Living with family members, let alone working with them can make life miserable. So, it was refreshing and encouraging to read about an entrepreneurial family that has had great success working with the family. Read the full article here.

3 Tips When Working w/ Family Members
1) Create detailed contracts for all maters involved with money
2) Outside of work, don’t talk about business matters
3) To avoid stalemate in decision making, one person should be in charge of leading deal

Yelp!, I’m addicted. Cleverly written in Biz Journal, Sarah Duxbury wrote a piece titled Restaurant Learn to Yelp. She informs the transformation of user generated reviews.

Here are a few of my points.

Community. If you’re a restaurant owner, you need to have a comment box that people actually use. In this case, Yelp is an interactive virtual comment box. Long gone are the wooden comment boxes that offer a free meal. People trust their friends and despite many writers not being professional food writers, they the most important people, your customers. They pay your bills.

Rule of thumb. “Your customers are your boss.”

Improvement. Small restaurant owners have one major advantage over big franchises, the speed to change a food item. For instance, a restaurant owner reads multiple comments that Brad’s Chinese Shack serves Cajun fried rice that is too spicy. The owner can notify the chef immediately to decrease the spice level. On the contrary, major franchises and restaurant groups need a board of people to approve decisions.

Viral marketing. Satify your customers, and they will be your evangelist. Small business restaurant owners don’t have big ad budgets for hiring a publicist or have advertising dollars so word of mouth advertising is the most cost effective way.

Lisa, the owner of Coco’s Crawfish, is a great example of an owner that actively user Yelp to communicate with her customers. Read Coco’s Crawfish blog:Sucking Encouraged for details.

My Yelp account: rayfil.yelp.com

Thanks Justin for the article.

A customer once jokingly said that Lee’s Deli one of the fastest sandwich makers west of the Missisippi. Hard to dispute, after all the workers behind the sandwich counter can assemble a sandwich in a matter of minutes.

Serving a few thousand office workers daily, Lee’s Deli has been an icon for fast and value food done fast. Behind the bustling business, there is a great story worth knowing. About four years ago, I was curious to learn more about entrepreneurs and the restaurant industry.

For those who don’t know about Lee’s Deli (not to be confused with Vietnamese sandwich company Lee’s Sandwiches), they have 12 locations in the financial district in downtown San Francisco. They serve sandwiches, hot Chinese foods, and a salad bar. Other items such as drinks and snacks are readily available as well.

Being proactive, I picked up the phone and cold called Lee’s Deli and asked for a meeting with the owner. Lee Quan, aka operation king, invited me to one of his twelve deli’s for a meeting.

For many aspiring restaurant owners, here are a few lessons that will save you a few white hairs and plenty of cash.

6 Must Do’s

1) Look up. When I looked straight forward, I did not see many customers walking along the streets of the financial district. Lee taught me to look up and he saw each office building as a small village of potential customers awaiting his restaurant.

2) Know your customers.Being an observant entrepreneur, Lee taught me that many office workers in the financial district are immigrants from China. He understood that lunch meant a hearty rice meal as oppose to just sandwiches, so he started serving Chinese food in a deli.

3) Range.Customers like variety. Some like to eat Chinese food, others like sandwich. Provide a space that serves all the needs.

4) Rent.Formerly a successful accountant, Lee taught me that a successful operation should be able to pull in sales that make up for the rent in three days or less.

5) Speed.Office workers usually have one hour for lunch so speed is important. Serving sandwiches and serving Chinese food/salad pound for pound made a great concept.

6) Life balance.Lee wanted to spend time with his family over the weekends, so opening a sandwich shop in downtwon San Francisco meant that he did not have to work on weekends.

On a recent visit, Lee’s Deli now sells eel sushi. With a savory note, the pastrami sandwich is still my favorite.

Inspirational story.After graduating from college, Lee worked in the corporate world until his mid 30s. Despite making a six figure great paycheck, Lee was stressed out and had an entrepreneur’s itch. Bravely, he left his corporate job and started a deli. One day, he was sweeping outside his deli when his former co-workers ran into him. The former co-workers were puzzled why Lee had left a stable job to open a deli. Many years later, Lee had the last laugh.

Business Quote:

“GREAT BUSINESS PEOPLE CALCULATE RISK, KNOW AND ANTICIPATE GOOD SCENARIOS AND WORST CASE SCENARIOS”-Lee Quan

Otaku has often been used to describe obsessive collectors but in the case of the ramen world, this term applies to the cult following of this famous Japanese noodle dish. Through out the years, ramen diners have infiltrated the entire globe. Ramen can be considered the popular choice for comfort food. Popular websites such as Ramenworld.com and Rameniac.com have formed communities. While most Americans associate ramen as the square package block of noodles for budget eats, authentic ramen involve master chefs that demonstrate this craft with delicate skills.

