This was a response for a questionaire a recent MBA student sent me. I took out some sensitive information, but I hope you find this useful.

 
Digital marketing is very important for the restaurant owner and the restaurant marketer.

 

Today I would characterize this as three main points

 

1) The convenience of delivery services and what they bring to the table. This is Uber Eats, Postmates, Door Dash, and others who are constantly marketing to the consumer. The restaurant owner has to do his homework, figure out how to price their menu correctly, and use these billion-dollar corporations to their advantage

 

2) The influence of social media. Instagram and to a smaller degree now Facebook are important for the restaurant owner to talk directly to their customers.

 

We must ask them questions, seek feedback from them, and take constructive criticism daily with a grain of salt. We must change our behavior to suit the needs of our customers.

 

3) The importance of having a great web site. Your restaurant web site is your hub. We don’t own anything we post on social media, but we do own our web site and email list, so it’s very important to invest in having the best looking and best performing web site possible. I also highly suggest restaurant owners to use either Constant Contact or Mail Chimp to have and maintain a great email marketing campaign.

 

Re-occurring Issues with Restaurant Owners

 

One main problem today is restaurant owners completely ignore digital marketing.

 

One survey suggested that over 80% of all restaurant owners completely ignore Yelp.

 

That is to say they don’t respond to customer complaints at all. They don’t say anything good or anything bad. They don’t make it up to customers who are angry at a bad experience they had with you. This is a lost opportunity

 

Often your angriest customers are very loyal people. If you make it up to them they will stay with you, whereas if you ignore them they will just eat somewhere else.

 

We routinely respond to customers daily.

 

The #1 rule of marketing is to ALWAYS listen to your customers

 

 

The Relevance of Small Business

 

If you are a small, family-based restaurant usually you don’t do anything with digital advertising.

 

Your budget is very limited. So, let’s say you’re a small restaurant in Israel or Lebanon or Egypt for example; I would take my profits and re-invest them onto the business.

 

I would open more locations, create a better patio, put better lights and TVs, higher a better team, a better chef, nicer staff. That is what will help you grow. Most small family businesses don’t do that at all, so they stay in the same place

 

The major barriers and limitations in regards to restaurant marketing.

 

The great barriers exist all over the world. Here in California it’s very expensive to hire people, provide insurance, health care, and take care of all the legal aspects of running a business which is why so few make it. Other barriers include government laws and regulations, taxes and fees, and red tape (also known as over regulation). Just as a simple example we have ridiculous ADA compliance regulation where people walk into your restaurant and sue you for ADA violations without even eating there.

 

Besides that, a great barrier is education. Old school people resist digital marketing because they just don’t understand it. And we all tend to hate things we can’t do or relate to (think of how most of us hated chemistry class in high school or trigonometry). The best antidote for this is the business owner to read books on digital marketing and understand it better, or at the very least work with a local marketing agency that can help fill in the gaps.

 

Restaurant owners have to fight back and support legislation that helps businesses grow and succeed.

 

 

Once upon a time there was a Corporation on a hill. This Corporation was massive, the #1 private company in the whole world. It did trillions of dollars in sales annually selling its goods and services to every country. While on a tour inside the halls of the Corporation one student saw a person sitting alone in a dim-lit room.

There were no books in the room, no furniture. The person was sitting in a chair, rocking back and forth, and was thinking deeply. He was dressed very nice, very comfortable. He was smoking a pipe, looking around, but his thoughts would go back to deep thinking. He did not acknowledge any of the visitors.

So the student asked the tour guide, “Hey, what is this guy doing and who is he?” The tour guide got serious and whispered, “this is our highest paid executive. We pay him $1 Billion a year with tremendous bonuses, paid vacation, and his kids get to go to any college they want for free, because we pay for their full tuition and books as well.”

“Wow, that’s an amazing package, I would love to have that job. Where do I apply?” asked the kid. Everyone in the tour group laughed but the tour guide got serious again. “That person is our CEO. Sorry, but his position is no longer available. He thinks many hours per day and was responsible for many great decisions, including narrowing our focus, buying out all our competition, and if that were not enough he helped us deal with and negotiate to enter every country on earth. Because of him we make more money now than ever before, and we became the #1 company on the planet.”

