Ben Andresen’s Post

It’s the second week of May, and as a team that supports restaurants, we know what that means: The weather is warmer.  Your venue is fuller. One of the busiest days of the year is getting closer. Mother’s Day is on the way. 👀 And, while it’s certainly a lovely weekend of celebration for most, we know it’s a grueling weekend for restaurant staff and servers — well, if our data is telling the truth, anyway. So, how do you motivate your staff to embrace the craziness? Perhaps empowering them with a tool that could drive 5x more Google reviews, generate higher tips and help turn tables 15 minutes faster would be a lovely way to start? We’re sunday, and we’re here to make record-breaking days actually feel like celebrations. 🥳

As we celebrate thanksgiving, I was thinking about how a thanksgiving feast comes together and I realized it's like how APIs work. So, here’s a short, fun story about both... Thanksgiving at the Johnsons' was always a beautiful kind of chaos. The kitchen was a flurry of activity—turkey roasting, pies cooling, and side dishes coming together seamlessly. But behind the smiles and the feast was Linda, the family matriarch, running herself ragged to make it all happen. This year, Linda decided it was time for everyone to pitch in. Uncle Joe handled the turkey, Aunt Sarah brought her pecan pie, Cousin Mike took care of drinks, and young Emma made a lovely centerpiece. Linda's plan was like a masterclass in teamwork, almost like a system of APIs. Uncle Joe's perfectly cooked turkey? That was an API, providing specialized input. Aunt Sarah's pie? Another API, adding its own delicious layer. Emma's decorations? Yet another, making sure the presentation was flawless. And the dining table? That was the user interface, showcasing all the contributions. No one needed to know the details of how the turkey was cooked or the recipe for the pie. They just enjoyed the seamless experience. The dinner turned out perfect—not because anyone worked harder, but because everyone worked smarter, like a network of APIs dividing the load. Timing, coordination, and shared effort made sure everything came together just right. As laughter filled the room, Linda felt a sense of contentment. By sharing the responsibilities, she had created more than just a meal—she had brought everyone together, making it a memorable experience for all. The takeaway? Whether it's Thanksgiving or building a complex system, success is all about orchestration, delegation, and harmony. Just like Linda's family feast, the best outcomes happen when everyone plays their part.

Guest expectations are at an all-time high. And when your company’s second core value is “exceeding expectations,” it really keeps you on your toes. This is the 5th year in a row that we have presented Thanksgiving pies to all of our in-house guests. Or was a great idea that Corey Hawks suggested and it’s a keeper. I don’t know who’s having more fun, the employees or the guests! We now have guests that call the office and ask if they are getting a pecan or pumpkin pie as they plan their menus. My favorite today, though was a first time guest who was so excited to receive their Thanksgiving pie since a bear had broken into their car last night and ate their dessert! Lessons we’ve learned from trying to exceeded expectations. *Guest begin to expect a certain level of service and you need to be thoughtful about executing services that are sustainable for the long haul. *Make changes to create a sense of surprise and delight, but keep traditions that really warm the heart – – of the employees and the guests. *Have fun and engage all of your employees in the process. *Offer options—not everyone loves pumpkin pie like I do. This is such a fun business. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

You will probably need to work early morning(s) or late night(s) if… You really want to deliver for your clients. Or for your business. Or for or your team. … Don’t get me wrong! As a family man, I strive to exclusively keep work from 9-5 and at the office—not home. However, when my client (Stageline Pizza in Columbus) needs to update all of their pricing for their point of sale system AND online ordering on Monday… That’s a change that cannot happen during regular business hours. I need to make sure there is time to confirm that the updates are 100% accurate and functioning smoothly before Stageline’s next hungry customer walks in the door! … Like many of you, yes, I’m putting in a few late nights. Yes, things are hard: yes, my family has covid. Yes, of son broke his leg. Yes, my other son has an ear infection on top of covid. Yes! I’m tired, sick, and weak. But I have a much bigger “yes”: 👉 YES! It is wonderful that my clients can depend on me to deliver results. Its fantastic to be a part of taking Stageline’s restaurant to the next level with: 1. updated menu items and pricing 2. a new website 3. online ordering … So don’t feel bad for any late nights, early mornings, or hardship when things aren’t going well—cherish the opportunity to make sacrifices. Develop grit and humility. ☀️ God and my wife support me and make it possible. ☀️ #BusinessWebsiteDesign

