Culinary Cues

JUNE 7, 2023

You know what I’m talking about – the knot in your stomach, dry throat, beads of forehead sweat even without the addition of kitchen heat, tingling in the fingers, rapid heartbeat, lack of focus, cold fingertips, and a sense of impending doom. Maybe you make that long overdue appointment with your doctor – time for a checkup.

Training 326

Training Article Café Take-out 326

7 Shifts

AUGUST 12, 2020

So far, 2020 has thrown marketing plans, advertising budgets, and restaurant growth out of the window. Whatever plans and forecasts you had for your restaurant are yesterday’s bread now. But as restaurants reopen and business starts to pick up again, it’s important you pick up your marketing plan too.

Marketing 418

Marketing 2020 SEO Loyalty Program 418

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 18, 2022

So, this is something that I have been perplexed about for the past few months: more and more restaurants are beginning to charge for bread. Come on – is this the way to address your food cost woes? Ah…but what if the restaurant takes bread seriously? Now the formula changes, doesn’t it?

Food Truck 338

Food Truck Back of House Presentation Café 338

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Every now and then this can serve as a “checks and balance” activity to keep you on the right path and assess where and why you might have strayed from those “stakes in the ground” that are important to your core. You can disagree, take a stand, make your point, continue to have a unique opinion, but in the end – it is their business.

2021 396

2021 Point of Sale Reference Take-out 396

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

Even through the most challenging and tragic experiences, when the lessons are quite vivid – we quickly push aside the need to change in favor of a return to what is considered “normal”. 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.

Customer Experience 387

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 387

Culinary Cues

APRIL 2, 2020

If you are a chef or restaurant owner I would like you to begin today with a significant question: “If I had to build this restaurant concept all over again, knowing what I know now, what would it look like – how would it be different? You may never have a better chance to ask and answer this question than right now. How do you start?

Guest Recovery 392

Guest Recovery Take-out Hiring 2019 392

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

I am optimistic in the ability of the restaurant business to recover and shine, to bring people together once again, to return to a position of central to the life of neighborhoods, and optimistic that this business of food will provide wonderful careers for cooks, chefs, service staff, bartenders, managers and owners – THIS WILL HAPPEN.

Small Business 359

Small Business Front of House Customer Service Communication 359

Culinary Cues

MAY 19, 2022

Then everything began to change. He always made sure to let them rest for a minute or two before adding their signature slice and stack that revealed their perfect color. Salads, cold apps, and desserts were beautifully presented and ALWAYS ready when the server needed them. Pick-up 4 shrimp apps and 2 calamari.” “Yes

Seating 374

Seating Dine-in Seasonal Menu Leadership 374

7 Shifts

AUGUST 15, 2022

Are you a restaurant owner looking for question to ask potential candidates? Check out this blog and video on the top 9 interview questions to ask as an owner. There are a lot of jobs available in the restaurant industry. Restaurant Interview Questions and Answers [PDF]. Table of Contents. Common Interview Questions.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience Website Management Hiring Back of House 397

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Restaurant owners and operators wear a lot of hats. And the big restaurant brands are only getting bigger , making it even harder to stand out. You need to put yourself in front of diners, get them in your door, and turn them into ambassadors of your restaurant that come back and tell their friends about you.

Seating 221

Seating Email Marketing Marketing SEO 221

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

As a restaurant owner, you know how difficult it is to win a customer's attention and make them keep coming back to your restaurant. 6 Tips on Creating a Winning Restaurant Newsletter. 10 Restaurant Newsletter Ideas. Benefits of Having an Engaging Newsletter for Your Restaurant Business.

Email Marketing 195

Email Marketing Loyalty Program Social Media Point of Sale 195

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Learn how to write a killer restaurant mission statement to be among the select few that can. Restaurant mission statements matter whether you're opening a restaurant or refreshing your brand. They provide insights into business strategy, guide business decisions, and are a reminder of why you started. The result?

Fast Casual 370

Fast Casual Customer Service Customer Experience Back of House 370

7 Shifts

JULY 24, 2020

While you must follow the strict guidelines to ensure the safety of your staff and customers, that’s not to say you can’t take advantage of an empty restaurant to improve your knowledge of restaurant management, running a business, and creating a recipe for success when you eventually get back to business as usual.

