWOOD INSURANCE BROKERS The best value insurance you can have is insurance that works at claim time. Crombie Lockwood provides specialist restaurant, café and hospitality insurance solutions that are proven in the toughest situations. To see examples talk to your nearest Crombie Lockwood office.

SPARK BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS Restaurant Association members can make significant savings with a customised package of Spark products and services. Contact the Restaurant Association to arrange your 30-minute business tech check.

EFTPOS NEW ZEALAND Access the best range of payments solutions for your business and exclusive discounts off terminal rental. This offer applies to the full range of Verifone terminals for both standalone and interfaced solutions. If you want to talk further about an eftpos solution to suit your business needs, call 0800 EFTPOS

Take advantage of the new Association member bonus deals and save up to the value of $1438. ASSOCIATE+ PARTNERS...

Being a member of the Restaurant Association gives you access to a to savings on these essential services and supplies... and more. Find out more at www.restaurantnz.co.nz or call us on 0800 737 827. THE THYMES JUNE 2015

EMPLOYMENT MATTERS We check out some of the latest employment news and updates...

SHORT-TERM

EMPLOYMENT SET TO GROW The latest Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Short-term Employment Forecasts: 2015 - 2018 report indicates that employment is set to grow by more than 141,300 jobs over the next three years.

he report shows there will be strong employment demand across New Zealand in response to strong economic growth, supported by the construction, business services and hospitality sectors. Employment growth is expected to peak in the year to 31 March 2016 and gradually decline over the next two years. Key findings of the report are: •

Strong employment growth is expected in the construction and utilities industries, along with the hospitality sector, wholesale and retail trade and business services over the next two to three years.

•

Growth in demand for employment in highly skilled occupations (mostly managers and professionals) will be higher than the overall employment growth, accounting for more than 58 per cent of the overall employment growth over the next three years.

•

Opportunities for lower-skilled workers are forecast to account for about 28 per cent of the employment growth over this period. The food processing, retailing, accommodation, business services and construction industries are expected to create most of these opportunities.

Regional employment growth over the next three years is forecast to be spread across many regions. The share of employment growth will be strongest in the Auckland, Canterbury, Waikato and Otago/Southland regions accounting for nearly two-thirds of the overall growth during the three years.

employment matters

DOES YOUR RETENTION STRATEGY

NEED A TUNE UP? It is well-known that the hospitality industry suffers from extremely high staff turnover rates; a combination of people leaving the industry and the highly competitive job market meaning that they can move from one business within the industry to another with ease. Needless to say, for the benefit of your own business it is important to have a retention strategy in place so that you can do all you can to retain your key staff and maintain a stable group of workers.

hether you have a long-term employee retention programme in place or not, there will always be room for improvement. We offer suggestions on some of the strategies which aim to help reduce your employee exit rates.

It all starts with recruitment.

Many employers are focused on filling their vacancy voids as soon as possible but it is important to hire right in the first place. Patience in the hiring process is important, so you don’t just end up with someone who is hopefully ‘good enough’, but rather someone with a long term commitment to the industry. • Check every prospective employee’s CV and be careful about hiring if they appear to change jobs too often. • During the interview ask about their short and long term goals and how the job fits into those plans. • Do ensure you reference check. It is not enough to Google-stalk or Facebook-stalk a prospective employee, or just rely on a recommendation. Take the time to ring their referees and pay attention to any negative feedback.

Let everyone know about the opportunities within the business.

Not every employee has management potential but they should all have an opportunity to advance in their jobs in some way. When a job vacancy arises, always consider your existing staff first. Is there someone you could train up to take over the role? It is not enough to promote hospitality as a great career choice in general, unless you actually sit down with individual employees and communicate the potential they have within your business for growth. Map out a training plan for individual employees so that they have a clear path for them to potentially advance.

Provide the right rewards.

Many businesses have reward programmes in place, but

remember reward systems don’t work if employees don’t really care about the prizes. Do you ask your staff what they’d really like as a reward for achieving your goals? Outside of the typical gift vouchers, movie tickets or a bottle of wine, some unconventional suggestions might include things like extra time off, choosing one's own shift or section, or being excused from closing or opening duties for a day, a week, or a month. CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

employment matters

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Does your retention strategy need a tune up?

Pay them market rates… or more.

We know that managing labour costs is extremely challenging for operators but you do still need to ensure that your pay rates are competitive to ensure that you keep the best staff working with you. The Restaurant Association’s remuneration survey will help you to benchmark your remuneration rates against others in your region (the 2015 survey report is available at the end of June). Conduct regular performance reviews and if you can, offer a pay increase if the employee deserves it. Even small amounts can show you value the individual and will help to increase your retention rates.

Survey Your Staff.

Obviously, talking, listening and communicating with your employees is key to maintaining a positive work environment. While promoting open communication channels with your staff is important, it is a good idea to also periodically seek anonymous feedback from your staff through staff surveys. Ask questions about any workplace issues, low morale or tension between workers. It is then important to make sure that you action any grievances or feedback that requires addressing so that your staff can see that you do actually value their input. You can also use the surveys to gather suggestions from staff - utilising an employee’s suggestions will help them to feel invested in the business's performance and will hopefully encourage them to stick around.

Say thank you more often.

Hospitality is hard work and employees need to know that their efforts are appreciated… regularly. Take the time to thank your employees, or provide an encouraging word. Happy, appreciated and valued staff are loyal and longstanding.

Find out why they leave.

Unfortunately some of your employees will resign, so it is important to find out the reasons why. Have an exit interview with departing staff (the Restaurant Association has a template you can use) as this may uncover some recurring issues that by changing will help to increase your retention rates. We don’t need to accept that high staff turnover is just part and parcel of running a hospitality business. Make it your job to remain focused on retention strategies enhancing the features of your work environment that are likely to convince employees to stay and eliminating those that might drive them away. It is unlikely that you’ll be able to use a one system fits all approach, so combine strategies to find a system that works for your business.

need help? call us on 0800 737 827

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS

the devil is in the detail Recently we have noticed a number of employers getting themselves in trouble when it comes to the disciplinary process. Often, these employers will have a good idea of what the employee has done wrong, but keep that detail to themselves. The key is not just knowing the details of an employee’s misconduct, but in sharing that information with the employee. BY ALISON MAELZER, SPECIAL COUNSEL, HESKETH HENRY What does the law say? The duty of good faith applies to the relationship between an employer and an employee. It requires both parties to be active and constructive in maintaining a productive employment relationship, and not to mislead or deceive each other. It also requires an employer who is proposing to make a decision that could have an adverse effect on the continuation of employment of an employee to provide access to relevant information. Crucially, the information needs to be provided before a decision is made, and the employee needs to be given the opportunity to comment on it.