Katana-Ya, located in the trendy Nob Hill district, has created a cult following in the thirty seat restaurant. Chef owner Yoshiaki Noto has duplicated an authentic ramen environment resembling the ramen houses I have been to in Japan . Forty years ago in Japan , the master ramen chef started learning the craft from working at a ramen restaurant owned by his relatives. Although he only had one day of formal training from his relatives, he studied hard by making twenty different ramen bowls a day in order to create his own ramen recipes. Twenty years ago, he immigrated to the United States and started his own business. Although being an entrepreneur included long hours and stress, Noto desired to reach the American dream. Noto admits that his biggest challenge is finding a prime location.

Being featured in various newspapers and magazines has increased his business. Opening till 2am, Katana has been a top choice for clubbers and other late night goers. The minute I step foot into the cult tavern, the ambiance is colorful. White Christmas lights hang over the sushi bar, small painting decorate the red walls, and mirrors surround the eatery.

Without hesitation, I order a range of ramen to taste. For those who enjoy a heavy full bodied broth, the miso will deliver. At the other end of the palate spectrum, the salt broth is light. Salt flavor resembles chicken broth (although our ramen broths contain chicken and pork) and miso (fermented soybean paste) flavor taste similar to miso soup but richer.

I start off with an order of the regular ramen ($7.50) in miso broth. Bamboo shoots provide a chewy crunch while tender pork slices enhance the flavor in the pork ramen in miso broth. Although I would have preferred the noodles more on the al dente side, the texture of the noodle was good. For an instant rush of heat, the spicy tofu ramen ($9) marries spicy flavor with a minor note of sweet after taste. My favorite ramen dish is the fried chicken nugget (karage) ramen ($9.80) in salty broth. Coated with a thin layer of batter, four chicken pieces were tender. Next time, I would request that the nuggets be served out of the broth so that I taste a crispy skin.

A great side dish is the yellowtail (hamachi) neck( $5.50). Served on the side of a green salad, chopped chunks of hamachi neck are fried in a light batter. Biting through a crispy crust, the meat with the texture of marshmallow greets the palate. A slight dunk into the soy sauce provides the needed savory boost. A dish that can be featured on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern , the shiro kara (raw squid in a brown paste-$6) would take the gold trophy. Although the waitress advised it be consumed with alcohol, I don’t think it would have washed off the lingering taste from salt and malted rice. With a slimy consistency, the dish is truly an acquired taste.

The positive reviews from Yelp.com have also been a major contributing factor. Opening in the Fall, Noto’s next project will be opening a Japanese restaurant serving sakes and fresh seafood from their fish tank along with prime rib.

Consultant hat.

3 Pro’s
Cult. Eaters who have Otaku over ramen, love to tell others about their last ramen experience. They critique the broth and noodles. So word of mouth will grow your business.
Food cost.Owners charge $8 for ramen, but the total food cost is around $1.30. Broth, made mainly of water and pork bones, is not a big food cost.
Location/hours. Surrounded by bars and clubs, Katana has been a great spot for the after party. Also, people who work in hotels/restaurants get off work at late hours can head over for a bowl of comfort food.

3 Con’s
No to go.Ramen is meant to be eaten there, so don’t expect a big to go business.
Limited menu. Once you specialize in ramen, patrons perceive that other main items such as sushi rolls may not be a good.
Not for business meals.Katana is a great place to bring friends and not your business associates. Slurping may be considered awkward and stains can easily get on suits and dresses.

The Gold Trophy for an ramen orgasm remains Santouka.

Happy 4th of July to my readers. Today I continue writing about my adventures at the Buy Fresh, Buy Local food tasting. Spotting an ice cold chest of apple juice, I marched forward and was greeted by Kendra, the director of Nana Mae’s Organics.

With a charming smile, she invited me to taste her organic apple juice made from Gravenstein Highway. A few sips did the trick. The notes from fresh apples had an upfront full bodied taste.At retail, a bottle can cost around $3.95. Kendra also gave me a jar of her apple sauce which was incredible. Compared to commercial apple sauces, Nana Mae’s had was not watered down and simply tasted like fresh apples.

hint. try adding apple sauce to a turkey sandwich, a slight sweet note adds great character to a sandwich

Connection. I never understood until that day why people spend a premium to buy organic food. Aside from being free from chemicals, buying organic product gives the consumers a rare chance to connect with the farmers behind their product. I am more likely to spend a premium buying Nana Mae product since I have met Kendra. She is a hard working mom, the wife of a farmer, and a very kind lady. Enough reasons to buy her products.

