WA S H I N GTO N
June 2017
HOW TO
PLAN A PR CAMPAIGN DICK’S DRIVE IN AND ITS 230,000+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH 3RDPARTY DELIVERY SERVICES
Washington Hospitality Association 510 Plum Street SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587
June 2017 │ 1
STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID APEX MAILING SERVICES INC
WE EXIST TO SERVE YOUR RESTAURANT NEEDS
CARLOS GARCES 425‐291‐5279
MIKE ENGLUND
Employment Practices 425‐291‐5255 Employee Benefits General Liability & Liquor Liability Cyber Liability – For Sensitive Customer Data
425‐291‐5200 WWW.BELL‐ANDERSON.COM
Take advantage of exclusive health care pricing and solutions for Washington Hospitality Association members Contact your insurance broker today and ask for your Washington Hospitality Association member UnitedHealthcare quote, or visit uhctogether.com/wra. For more information, contact John Stallsmith at (317) 513-5496 or john.stallsmith@optum.com.
Save with rate discounts up to*
Medical 5% on Plans Specialty 5% on Benefits *Some restrictions apply.
©2017 United HealthCare Services, Inc. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through a UnitedHealthcare company.
D30095 4/17
YOUR PRIME SOURCE FOR LOCAL CENTER OF THE PLATE & PRODUCE Local Foods Initiative:
Sysco’s Local Foods Initiative was created in response to a growing consumer interest in nutritious, local food products. The buzz surrounding natural and organic product led Sysco to link the customer to the farmer, utilizing existing procurement and distribution supply chains to get the freshest regional flavors to your customers. Good things come from Sysco - naturally.
Quality Assurance
The core objective of Sysco’s Quality Assurance department is ensuring the quality and safety of all Sysco brand products. Adhering to specifications which are higher in many cases than those provided by regulatory agencies, Sysco’s Quality Assurance department inspects products during production and at redistribution centers, and navigates the complicated world of food safety - all without taking shortcuts..
Sysco Portland, Inc. 26250 SW Parkway Center Dr. Wilsonville, OR 97070 503.682.8700 • www.syscoportland.com
Sysco Seattle, Inc. 22820 54th Ave. S. Kent, WA 98032 206.622.2261 seattle.sysco.com
Sysco Spokane, Inc. 300 N. Baugh Way Post Falls, ID 83854 208.777.9511 • www.syscospokane.com
Inside
wahospitality.org
Features
13
18
11
Washington Hospitality’s Own Payments Processing Program
13
Seattle’s Secure Scheduling Ordinance
18
A Seattle Classic Conquers Social Media
22
PR 101: How to Plan and Execute a PR Campaign
24
Immigration Compliance Tips for Washington Hospitality Employers
26
New Initiative Takes on Human Trafficking
In Every Issue
WA S H I N GTO N
June 2017
HOW TO PLAN A PR CAMPAIGN DICK’S DRIVE IN AND ITS 230,000+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH 3RDPARTY DELIVERY SERVICES
From Your President and CEO Amplifying Great Hospitality Through Social Media
9
News Briefs
10
Industry Events
13
Local GA Update
16
Local State Update
30
Ask the Expert Increased Sales through Third-Party Delivery Services
28
Calendar/New Members
On the cover
No hospitality business exists in isolation. To thrive, you need to connect with customers and with your community. This issue of Washington Hospitality looks at strategies to help you do just that.
Washington Hospitality Association 510 Plum Street SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587
STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID APEX MAILING SERVICES INC JuneCore2.indd 1
6
June 2017 │ 1
5/24/2017 3:27:15 PM
June 2017 │ 5
EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher, Anthony Anton Executive Editor, Lex Nepomuceno Editor-in-Chief, Marianne Scholl Art Director, Lisa Ellefson Managing Editor, Paul Schlienz Contributing Editor, David Faro Contributing Editor, Jillian Henze Contributing Editor, Wendy Hughes Contributing Editor, Stephanie McManus Research Editor, Sheryl Jackson EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Co-chair, Phil Costello Stop n’ Go Family Drive In Co-chair, Frank Welton Hilton Worldwide EXECUTIVE TEAM President and CEO, Anthony Anton Vice President, Teran Haase Director of Business Development, Ken Wells Director of Communications & Technology, Lex Nepomuceno Director of Local Government Affairs, John Lane Director of State Government Affairs, Julia Gorton Director of Internal Operations, Kylie Kincaid Director of Membership, Steven Sweeney Education Foundation, Naja Hogander
President and CEO
Amplifying Great Hospitality Through Social Media In our industry, hospitality is not just what we do. It is who we are. It is our business to be gracious and welcoming, to be curious not only about our customers, but also about the health of our communities. And when we are really good at engaging our community, our opinions are sought after. I first saw this in action back when I was all of 25 and a brand-new, almost entry-level grassroots government affairs kid. At my very first Hill Climb with what was then the Restaurant Association of the State of Washington, I was struck by how normally sought-after legislators were seeking out our members. When I first walked into the lobby of the reception location, a legislator immediately grabbed me and wanted to know if Ben Goldie was there. “Ben is great. He does so many things for our community,” I remember her saying. She couldn’t wait to find Ben Goldie from the Cottage Café in Cle Elem. Then I walked halfway down the stairs and someone stopped me and said, “I need to find Geneva Ward. Is she here?” I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the Sportsman Bar & Lounge in Spokane, but Geneva, who has since passed away, ran a rustic, blue-collar locale. She was truly involved in her community so this legislator was excited to see her. Then a few steps into the ballroom, it happened again with someone wanting to find a fullservice franchisee named Bill Cheung. These three were from different parts of the state and ran three very different types of businesses, yet they were each great at hospitality and great at being part of their communities. They didn’t have to convince legislators to like them or to listen to them. The legislators came seeking them. We’re now in a world where a lot of people interact on social media, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. Technology has simply given us new arenas for engagement.
510 Plum St. SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587 T 360.956.7279 | F 360.357.9232 wahospitality.org
Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be considered for publication. Please include contact information for verification. Reproduction of articles appearing in Washington Hospitality Magazine are authorized for personal use only, with credit given to Washington Hospitality Magazine and/or the Washington Hospitality Association. Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members. Products and services advertised in Washington Hospitality Magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the Washington Hospitality Association, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members. ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO: Michele Holmes Allied Relations Manager 206.423.3902 MicheleH@wahospitality.org Washington Hospitality Magazine is published monthly for members. We welcome your comments and suggestions. email: news@wahospitality.org, phone: 800.225.7166. Circulation: 6,310.
6 │ wahospitality.org
When I think of great engagement on social media, I think of a Seattle member who became an opinion influencer simply by engaging 2000 of his guests on social media, sharing his views to the point of being controversial. Now city council members pay attention to his opinion. I think about how John Howie has candidly embraced a lot of his challenges on social media. He’s engaged his guests via social media with a heart of hospitality, and in doing so he has really raised the level of understanding about our industry among his followers. When I think of social media success, I also think of Dick’s Drive-In’s latest location campaign. They’re great at hospitality, great at caring about their employees and great at engaging the community both on the ground and online. They’ve built such an online following that when they asked where they should put their newest location, more than 100,000 of their Facebook friends said, “Come to where I live!” We have an opportunity as never before to define what Washington hospitality means to our communities. We can use social media to amplify our message about the great things hospitality businesses bring to our employees, our communities and our state. So many of you are already engaging your community, and many of you are training the next generation of hospitality about the importance of a handshake or eye contact. You’re teaching them the value of asking about someone’s day, as well as the importance of finding solutions to issues in your community. Take that same genuine, welcoming approach when you use social media. Please don’t view social media as a burden or barrier to your community work. I encourage you to see it as just a different way to walk the floor or greet guests in the lobby. Used with graciousness and curiosity, social media is simply a way to amplify all your efforts to help your community thrive. Because as you know, when our communities thrive, so do we. Anthony Anton #WeareHospitality
WASHINGTON EXPERT GASKET REPLACEMENT
EXTEND EQUIPMENT LIFE
Bagels. Rustic Breads. Pastries. Artisan Coffee. tasteful elegance.