What does this mean in practice? If an employer is putting an allegation to an employee that could result in disciplinary action, the employee must be given the relevant information about the allegation. This means providing all of the relevant information – in sufficient detail so that the employee can respond. If an allegation is vague, or unsupported, it makes it very difficult for an employee to respond. Allegations that an employee “doesn’t fit in” or “is rude” or “won’t toe the line” do not, by themselves, give enough information for an employee to respond. The employer needs to give detail: when was the employee rude? To whom? In what way were they rude? Is this the first time? Who saw/heard them being rude? Is there anything in writing that can be provided? Giving this detail means that the employee understands the allegations against them, and can properly respond. It also means that the employer has put ‘everything on the table’ and is not withholding information – which would be a breach of the good faith requirement, and might mean that the process is unjustified.

What about anonymous complainants or secret witnesses? An employer should tread very carefully when it comes to secret witnesses or anonymous complaints. An employee facing disciplinary action is (generally speaking) entitled to know who is accusing them. In some circumstances, the identity of the accuser/witness might make a difference – for example, the ‘accuser’ might have a particular axe to grind, or have a reason to make up or embellish an accusation. In almost all processes, an employer should tell witnesses or complainants that their information and identity will be disclosed to the employee facing disciplinary action.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

employment matters

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Disciplinary Process

In very limited circumstances, there may be a right for an employer to withhold the identity of a witness, but this is generally only in circumstances where there is a serious and imminent threat to health and safety. Employers should seek advice if they think they might be in this situation.

But shouldn’t I keep some information back? We have seen employers suggesting that they will “save the good stuff for the Authority”, “only give the information if the employee asks” or “lets throw that on the table at mediation” – in other words, to intentionally ‘hold back’ some of the information or allegations, and provide it only if asked to, or use it once a personal grievance is raised. This is way too late. If an employer had the information at the time of the disciplinary process, that is the time to use it. There is no point holding back on information with the intention of smiting an employee with it later. Such a plan only serves to throw doubt on the employer’s good faith, and does not assist in any way with the justification of the disciplinary action.

In summary Provide all relevant information about the alleged misconduct to the employee, before a decision is made. Make sure allegations have detail – sufficient for the employee to be able to respond. Tread carefully when it comes to secret witnesses or anonymous complaints.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE? If you would like further information on the disciplinary process Hesketh Henry is presenting a webinar on this topic on 21 July 2015. Contact the Restaurant Association to secure your place! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alison Maelzer provides advice in all aspects of employment law (both contentious and noncontentious), with a particular interest in health and safety, disciplinary and performance issues.

HEALTH & SAFETY REFORMS ON HOLD Finalisation of the health and safety reforms which were due to be unveiled recently have been delayed, with the transport and industrial relations select committee asking for an extension to decide upon the changes it wants to implement. This means a two month delay before the committee will now report back to parliament.

he Health and Safety Reform Bill proposes to impose tougher fines, broaden the definition of workplace and make site operators liable for everyone (not just workers). The Bill is part of a set of legislative reforms which were undertaken after 29 miners died at the Pike River mine. After the tragedy, an independent health and safety taskforce was formed to conduct a review of New Zealand health and safety structures. The aim of the task force was to reduce workplace deaths in New Zealand by 25% before 2020, leading to the establishment of Worksafe New Zealand. One of the reasons raised for the delay was that small businesses are concerned about how the new Act would be administered and how onerous it would be for them to comply.

The Prime Minister has said that when it comes back from select committee cabinet will discuss the recommendations further and “make sure that we’re happy with the recommendations and the settings”. We will keep members up to date as soon as there is more to report but in the meantime, if members have any queries contact the Restaurant Association Help Line on 0800 737 827 to discuss.

E: alison.maelzer@heskethhenry.co.nz T: + 64 9 375 7628 employment matters

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

THIEVES

AMONG US A restaurant owner came to see me last year and told me he had to fire a staff member for stealing. The theft was detected when another staff member told the owner that the person was using drugs and the person was monitored more carefully. A private investigator calculated that $50,000 could have been stolen from the business. BY SERENA IRVING, WILLIAM BUCK CHRISTMAS GOWLAND

t’s up to business owners and managers to try to prevent or detect theft. ProfitableHospitality.com lists ”99 Ways Staff Steal from a Restaurant, Hotel or Bar” and I’ll mention some of them below.

Pre-programme your costings for menus and drinks into your POS and you can track your stock, compare your actual sales with expected sales, and calculate expected margins.

What do you need to reduce the chances of theft?

A combination of CCTV camera and POS can allow you to check that the bartender made the drink and rang up the correct sale.

• • • •

Well-remunerated, valued, loyal staff Clear rules of behaviour Robust systems: people, processes Regular monitoring

People are more likely to steal if they think that their boss “owes them”. Make sure that you are honest and open with your staff about their remuneration and career prospects. It’s not just about what you are paying them now. It’s also about whether they think they are being dealt with fairly, about their status in the organisation, whether they can grow in their role. Are you showing your appreciation to them in intangible ways? A smile, a “thank you” or a “job well done” can go a long way.

Rules of behaviour Be clear with staff about your expectations of behaviour. Explain that theft is not tolerated. Have policies in place about who can give out free drinks or food, when it is appropriate and put limits on the amounts. Make sure that staff follow the systems and procedures that you have put in place.

Robust systems and regular monitoring Many point-of-sale (POS) systems can do more than the old cash register of yesteryear, but aren’t being utilised for doing more than recording the daily sales. Daily cash reconciliations are a must, and cash overs/unders should be recorded and tracked.

NEED HELP? Call us on 0800 737 827

Separate the duties of ordering and unpacking stock, so that all purchases are received into the business. Regularly conduct stock counts, particularly high value stock. Employee theft not only costs the restaurant money. It can alienate customers who have had their cards skimmed or who have been overcharged. It can undermine the goodwill between staff and cause suspicions to fly while investigations are being made. It causes stress to business owners particularly if the business is already struggling. How much harder would you have to work to recover $50,000 of lost profits? By employing valued, loyal staff, clearly defining rules of behaviour and having robust systems and regular monitoring, you reduce the risk of theft and increase the profitability of your company overall.

