Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

The holiday rush is here, and as the world goes from pandemic to endemic, customers are dining out more. One House, Different Skills : Shift work is a team sport, and it goes without saying that the front of house and back of house are symbiotic. There’s an art to interviewing hourly workers.

Hiring 396

Hiring Front of House Back of House Employee Relations 396

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 24, 2023

Without this assurance, gluten-free consumers are likely to take their business elsewhere – or, worse yet, leave negative reviews on popular dining apps. Meeting the needs of gluten-free consumers also extends beyond the front of the house. How do you prevent cross-contact in your salad bar?

Training 449

Training Front of House Kitchen Safety Allergens 449

ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

This allows you to avoid paying the 25-30% third-party commission fees and keep more revenue in-house. Effective restaurant menu pricing strategy takes into account customer expectations and market positioning to ensure both profitability and customer satisfaction. Menu pricing has a lot to do with perception.

Pricing 195

Pricing Menu Point of Sale Customer Experience 195

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

How many times has the job been referred to as “flipping hamburgers” or working in a “greasy spoon”? It was a job and a paycheck, a signal that I wanted to take on some responsibility, and the beginning of a six-decade work ethic, but there were no pats on the back for a choice of careers.

Back of House 473

Back of House Reference Presentation Mobile Ordering 473

Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2024

Looking back can provide us with context and content for making future decisions – lessons learned and all that, or it can also help us to relish what worked and hold on to that for inspiration. SOME TIME IN THE LATE 1960’S: Walking through the back entrance to the Statler Hilton Hotel was like stepping into a totally different world.

Back of House 421

Back of House Kitchen Safety Hotels Front of House 421

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 20, 2021

Some talented people are not the best cooks and chefs and quite often the most intelligent (using commonly referred to scales of measurement) are lacking in common sense. Some from each group have been (are) quite successful while others stumble along not quite sure what steps to take next. Clean floors are happy floors.

Front of House 491

Front of House Uniforms Back of House Kitchen Safety 491

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 18, 2023

Whenever we (chefs) look back on our time in the kitchen, we’re able to categorize experiences in one of three silos: a learning experience, mission accomplished, or inspiration. Sure, luck can be involved, but luck is rarely something to depend on or take credit for. I never want to be in that position again, so what have I learned?”

Back of House 467

Back of House Front of House Education Café 467

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

The key is to highlight what makes the dish stand out: the flavors, textures, or locally sourced ingredients that guests will be interested in. Be specific about standout elements For example, Arroyo Chop House shares with customers that they serve only the highest grade of domestic wagyu beef. Is your pasta handmade daily?

Menu 195

Menu Dietary Restrictions Online Ordering Mobile Ordering 195

7 Shifts

JUNE 20, 2022

We chatted with some of those most experienced in the ghost kitchen game to find out some myths, best practices, and tips for success in this food service style. Ghost kitchens emerged in the back half of the 2010s as delivery apps began to take hold of the dining market. The ghost kitchen can take many forms.

Front of House 435

Front of House Food Truck Back of House Social Media 435

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 18, 2020

Back in the day, ranchers branded cattle to identify each animal. Branding is a chance to stand out from the crowd and align with like-minded people. But before you step on the gas, it’s crucial to take time to reflect on your restaurant, cooking style, values and ambitions. Take a moment to pause.

Marketing 410

Marketing Front of House Back of House Design 410

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Proper staff training keeps your team knowledgeable, confident, and able to provide the kind of customer service that keeps guests coming back. Front-of-house (FOH) staff, like servers and hosts, will need customer service training, upselling techniques, and communication skills. Focused training also speeds up the onboarding process.

Training 195

Training Kitchen Safety Food Safety Customer Service 195

ChowNow

MARCH 21, 2025

Without a well-defined target market, restaurants risk wasting resources on strategies that dont connect and menu offerings that dont selltrying to appeal to everyone, but standing out to no one. Understanding who you serve can help you make strategic decisions that attract the right customers and keep them coming back.

Marketing 195

Marketing Social Media Email Marketing Loyalty Program 195

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 31, 2020

Anyone who has worked the back of the house at a popular restaurant knows how chaotic the kitchen can feel during a restaurant “rush” hour—knives, spoons, and spatulas being swung around, glassware flying, line cooks and sous chefs furiously plating food and sending it out. A Little History.

