This stealthy exercise is called "quality assurance," but it's not for a dining review or other newspaper write-up. It's an undercover restaurant analysis report paid for by and written up for the restaurant.
Why spy on your own staff?
For dozens of local restaurant owners and managers - from upscale BYOBs to chains, cafes, and even Stephen Starr gems - Kravitz's business, I-Spy, is a "mystery shopping service" that is an owner's critical window into a customer's perspective on service, food and atmosphere.
With up to 60 percent of new restaurants failing in the first year, and thousands, if not millions of dollars being invested in everything from first-time BYOB ventures to multinational franchises, restaurateurs in today's climate can't afford not to hire a company like Kravitz's to analyze everything from internal blips to major recurring service issues.
Kravitz, whose educational background in the hospitality management field led him to longtime food-writing gigs with Philly Style magazine and City Paper, opened I-Spy in January 2002 with the idea that he'd use his restaurant knowledge to see things from the guests' perspectives.
His written reports, which cost an average of a few hundred dollars each, help restaurants "maximize their guest experience and return on investment, as well as stay ahead of their competition," according to Kravitz. He now has more than 60 clients and up to 15 secret shoppers working for him. Eateries hire him as often as they want.
"Our report is done through the eyes of guests, who comprise at least 98 percent of their clientele, as compared to the one or two percent of their guests who are 'in the business,' " said Kravitz.