Interview. Like any small business owneres, Kendra plays multiple rolls including mom, marketing director, and all roles that make the operation running. She mentioned that many small organic food companies are being acquired by food giants such as Smuckers. Despite all the long hours of work, Kendra enjoys being an evangelist to a great tasting apple juice.

3 Worst lines followed by “Let’s be Frank….”
a. “I see you as my friend, you’re my teddy bear.”
b. “You’re not smart enough for me to date you.”
c. “Sorry, but you remind me of Shrek.”

Best line followed by “Let’s be Frank…”
“dogs gone good, made from 100% grass-fed beef”

After full bodied wines, nutty hard cheeses, and a few sea-sweet oysters, I approached the Let’s Be Frank hot dog vendor. With a cheerful smirk, the server informed me about the delicious grass-fed beef. One bite did the trick. With a slight snap from the casing, the beef hot dog displayed a pungent rich beef taste.

The dogs are free from hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals. More information can be found on the Let’s Be Frank website.

Restaurant Consultant. Lets Be Frank is obviously targeting a niche market: healthy eaters and those who support local farmers. As for their promotional offerings, I like that they have hot dog stands in front of Pac Bell Park promoting their product. Despite each dog costing around $6, there is a growing market for healthy hog dogs and they make great treats for the upcoming July 4th weekend.

Served at Restaurants. You can find Let’s be Frank dogs at Spork and Underdog.

Last week, I was invited as “Press” to Buy Fresh Buy Local Food Guide Press Release Party at 1 Fort Mason. Once step into Fort Mason, I have arrived to fresh food heaven. With a wine glass and food tray in my hands, I danced away to my eating adventures.

For starters, oysters on a half shelf with a tart vinegrette did the trick. My favorite was a butter crust fixed with beet mixtures. Cheese, wine, and great bread started the day.

In the upcoming blogs, I will feature some vendors and highlights.

CAFF
Community Alliance with Family Farmers
www.caff.org
Temra Costa
Buy Fresh Buy Local Director
email:temra@caff.org

Quickly, a world wide bubble tea store, has “quickly”, no pun intended, responded to the frozen yogurt craze. With Pinkberry recently receiving millions in funding from Starbucks founder, the goliath remains ahead of the game with word of mouth viral buzz including Hollywood A- listers such asLeonardo DiCaprio fueling the craze.

After my meal at the all you can eat joint Masu last week, I was enticed by Quickly’s $.59 promotional frozen yogurt (additional cost for topping). Can anything cheap bring value? First surprise to note, Quickly has partnered up with ice cream giant Dreyer’s (division of Nestle) to develop this tart tasting treat. This is a sign that mainstream food companies want a piece of this craze.

Food. When tasting frozen yogurt, texture is key and this differentiates the taste from other shops. With a creamy finish, the full bodied yogurt resembles more of a traditional frozen yogurt with a slight taste of tartness. Compared with Pinkberry, Quickly’s fro yo lacks the tartness and clean after taste.

Ambiance. Not a great date place. As a restaurant consultant, I often encourage restaurateurs to deliver experience. A great example is Rain Forest Café. As for Quickly, the décor is full of clutter. Imagine a cluttered closet and no sense of “coolness.” The walls are covered with amateur food photos and creating a lot of “noise.” In San Francisco, visit Tuttimelon, Jubili, and YoCup and you will experience a clean minimalist design that mirrors the frozen yogurt.

Restaurant consultant. Quickly’s has made their fortune selling bubble tea drinks and now wisely wants to grab a piece of the frozen yogurt craze. I think it is a smart decision for them to work with Dreyer’s since they have the resources including equipment, chemist, nutritionist, and a host of other resource to deliver a product rapidly.

Three years ago, I was in the middle of the Hawaiian BBQ craze. I helped convert a mom ’n pops restaurant to a franchise. Now, Hawaiian BBQ is a thing of the past. For those who want to get into this competitive game, focus on being innovative and operational cost.

Social programming.Food plays a powerful role in social programming. Pregnant woman tend to crave pickles while frozen yogurt or any sweet treats help us get through a though day.

4 Innovative Ideas
1) create an organic fro yo shop
2) create a website and let the consumers vote for the next featured flavor
3) create a Facebook application so that you can spread your brand virally
4) offer additional products that would create a meal such as a healthy salad

Conclusion. Quickly’s is a great place for nominal frozen yogurt for the price of $.59. Toppings are extra, butt expect sub par ambiance.

