Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Fifteen minutes early is not just being present its being ready to make a difference. [] IF YOU CAN LEAN YOU CAN CLEAN Yes, time is money, and the original intent of this often-used statement may relate to the cost of labor, but most importantly it relates to how you approach life. This is the missing ingredient in so many guest experiences.

Employee Relations 410

Employee Relations Presentation Small Business Recruiting 410

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

Nowadays, vegan food is becoming normal in restaurants and fast food joints. With increasing promotions in restaurant magazines, food blogs, and social media platforms, more people are expected to join this mega-trend. Restaurant industry is on the cusp of change. Bn at an impressive 22 percent CAGR in 2022.

Fine Dining 554

Fine Dining Fast Casual Food Supply 2022 554

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

Wrapped with care in parchment paper, sealed with a stamp that embraces your logo, include an information sheet that outlines the source of ingredients, the history of your restaurant, and what goes into bringing this sandwich to the guest. Choose your oven wisely. Travel and experience what others have worked with for decades.

Seasonal Menu 348

Seasonal Menu Fine Dining Front of House White Paper 348

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

Before restaurants can record a profit, they need to take several expenses into account—inventory, kitchen equipment, building utilities, and of course, labor. What is Restaurant Labor Cost Percentage? Some businesses choose to calculate labor cost as a percentage of operating costs rather than a percentage of sales.

Management 253

Management Management Employee Relations Restaurant Law 253

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Theres plenty of fear and loathing going on in the restaurant business. Every restaurant and restaurateur are struggling to figure it out how am I going to make this work? Restaurants would typically rely on high school and college students during the summer months to fill positions during peak season now that is a challenge.

Fine Dining 242

Fine Dining Food Supply Recruiting Customer Service 242

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Nowadays, running a successful restaurant takes more than great food and good service. With 90% of diners checking a restaurant online before visiting, you also need a strong online presence to attract and boost reservations. Let’s explore 26 proven online marketing strategies to help your restaurant thrive.

Book 195

Book Marketing Email Marketing Social Media 195

Black Box Intelligence

JUNE 4, 2025

What Restaurant Brands Need To Know The Cost of Ignoring Market Trends Missing a market trend doesnt just mean falling behind. From external factors impacting guest traffic to rising operational inefficiencies, the cost of ignoring whats shaping consumer sentiment adds up fast. It means losing real revenue. Heres what we found.

Marketing 91

Marketing Loyalty Program Customer Experience Back of House 91

Culinary Cues

MARCH 16, 2025

Restaurants didnt know how to react. Eventually we figured it out (to some degree) but in the process lost an enormous number of restaurants from 2020 2023. The cost of goods will rarely go down. Labor cost will continue to escalate and finding good employees will remain a problem whether we are in a crisis or not.

Food Supply 232

Food Supply Customer Service Recruiting Delivery 232

Culinary Cues

MARCH 15, 2021

Sure, I know how much the restaurant/foodservice industry is suffering and how many operations are shutting their doors as a result of avoiding decades of challenges brought to a head by the pandemic, but believe me when I say that this will change. Just as the restaurant industry evolves, so too must the industry of education.

Education 587

Education Food Supply Training Communication 587

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

Identifying problems has never been a challenge in the restaurant industry – there are many. Let’s look for a moment at one of those problems (challenges) and apply these three steps: PROBLEM: The restaurant industry, universally, is having an impossible time trying to find competent, committed individuals to work in all positions.

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2021

A restaurant is only as good as the team behind the scenes. For restaurants, this information could range from cooking, dining, and food preparation tips to local ingredient sourcing guides. If your restaurant has a blog, consider adding author bios to your blog posts. Include Your Customers in Your Celebrations.

Social Media 508

Social Media Customer Experience Email Marketing Online Ordering 508

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. The buck seems to always stop with the chef; it’s the chef’s kitchen, the chef’s food cost, and the chef’s menu that drives marginal profit at best. Cost control begins at the back door.