REDUCE ELECTRIC BILLS LOW FLAT RATE PRICING
SMALL REPAIRS AND WELDING
DOORS, HANDLES, HINGES CUSTOM WELDING TRAINED PROFESSIONALS
NOW SERVING WASHINGTON OVER 12 YEARS!
206-491-9535 FREE ESTIMATES
www.gasketguywa.com
1316 MLK Jr way Tacoma WA 98405 www.gritcitybakingcompany.com
Take the headache out of kitchen grease disposal
∙ cooking oil collection
∙ grease trap & interceptor cleaning
800-447-3794 chooseSQ.com
I’m ALLERGIC. Allergy training saves lives. Be a cool cat. Train your staff to be allergy aware. Get ServSafe certified today.
VISIT WHAEF.ORG for more info.
SERVSAFE ALLERGENS
HOSPITALITY TRAINING SOLUTIONS
HOSPITALITY’S OWN
Credit Card Processing Program We’re delivering what members have asked for – volume pricing, no rate increases behind your back, no annual contract, no early termination fees.
Find out if you’re golden: Victoria Olson 800.225.7166 x 121 victoriao@wahospitality.org
Primary Source of Information | News Briefs FDA Shifts Menu Labeling Compliance to 2018 In May, just days before the new federal menu labeling rule was set to go into effect, the FDA extended the rule’s compliance deadline to May 7, 2018. On its website, the FDA posted that the postponement was in response to comments it had received. It also stated that “This extension allows for further consideration of what opportunities there may be to reduce costs and enhance the flexibility of these requirements beyond those reflected in the final rule.” The menu labeling rule, as currently written, applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments if they operate 20 or more locations under the same name with substantially the same menu items at its locations. The rule requires these restaurants to prominently display calories on menus, menu boards and drive-thru displays for standard menu items. On buffet, cafeteria and self-service lines, calorie information must be displayed on signs near the menu items. For more information, restaurant operators should consult the FDA resources by going to www.fda.gov and searching for “menu label guidance.” Washington State Visitors’ Guide Wins Prestigious Publishing Award The 2017 edition of the Washington State Visitors’ Guide won a Maggie Award on May 1 in the category of best visitor guide with a circulation over 75,000. “Maggies” recognize worldclass publishing and are presented each year by the Western Publishing Association to promote the pursuit of excellence among publishing and media professionals. The Washington State Visitors’ Guide is owned by the Washington Hospitality Association and published in partnership with the Washington Tourism Alliance. Sagacity Media, Inc., the award-winning publisher of numerous city magazines such Seattle Met and Portland Monthly, produces the popular guide. The guide was first published in 2000 by the Washington Lodging Association and now has a circulation of 375,000. It is the go-to guide to Washington experiences for visitors and residents alike. Learn more at StayInWashington.com.
Spring Hiring Events Fill 186 Positions in Two Days The Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation, in partnership with Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services – Employment Pipeline and the Employment Security Department, hosted two extraordinary hiring events this spring. At an April 13 hiring event at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma, 15 employers had 300 positions ready to fill, and more than 100 job seekers went home with new jobs. Along with the Education Foundation, there were multiple community organizations present to assist job seekers. Thanks to this partnership, job seekers not only received help applying for jobs, during their first year on the job they will also get support to overcoming barriers to successful employment, including financial help with childcare, transportation and work-related clothing. At a similar hiring event on May 5 at Motif Seattle Hotel, there were 14 employers representing more than 370 open positions. As in Tacoma, community organizations worked alongside the Education Foundation to match job seekers with employers and to provide the new hires with resources to help them get to work ready to succeed in their new jobs. By the end of the day, there were 86 job offers. WSU Vancouver Gets $2 Million Gift for Hospitality Business Management Professorship The Tod and Maxine McClaskey Foundation recently gave $2 million to Washington State University Vancouver to establish an endowed professorship in hospitality business management (HBM). This is WSU Vancouver’s first endowed chair. The McClaskey Foundation also funded an HBM faculty position for the first five years of the program, which launched in 2013. The gift honors the late Tod McClaskey, founder of Red Lion Hotels. June 2017 │ 9
Industry Events Hospitality Summit in Tacoma on June 12 Washington Hospitality will hold a Hospitality Summit on June 12 at Hotel Murano in Tacoma. This is the final summit for 2017 and will deliver another afternoon jampacked with hospitality news, information and peer-topeer socializing. The Summit series, presented by Food Services of America, was launched this year to connect association members in different parts of the state with high-level discussions of critical issues facing hospitality business owners and operators. These dynamic events also include an industry trade show. Tacoma attendees will get a local government affairs update from Samantha Louderback and can choose between breakout sessions, including a panel on tipping and service charges, a presentation by Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and an anti-human trafficking discussion with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Executive Director Mar Smith. Washington Hospitality CEO Anthony Anton will wrap up the afternoon with a look at the state of the industry. Registration is still open and encouraged. Visit hospitalitysummit.org/Tacoma for more information. Lodging Convention Tackles Disrupting Forces with Fresh, Powerful Content Register early to save with discounted early bird rates.
The Washington Lodging Convention, the state’s premier lodging event, returns to Tulalip Resort Casino October 22-24. A robust lineup of speakers and workshop presenters will focus on arming hoteliers with the latest intel and front-line strategies to better face changes in market, economy and consumer climates. Keynote Glenn Haussman, one of the hospitality industry’s leading motivational speakers and editor-at-large at Hotel Management magazine, will get attendees rethinking conventional wisdom about what makes hoteliers succeed in these challenging market times. Convention goers will also gain an in-depth education on the changing world of distribution contracting and parity from hospitality law expert Greg Duff, and Steve Lerch, executive director and chief economist at the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, will delve into how trends in the U.S. and Washington economies may impact our state’s hospitality industry. As at every Washington Lodging Convention, there will be an employment law workshop, which this year will feature 10 │ wahospitality.org
Fisher and Phillips attorneys Catharine Morisset and Davis Bae on planning for surprise visits from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Preparation can help ensure a simple investigation does not expand into other costly workplace compliance issues. This is a convention hotel owners, operators and key employees can’t afford to miss and early bird rates will lock in savings both on registration and lodging. Learn more at www.LodgingConvention.com. Golf FORE! Education Tournament It’s time to pencil in Golf Fore Education on your fall calendar. Each year, the Education Foundation holds this fun fundraising tournament to help develop our state’s future hospitality workforce. Proceeds go toward scholarships and support ProStart, our high school-based culinary arts program. Golf Fore Education takes place September 19 at the Washington National Golf Course in Auburn. This 18-hole championship golf course was designed by award-winning architect John Fought. Make plans now to bring a foursome or to sponsor this worthy event. Details are at www.whaef.org/golf.
