EATER

MAY 28, 2025

. | Courtesy of Sabine Caf Rich Fox of Sabine in Seattle says leaning more casual has helped his bottom line A version of this post originally appeared on May 28, 2025, in Eater and Punchs newsletter Pre Shift , a biweekly newsletter for the industry pro that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world.

Seating

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 18, 2025

The relaxed setup with indoor and outdoor seating makes it a popular stop for both locals and visitors. Located off State Road 206, this small shack keeps things simple with outdoor seating and a focus on quality. Located right off the Pinellas Trail, it offers walk-up service and outdoor seating that gives it a relaxed, local feel.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 21, 2025

The menu includes pulled pork with Carolina-style sauce, dry-rubbed brisket, turkey, pulled chicken, ribs, and house-made sausage. The setup is casual, with indoor seating and a bar that serves local craft beer. While the menu includes fried seafood and comfort food sides, the smoked meats are the main draw.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

AUGUST 1, 2025

The setup is laid-back, with counter service and a choice of indoor or patio seating. Sandwiches and plates both deliver consistent quality, and the menu keeps things simple without cutting corners. Customers like how the menu blends classic comfort food with local favorites.

Back of House

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. Maximizing table turnover is crucial for restaurants to optimize their seating capacity and increase their profitability. However, turning tables must be done tactfully.

Seating

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 19, 2025

Located off Interstate 65, it serves from a walk-up window in a gas station parking lot, offering a menu packed with barbecue staples and Southern favorites. While the focus is on barbecue, the menu also includes items like fried shrimp and rib-eye steak, giving customers more to choose from.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 30, 2025

The menu covers a wide range of barbecue staples, and the portions are generous for the price. This spot doesn’t have a large dining space, but many customers return for takeout or to grab a seat outside. The space offers both indoor and outdoor seating, creating a laid-back and welcoming setup.

Outdoor

Goliath Consulting

MAY 13, 2025

How to Choose the Right Partnerships to Grow Your Brand and Fill Seats. Fitness Studios & Wellness Brands Especially great for cafes, juice bars, and health-forward restaurants. Collaborations can be powerful, but only when theyre aligned with your brand, values, and audience.

Seasonal Menu

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 18, 2025

The restaurant uses a Southern Pride smoker with real wood, allowing for a consistent smoke profile across the menu. The menu is straightforward, focused mainly on pork, ribs, and a few Southern sides. The menu stays focused, offering straightforward Southern barbecue without trying to do too much.

Seasonal Menu

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 23, 2025

The portions are generous, and the menu includes sandwiches and plates served with sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and fried okra. Brother’s BBQ has become a trusted name in central Arkansas by sticking to proven methods and delivering strong flavor without overcomplicating the menu.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 28, 2025

The menu includes both classic BBQ plates and creative sandwiches, using ingredients that are prepared with care and attention to detail. The restaurant runs on a simple model with quick, friendly service and a menu that doesn’t try to do too much. #25 Customers appreciate the simple, clean setup, friendly service, and fair pricing.

Fast Casual

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

Its going to get dropped, splashed with sauce, and maybe knocked off the bar by a customers pursethats just part of the deal. Give your guests a better menu experience Digital menus are easier to update in real-time, so its simple to 86 an item (even in the middle of service) or update your specials for the weekend.

Front of House

ChowNow

MAY 30, 2025

A restaurant marketing strategy that works for a sports bar might fall flat at a vegan cafe. Promote a Limited-Time Menu Item Few things drive action like the phrase only available for a limited time. Creating seasonal or short-run menu items is one of the simplest ways to generate buzz without overhauling your entire operation.

Ordering

Future Food

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Serai has been the trendsetter at the top of the game for a few years, now joined by Askal in Melbourne earlier this year and have just opened a rooftop bar called Inuman. This trend is not just in fine dining, but though positioning levels – bars/pubs, clubs, smart casual, fast casual, cafés, QSR and right down to impulse.

Hospitality

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2025

percent menu-price inflation rate. With households increasingly treating dining out as a luxury, every menu item and service interaction becomes a potential make-or-break moment. Red Robin climbs 3 percent to 78 thanks in large part to its focus on menu and food. At the same time, U.S. chain sales grew just 3.1

Loyalty Program

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

68% of diners plan to celebrate at restaurants or bars this holiday season, so having enough people in place is essential. A good candidate might also suggest ways to improve efficiency, such as implementing a waitlist system or simplifying the seating process. Clear communication is also key.

Leadership

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Catering to solo diners is more just than seating them as restaurants would any other customer. Offering a solo dining menu gives staff a new way to connect with their customers that is exclusive to solo diners. Offering a solo dining menu gives staff a new way to connect with their customers that is exclusive to solo diners.

Customer Experience

EATER

APRIL 21, 2025

I have fond memories of these restaurants of my childhood their banquet seating and faded prints of Persepolis, our familys terrain, for birthdays, reunions and drawn-out evenings of indulging in conversation, dance, and scents of charcoaled meats over fire that took my dad, uncles, and aunts back to the streets of Tehran.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 24, 2025

The place has a laid-back feel with indoor seating and a drive-through that makes it easy for busy days. Classic sides like green beans, corn salad, and unsweetened tea help round out the menu. The building has a relaxed, rustic feel and can seat around sixty people, making it a comfortable place to enjoy a meal.

