High Tech: Changing the Way You Do Business
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 SSeThee Officialaa Magaziness of the ononIllinois Restaurant i i Associationnnggss St. Croix Press U.S. Postage Presorted Standard Paid High Tech: Changing the Way You Do Business page 8 Using Brand Names to Build Your Business page 16 Your Ad Your YourCan Go Here Ad Can Your Ad Ad Can Go HereGo Can Here Your Ad Go Can Go Here HereCONTACT PRO TRADE PUBLISHING TODAY AT TOLL-FREE: 800-587-0609 PHONE: 602-264-7100 YOUR AD CAN GO HERE www.protradepublishing.com Officers Steve Palmer Jay Stieber Nov/Dec 03 Chairman Treasurer Palmer Place Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc. Chris Hayes First Vice-Chairman Grant DePorter SC Johnson and Sons Inc. Corporate Secretary Harry Caray’s Ron DiNella Second Vice-Chairman Colleen McShane Morton’s of Chicago President 6 Board of Directors Page Larry Blankenbaker Tim McGrail Benjamin’s Ltd. of Galena Pepsi Americas Mary Blankenbaker Roger Mellum Benjamin’s Ltd. of Galena Edward Don & Company 4 From the Top Bill Carlson Bob Narcisi Turano Baking Company Di Piero’s IRA Chairman Steve Palmer Dan Costello Gina Novak 6 Government Brief Home Run Inn American Express Grant DePorter Steve Palmer 8 Cover Feature High Tech: Harry Caray’s Palmer Place Changing the Way You Do Ron DiNella Joe Perrino Business Morton’s of Chicago Home Run Inn Tom Fox Jr. Ann Rose 12 Tech Talk Is it Time to Consider Fox’s Restaurants Chicago Tastee Freez Corp. an Internet Connection for Your Steven Hartenstein Simi Sachdeva Phil Stefani Signature Potbelly Sandwich Works POS System? Restaurants Greg Schulson 14 Educational Foundation Chris Hayes Lunan Corporation SC Johnson and Sons Inc. Sam Sianis 16 Feature Using Brand Names to Ed Jancauskas Billy Goat Tavern & Grill Build Your Business Coca-Cola Enterprises Jay Stieber Isidore Kharasch Lettuce Entertain You 18 Advertiser Index Hospitality Works Enterprises Inc. Meet Our New Members Helen C. Lee Kathryn Thanas King Wah Inc. Lou Mitchell’s 19 In the News William Linardos Sam Toia Fradillo’s Spring Grove Leona’s 20 On the Job Interviewing Thomas Loughlin Charles Haskell Applicants: What Not to Ask Hilton Chicago (Honorary Director) Lettuce Entertain You Ivan Matsunaga Enterprises Inc. 22 Across the State Connie’s Pizza Arnold Morton 23 Membership Benefits (Honorary Director) 24 Marketing Tips How Nickel- and-Dime-ing Loses Guests Department Heads 8 25 Membership Application Bruce Craig Donovan Pepper Director of Administrative and Director of Public Affairs 26 At Your Service Financial Services ext. 115 IRA President Colleen McShane ext. 119 Amy Sheren Kimberly Grikis Executive Director of Special Events Manager Educational Foundation ext. 116 ext. 147 Moira O’Brien Mary Wilkie Director of Membership Director of Education ext. 141 ext. 121 Seasonings Andrew Ariens Communications Manager Jim Attinger Jeff Owens Sales Manager Managing Editor Sanford Brown, Joel Cohen, Tom Tuerff Edward F. O’Donnell Jr., Esq., Content Editor Adam Rane, Tom Tuerff Contributing Writers T. Garcia Art Director 16 HOTLEADS! See it? Need it? Get it! www.protradepublishing.com SEASONINGS 3 FROM THE TOP IRA: Doing Its Best to Serve You Steve Palmer, Palmer Place, LaGrange, IRA Chairman s we begin the new year and brave the elements of another winter, the Illinois Restaurant Association would like to thank each and every one of you for helping to make 2003 a successful year for restaurants in Illinois. To our A new members, welcome to the association, and remember: While you are busy serving your customers this holiday season, the association is doing its best to serve you. Some of the reasons you joined the association are for the legislative channels that it provides, the discounts on sanitation classes or the great networking opportunities scattered throughout the year. But don’t forget about another very useful and important service the association provides to its members—the cost-saving benefits. The association provides its members with cost-saving initiatives because it knows the tight profit margins we restaura- teurs operate under. The association uses its leverage to attain those steep discounts. Just look on the back of your IRA Newsletter Update and you will see a plethora of IRA contacts that are there to help you find the best prices on the products and services that every restaurateur needs. But just as a reminder, here are some of the programs, services or products that the association is proud to endorse: Credit card processing: Global Payments Inc., Dennis Dunn, 1-800-638-4600 ext. 829 Payroll processing and human resources services: Paychex Inc., Nicole Holden, 630-848-2842 Workers compensation: IRRMA, Mark Miller, 312-627-6864 Property and casualty insurance: Great Central Insurance, Mark Miller, 312-627-6864 Health insurance: Regit Inc., Jennifer DeRuzzo, 630-495-1500 Mini-health program: Bivens & Associates/Savewell, John Bivens, 847-428-9798 Background checks and drug testing: Special Investigations, John Griffin, 312-409-0788 Music licensing: Broadcast Music Inc., Cleve Murphy, 1-800-925-8451 ext. 2877 Yellow Pages advertising: SBC