A sure fire sign that a city is serious about Japanese food is that one block could host three sushi restaurants. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the apparent crowd in front of Masu sparked my curiosity. As the unofficial dish of Japan , sushi is ubiquitous in Japan but restaurants like Masu serve a fusion style sushi. One obvious reason for the crowd is the all you can eat lunch menu reasonably priced at $11.50 per person.

Inside Masu, sushi lovers unite. When you first walk in, you have no idea what to expect inside this pumpkin colored space with dark wood tables that give off a sense of calmness. Patrons eating at the sushi bar are treated with plasma televisions against the wall. The minimalistic décor pairs well with the inventive sushi dishes. For the lunch buffet, patrons can initially order two items from their creative menu that provides a great range of texture and flavors. For those who eat only cooked items, there are plenty to choose from as well. The next few rounds are restricted to one item. The all female wait staff is attentive and refilled our beverages constantly. However, I still had to wave my hands frantically a few times for service.

With a mile long list of items to choose from, I started off with the sushi rolls. Since sushi rice acts as the core, I was disappointed to find the rice a bit over sweetened. The samurai roll (eel over California roll) is a great choice for those who enjoy a sweet sauce. For a flavor adventure, the spicy toll roll features a mound of raw tuna mixture with a spicy sauce topped on over their California roll. The menu also includes rolls for those who only eat cooked foods. Sweet eel over the California rolls makes up the samurai roll. Omnivores will take delight in the beef roll. Tender beef pairs well with the crunchy cucumbers. The Third Avenue roll combines the perfect texture of ying and yang. Soft eel marries well with the firm salmon.

For fried food lovers, the Oh Yes Roll (assortment of fish deep fried in tempura batter) demonstrates texture balance between a crispy crust and marshmallow filling. Masu also serves maki (six piece of sushi rolled in seaweed) including yellowtail maki for those who prefer the more traditional track. For a California flare, the yellow California roll combines eggplant with California roll. Nutty flavor play center state in the salmon skin roll.

Surprisingly, the garlic tuna roll creates a pungent sweet aftertaste. Comfort food lovers will find the vagabond roll (deep fried yam and veggie) a great choice. The best roll of the day was the spider roll featuring soft shell crab. Sea sweet crab meat breaded in tempura truly brings together this dish. One obvious take away is that the sushi chefs lack proper knife skills resulting in uneven cuts as wells as rice falling from the seaweed. Diners can also order the special sashimi side dish ($2) which includes four pieces of raw fish.

A good line up of kitchen dishes continued my meal. The vegetable tempura lacks crispy texture but the vegetables are sweet. Although the soup needs more flavor, the chewy udon cooked al dente makes the dish worth trying. Skip the miso soup, the over use of sugar destroyed the dish. With a thin coat of sweet teriyaki sauce, the salmon has hints of well done. Uniquely served at Masu, the choco syrup ends a good meal. Cover with tempura ball, a rice ball is deep fried and a few swirls of chocolate syrup round out the dish. Masu satisfied my sushi craving while staying to my budget dining.

Consultant hat.

With numerous Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, a few restaurateurs attempt to differentiate themselves by serving an all you can order menu. Sushi Hunter, located in trendy North Beach, serves a great offering of dishes. Before you decide to jump into this concept, consider the pro’s and con’s.

3 Pro’s

1) Lower food cost. It is not a surprise, Masu serves frozen ingredients from imitation crab meat and frozen raw fish. Purchasing high volume items means lower cost.
2) Marketing. All you can eat diners create sensation. The experience itself creates natural word of mouth. Pay the fixed price and enter the world of gluttony.
3) Large parties. Whether for corporate events, birthdays, or celebrations, a fixed price menu allows the person paying for the meal an accurate anticipated cost.

3 Con’s

1) Some patrons are pigs. They will eat so much that you will not cover their food cost. This is not in your control of course.
2) Service. A well trained wait staff must be attentive for hands that are flying in the air demanding to put in their next order. You are targeting a certain type of eater, ones who prefer QUANTITY over QUALITY.
3) Turnover. Patrons will take longer to finish their meal and these results in slower turnover. Quick Service Restaurants such as McDonald’s and Taco Bell have thrived in a business model that relies on a system take can search a customer in a matter of minutes.

Masu
79 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo , CA 94401
(650) 342-5254
Lunch Buffet served Monday-Saturday
Open 7 days a week
M-F: 11am-3pm (lunch), 3am-12pm (dinner)
Saturday: 12am -3pm (lunch), 3am-12pm (dinner)
Sunday: 12am-3pm (dinner menu only)
(Prices: $15 and up)

Crawfish has arrived to fill the void of a no frills crawfish restaurant. Claiming to be San Francisco’s first crawfish restaurant, Coco’s Crawfish in the Sunset district makes a genuine attempt to replicate this popular Southern style eatery.