The Convention is Oct. 22-24!
And Golf Fore! Education is Sept. 19!
Cost Saving Programs:
Washington Hospitality Launches its Own Payment Processing Program The Washington Hospitality Association is founded on four strong pillars. It is the primary source of hospitality information for our members. We offer the most comprehensive suite of training and workforce development for our industry. We advocate in Olympia for sensible legislation that supports restaurants and lodging establishments. Lastly, we research, design and implement the most effective cost-savings programs we can find for our members.
The program not only provides hospitality-specific applications and features, the savings for each participant grows as the number of members using the program grows.
One of the newest and most exciting of these cost-savings is the payment processing program we developed specifically for the state's hospitality industry. It’s called exactly what it is: the Washington Hospitality Association Credit Card Processing Program.
Another important feature is that there are no early termination fees. One of the scary things about changing a vendor as important as a payment processor is the possibility of costly fees to get out of a contract that failed to deliver all it promised. If, after giving it a try, the Washington Hospitality Association Credit Card Processing Program is not what you expected, you can leave the program without a termination fee or penalty. That’s how sure we are that it’s the right program for you and your business.
With this program, the Association has positioned itself to be the leader in credit card processing for hospitality businesses with rates that are already saving members an average of $2,400 annually per location. Are you one of those members? If not, perhaps this is a service you should explore?
The application process is as simple as we could make it: No contracts, just an application to complete, a talk with the Association’s program manager to answer any questions you might have, an analysis and an introduction to cost savings. Easy.
We also keep things simple. If you have ever looked at a credit card processing invoice and been confused, you are not alone. One key goal of this program is to provide you with easy-to-read statements that are completely transparent. This is the key to understanding your costs. So, your takeaway from all of this should be threefold:
The Washington Hospitality Association Credit Card Processing Program • No contracts. • Simple, easy-to• •
understand statements. Rates that save members an average of $2,400 a year per location. Designed to help you succeed.
Washington Hospitality has a great new credit card processing program that will save you money. We built the program because we want you to succeed at what you do. (That’s why the Association exists in the first place.) We will help you pay attention to the details, and we will keep your statements simple to understand. We’ve carefully crafted the Washington Hospitality Association Credit Card Processing Program to ensure member needs are being met every step of the way. And if for some reason you hit a bump in the road and need help getting a resolution, we’re here to assist you. For more information, please contact Amy Spradlin at AmyS@ wahospitality.org or 360.956.7279 x107. – David Faro June 2017 │ 11
News from Around the State Yakima Valley The Yakima Valley’s hotel base is growing! The 30-room boutique Hotel Maison opened in downtown Yakima in 2016, and the sixstory, 200-room Legends Hotel, which is part of the Yakama Nation’s Legends Casino, opened in Toppenish earlier this year. Two new Holiday Inns are also set to open in the region: one in Prosser as part of a Love’s travel center, which will include a gas station and a Carl’s Jr., and the other to open this summer in Union Gap. In October, My Place will open a 64-unit extended stay hotel in Yakima. At present, Yakima county, which does not include Prosser, has 2,400 hotel rooms, spread out over more than 30 properties. In 2015 these properties generated $45.3 million in taxable income.
Olympic Peninsula Residents of Port Angeles will see an option to increase the city sales tax on their August 1 primary ballots. The proposal would raise the current tax by .2 percent to fund street repairs. If passed, the increase would sunset in 10 years unless voters at the time supported an extension. The current sales tax in Port Angeles is 8.4 percent.
Skagit Valley Now that the tulips are no longer in bloom, traffic in the Skagit Valley has subsided and locals are back to their normal routes. Each year, the annual Tulip Festival which runs through April into the early part of May, brings more than 350,000 visitors to Skagit Valley. 12 │ wahospitality.org
Spokane
This year, Spokane International Airport is making it easier for travelers to get to the Inland Northwest with several new nonstop flights. On June 4, Southwest Airlines will begin seasonal non-stop flights from Spokane to San Diego, and on June 8, United Airlines begins daily, year-round nonstops between Spokane and San Francisco, and Spokane and Chicago. In July, American Airlines will start daily nonstop service between Spokane and Dallas Fort Worth. “Continued growth in airlift at Spokane International Airport is tremendous news,” said Cheryl Kilday, president & CEO of Visit Spokane. “This gives even more people the opportunity to get here easily and experience our great destination. It’s just another way for people to connect to Spokane, which will provide for tourism growth.”
Port Angeles The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is in negotiations with Port Angeles city officials to buy two city-owned land parcels to build a four-story, 86-room waterfront hotel that would employ 50 to 100 people. Permitting of the new hotel could take six months, according to tribal CEO Michael Peters. If construction starts in 2017 it would be ready for business in mid-2019. The $25 million project would include two restaurants and a 64-seat bar. Peters told the Peninsula Daily News in April that the degree to which the tribe would pay state, local and lodging taxes will depend on whether the tribe decides to have the property held in trust by the federal government, in which local and state taxes generally would not apply, or in “fee simple” status, in which local taxes could apply. -Wendy Hughes and Marianne Scholl
Seattle Government Affairs Roundup June 2017
Effective July 1:
Seattle’s Secure Scheduling Ordinance The final rules of Seattle’s new Secure Scheduling Ordinance were released to the public in April. The law takes effect July 1 and will regulate how restaurants and retail businesses schedule hourly employees. It applies to retail and food service establishments with 500+ employees worldwide, as well as full service restaurants with 500+ employees and 40+ locations worldwide. Our Seattle chapter, the Seattle Restaurant Alliance, was at the table working on scheduling legislation on behalf of our members since day one. It was our goal throughout the rulemaking process to ensure the best outcomes for employees and restaurateurs that won’t remove the flexibility employees enjoy.
job(s), education, caregiving responsibility and care of serious health condition) unless the employer has a bona fide business reason to support denying the request. Right to Rest Employers cannot schedule a closing and opening shift (“clopening”) separated by fewer than 10 hours unless an employee requests, or consents, to such hours. Regardless of request or consent, employers must pay time-and-a-half for the hours separated by fewer than 10 hours. Advance Notice Employers must post employees' work schedules 14 days in advance. Compensation for Changes Additional hours: If an employer adds hours to the employee's schedule after it is posted, the employer must pay the employee one additional hour of pay at the scheduled rate. For each employer-addition of less than one hour, the employer may pro-rate the additional compensation due. Subtracted hours: If an employee is scheduled for a shift and then sent home early, the employer must pay the employee for half of the hours not worked.
Understand the Basics:
Seattle’s new scheduling law applies to retail and food service establishments with 500+ employees worldwide, as well as full service restaurants with 500+ employees and 40+ locations worldwide. Here’s how it works for these employers: Affected Employees Affected employees are hourly employees who work, or report to work, at a fixed point of sale location in Seattle for 50 percent of the services provided to the employer.
Your Primary Source of Information
Good Faith Estimate Upon hiring new employees, employers must provide a good faith estimate of the median hours an employee can expect to work, and whether the employee will work on-call shifts.
We are regularly updating information on Seattle’s secure scheduling ordinance on wahospitality.org.