Book 370

Book Management Management Restaurant Law 370

Clover - Restaurants

APRIL 25, 2024

Since restaurant staff typically can’t afford the time and effort to dig through a recipe box during the evening rush, the design and storage of your recipe cards is critical to running an efficient kitchen. In fact, we’ll tell you why sharing your secret sauce can even be a key to customer loyalty.

Design 52

Design Loyalty Program Social Media Allergens 52

Clover - Restaurants

APRIL 23, 2024

Buying an existing restaurant can offer several advantages associated with investing in a proven concept. Yet, purchasing a restaurant can bring a new set of challenges that are worth considering before you take the plunge. Launch vs. buy: Should you buy a restaurant? There are several advantages to buying a restaurant.

Point of Sale 52

Point of Sale Cash Management Franchise Franchising 52

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 9, 2020

This rise in digital interactions has made it critical for restaurants to have well-designed websites. In this ultimate restaurant website design guide for beginners, you’ll learn: How to prepare for a website makeover. How to build your restaurant’s website. How to optimize your website with feedback.

Design 397

Design Social Media Mobile Ordering Online Ordering 397

Embrace the Suck

OCTOBER 28, 2021

Most likely you’ll make quite a few more while running a restaurant. The thing you want to avoid is these 19 fatal mistakes that 80% of restaurants make each year which contributes to the low survival rate that restaurants experience. Of all the restaurants that open this year, only 50% will still be open in three years!

Coaching 329

Coaching Training Social Media Hiring 329

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

Cooks need to state the most important questions if they are to grow – “why, where from, what is the rationale, what is the history, how is it made, what are the differences, and when should you choose one example over another?”. SALT as a mineral and a seasoning is just salt – why question it? What could it be? WHAT is it fed?

Seasonal Menu 301

Seasonal Menu Food Order Training Dine-in 301

Culinary Cues

JUNE 22, 2020

There are times, possibly many times, when you question your own skill – whether in cooking or presenting food, or even with the operation of a kitchen. To me, it has always been interesting to have a conversation with highly artistic chefs who make beautiful plate presentations.

Food 433

Food Presentation Leadership Café 433

Restaurant365

APRIL 16, 2021

Part of being a successful restaurateur is by being forward thinking and quickly adapting to this fast-changing industry. Today, consumers want convenient and easy ways to order food from your restaurant. Online ordering is growing 300% faster than dine-in traffic and has become a lifeline for many restaurants.

Online Ordering 78

Online Ordering Blog Ordering Front of House 78

7 Shifts

JANUARY 7, 2021

With a new year comes new challenges, and after the year for the industry that was 2020, we want to help set your restaurant up for success in 2021. As restaurants reopen and business starts to pick up again, it’s important you pick up your marketing plan, too. Which is where your restaurant marketing plan comes in.

Marketing 195

Marketing 2021 SEO Loyalty Program 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 2, 2020

Fill your lungs and then slowly exhale. Our daily breath is a moment in time – our daily breathe is a process of being alone/together and take a step in a different direction, to think differently and to become open to the possibility of change. Breathe in – breathe out. A breath is a short moment that is in control.

Training 296

Training Take-out Transportation Customer Experience 296

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 16, 2019

The more I travel, experience communities, and try their restaurants – the more I scratch my head and ask the question: “What are they thinking?” The restaurant business is one that is relatively simple in concept, yet enormously complicated to execute. There are many reasons why there are a million freestanding restaurants in the U.S.

Training 259

Training Employee Relations Customer Service Customer Experience 259

Culinary Cues

JUNE 16, 2020

You can sense it in the air, you can feel it in your bones, and you can hear it in the silence – the energy that had surrounded the career of professional cook is down a few quarts. Is this a barometer for change? After a period of time – that restaurant meal was pushed to the back burner. Is this where we are at?

Social Media 285

Social Media Entertainment Email Marketing Customer Experience 285

7 Shifts

FEBRUARY 26, 2021

The habits of diners have changed, and our approach to off-premise along with it. The easiest way to get your food out there is by partnering with a third-party delivery app. While easy, this way ends up costing more in the short term, does not contribute to long-term growth, and can end up hurting your business.

