Culinary Cues

JULY 8, 2021

If there is stability in the restaurant business – I’m not quite sure where it is. With a real need to try and make-up for a lost year and an overnight demand for dining out – restaurants are faced with a new pressing issue: where do we find the staff and how do we keep them?

Sports 473

Sports Take-out Café Training 473

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Working in a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or any place that serves food & drink is a fast-paced, always-on career. On the 7shifts blog and social media, we seek to provide actionable and informative content to help restaurant people learn about every corner of the industry. A restaurant manager wears many hats.

Management 195

Management Management Website Management Social Media 195

Culinary Cues

APRIL 18, 2023

The restaurant business is sometimes like the canary in the coal mine and at other times like the father of teenage children – the last to know. What the pandemic did was put a spotlight on how difficult all of this is. What the pandemic did was put a spotlight on how difficult all of this is.

Food Truck 319

Food Truck Back of House Education Training 319

Culinary Cues

MARCH 26, 2022

Are you thinking about owning a restaurant? You are not alone if the thought of putting your name on a restaurant awning has crossed your mind. One of the most tempting forays into entrepreneurship is the restaurant business. How hard can it be – right? Spoiler alert – nothing could be further from the truth.

Cash Management 366

Cash Management Social Media Restaurant Law Communication 366

Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

Most restaurant owners, managers, family members of cooks, friends of cooks and chefs, those in other professions, service staff, and restaurant patrons, don’t get it. Most people don’t get it. There is the weight of exposure that keeps most chefs up at night. Chefs put their name on every dish that leaves the kitchen.

Guest Recovery 404

Guest Recovery Seasonal Menu Presentation Customer Experience 404

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 21, 2023

The once restaurateur-centric restaurant was about to become chef-centric. It was interesting, somewhat absurd, but life changing for those in the profession and for the way people viewed the restaurant experience. Suddenly the chef-owned restaurant not only made sense – it was the approach with the greatest traction.

Back of House 390

Back of House Food Supply Government Dine-in 390

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2020

Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. Now is the time to self-assess and realign priorities.

Leadership 398

Leadership Point of Sale Training Coaching 398

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

Managing a restaurant is a delicate routine—if we can even call it a routine. A better description might be a balancing act that presents new and unique challenges every day. Managers are responsible for nearly every aspect of the restaurant and have to cover a variety of duties.

Management 195

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 195

Culinary Cues

APRIL 13, 2020

Restaurants will get the green light at some point. We also know that the health and safety regulations for restaurants will change significantly as we make every attempt to keep the public and our staff safe and at ease. There is little guarantee that the product that is received at the backdoor of our restaurants is free from virus.

Kitchen Safety 558

Kitchen Safety Uniforms Food Safety Employee Relations 558

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2020

For the restaurant operator caught up in the current, somewhat bleak reality of the business environment we are living in – there is hope in knowing how resilient the business of food can be. The first step is to open up that time-tested playbook and remind you how important the basics are. You can do this!

Social Media 436

Social Media Communication Loyalty Program Training 436

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2022

We want and need to make a difference, no matter how small or how large that contribution might be. We want and need to make a difference, no matter how small or how large that contribution might be. Of course, we require those important things to survive, but survival to the average person is never enough.

Uniforms 413

Uniforms Front of House Food Safety Healthcare 413

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

The restaurant industry continues to be devastated – not just as a result of the pandemic but because the pandemic brought underlying issues to the surface. The glory days of the restaurant industry have been laid to rest and they may never return to any semblance of normalcy. How will we react?” What if……happens?

Customer Experience 387

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 387

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2022

I get it, profit in restaurants is sometimes hard to come by. Restaurants get hit from all angles so when there is a chance to push the envelope on pricing – many do. These are the restaurants where dining is much, much more than just consuming food. It’s so hard to make money on that 10 oz. Prime Filet or 14 oz.

Pricing 352

Pricing Training Consumer Goods Customer Experience 352

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2021

Sometimes the change curve can be mapped out allowing ample time to gear up with new skills, new products, new methods of production, and a laser focused marketing strategy, while on occasion, something environmental takes place that forces a more immediate response. It is always safe to say: “things change”.

2021 462

2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 462

Culinary Cues

APRIL 10, 2023

To some it may simply seem like the squeaky wheel syndrome (a handful of people with loud voices) as dialogue about exodus from the restaurant business continues to raise eyebrows. There are, unfortunately some restaurants who fit the accusations. To some degree it is a result of perceptions left unchecked, but not in every case.

Employee Relations 472

Employee Relations Restaurant Law Waste Article 472

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

With more than one million restaurants in the US we can flip a coin and hope for the great, will likely step through the doors of good, and far too often settle into the mediocre. So, just in case the information is not well known to some – here is the BEST OF Restaurant 101, a good start. [] START WITH KNOWING THE MARKET.

Fine Dining 392

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 392

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 19, 2022

These special days: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day were set aside as times to be with those we love – regardless of a person’s career obligations. Those days in restaurants that were once recognized as a time to close and let traditions thrive are now some of the busiest business days of the year. Why aren’t they open?

Hospitality 375

Hospitality Café 2022 Specials 375

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

On top of this – restaurants are offering wages that were unheard of pre-pandemic and still employees are not inclined to return to kitchens and dining rooms. On top of this – restaurants are offering wages that were unheard of pre-pandemic and still employees are not inclined to return to kitchens and dining rooms.

2021 495

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 495

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Yes, I’m talking about what it will be like in our restaurants from this point on and into the foreseeable future. It’s time to accept where we are, listen and understand where we might be going, put aside our frustrations and begin to establish a working strategy that is based on what is inevitable.