Right to Request Employees may request schedule preferences regarding times and location of work. Employers must engage in an interactive process with employees to discuss these requests. Employers must also grant a request related to a major life event (such as employee's transportation, housing, other
Use the search bar to find all of our resources, including our Secure Scheduling Ordinance Toolkit. June 2017 │ 13
Grace period: Additions or subtractions of fewer than 15 minutes do not incur additional compensation. On-call protections: If an employee is scheduled for an on-call shift and is not called in, the employer must pay the employee for half of the hours not worked. Exceptions to Additional Compensation: *When an employee requests changes to a schedule. *Employee-to-employee shift swaps. *Employer-to-employee shift swaps using allowed mass communication or in-person group communication. *Employer's reduction of employee hours because of bona fide discipline. *Inability to operate from threats to employees or property, recommendation of a public official, public utilities failure, natural disaster, weather event or an event that would cause the employer to violate a law. Access to Hours Before hiring extra employees, employers must offer additional hours of work to existing employees, subject to certain exceptions. Employers must post notice of additional hours for three days and allow existing employees two days to consider job offers. Record-keeping Employers must keep records for three years to show compliance. Posters and Translations Employers must display a Secure Scheduling Ordinance workplace poster in a visible and accessible place at the worksite. Employers must provide translations of the poster and certain documents in English and the employees' primary language(s). The Office of Labor Standards will create the poster and provide translations. Protection from Retaliation *Employers may not interfere with any right protected by ordinance. *Employees have the right to decline any hours not on the originally posted schedule. *Employers may discipline an employee for abuse of the employer's reasonable notification and job requirements for employee-requested work schedule changes, provided such changes are not because of a reason covered by another local, state or federal law like Paid Sick and Safe Time, disability or accommodation. Waiver Requirements can be waived in a collective bargaining agreement, or addendum to a collective bargaining agreement, and employees ratify an alternative scheduling structure that meets the public policy goals of the ordinance. 14 │ wahospitality.org
Important Steps to Getting It Right
1. Get your questions answered. After you understand the basics, seek out additional resources to clarify any gray areas. Washington Hospitality has a Secure Scheduling Toolkit on its website; and your legal counsel and HR team, as well as the city’s Office of Labor Standards, are also resources.
2. Plan well and communicate early. Create a plan and timeline for implementation to make sure all systems are running smoothly come July 1. Educate your employees on the requirements they will need to follow and answer their questions about the ordinance. Communicating early with employees will prevent head scratching when the law goes into effect.
3. Test run. Don’t wait until July 1 to test text message services and shift-swapping protocols. Conduct dry runs with employees. Evaluate what is effective, solve challenges and smooth out the process prior to July 1. If at any point you are feeling lost, Washington Hospitality has information and resources to support you in the process. We can connect you with our advisory network of restaurant experts or connect you with peers who are also affected. Call 360-956-7279 or email jillianh@wahospitality.org for assistance.
OTHER GA NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Diet Soda, In-Store Prepared Coffee Included in Soda Tax In April, the Mayor’s Office released a Seattle soda tax proposal which includes diet soda and in-store prepared coffee drinks, and a city council vote to approve the ordinance may take place before this June issue reaches members. Mayor Ed Murray wants the 1.75-cent-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages to fund efforts to eliminate racial disparities in educational opportunity. The tax is expected to raise nearly $23 million per year. Currently, restaurants pay about $75 for a 5-gallon bag of soda syrup. Because the tax is on finished ounces, it will add about $67.20 to the price of the bag of syrup. This is a significant impact to a budget line item for a small restaurant. As of press time, the proposal defines taxed drinks as liquids with a specified amount of caloric and artificial sweetener, as well as syrups and powders that are used to prepare these beverages. These items include regular (and now diet) sodas, energy and sports drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened teas and coffee drinks.
In April, a coalition of 150 small businesses, called Keep Seattle Livable for All, announced its opposition to the proposed soda tax. The coalition also had support from Teamsters Local 174 (beverage, supermarket and food service workers) and Teamsters Local 117 (warehouse workers and truck drivers). Our Seattle Government Affairs Team has been educating the council and Mayor’s Office on the impacts this tax will have on Seattle restaurants and foodservice establishments. Seattle’s Short-Term Rental Proposal Updated Councilmember Tim Burgess released a new short-term rental proposal April 25. The proposal seeks to regulate those who rent properties through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. The updates allow owners to rent their primary residence and one additional unit. There is no limit of rental nights per year, but owners must get a city short-term rental operator’s license and a business license. The Seattle City Council will consider the updated proposal at a meeting of the Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods and Finance Committee in early June. See Burgess’ proposal on the city’s website at wwwqa.seattle.gov. -Jillian Henze
June 2017 │ 15
State Government Affairs Update As of press time, the Legislature’s first special session is underway. Many issues continue to be in negotiation, including tourism marketing, paid leave and taxes. Although there has not yet been an agreement on the 2017-19 biennial budget, progress has been made. Two Successful Bills Help Hospitality Senate Bill 5665, allowing liquor license holders to use credit cards when purchasing alcohol, was signed into law in early May. This new law gives businesses with licenses to sell alcohol on premise an additional payment option when purchasing beer, wine and spirits, a helpful convenience for our members.
Senate Bill 5713 was also signed in early May. This bill sets up a matching program for grants to train people to move into skilled worker positions. The state will match every $2 put into this program by industry with a $1 investment. Funds in this program will be spent on outreach, recruitment and training programs. The establishment of this program is a great success for our industry and our workforce.
Tourism Marketing Early in the session, there was significant pushback on a general fund appropriation for tourism because this year’s biennial budget must meet the Supreme Court’s McCleary mandate to fully fund basic education by 2018. In considering the tourism bills, there was significant concern about diverting funds away from this obligation. As of press time, both the House and Senate budget proposals include $500,000 for statewide tourism efforts. This falls short of our $5 million request to establish and fund a tourism marketing authority as found in House Bill 1123/Senate Bill 5251. The Senate budget references our bill, but the House budget does not. Along with the Washington Tourism Alliance, we are requesting that the final budget appropriate an additional $2.5 million in the 2017-2019 biennium to get a tourism marketing authority and its statewide tourism marketing program up and running. Paid Family Leave Negotiations on paid family leave are expected to continue through the special session and any subsequent special sessions. The Washington Hospitality Association was asked to participate in a stakeholder group to negotiate a paid leave solution. Other participating organizations that represent the business community include the Association of Washington Business, the Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Retail Association and Avista/AGC. Negotiators representing labor are at the table, including the Labor Council, UFCW, SEIU, MomsRising and the Economic Opportunity Institute. Legislators from all caucuses are also participating. These stakeholders and lawmakers are working towards a solution that will work for employees and is also sustainable and realistic for employers. Partnering with the Employment Security Department The Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation has been working with Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) on several fronts to connect job seekers with jobs and careers in our industry. In conjunction with Monster.com, the Association and ESD have created an employment microsite at WaHospitalityCareers.com. (It is powered by www. worksourcewa.com.) The goal of the site is to make it easier to apply for hospitality jobs and to show all job seekers the variety of opportunities available in the hospitality industry.
