Add a little sparkle to your Independence Day menu with these delicious and fun drink recipes:

Fourth of July Cocktail

“Triple D” host Guy Fieri heats things up – literally – with this pepper-infused concoction that’s sure to grab guests’ attention:

Courtesy of Guy Fieri, foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

1 ounce watermelon schnapps

1 big splash cranberry juice

1 very thin slice jalapeno or serrano pepper

1 slice lemon

1 slice lime

1 1/2 ounces tequila

1/4 ounce blue curacao

1/2 ounce simple syrup

Garnish:  Watermelon wedge

Glass:  Highball

Directions

Mix the schnapps and cranberry juice in a shaker; pour into an ice-filled glass.  Muddle the jalapeno pepper, lemon and lime slices, tequila, blue curacao and simple syrup (to make a batch, dissolve sugar in equal parts hot water and chill) in the shaker.  Slowly strain into the glass over the red layer.  Garnish with watermelon, if desired.

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Coconut Blue Hawaiian

A beautiful red, white and blue cocktail that will cool guests down on a hot summer day.

Courtesy of bettycrocker.com

Ingredients

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup (4 ounces) light rum, if desired

1/2 cup (4 ounces) blue curaçao

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream of coconut (not coconut milk)

10 to 12 ice cubes

Garnish:  Fresh cherries or maraschino cherries with stems

Glass:  Martini

Directions

Chill martini glasses in freezer several hours before serving.  Place all ingredients except cherries in blender.  Cover and blend on high speed about 45 seconds or until smooth.  Pour pineapple mixture into glasses.  Garnish with cherry.

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Frosty Fireworks

A non-alcoholic drink recipe sure to please guests of all ages.

Courtesy of food.com

Ingredients

16 ounces blue Gatorade

16 ounces red Gatorade (or any red Kool-Aid or fruit punch)

12 ounces Sprite or any other clear carbonated beverage

4 -6 plain ice cubes

Glass:  Highball or tall tumbler

Directions

Fill the sections of one ice cube tray with blue Gatorade, and place in freezer for several hours or until frozen solid.  Fill the sections of the other ice cube tray with the red Gatorade (or other red color drink), and place in freezer until frozen solid.  When ready to serve, place about 4 or 5 regular (clear) ice cubes in a highball glass or tall tumbler.  Add two blue ice cubes and two red ice cubes to the glass.  Fill the glass the rest of the way with a clear carbonated soda.  Now wait to see the special effects to begin.  As the cubes melt, colored bubbles will swirl through the soda and create a sparkling “frosty fireworks” effect.

You don’t need a treadmill, a dumbbell or Zumba DVD to get your cocktail menu ready for the bikini season.

All you need are some hot new drink recipes!

Here are three you can add to your menu.  They’re sure to cool down all of your customers as the weather heats up:

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Blueberry Smash

This recipe is by the pitcher.  Perfect for a table to share!

Courtesy of bonappetit.com

Ingredients:

2 lemons, sliced into rounds

2 limes, sliced into rounds

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh mint leaves plus sprigs for garnish

1 1/2 cups vodka

3/4 cup St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)

Garnish: Mint sprig

Glass: Coupe or highball

Directions:

Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, coarsely mash lemon and lime slices, blueberries, and mint leaves in a large pitcher.  Stir in vodka, St-Germain and 2 cups of ice cubes.  Divide drink among coupe or highball glasses; top with more ice cubes.  Garnish each drink with a mint sprig.

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Barbados Punch

A summery, frozen mixed drink perfect for day or evening.

Courtesy of delish.com

Ingredients:

1 ounce Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

1/4 ounce triple sec

1 ounce lime juice

2 ounce pineapple juice

Garnish:  Lime slice and pineapple slice

Glass: Pina Colada

Directions:

Add Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, triple sec, lime juice, and pineapple juice to a blender with crushed ice.  Blend until smooth and pour into glass.  Garnish with lime slice and pineapple slice.

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Fresh Grape Crush

For guests who prefer a lighter option, this tasty concoction contains less than 200 calories!

Courtesy of yumsugar.com

Ingredients:

8 seedless red grapes

1-1/2 ounces grape juice

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 ounces vodka

1-3 ounces soda water, to taste

Garnish:  Lemon wheel

Glass:  Lowball

Directions: 

In shaker or mixing glass, muddle grapes. Add in ice, grape juice, lemon juice and vodka.  Shake vigorously, strain over lowball glass with ice, and top off soda water to taste. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Ever had to fire an employee?

If so, you know how difficult the act can be.  Even when an employee truly deserves it, the act of taking away his livelihood can leave even the most dispassionate manager feeling awful.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to make the process respectful and compassionate.  These suggestions will help you treat the employee as humanely as possible, while still protecting your business from a legal aspect:

Think before you act.  Before firing anyone, get advice from a human resources professional or employment lawyer.  These experts can help ensure you abide by state and federal laws, as well as your company’s unique employment policies.

Get your ducks in a row.  Simplify the employee’s transition by handling termination logistics before calling the employee in.  Create a clear plan for the employee to return company property, clean out his desk/office and consult with HR on pay/benefits to expedite the separation.