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Thieves Among Us

Cash Theft examples •

Pocketing the cash without recording the sale

•

Claiming a phony walk-out or returned drink and keeping the cash

•

Ringing up a lower price (Coke instead of Rum & Coke) and pocketing the difference

•

Entering a higher EFTPOS/credit card entry and pocketing the difference

•

Funds skimmed into spare register (“phantom register’) not included in the master total

•

Undercharging for drinks in anticipation of larger tips

•

Charging two customers for the same round of drinks and pocketing the extra money

•

Covering theft by claiming the register is too complicated or time-consuming

•

Paying fictitious expense claims to themselves

Goods Theft examples •

No restrictions on complimentary food or drinks to friends, family or visiting bar staff

•

Short pour to cover giveaways

•

Recording stolen bottles as breakages or kitchen stock

•

Same person buying stock and checking in, “accidentally” leaving goods in the car

•

Taking “surplus” food home

•

Kickbacks from supplier representatives

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Serena Irving is an associate at chartered accounting firm William Buck Christmas Gouwland Ltd and an associate member of the Restaurant Association. Her passion for food service was developed at an early age, learning to bake scones and scoop ice-creams at St Thomas’s Dairy when she was six. T: 09-366-5077 / 021-463-086 E: serena.irving@wbcg.co.nz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenairving

WHAT TO DO IF STAFF GO AWOL A staff member hasn’t turned up for four shifts and you’ve heard nothing from them. Are you within your rights to assume they’re not coming back? Isn’t that a clear-cut example of abandonment of employment? Not quite. Employment legislation doesn’t specify a number of days before an employee is deemed to have abandoned their employment and before employers can conclude that any employee isn’t coming back, they must take reasonable steps to track the employee down.

n employer is not entitled to assume that because a worker has not reported for work, he or she has abandoned his or her employment. There can be many reasons why an employee may not turn up to work but has not informed the employer. Best practice suggests that, if an employee is not able to get into work and cannot let their employer know, they should ensure someone tells the employer on their behalf, so that the employer knows what has happened. If an employee has not reported to work and has not contacted the employer, the employer must take reasonable steps to contact them. This may include phoning, texting, emailing the employee, or even visiting the employee’s last known address. If you have no luck with this approach, the final step in the process is usually to courier or post a letter to the employee’s last-known address requesting the employee contact the employer by a specified date and, if they fail to do so, the employer will be forced to assume they have abandoned their employment and their employment will end for that reason.

The Restaurant Association has a template letter that we can provide to members. If you are able to make contact with the employee it is important that you listen to their reason for the absence with an open mind. It is possible that you will accept the reason for the absence and the employee returns to work. In many cases, their would be legitimate grounds to conduct disciplinary action as a result of this unscheduled absenteeism, but that must be conducted formally, as you would undergo any disciplinary process. The Restaurant Association can assist with this process. THE THYMES JUNE 2015

WORKPLACE SURVEILLANCE - what are the rules?

It is becoming more common for business owners to make use of security cameras or “CCTV” as a means of protecting their interests, whether that be to collect information that may be used to detect a theft, or as general surveillance. There are some legal obligations that come with using such systems and in particular employers must comply with Privacy Law if the system is being used in their business. BY VANESSA BAINBRIDGE, HELPINE ADVISOR

“

CCTV” or closed circuit television is a term which refers to camera surveillance systems that capture images of individuals or information relating to individuals. Under principle 1 of the Privacy Act, personal information should not be collected unless the information is collected for a “lawful purpose connected with the function or activity of the agency” and the information collected must be necessary for that purpose. So, to meet your obligations here, you must weigh up whether you actually need CCTV, and ensure that you are clear about what you hope to achieve by installing it. In my experience, many business owners install CCTV with the aim of deterring crime and capturing evidence of crime in the unfortunate event that it should occur. Monitoring and using CCTV Ideally, you should develop a business plan for your CCTV system, which will detail the purpose of the system, the outcome/s that you expect, the type of technology and equipment that will be used, how the system will be operated, and how you will seek to comply with privacy law. Part of your plan should including nominating one person who will be in charge of CCTV (this may be yourself, or possibly one of your managers). This person will be responsible for overseeing how it works, taking and responding to enquiries from the public, dealing with any problems or issues and assisting you to develop policies and train your staff.

• • • • • • • • •

When the cameras will operate If and how the cameras will be monitored Access to, and security of images How long the footage will be stored, and who will do this Who will be responsible for securely deleting the footage Who the public should contact if they have any enquiries How any complaints will be handled What might happen to a staff member if they breach the policy How you assess whether the policy is being complied with and When other audits and review will take place

Developing a CCTV policy

•

Before you go ahead and install CCTV, you should develop a policy which details the following:

If you have a website, put your policy on it. Since not everyone will have access to your website, you should also have hard copies available on request. CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE

employment matters

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Workplace Surveillance

Where cameras should be placed When you are deciding where to position your cameras, you should refer back to your purpose for having CCTV. For example, if your main purpose for using CCTV is to obtain evidence in the event that an employee takes from the till , the image will need to be clear enough to show that this has taken place. It is also important that you position the cameras in a way that will avoid collecting personal information in a manner that would intrude to an unreasonable extent on the privacy of the individual. This will ensure compliance with principle 4 of the Privacy Act. For example, you should not use CCTV in bathrooms or changing areas. You should also be careful to avoid placing cameras in positions where they point through windows. Notifying employees and members of the public Under principle 3 of the Privacy Act you are required to make individuals aware that you are collecting their personal information and for what purpose. Putting up signs will not only help you do this, but may also assist in preventing crime, as individuals will be aware that they are on camera. The signs should make it clear who owns and operates the CCTV system, and who to contact in regard to this. As well as signage, you will also need to draw up a “privacy notice.” This notice will convey important details such as that the information is being collected; the purpose for which it is being collected; if you intend to pass the information on to others, and if so to whom; your name and address; the rights of the individual to access and correct the information. You should display this on your website or keep a hard copy behind the counter. Using CCTV images It is important to note that principles 10 and 11 of the Privacy Act stipulate that you may only use or disclose personal information for the purpose you collected it. You risk breaching these principles if you collect personal information for one thing and then later use it for different reasons. However, there are exceptions to this rule, including where the use or disclosure of the information is necessary for court or tribunal proceedings. Rules Around Storage of CCTV Images Principle 5 of the Privacy Act states that agencies must protect personal information from unathorised access, use and modification and disclosure. Your security system provider should be able to assist you with this but some practical steps to ensure this include limiting the number of staff who can access footage and limiting access to your control room. You should also keep a log of who has accessed CCTV footage, including access by individuals and the police. You should also ensure that you only keep CCTV images for a specified time. This time period must not be longer than is necessary to achieve your purpose.

hat’s where the Restaurant Association can assist you. Tony Adcock has owned and managed hospitality businesses for 40 years and is currently working with us to provide mentoring and business guidance for Restaurant Association members.

