Through this, trainees generally learn things that are more geared towards the operation of the restaurant itself- personnel management, record keeping, security, sanitation, food prep, and reporting to the main office or higher management. It may also require a different sort of training for the point of service terminals, and after a time, the employee may be promoted to assistant manager and go from there.

There are a number of schools, universities and colleges that now offer four year restaurant and food service management programs. As increasing demand rises, many have options for two year degrees or other certifications that may help someone intent on this as a career path.
Either choice in higher education will offer a firmer understanding of things that typically aren’t learned on the job- for example, most have a comprehensive business law and management portion, as well as an accounting course, coupled with sanitation, food nutrition and planning. A number of these options can make it more likely for an experienced waitstaff or chef to get the position they are seeking out above other, less educated candidates. In addition to this, a number of the larger chain restaurants or higher end restaurants offer compensation or other options from within to increase the education of their management staff.

Another thing that is often taken into account when promoting from within, however, is employee performance thus far. Many businesses know which employees will be better suited for management and often groom specific employees for this. Overall initiative, hard working, and personality are usually key factors, as well as a neat and tidy appearance and punctuality. They may also seek out more diplomatic employees, those that would be well suited, calm and comfortable dealing with conflict and able to maintain composure. Business owners know that recruiting management often is a long term investment on their parts- whether they pay for further education or not.  As promotion from within is the most common means of gaining a management position, this is typically something that those looking to get into will need to be aware of in how they present themselves. Owners and upper management will look for and actively seek out employees who seem the most motivated to move up and succeed within their restaurant.

Another facet of the duties that a restaurant manager takes on are ordering of equipment, food, inventory and other supplies needed for the business, as well as making sure that things are well maintained and all facilities are in good order.
Usually, this is an administrative job that requires a great deal more hands-on attitude, from hiring, to training, and keeping abreast of all employee performance.

One of the many duties that a restaurant manager takes on is hiring, training or even the termination of employees based on poor work performance or other factors. Being able to keep a good staff on hand is a serious challenge in an industry known for high turn over rates. More often than not, this is done via advertising and extensive interview processes. It is usually the manger that trains the employees, or who delegates the responsibility to someone within the staff- a trainer who may be a more seasoned wait staff personnel.

Another part of this is scheduling hours and making sure that there are enough staff on hand to best take care of the volume of customers. This may mean being able to have alternates to step in when in cases of call ins, or even in many cases, taking care of that shift themselves. You may often see restaurant management waiting tables or helping out around the restaurant when it is busy.

Management will also usually deal with employee performance, making sure that customers are not only greeted in a friendly fashion, but served promptly and in a predetermined way. More often than not, it is the restaurant manager who will handle customer complaints, looking into them and resolving them about the quality and service they receive. This generally means taking care of things behind the scenes as well, ensuring that the kitchen is running smoothly and quickly- often times having to fill in and help out if there is a great deal of customer need. It is definitely a major part of a manager’s job to make sure that both the customers and the staff are able to enjoy a safe environment. This usually means making sure all employees are acting in a professional way, and that health codes and liqueur laws are adhered to.

The career path to restaurant management may mean a degree, it may mean being promoted from within. However, one thing is certain, there are a number of traits that are key to being an effective manager. The ability to adapt, multitask and pay attention to detail all in a diplomatic way are definitely a plus when working in this particular field.

It is important to understand that, when purchasing a franchise, higher initial investment does not necessarily translate into higher returns.  A great deal comes down to the ability of the owner to effectively manage the franchise and the marketability of the franchise in the purposed area of business.  For example, if the community consistently prefers hamburgers, then no amount of money invested is going to move fried chicken.  Conversely, if the hamburger market of the same fictional locality is already fairly saturated, it’s going to be very difficult to attempt to edge into the market.

When deciding to explore the earning potential of a particular franchise, there is some very basic and very important preliminary research to be performed.  An excellent first step is to request a copy of the company’s Franchise Disclosure Document.  As a general rule, these documents relate information regarding the earnings of various franchises across the geographical boundaries of the franchise organization and can help in projecting an estimate of ROI for the area proposed for the purchased franchise.

The Franchise Disclosure Document will also give information regarding current and previous franchise owners.  Conversing with owners within the region that the buyer proposes to do business, as well as owners in similar regions, can offer great insight as to what sort of return on investment can be expected.  These same franchise owners can also form a backbone of a vital and invaluable support network for the new owner.
As mentioned above, another major factor in a franchise’s earning potential lies in the owners own capabilities to effectively run the franchise.  It is always wise to seek out a franchise that utilizes previous experience and existing skills.  A person with an extensive background in restaurant management is obviously going to fare better as a restaurant owner than as a gas station owner.

Above all, it is important to keep realistic financial goals in determining what franchise is most suitable.  Taking into account the market in the proposed area, the earnings of franchises operating in similar locations, the time required to operate the proposed franchise and the owner’s ability to run the franchise in an effect manner can provide a good estimate of what one might expect to see in the way of return on the investment made into the franchise and the overall viability of the business.

Even better, anyone can successfully operate a Filta Franchise, regardless of experience.  Filta has a plan that can work for you to get your business up and running and on the fast track to success.  It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to go into business for yourself for the first time, or are a seasoned and experienced entrepreneurial whiz, all it takes it a bit of business savvy and dedication.

