Culinary Cues

AUGUST 9, 2021

The goal of every restaurant and every chef is to create memorable experiences for the guest. Chefs, managers, and owners should live by a simple rule – “If you are not serving the guest directly then it is your job to serve those who are.” It is, and must be, a team effort. Does this seem farfetched?

Front of House 474

Front of House Customer Experience Dine-in Training 474

ChowNow

MARCH 7, 2025

Its the number one way customers discover new restaurants and if your business isnt showing up in the search results, youre losing diners to competitors who are. Local restaurant SEO is the best way to attract new customers, and its easier than you thinkyou dont need to be a technical expert to start seeing real results.

SEO 195

SEO Online Ordering Mobile Ordering Website Management 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 5, 2021

My question to you is, how will management of Restaurants, Clubs and Hotels try to provide a sense of balance and wellbeing for the chefs who have the history of working from dawn until well into the night, six and sometimes seven days a week. I thought you would be a great colleague to ask.”. Is there truth to this?

Hotels 473

Hotels Employee Relations Coaching Training 473

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

” Jack Welch Welch, the visionary past CEO of General Electric points to the most important role of a leader (chef, manager, restaurant owner) which is to develop their staff, to mentor them, to teach and train, and feed their passion until they match or even surpass your own abilities. A recipe has no soul.

Consumer Goods 290

Consumer Goods Presentation Leadership Dine-in 290

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN”T KNOW ABOUT A RESTAURANT. There is a long history of how kitchens and restaurants are structured. Although executed at different levels – this structure is something that all those whom work in restaurants can depend and lean on. An organizational structure that attempts to keep things under control.

Back of House 547

Back of House Seasonal Menu Customer Service Front of House 547

Culinary Cues

MAY 13, 2023

Is it culinary school, working in well-known restaurants, finding an established chef to mentor them, or is it something else entirely? It is the decision of where to work, who to work for, and how you will invest in the opportunities that come your way that is most critical at this juncture.

Hotels 505

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 505

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2020

Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. Now is the time to self-assess and realign priorities.

Leadership 471

Leadership Point of Sale Training Coaching 471

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 5, 2022

These platforms are gaining popularity among people who wish to dine with their families at home and still wish to enjoy the flavor and quality of restaurant food. These platforms are gaining popularity among people who wish to dine with their families at home and still wish to enjoy the flavor and quality of restaurant food.

Online Ordering 491

Online Ordering Website Management Point of Sale Inventory 491

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Increasing your restaurants online order volume doesnt have to feel like an impossible task. In this guide, well walk through seven practical ways to boost your restaurants online order volume. Optimize Your Website and Online Ordering Experience If your restaurants website isnt easy to use, youre probably losing out on online orders.

Online Ordering 195

Online Ordering Ordering Email Marketing Mobile Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 10, 2021

While your restaurant may feature a diverse menu, delicious food, a great ambiance, and excellent customer service, you will still struggle to build a customer base without promoting it. The fact is that running a successful restaurant is more than just offering good food and good service. Emphasize Best-Selling Items.

Marketing 567

Marketing SEO Front of House Website Management 567

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

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. The glory days of the restaurant industry have been laid to rest and they may never return to any semblance of normalcy. How will we react?” What if……happens?

Customer Experience 449

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 449

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. 'Safety' is what I believe to be most important now to help assure patrons to revisit their favorite restaurants. An app-first experience for restaurant chains.

Marketing 585

Marketing Social Media Food Safety Email Marketing 585

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2024

When properly developed and integrated into your operation, the mission statement will impact who you hire, how you train, the products you develop and sell, the way you lead and manage, how employees interact, the way that guests are approached, and how the world perceives you (the business) to be.

Customer Service 413

Customer Service Social Media Customer Experience Reference 413

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

It is the team behind the chef that makes a successful restaurant; it is the team that executes the chef’s vision; and it is the team’s focus that allows the chef’s cost consciousness to result in a financially successful operation. Every restaurant, of every level is finding it increasingly difficult to build a team with lasting power.

Loyalty Program 582

Loyalty Program Communication Training Coaching 582

Culinary Cues

MARCH 26, 2022

Are you thinking about owning a restaurant? You are not alone if the thought of putting your name on a restaurant awning has crossed your mind. One of the most tempting forays into entrepreneurship is the restaurant business. How hard can it be – right? Spoiler alert – nothing could be further from the truth.

Cash Management 462

Cash Management Social Media Restaurant Law Communication 462

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2021

A restaurant is only as good as the team behind the scenes. As an owner or manager, you’re already well aware that your team and your customers are the lifeblood of your enterprise. For restaurants, this information could range from cooking, dining, and food preparation tips to local ingredient sourcing guides.

Social Media 508

Social Media Customer Experience Email Marketing Online Ordering 508

Culinary Cues

MAY 28, 2022

Restaurants are very much like families, sometimes dysfunctional, but still family. The dining room staff face some different marks in time that establish them as “prepared”. In both cases, there is a high level of stress in restaurant work. How important is the staff meal to the success of a restaurant?

Front of House 421

Front of House Back of House Small Business Employee Relations 421

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2021

We all knew that the restaurant industry was in need of a structural overhaul, we (those of us affiliated with the business) were well aware of the cogs in the chain, and the years of rust that had accumulated on systems and organization, but it took the pandemic of 2020/21 to shout out: THE TIME IS NOW! Such is the case in 2021.

2021 474

2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 474

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

It seems to me that this is where we are with our decisions about restaurant operation. We have debated this issue for the past two years and the only solutions that most restaurant operators have come up with are to cut services and keep raising wages. Desperation leads to ineffective decision making.

