Advice for new operators - FireFly Experts Consulted

Recognizing FireFly's long history in the pizza business, PMQ magazine sought some input for its recent "Ask the Experts" feature on opening a pizza business. Company Director Duessa Holscher was one of 13 industry "Experts" asked to contribute. Read below for her advice to operators, or check here for the full article!

"Know your numbers on a daily basis! Too many operators wait until the end of the month to really evaluate their profit and loss. But as a new restaurant, thatŐs too risky. TodayŐs technology lets you keep on top of those important figures on a daily, even hourly basis, so you can adjust instantly. If sales arenŐt what you were hoping for, you can adjust your labor costs instantly, rather than waiting until itŐs too late. This way, you conserve your resources so you can survive!

"Conserve cash! You are going to need every penny to cover food costs, payroll, things that you canŐt finance. So, even if you think you have plenty saved to open your restaurant, hoard your cash and finance everything you can. Leasing equipment and your initial build out lets you pay as you go for those assets, and keeps cash on hand for your monthly expenses.

"Get personal within your five-mile circle. Your customers are all around you, but you have to reach out to them. They are stuck in their old habits and as a new operation, you have to work extra hard to get them to change their behavior. If you are not a national chain, your biggest asset is you, the owner, a local figure that they can feel personally connected to. So get out there, get visible in the community, even knock on a few doors yourself to introduce your business to the neighborhood.

"Make your employees your ambassadors. As a new restaurant, you want to do everything possible to make that phone ring and get those customers in the door to try your products out. Make your employees the word-of-mouth kings by giving them an incentive to invite people to try you out."