16 │ wahospitality.org
On WaHospitalityCareers.com, job seekers will find job opportunities, connect with training resources, and investigate if a hospitality job is right for them. Online visitors can also learn about upcoming hiring events and find a WorkSource location near them.
es career “Hospitality provid ery opportunities at ev ople level and takes pe e to from the starting lin e are W . $60k and beyond ss our not successful unle essful.” employees are succ esident and –Anthony Anton, Pr spitality Ho CEO, Washington Association
The Association has also partnered with the ESD and Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services – Employment Pipeline on wrap-around hiring events. Going beyond the traditional job fair, these events not only connect job seekers with opportunities, but provide services and support to new hires to help them overcome common obstacles to successful employment such as appropriate clothing or uniforms, childcare and transportation needs. The hiring events in Tacoma and Seattle in the spring also benefited employers by helping them fill open positions heading into the summer season. At the two events, a total of 186 attendees went home with job offers. The hospitality industry invests in people as much as any other part of our business, and we are excited about the opportunities this new partnership is providing to our industry.
Job postings are free for registered employers. Learn more at wahospitalitycareers.com. June 2017 │ 17
A Classic Seattle Restaurant Conquers Social Media By Paul Schlienz
Technology and the internet are probably not the first things you think of when you think of Seattle’s iconic and much-loved Dick’s Drive-In. “We’re a classic brand,” said Dick’s Vice President Jasmine Donovan. “If you go to any of our locations, you’ll see their look and feel haven’t changed much since the first Dick’s opened in 1954. Our use of anything digital is very limited other than the POS system, which recently augmented the chain’s long-standing cash only policy by allowing credit card payment. For example, unlike many quick service restaurants, we do not use electronic menu boards.” Dick’s, for all its links to the past, is, however, fully attuned to social media and its potential for interacting with the public. Unlike its franchised competitors, Dick's rarely uses traditional advertising. Instead, Dick’s relies heavily on social media to keep in contact with its customers. Over the years, Dick's has built an impressive online community with more than 230,500 Facebook fans and Twitter followers numbering more than 7,300.
In 2010, Dick’s used a fan voting system on where it should locate its first new store since it opened its outlet near Seattle Center in 1974. The choices were between North and South with North ultimately winning, resulting in the opening of its Edmonds outlet in 2011. More than 115,000 Dick’s fans voted in the online poll. This year, Dick’s repeated the same process by soliciting the votes of its Facebook fans in choosing between a location in South King County or the Eastside. South garnered 60 percent of the more than 170,000 Dick’s fans that participated in the poll.
“We get the most bang for our buck with social media,” said Donovan. “The really unique thing about using Facebook or Instagram is that you get two-way communication with the public. You can engage customers in a conversation with social media. It’s not just one-way communication. By contrast, you don’t get instant feedback on ads. With our most successful campaigns, we ask the public for something.”
“I don’t know if effective storytelling was a ‘magic bullet’ marketing technique for Dick Spady when he opened the first of his drive-in restaurants back in the ’50s,” wrote Jon Sumple, an integrated marketing strategist with the Elements in Time firm. “But his business has survived and thrived because the brand legacy is built on emotional storytelling and not slick marketing or advertising. It’s all about people telling stories – positive stories about what Dick’s Drive-In means to them. The masses are doing the marketing work, not the marketing department. That’s when you know you’ve got a good thing going.”
Most spectacular of all is the way Dick’s has engaged the public in its expansion to Edmonds and South King County through social media.
Rules of the Social Media Road So, where do you start out if you have a restaurant or hotel, but have yet to seriously engage with social media?
18 │ wahospitality.org
“Set a budget,” said Saul Spady, Jasmine Donovan’s brother who, as CEO of his own firm, Cre8ive Empowerment, handles Dick’s social media. He also created the successful No Child Sleeps Outside Campaign to end family homelessness in Seattle, which raised a record $4.5 million in late 2016. “You need to understand that you need to make an investment,” said Spady. “Dick’s spends $1,000 to $2,000 a month. A budget is based on the number of impressions you want to get on Facebook. Frequency of posting is very important.”
Can You Afford Not to Be on Social Media?
“To do it really well, you need to invest human and financial capital,” added Donovan. “It’s not free.” Once you’ve set a budget and found an audience for your social media outreach, Donovan and Spady urge restaurant operators to become storytellers. “You need to tell a story that’s more than just come here and have a meal,” said Spady. “Engage customers in telling your story,” said Donovan. “We’re fortunate at Dick’s that we have so much history and so much customer loyalty, so we have a lot to work with when it comes to telling our story.” If you don’t have a rich history to draw upon, Donovan recommends putting a lot of focus on Instagram and Facebook, with less emphasis on Twitter. She sees Twitter as better suited for sending out press releases because the news media is active on Twitter. “If you’re just starting out with social media, you’ll do better doing things like posting pictures of your meals on Instagram, and encouraging your customers to provide their own pictures,” she said. “Treat Facebook as a test and fail proposition,” said Spady. “Once you’ve set your budget, focus on an audience small enough to reach them several times a month. If it doesn’t work right off, don’t blame yourself. And have fun with it.”
According to the Q3 2016 Sprout Social Index, 88 percent of people are influenced by reviews of and online comments about businesses, and 75 percent purchased a product because they saw it on social media. And of those people, 60.7 percent needed to see a social media post two to four times before making a purchase. Nowhere is the influence of social media more apparent than in the world of restaurants. More than 200 million posts on Instagram are tagged #food, and another 23 million are tagged #drinks. Food and beverage photos are also hugely popular content on Facebook. In fact, whether you know it or not, if you are a restaurateur, it’s highly likely your customers are posting images of your food on social media.
June 2017 │ 19
Ten Social Media Ideas
1.
Take full advantage of your cover image. Show photos of your food, or guests enjoying friends or family.
Contests and sweepstakes
2.
The tabs on your Facebook page can entice people to visit your restaurant or property. Remember that the first four are key because they show up on your front page. Use them for things like photos of food, locations, food deals and featured menu items or special spa services.
Geo target your ads
5.
Social promotions add excitement to your Facebook and are an excellent way to get customers coming back to your page and your business.
Photo contests
9.
Photo contests on Instagram can encourage your customers to engage with you, your menu and your restaurant while generating customer loyalty. People who take photos and submit them will care if they win or not. 20 │ wahospitality.org
Use plenty of photos
Facebook page tabs
Facebook cover image
6.
Facebook ads allow you to target your ads to be seen only by people in a particular geographic location. It also allows you target your ads to be seen by people with specific likes.
Exclusive offers and group deals
3.
A photo is worth 1,000 words. Food is extremely visual and vacation shots are compelling. The more photos you include, the better.
Embed videos
4.
Facebook pages are great for posting exclusive offers. Give deals to guests if they “like” your page. Entice your fans with social coupon deals that they can share with their friends and get those friends to become fans of your page, too.
Employee appreciation
7.
It’s always a good idea to embed videos directly into an update or in a tab. Great topics for videos include how your food is made, interviews with your chef, or chats with happy guests.
10.
Include relevant trending hashtags on your posts. On #nationalcheesecakeday, Use hashtags for example, you can post a great photo of your own cheesecake. Connect with your customer base by using geographic-specific hashtags. For example, if your restaurant is on Seattle’s Capitol Hill, try #capitolhilleats. And if you’re running a marketing campaign like a contest, create a tag for that promotion, allowing your followers others to use your hashtag in their posts, too.
8.
Take photos of your staff and post them to your company Instagram feed, with a short description. It will build goodwill to show that you appreciate your employees and their hard work.