That 18-20% service charge on your bill? It’s not what you think. Here’s the real deal: in most Miami restaurants, that service charge isn’t going straight to your server. It’s used to cover things like operational costs or other vague expenses that restaurants conveniently don’t spell out. Servers might get a small cut, but the bulk of it? It’s staying with the restaurant. This leaves diners thinking they’ve tipped appropriately and servers walking away with way less than they deserve. It’s frustrating for everyone—except, of course, the restaurant owners who are banking on diners not knowing the difference. To the restaurants playing this game: we’ve got no problem calling you out. Be honest about where that money’s going—for the sake of your staff and your customers. Diners, have you been caught off guard by a service charge, thinking it was a tip? Now that you’re in the know, check your bill carefully. If you had great service, don’t skip the gratuity. And servers, how’s this been affecting you? Let’s hear your stories in the comments. It’s time to have this conversation. #MiamiRestaurants #ServiceCharge #RestaurantTransparency #TippingCulture #SupportServers #KnowBeforeYouTip #DiningInMiami #RestaurantIndustry #MiamiEats #FoodForThought #FairTipping #MiamiLife #RestaurantTalk #ServerStories #Restauranttips #newtomiami #realestatemiamifl #miaminews  #realestatemiami #miamirealtor #realestatecontent #miamiforsale #miamifoodscene #miamibrokerage #miamihospitality #miamibroker #southfloridabroker #miamifoodie 

If this is you then I have a challenge for you this week and we are going to build on these as the weeks go on! It’s easier said than done I know BUT take 10 minutes at the weekend to scribble down, BEFORE you do the food shopping, what you are going to cook each night that week. Curate you shopping list based upon the plan. That’s all. Sounds simple I know. Start small and build upon it. That’s how we do things here. Even if you don’t act on the list, that’s ALL I want you to do this week. Let me know how you get on – or do you already do this one? Do you find it an effective way to plan the week for your family? ✌🏼🌻🖤

"Where's our server?" In restaurants, speed of service is imperative. Getting drinks out as quickly as possible helps servers and bartenders: ✅ Spend more time engaging and selling ✅ Provide great experiences ✅ Capture more sales The reality is that seconds matter, and really make a difference. Why? Because seconds compound. A few seconds lost here and there add up to minutes of wait time for the guest. This is why it's so important to keep drink ticket times as low as possible. That's why I invented Auto-Rinse. Inventing a bespoke solution to solve a very niche problem seems like a crazy idea--until you're 10 tickets deep and have a crowd of anxious servers waiting for their drinks. In those moments, it seems like a godsend. If you want to help your bartenders help your front of house work faster, you need to look into Auto-Rinse. #bars #restaurants #bubbletea #inventions #barequipment

"Just make my drinks whenever you get to them," said no server--ever. Working as a bartender for many years, I know firsthand that servers can never get their drinks fast enough. Why are they under so much pressure? Because their livelihoods depend on how quickly they can get back to their tables. More face-time with guests means: ✅ More engagement ✅ More opportunities to sell ✅ Better tips, more income, and a better life. Sounds like I'm joking, but it's true. That's why servers put bartenders under so much pressure to make their drinks fast. 🤔 Come to think of if, maybe I invented Auto-Rinse to deal with on-the-job trauma... Either way, when I finally made my first prototype to test, it was satisfying to see how much faster Auto-Rinse helped me make drinks. And, how quickly I could get servers out of my face and back in front of their guests. If you want to decrease ticket times to give your servers more time to sell, Auto-Rinse will help you do that. #barequipment #restaurants #bars #specialtycoffee #bubbletea

DeliverThat story. Sometimes, DSPs can learn from restaurant grit. We had a call in May with a company in the process of launching a catering website. They have a few concepts but no delivery need. An email Saturday -- one of their companies needs help with delivery Monday. We have an API, database.... an onboarding process. A dozen reasons we need to do this by the book and can't help Monday. I went old school and manually created the delivery in our system, trusting the team. The engineers could get things backlogged, and our support team & drivers would handle the 22-mile delivery, right? After my manual upload and a message to the team, I forgot about it. It went well (photo). Since Monday, we have taken 3 caterings a day with the one concept. Plans to take more with their others. Sometimes, DSPs need to take a page from the restaurant playbook and do whatever it takes. Call at 5 pm for a large order tomorrow? Let me grab my pen. #DeliveringMore

🦃 Get ahead of the Thanksgiving hustle! 🦃 Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish, here’s a timeline to keep everything running smooth and stress-free! From shopping to setting the table, this checklist has you covered. Save this post to make sure you don’t forget a thing—and spend more time enjoying the day with family and friends! Planning is the secret ingredient to a perfect Thanksgiving! #ThanksgivingPrep #HolidayPlanning #ThanksgivingDinner #HostingTips #RealEstateWithHeart #ThomasDavisGroup