Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fast casual or fine dining. The question now becomes – how to make sense of that data and use it to elevate the dining experience. For the first part, click here and for the second part, click here. Data, Data, Data.

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Social Media Fast Casual 419

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 7, 2025

One location might offer seamless mobile ordering, while another struggles with glitchy payment systems, creating inconsistencies that can frustrate customers and impact revenue. Customers crave simplified steps at the beginning and end of their food service experiences, and it’s not hard to understand why.

Loyalty Program 282

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Customer Service 282

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 2, 2025

To tackle these challenges, restaurant owners are relying more on digital tools like mobile ordering, self-service kiosks, and AI-powered workforce management. Self-order and payment kiosks as well as QR code menus are streamlining front-of-house operations, improving order accuracy and speeding up service.

Technology 251

Technology Mobile Ordering Front of House Back of House 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 21, 2025

With the rising costs of goods, consumers growing more conscious of spending habits, and private equity-backed brands popping up in communities large and small, mom-and-pops are in danger of adding to the failure statistics. Today, independent restaurants can and should tap into those same tools–without the massive corporate budget.

Technology 221

Technology Front of House Customer Service Back of House 221

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

I came across an old quote from Phylicia Rashad (for those my age – the lead actress in the series “Fame” from many years back) that gave me another opportunity to think about the cooks that I know and have known over the past five (nearly six) decades and why I chose to stand in front of a range. Art is the basis of human expression.”

Food 414

Food Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 414

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 16, 2025

In today’s fast-paced dining world, guest satisfaction goes beyond just great food—it’s about delivering a seamless experience. When guest expectations are sky-high and every table turn counts, how quickly a team responds – both to guests and to each other – can significantly shape the dining experience.

Front of House 251

Front of House Communication Back of House Fast Casual 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 18, 2020

US Foods Holding Corp. launched its COVID-19 online operator resource, the US Foods Restaurant Reopening Blueprint. The Restaurant Reopening Blueprint is informed by interviews with key stakeholders such as diners, restaurant staff and US Foods consultants and chefs. Click here to view the application and instructions.

Front of House 520

Front of House Back of House Online Ordering Kitchen Safety 520

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 27, 2021

Adopting in-house technologies became necessary for restaurants to stay open throughout the pandemic, restart operations after temporary closures, and pivot services to maintain revenue while still following enhanced health and safety protocols. Too Much Tech Is Not a Solution. Want to be Tech-Savvy? Start with Your Staff.

Front of House 609

Front of House Back of House Loyalty Program Customer Experience 609

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2020

As a new normal emerges, it will be more important than ever to elevate the dining experience with experiences that are personal and delightful. Business begins at the endpoint, especially in food service and hospitality. As well, pick-up lockers located away from in-room dining could allow guests to pick up food without human contact.

Back of House 568

Back of House Front of House Kitchen Safety Online Ordering 568

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 24, 2022

When properly deployed, they can transform the employee experience by improving daily operations, syncing front-of-house and back-of-house communication and execution, and delivering a memorable dining experience that won’t send staff to the walk-in cooler for a good cry.

Technology 558

Technology Front of House Back of House Online Ordering 558

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features delivery data, tariff troubles, summer dining trends, and Beer Serves America. The report analyzed data from more than 30,000 QSR restaurants that generated a total of 4.5 billion transactions and $67 billion in sales in 2024. labor costs at 3 percent.

Fast Casual 251

Fast Casual Food Point of Sale Mobile Ordering 251

EATER

OCTOBER 21, 2024

The tool from the East Coast vegan chain — a digital take on a split-flap mechanical display that appears on its website and in the chain’s ordering app — estimates the amounts of water, land, CO2, and oil saved by eating vegan burgers. The “ PLNT Impact Tracker ” on PLNT Burger’s website wants you to think about what you’re eating.

Sustainability 327

Sustainability Sourcing Consumer Goods Seasonal Menu 327

Restaurant Business

JUNE 11, 2025

11, 2025 Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Huddle House will add drive-thrus as it moves into more urban and suburban markets. | All photos courtesy of Ascent Hospitality Management A pair of legacy family-dining brands are out to prove that age is only a number. . | Perkins and Huddle House are classics of the family-dining genre.

