North Country SBDC and Chamber to Present "From Kitchen to Profits"

"From Kitchen to Profits" will be held from 8-11 a.m. at the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 7061 Route 9 in Plattsburgh. Presented by Andy Allison and Rick Leibowitz of the North Country Small Business Development Center, this workshop will expose attendees to a new paradigm for menu development, best practices for controlling expenses and ideas on how to create memorable guest experiences as well as what key performance indicators they should be tracking with the ultimate goal of developing a culture of excellence.

Andy Allison is a business advisor and food service specialist at the North Country SBDC. He has a wealth of experience in the food industry as a manager and food director. He has worked at a five-star hotel; Disneyland and Walt Disney World; prestigious retail supermarket companies; a tennis and golf resort; and fast food establishments, as well as serving as a caterer for a private food company.

Rick Leibowitz is the regional director of the North Country SBDC. He has a degree in environmental planning/design from Rutgers University.  He opened his first food service business, a bagel store in Ewing, N.J., in 1991. Then, over a 16-year period, he continued his foray in the food and beverage industry as the owner and operator of four other food establishments in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Alaska. In addition to managing his own operations, he served as a consultant for the opening of privately held food establishments and as a food and beverage executive for two international corporations.

The fee for the seminar is $20 for members of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and $30 for non-members. A continental breakfast will be provided. Pre-registration is requested by Monday, Jan. 5. To register, contact the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce at 518-563-1000 or register online at www.northcountrychamber.com/MBTP/eventspage.cfm.

The seminar is sponsored by the N.Y.S. Small Business Development Center at the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh and the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce/SCORE.

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The North Country SBDC, part of the School of Business and Economics at SUNY Plattsburgh, works one-on-one in a confidential setting with emerging, existing and expanding entrepreneurs. The staff has provided services at no cost to clients in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren and Northern Washington counties for more than 22 years. SCORE and the North Country SBDC are funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in northern New York, serving Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties.  SCORE offers free business advice and mentoring through a network of volunteer business professionals and is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.