Retail 443

Retail Casual Back of House Consumer Goods 443

7 Shifts

AUGUST 16, 2021

But it's the good shifts, when the front of house and back of house are flowing like a symphony, when customers are delighted, and the restaurant atmosphere feels effortless—that's the best part about restaurants. The way to run great shifts is to get out ahead and schedule pre-shift meetings. Call it out here.

Front of House 397

Front of House Back of House Coaching Customer Service 397

Culinary Cues

JUNE 16, 2023

The thought of being in debt for decades didn’t sit right, even though his dream was to learn in a formal way and take the time to go through the process step – by -step. Next week he would graduate from high school and James the cook at his diner invited him back for dinner and a chat. Shawn wanted to become a chef!

Kitchen Safety 414

Kitchen Safety Back of House Hotels Food Safety 414

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Expressing this, building a team around it, and telling that story is what I refer to as that higher purpose. Does that story take people back in time and allow them to think about the impact the place, building, people, and food had on who they are today? Is this poetic nonsense or is there truth in this idea of soul?

Back of House 449

Back of House Transportation Café Food Order 449

EATER

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

Lille Allen Restaurants across India, Nepal, and Bhutan are taking inspiration from mountain communities, where foraging, preservation, and centuries-old culinary traditions provide great meals in challenging conditions Its a balmy afternoon in Darwa, a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Travel 198

Travel Social Media Seasonal Menu Back of House 198

Goliath Consulting

JUNE 15, 2021

We saw customers stockpiling on groceries and supplies in homes instead of going out to eat, raising retail sales by 29 percent over the previous year (1). Since the start of the pandemic, safety measures such as social distancing, lockdowns and mask-wearing have completely changed our understanding of how consumers spend on food.

Supplies 414

Supplies Food Supply Front of House Fast Casual 414

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 14, 2019

Now, by great I am not referring to the number of accolades, feature stories, or titles that appear after their name (although many have rightfully earned all of that) – I am referring to how they are perceived by others. Great chefs take this opportunity seriously and plan the time for this to happen, at some level, every day.

Front of House 322

Front of House Communication Reference Back of House 322

Embrace the Suck

JANUARY 13, 2021

Coming out in late February 2021. You’ve heard it said to you by every consultant out there.You need to work ON your restaurant and not IN your restaurant. Yet, here you are still slugging it out every single day doing battle on the front line. Back then my number one solution to fix a problem was to just work through it.

Coaching 360

Coaching Back of House Front of House Take-out 360

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

Managers can refer back to these forms to see who has grown the most to make promotions accordingly, or to see whose progress has stagnated if they have to make the difficult decision to let team members go. Employees can refer to evaluation forms to track their progress and set professional development goals.

Point of Sale 370

Point of Sale Download Communication Reference 370

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2022

But when this occurrence takes place with a team, the results can be magical. She had to handle eight different menu items on those cherry red flat tops and high BTU burners and called out orders to each station on slower nights. As a cook or chef there are many days that go well and a few that challenge the best. Your dictionary.

Café 439

Café Front of House Point of Sale Back of House 439

Embrace the Suck

APRIL 26, 2020

Now, before you start throwing out the “I’m too busy” excuse for not monitoring your KPIs, allow me to say this: “If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t have a business. It’s not until they’re almost gone that they wake up and try to get things back under control.

Cash Management 439

Cash Management Point of Sale Bar Inventory 439

7 Shifts

MAY 31, 2021

The term ‘restaurant operations' refers to the process by which a restaurant is run. The term can refer to the logistics of any and all tasks in a restaurant, including its finances, its kitchen, its staff, and its service model. That's why restaurateurs rely on restaurant operations. Table of Contents. What does it mean?

Operations 363

Operations Inventory Hiring Customer Service 363

7 Shifts

AUGUST 2, 2024

The accounting process will seem less daunting once you understand what you need to do, know, and watch out for. When hiring restaurant accountants, your primary consideration should be those who understand the complexity of the food and beverage industry—both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house operations and management.