The meaning of this story is simple, yet profound. Many of us don’t take any time of our day or week to set aside to think deeply. We work harder rather than smarter, and when we don’t grow or make more we are quick to blame others.

Use this code RMEXPERT to get $10 off my restaurant marketing course!

 

The course is here

https://www.udemy.com/restaurant-marketing-the-secret-is-in-the-saucetm/?instructorPreviewMode=guest

Seven Different Types of Learning Styles

And How To Teach To Them All

1.) Visual Learners. Students who are natural visual learners will be better taught with as many pictures and imagery for explanation of concepts. If you are teaching them geography, be sure to include plenty of maps. The same approach is true for history teachers. There are so many artistic depictions of all eras in human history, you shouldn’t have a problem adding some visual elements to any kind of lecture or presentation.

Plus, about every type of learner or listener enjoys having a visual aid when listening to a presentation meant to teach or inform – or even entertain. You can also show clips of movies, or if you are teaching a writing class, show how a film adapts from the literature it was based on.

Since you can’t always plug pictures and images into every type of classroom experience, you can use a whiteboard or chalkboard (if your class still has one) to jot notes or key points. This will give them visual cues they might otherwise gloss over, or lump into other information that might not be as key to the point of the lesson.

The way you speak to different types of learners in the classroom will also come into play, if you make a conscious effort.

Visual learners also respond to words that include cues that incite the parts of their brain that get their wheels turning. For example, if you are instructing a student to take initiative and work through a process or concept you have presented, you could say “Let’s see how you would solve this problem. Feel free to use additional paper to map out what you’re thinking, if needed.” You can see how this might free their mind to utilize its natural want to visualize what its thinking.

2.) Aural Learners. Learners who respond primarily to sound can be challenging for teachers who aren’t teaching a lesson about music. But there are techniques you can use to stimulate students who respond to sound, if you do your homework.

These students are ones who know how to sing, play in the school band, or have their own musical hobbies. Music is also known to illicit strong emotional feelings and responses from these types of students. Music they associate with events and times of their lives can sweep them back into their minds, where they will almost re-live the times and places they relate to the sounds they are hearing.

So, how do you stimulate these kinds of students…

Without singing a song about algebra, or earth science – or whatever subject you are teaching them? It doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may seem. This article from mathinsider.com, gives several tips for helping auditory learners pick up on key mathematical concepts. A lot of math teachers may scratch their heads at how to make numbers an aural experience for students.

But think about it:

Isn’t your own voice a tool for aural learning? Isn’t that what you use to teach every day as your main tool for communication? And don’t your students have their own voice they can use as a tool as well? If so, then you have all you need to get started with a few basics.

First, encourage them to use their own voice, and share with them some knowledge about what you know about different types of learners in the classroom. Students are trained to primarily listen, and only speak with they have a question for the teacher, or while working in group assignments with other students.

How often do we really tell them to use their own voice? That’s why experts recommend encouraging your aural responsive students to write down their notes and read them back to themselves aloud.

They can also opt for audio books, when they are available as an alternative to text editions of required reading. You can let them record the lesson, so they can play it back. Even students who may be naturally inclined to other types of learning may benefit from the convenience of auditory learning tools. Playing back your lecture while running on the treadmill or driving home from school can be a good way to let the information sink in a little further. The authors of the article referenced above also give some great tips for visual and tactile learners as well.

3.) Verbal Learners. When you first hear ‘verbal learner’ as a teacher, you might think this is the easy one, compared to the other different types of learning styles.

After all, you talk, they listen, they learn, right?

Not so simple, but this is a pretty conducive student in relation to many types of curriculum. Verbal instruction, as well as writing activities inspire these students to absorb information most effectively. Students with strong verbal learning skills often become journalists, other types of writers, public speakers, and teachers themselves.

That’s why activities where these students get a chance to speak or present can be effective in bringing out their natural ability to verbalize information and give them confidence. Experts recommend many types of techniques for these students, that even include others who may not be as verbally inclined.