Skip the small talk.  Don’t bother trying to warm the mood or to pretend it’s an ordinary exchange – you’re only delaying the inevitable.  Save the platitudes and limit the meeting to 10 minutes or less.

Stay neutral.  Keep it pleasant, but not too friendly.  Let the employee down as easily as you can without being unprofessional.  Remember, you are not this person’s comforter – he can go home to his spouse, friends or family for the support he needs.

Empathize.  Try to put yourself in the employee’s shoes and understand what he’s going through.  Be patient when you talk to him and keep your cool if he becomes angry, upset or frustrated.  Offer whatever resources your company provides to ease the employee’s transition.

Be decisive.  Make sure that both your tone and wording are resolute.  Giving an employee “wiggle room” or false hope will only encourage him to try and argue to save his job.  If you find yourself getting dragged into a pointless discussion, take charge by saying something like, “I’ll be glad to talk about this as long as you like, but you should know that nothing we discuss will change the decision.”

Be honest.  If you’re downsizing, leave performance out of the picture.  But if performance is the issue, don’t try to hide behind an excuse to make the conversation easier for you.  You’ll be doing the employee a disservice and opening your business to potential problems – especially if you later hire someone to fill the vacant slot.  Be direct about your reason for termination, even if it’s difficult for one or both of you.

One of the benefits of Penguin’s on-call and temporary hospitality staff is never having to fire them!  As their employer of record, we take care of replacing and/or reassigning workers.  Contact Penguin Staffing today to find out more about our hospitality staffing services in Atlanta, Richmond, D.C. and Baltimore.

Forget green food coloring.  This year’s St. Patrick’s Day drinks are all about taste!

Here are three unique and festive drink recipes to add to your menu that are sure to bring out the Irish in all of your customers:

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Irish Jack Rose

Courtesy of Liquor.com

Ingredients:

1 oz Michael Collins Blended Irish Whiskey

.5 oz Calvados

.5 oz Fresh lime juice

.5 oz Grenadine

Garnish: Lime wedge

Glass: Cocktail

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.  Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

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The Blarney Stone

Courtesy of Food & Beverage Magazine

Ingredients:

2 oz Sobieski Bizon Grass Vodka

Apple Juice

Glass: Highball

Directions:

Pour Sobieski Bizon Grass vodka into glass with ice.  Add apple juice.  Stir and serve.

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Black Velvet Beer Cocktail

Courtesy of yumsugar.com

2 oz Guinness Extra Stout

2 oz Korbel Brut

Glass:  Champagne coupe

Directions: 

Gently pour stout and sparkling wine into coupe.  Stir and serve.

Has the recent economy handed you a bunch of lemons?

Penguin Staff can help you make some lemonade.

Let’s face it – whether business is up or down, you still have work to do.  And during tough economic times like these, temporary hospitality staffing solutions are a great tool to help you:

• contain labor costs;
• convert fixed expenses to variable;
• capitalize on short-notice business opportunities;
• accurately match labor levels to workloads, to avoid over-staffing.

Bottom line, temporary staffing makes sense in this economy.  So if you need extra help – from banquet servers to grill cooks to stewards – to keep work flowing during these tough times, Penguin is ready to sweeten the deal!  From February 6 through February 24, 2012, enjoy these special Sweetheart Rates (use the reference code SWEETHEART when placing your order):

Banquet Server

Sweetheart Rate:  $16.95 (Regular Rate:  $24.00)

Penguin Staff banquet servers serve food and beverage, provide table maintenance, room set up/tear down; orders may be taken depending on the menu selection for your event.

Bartender

Sweetheart Rate:  $18.95 (Regular Rate:  $25.00)

Penguin Staff bartenders mix and pour alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for guests in bars, lounges, nightclubs, restaurants, on cruise ships and at your special events.

Busser

Sweetheart Rate:  $13.95 (Regular Rate:  $17.90)

Penguin Staff bussers clean and clothe tables; set decorations, condiments, candles, napkins, service plates, utensils, etc.

Grill Cook

Sweetheart Rate:  $15.95 (Regular Rate:  $19.90)

Penguin Staff grill cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of food and may be responsible for basic food preparation or more complex tasks in restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, etc.

Prep Cook

Sweetheart Rate:  $12.95 (Regular Rate:  $17.90)

Penguin Staff prep cooks assist in preparing meals by chopping vegetables, making salads, putting together entrees, etc.

Houseman

Sweetheart Rate:  $13.95 (Regular Rate:  $18.89)

Penguin Staff housemen set up and break down for meetings/events, maintain inventory of banquet supplies, maintain clean work areas, and ensure prompt and courteous service to guests (following all safety procedures).

Steward

Sweetheart Rate:  $12.95 (Regular Rate:  $16.90)

Penguin Staff stewards fill ice machines, polish silverware, transfer food items, wash dishes, clean, remove recyclable materials and trash, etc.

Rest assured, Penguin’s skilled hospitality staff are highly trained and ready to perform for you.  So if you have work to be done, give Penguin a call – and save big on your labor costs!

Anyone up for a $4 Snickers?