Ambiance: Restaurateur Lisa Lee aims to provide great seafood and emphasizes that food is the center stage as oppose to ambiance. The ambiance does not pair well with the food. At a glance, the aqua colored walls and high ceiling appear to make a strong stance but a few of the owner’s personal touch marks my point. On the side of the staircase, glamour photos featuring her female wait staff awkwardly adorn the wall. Instead of blues music playing in the background as one would expect in a Southern style eatery, a plasma television keeps patrons entertained as they wait for their meal. With all the splatters from cracking various crustaceans, I encourage patrons to dress casually.

This cozy restaurant serves seafood on Styrofoam plates and plastic forks and this gives the restaurant character. The unique experience includes dining with friends in an unpretentious environment with sweat dripping on their foreheads panting for water from the Cajun spice. During the course of our meal, hints of Southern hospitality were noted. Despite only having two wait staff on a Sunday evening, the service is attentive. Our water was refilled a few times and Lee often asked about my feedback of the food.

Food: Don’t expect a mile long menu, it is limited but adequate. Arriving piping hot in a plastic bag, crawfish steals the show ($12.99/lb). Customers can choose a range of flavor from steamed to various spicy levels. Foolishly, I choose the medium heat which was too much for my taste bud to handle. The owner kindly offers to demonstrate the art of eating these tiny lobster like delights Arriving from Louisiana every other day, the meat is succulent and sweet. The sauce that rounds out the small crustacean plays a blissful role. While the habanero peppers create a burning sensation, the garlic and butter rounds out the flavor creating a perfect balance of spicy and sweet in this memorable sauce. Salt and pepper with a drizzle of lime helps diffuse the spicy flavor another notch. Although the spice level created a temporary numbness in my mouth, I continued to crave the intense sauce.

Continuing on my seafood adventure, I order a pound of shrimp ($11.99) on medium heat. The meat is sweet but the highlight is sucking the roe from the head along with the juices. Another great order are the perfectly cooked clams ($8.99/lb). With a quick dunk into the dipping sauce made mainly with Vietnamese fish sauce, the bi valves display a chewy texture. Although bread would have gone great dipped in the crawfish sauce, Coco’s does not serve any items with starch. For sides, the Louisiana sausage ($.50) is more like a nibble than a side. The one inch link features a fragrant spice that leaves a sweet aftertaste. For a sweet flavor to balance out the spicy dishes, a few bites into the corn ($.50) does the trick. For refreshment, the Lousiana Vodoo beer ($4) delivers a strong note of nutty flavor that pairs very well with the spicy sauces. For a party of 5, the total including tax and tip came out to be $80.

Entrepreneur Interview: Despite having a major in electrical engineering from San Jose State, Lee always knew that her out going personality would be of better use in a restaurant setting than in a cubicle environment. After spending eleven years in the corporate world as a senior production planner, Lee decided to plunge into entrepreneurship. Her corporate company decided to relocate overseas so with her funds from her stock portfolio and severance package, she decided to open the first crawfish restaurant in San Francisco. Despite not having previous experience as a restaurateur, she spent months doing research including tasting crawfish restaurants in Southern California and Texas. As a bootstrap entrepreneur, Lee has been resourceful by hiring her friend and family members for different roles.

Lee hired her friend as public relations person. With the advent of social networking sites, Lee has leveraged her marketing effort with a Myspace Cocoscrawfish page. Additionally, she often takes serious consideration from the reviews she receives from local restaurant review sites such as Yelp.com. Acknowledging that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing, Lee often responds to the negative critics by inviting them to try her food again.

Restaurant Consultant. I often advise my clients to sell on experience and not on price. Rain Forest Café is a great example. The ambiance creates value for the customer. Coco’s Crawfish needs to create an ambiance that pairs well with the food.

Top 3 Low Cost Upgrades
1. Create a seaside experience. Buy some fishing nets and hang it on the wall. A few life preservers will be great as well.
2. Staff members should wear uniforms that resemble fisherman/woman. Suspenders and boots will add to the theme.
3. Music makes a big difference. Playing reggae music will create a festive environment.

These simple changes will enhance the experience and upgrade from a dull vanilla box restaurant.

Visit Campusfork.com for more food review.
2333 Irving St
(between 24th Ave & 25th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 665-6033
www.myspace.com/cocoscrawfish
Cash Only
Mon-Sun 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m
(Price range: $16 +).