Here are some ways you can be sure to integrate verbal learning techniques into your classroom experience:

• Attach acronyms or mnemonic devices to lessons, which can help them remember more effectively.
• Create activities where these students get to role-play, read aloud or get dramatic. This will make your lessons more fun for everyone, and may even help students who are more hands-on, physical learners to thrive in the experience as well. For instance, let’s say you are teaching a business class. You can create an exercise that goes along with a lesson about making sales pitches and what to focus on to get customers on board with your products. You can have students act out a situation where they are selling a product to another student. Or you can have students pretend they are conducting a television or radio program where there is audience participation. This will give students who respond to verbal learning techniques

4.) Physical Learners. Have you ever noticed people, or your students, who use their hands more than usual when they speak? They seem like they’re always in motion, and always have some form of physical movement like a conductor with their words.

These individuals are physical learners, and they express themselves in the same way. These types of learners respond to words that incite feeling and physical activity. They want to understand what it feels like to go through the motions of what they are learning.

There are many ways you can create physical exercises to help these types of students learn. Not only can you create activities where they are physically moving. But, you can use objects, like puzzles or other small objects to get them engaged with their learning.

Another tactic is one many teachers don’t think of. You can give them pen and paper and have them map out their own thoughts and problem-solve by hand. After all, the act of writing is a mental and physical exercise. As you can see, these different types of learning styles vary greatly!

5.) Logical Learners.  These learners are the ones who are always making lists, getting organized, and trying to find the link between one piece of the puzzle and another. Logical learners are a natural fit for mathematics, science, and other logic based subjects in school.

When you are teaching these learners, they can be great leaders or naturally take on a project manager type role in lab assignments, thanks to their want to put things in a neat, orderly way. These students can also be challenged to think from different points of view. They are naturals at seeking facts, and can often be found winning matches in chess club or outperforming their opponents in debate or math tournaments. They also pursue such careers as engineers, teachers of math and sciences, and other related occupations.

To create work that helps these students with different types of learning styles learn, challenge them to solve problems, and unlock the mystery of their education on their own. They need to be mentally challenged, and thrive off solving critical thinking issues. That is why it is also beneficial for these learners to step outside their comfort zone. Challenge them to use the creative side of their brains as well, to understand that sometimes there isn’t always a right and a wrong. Sometimes there are only opinions.

6.) Social Learners. Social learners are natural group workers, and are the kinds of students who seem to be everywhere in school – at all the extracurricular activities, sports, band, debate, and socializing with teachers and students throughout the day. Maybe that’s a bit of a full plate for one student, but you get the point.

These learners will respond to teachers who are inquisitive and ask what they are thinking and feeling about key topics and concepts. The more you verbally engage these students one-on-one and among their peers, the more they will thrive in your classroom. Even simple acts like reading literature out loud or acting out scenes of plays, or having students present on topics can be great ways to engage these learners.

7.) Solitary Learners. Some people think that solitary learners are shy or sometimes rude because they often keep to themselves. They may come across as introverted, compared to the other different types of learners in the classroom.

Solitary learners are more comfortable sorting out problems on their own, and their independence should be celebrated and fostered in healthy ways. As a teacher, you can engage your solitary learners by having them tap into activities and lessons that allow them to sink into their skin. If you give them a place to feel comfortable for at least part of their day, they will have an easier time coming out of their shell in group assignments or during presentations.

Solitary learners are not always shy. If a solitary learner is mum during a lecture or discussion, they may be lost in their mind, trying to figure things out as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. That’s when you can ask questions to draw out what they are thinking and feeling.

These learners are also very concerned with goals and outcomes in curriculum. So be ready to explain exactly what they can expect to achieve in your class.

Many decades ago, my grandparents took a gamble and opened a small chicken restaurant on a corner of Bourj Hamoud in Beirut, Lebanon. They didn’t realize it then, but it would go on to open many branches thousands of miles away, and provide jobs for scores of people for many decades to come. They got the recipe right from the beginning. They unknowingly followed most of the advice contained in this book.

They gave it a great name-Zankou Chicken, which helped establish it as a legacy brand. They opened in a great location, a corner they knew many Armenians and Arabs would love to purchase delicious food. They made it fresh to order. They took good care of customers. They made new friends and met great people. They motivated employees by being good to them.

