Don't trip up: Preventing slips and falls

It just takes one quick slip. A greasy floor, a buckling mat or uneven flooring could send an employee or guest to the hospital and land your business with an expensive lawsuit and rising insurance premiums. Here are some ways to keep your restaurant out of slippery situations:

Track your traction

Know your numbers. “The first step in preventing accidents is to test how safe your floors are,” says Russell Kendzior, founder of the nonprofit National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), based in Southlake, Texas. Monitor the coefficient of friction (COF) the measure of slip resistance, at various spots throughout your restaurant.

As a general manager for Duffy’s Sports Grill, Benjamin Longanacre had never heard of the COF. But after the South Florida 24-unit chain experienced a series of costly slip-and-fall incidents, the restaurant appointed Longanacre as its first safety coordinator in 2011 and charged him with taking a preventive approach. He quickly learned the importance of the COF, which has two components: static and dynamic.

The static COF measures the “slip potential,” or how much traction it takes to induce a slip, while the dynamic COF quantifies a person’s stopping ability once he or she begins to slip. Walkways with a wet static COF of .60 or greater and a wet dynamic COF of .42 or greater are defined as “High Traction” under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B101.1 and B101.3 standards.

Get audited. Consider hiring a “certified walkway auditor” or other qualified professional to test your floor safety. Look for a professional versed in safety standards, experienced at identifying hazards and skilled at using a tribometer, or slip meter, to measure the COF. The Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation provides this service to its plan participants at no charge.

Re-engineering your kids’ menu? Try these 8 healthful tips

The National Restaurant Association's Manage My Restaurant has articles in categories such as Marketing and Sales, Workforce Engagement, Food and Nutrition and Operations. Visit Manage My Restaurant here for this and other helpful tips.

Get input from parents and children to design kids’ meals that are nutritious, satisfying and tasty. The payoff: options that appeal to children are good for your sales.

Three participants of the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program share how they developed winning kids’ meals. Discover best practices from Arby’s, Applebee’s and bd’s Mongolian to get started:

Make sure your menu evolves to keep pace with kids’ changing tastes. Applebee’s started with what seemed fun for kids and added a few “stealth healthy” options, says Darin Dugan, senior vice president of marketing and culinary. “We approached the new menu by asking what kids and parents wanted and let that steer our development,” Dugin says. “The result has been very encouraging.”

Commission seeks public comment on State Catch & Cook Program

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved a notice of intent to establish the Louisiana Catch and Cook Program and Permit, a program where permitted retail food establishments will be able to prepare certain recreational fish caught by properly licensed fishermen. Rules and regulations, penalties, terms, conditions and requirements will apply to those food establishments and fishermen participating in the program. 

To view the Notice of Intent, as passed by the LWFC in its entirety, click here. Public comment will be accepted at the LWFC monthly meetings through 4 p.m., December 1, 2014. Comments will also be accepted by email to Robert Bourgeois at rbourgeois@wlf.la.gov or by mail to Robert Bourgeois, Office of Fisheries, Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries, P.O. Box 9800, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana's abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.louisiana.gov on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter @LDWF.

Restaurants: Gateway to a career path

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s new research Who Works in the U.S. Restaurant Industry is the first report of its kind in decades. Detailing the opinions of nearly 5,100 Americans who currently work or formerly worked in the industry, as well as those who own or operate restaurants, the study offers compelling insight into the sense of pride, optimism and opportunity among the restaurant workforce.

A majority of restaurant employees said the industry provides good long-term career opportunities. Among those surveyed in Who Works in the U.S. Restaurant Industry, individuals in almost every occupation and age group surveyed felt the restaurant industry affords them career advancement potential. Of those not in their first restaurant job, a solid majority said they have advanced to higher-paying jobs.

One in three Americans got their first job in the restaurant industry, and many take that opportunity to build life long careers. Seven out of 10 restaurant employees said they would likely continue working in the industry until they retire. In fact, the median industry tenure of employees in restaurant manager and business operations positions was 20 years, and for those over 55, the median was more than 30 years.

Who Works in the U.S. Restaurant Industry is the most extensive research of the restaurant sector workforce in decades. Read the full report here. 

LRA Members: Nominations being accepted for Restaurant Neighbor Award, Faces of Diversity

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) recently announced it has begun accepting nominations for its 2015 Restaurant Neighbor and Faces of Diversity American Dream awards. Applications and nomination forms are available online at NRAEF.org/Awards until Nov. 17, 2014.  

Now in its 17th year, the Foundation’s Restaurant Neighbor Award, founded in partnership with American Express, celebrates the outstanding charitable service performed by restaurant operators.  The Faces of Diversity American Dream Award, sponsored by PepsiCo Foodservice and founded in 2007, is presented to members of the restaurant industry who have, through hard work and perseverance, achieved the American Dream.

