Thursday, May 21, 2009

Bogota Bistro Participating In Dining Out for a Cure

Third Annual ‘Dining Out For a Cure’ Begins June 1

By Caitlin McNamara
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN — When Lenore Arons was planning the third annual, month-long “Dining Out for a Cure” restaurant event in Brooklyn, she worried that the restaurants that eagerly participated in 2008 might not be able or willing to partake this year.

“I was concerned and would have understood if some or many [of the restaurants] felt they couldn’t participate,” says Arons.

But her worry evaporated when almost all 25 restaurants from last year, plus a few new ones, signed up to host a special evening in June, from which a portion of the receipts will go to The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

“It is terrific and surprising how many are returning for a second and third year,” she says. “It’s really exciting, because it’s an expression of caring, community and generosity on the part of the restaurants.”

She acknowledges that diners are similarly pinched, but hopes they will turn out to support the event and their local establishments. Dining on a “for the cure” night is a way of saying, “you’re doing something good,” she says — for the Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Fort Greene restaurants, and for the fundraising effort.

For those who love the whites and reds, the second annual “Start Wine-ing” tasting fundraiser is also in progress, and will continue on select days through June. This series, organized by Arons, raises money for money for Avon too.

Last year “Dining Out” raised $8,000, a significant increase over the prior year. Most of the proceeds came from the restaurants, but some were also from diners donating directly to the cause and from passersby who saw Arons in a pink shirt (the color of breast cancer awareness) out in front of restaurants greeting guests and sharing information about the cause. The same happened during the wine tastings, which raised $1,800.

Arons began walking in the national, two-day, 39-mile Avon events several years ago because she had friends affected by the disease. Soon after, Arons herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. Last May, Arons walked in her fourth Avon walk, in Boston, which was the first following her diagnosis. It was also the first time she entered the closing ceremonies as a survivor. Arons says there was great power in this moment — of walking into the tent together with the other survivors, all wearing the same pink shirt, and being cheered by hundreds of people.

“It is extraordinary to be at the closing,” she says. “It’s dramatic and exciting, and emotional for me. Right when you are standing there, they announce where the money goes.”

As always, Arons will be at every “Dining Out for a Cure” event, greeting and thanking guests. So look for her — she’ll be the one in pink!

To make an individual donation, or for more information about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, contact Arons at walking withlenore@att.net. or visit http://www.diningoutforacure.com/

‘Dining Out for a Cure’

June 1 — Bogota Latin Bistro, 141 Fifth Ave.
June 2 — Ici, 246 DeKalb Ave.
June 3 — Beast, 638 Bergen St.
June 4 — Bocca Lupo*, 391 Henry St.
June 5 — Chez Lola, 387 Myrtle Ave.
June 6 — The Chocolate Room, 269 Court St.
June 7 — Santa Fe Grill, 62 Seventh Ave.
June 8 — Bonnie’s Grill*, 278 Fifth Ave.
June 9 — Playa|Cabana Bar, 230 Fifth Ave.
June 10 — Aunt Suzie’s, 247 Fifth Ave.
June 11 — Miriam, 79 Fifth Ave.
June 13 — The Chocolate Room, 86 Fifth Ave.
June 15 – Sette Enoteca e Cucina, 207 Seventh Ave.
June 16 – Lobo*, 188 Fifth Ave.
June 17 – Lobo*, 218 Court St.
June 18 – Flatbush Farm*, 76 St. Marks Ave.
June 19 – Blue Ribbon, 280 Fifth Ave.
June 22 – Rose Water, 787 Union St.
June 23 – 200 Fifth, 200 Fifth Ave.
June 24 – Barrio, 210 Seventh Ave.
June 25 – Saul, 140 Smith St.
June 28 – Lunetta, Smith St.
June 29 – Palo Santo, 652 Union St.
June 30 – Loulou, 222 DeKalb Ave.
*serving lunch too

Labels: ,

Monday, April 27, 2009

Bogota Bistro Colombian Restaurant

Monday, July 28, 2008

Bogota Latin Bistro on the Today Show - NY

Labels: , , ,

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Importance of Hiring A Manager

Labels:

Wanted: Restaurant Manager (Episode 6 FINAL)

Wanted: Restaurant Manager (Episode 5)

Wanted: Restaurant Manager (Episode 3)

Wanted: Restaurant Manager (Episode 1)

Seeking Restaurant Manager (Episode 4)

Wanted: Restaurant Manager (Episode 2)

Sunday, March 02, 2008

New Bogota Tshirts Are In

Bogota Bistro Tshirts & Merchandise
Get yours today only at Bogota!