Online Ordering 341

Online Ordering Ordering Customer Service Food Order 341

Embrace the Suck

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

*The following is an excerpt from my new book: Your Restaurant Culture Sucks coming out in September 2021. You should close your restaurant.". Enough silence that you knew deep down this person never expected you to say that… yet, there I was telling a restaurant owner those very words.

Coaching 280

Coaching Book Take-out Design 280

7 Shifts

AUGUST 20, 2020

The restaurant is located in a 200-year-old building–the first building in town, which in its past has been a Masonic lodge, a school, and a movie theater. Now, the building is the home of The 1894 Lodge, a bar and restaurant with a unique, chef-driven menu loaded with comfort food. My staff was great,” he said.

Employee Relations 195

Employee Relations Guest Recovery Communication POS 195

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine surveyed marketing experts to find out the best ways restaurants can market themselves now. Create a contactless experience via QR Codes with a contactless menu and contactless check-ins. 'Safety' An app-first experience for restaurant chains. Here are their insights.

Marketing 233

Marketing Social Media Food Safety Email Marketing 233

Next Restaurants

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

These days’ people tend to get more inclined towards bright video screens and striking graphics, especially in bars & restaurants. And why they shouldn’t? If nothing else, it helps drags their attention to your business, brand, and message. Digital Displays for Restaurants. Digital Menu Displays.

Advertising 118

Advertising Point of Sale Menu Information 118

Hot Schedules

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Menu Engineering Helps Hospitality Teams to Manage Costs in 2021. Agility and cost controls should be top priorities as the industry gets ready for a return to travel. Hoteliers must focus on engineering their menus to eliminate low margin dishes while still exceeding the guest’s brand expectations.

Menu 88

Menu Seasonal Menu Food Supply Point of Sale 88

Xtra Chef

AUGUST 12, 2020

Food costs are one of the most significant factors of a restaurant’s success. Knowing your restaurant food costs helps with menu pricing, affects prime costs, and plays an integral part in remaining profitable. But managing restaurant food costs can be challenging. What’s in The Restaurant Food Costs Guide?

Food 120

Food Inventory Waste Food Order 120

Restaurant365

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

As a store-level manager, you always have a lot on your plate. You’re tracking deliveries, making the most of your food budget, and ensuring your staff is prepared to serve customers. Inventory control is a key piece of your food cost and, ultimately, the profit margin for your restaurant location.

Inventory 138

Inventory Management Management Point of Sale 138

Restaurant Engine

JUNE 2, 2022

Harness the power of social media to drive business to your restaurant. ?. Social media is vital to the success of your restaurant. Did you know that according to one study by Social Media Today, 30% of millennial diners actively avoid restaurants with a weak Instagram presence? 1: You Can Build a Community.

Social Media 80

Social Media Website Management Coupons Customer Experience 80

Focus POS

AUGUST 1, 2019

For those with innovative restaurant analytics software, it’s a breeze. Simple reporting software can give you a snapshot of the day, but restaurant analytics software can help you answer the big questions, such as: 1. What are the most popular entrées, appetizers, and desserts? 3. When/how should I schedule my staff?

POS 103

POS Customer Experience Inventory Menu 103

Sling

JULY 4, 2021

Restaurant marketing has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. We’ve compiled some of the most effective restaurant marketing tips to help you win your market. We’ve compiled some of the most effective restaurant marketing tips to help you win your market. 5) Extend Your Reach With A Food Truck.

Marketing 78

Marketing Social Media Loyalty Program Food Truck 78

EATER

APRIL 2, 2024

Not restaurants, who feel gut-punched by the commission apps take from them. But we should give credit where it’s due. Delivery apps have expended a lot of effort (and money) making the case that we — restaurants, workers, and consumers — desperately need them. No one is happy about the delivery apps.

Delivery 143

Delivery Restaurant Law Food Customer Service 143

Sling

OCTOBER 1, 2021

Looking for a way to increase profits, get control of expenses, and keep your bottom line in the black? The solution is simple: Calculate your restaurant’s food cost percentage. If that percentage is negative, it tells you that you are drastically undercharging for your food and, basically, giving it away for free.

Definition 78

Definition Food Seasonal Menu Inventory 78