ChowNow

MARCH 14, 2025

Without a strong system in place, even the best restaurants in the world will struggle with unhappy customers, high turnover rates, wasted inventory, and razor-thin profit margins. The best-run restaurants dont leave things to chancethey rely on clear processes, well-trained teams, and smart decision-making to avoid costly mistakes.

Operations 195

Operations Management Management Front of House 195

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

In this article: How to calculate your profit margin for your bar What is the average profit margin for bars? Bars that effectively manage their inventory and reduce waste tend to maintain higher margins. Train your staff to follow these portion control standards and regularly monitor their performance.

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Merchandise Seasonal Menu Bar 195

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

To really get the most out of your tablets, you need to be strategic about how you choose them, use them, and train your staff. That leads to a ton of wasted time constantly trying to create workarounds, and your staff will feel that frustration every shift. Lets discuss the most efficient way to get your team up to speed.

Front of House 195

Front of House Allergens Online Ordering Back of House 195

ChowNow

APRIL 15, 2025

In this article, youll learn: How to break down your operating costs into fixed, variable, and semi-variable Smart ways to lower labor and food costs without sacrificing customer service Where hidden expenses are hiding in your tech stackand how to fix it Lets discover where your money is going, and how to take back control.

Operations 195

Operations Online Ordering Customer Service Customer Experience 195

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

Try renaming them with a more enticing menu description, giving them better placement in your menu layout, or training your staff to recommend them more consistently. This approach helps reduce food waste, improves inventory management, and ensures your menu engineering efforts stay sustainable long-term.

Menu 195

Menu Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Online Ordering 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 8, 2023

It sounded like an appropriate title for an article about life in the kitchen. The chef is a financial manager of a business and, as such, must be adept at budget projections, management of inventories (highly perishable ones), and control of production waste. What some fail to consider is the mental and emotional drain on the chef.

Kitchen Safety 492

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Coaching Training 492

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

In this article, youll learn: Why every operator has to monitor their restaurant profit margins Why it can be so challenging to increase your profit margins How to improve your margin numbers Lets dig into why margins, not just sales, make or break a restaurant business. Reduce food waste by tightening portion control and tracking spoilage.

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Insurance Fast Casual Customer Service 195

Perfect Daily Grind

SEPTEMBER 26, 2022

And while many initiatives focus on reducing the environmental impact of coffee production , the volume of waste produced by coffee shops is also a major concern for many people. To address this problem, some coffee businesses are opting for more sustainable approaches to waste management, including circular economy models.

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Waste Compost Recycling Sustainability 181

ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

In this article, youll learn: The 10 KPIs for online food delivery every restaurant should monitor Why these metrics matter to your business How to track and improve them Lets dive into the KPIs that can make or break your online delivery strategy. For example, train kitchen staff to prepare orders in the order they were received.

Delivery 195

Delivery Online Ordering Loyalty Program Food 195

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 19, 2025

To waste this opportunity is contrary to the life we are given. [] BE EXCELLENT Mediocrity is disrespectful. Once we learn and grow, we have an obligation to be the best that we can be. [] KEEP PERSPECTIVE At the same time, we shouldnt get wrapped up in our perception of importance.

Uniforms 344

Uniforms Education Waste Blog 344

Culinary Cues

APRIL 10, 2023

If I were the outlier who simply was fortunate (or plain lucky) then I would be remiss in writing this article. Why waste time working in an environment that is less than supportive? However, I know hundreds of cooks and chefs who would agree with me when I proclaim that this is a wonderful business with limitless opportunities.

Employee Relations 520

Employee Relations Restaurant Law Waste Article 520

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

In this article: What strategies do you use to motivate and engage your restaurant employees? Can you provide an example of how you’ve improved employee performance through training? Can you provide an example of how you’ve improved employee performance through training?

Leadership 195

Leadership Management Management Operations 195

Culinary Cues

JUNE 23, 2024

THEY ARE OUT THERE, and they are willing to teach, train, support, and inspire those who want to be great. Time is the hardest thing to manage – there is never enough, so cooks are busy, but they exude “purpose” and are always cognizant of not wasting steps. Am I wagging a finger at those operations that perpetuate the negative?