Fast Casual

Open for Business

OCTOBER 30, 2024

How do you find the right balance between seating as many guests as possible while still maintaining a high level of service that provides the ‘wow’ factor? Start by grouping similar-sized tables together, as it’s easier to seat parties quickly and effectively. Consider the placement of your host stand, too.

Seating

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 29, 2025

The menu includes sandwiches, platters, salads, and classic sides like baked beans and potato salad. The menu also includes creative items like St. The casual setting includes a full bar and is family-friendly, offering a welcoming tone. Meals are served in a casual indoor setting with additional outdoor seating available.

Back of House

Squirrel Systems

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the busiest days for restaurants and bars, as fans gather to enjoy the game, food, and drinks with friends and family. Design Team-Inspired Menus Add some fun to your menu by creating special dishes or drinks that represent each of the competing teams.

Social Media

Lavu

AUGUST 8, 2025

One such trick is to combine a suitable seating plan with ambiance and a nice menu. Below, we compare the concept of traditional European-style coffee shops with the modern work-space cafés and examine how different types of menus, seating plans, and ambiances draw very different crowds.

Café

Harbor Touch

MARCH 18, 2025

Give them a week of shadowing seasoned staff, clear checklists like Greet tables in 2 minutes or Check orders before they leave the pass, and a full menu rundownspecials included. Free meals after long shifts or a staff pick on the menu build camaraderie. Contactless menus speed up service. Look at menu performance too.

Management

Perfect Daily Grind

JULY 14, 2025

The country drinks around 14 billion espressos every year , reaffirming the long-standing tradition of drinking fast, cheap coffee quickly, often while standing at the bar in a traditional coffeehouse. Rising menu prices pose a greater risk to independent cafés, which are up against large chains with greater capacity to absorb costs.

Café

Lavu

JUNE 6, 2025

Prevent food waste to cut costs Food waste is a common and expensive issue for restaurants and bars. Another way to reduce food waste in restaurants and bars is to partner with local food banks or charities to donate excess food instead of just throwing it away. and then divide that by the total revenue generated by the restaurant.

Loyalty Program

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

Growing menu innovation and healthy fast food further drive the growth of the market. The demand for fast food is still strong because it is affordable, convenient, and offers a wide variety of menu items, which is why it is the go-to option for millions of Americans every day. billion in 2024 and is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 3.74

Fast Casual

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 30, 2025

30 Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint Source: Instagram Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint has earned a solid following in South Carolina for its focus on traditional, low-and-slow cooking. Over the years, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint has built a name that reflects both consistency and respect for the craft. #29

Sourcing

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

The focus now is finding the minimum necessary seating capacity while maximizing kitchen efficiency and service throughput. Instead of simply trying to fit as many seats as possible into a space, the focus now is finding the minimum necessary seating capacity while maximizing kitchen efficiency and service throughput.

Loyalty Program

SpotOn

JUNE 27, 2025

Over the last several years, QR order and pay has gone from being a fringe technology to a widely used solution for restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries. What started as a simple way to swap paper menus with contactless ordering during COVID quickly evolved into an operational solution to battle staff shortages and improve efficiency.

Mobile Ordering

Squirrel Systems

MAY 1, 2025

While menu pricing and food costs are critical factors, there are often overlooked opportunities that can significantly boost the bottom line. Optimizing the Bar Program with Digital Tools Beverages, especially alcoholic ones, offer some of the highest profit margins in the restaurant industry.

Loyalty Program

Restaurant Clicks

MAY 6, 2025

Located near the Kansas City International Airport, this eatery offers a diverse menu that includes brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, and ribs, all prepared with meticulous attention to flavor and quality. Their menu features a mix of classic barbecue and inventive items that appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Seasonal Menu

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

Running a successful restaurant isn’t measured solely by what’s on the menu anymore. Running a successful restaurant isn’t measured solely by what’s on the menu anymore. We engineered an alternate traffic barrier system that takes up less space than water barrier systems, meaning more space for seats.

Mobile Ordering

SpotOn

JULY 25, 2025

  The Allmine menu translates deliciously to Instagram. Bar seats face the kitchen, where guests will see staff wordlessly communicate and place gleaming blistered Neo-Neapolitan style pizzas on the expo. Their towering, béchamel-laden lasagna and lemon-dappled crab ravioli are both remarkably photogenic.

Front of House

EATER

MARCH 12, 2025

Two weeks later, Stieber was spending the $2,000 Little Bear had earned in profit on takeout boxes and disposable cutlery, trying to figure out if menu items like beet egg drop soup or catfish okonomiyaki would travel well. If bartenders at Water Bear Bar fall ill, at least everyone knows how to make cocktails. But it didnt!

2025

EATER

MARCH 11, 2025

Cities eased permitting regulations, allowing restaurants to expand seating with outdoor dining sheds and transforming city streets into safer and more beautiful spaces. During an after-dinner drink, I noticed our local bar still had a sign about needing to be vaccinated taped on the door, and, blessedly, an air purifier mounted on the wall.

Food Supply

Perfect Daily Grind

JUNE 6, 2025

200 Degrees Coffee will open a 2,280 sq ft shop at Cotswolds Designer Outlet this summer, its 23rd UK location and most southerly, creating 15 jobs and offering 102 indoor and 24 outdoor seats. The first machine is installed at Tapps Wine Bar, with further rentals planned across the South West.

2025