AVAILABLE TO HELP WITH EVERYTHING BUSINESS! • • • • • • • •

Food Costing Business Start up Lease Agreements General Hospitality business advice Business Check-up – Tony talks you through his check list, to ensure that your business is running effectively and efficiently Selling your business Sales and Marketing Budgeting advice

Offering expert advice and guidance is one of the many ways the Restaurant Association supports our members. If you haven’t used the Helpline (0800 737 827) before please feel free to call up for a business check-up to make sure you are on track and haven’t missed any valuable updates for your business. REMEMBER, If you need urgent employment help, don’t forget we are available for advice and assistance on 0800 737 827 or outside general office hours on 027 559 7777.

need help? call us on 0800 737 827

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

EVENTS

PROGRAMME

PHOTO: Outstanding Barista, live judging - Rotorua Hospitality Awards

WHAT’S ON june~august 05

JUNE

-28 Winter F.A.W.C., Hawke’s Bay

Northland Regional Salon, Whangarei

Restaurant Association Waikato Branch MeetMe @ Good George Dining Hall, Hamilton

www.fawc.co.nz

www.nzchefs.org.nz

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

Restaurant Association Manawatu Branch MeetMe @ Toops, Palmerston North

Bidvest Food Show, Hawke’s Bay 17 - Wellington

-28 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, Queenstown

Rotorua Hospitality Awards, Distinction Rotorua

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

www.bidvest.co.nz

-21 The Seriously Good Food Show, ASB Arena Baypark, Tauranga

www.winterfestival.co.nz

www.seriouslygoodfoodshow.co.nz

www.rotoruaawards.co.nz

Bidvest Food Show, New Plymouth 23 - Palmerston Nth

Restaurant Association professional development, Menu engineering & food costing, presented by Stephen Thompson www.restaurantnz.co.nz

www.bidvest.co.nz

The Hospitality and Tourism Summit, London www.bha.org.uk

JULY

Restaurant Association professional development, People and Performance, presented by Andrew Baker, The Hip Group www.restaurantnz.co.nz

End of Term two, schools

-17 Dunedin Cadbury Chocolate Carnival

Bastille Day

-3 Waikato Regional Culinary Fare, Wintec, Hamilton

www.waikatofare.co.nz

Restaurant Association Southern Lakes MeetMe @ Blue Kanu, Queenstown

-12 Auckland Regional Salon, AUT, Auckland

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

www.nzchefs,org.nz

- 20 September New Zealand International Film Festival, venues around the country

www.chocolatecarnival.co.nz

Restaurant Association Duck masterclass @ taste, 45 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, Auckland

Restaurant Association national webinar, Disciplinary Process, presented by Alison Maelzer & Jodi Sharman

Bidvest Food Show, Whangarei

- 2 August The Food Show, ASB Showgrounds, Auckland

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

www.bidvest.co.nz

www.foodshow.co.nz

AUGUST

www.nzff.co.nz

02 10

Start of Term three, schools

- 2 August New Zealand Chefs Association National Salon, ASB Showgrounds, Auckland www.nzchefs.org.nz

Dad & Daughter Date Night, various venues

Restaurant Association professional development, Alcohol Awareness, presented by Mark Lyne, HPA

- 30 Visa Wellington on a Plate, various venues

www.restaurantnz.co.nz

www.wellingtononaplate.co.nz

events ~ international and national

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

First we Feast The hospitality industry will have the opportunity to don their black ties and ball dresses, for the Feast by Famous Chefs dinner on 13th September, where four of New Zealand’s top chefs will wow their peers with course after course of mouthwatering culinary delights.

hese top chefs will be aiming to surprise and delight this top audience and in doing so will create a spectacular celebration of New Zealand’s most amazing cuisine. We hope you can join us for the fabulous four course feast, matched with boutique beer and wine. The evening features a stellar line up of chefs...

Jinu Abraham

Executive Chef, Heritage Auckland Originally from New Delhi, Jinu joined Heritage Auckland in 2003 as demi chef de partie, and has been executive chef since 2008. Jinu has picked up an impressive range of accolades since first donning his Heritage apron. These include winning the New Zealand Vegetarian Dish Challenge 2012, New Zealand Culinary Fare winner of Unique New Zealand Dish 2005, a silver medal in Restaurant of the Year 2006, and a silver in Chef of the Year 2009, to name a few.

Tom Hishon

Head Chef and Owner, Orphans Kitchen, Auckland A childhood spent in rural Southland prepped Tom for a career in food, instilling in him the belief that food is not only for nourishment, but for bonding over, celebrating with and bringing family together. After time spent at culinary school in New Zealand, Tom journeyed abroad to further his training, working in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants including Wild Honey and Club Gascon. After several years, a desire to return home surfaced, and Tom further honed his talents at Clooney restaurant in Auckland before the move to open a place of his own.

NEED HELP? Call us on 0800 737 827

Daniel Wilson

Chef and Partner, Huxtable & Huxtaburger, Melbourne Daniel Wilson was born in Auckland, and has worked at a number of renowned restaurants in Australia and the USA, including New York’s Daniel, and Melbourne restaurants Arintji and The Graham Restaurant. Daniel, along with two partners, opened Melbourne restaurant Huxtable in 2010. Huxtable is a modern eatery influenced by the cuisine of Europe and Southeast Asia. In December 2011 Daniel & his partners opened Huxtaburger over the road and there are now four Huxtaburger locations around Melbourne.

Catherine Adams

Pastry Chef, Whitebait, Wellington Pastry Chef Catherine Adams has owned a number of restaurants in Australia, including Gunyalgup restaurant in the wine region of Margaret River and Sydney’s Cipro restaurant which she owned with husband Khan Danis. Catherine was also the Executive Pastry Chef for Neil Perry’s Rockpool group. In 2014 Catherine and Khan moved to Wellington, to join Paul Hoather’s new venture Whitebait.

Join us at Feast! Feast will be held on 13 September at the Auckland Museum. Tickets are $150 for members ($250 for non members), with special rates if you’d like to attend both Feast and the Hospitality Summit. For more information go to www.restaurantnz.co.nz. THE THYMES JUNE 2015

TRAIN TO GAIN...