I remember both my father and my father teaching me the importance of being a good person. They often talked about integrity, trust, and generosity. They spoke of working hard to make lots of money, but never allowing the power of money or greed to rule over your life. They spoke of reciprocity- giving back to the community. My father used to say to us- “It is better to die than to be a type of person that hurts other people. You should be a contributing member to society. Always give back. Be generous.”

My mom always taught us to be polite, to speak nicely to people and about people, and to always strive to be exceptional. My parents and grandparents didn’t have POS systems back then. There was no social media. And you know what, it didn’t matter, because the principles we are talking about here and most of the things we went over in the book are eternal principles. They transcend time and space and culture.

One theme throughout the book was teamwork. This is very important, that you start with the right team and attract the right kind of people to work in your organization. Along with that, you need the right location, the right food experts working with your, and a great understanding of this business. You have to know operations and marketing well. You have to teach yourself to become a better negotiator.

What would you say were the top take-aways from this book? One point I want you to take home is that even if you apply and do everything in this book, it would still not work unless you did it the right way, with the right team, and in the right place and time. We discussed the importance of continuous self-improvement, continuous learning and growth for people inside the organization. The real “secret of the sauce” is that we must apply all of these principles in unison. Just like a fine-tuned orchestra, every instrument is required; but it is also necessary that the right person plays it at the right time.

I hope you learned a lot in this book. I’ve always believed there are many ways to learn, but teamwork is the best way. I’ve integrated this into my course, because I believe the very best way to master a subject is what I call Inspired Learning Through Cohesive Education™. We learn by listenings, doing, teaching, and most of all be hearing our partners and friends out when they have advice to give us on how to solve our most vexing problems.

You won’t become an expert just by reading. You will become an expert by doing; and this requires making mistakes. No one ever became a Restaurant Marketing Expert™ by reading a book and putting it away. Besides, people learn in different ways. For some attending seminars and hearing the message is profound, for others they like to watch the videos at home and learn at their own pace. But no one learns and grows without taking chances and making mistakes. Everyone dreams of providing a better future for their family, and opening a successful restaurant is a great way to make that happen. Hey, it worked for us, and many others. It can also work for you.

I hope to meet you all at my next seminar or class. Thank you for buying my book. I hope you have found it resourceful, and if you have please thank me by leaving me a rating. God bless you, and I hope to meet you soon! I will leave you with one last verse.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Hi to the few readers I do have on here.

 

2017 has been very busy already, and I plan to journal, pray, and work hard throughout the year because I really want 2017 to be my Breakout year.

 

The book is complete and currently undergoing the last editorial treatment. At about 450 pages, it promises to be a thorough affair in all things Restaurant marketing and Management.

For this year, I have a detailed editorial schedule. I plan to market my course every Monday morning. EVERY Monday morning. This has forced me to learn new ways to market my course, stretch my dollars to work for me, and also broaden the horizons about what possible ways there are to market yourself in person and online.

 

Since the book has gone through so many revisions, I have actually added to the many methods and ways I teach things in the book. For example, originally one of my chapters was 30 ways to increase restaurant sales. After much research, it grew to 52 ways. I have to now check and re-write many of my own marketing material to better describe the book and future seminar. So this list below is a work in progress. I will add to it because this was based on my lecture videos, which were completed before my book was completed.

Somehow, eventually, all of this should match perfectly.

 

Thanks for reading and God bless. For now, here is my recent PR Web release.

 

Mr. Dikran Iskenderian has a Bachelor of Science degree and an honorary Master of Arts in Leadership from Burbank’s Woodbury University. He is the author of 2 books: Restaurant Marketing: The Secret is in the Sauce™ which is coming out this Christmas, and also Success Today, which he co-authored with bestselling author Brian Tracy.

He co-owns Zankou Chicken with his family in Los Angeles, CA. They have 8 locations and continue to grow. Mr. Iskenderian has now made available, for the first time, an online education program that encompasses everything he has learned from practicing marketing and management mastery on the executive restaurant level for over 25 years.

The link to his Udemy course is here

https://www.udemy.com/restaurant-marketing-the-secret-is-in-the-saucetm/learn/v4/t/lecture/5790286

Topics include How to Learn 12 ways to INCREASE Customer Satisfaction!