Kitchen Safety 94

Kitchen Safety Training Take-out Mobile Ordering 94

Harbor Touch

MARCH 18, 2025

Running a restaurant is a demanding job. One day youre juggling staff schedules. Weve worked with countless restaurant pros whove faced these challenges head-on. Their stories inspire these 10 proven restaurant management tips and tricks for success. Lets get started and help your restaurant thrive any year.

Management 148

Management Management Seasonal Menu Cash Management 148

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Yes, I have been preaching the need for change in restaurants. Changing how we view our concepts, menus, pricing structure, our staff, marketing, and the list goes on has never been more critical. What may appear to be blatant, could very well stem from a lack of understanding and a declining number of role models.

Training 442

Training Customer Service Uniforms Leadership 442

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

Managing a restaurant is a delicate routine—if we can even call it a routine. Managers are responsible for nearly every aspect of the restaurant and have to cover a variety of duties. Table of Contents: The main duties and responsibilities of a restaurant manager What is a restaurant manager’s daily routine?

Management 397

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 397

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2023

It sounds nice to espouse the cliche: “It’s not whether you win or lose that matters, it’s how you play the game”, but if how you play the game leads to losing – there is little inspiration in the noble approach. Okay, so maybe how we define winning needs to evolve. But then we need to more clearly define the word “satisfied”.

Coaching 466

Coaching Sports Point of Sale Take-out 466

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2022

This is meant to be a chat with all the stakeholders: cooks, chefs, servers, bartenders, managers, owners, dishwashers, and customers. The end IS NOT near, in fact, restaurants have never been more important than they are right now. Are you willing to take a hard look at your pricing model and how you approach profitability?

Food Supply 449

Food Supply Training Supplies Café 449

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

Culinary Cues

JUNE 23, 2024

So, how detrimental is this “bad press” and what can be done about it? When restaurants cry the blues about a lack of staff and even more significant – a lack of committed staff, then it is time for those who “do it right” to actively work at changing perceptions. Not all chefs are the same.

Uniforms 448

Uniforms Front of House Back of House Food Supply 448

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

The tasks of the chef are fairly universal: planning menus, putting your signature on each dish, hiring and training staff, ordering product and building vendor relationships, controlling costs and adhering to budgets, maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment, etc. The answer is emphatically – no.

Beverage 520

Beverage Events Food Order Website Management 520

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

What if the chef, manager, and owner were required to do the same, in essence proclaiming they approve of the work as presented to the guest? Are you proud to present this to your teammates, manager, or guest?” Back in time, I remember a billboard in New York City’s Times Square that asked: “Would You Be Willing To Sign Your Work?”

Seminar 443

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 443

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The margins are very tight, in fact they are so tight that most business savvy people would wonder why anyone would ever want to own a restaurant. From the dishwasher to the prep cook, line cook to sous chef, and server to restaurant manager – food cost percentages must be something that everyone takes on as a job requirement.

Food 448

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Point of Sale 448

Culinary Cues

MARCH 30, 2020

The restaurant industry has been plagued with problems for decades – this international crisis has brought everything to a head. How many times have restaurateurs and chefs proclaimed that they couldn’t simply stop their current model and re-invent themselves? It has also demonstrated just how fragile that need is.

Small Business 457

Small Business Food Supply Food Truck Healthcare 457

7 Shifts

JUNE 3, 2022

We don't have to tell you that the restaurant industry has a turnover problem. Restaurants are a transitional industry for many—but many of the reasons that workers quit are entirely preventable. 8 Reasons Why Restaurant Workers Quit — And How To Prevent It. 7shifts Tip Pooling and Distribution Software for Restaurants.

Tip Distribution 397

Tip Distribution Email Marketing Communication Coaching 397

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Push it out, how many covers, lock, and load, finish strong, over the hump, wrap it up: this the language of the kitchen during service, these are the timestamps like the number of quarters in a football game or innings in baseball. How do you feel about that plate?” When we compromise with quality in a restaurant where is the win?

Customer Service 439

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 439

7 Shifts

MAY 11, 2020

It’s been months since restaurants across the US, Canada, and beyond were forced to shutter their dining areas in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Plus, as part of our COVID-19 resources initiative , it’s time we pivot our own content to help your restaurant have a successful reopening. I'm so sorry, I'm not doing that anymore.’

BOH 368

BOH Food Safety FOH Equipment 368

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2020

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic persists across the globe, governments have started easing lockdown restrictions and allowing restaurants to reopen finally. The news may raise concerns for both customers and operators alike because it’s no secret just how contagious COVID-19 can be in public places. Offer Disposable Menus.

Social Media 539

Social Media Food Safety Cash Management Customer Service 539

Culinary Cues

MAY 27, 2023

TECHNOLOGY AND RESTAURANT CULTURE Learning to live with technology and stay in control is essential. Encourage your staff to share the number with key family members and if there is a legitimate “emergency” this is the lifeline, in a semi-private setting where they can communicate. “I

Technology 418

Technology Front of House Social Media Back of House 418

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Nearly nine years ago, during the first twelve months of Harvest America Cues blog, one of my articles went viral attracting almost 40,000 views in one day. What rules or laws are most significant for them and how might their commitment to them impact on those workhorse cooks, dishwashers, restaurant servers, and the like?

Coaching 447

Coaching Restaurant Law Training Article 447

Culinary Cues

MARCH 3, 2021

The hope was that by doing more, working harder and longer, making more complicated menus, and pushing the envelope of creativity the restaurant industry would rise up to new levels of success. These small restaurant operators opened and closed their doors at an alarming rate simply because they couldn’t afford the space. BLIND FAITH.

Dine-in 450

Dine-in Small Business Seasonal Menu Café 450