Uniforms 448

Uniforms Front of House Back of House Food Supply 448

Goliath Consulting

JUNE 15, 2021

Since so many workers are being afflicted with COVID-19, we’ve seen the farming sector experience a widespread shortage of workers who have been trained to complete specific tasks. This has resulted in under-ordering (and dissatisfied customers) or over-ordering (and increased waste). You can read our original article here (10).

Supplies 414

Supplies Food Supply Front of House Fast Casual 414

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

This is defined in articles from local newspapers to the New York Times, from industry magazines and websites to social media, and from industry blogs to podcasts by the dozens – everyone states the problem, points a finger, and portrays the issue as someone else’s doing. . Restaurant waste nips away at profitability – why?

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

Culinary Cues

JUNE 3, 2024

You learn from your experiences, don’t waste the lesson. [] PLAY NICE IN THE SANDBOX The best chefs work well with others. We live in a business of pennies; a business of highly perishable ingredients; a business of many hands and many opportunities for mistakes; and a business where waste is always hiding around every corner.

Uniforms 434

Uniforms Point of Sale Coaching Small Business 434

ChowNow

MARCH 20, 2025

In this article, youll learn: How menu management software streamlines menu updates and eliminates manual errors Why outdated or inconsistent menus can impact customer satisfaction and revenue Key features to look for when choosing the right software for your restaurant Lets explore why every restaurant needs menu management software.

Menu 195

Menu Management Management Online Ordering 195

Cheetah

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Taking advantage of the growing trend of reducing food waste is a great way to achieve both. By taking a few simple actions to reduce food waste, operators can position themselves as a conscious business that appeals to the heart of their patrons. The Food Waste Pandemic. Covid-19 Boosts Food Waste Reduction Trend.

Waste 148

Waste Compost Food Social Media 148

ChowNow

MARCH 13, 2025

In this article, you will learn: How a centralized delivery system eliminates the chaos of managing multiple platforms. These small errors add up, leading to unhappy customers, negative reviews, and wasted food costs. But what if all your food delivery apps were in one place? Maybe a large salad is marked as a small.

Delivery 195

Delivery Food Food Order Point of Sale 195

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. The article was my first to go viral allowing me to realize that so many chefs and cooks were looking for a structure that defines what it means to be a professional. Don’t let them down. There needs to be a symbiotic relationship between the two.

Kitchen Safety 413

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Food Safety 413

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 22, 2022

There was little waste since managing twenty seats was much easier than trying to fill expansive dining rooms with a turn or two on busy nights. PLAN BETTER -TRAIN HARDER. More than 800 articles and short stories on kitchens & restaurants. Support your small local restaurants – we need them. Harvest America Ventures, LLC.

Seating 474

Seating Front of House Back of House Cash Management 474

Culinary Cues

JULY 29, 2024

Now, if you think that’s corny, then go ahead and crawl back in bed and waste another day. Try something new for a change – set your alarm clock for 6 a.m., jump out of bed, throw some water in your face, do a few sit ups, drink a cup of coffee (or two), take a shower and say the following: “I’m ready world! I can’t wait to get started.”

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Back of House Take-out Café Blog 456

Perfect Daily Grind

JUNE 4, 2025

Automation can support coffee shops in navigating the unprecedented times the industry is currently experiencing, but it can’t replace the fundamentals of investing in staff training and development. You may also like our article on how automation can better support baristas. Trained baristas are in more demand than ever before.

Café 78

Café Customer Service Technology Customer Experience 78

7 Shifts

AUGUST 10, 2020

Whether in desk drawers, paper trays, and/or a filing cabinet, your documents should be stored in specific places to avoid those wasted minutes of flipping through papers, asking yourself “where is it?” Document purpose, such as training materials, finance & accounting, scheduling, legal & compliance, mail and bills, etc.

Document 351

Document Restaurant Law Book Point of Sale 351

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

If you're managing multiple locations of the same concept, you'll benefit from having a universal approach to hiring, training, suppliers, technology, and the overall guest experience. Standardized training across all of your locations unifies all employees to work within the guidelines you've created. Delegating Responsibilities.