One Man, One Van

What amazes many potential franchisees is just how inexpensive it is to start a Filta franchise compared to many other franchising options.  To get started there is just a low upfront franchise fee of $31,000.  This cost includes the “Territory Fee” which establishes your territory of business, free from competition by other Filta Franchises.

After being accepted into the Filta Family everything you need to get your business moving is available in one simple start-up package available for $43,000 + and initial $5000 Franchise Development Fund fee.  This Opening Package includes your MFU, equipment , vehicle preparation, marketing materials, uniforms and your initial stock.  Also included are your classroom and in-field training, 10 FiltaCool presentation boxes, 100 sales slicks, 100 sales brochures, 10 filter packet panels, 10 filter packets, a degassing unit, and other necessaries.  The total cost for start-up is $79,500 and includes everything you need to successfully offer the FiltaFry and FiltaCool services in your territory.

Starting Bigger

For those experienced in business administration and wanting to start their franchise off on an even stronger footing, Filta is proud to offer its Premier Track Program.  Included in the Premier Track Program are two opening packages, complete with two MFU’s, and four full territories for your business to operate in.  As an added benefit, franchisees selecting the Premier Track franchisees gain the support of a full-time sales support staff member for a full 90 days to help maximize their service potential from day one.  All this value Filta comes with a price tag of only $195,000.  Getting started requires only a $95,000 deposit due at the time of submitting the Deposit Letter with the remainder payable in eight weeks.

Regardless of whether you start big, or opt to work your way up from a single van, as a Filta Franchisee you get the assurance of owning a viable business, operating under a proven successful business model.  Filta will stand behind you with a strong network of guidance and support – in person, online or by phone.  Whatever your needs and business goals, Filta has the means to help you succeed.

FiltaFry

The FiltaFry service has headed the Filta line since its inception.  The backbone of the FiltaFry system lies in its unique mico-filtration process that eliminates 99% of carbon and other particulate matter from used cooking oil.  This complex cleaning process leaves oil free from the contaminates that cause it to break down rapidly and become unusable.  As a result, oil lasts twice as long and business utilizing FiltaFry usually see a decrease of about 50% in their oil usage.

FiltaFry’s association with fryers is not limited to oil filtration and removal, though.  It offers a comprehensive fryer management service, taking the burden of fryer care off of the shoulders of kitchen staff.  Technicians thoroughly clean fryers at each visit and work with owners, managers and staff to find ways to optimize fryer usage and minimize energy and oil waste.

FiltaCool

With FiltaCool, Filta brings all of the value and savings associated with the FiltaFry name to the arena of cold storage.  FiltaCool utilizes advanced filters to regulate the environment inside of coolers.  This unobtrusive filters have been demonstrated to reduce temperatures inside coolers by 2-5 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing coolers to run more energy efficiently.  The FiltaCool filters also regulate humidity and remove harmful gases such as Ethylene and Pectin that accelerate the decomposition of stored perishables.  The advanced system also limits damage from oxidation and retards bacteria growth.

Coolers benefiting from FiltaCool filters have been shown to use 10% less energy and to last 33%-44% longer.  Produce and other goods stored in FiltaCool filtered refrigeration units stay tasting fresh and usable longer.  These filters take up virtually no storage space and are cheap to install and maintain.

Given these widespread positive results, the sustainability benefits of Filta services are indisputable.  Filta is proven in the food service industry as a leader in the revolution toward “green” business practices and has a reputation for saving customers money.  FiltaFry and FiltaCool can change the way you look at your fryers and coolers, helping you find ways to do business in a better, more responsible and more cost effective way.

One case report that may really change the way you look at your fryer maintenance comes from Colorado. Following standard procedure for cleaning and maintenance of her employer’s fryers while cleaning the filters, she fell. The employee sustained second and third degree burns covering ten percent of her body and was hospitalized for four days, requiring extensive plastic surgery due to the scarring. Safety issues can and often do occur even in the safest of work environments- and being aware of those issues that can sometimes happen out of nowhere, it seems choosing an outside service to deal with fryer maintenance would be an easy choice.

The problem often comes in when it comes to budgets- tough economic times have businesses tightening their belts more and more, and it may not occur to many that by improving the safety of their employees- they can also save money. Hiring a Filtafry technician for weekly or biweekly maintenance can not only improve oil quality, reduce the amount of oil needed to be used and also solve that issue of disposal- but it can greatly reduce not only the risk, but the incidence of fryer related injury. Bringing in someone who is specially trained to deal with solely the fryer is certainly worth the money, and knowing that your employees are safe and able to focus on other tasks that may not pose such a risk is well worth the cost. However, take into account insurance costs, medical costs, and then also throw in the non-safety related costs of oil replacement, equipment replacement, and waste oil removal- and the answer gets a little more balanced. A Filtafry technician can safely do in one hour what would take a regular staff member sometimes up to six hours to complete- and they can do it already trained in stringent safety measures and in a way that prevents excess grease from accumulating on the floor- also reducing the risk of slip and fall incidents.

Safety is priority one at your place of business- no restaurant owner wants to have something horrible happen, as seen in the example cited above, and even from the standpoint of someone just looking to lower costs, hiring a Filtafry technician for your fryer needs seems to be a much safer and wiser choice than continued risk to regular staff. Being able to have less downtime and improve the overall safety, moral and focus of your restaurant and food service staff is certainly one of the most important things you can do.