Point of Sale 397

Point of Sale Inventory Seasonal Menu Cash Management 397

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Taking the time and energy to create one proves to others (and yourself) that you're serious about the venture. Taking the time and energy to create one proves to others (and yourself) that you're serious about the venture. You'll have a document to reference during the planning or opening of your restaurant. Table of Contents.

Point of Sale 397

Point of Sale Back of House Document Download 397

Lavu

MAY 30, 2025

The last thing any restaurant should do is make the customer feel like they are being pushed out of their seat for the next guest. Table turnover time refers to the average amount of time it takes for a table to be occupied by different groups of guests. However, turning tables must be done tactfully.

Seating 140

Seating Mobile Ordering Customer Service Customer Experience 140

7 Shifts

MAY 27, 2021

A contrast to the fixed restaurant schedule, the rotating schedule affords employees and managers a slew of advantages, such as the sharing of preferred shifts among staff and the chance for staff to take longer breaks from work. Restaurant schedules shuffle all the time. Table of Contents. What is a Rotating Schedule? Fixed Versus Rotating.

Front of House 370

Front of House Employee Relations Back of House Take-out 370

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

As brands place emphasis on creating a meaningful guest experience, robotics companies offering tools such as tech-enabled order taking or serving, should stop calling themselves ‘robotics’ as it will likely steer some operators, consumers and investors away. For part one, click here.

2023 493

2023 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 493

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

You won't be able to refer to your previous restaurant opening playbook and follow it to the letter. The benefits of this decision include relying on a proven business model, which will ease the opening and operating process, as you'll be able to refer to what worked (and what is working) at your original location. Table of Contents.

Management 370

Management Management Hiring Document 370

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

What documentation to give out and collect during onboarding. Give them an overview of what they will learn and do during onboarding, and how long the process will take. Admin: Filling out employment paperwork and receiving access to tools like the employee timekeeping portal, employee email, POS, and security system.

FOH 307

FOH BOH Food Safety Customer Service 307

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 19, 2020

" Take a listen here to learn about Scott Patterson's entrepreneurial venture into the world of coffee and reach out to Castiglia with any topic or guest suggestions at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com. . "We The Main Course. Restaurant of the Future Panel. 20 at 4 p.m. Brands Inc. for approximately $25 million.

Kitchen Safety 515

Kitchen Safety Loyalty Program Delivery Seating 515

Embrace the Suck

JANUARY 19, 2021

Seriously—why haven’t you started taking action on your big goals for this year yet? Since I can’t see your face, I’m going to go out on a limb and imagine you’re nodding your head yes. When you’re building a house, the first and often most critical step is to lay the foundation.

Back of House 348

Back of House Take-out Reference Hiring 348

7 Shifts

APRIL 1, 2020

These changes mean that many restaurant workers (and managers) find themselves low on hours, or out of a job altogether—which is taking a toll on the mental health of restaurant workers worldwide. Takeaway: Reach out to family and friends to setup times where you can chat over Hangouts or Houseparty.

Social Media 366

Social Media Outdoor Take-out Download 366

7 Shifts

AUGUST 6, 2021

Restaurant forecasting isn't really a "nice to have" - it's a step all successful restaurateurs have to take. Staff scheduling, inventory management, menu analysis , guest satisfaction, profitability, and so much more rest on the shoulders of accurate restaurant forecasting. Table of Contents. What is Forecasting for a Restaurant?

Seasonal Menu 370

Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Inventory Food Supply 370

Goliath Consulting

JUNE 15, 2020

Restaurateurs who were eager to reopen their doors after lock-down only a few weeks ago are having to confront temporary product shortages and price inflation, vulnerable to spontaneous out of stock notices or unexpected shipment delays. Perhaps more unsettling is the uncertainty of it all. So the question is: how do you respond?

Supplies 311

Supplies Food Supply Sourcing Guest Recovery 311

EATER

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Shared lodging like bed and breakfasts, boarding houses, and room rentals are falling out of favor, replaced by contactless, host-less vacation rentals. I, however, came back with boiled eggs. But at what cost? They weren’t packed away in the cargo hold; they were plastered in my memory.

Back of House 284

Back of House Travel Website Management Hotels 284