Source: wishpond http://blog. wishpond.com/ post/57638303180/ social-mediamarketing-forrestaurants-21-tips
Delivering A Greater Customer Experience
PRODUCE ~ CENTER OF THE PLATE ~ GROCERY & FROZEN FOOD ~ SEAFOOD BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ~ BEVERAGE ~ DISPOSABLES ~ SUPPLY & EQUIPMENT seattle.fsafood.com
June 2017 │ 21
PR 101 – How to Plan and Execute a PR Campaign With whom do you want to build or strengthen a relationship?
By Jillian Henze
When you have a grand opening, a community project, a new menu concept or face a crisis, public relations matters. Public relations efforts can boost sales, increase your credibility and create positive change in your community and the industry. But what you really want to know is how you can get the greatest PR return with the least amount of effort. First, take everything you have heard about press releases, publicity events and glossy feature stories and put these items on the shelf for a moment. We’re going to break it down to basics.
What is public relations? PR is about relationships. Ask yourself with whom do you want to build or strengthen a relationship? This could be any audience that is a priority for you, including staff members, customers, potential customers or neighborhood residents. Wait. What about the media? Drag and drop the media in the category of communication channels. We want to work with the media to give information to your target audience. Therefore, the media is not an audience in its own right.
Pick your topic and decide which audience you want to know about it. Choose how you want to affect the audience’s behaviors, attitudes or opinions about your business. Example: You are building what will be the largest hotel in the city with ample, well-designed conference space. You want conference organizers to know so they will book their next conference at your property. Next, set a goal. Example: Your hotel is the premier conference place in your city. Pick how you’ll measure your work. How will you know if your efforts (large or small) were worth your time? How will you know when you have met your goal? In this example, you could decide to measure RevPAR or sales numbers month over month to determine if you earned a successful return on investment. Brainstorm strategies. Dream up creative, even budgetfriendly ways to effectively communicate your remodel to prospective customers.
Identify a challenge or opportunity in your business.
This is where the media, press releases and publicity events come in. Take those down off the shelf and choose one to three strategies that fit your budget, staff size and time frame.
Maybe you’re hiring a world-renowned chef or are building what will be the largest hotel in the city.
Don’t even know where to start? Google “great PR strategies” for a jumping-off point.
Now what?
22 │ wahospitality.org
Pick your timing. Decide when your business could use that boost in conference customers, like a shoulder season, and run your PR campaign for three to six months leading up to that time. Execute your plan. Depending on your strategies, your plan can take as little as 10 minutes per day or up to 40 hours a week. Come up with an accountability system to help you and your team stick to the plan throughout its planned duration. Monitor your numbers and pivot as needed. Pull those sales numbers and website views regularly, at least once a week, during your campaign. If you are not seeing increases, re-evaluate your plan and make changes. Evaluate your results. Pull final numbers, calculate return on investment and make notes so you remember what worked or didn’t work. Report on your success. Tell everyone how your campaign performed. This includes your owner, boss, marketing team and staff members. Celebrate successes and make recommendations for the next campaign.
Helpful tips for working with the media If you decide one of your strategies is to work with the media to earn news or feature stories, make sure to hold up your end of the bargain. What’s in it for them? Relationships with the media must be mutually beneficial to be lasting. Media is a channel. Pick the journalist and publication for the specific audience you are trying to reach. Prospective, high-end luxury travelers won’t read fodder from your local blogger, but will read Travel + Leisure. Pitch your story ideas wisely. Stick to hospitality media. Pitch journalists that regularly cover retail, business, food, travel and hospitality. An aerospace or health reporter will not serve you well and will delete your email pitch. Consider non-traditional media. Cision surveyed 1,550 North American journalists and influencers and learned “more than one-third of survey respondents are from nontraditional media such as blogs, podcasts or social media publishing, while about a quarter of respondents write for magazines.” Perfect your pitch. Data shows media prefer hearing your story ideas and news via email. If the reporter’s email address is hard to find, call the publication and get it. Spend time writing your email. Write an exciting, teasing subject line specific to that reporter’s work and your topic. Be brief, kind and appreciative of his or her time. Media staffers receive up to 100 email pitches a day. Make yours stand out. Follow up with a call to ask if they have any questions.
Don’t be a creep. Emailing a journalist story ideas once a week is overkill. Reach out only when you are running a campaign and have something important to say to a specific audience through that reporter’s publication. Make journalists feel one-of-a-kind. No mass emails. No BCC emails. For most campaigns, just pick one to three reporters and build separate relationships with each of them. Be responsive. Make it a rule of thumb to answer reporters’ emails or phone calls within 15 minutes. A response of “Hi! I received your email and I’ll call you after my noon meeting” is better than silence until you can call them after your noon meeting. Be credible. Don’t talk about what you don’t know. Don’t provide information that isn’t flushed out or that you aren’t allowed to share.
Tried-and-true PR Strategies Pair PR efforts with social media and advertising to amplify a campaign for exponential results.
Partner with similar businesses or groups to share workload and broaden your audience reach. The more voices involved, the bigger the story. Pick a journalist and provide them an exclusive experience at your business. Have him or her help chop veggies with your chef while talking about a new menu concept. June 2017 │ 23
Immigration Compliance Tips for Washington Hospitality Employers By Davis Bae and Jessica Cook, Fisher and Phillips, LLP
If the new administration’s first 100 days in office are any indication, Washington employers should prepare for increased worksite enforcement efforts from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The administration has been emphasizing enforcement in what it considers “sanctuary cities,” and employers in cities such as Seattle that have declared sanctuary city status should take extra precautions against compliance investigations. The focus of these are likely to be on I-9 Notices of Inspection, criminal investigations, worksite raids, nonimmigrant visa compliance site visits and E-Verify compliance and monitoring. Hospitality employers that rely on a large immigrant workforce to fill their labor needs may feel more pressure under this enforcement-first focus compared to other industries. The following tips will help you protect your organization and limit exposure to possible violations should a worksite visit or investigation occur. Conduct an internal I-9 audit to ensure that your existing I-9s are all in place and properly completed. If you find missing or incorrectly completed I-9s, work with your legal counsel to correct. Create an immigration compliance policy that addresses your immigration policies for I-9 compliance and E-Verify compliance. Conduct a training on that policy and how to properly complete I-9s. When completing the I-9, do not engage in discrimination or document abuse by requiring the employee to provide specific documents or more documents than are minimally required. If the document(s) presented by the employee is on the I-9’s List of Acceptable Documents, reasonably appear genuine, and relate to the person presenting it, you may accept that document to complete Section 2.
Are you using the correct I-9? Form I-9 was updated last year, and employers are now required to use the form that has “Form I-9 11/14/2016 N” in the bottom left corner. 24 │ wahospitality.org
For employees working on a visa, be cautious when making any changes to the terms and conditions of employment, including job title, duties, location and salary. If it is necessary to do so, contact an immigration attorney to determine whether you should file an amended petition to notify United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the changes. Keep track of your employee’s work authorization expiration dates and make sure extensions are timely filed. If using E-Verify, be sure to properly use the system in accordance with ICE guidance. Do not take adverse action against the employee if you receive a tentative non-confirmation and the employee contests the matter. Seek legal counsel if the E-Verify Monitoring and Compliance Unit contacts you. The unit could refer your company to the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation, and you should not handle that process alone. Provide employees resources for guidance if they have concerns about their immigration status, but do NOT encourage them to give you actual or constructive knowledge if they are undocumented. If needed, refer them to local counsel, organizations such as the ACLU or other pro-immigrant organizations. Be prepared for a visit from ICE. Limit the entry points to your facility. Instruct your staff on how to limit ICE access to your facility and cooperate only to the level required by a warrant or subpoena. Have the number of your legal counsel ready to address any request for documentation from ICE. Remember that as an employer, you have rights too. However, creating a culture of compliance and reviewing your company’s immigration practices is the best way to prepare your company for an immigration investigation. This article is not intended as legal advice. Please consult your employment attorney for guidance on your specific situation. Davis Bae is the regional managing partner of the Seattle office of Fisher and Phillips, LLP. His practice focuses on providing effective immigration solutions for companies in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States. Jessica Cook is a partner in the Atlanta office and a member of the firm's Global Immigration Practice Group. Jessica's practice focuses on immigration and nationality law. You can reach Davis at dbae@fisherphillips.com and Jessica at jcook@fisherphillips.com or visit www.fisherphillips. com for more information.