The Restaurant Neighbor Award honors winners in four categories: small business, mid-size business, large business/national chain and Cornerstone Humanitarian. Participating State Restaurant Associations select winners in their states, who will then be eligible for the national awards. Each national winner receives $5,000 to support their charitable giving efforts. The Faces of Diversity American Dream Award recognizes three individuals as national winners, who will have a $2,500 NRAEF student scholarship presented in their name.

“These prestigious awards honor the individuals and companies that truly exemplify what it means to be leaders in the restaurant industry and integral parts of their communities,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president, strategic operations and philanthropy for the NRA and NRAEF. “The restaurant industry employs an incredibly diverse workforce of 13.5 million people — nearly one in 10 working Americans. Nominations we have received over the years showcase the demonstrable impact the restaurant industry has made in people’s lives. We encourage those in the industry to nominate their employees and peers.”

The national winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they will be recognized at a gala awards dinner during the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference in April 2015.

For more information on the Restaurant Neighbor and Faces of Diversity American Dream awards, and to see compelling stories of the 2014 winners and finalists, visit the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s website at NRAEF.org/Build-Talent/Industry-Awards.

More higher-income households good news for restaurants

Household income remained stagnant in 2013, as the real median household income of $51,939 was essentially unchanged from its 2011 and 2012 levels. However, growth in the number of higher-income households may be a positive sign for the restaurant industry, according to the NRA’s Chief Economist Bruce Grindy. His Economist’s Notebook commentary and analysis appears regularly on Restaurant.org and Restaurant TrendMapper.

Household income remained stagnant in 2013, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Real median household income was $51,939 in 2013, essentially unchanged from its 2011 and 2012 levels.  In addition, 2013 median household income stood 8 percent below its recent cyclical high of $56,436 in 2007. 

But looking inside the numbers, there are some positive signs for the restaurant industry, as the number of higher-income households rose for the second consecutive year. The number of households with annual income above $75,000 numbered 42.3 million in 2013 – up 3.7 percent from a total of 40.8 million in 2011. In other words, there were 1.5 million more households with income above $75,000 in 2013 than there were in 2011, after adjusting for inflation.   

The growth of the last two years came on the heels of a sharp decline in higher-income households during the Great Recession. Between 2007 and 2011, the number of households with annual income above $75,000 plunged 5.1 percent, or 2.2 million households. 

At the same time, the number of households with annual income below $25,000 soared 14 percent, or more than 3.7 million households. In addition, the number of households in the $25,000-to-$49,999 income category jumped 9 percent between 2007 and 2011.

As the economy improved during the last two years, the number of households with income below $25,000 remained steady, while households in the $25,000-to-$49,999 income bracket declined 1 percent. With growth being realized in the upper brackets, this suggests that households are moving up the income ladder as the recovery continues to firm. 

While the recent growth is a move in the right direction, the number of higher-income households still remained 700,000 below the record high reached in 2007, when there were 43.0 million households with income above $75,000.

The potential implications for the restaurant industry are significant, as higher-income households represent the majority of spending in the industry. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, households with incomes of $100,000 or higher are responsible for 36 percent of the total spending on food away from home, while households with incomes between $70,000 and $99,999 account for 18 percent of industry spending.

Allergens focus of final lesson of National Food Safety Month

As September comes to an end, so does the 2014 National Food Safety Month, but food safety should be your focus every day as you run your restaurant. Each week in September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has covered an important topic from ServSafe food safety and sanitation training course, using the theme, “20 Tips for 20 Years of National Food Safety Month.”  

Fifteen million Americans suffer from food allergies, so it is important for foodservice personnel to understand what the Big 8 are, how to avoid cross contact and how to identify an allergic reaction. The final lesson is about allergens and the Big 8.

A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein (food allergen). While more than 160 food items can cause allergic reactions, just eight of those accounts for 90 percent of all reactions. These eight foods are known as the “Big 8.” They are: tree nuts, peanuts, soy, egg, milk, fish, wheat and shellfish.

Cross-contact is the transfer of an allergen from a food containing the allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen. One of the most important ways you can keep guests with food allergies safe is by preventing cross-contact. Read steps to avoid cross-contact here.

The NRA and the LRA partner to offer ServSafe Allergens, an online, interactive 90-minute training course to assist restaurateurs and foodservice personnel in understanding and communicating the risks associated with serving guests with food allergies. The course is just $22 and can be accessed here.

Finally, there are six key symptoms of a food-allergic reaction. Below is a quiz you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com.