Food Supply 416

Food Supply Employee Relations Kitchen Safety Social Media 416

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 20, 2024

It’s no different in great restaurants. Chefs know how to play it safe; cooks understand what it means to stick to the basics, and many customers do like to embrace predictability. Look around you and try to dissect those businesses and individuals who are successful at what they do.

Coaching 350

Coaching Small Business Café Entertainment 350

Restaurant365

AUGUST 21, 2020

Successful restaurant owners and operators don’t just provide great food. For food service and hospitality in particular, an essential part of the guest experience is the interaction with employees. The people piece of the puzzle can be challenging for restaurants. How are you communicating with your potential new hires?

Blog 78

Blog Restaurant Law Recruiting Employee Relations 78

Culinary Cues

APRIL 3, 2020

As you move through IDEATION that will help to define what your restaurant concept, menu, systems, and staffing will look like as we eventually move out of this crisis, it is just as important to discuss and plan for the things that can go wrong. What else can get in the way of our success and how will we navigate around or through them.

Guest Recovery 318

Guest Recovery Social Media Kitchen Safety Food Safety 318

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2023

It sounds nice to espouse the cliche: “It’s not whether you win or lose that matters, it’s how you play the game”, but if how you play the game leads to losing – there is little inspiration in the noble approach. Okay, so maybe how we define winning needs to evolve. But then we need to more clearly define the word “satisfied”.

Coaching 374

Coaching Sports Point of Sale Take-out 374

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The margins are very tight, in fact they are so tight that most business savvy people would wonder why anyone would ever want to own a restaurant. From the dishwasher to the prep cook, line cook to sous chef, and server to restaurant manager – food cost percentages must be something that everyone takes on as a job requirement.

Food 381

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Point of Sale 381

Culinary Cues

MARCH 15, 2021

Sure, I know how much the restaurant/foodservice industry is suffering and how many operations are shutting their doors as a result of avoiding decades of challenges brought to a head by the pandemic, but believe me when I say that this will change. Just as the restaurant industry evolves, so too must the industry of education.

Education 539

Education Food Supply Training Communication 539

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

It happens now and again, that question comes up on-line, usually from individuals new to a professional kitchen, or those who have little idea about how kitchens work. Sometimes, it depends on how you ask the question. THE LAW: Look to the chef to see how the kitchen will act. It goes with the turf.

Restaurant Law 409

Restaurant Law Coaching Café Sourcing 409

Culinary Cues

MAY 1, 2023

One fact about the restaurant business stands out to me – something I have always appreciated: the kitchen is the great equalizer. I have worked with so many incredible people who bring a multitude of backgrounds, unique competencies, and yes, in some cases, baggage to the work of a restaurant.

Front of House 427

Front of House Back of House Food Order Seasonal Menu 427

Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2020

Desperation has sunk in for those of us in the restaurant business. The only adjustment that can be made is the heartbreaking decision to furlough employees or consider permanent closure of operations. Everyone is beginning to get use to social distancing and understand just how serious this virus is.

Waste 498

Waste Cash Management Entertainment Take-out 498

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

We all know the challenges facing restaurants right now – there is little benefit in reiterating the problems. What needs to be addressed is: “ How do we build trust among customers, trust that the restaurant will keep them safe, and how do we generate enough sales and in turn – profit, to keep the operation moving forward?

Kitchen Safety 331

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Customer Experience 331

Culinary Cues

MAY 5, 2020

What is very clear, as restaurants in certain states sense a desire to lift stay at home restrictions and return to business is that guests will remain leery of any interaction with others in public places. Look at your restaurant reopening through the eyes of the employee and the guest. unknown author.

Kitchen Safety 284

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Food Truck Communication 284

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 4, 2022

The greatest threat is not the labor shortage or supply chain issues, it’s not the pandemic or the price of real estate – yes, all those concerns are troubling and must be dealt with, but they are not what will bring the restaurant industry to its knees. Is it a case of not knowing how to be great or is it a real lack of desire? “Is

Front of House 328

Front of House Coaching Uniforms Back of House 328

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Restaurant managers do it all. Our detailed restaurant management templates cover everything from work schedules to time tracking and closing checklist. Our detailed restaurant management templates cover everything from work schedules to time tracking and closing checklist. There, you can download all our templates for free.

Management 195

Management Management Download Leadership 195

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2022

The list of responsibilities keeps growing: menu planner, budget manager, concept developer, quality controller, purchaser and negotiator, trainer, and of course – accomplished cook – this is the job description for a restaurant chef. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”.

Training 368

Training Presentation Employee Relations Article 368

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Okay, so there are certainly employers out there who probably don’t deserve good employees, and, in those situations, I can understand some level of discontent, but not to the extreme of stating that being a cook is a dead end. Commit to learning something new every day – yes, EVERY DAY! You must give and invest in order to receive.

Workshop 361

Workshop Article Uniforms Take-out 361

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

Maybe, they are even worthy of a place in your employee manual or at least as a talking point during new employee orientation. A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. These are not the only rules, nor are they necessarily a perfect fit for every operation, yet again, maybe they are.

Kitchen Safety 324

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Food Safety 324

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 14, 2020

It’s true of great restaurants, great retail stores, great investment firms, exceptional banks, small auto dealerships, and even local government offices. There are lessons to be learned that are often overlooked. Small, personal and people first always shines above large and business first. So why is this so?

Small Business 371

Small Business Leadership Customer Service Communication 371

Culinary Cues

MARCH 3, 2021

The hope was that by doing more, working harder and longer, making more complicated menus, and pushing the envelope of creativity the restaurant industry would rise up to new levels of success. These small restaurant operators opened and closed their doors at an alarming rate simply because they couldn’t afford the space.

Dine-in 416

Dine-in Small Business Seasonal Menu Café 416