Fast Casual 185

Fast Casual Front of House Back of House Leadership 185

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 23, 2024

We like to say waffles “drip with success” for food service operators, and it's because of four key factors: profitability, versatility, consumer experience and operational efficiency. It’s a favorite of ours and pretty straightforward. Versatility: They are essentially a blank canvas. . Waffles saw a 15.4

Back of House 221

Back of House Seasonal Menu 2024 Customer Experience 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2024

A chief reason is due to caution or uncertainty exhibited by conscious consumers, with 48 percent saying they are taking the ‘wait and see’ approach and holding back on spending in 2024. Moving to Multichannel Dining Experiences Dining out is… back? Orders come from a multitude of places.

2024 508

2024 Mobile Ordering Front of House Back of House 508

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 13, 2023

Since the pandemic, restaurants have endured a plethora of issues ranging from fluctuating dining restrictions to supply chain issues to rising food prices. Demand for Dining Out Isn’t Going Anywhere. Taking Orders with Artificial Intelligence.

Front of House 528

Front of House Back of House Online Ordering Food Order 528

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

There will *always *be something your staff can do to enhance a patron’s dining experience. As a restaurant manager or operator, you are the driving force in productivity – leading your staff and keeping customers happy. However, productivity is more easily trained than managed.

Mobile Ordering 221

Mobile Ordering Back of House Customer Service Online Ordering 221

EATER

APRIL 8, 2025

Train food, Ive come to learn, is its own distinct and expansive category. I often bring my own food on long train rides: okra stew and crab rice, or perhaps my dads spaghetti and meatballs, as well as fruits and cakes, all packed in my trusted backpack cooler, along with an electric travel Crock-Pot that has saved me on many Amtrak trips.

Training 276

Training Food Travel Social Media 276

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 23, 2020

You can capitalize on peoples’ cabin fever during this time of self quarantine by promoting your order pickup services. Try offering free curbside pickup for all orders placed directly through your establishment, saving the cost of third-party services. This idea can be applied to dine-in, pickup, and delivery orders.

Marketing 507

Marketing Back of House Employee Relations Social Media 507

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Are you doing all the right thingsserving amazing food, delivering top-notch service, crafting perfectly balanced drinksbut the tables still arent filling up like they should? Youre delivering a great dining experience, yet foot traffic remains inconsistent, online engagement is low, and new customers arent coming in as often as youd like.

2025 195

2025 Email Marketing Social Media Loyalty Program 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 25, 2021

In just three weeks, they created a native solution that allowed Clover restaurant merchants to enable online ordering for delivery or curbside pickup. This digital innovation has been helpful for small business, with roughly 20 percent of all transaction volume for Clover restaurants running through online ordering. Ellen Linardi.

Mobile Ordering 614

Mobile Ordering Online Ordering Small Business Customer Experience 614

ChowNow

MARCH 14, 2025

Every day, youre juggling staff, food quality, inventory, customer service, purchasing, and moreall while trying to cultivate a dining experience that wows your customers enough to keep them coming back. Running a restaurant is a balancing act. Its tough, and cant be done passively.

Operations 195

Operations Management Management Front of House 195

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Hospitality operators are rapidly turning to contactless ordering and payment solutions to help navigate the long road back to normal from COVID-19’s impacts. " While contactless ordering and payment is here to stay, many operators remain concerned about how this new service model will impact their guest experience.

Hospitality 576

Hospitality Ordering Front of House Customer Experience 576

ChowNow

MARCH 21, 2025

On the other hand, when you know exactly who your ideal customers are, you can craft an experience that resonates with customers on a deeper, emotional level, creating a connection that will keep them coming back for years. Key customer factors that influence dining preferences, from demographics to behavior.