Management 370

Management Management Document Hiring 370

Lavu

APRIL 25, 2025

This system helps restaurant owners and managers track stock in real-time, reduce waste, and maintain optimal inventory levels. In this article, well explore how mobile inventory management is transforming the way restaurants operate and how it can boost your restaurants performance in 2025 and beyond.

Inventory 78

Inventory 2025 Management Management 78

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 14, 2024

I choose not to waste my time or energy with those who seem to enjoy accentuating what is wrong while never contributing to making the wrong-right or enjoying what is rewarding, if they let it be so. Write an article for your local newspaper or volunteer to talk about the work of a cook on a regional podcast or television show.

Uniforms 401

Uniforms Book Article Café 401

Culinary Cues

APRIL 9, 2024

You were introduced to ingredients that were foreign to you, discovered ways to become more efficient, waste less, and use parts of vegetables and proteins that you had previously considered “waste”. Co-workers and the chef helped you to build your palate and discriminate when flavors were right and if not – what a product needed.

Uniforms 425

Uniforms Waste Café Take-out 425

ChowNow

JULY 17, 2024

In this article, we’ll walk through a comprehensive guide on how to write an operations plan for your restaurant, complete with examples. Check out this article for additional job descriptions of key team members. It ensures that your team is capable, well-trained, and prepared to provide excellent service.

Operations 195

Operations Kitchen Safety Front of House Food Safety 195

ChowNow

JULY 1, 2024

In this article, we will explore practical and actionable steps that you can take to reduce food costs and operating expenses, without sacrificing the quality and service your diners expect. Reducing the portion sizes of these items can help minimize food waste and lower food costs.

Operations 195

Operations Food Website Management Online Ordering 195

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

This needs to change through a different approach to menu planning and pricing and tighter controls on waste and portioning. When we depend on people who are dependable and well trained then the kitchen is like a fine-tuned orchestra and the expeditor is the conductor. TEAM DEPENDANT I know, this is listed as a “pro” as well.

Employee Relations 449

Employee Relations Training Fine Dining Communication 449

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Sunday nights taking inventory in the freezer and coolers until I couldn’t feel my fingertips anymore helped me to understand what everything costs and how impactful waste, theft, spoilage, and inaccurate counts can be. Happy holidays and positive vibes for an even better 2024.

Kitchen Safety 346

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Take-out Inventory 346

Lavu

MAY 30, 2025

In this article, we highlight the top six KPIs every restaurant should monitor to stay competitive and maximize operational performance. For this article, our focus remains on labor cost percentage KPI, which the percentage of sales according to the wages of your employees. There are several restaurants KPI sets that you can use.

2025 78

2025 FOH Point of Sale BOH 78

Perfect Daily Grind

OCTOBER 30, 2022

You may also like our article on why milk foam disintegrates. Furthermore, learning how to steam milk takes plenty of training and practice – potentially distracting baristas from other duties. Despite the weeks and months of training baristas undergo, automated milk foamers are categorically more likely to be more consistent.

Technology 211

Technology Beverage Waste Customer Service 211

Perfect Daily Grind

DECEMBER 21, 2022

You may also like our article on whether we should allow plant milks in the World Barista Championships. First and foremost, weighing milk-based beverages can help to reduce milk waste, which is particularly useful for coffee shops. In fact, some coffee shops can waste up to US $15 of leftover milk every day. Why weigh milk?

Beverage 204

Beverage Consumer Goods Training Waste 204

Perfect Daily Grind

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

To avoid waste of both ingredients and profits, take a look at these practical tips to design a coffee shop food menu. The longer and more complicated your menu, the more potential there is for waste. Then train your staff members so that they know how to prepare each item well. Want to read more articles like this?

Waste 113

Waste Menu Café Food 113

Margin Edge

OCTOBER 19, 2021

Wasting food in and of itself isn’t a cardinal sin (unless you ask our mothers), but the degree of variance between what you use and what you sell can get you in trouble with your bottom line. If you are already a MarginEdge user, scroll down to the section on how to calculate waste with [me].

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Waste Food Inventory POS 98