Labels:

Thursday, February 14, 2008

We Met At The Center

Mojito Loco

It is Valentines Day and I am sitting alone in Mojito Loco. For a small place in a very out of the area, they are busy with about 16 people ... most of whom are couples. The place has not been adequately staffed. There is one guy running around looking like a chicken with his head cut off and a short dark haired latina woman who looks like Imelda Marcos who is running in and out of the kitchen. They are doing the best they can but it does come across as quite amusing.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Humanitarian Crisis In Gaza

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Farid and George

Labels:

Monday, December 24, 2007

New Orleans for Xmas

Tomorrow, Christmas, is also my birthday and as a gift to myself I decided to travel to New Orleans. I just arrived and am very very excited about being here! Happy birthday to me!!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Monday, December 17, 2007

Keep Your Employees Focused this Holiday Season

Keep Your Employees Focused this Holiday Season

by Patricia Schaefer

'Tis the season for all good employees to become distracted.

Stress. Gift shopping and giving. Sending holiday cards. Parties and holiday lunches. Decorating. Gift wrapping. Family obligations and gatherings. How can you keep your employees focused on their work-at-hand without them having visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads? Just what's an employer to do?

Set an example
Leadership is crucial to maintaining productivity during the holiday season. If your attitude and goals are lax during this time -- coming in excessively late and producing less than usual -- chances are your employees will take your lead and slack off as well. Stay focused on your end-of-year goals and chances are your employees will do the same.

Reinforce your mission statement
This might be a good time to remind employees of your company's fundamental purpose, and your short and long-term goals. Set some new goals, and let your inspired excitement and drive be contagious.

Don't be a “scrooge"
If you find yourself saying “Bah Humbug" to anything celebratory, think again. Perk up morale and productivity by giving your workers a holiday treat to look forward to or enjoy; i.e., a celebratory luncheon, festive decorations, or a holiday cookie or Secret Santa exchange. Consider giving each employee a company holiday gift, although this practice may be too costly for larger businesses. If this time of year is your busiest, keep employees' spirits high with small tokens of appreciation like bringing in bagels and coffee, or simply expressing your heartfelt thanks for a job well done.

If possible, try not to demand excessive overtime or weekend hours. When additional work time is necessary due to seasonal demands, consider using temporary help to augment your regular work force. If feasible, allow some flexibility in work-time shifts so employees can get those critical holiday errands accomplished. Contemplate scheduling company holiday celebrations and parties during normal business hours so you don't take away from workers' personal time.

Don't let history repeat itself
Did productivity suffer last holiday season? Identify what went wrong and come up with viable solutions, seeking input from workers whenever possible. If work time and employee relations suffered because certain employees took overly-long lunch breaks, set down strict guidelines about lunch-time limits for all. If company orders were up last holiday season but you didn't have enough customer service help to keep up in a timely fashion, plan on employing more people or temporarily shifting work responsibilities in order to handle the load.

Reflect on and share accomplishments
Take the time to think about all the great things you, your business and employees have accomplished during the year. Focus on the positive contributions and achievements, and be sure to share these with your staff, being certain to thank each and all for whatever part they played. Being appreciated lifts the spirits and goes a long way to staying motivated during stressful and harried times.

Employing some or all of these methods should help maintain your employee productivity level during the holiday season. But do keep in mind that realistically you may experience some decrease in worker output. If this should happen, eat one of those holiday cookies, take a sip of some company eggnog, smile and exclaim, “Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Men."

Labels: