Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1303711
4 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2020 | There have been several questions submitted to the Board and FirstService Residential regarding the temporary closure of the food & beverage operation and the point of sale system. The Board requested that I compose an update on these items. Food & Beverage Temporary Closure Back on August 6, I provided the community an update on the Board's decision to temporarily close the food & beverage operation. As a reminder, the closure decision was based on: • Governor Newsom's order to close in-dining meals, bars, large gatherings, and banquets. • The member usage of curbside service had remained low. • The amount of cash burn had increased, resulting in greater financial losses to the Association. During the closure, a Restaurant Task Force Ad Hoc Committee was formed. The Committee consisted of two board members, one district delegate and committee chairpersons from Marketing, Recreation, Food & Beverage, and Finance. They were tasked to develop a plan for the restaurant and lounge reopening. This included reviewing areas such as what types of food should be served, home delivery, food and alcohol pricing, operating hours, and more. Along with the work done by the Restaurant Task Force, the Board began reviewing the 2021 budget implications and the staffing model. The Board worked with their legal counsel and FirstService Residential on possible changes that could be made to the employment agreement. The Board determined that an emphasis on part-time staffing should be done. Further, the Board desired to abolish the mandatory service charge. The service charge model had been brought to the Board's attention from members who felt the added taxation and mandatory tip was a deterrent to potential patrons. In addition to the service charge increasing the sales tax to the patron bill, it also affects payroll taxes. This results in Sun Lakes paying approximately $40,000 annually in payroll taxes. To facilitate a change to the employment agreement, the Board was advised to remain closed for a period of time, then reopen and rehire staff. Based on all these factors, the Board focused on a re-opening date of November. In September, based on recommendations from the Restaurant Task Force, the Board set the reopening date of November 18, 2020. The proposed model will be: • Lunch will be served Wednesday through Sunday 11 am – 3 pm (closed Monday & Tuesday) • Dinner will be served Friday & Saturday 4 – 9 pm. • Bar Service will be available to dine in patrons. • Curbside service will be available Wednesday through Sunday 11:30 am – 6 pm (closed Monday & Tuesday) Tables will be configured to maintain social distancing, and reservations will be recommended. There will be daily special and themed food nights. Point of Sale System The Board and staff have discussed the limitations of the point of sale (POS) system for two years. There were several reasons why the point of sale system needed attention: • Data limitation. • Functionality with 3rd party devices (Tablets, pour controls) • Elimination of written process' and forms. The current system has a visual interface that allows the staff member to type in orders, process transactions and print receipts. But some issues needed to be addressed: Golf Course Pro Shop All tee time information including reservations are recorded and tracked manually on paper. The daily round count is then input into a spreadsheet. There is no computerized tracking of rounds or tournaments. This led onsite staff to look for a point of sale system that integrated round reservation and tracking, script management, inventory management and sales history, by member. With an integrated POS system, manual processes can be eliminated, and information can be obtained automatically. Food & Beverage Data limitations are an issue for this department. Though we have some reporting options like sales reports and house account tracking, we are severely limited on the detailed data we can obtain. For example, in order to determine the net income/net loss for a day, the F&B director must pull data from the ADP payroll system, the POS system, and the reservation log. This data is collected manually and then input into a spreadsheet. This process is time consuming, but the data is important to ensure the onsite team is meeting its budgetary goals. There are systems that integrate data from different sources automatically and can produce a daily management report. This would save time and provide critical information to make informed business decisions. To cost out the menu, the Executive Chef must contact suppliers to obtain pricing. This must be done frequently as prices for items such as proteins have increased rapidly this year, and we must maintain a set cost per item for budget purposes. An integrated system will be able to pull third-party pricing so the onsite team can evaluate costs, and work with the Board of Directors to adjust prices and portions quickly. Sun Lakes Country Club Homeowners Association Board & Community Update on Food & Beverage closure and POS system Continued on following page