Smart Yellow Pages, Dave Kelly, 312-240-6078 Job bank and Internet recruiting: Hcareers, www.illinoisrestaurants.org or 1-800-832-3738 For more information on these programs and membership opportunities, please contact Moira O’Brien, 312-787-4000 ext. 141. We wish all of you a happy and prosperous new year! ★ 4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 See it? Need it? Get it! www.protradepublishing.com HOTLEADS! Magic Seasoning Blends Finds Success in Diversity hef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends has that order. Magic Seasoning Blends has diversified its sales been in business since 1982, when customers from efforts into the food service, food manufacturing, retail and CPrudhomme’s New Orleans-based K-Paul’s Louisiana mail order sectors. Kitchen restaurant began asking to take home the chef’s Besides dry seasonings, Magic Seasoning Blends also unique seasonings. offers its own marinades and sauces. The company now What once was a garage-housed operation has grown to a carries a total of 28 sku’s of dry seasoning blends. It also 50,000-square-foot plant, with distribution of its dry spices, offers additional foodservice seasoning products and meats rubs and bottled sauces and marinades to all 50 states and (Andouille & Tasso) sold from its Melville, La., USDA- 28 countries. approved meat plant. “It’s probably one of the few chef-owned companies of its Because the company is rated American Institute of size in operation,” said John McBride, vice president of sales Baking Superior, Magic Seasonings has expanded into and marketing. “It’s his company and he actually creates private labeling and co-packing services. The company can all the flavors and profiles for our products. He’s creating now manufacture a range of products for others such as new products and recipes all the time and he’s very active in meatloaf mixes, soup mixes, salad dressings, blended spices, the company.” and stuffings, to name a few. Magic Seasoning’s top sellers include Poultry Magic, For further information, contact Gregg Villarrubia (gvillar- Seafood Magic, Meat Magic and Blackened Redfish Magic, in [email protected]) or (504) 731-3519. ★ HOTLEADS! See it? Need it? Get it! www.protradepublishing.com SEASONINGS 5 Government BRIEF Victims’ Economic Security or factors other than gender. Employers criminating against any employees exercis- and Safety Law found in violation of the act are required to ing their rights under this law. Affected The State of Illinois recently passed the make up the wage difference to the employ- employers must also post notice of the act; Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act ee, pay legal costs, and possibly pay civil fines IDOL will make these notices available after (VESSA). Under its provisions, employers of up to $2,500 per violation. The law takes Dec. 15, 2003. with 50 or more employees may not dis- effect Jan. 1, 2004. The Illinois Department charge or discriminate against employees of Labor (IDOL) will review complaints con- New Provisions for Chicago who are victims of domestic violence (or who cerning violations of the act after the effec- Nightclubs have family or household members who are tive date. Complaints pertaining to viola- In response to this year’s nightclub and victims of domestic violence) for taking up to tions alleged to have occurred before the porch collapse tragedies, the Chicago City a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any effective date, however, will not be pursued. Council voted recently to overhaul its licens- 12-month period to address the domestic vio- Employers are prohibited from remedying ing provisions to require establishments lence. The act also prohibits employers from overpayment by reducing the wages of other with public place of amusement licenses discharging, discriminating or retaliating employees or discharging or otherwise dis- (PPAs) to have a building inspection 90 days against a person taking leave from work as a result of domestic violence to seek medical attention or counseling for injuries or psy- chological trauma, victim services, reloca- Chicago Mayor Richard tion, legal assistance or participation in a related court proceeding. An employer may require an employee to provide certification. Daley and Cook County Employers are not required to provide paid leave under the act, but they may not suspend benefits during the leave period. The act took Board President John effect on Aug. 25, 2003. For more information or to receive a copy of the required notice, contact the Illinois Department of Labor, 312- Stroger recently introduced 793-2800. Equal Pay Act of 2003 their 2004 budgets, which Gov. Blagojevich signed the Equal Pay Act into law earlier this year. The law prohibits employers with four or more employees from include a host of new and paying unequal wages to men and women for doing the same or substantially similar work requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility, increased sales taxes and under similar working conditions for the same employer in the same county, except if the wage difference is based on a seniority license and inspection fees.