Robert "Bobby" Fitzgerald began working in restaurants when he was 14 years old. 25 years later he has opened thirteen restaurants and today is a partner and Director of Operations for five restaurants under The White Chocolate Grill and Cinzzetti's brands. Overseeing 400 employees who serve over 20,000 customers a week is a full time job. But Bobby makes time to share his experience by writing for Examiner.com and speaking at Universities across the country on the subjects of restaurants and hospitality careers. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University where he studied both Culinary Arts and Management. Bobby just published his first book titled "Smile or You're Fired...Seven Lessons for Managers of Service" and he has also written on business for Kiplinger.com and The American Management Association. Have a question for Bobby? Email him directly at refitz@ManagementBook.org.

Restaurant marketing ideas: Blog Branding

Restaurants are all into social media, but one thing I have not seen much written about is blog branding. The blog is different than the website.  The blog is a living line of communication and a piece of the Facebook-Twitter social media...

KC Star writes great article on restaurant partnerships

The Kansas City Star wrote a great article this week on restaurant partnerships  The article profiles a few operators from recent start ups opening their third location in Overland Park, to my old friend Dave Quirarte who has had...

Restaurant mobile marketing ideas

Harvard Business Review posted a daily stat today that 24.5% of homes are cell phone only, no land line. This creates a huge opportunity and incentive to be involved in mobile marketing.  Google already forecast's that mobile search will...

Restaurant mobile marketing ideas

Harvard Business Review posted a daily stat today that 24.5% of homes are cell phone only, no land line. This creates a huge opportunity and incentive to be involved in mobile marketing.  Google already forecast's that mobile search will...

.CO domain allows another chance at a great web name

Long ago the quality .com names were taken and held for ransom.  Want to open a restaurant in Charlotte and use CharlotteRestaurant.com or CharlotteRestaurants.net as your web handle?  Sorry, those url extensions are taken or extremely...

Restaurants and sandboxes both need management

Being a parent has really changed the way I run restaurants.  One theory I developed is called the sandbox theory.  When three or four kids are playing in the sandbox and trouble begins with tears and whines, often the reaction is to rip...

Fighter pilots, doctors and restaurateurs can benefit from this little tool

In 1935 Boeing showed the U.S. military it’s first version of the B17 Bomber, a revolutionary aircraft the Seattle newspaper called a “flying fortress.” It taxied down the runway, took off smoothly and abruptly crashed in a huge...

A tax incentive all restaurants should use

One cannot turn on the news without hearing about all the federal stimulus.  Like many restaurant operators with a bunch of risk, headwinds and employees I have been wondering "what's in it for me."  Finally I found one...

It finally happened: A Yelp Threat

I have written a few articles on Yelp.com, the online review site which boasts about 50% of it's eight-million-plus reviews dedicated to restaurants.  One on the potential Google buy, another on online reviews and blogs about your...

Restaurant closures continue

Nation's Restaurant News reported that over 5,500 restaurants closed in 2009 reducing the total number of restaurants in the U.S. 578,353.  Earlier this year it was reported that for the industry to return to growth, nearly 7% of...

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