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1. Update Your Liquor License. Beverages are no longer the cherry-on-top when it comes to restaurant sales. Drinks now represent a larger piece of the pie for restaurant sales. According to data from the National Restaurant Assocation, 70% of consumers would choose a place to eat based on beverage options. Before the summer holidays hit, make sure your liquor license is updated, and make sure you know what your license allows you to do. Apply as soon as possible when seeking a special license (required for events or other one-time activities) or outdoor service license. Get your questions answered now through the MRLA Legal Center and talk to legal experts with years of experience in Michigan liquor law. 2. Get Ready-to-Go for Cocktails-to Go. With cocktails-to-go now a permanent – and profitable - addition to a summer menu, restaurants and any business with a liquor license have an opportunity to raise sales right alongside the temperatures. Make sure your restaurant is ready and your employees are trained to serve carryout drinks of all kinds. According to Mark Burzych, of Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes, liquor licensees should figure out what specific drinks and containers they are allowed to sell or use under their license. Read here to find out the need-to-know about cocktails-to-go. Two years after being named the President of Detroit’s largest brewery, Katy McBrady’s goals for Atwater Brewery are more than stout. Besides being the name of her favorite Atwater beer, “Detroit Hustles Harder” is a sentiment that inspired her return home to Detroit from sunny California, but also something she’s taken to heart as a female leader in the brewing industry. In this conversation, McBrady discusses her vision of Atwater Brewery as Detroit’s quintessential beer as well as her efforts to empower and uplift other women in the industry. Q: Can you start off with a quick overview of the history of Atwater Brewery and where it stands today? Atwater Brewery has been in business for 26 years, and we were founded in the River Town District in Detroit. We actually started by brewing a lot of traditional German style beers, but 26 years ago, those weren't necessarily the styles. So we were kind of ahead of our time with what we launched into the Detroit market. If you fast forward about eight years after that, we launched Dirty Blonde, and that quickly became our number-one seller. It still represents about 70% of what we sell, and it's the number-one selling blonde meal style in the state of Michigan. Then we launched two additional taproom spaces, one in Grosse Pointe Park and one in Grand Rapids. We've also launched some other award-winning beers since then, including Vanilla Java Porter, the number one selling Porter style in the state of Michigan. Then recently we've dabbled into the IPA space. So safe to say it's been a busy 26 years for Atwater. “Every shift is a chance to make someone have a better day,” says Curry Lund, the all-star bartender from Holland who’s become locally famous for more than his unforgettable martinis and margaritas. Originally from Traverse City, Curry has made a difference in the West Michigan hospitality scene, working at Big E’s Sports Grill in Holland and serving up the kind of drinks and experiences that guests return for again and again. He has become a community fixture at Big E’s, known for his impressive work ethic and ability to make people smile. “A 10-second interaction with him will have you laughing and feeling good,” said his coworkers. Jeff Lobdell is a local restaurateur with a national impact. Recently named the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Restaurant Association, Jeff has also made a name for himself in the Michigan hospitality as the owner of over 20 independent restaurants and 2 hotels embedded in local communities from Grand Rapids to Traverse City. He’s also a former Chairman of the MRLA Board of Directors, and he joined the MRLA on the “What’s with the Pineapple” podcast to share about how his love for local communities inspires his advocacy at the national level. You’ve had quite the career in our industry. Can you tell us how you went from running a small bagel bakery and coffee shop in Grand Rapids to now owning over 20 restaurants and 2 hotels in Michigan? I grew up in a restaurant family, went to Michigan State with the hospitality business school, and I had some good experiences there. Then I started this bagel bakery and coffee shop on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids. I wanted to have a chain of bagel bakery and coffee shops, and I was working with this restaurant consultant, he says, ‘Hey, I've got a friend that has this place called the Beltline Bar and wants to sell it.’ And next thing you know, I'm right at 28th Street and Division Street here in Grand Rapids. That became part of my group in 2001, and I fell into a niche of acquiring restaurants from retiring restaurant owners. It worked out well for them. They could ride off into the sunset, while the employees could stay on board. We didn't make a lot of massive changes, but we kept putting money back into the facilities and the people. It just worked well. This content is provided by MRLA sponsor and preferred technology partner SpotOn. For more information about SpotOn, visit here.
Whether you run a sports bar, host game day watching parties at your restaurant, or simply have a popular take-out menu, the “Big Game” can be busy and profitable or, if you plan poorly, a major headache. Here are five tips to prepare for the Super Bowl on February 11, 2024 is a touchdown for your business no matter which team you're rooting for. Strategize your menu offerings Prior to the event, it is a good idea to conduct a thorough analysis of your menu to ensure optimal profitability, just like with any other high-volume sales occasion. For your dine-in menu:
Finding Joy on the Job: Meet Mandy Gray, 2023 Women in Hospitality Leadership Star of the Year1/31/2024 Mandy Gray thought she wanted to be a lawyer. As a teenager, she worked as a proud “sandwich artist” at Subway, then took a job at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, an all-season resort in Northern Michigan, while still thinking about attending law school. Plans and passions changed. At The Highlands, Mandy found herself energized by a love for people, both the guests she served and the colleagues she served alongside. In Michigan’s hospitality industry, she formed a uniquely close-knit team, forged friendships, and found her professional passion. “Hospitality had stolen my heart,” says Mandy, now the Director of Resort Accommodations at The Highlands and the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association’s 2023 Women in Hospitality Leadership Star of the Year. 2024 kicked off with a milestone some Michiganders had never experienced in their lifetime, and most only once or twice: The Detroit Lions are headed to the NFC Championship Game. Detroit’s epic underdog of an NFL team, which hasn't won a playoff game in 32 years or a division title in 32, ended the historic slump with a thrilling win over the Los Angeles Rams on January 14. The next weekend, the Lions took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a second playoff victory, leaping one game closer to the Super Bowl. After cheering the Lions through thick and mostly thin, blue-jerseyed fans are now flooding Ford Field, booking hotels, packing bars, and electrifying downtown Detroit. “It has been awesome,” says Tim Tharp, who owns Grand Trunk Pub and Checker Bar. “In terms of sales, in terms of the feel-good factor. You know, it’s just great to see Detroiters pumped up. And not just the fans, but the businesses. It’s just exciting to see the positivity and the vibrancy downtown.” Both playoff games were held at Ford Field, meaning Detroiters experienced the back-to-back victories at home and Detroit businesses reaped the rewards. Economists believe the two weekends sparked a local economic boost of nearly $50 million, which is a high point for an already revitalizing season for Detroit’s hospitality scene. Tharp believes his businesses have “easily” seen a 30% uptick in sales, even on non-game days, in a needed financial first-down for businesses. Still recovering from the pandemic, Detroit’s restaurants and hotels have since struggled significantly with staffing issues, low turnout in the winter months, and other crippling challenges. “This gives us hope,” Tharp says of the city’s new energy. While NFL games can usually drum up $12-25 million in revenue for the host city’s businesses, it goes without saying: the more touchdowns the team scores, the more green ones the businesses score. Tharp explains that fans tend to head home after a loss; but after a rousing victory, people feel like hitting the town and celebrating. But Tharp has noticed another kind of revival downtown. More out-of-town guests and tourists have flocked to Detroit this football season, some to see the Lions play and others just to experience the city. “It has the momentum, that Detroit pride that is so good, and important, and fierce,” he says. |
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