It is an exciting time for the professional development department here at the Restaurant Association of New Zealand as training and development goes from strength to strength. The past quarter has seen an increased uptake in our programmes and sessions both at our training facility and online... BY IAN MCLAUGHLAN, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

essions are selling out quickly and it is great to see the industry investing in professional development. We have added several repeat performances of some of the training sessions and have had an overwhelming response all round. Our regular session of emerging managers has been revised and improved and is due back in August in preparation for the industry’s busy time of year. There will also be a brand new offering in the form of an established managers seminar. This will be a more advanced look into key management techniques and will follow on and progress from our existing course to further develop attendees. These two seminars have been designed in such a way that they can be attended as a package or as one off sessions. We are also very excited to release our new training calendar for July and August, which is inserted into this issue of The Thymes. The calendar includes five more industry relevant sessions across these calendar months. Hospitality success depends upon people and staff costs are a large proportion of the budget in most hospitality businesses, so it’s essential that everyone does their job well. Customers of hospitality businesses expect a great experience with excellent service and offerings, customers aren’t simply happy to dine at the closest place – it’s the best they want. This means that your success is tied as much, and probably more, to your people as your premises. The professional development department aims to help hospitality businesses of all types and sizes to grow and keep skilled and knowledgeable people who deliver great service and great results. Our programmes maximise learning in short and concise sessions, so your off-site time and costs are as minimal as possible.

The training experts that the Restaurant Association engages with are committed to working with and developing the industry and sharing best practice. Together, we ensure that your business benefits from staff that have the knowledge and ability to drive your success. Talk to us today about how we can help you and your business. To learn more about training within your business or find out what professional development the Restaurant Association has to offer contact ian@restaurantnz.co.nz or phone (09) 632 1404.

Coming Up Next! Tuesday 23 June, 10.00am – 12.00pm

Menu engineering & food costing Stephen Thompson, Menu Works

This informative seminar will guide you through kitchen systems to ensure that your staff monitor and minimise expenditure. Learn how to reduce food and labour costs, wastage and deliver successful financial results. Creating an enticing menu is a key part to your business success but guaranteeing return from your dishes is really the most important factor. Stephen is an Executive Chef with thirty years kitchen experience, including ten years as Executive Chef for Sheraton Hotels. Now a tutor of professional cookery and stores manager at the Auckland Hotel and Chefs Training School, his experience in this subject area is unparalleled. BOOK NOW AT bookings@restaurantnz.co.nz

SAVOUR THE DUCK

a masterclass presented by Genevieve Knights and Rohan Satam, with guest MC Lauraine Jacobs

You are invited to a duck masterclass demonstration at taste. on Monday 20th July.

Tickets to this event are $60. This includes tasting food, matched with wine or beer, plus recipes. It will be held at taste, 45 Normanby Road, Mt Eden on Monday 20th July from 6pm-8pm.

NZCHEFS

ASSISTING CULINARY PROFESSIONALS It seems a simple enough question – what does NZChefs do? BY GRAHAM HAWKES, NATIONAL PRESIDENT NZ CHEFS What do we do is offer our members advice when requested on culinary training at all levels, assist some 20,000 secondary school pupils, sit on advisory groups to most tertiary providers throughout the country and to our industry ITO on apprenticeships. NZChefs members write seminars to advance the knowledge of the employees of our exciting industry with 20 well respected members trained to deliver these seminars. These seminars include how to prepare for competitions, food costing and menu engineering, and how to get the best from your beef and lamb. Through the NZChefs website we offer employment opportunities to the hospitality industry. NZChefs offer the development of judging skills by way of seminars then “on the job” assessing to all competitors to ensure all are adjudicated on a level playing field. Members organise regional and the national competitions for the hospitality industry. This is not just culinary; the competitions include barista, mocktail and cocktail making, restaurant service, table setting, wine service and even bed making. This year’s national competition will include a “craft area” where our Olympic squad will demonstrate NZChefs supporter’s products. Each NZChefs branch offers regular opportunities for industry people to network, view new products, hold cluster meetings for tutors and whatever our members and the industry requires. In addition NZChefs currently has a national culinary squad of the finest competitors in the country. They will compete in Perth in early July and next year will represent our country at the Culinary Olympics in Germany. In short what does NZChefs do? We add value. We add value to all aspects of the hospitality industry. This year’s national hospitality industry competitions offer the industry and its suppliers the opportunity to assist – right now NZChefs has sponsorships available. Contact NZChefs and have your products introduced to the hospitality industry. www.nzchefs.org.nz / info@nzchefs.org.nz 0800NZCHEFS (0800 692 433) need help? call us on 0800 737 827

UpdateMe

HR / ER networking lunch

JOIN THE RESTAURANT

ASSOCIATION FOR A

NETWORKING LUNCH FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

ON 29TH JUNE FROM 12PM-2PM @ taste,

45 NORMANBY ROAD, MT EDEN, AUCKLAND

This event gives HR Managers and those with responsibility for HR and employee relations matters an opportunity to meet informally over a light lunch. There will also be three short presentations... JODI SHARMAN, Senior Associate,

Hesketh Henry

- Restructuring & Redundancy ALISON MAELZER, Senior Counsel,

Hesketh Henry

- Health & Safety Update KEITH SHAW, Mediator Resolution Services, MBIE

- Tips for employers in the mediation process & the most common problems that end in mediation Tickets are $40 (gst incl.) Lunch, beverages, three presentations and networking are all included. RSVP to:

vanessa@restaurantnz.co.nz THE THYMES MAY 2015

BUSINESS INSIGHTS...

For many businesses the financial end of year is upon us. While this can be a busy and potentially stressful time of year, it is also a good time to reassess your business and make some changes to set yourself on the right path for the next financial year. In this section we identify five different areas of your business - finance, technology, customer service, business structure and that all important work / life balance. Rather than initialising a complete overhaul of your business these articles offer practical tips on achieving some new goals.

IS THE TIME RIGHT to sell your business? If it is get into gear and groom your business ready for the sale. Whilst owners may tire from time to time within the hospitality industry, our company, Clyth MacLeod Business Sales, never tires of our involvement in selling food and beverage businesses... BY GLORIANNE CAMPBELL, CLYTH MACLEOD LTD

here is exceptionally high demand for businesses with a proven track record. And any business that can demonstrate a consistent history of sales and show some pattern of ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remuneration for the level of input is well sought after. We strongly recommend that business owners looking to exit their businesses work towards maintaining good records of their trading history within their business. We are most willing to call and visit business owners and offer advice on what level of sales, cost of sales, rent relative to the business type and wage percentage should be optimally achieved. We would love to help you when the time is right to sell your business and we are happy to help you plan for this in advance. Here are some key points for you to consider in planning for improving your business to enable you to maximise the price you achieve.

GROOM TO SELL Presentation Have your business well presented. This will portray efficiency and warmth so that the buyer can see themselves enjoying their daily work within the business. Ensure your business has no outstanding health requisitions to comply with. Ensure that all plant and equipment is in good working order and work on compiling a plant list that will be able to be provided to any purchaser. Ensure any items not to be included in the sale are well documented so there is no misunderstanding later on.

The books/accounts Run your business and show a trading history and a profit to a working owner this will assist you in obtaining a great price for your business. Many business buyers are first time business buyers and they are nervous, they may need some advice from their accountant or finance from their bank. Having accounts that reflect a good picture of the business will impact the price you achieve for your business.

