Saving the Restaurant Industry

A business consultant from Minnetonka, Minnesota, Aaron Eichler is the founder of Strategic Consulting. As a business consultant, Aaron Eichler counsels businesses on strategy to help maximize a company’s earning and growth potential.

In 2020, many of the businesses in the restaurant industry were forced to adopt different strategies to survive. Whether it meant employees changing roles to remain employed or completely rearranging the establishment to accommodate the new social distancing policies, many restaurateurs found themselves in a position to come up with solutions quickly.

One way that many restaurants managed to remain afloat was to change their menus by focusing primarily on popular food items. At the same time, restaurants depleted existing items and refrained from purchasing new items that had a low shelf-life and required a lot of labor. Another strategy involved completely dropping certain food items. Owners had to take into consideration which foods traveled best in containers.

Restaurants also transformed their entire menus to target a particular group of people. For example, one restaurant transitioned into cooking Vietnamese food, and another chose to turn their buffet-style format into one that delivers comfort foods.

Finally, one high-end restaurant survived by offering meals for less $40. In fact, high-end restaurants fared the worst because tasting menus typically cost more than traditional ones, but this was one way to hold onto customers.

Majority of Carlson School Graduates

Since 1998, Aaron Eichler has worked in management consulting, strategy, finance, corporate growth, and analytics. Before his extensive career in business, Aaron Eichler attended the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a master’s in business administration.

Despite the pandemic, the Carlson School of Management saw many of its students gain employment after graduation. Much of this success was attributed to the Undergraduate Business Career Center and Graduate Business Career Center (GBCC), which helped both graduates and undergraduates access employment.

For those graduating from their undergraduate programs, 98 percent had a job, joined the military, or went to graduate school within three months of graduation. Graduates that were employed had an average starting salary of $60,000. Full-time MBA students also managed to gain employment within three months of earning the degree. Moreover, they benefited from increased salaries, bonuses, and negotiated vacation time, which increased since last year.

Finally, those who earned specialty master’s degrees also accessed employment at high levels. All of the students graduating with a master’s of science in finance, and 94 percent of the MSBA students could access employment within three months of graduation.

Technology and the Conservation of Nature

Aaron Eichler is an independent business management consultant in Minnetonka, Minnesota. He helps clients identify revenue-generating and cost-effective strategies to achieve their company’s goals. Passionate about preserving the environment, Aaron Eichler supports the efforts and advocacies of The Nature Conservancy.

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is an environmental nonprofit organization that leverages science and technology to accomplish its mission of protecting land and water for the survival of all.

Technological advances in aerial and underwater surveillance, such as drones and satellites, have enabled The Nature Conservancy’s scientists to map and analyze the health of the Caribbean's reef network. Access to high-resolution maps of the coral reefs in the Caribbean has opened doors for The Nature Conservancy’s scientists to gather more data. Through Microsoft’s machine-learning algorithm, scientists can learn more about the area's tourism activities and push for coral reef protection due to the economic incentive that the reef brings to the local economy.

Using Social Media to Attract

As the founder and managing director of a strategic consulting firm in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Aaron Eichler helps companies maximize revenue, reduce costs, and create value for consumers. With his knowledge and expertise in strategy and growth, Aaron Eichler also focuses on helping companies in the restaurant industry.

Because many restaurants have been forced to close, some restaurant owners have turned to takeout and delivery to remain in operation. An effective strategy to make this transition smooth is using social media.

Social media is a viable tool for attracting leads and turning them into paying customers. By advertising on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, restaurant owners can promote their menus, give away gift vouchers, and engage customers through contests to encourage repeat orders. In addition to marketing, social media is a good way for business owners to resolve customer complaints, gather feedback, and learn about customer preferences.