How to Determine your price strategy!

Know the 12 Characteristics of GREAT Managers so you will know who to hire.

Learn about the 12 Styles of Leadership that will serve you both inside and outside the industry.

The #1 Secret to Exponential Growth (it’s not what you think)

Learn all about the Power of Reciprocity and how to use it daily in order to have a more positive outlook on life, better results, and make more (and better) friends.

Should you franchise or not?

Learn about the 21 Pillars of Negotiation. These will serve you in almost every transaction in life: from negotiating your pay in the restaurant industry, to when you’re checking out of a hotel, to making deals with family members.

Learn how to use effective Strategic Marketing analysis for your restaurant.

Should you offer delivery? This is not without its pitfalls. We discuss that topic here.

Learn how to use effective Customer Relationship Marketing

Learn how to INCREASE your RATINGS on Yelp. There are many things you can do WITHOUT violating Yelp’s guidelines. Yelp does not teach you these things because it wants restaurants to just advertise with them. What most people don’t realize is they can use YELP effectively for free.

How to advertise EFFECTIVELY on yelp without spending tons of money.

Make more money if you are an existing restaurant by using these 52 Sales Strategies

Know the difference between starting a restaurant solely for profit (sure to fail) and starting a restaurant to serve a greater purpose.

To quote Mr Iskenderian, “I try to provide my students with the very best atmosphere that encourages ‘Inspired Learning Through Cohesive Education'”

https://www.udemy.com/restaurant-marketing-the-secret-is-in-the-saucetm/learn/v4/overview

As requested by many students and followers of this blog here is the Udemy course I teach.

 

Not sure if that link is the best option for linking to the course, but enrollment is now open!

 

If you do take my course please let me know what you think and how I can make it better!

 

Constant improvement is my goal.

 

Cheers

Signs

• At every primary public entrance and at every major junction along or leading to an accessible route of travel, there shall be a sign displaying the International Symbol of Accessibility for the handicapped.

• These signs shall indicate the direction to accessible building entrances and facilities.

 

Curb Ramps

• The slope of curb ramps shall not exceed 1 unit vertical to 12 units horizontal (8.33% slope).

• Transitions from ramps to walks, gutters or streets shall be flush and free of abrupt changes, except that curb ramps shall have a detectable warning that extends the full width and depth of the curb ramp inside the grooved border, when the ramp slope is less than 1 unit vertical to 15 units horizontal (6.7% slope). Further, detectable warnings shall consist of raised truncated domes with a diameter of nominal 0.9-inch (22.9 mm) at the base, tapering to 0.45-inch (11.4mm) at the top, a height of nominal 0.2 (5.1mm) and a center-to-center spacing of nominal 2.35 inches (59.7mm). The detectable warning shall contrast visually with adjoining surfaces, either light on dark or dark-on-light. The material used to provide contrast shall be an integral part of the walking surface. The domes may be constructed in a variety of methods, including cast in place or stamped, or may be part of a prefabricated surface treatment.

• Curb ramps shall be located or protected to prevent their obstruction by parked cars.

• The slope of fanned or flared sides of curb ramps shall not exceed 1 unit vertical to 8 units horizontal (12.5% slope).

• If a curb ramp is located where pedestrians must walk across the ramp, then it shall have flared sides, the maximum slope of the flare being 1 unit vertical to 10 units horizontal (10% slope).

• Curb ramps shall be located or protected to prevent their obstruction by parked cars.

• Built-up curb ramps shall be located so that they do not project into vehicular traffic lanes.

 

Accessible Parking

• Accessible parking spaces shall be located on the shortest possible accessible route to an accessible building entrance.

• In facilities with multiple accessible building entrances with adjacent parking, accessible parking spaces shall be dispersed and located near the accessible entrances.

 

Parking Space Size

• Parking spaces for disabled persons shall be 14 feet (4267mm) wide and outlined to provide a 9-foot (2743mm) parking area and a 5-foot (1524-mm) loading and unloading access aisle on the passenger side of the vehicle.

