Las Vegas Restaurant Guide

The Sin City of Las Vegas in Nevada is known as much for its glitzy nightlife as its fine dining options that cater to diverse tastes and penchants. Thus, whether you are looking for a 24 hour steakhouse to satiate your hunger pangs after a fun night out or an exclusive restaurant where you plan to surprise the love of your life with a proposal; you can find it all in this city. You name it and Las Vegas has it, be it the themed restaurants where you can dine amidst Elvis memorabilia or buffet restaurants where you can help yourself to all you can eat.

If you are looking for a swanky restaurant that oozes class, you can make your reservations in one of the many award winning restaurants that dot the city. A number of these are located in the star hotels across Las Vegas and are specialty restaurants with à la carte menus. For instance, there is no beating Bouchon when it comes to the finest French delicacies in the city. This restaurant has already received the Epicurean Award winner for Best French Restaurant along with the awards for Best New Restaurant on the Strip, Best Restaurant on the Strip and Best Restaurant.

If you are looking for a more romantic setting for your dinner date in Las Vegas, you cannot go wrong with Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro. This popular eatery is located in the Palazzo and is the numero uno choice for couples who want to reignite their passion over a hot meal. For an intimate dining experience, you can request the hostess to get you seated in one of the tastefully decorated private booths at the restaurant. From here, you can enjoy a scenic view of the strip as you dig into your food.

Those with a craving for classic Vegas steak dinner can satiate the same by heading to any of the many 24 hours open steakhouses. The best thing about these food joints is that they offer wholesome food at a reasonable price that does not leave your purse empty after the meal. Some of the leading Las Vegas restaurants that fall in this category include Mr. Lucky’s 24/7 that is situated in Hard Rock. Its menu includes all the standard offerings including jumbo burgers and creamy milkshakes.

For a prime rib dinner, you can ask for directions to Cafe Siena at Suncoast. You can either sample its light night dinner specials or order a dish of your choice from its Chinese kitchen. Courtyard Cafe is also a popular gourmet address for those who are a fan of its 16-ounce T-bone steak dinner that comes at an extremely low price.

Buffet lovers also have limitless options in Las Vegas. Bellagio, Paris and Wynn Buffets are sure to leave you spoilt for choice with their extensive culinary spread. World cuisine lovers can get their fill at the Carnival World Buffet at the Rio or the Bistro Buffet at the Palms. You can also give a try to Cravings at the Mirage.

Improve Your Restaurant Business With Monthly Newsletters

As part of your customer service ethic and indeed to start conveying additional promotional offers you should start to send out a monthly newsletter to all of your existing and potential new customers. In an ideal world, this would be undertaken via email, which takes less effort and saves the cost of envelopes and stamps. Topics in the newsletter may include staff profiles, latest specials, wine of the month and any current offers that are running. Be very aware that your regular communication is not considered spam. People should look forward to receiving it, as they know it will add value to their lives, by being either educational or entertaining or preferably both.

The newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your customers, market to your prospects and ask for feedback. In this, it may be deemed as being quite unique as very few restaurants currently use this method. One editorial idea may be to do an interview feature on a client. Any costs involved in putting this together might be offset by getting one of your suppliers to start sponsoring it. Scour the Internet for ideas on how other restaurants, clubs or bars keep in touch with members on a regular basis. Try and send your newsletter at least monthly, and to make it interesting you may consider including the following:

  • Seasonal food tips & recipes
  • Celebrity cookbooks to read
  • Upcoming events
  • Sommelier’s Recommendations
  • Kitchen secrets
  • Monthly members benefits
  • New menu items
  • Partner offers
  • Client testimonials
  • Coupons and incentives

Sending your newsletter out by email is the most cost-effective way for you to reach your audience, you should make this activity a priority every month, and you should see a great return on your efforts. Remember to include a link for your customers to forward to their friends, and include any partners on this mailing so that they can forward to their database.

Many consultants over the years have put forward a host of different business models to small and medium companies to follow for success. Well, I am of the view that one can really fit all. This model is used by some of the United Kingdom’s largest successful companies and I cannot recommend it highly enough for hospitality businesses. It goes as follows.

Financial Health = Operational competence + Marketing performance

Financials would include cash in hand, debtor and creditor days, gross & net margins, liquidity ratios etc

Marketing includes new customer acquisition programs, customer retention, repeat business, market position, brand perception of both competition and customers, selling effectiveness, return on your advertising spend amongst others.

What is fascinating is how the vast majority of restaurants score themselves so similarly out of ten for each of these business measurements. Experience says that most people put themselves in the region of sixes and sevens for financial health. In other words, not bad but definitely room for improvement. Marketing normally witnesses the lowest score around five or six. This would appear to highlight that if restaurants are going to dramatically improve their financial positions, by far their largest opportunity lies in getting better at marketing their food and service offer.

Starting Your Own Mexican Restaurant

The food industry is one that will always be profitable, provided the people are served up delicious fare. With the food industry booming, it is the right time to open up a Mexican restaurant in the USA. All you need is the determination to serve the best Mexican cuisine in town, and the profits will continue to roll along with the guests. It does take a lot of hard work and perseverance. In addition, there are several rules and regulations, and permits required according to law. The rules vary from state to state, therefore it is prudent to consult a professional to hand all the legal issues involved in starting a restaurant.

It is important to consult a real estate agent in order to find a location that is easily accessible and even passersby will be attracted to. Once you are done with the legalities and location you need to decide what you want to add to the menu. The secret is not to add a bible full of Mexican dishes. Fill in about 8 to 10 dishes which customers will remember and make their way back time and again. Delicious, and at an affordable price, that is what will help you make money.

Mexican food goes well with certain types of alcohol, including beer and wine. However, if you aren’t too keen on procuring different licenses for alcohol, you can stick to fruit juices and regular sodas. Nevertheless, you must be aware that a business license is not enough to start your Mexican restaurant. There are several other permits required in order to ensure that you meet the required standards of health and hygiene. Get in touch with your local Department of Health for comprehensive information on licensing and permits.

To get the best design for your restaurant you ought to hire an architect or contractor to help with the interiors. You need to design the kitchen, entrance, parking areas, table layout, and restrooms as well. Plumbing air-conditioning and electrical fittings are areas that require special attention. Since you are required to maintain the highest standard of hygiene, make sure the area is well designed so that it can be cleaned easily.

Everyone needs to know about your new Mexican restaurant. The best ways to spread the news is through advertising in the print media and by booking a few radio spots as well. It will take time for customers to spread the word; therefore, you ought not to be tight-fisted when it comes to spending on advertising. Stand by what you advertise and serve the best food in town. This will be possible with the help of experienced staff which includes chefs, waiters, dishwashers, and door attendants as well.

As long as your employees are paid well, you will have a restaurant full of happy customers. If you aren’t an expert in cooking Mexican food it would be prudent to learn so that your business will never be short of staff especially when the crowds start pouring in. A few simple tips can help in making your restaurant a firm favorite with the customers, and these words will be sweet music to your years, “Por favor, puedo tener un poco más.”