The Wall Street Journal reports that pedestrian items like M&Ms and Diet Coke are going by the wayside in hotel minibars and being replaced by specialty and local items.  According to the article, several factors are spurring the latest “minibar makeover”:

• hotels are dissatisfied by lackluster sales (theft and billing problems eat into minibar income);
• managers are fed up with arguing over disputed charges;
• minibars have to be replenished daily and unsold items expire;
• consumers sometimes think that hotels are trying to gouge them.

In an attempt to convince guests to spring for expensive treats, hotels are making a variety of changes.  Some are trading standard items like potato chips and candy for unique local snacks or other items you can’t get at the nearest gas station.  Examples include ham-flavored Chilean almonds, locally brewed beer and specialty chocolates from upscale chocolatiers.  Omni Hotels & Resorts is even testing a gluten-free pretzel in its minibars.

Simply upgrading offerings, however, isn’t enough to tempt some guests.  Business travelers, in particular, are becoming fed-up with what they consider gouging – although hotels like the Hilton claim that minibars are actually loss-leaders.  So to further entice guests, hoteliers are using “suggestive selling” and breaking goodies out of the minibar altogether.  After all, it may be harder to resist a candy bar if it’s staring at you from the TV stand.

Hoteliers are also using technology to cut costs, reduce disputed charges and keep better track of sales and product expiration dates.  Automated minibars, equipped with sensors that detect (and immediately charge a guest’s bill) when an item has been removed, are now available.  Although the technology is not perfect, hotels and minibar manufacturers say these high-tech minibars can significantly cut labor costs.

Still other hotels have taken their minibar makeovers to the extreme.  Some have pulled booze completely from their minibars; some have completely eliminated stocked minibars – leaving only empty refrigerators for guests to use; and others have taken the opposite tack – throwing in free minibar goodies.

Have you overhauled your hotel minibars?  What changes have you made, and why?  Please leave your comments below.

Penguin Staff – Your Hospitality and Banquet Services Partner

When you need temporary banquet and kitchen employees, hotel front desk or other hospitality professionals, call on Penguin. We provide immediate access to screened, interviewed and trained employees for your on-call, temporary or direct staffing needs.  Partner with Penguin today.

Looking for a new way to attract more customers?  Why not hold a culinary event this Labor Day?

With an endless range of theme possibilities, a culinary event allows hospitality organizations like yours to celebrate food and drink, partner with corporate and non-profit organizations, create excitement and draw a crowd of new customers.

Successful event planning isn’t rocket science, but it does require careful planning and attention to detail. If you’ve considered hosting an event like this, but aren’t sure how to get started, use this list of tips:

• Determine a goal/purpose for the event. Do you want to promote new menu items?  Raise money for a charity?  Draw a certain type of new customer?  Celebrate a holiday?  The primary purpose for your event will help determine your budget, how you publicize the event, when you hold it, etc.
• Create a calendar. Working backward from your event date, create a calendar of major tasks that need to be completed.
• Take advantage of event planning tools. To successfully host a culinary event, you need to stay organized.  Use your productivity and organization software to create and manage checklists for:  assigning and tracking completion of tasks (including due dates); activities to be held; items to be purchased; estimated and actual costs; questions and notes.
• Create and stick to your budget. A comprehensive budget should include a written projection of your expected income and expenditures.  Be sure to allow for a little “wiggle room” to include unforeseen expenses, event taxes, etc.  Don’t be afraid to negotiate with vendors, as most will work with you to get your business.  Monitor and update your budget frequently, so you can make intelligent choices throughout your planning stages.
• Create a master binder. Keep all your task lists, key contact information, budgeting information, vendor contracts, etc. in one binder for handy reference.
• Plan adequate staffing. When you host a culinary event, there’s no room for error.  Penguin Staffing specializes in event staffing.  We can help ensure you are adequately staffed with high-quality, well-trained employees.  From dishwashers to banquet servers, we can supply everyone you need to make your event a success.
• Consider quality of supplies. The supplies you choose for the event – everything from napkins to giveaway items to the type of alcohol served – should be appropriate for the type of guests attending, while staying within your budget.  Shop around and consider renting supplies instead of buying them.
• Take advantage of social media. A culinary event is a great way to promote and harness your social media presence.  Use Twitter and Facebook to promote your event and invite guests.  On the day of the event, leave a sign-in sheet in the registration area for guests’ twitter handles. Create a custom hashtag for the event and encourage attendees to tweet about it.  Post pictures of the event on your organization’s blog or Facebook page and allow guests to tag themselves.
• Have a plan B for everything. If you’re hosting an outdoor event, what will you do if it rains?  If your band cancels last-minute, what will you do for entertainment?  Anticipate that at least a few things will go wrong.  Determine which aspects of your event will have the greatest impact, and create a back-up plan for each.
• Capture the event and leverage exposure. Take lots of pictures and videos during the event.  While people are still buzzing about it, be sure to upload pictures to social media accounts, blog about the event and send out a wrap-up press release.  You put a lot of time and effort into the planning and execution – make sure you reap the benefits of a job well done!

To get a feel for what other hospitality organizations are doing, follow this link to a listing of 2011 Labor Day Culinary Events.