The staffing The attitude of your staff will reflect on your business. Look after yourself and train them well. Ensure your staff are well presented and pleasant. They are part of the overall picture. Ensure that you have a very understandable staff roster of who works when and include in that roster yourself as a working owner, this will assist buyers in learning how they can fit into your business, perhaps replace a staff member and where savings might be made with wage percentages. Aim to have staffing in place that will assist a new owner in a smooth transition of ownership. Ideally the business will not be overly dependent on the owner. For the business to have goodwill this goodwill will need to be transferable to the new owner.

The Lease One of the most important aspects of the value of your business will be the security of tenure. For a food business we would recommend that you require at least 6 years on the lease to remain when the business is being sold.

NEED HELP? Call us on 0800 737 827

CONTINUED ON FOLLOWING PAGE THE THYMES JUNE 2015

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE, Is the time right to sell your business?

If the lease is less than this it is a good idea to talk to your landlord and see if the landlord is likely to be agreeable to an extension of the lease term to a new owner. Prepare the landlord for the sale. Have him/her alongside you. And rent is there are likely to be any rent increase better to prepare a buyer for this than surprise them down the track. Ensure that you have all documents pertaining to the lease available for checking. This will be the Deed of Lease, all variations to the lease, all assignments of lease documents and any additional notes that form part of the lease, do this early!

Liquor License If you own a business with a liquor license you will want to ensure that the liquor license is current and has sufficient time remaining on it to enable a new owner to trade alongside the existing license with a temporary authority whilst they apply for their license.

Systems/Manuals Where possible records recipes and policies and procedures that relate to your business. This will help a new owner not feel so daunted about taking over the business from you.

Franchises/Other Rights If your business is part of a franchise or group or has any rights that need to be transferred to a new owner ensure that this is going to be achievable to attain a possible transfer and know what costs are involved and ensure these are well understood. It is better to have franchisor/ licensor on side with you and ready to meet prospective new owner so that a positive introduction can be made.

Know your business Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very important to know what type of consents you have in place for the type of business you operate and what the seating capacity is and if there is accommodation is this legally approved. Such consents may apply to council requirements and also landlord requirements. Take care with this. You should also have an understanding as to whether your business has any requirements regarding providing carparks. There are other considerations to take into account also but if you can at least keep these tips on your checklist to understand and achieve you will be on the way to achieving TOP dollar for your business! TOP OPPORTUNITY

THE E-CIGARETTE DEBATE

We’ve been contacted by several members recently about the surge in customers using e-cigarettes in their establishments. Uptake of the e-cigarettes, which use batterypowered cartridges to produce a nicotine-laced vapour, has rocketed in the past two years, but there is debate about their potential risks and benefits.

ecause they are new, there’s not a lot of scientific evidence on their safety. Some experts fear they could be a gateway to tobacco smoking, while others say they have potential to help millions of smokers kick the habit. While e-cigarettes are not covered by smoking laws, it is clear that some customers find it offensive for others to use the products in dining areas. So is it possible for you to ban their use in your business? Certainly internationally there have been some moves to ban the electronic cigarettes and while the same action to ban their use in public spaces has not yet been taken here in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health website does offer some advice. Their website states that “Electronic cigarettes…are devices that do not burn or use tobacco leaves but instead vaporise a solution the user then inhales. Solutions and emissions contain…chemicals, some of them considered to be toxicants. Although some e-cigarettes look like tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, hookahs, or shishas), they may be produced in the form of everyday items such as pens, USB memory sticks or larger cylindrical or rectangular devices. Existing evidence shows that the e-cigarette aerosol is not merely “water vapour” as is often claimed in the marketing of these products. While they are likely to be less toxic than conventional cigarettes, e-cigarette use poses threats to adolescents and foetuses of pregnant mothers using these devices. E-cigarettes also increase the exposure of non-smokers and bystanders to nicotine and a number of toxicants.” Further information is available on the Ministry of Health’s website, www.health.govt.nz (keyword search electronic cigarette).

If you are not comfortable with the use of e-cigarettes in your premises, you would be well within your rights to initiate a policy that bans them. Provided the Human Rights Act is not breached hospitality businesses can set codes of conduct for their businesses, including any codes of dress and behaviour they want. However, we do recommend that you approach customers sensitively over this issue – as it is still a fairly gray area and they probably don’t think they are doing anything wrong. If the problem is becoming more of an issue you may wish to consider some signage outlining your policy. Contact the Restaurant Association Help Line on 0800 737 827 if you would like assistance to implement a policy for e-cigarette use by your customers.

need help? call us on 0800 737 827

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

AUCKLAND BRANCH PRESIDENT: Krishna Botica

BAY OF PLENTY BRANCH PRESIDENT: Andrew Targett

ROTORUA BRANCH PRESIDENT: Sharon Wallace

HAWKES BAY BRANCH PRESIDENT: Sean Burns

UPCOMING EVENT Rotorua Hospitality Awards 21ST JUNE @ Distinction Rotorua

TARANAKI BRANCH PRESIDENT: Barbara Olsen-Henderson

UPCOMING EVENT Branch MeetMe 22ND JUNE @ India Today, New Plymouth

MANAWATU BRANCH PRESIDENT: Sean Kereama

UPCOMING EVENT Branch MeetMe 15TH JUNE @ Toops, Palmerston North

REGIONAL UPDATES NELSON BRANCH PRESIDENT: Harry Morris

WELLINGTON BRANCH NATIONAL PRESIDENT: Mike Egan NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT: Steve Logan UPCOMING EVENT Branch MeetMe 21ST JULY

CANTERBURY BRANCH PRESIDENT: Sam Crofskey

UPCOMING EVENT 2nd annual Chevron Awards 9TH AUGUST

DUNEDIN BRANCH PRESIDENT: Olive Tabor VICE-PRESIDENT: Helen Wright

SOUTHERN LAKES BRANCH PRESIDENT: Grant Hattaway VICE-PRESIDENT: Cam Mitchell

UPCOMING EVENT Branch MeetMe 7TH JULY @ Blue Kanu, Queenstown

WELCOME

new members

We would like to welcome the following new members of the restaurant association who have recently joined us. congratulations...