• When more than one space is provided in lieu of providing a 14-foot wide (4267mm) space for each parking space, two spaces can be provided with a 23-foot-wide (7010mm) area lined to provide a 9-foot (2743mm) parking area on each side of a 5-foot (1524mm) loading and unloading access aisle in the center.

• The minimum length of each parking space shall be 18 feet (5486mm).

 

Van Space(s)

• One in every eight accessible spaces, but not less than one, shall be served by an access aisle 96 inches (2438mm) wide minimum and shall be designated van accessible.

 

Slope of Parking Spaces

• Surface slopes of accessible parking spaces shall be the minimum possible and shall not exceed ¼-inch (6.4mm) per foot (2.083% gradient) in any direction.

 

Signs

• Every parking space required under ADA shall be identified by a sign, centered between 36 inches and 60 inches (914mm and 1524mm) above the parking surface, as the head of the parking space.

• This sign shall include the International Symbol of Accessibility and state “RESERVED” or equivalent language.

 

Arrangement of Parking Spaces

• In each parking area, a bumper or curb shall be provided and located to prevent encroachment of cars over the required width of walkways.

• The space shall be so located that persons with disabilities are not compelled to wheel or walk behind parked cars other than their own.

• Pedestrian ways, which are accessible to people with disabilities, shall be provided from each such parking space to related facilities, including curb cuts or ramps as needed.

• Ramps shall not encroach into any parking space.

 

Facility Accessibility: Water Closets

 

• Water closets in bathrooms required to be accessible shall conform to the provisions of the California Plumbing Code—CPC—1502.0.

• The water closet shall be located in a space minimum of 36 inches (914mm) in clear width, with 48 inches (1219mm) minimum clear space provided in front of the water closet.

• This space may include maneuverable space under a lavatory, if provided, arranged so as not to impede access.
• Lavatories adjacent to a wall shall be mounted with a minimum distance of 18 inches (457mm) to the center line of the fixture.

• All accessible lavatories shall be mounted with the rim or counter surface no higher than 34 inches (864mm) above the finish floor and with a clearance of at least 29 inches (737mm) from the floor to the bottom of the apron with knee clearance under the front lip extending a minimum of 30 inches (762mm) in width, with 8 inches (203mm) minimum depth at the top.

• The clearance shall be the same width and shall be a minimum of 9 inches (229mm) high from the floor and a minimum of 17 inches (432mm) deep from the front of the lavatory.

• Hot water and drainpipes accessible under lavatories shall be insulated or otherwise covered.

• There shall be no sharp or abrasive surfaces under the lavatories.

• Faucet controls and operating mechanisms shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist.

• The force required to activate controls shall be no greater than 5 pounds (22.2 N).

• Lever-operated, push-type and electronically controlled mechanisms are examples of acceptable designs.

• Self-closing valves are allowed if the faucet remains open for at least 10 seconds.

• The minimum height of water closet seats shall be 15 inches (381mm) above the floor.

• The height of accessible water closets shall be a minimum of 17 inches (432mm) and a maximum of 19 inches (483mm) measured to the top of a maximum 2-inch (51mm) high toilet seat, except that 3-inch (76mm) seats shall be permitted only in alterations where the existing fixture is less than 15 inches (381mm) high.

• Controls shall be operable with one hand, and shall not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting.

• Controls for the flush valves shall be mounted on the wide side of toilet areas, no more than 44 inches (1118mm) above the floor.

• The force required to activate controls shall be no greater than 5 pounds.

 

Facility Accessibility: Bathing and Toilet Facilities 

 

• Bathroom entrance doorways shall have an 18-inch (457mm) clear space to the side of the strike edge of the door, on the swing side of the door.

• Sufficient maneuvering space shall be provided for a person using a wheelchair or other mobility aid to enter and close the door, use the fixtures, reopen the door and exit.

• Doors may swing into the clear space at any fixture if the maneuvering space is provided.

• Maneuvering spaces may include any knee space or toe space available below bathroom fixtures.

• Where the door swings into the bathroom, there shall be a clear space (approximately 30 inches by 48 inches/762mm by 1219mm) within the room to position a wheelchair or other mobility aid clear of the path of the door as it is closed and to permit use of fixtures.