Put your best
Fish forward. Food waste is bad enough. Contamination is worse! How do you stop a bad fish from reaching the table? You make sure that your line staff knows the rules, knows how to how to detect bad product, and absolutely knows how to rotate your walk-ins so that you are always putting your best ingredients on the plate. Do your people know how to do that? Let’s hope so. Safe service is good service. ServSafe is the best service. Train your staff today!
VISIT WRAEF.ORG for more info.
SERVSAFE MANAGER HOSPITALITY TRAINING SOLUTIONS
New Initiative Takes on Human Trafficking The Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation launched an anti-human trafficking initiative in March aimed at building awareness and educating hotel supervisors and staff in best practices for identifying and preventing trafficking at their properties. The Washington Hospitality Against Trafficking initiative is based on a partnership between the Education Foundation and the Seattle-based nonprofit Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking. BEST has been a leader in working with businesses and associations to develop innovative and effective programs that address the intractable and widespread problem of trafficking. In 2012, BEST, together with law enforcement, service providers and members of the Washington Lodging Association, developed Inhospitable to Trafficking training which tackled the issue with county-specific workshops. Staffs at more than 160 properties were trained in how to identify possible victims, how to work with law enforcement and how to connect with support services. The partnership with Washington Hospitality and BEST builds on this success. The focus of the new initiative will be three-fold: Awareness Creating greater awareness about trafficking is one of the first steps in
26 │ wahospitality.org
preventing it. Trafficking can occur in all types of establishments, from luxury properties to small road-side motels. Having an open conversation about where trafficking tends to take place, and what it means for victims and for lodging staff and guests, will strengthen the desire among hoteliers to be leaders for change at their properties and in their communities. BEST and the Ed Foundation are working together to heighten awareness in our industry and beyond. Training In addition to the harm it brings its victims, human trafficking can have serious consequences for lodging owners, operators, employees and guests. It brings legal and financial risks, decreased employee productivity, and can potentially put staff and customers in harm’s way. These risks can be mitigated by training staff in best practices for hotel security and safety. Equally important is educating frontline staff on relevant laws and
Association members receive a 15 percent discount when registering for BEST’s online training courses. Register at https://training. bestalliance.org using the code WHAEF17S. Discount ends June 30.
steps for responding to signs of trafficking, possibly changing the lives of exploited children and adults. BEST has developed a library of online training videos for managers and staff that cover steps lodging managers and employees should take when faced with possible trafficking. Through the Education Foundation’s partnership with BEST, Washington Hospitality members will receive a 15 percent discount off this important training until June 30. Learn more about the training at training. bestalliance.org. Employment A lack of alternative employment opportunities is one of the most serious barriers for people seeking freedom from a trafficker. To address this barrier, BEST and the Washington Hospitality Association will be collaborating to find opportunities throughout the hospitality industry for safe employment. If you are interested in helping by providing employment, please contact Sandra Miller, the Washington Hospitality Association’s workforce development manager, at 360.956.7279 or SandraM@ wahospitality.org. Washington can be proud that more and more hotels are making a commitment to be a part of the solution to human trafficking. This initiative will further those efforts and help members serve as models for compassionate, safety- and communityoriented business management.
NAVIGATING
CLIMATES
WASHINGTON LODGING CONVENTION
TULALIP RESORT CASINO | OCTOBER 22-24, 2017 REGISTER BY JUNE 30 AND SAVE $$$ WITH THE EARLY BIRD RATE!
WAHOSPITALITY.ORG/CONVENTION ECOMOMIC
CLIMATE
CONSUMER
CLIMATE
POLITICAL
CLIMATE
MARKET
CLIMATE
INDUSTRY CALENDAR June/July TRAINING July 11
ServSafe® Manager, Seattle
July 18
ServSafe® Manager, Spokane
July 20
ServSafe® Manager, Tacoma
July 24
ServSafe® Manager, Kent
NEW MEMBERS
NEW ALLIED MEMBERS
Acme Diner, Acme
Harbortouch POS John Malopsy 2202 N Irving St Allentown, PA 18109 9554 877.250.2143 john.malopsy@swpossystems.com www.swpossystems.com
Bait Shop, Seattle Bruncheonette, Spokane Burdick Brewery, Seattle Dickey’s Barbeque Pit, Spokane Dick’s Hamburgers, Inc., Spokane Eric Donnelly Restaurants, Seattle Flintcreek Cattle Co., Seattle
MEETINGS June 7
Seattle Chapter Monthly Meeting
June 8
Seattle Hotel Association Board
June 13
Board Development Conference Call
June 20
Spokane Hotel/Motel Association Meeting
June 20
Executive Committee Monthly Meeting
June 20
Spokane Chapter Board Meeting
July 5
Seattle Chapter Monthly Meeting
July 13
Seattle Hotel Association Board
July 18
Finance Committee Meeting
July 18
Spokane Chapter Board Meeting
July 25
Education Foundation Board Meeting
July 25
MSC Board Meeting
July 26
Hospitality Board Meeting
Highland Golf Course, Cosmopolis Highlands Golf Course, Tacoma Legendary Doughnuts, Tacoma Mandustrial, Tacoma Mangia Catering, Liberty Lake MASA Mexican Kitchen & Cantina, Kirkland Rachel’s Ginger Beer, Seattle Roosters Shelton Gas & Restaurant, Shelton Sirens, Bremerton The Carlson Block, Wilkeson
UPCOMING EVENTS June 6
Spokane Golf Tournament
June 12
Washington Hospitality Summit, Tacoma
The Loge, Westport The Tattered Apron LLC, Puyallup Tibbitts@Fernhill, Tacoma Viva Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, Bothell Wing Stop, Spokane
28 │ wahospitality.org
Harbortouch POS offers a wide arroy of Point of Sale services designed for the hospitality industry. The Harbortouch POS program involves no up front investment for state fo the art hardware and software. Professional install included. Call ID/Delivery Managment, IPAD Tableside Service and Online Ordering are all available. Special Offer: For members with existing POS systems looking to upgrade to Harbortouch will get a 60-day trial with no up front costs. Monthly service fee waived for 3 12 months depending on monthly credit card volume. High level of service provided by the Harbortouch Team. Kate Elizabeth Studio Kate Fuller 1752 NW Market Street, #232 Seattle, WA 98107 5264 425.998.7842 www.kateelizabethstudio.com kate@kateelizabethstudio.com Kate Elizabeth Studio is a boutique design consultancy offering creative direction, brand development and interior design services for restaurant, retail and hospitality clients. Living Water Environmental Mike Davis 2025 Westlake Dr SE Lacey, WA 98503 6937 360.669.9240 Mike@livingwaterenv.com www.livingwaterenv.com Living Water Environmental is a full service company that provides wastewater treatment products such as microbes, enzymes, sanitizer, detergents and degreasers. We provide inexpensive products to significantly reduce grease trap pumping, soda dispenser discharge line plugging, pipes getting plugged with grease and lift station maintenance. Special Offer: 10% discount to members
Are you experienced? Remember when your liquor license was being called into question and you almost lost it? Experienced servers will tell you; get trained, know your stuff, and don’t put your job or employer at risk. Experienced bartenders know the rules. Do yours?