You have joined the only organisation that exclusively assists you to safeguard the viability of your café, restaurant, or hospitality business. We will help guide you through the regulatory minefield that exists in today’s business environment. You have joined 1850 of New Zealand’s most dynamic and profitable hospitality businesses. 162 Karori, Wellington

Hikari Sushi Bar & Japanese Cuisine, Christchurch

Arashi Kushiyaki Bar, Wellington

Kenny & Helen Partnership (Streetwise), Porirua

Bespoke Kitchen, Queenstown

Khandallah Trading Company, Wellington

Bethel Woods, Wellington

Kreem Cafe Mt Wellington, Auckland

Bombay to Paris, New Plymouth

Lone Star, Tauranga

Brew’d Boulcott, Wellington

Madam Woo, Takapuna, Auckland

Brew’d Eastbourne, Wellington

Mozaik Centreplace, Hamilton

Brew’d Island Bay, Wellington

Nautilus Restaurant, Tauranga

Burger Fuel Upper Hutt

PowerTank, Auckland

Bushman’s Grill, Auckland

Ramen Takara Ponsonby, Auckland

Cafe Botannix Bethlehem, Tauranga

Sangam Indian Tandoori Restaurant, Napier

Canton Kitchen, Papamoa

Spagalimis Redwood, Christchurch

Chilli Bar & Café, Auckland

Streetwise Coffee Hastings, Hastings

Cinta Malaysian Restaurant, Auckland

Streetwise Coffee New Plymouth, New Plymouth

Clevedon Coast Oysters, Clevedon, Auckland

Streetwise Coffee Porirua

Coene’s Provisions, Wellington

Streetwise Franchise Ltd, Otaki

Eddyline Brewery & Pizzeria NZ Ltd, Nelson

Tall Trees Espresso, Hamilton

Eighty Eight Café, Mount Maunganui

The Co-op, Wellington

Elements Café, Wellington

The Gasworks, Wellington

Fired Pizza Company, Auckland

The Great Tasti, Wellington

Gokul Vegetarian, Auckland

Wellington Hospitality Group, Wellington

Heidi on the Hills, Tirau

FROM THE CAPITAL

hot plate coming through

TALES FROM

taranaki

ell not too much to relate this month...

Winter has arrived – as it has everywhere else by the sound of it - and with it reduced numbers of people venturing out. Our usual seasonal quiet time is beginning. I’m not aware of any further openings and closings, however – Caffe Blues / Cafe Kai is closed for refurbishment. It is all a little hush-hush so we look forward to seeing what transformations are taking place there. Casey’s Cafe in Oakura, which closed in April, appears to be morphing into a deli. I don’t know if they’re planning to incorporate any eat-in choices but it looks like they will be opening soon (so I’ll find out seeing as we live just around the corner)! Half of the old Mexico premises is being taken over by some hospo enthusiasts, Damo Gould and Russel Laird, who are planning a gourmet

burger establishment to be called Prohibition. Laird also co-owns New Plymouth bar Our Place. They are hoping to open early July. The downturn in the oil and gas industry, plus the very low dairy payout has put a dampener on business here in Taranaki. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for the dairy industry.

Changes The Aborist has opened on the ground floor of the Trinity Hotel on Willis Street, which will shortly be followed by a rooftop bar seating about 50.

We will be holding a Restaurant Association MeetMe on 22nd June. Mike Egan, our Restaurant Association national president will be joining us and will do a presentation on Recruiting and Retaining Great Staff. And that’s about all from me. We’re having a little jaunt in our new (to us) motor home, and exploring Te Kuiti. Off for a café crawl shortly... BARBARA OLSEN-HENDERSON

Taranaki Branch President Bach on Breakwater barbara_olsen@xtra.co.nz

DAMO GOULD & RUSSEL LAIR FROM PROHIBITION

Another rooftop bar in the pipeline is at Basque restaurant on Courtenay Place. Hillside Kitchen and Cellar has opened on Tinakori Road where Charlie Bills Restaurant previously operated for a number of years. Cicio Cacio Osteria restaurant has opened in Newtown.

Spirit House Restaurant from Dunedin has opened a branch in Miramar. MIKE EGAN

regional update

Restaurant Association National President

mike@monsoonpoon.co.nz

Kia Ora from

rotorua

his year’s finalists for the Rotorua Hospitality Awards show the mixture of established and emerging talent in the region’s hospitality sector. Thirty-nine finalists over 13 categories have been announced and the winners will be announced at the Awards evening on 21st June. The awards are growing every year and are a way to celebrate excellence in the industry. There are a lot of up-and-comers, so it’s something for them to strive towards. A couple of finalists in there were actively waiting for this to come around so they could showcase themselves. Hospitality employees, establishment owners and suppliers to the industry were able to vote in all categories via the online nomination and voting forms. For more information visit www.rotoruaawards.co.nz.

THE 2015 ROTORUA HOSPITALITY AWARDS FINALISTS ARE: Jasco Distributing Outstanding Bar Brew I Craft Beer Pub Ponsonby Rd The Lava Bar

Menumate Outstanding Chef Craig Martin - Peppers on the Point Fred Kreutmayer - Stratosfare Restaurant Todd Tregoweth - Rydges Rotorua

The Coffee Club Outstanding Barista Akiko Yakamoto - Abracadabra Cafe Christina Aldworth - Fat Dog Café & Bar Rachel Atkinson - Library Café

Inghams Outstanding Hotel Restaurant Atlas Restaurant - Novotel Rotorua Lakeside Atrium Restaurant - Rydges Rotorua Regent Room - Regent of Rotorua

More FM Outstanding Bartender Cody Jarvie - Abracadabra Cafe Joseph Cox - Ponsonby Rd Kunal Sharma - Stratosfare Restaurant Gilmours Outstanding Cafe Capers Epicurean Lime Caffeteria Picnic Café Skyline Rotorua Outstanding Caterer Eurest The Blue Baths The Catering Company Bidvest Emerging Chef Eden Phillips - Rydges Rotorua Lily Carnaby - Stratosfare Restaurant Rohit Chandla - Abracadabra Cafe

Service IQ Outstanding Maori Cultural Dining Experience Mitai Maori Village Tamaki Maori Village One Music Outstanding Restaurant Indian Star Tandoori Restaurant Stratosfare Restaurant Urbano Bistro Tohu Wines Outstanding Supplier Bidvest Fenton Quality Produce Gilmours Rotorua Rotorua Daily Post Outstanding Takeaway Devon Seafoods Indian Star Tandoori Restaurant Oppies Fish & Chips Restaurant Association of New Zealand Outstanding Waiter Charissa Rehu - Nuvolari Danny Stoneham - CBK Te Aroha Dehar - Stratosfare Restaurant

Thank you also to all of our amazing sponsors and don’t forget tickets are now on sale for the awards evening on 21st June. Go to www.rotoruaawards.co.nz for more information on ordering your tickets. SHARON WALLACE ROTORUA HOSPITALITY AWARDS MEDIA LAUNCH

regional update

Rotorua Branch President Waiariki Institute of Technology THE THYMES JUNE 2015

NEWS FROM THE BAY

hawke’s bay

ne of the great things about living in this country is enjoying four very distinctive seasons throughout the year.