 

Doors

 

• Regardless of the occupant load served, exit doors shall be capable of opening from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort.

• Every required exit doorway shall be of a size as to permit the installation of a door not less than 36 inches (914mm) in width and not less than 80 inches (2032mm) in height.

• When installed in exit doorways, exit doors shall be capable of opening at least 90 degrees and shall be so mounted that the clear width of the exit way is not less than 32 inches (813mm).

• For hinged doors, the opening width shall be measured with the door positioned at an angle of 90 degrees from its closed position.

• Where a pair of doors is utilized, at least one of the doors shall provide a clear, unobstructed opening width of 32 inches (813mm), with the leaf positioned at an angle of 90 degrees from its closed position.

• When an automatic door operator is utilized to operate a pair of doors, at least one of the doors shall provide a clear, unobstructed opening width of 32 inches (813mm), with the door positioned at an angle of 90 degrees from its closed position.

 

Effort to Operate Doors

 

• The maximum effort to operate doors shall not exceed 8-1/2 pounds (38 N) for exterior doors and 5 pounds (22 N) for interior doors, such pull or push effort being applied at right angles to hinged doors and at the center plane of sliding or folding doors.

• Compensating devices or automatic door operators may be utilized to meet the above standards.

• Where fire doors are required, the maximum effort to operate the door may be increased to the minimum allowable by the appropriate administrative authority, not to exceed 15 pounds (66.72 N).

• Hand-activated door opening hardware shall be centered between 30 inches (762mm) and 44 inches (1118mm) above the floor.

• Latching and locking doors that are hand-activated and which are in a path of travel shall be operable with a single effort by lever-type hardware, panic bars, push-pull activating bars, or other hardware designed to provide passage without requiring the ability to grasp the opening hardware.

• Locked exit doors shall operate as above in egress direction.

• The bottom 10 inches (254mm) of all doors, except automatic and sliding doors, shall have a smooth, uninterrupted surface to allow the door to be opened by a wheelchair footrest without creating a trap or hazardous condition.

• When narrow frame doors are used, a 10-inch-high (254mm) smooth panel shall be installed on the push side of the door, which will allow the door to be opened by a wheelchair footrest without creating a trap or hazardous condition.

 

The best advice we can give restaurant and bar owners is to be very careful. If you are are about to open a new restaurant, it really pays to check what your contractor knows. Ask him or her about these requirements and how up-to-date they are on how the build-out should be. If they build it wrong, it is you who is liable as the business owner, not them. The onus is on us to make sure we do the build-out correctly from the beginning. So make it a point to personally measure the access points and door pressure, and find out how many handicap spots are required in your city if you are building the entire lot. You may also need to create empty space in the parking lot in and around the handicap spaces in addition to the city’s minimum handicap allotment. Measure your doors by purchasing a door pressure gauge from Amazon. They aren’t cheap, but they are cheaper than a potential lawsuit from these bloodsucking, money-hungry lawyers and their blackmailing clients.

 

I have to set some time aside to try this one day.

 

The NY Times reported this is the leaked secret recipe.

 

11 spices — mix with 2 cups white flour

2/3 tablespoon salt

1/2 tablespoon thyme

1/2 tablespoon basil

1/3 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon celery salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon dried mustard

4 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons white pepper

 

The five-hour rule
Throughout Ben’s adult life, he consistently invested roughly an hour a day in deliberate learning. I call this Franklin’s five-hour rule: one hour a day on every weekday.

Franklin’s learning time consisted of

1) Waking up early to read and write

2) Setting personal-growth goals (i.e., virtues list) and tracking the results

3) Creating a club for “like-minded aspiring artisans and tradesmen who hoped to improve themselves while they improved their community”

4) Turning his ideas into experiments

5) Having morning and evening reflection questions

Every time that Franklin took time out of his busy day to follow his five-hour rule and spend at least an hour learning, he accomplished less on that day. However, in the long run, it was arguably the best investment of his time he could have made.

Franklin’s five-hour rule reflects the very simple idea that, over time, the smartest and most successful people are the ones who are constant and deliberate learners.

So what would it look like to make the five-hour rule part of our lifestyle?

 

source: Inc.com