VISIT WHAEF.ORG for more info.
SERVSAFE ALCOHOL HOSPITALITY TRAINING SOLUTIONS
Increase Sales with Third-Party Delivery Services By Rick Braa, CHAE
Q:
I’ve been approached by several thirdparty delivery services over the last year. Is this something I should consider?
Third-party delivery services are not a flash in the pan. According to Toast POS, 70 percent of all restaurant foot traffic will be outside the restaurant by 2020. These delivery services are here to stay: this segment is expected to grow 25 percent per year through 2018. The good news is that 67 percent of their business is incremental or additional sales, according to McKinsey & Co.
A:
If you doubt the growth and longevity of this new business category, ask yourself a question, “When was the last time I called an airline to book an airline ticket?” Most people now book air travel online and will never go back to calling for a reservation. To begin, or in some cases to improve, your journey with these services, consider the following: 1. Remain open to multiple platforms. Delivery platforms retain up to 80 percent of their existing base with consumers rarely leaving their favorite platform. This consumer loyalty suggests a restaurant operator would be wise to keep all options open and decline signing an exclusive with one platform. Since there are several popular platforms, working exclusively with just one can limit opportunity for growth. Start with one vendor and then add several more as you see results.
30 │ wahospitality.org
2. Design your restaurant to accommodate growing delivery revenue. If delivery is popular, product can build up. Be sure to provide a food-friendly place for product to be held. Designate an area where multiple tablets can be located and accessed. Invest in packaging and optimize menus to minimize the impact of travel time on food quality. Many restaurateurs insist guest expectations go down with delivery, and the same standards used for dine-in sales are not applied to food quality. This may be partially true but who wants to be average? This is an opportunity to stand out from your competitors. Study national fast food companies. Their packaging has been vetted millions of times. 3. Treat delivery like its own business. The goal of every business is to make money. With fees as high as 30 percent, third-party delivery should be managed carefully. Be sure prime cost is acceptable and profitable. Adjust labor schedules to fit the new influx of business and maximize performance. Many restaurants try to shift sales to the shoulders of a typical rush period. If this is a consideration, be sure to schedule heavier during those times. Nevertheless, the most profitable sales will be during peak periods. Though tougher to execute, productivity per person—and profits—increase when employees are already busy.
4. Track the performance of each vendor. There are many measurements to put in place. The most important data to track is the ideal delivery time which must be one hour or less from order placement to delivery. Track sales, discounts and profitability by vendor. Measure the timeliness of pickup. Track reliability of pickup and number of adjustments required by the vendor. Track the market performance of each vendor with the amount of social media outreach, number of customers and market share. Make a list of what is the most important to you to measure and require that of the vendor. Remember, all services are trying to improve their platforms. You can be helpful in doing just that. Delivery services provide a unique opportunity to expose your brand to new audiences. While paying as much as 30 percent for delivery doesn’t seem profitable, the margins on incremental sales more than offset this and profitability will improve if managed correctly. By picking the right partners for your area and product, running delivery as its own business and requiring high performance from all parties, you’ll see a better top- and bottom-line. For more information on improving profitability and driving performance, contact AMP Services at rbraa@ampservices. com. Rick Braa is the co-founder of AMP Services, an accounting and consulting firm specializing in helping companies grow profitability.
FOR SALE P EIZER
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, L.L.C.
Seed’s Bistro & Bar
www.seedsbistro.com (One of La Conner’s Finest Restaurants)
Craftworks Coffee Bar
www.craftworkscoffee.biz (Highly Desirable Location - Across From Seattle Center!)
Business Only LOCATION:
623 Morris St., La Conner, WA 98257
ESTABLISHED:
2004
LEASEABLE:
2,892 Square Feet
LOCATION:
110 Republican St., WA 98109 (Located in Commercial Row of EXPO Apartments)
SALES PRICE:
$98,000
Maximum Capacity: 143 (Inside: 99 + Outside: 44) Parking: 24
LEASE RATE & TERM:
Base Rent: $4,372 plus NNN Charges: $911 Lease Expires: June 30, 2019 + 1 5-Year Option to 2024
ESTABLISHED:
Opened July, 2016
Building Completed: 2012
LEASEABLE:
1,747 Square Feet
Current Seating: 54
GROSS SALES:
$1,103,092 (Actual Average for 2016, 2015, & 2104)
BUILDING SIZE:
275,345 SF (Commercial: 20,035 SF Residential: 255,310 SF)
EQUIPMENT:
$100,000 (Estimated)
ANNUAL SALES:
$180,000 (annualized)
SALES PRICE:
$395,000 (Prefers Cash – Possible Seller Financing)
CONSTRUCTION:
Improvement Build-Out: $335,000 Equip. Cost: $50,000
LEASE TERMS:
Base Rent: $4,498/mo. ($30.90/SF) + NNN’s of $1,607/mo. 4 Years Remaining with 1-5 Year Option
Hours of Operation: Seeds is one of the most popular and desirable restaurants in Skagit Valley! The uncompromising standards of the same Owners for over 14 years has created an epicurean experience for thousands of 7 Days loyal patrons and tourists alike who come from far away to enjoy its Monday to Friday: unique farm-to-table fresh menu. Seed’s honors and promotes 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM Skagit Valley featuring fresh vegetables, berries, and fruits from local farmers, free range chicken, fresh seafood from local fishing Saturday & Sunday: 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM community, natural nested eggs and grass fed beef whenever available. In short, customers are never disappointed! Enjoy Happy Hour Everyday: dining and cocktails in the shade of the oldest beech tree in 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM Washington planted in 1890. Creative Buyer can extend the evening hours as it has a large and inviting lounge that seats 47 people. Current operations include a Class ’H’ Spirits License. Employees: Meticulous Seller has financial detail and tax returns to satisfy the most discriminating Buyer. Super cooperative Seller will train Part-Time: 16 and assist Buyer in transition to provide a smooth transfer of Full-Time: 5 ownership.
Hours of Operation: Sunday to Thursday: 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Friday & Saturday: 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Craftwork’s Coffee is strategically located in lower Queen Anne adjacent to the Seattle Center and Space Needle! Craftworks is one of several commercial Tenants on the street level of the Expo Apartments -- 275 units that enjoy an occupancy rate of over 95%! Current operations feature a rotating list of artisanal, single origin coffees from some of the finest coffee roasters in the Pacific Northwest. HOWEVER, Landlord is open to any other food and beverage concept including bakery, pizza, pasta or sandwiches…! Secure parking garage for 54 unreserved spots with 60 minutes of free validation and ample street parking. Adjacent Tenants include Agave Mexican Restaurant, Taylor’s Shellfish and Triumph Bar.
Please Call Mark for a Complimentary & Confidential Valuation Multiple References Available Upon Request