David Farkas

David Farkas has worked for Chain Leader as a senior editor since 1998. He has particular expertise covering full-service restaurants and has written extensively on emerging concepts. His work has earned him several awards from the American Society for Business Publication Editors and the attention of national media outlets such as NPR.

User Stats

Recent Posts - 9
Avg Posts Per Week - 1
Posts Written - 142

Dave's Dispatch

Recent Posts

Restaurant dining, summer-style

July 24, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The scene repeats itself throughout the summer in northern climes: a warm, supple evening in July draws the hungry outside to eat and drink. In these photos, al fresco diners gather at chain eateries in Legacy Village, a popular "lifestyle center" in Lyndhurst, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

...Read More
Industries: Expansion

Recent Posts

Making Servers Pay: Cold-Hearted or cost-effective?

July 23, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (6)

Is it a sensible or a Scrooge-like business practice to make waiters and waitresses share in the cost of credit-card fees when it comes to credit-card tips? After all, isn't it the server who generates the tip, not the restaurant?

"You'll hand over 1.5 percent of your tips."

True, servers probably didn't decide to engage a credit-card company in the first place. Management did that, no doubt hoping the convenience of using a credit c...Read More

Industries: Human Resources, Operations

Recent Posts

Business-as-UNusual

July 22, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (5)

We all know the restaurant business is a multi-faceted, fascinating space in which to make (or lose) money. Even in times like these, with so much news focused on what ails the industry, stories pop up now and then that remind you of business-as-unusual. Here are three:

Tip her, please.

1. The topic of tipping is never far from controversy, as Starbucks is learning ...Read More
Industries: Expansion, Human Resources, Marketing, Operations

Recent Posts

Peppers, avocados recalled

July 21, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Here we go again. Within weeks of clearing tomatoes as a culprit, the Food and Drug Administration is pointing a finger at jalapeño and Serrano peppers and avocados -- and a new strain of foodborne bacteria. Today, we learn health departments in Texas and North Carolina discovered it on fruit and vegetables shipped from Hildalgo, Tx.

The recall is a result of sampling not by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) but by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services which revealed th

...Read More
Industries: Operations

Recent Posts

Enhancing the "guest experience"

July 17, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

   Not long ago I had the good fortune to meet a couple whose kitchen wall was emblazoned with the words "Happy is the house that shelters a friend." Funny thing, they really lived up to the motto, offering those who had gathered in their house for a long weekend all manner of food, drink and good cheer. Especially good cheer.
   A recent press release from T.G.I. Friday's reminded me of the experience. The Dallas-based chain just launched a guest recognition program dubbed "Give Me More Stripes." The idea behind it: Giveaways, like appetizers, to secure repeat business.
   Yet, an official added, the program isn't merely about deals. "It's about special treatment ...Read More
Industries: Marketing, Operations

Blogs	Recent Posts	Total Posts
Dave's Dispatch	9	142

Please visit these other Reed Business sites

All Magazine and eNewsletter Subscriptions