Marketing 195

Marketing Social Media Email Marketing Loyalty Program 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 1, 2022

As brands scrambled to change their business models – whether through the adoption of touchless payments, delivery and curbside pickup, or the use of QR codes to access online menus – consumers were also forced to adapt their dining behaviors. And according to Technomic, Inc.,

Front of House 576

Front of House Loyalty Program Back of House Training 576

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

The biggest challenge will be on-premise dining and the shift from outdoors to indoors as temperatures decrease in many regions. The biggest challenge will be on-premise dining and the shift from outdoors to indoors as temperatures decrease in many regions. Are certain tables too close together?

Outdoor 558

Outdoor Technology Dine-in Delivery 558

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Everything from food to labor is getting more expensive, which means restaurant margins are tighter than ever. The right marketing strategy helps you get the most out of every dollar by increasing customer retention , boosting order volume, and encouraging repeat visits. Consumer behavior is constantly evolving.

2025 195

2025 Marketing Email Marketing Operations 195

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Dark kitchens or virtual kitchens––real places staffed with non-ectoplasmic people—bring efficiencies to running a restaurant by providing off-site commissary services for delivery orders. Without these pricey anchors dragging down your profitability, you just might be able to focus on making food, and not making rent.

Front of House 508

Front of House Kitchen Safety Food Back of House 508

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 1, 2021

Front-of-House. Henry is ready to order some dinner. He visits your restaurant’s app and orders his favorite dish on the menu. He receives an estimated wait time for his order of 45 minutes. He’s then directed to numbered cubbies and finds his order waiting in the indicated cubby.

Technology 508

Technology Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 508

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 8, 2020

We were greeted by the manager of the restaurant and shared with him the concept of contactless dining, an experience where dine-in guests can view menus, order, and pay directly from their mobile phones. contactless payment, mobile ordering, text on arrival for seating).”

Hospitality 520

Hospitality Technology Mobile Ordering Food Safety 520

ChowNow

JANUARY 27, 2025

Restaurant Partners Making a Difference in the LA Fire Relief Efforts The ChowNow restaurant partners on this list have demonstrated the unbelievable power of food to bring people together and provide comfort in times of need, transforming their restaurants into hubs of community care and relief.

Food Supply 300

Food Supply Social Media Food Order Take-out 300

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

You are sitting in your favorite restaurant and have placed an order on a tablet at your table. After a few seconds of placing the order, a notification appears on your messaging app. Ding* ‘Your order is being prepared by Chef Bot 19 and will be delivered to your table in approximately 19 minutes. What are AI and ML?

Front of House 528

Front of House Mobile Ordering Loyalty Program Back of House 528

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Nearly every restaurant in the United States relies on a Point of Sale (POS) system for the majority of its front-of-house operations. That system needs access to the internet in order to keep functioning. Not only can that become frustrating for your guests, but it can also make in-house operations much more difficult.

POS 520

POS Front of House Cash Management Online Ordering 520

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

Adaptability became non-negotiable as takeout, delivery, and digital ordering shifted from secondary revenue streams to essential lifelines." Restaurant employees had to pivot and consider looking at other industries for employment, so when restaurants opened back up, some of those employees didn’t return to the restaurant industry.

Front of House 221

Front of House Loyalty Program Recruiting Customer Experience 221

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Simplify Front of House Processes. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants to innovate, creating new revenue-generating workflows, including enhancing their to-go offerings and integrating with to-go order applications. Optimize Food Safety Protocols. Automation technologies can improve back of house operations as well.

Training 489

Training Front of House Food Safety Back of House 489

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 2, 2021

When thinking about the future of the dining experience post COVID, it is easy to get caught focusing on things like digital only self-service, sci-fi-like drone food delivery and taking pills or shakes instead of food. The past year has created many challenges for the restaurant industry. But not in the way you might think.

Back of House 493

Back of House Customer Experience Front of House Customer Service 493

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

The food service industry is forecast to reach $1 trillion in sales this year. We’re seeing younger buyers investing in dining experiences that blend food, convenience, and atmosphere with their values as shoppers. Data shows that order accuracy , fueled by improving technology, received top marks from satisfied consumers.

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2025 Fast Casual Food Customer Experience 450