Here in the Hawke’s Bay we have just had a brilliant Autumn, with the beautiful colours in the vineyards, but now have moved into a new part of the year with Winter certainly telling us it has arrived. Being a region with a smaller population spread over a big area, which is very dependent on visitors, this can be a challenging time of year for restaurants and cafes. But for many these challenges are planned for and inspire innovation.

WINTER FAWC One of the ideas to get locals away from the home fire and into the restaurants was conceived by Hawke’s Bay Tourism. Winter FAWC is an extension of the hugely successful Summer FAWC, but instead of being over 10 days, Winter FAWC runs over the four weekends of June. This year sees 45 events across the month. From a Bolli Brunch to Bolliwood in Trinity Hill cellar. From A Lastau Sherry tasting, to a menu built around bourbon. As well as the main FAWC events, 24 restaurants are also offering fantastic specials across the month under the umbrella of FAWC by 5. All deals have to be in increments of $5 with a maximum of $60. With FAWC by 5 you could enjoy lunch at The regional update

2015 HAWKE’S BAY HOSPITALITY AWARDS WINNERS

Farm at Cape Kidnappers, or build a Moroccan tasting plate at Mister D. You could even try a Bacon & Egg Martini at Emporium. This initiative was introduced last year and exceeded all expectations. Participating restaurants reported fantastic June trading. Here’s hoping to a repeat this year.

The lights were supposed to come up at midnight but the party was still going strong after 1am. A brilliant night, thanks to Food Hawke’s Bay and all the team at Shed 2. Cheers Guys!

Check it all out www.fawc.co.nz

As a business owner who loves technology and the Internet, I noticed a couple of interesting pieces of news recently. The first was that mobile devices have now taken over from desktops as the preferred way to search the Internet.

SPORTS COMES TO TOWN Napier will again welcome high profile sporting events over the next few weeks. After the All Black test match last September, and then three World Cup Cricket matches in March, McLean Park played host to the Hurricanes vs Highlanders Super 15 match in June and will then host the Melbourne Storm vs St George NRL match in July. The region also hosted the Festival of Hockey last month, which featured 8 nations competing for the title. Events like these are hugely valuable to our region and especially the bars and restaurants, but we have to play our part to ensure visitors see the best of Hawke’s Bay so events will return. HOSPITALITY AWARDS As we head into Winter, the local industry have just said goodbye to a fantastic Summer/Autumn season with the 8th annual Hospitality Awards. Enthusiasm towards the event has not waned in the eight years, with many new faces in the finals and a mixture of old and new taking out the awards. And while it is very important to recognise and congratulate each other, the party is often how we measure the evening – and 2015 could arguably be considered the best. Dennis and Jaime Buckley threw a party at Shed 2 that the industry could not get enough of.

A COUPLE OF INTERESTING POINTS

The second is related to the first, with Google announcing that from now on, mobile friendliness will be a ranking criteria for websites on Google. So in effect if your website does not utilise Responsiveness Design and is not mobile friendly, it will be extremely hard to get it ranking higher than your competitors. We recently upgraded our website and I would much rather put my marketing dollars into ensuring we keep current online rather than the traditional forms of advertising. We see our best results and support through our Internet presence and we believe it will only become a more important part of our business. Here’s to a solid winter trade. If you are in Hawke’s Bay, pop into Milk & Honey and say Hi. I always love meeting other Restaurant Association members. SEAN BURNS

Hawke’s Bay Branch President www.themilkandhoney.co.nz sean@themilkandhoney.co.nz

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

...NEWS FROM THE BAY

hawke’s bay

WINNERS OF THE 2015 HAWKE’S BAY HOSPITALITY AWARDS ARE: GOODTIME FOODS OUTSTANDING WINERY EXPERIENCE Clearview Estate Winery

NAPIER AND HASTINGS I-SITES OUTSTANDING CAFE FG Smith Eatery STEINLAGER PURE OUTSTANDING BAR Emporium Eatery & Bar SPORTSGROUND OUTSTANDING ETHNIC RESTAURANT Namaksar ZEELANDT BREWERY OUTSTANDING WINERY RESTAURANT Elephant Hill DHALL & NASH OUTSTANDING WINE AND BEVERAGE LIST Deliciosa

EIT OUTSTANDING FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM Deliciosa RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT The Old Church CLEARVIEW ESTATE WINERY BEST AMBIENCE AND STYLE The Old Church SACRED HILL OUTSTANDING CHEF Jeremy Rameka, Pacifica Restaurant BASEPOINT OUTSTANDING COFFEE ESTABLISHMENT Hawthorne Coffee SIMPLY SQUEEZED OUTSTANDING LOCAL Common Room BOUNCE HANGOVER HELPER OUTSTANDING SUPPLIER / SALES REP David Thompson, Gourmeats

regional update

THE THYMES JUNE 2015

NEWS

bop

he Bay of plenty region has been experiencing unprecedented growth in major sectors, including building, residential and commercial property development and employment. This has also been marked by an increasing hospitality culture, which has been evident in the rise of events over summer of 2014/15 such as: • • • •

The gourmet night markets, The little big markets, Dinner in the domain; Christmas in the park.

Many local restaurants have participated in these more casual dining experiences which has in-turn increased local profiles and culinary experiences. Some of the new hospitality businesses that have been established in the past six months include: • • • •

Mount Social Club – Mount Maunganui You and Me – a hip modern café in Tauranga city Mexicali Fresh – Mount Maunganui Rye American Eatery – Tauranga CBD

SPONGEDROP BAKERY

• • • •

Bureta Bar – Tauranga Spongedrop bakery – Mount Maunganui Sugar town – Mount Maunganui Central Deli – a café on central parade Mount Maunganui

Business sales in the last six months: • • • • •

Café 88 – Mount Maunganui Alimento – pending Bluebiyou – Papamoa Gana – Papamoa Raft – Tauranga

Exciting news for the Bay – we are currently establishing our own regional hospo awards which will take place in October this year! Industry voting for industry. We’ll bring you more information on this soon. Tauranga CBD retail is struggling. The Council is working on plans to increase traffic and fill un-rented shop sites. Mount Maunganui is becoming the boutique destination shopping strip with a huge increase in traffic and tourist population. This is evident in the rise of increased business popping up in this area. Trustpower will be opening new premises in the outer CBD later this year and over 500 people will work in the building. ANDREW TARGETT

Bay of Plenty Branch President Elizabeth Cafe & Larder

MOUNT SOCIAL CLUB regional update

chef. targett@ me.com