Food 448

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Consumer Goods 448

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 19, 2020

Any restaurant or F&B business can leverage this form of marketing to their benefit, it just requires a little know-how in the realm of digital networking. For example, let’s imagine an online reviewer who exclusively reviews low-priced fast food restaurants. Find Bloggers in Your Niche. Micro vs. Macro Influencers.

Influencer 532

Influencer Marketing Social Media Online Ordering 532

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 Article Training 447

Goliath Consulting

DECEMBER 4, 2023

For restaurants, adopting eco-friendly practices aligns with this global shift and presents an opportunity to save on electricity costs. ” By implementing simple yet effective measures, restaurants can significantly reduce their carbon footprint while enjoying long-term financial benefits.

Sustainability 195

Sustainability Equipment Sourcing Waste 195

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

Some forty years of tying on an apron, polishing shoes, sharpening knives, and stressing about everything from the quality of produce arriving the next day to some quirky challenges with food cost. There is a love hate relationship that we all share when it comes to the work we do.

Coaching 409

Coaching Take-out Food Order Inventory 409

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2021

In the restaurant business there are really only two ways to view profit: a very small amount of profit balanced by very significant volume, or a significant amount of profit on far less volume. How you approach the design of your restaurant in this regard will determine nearly everything else. So what is contribution margin?

Front of House 450

Front of House Point of Sale Back of House Customer Experience 450

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 30, 2021

The pandemic has ravaged many businesses in the country and few industries were hit as hard as the restaurant industry. Thousands upon thousands of restaurants were forced to close for safety reasons, some permanently. Now more than ever, restaurant owners need to improve the way dining places are run to survive these uncertain times.

Marketing 568

Marketing Food Safety Social Media Small Business 568

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

From my experience, it is difficult to experience a dinner for two in a moderate full-service, independent restaurant for less than $120 without gratuity. Those family-owned restaurants in your town are the lifeblood of the community. How, in this case with restaurants, do these operators find a way to financial success?

Pricing 415

Pricing Marketing Insurance Seasonal Menu 415

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2023

One of the dilemmas restaurateurs’ face is the approach taken with the management and delivery of a restaurant concept and menu. To make it simple, the restaurant can choose to be either chef centric or restaurant centric. In a restaurant centric operation, the standards are what defines the restaurant.

Hiring 449

Hiring Training Pricing Café 449

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

There’s rarely been a more difficult time for restaurants than the past year. Combining a shortage of customers and employees as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic with the ongoing flux of health code restrictions, restaurants are struggling to drive traffic and relevance within respective customer bases.

Entertainment 485

Entertainment Social Media Customer Service Technology 485

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2022

I get it, profit in restaurants is sometimes hard to come by. We deal with highly perishable goods, unpredictable customer behavior, swinging door staffing, and constantly escalating cost of goods. Restaurants get hit from all angles so when there is a chance to push the envelope on pricing – many do. Prime Filet or 14 oz.

Pricing 442

Pricing Consumer Goods Training Small Business 442

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. High-end restaurants that tend to have a pricier menu should look to add more affordable items. Rid yourself of the non-essentials, get back to the basics, and work smart.

Social Media 539

Social Media Food Safety Cash Management Kitchen Safety 539

Culinary Cues

MARCH 30, 2020

The restaurant industry has been plagued with problems for decades – this international crisis has brought everything to a head. This virus has demonstrated just how important restaurants are to people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Without restaurants – society just seems incomplete.

Small Business 457

Small Business Food Supply Food Truck Healthcare 457

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

JUNE 26, 2021

Over the past few decades, I have been asked to design a number of kitchens for restaurants and banquet spaces – a task that I thoroughly enjoy. Inefficiencies cost money, frustrate employees, and oftentimes set the stage for poor quality results. Creating restaurants is an expensive endeavor.

Design 446

Design Fine Dining Uniforms Waste 446

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. This is how a team operates. [] INADEQUATE FOCUS ON COST. “My Restaurant Consulting.

Leadership 471

Leadership Point of Sale Training Coaching 471

Culinary Cues

JUNE 9, 2024

There is a deeper price to pay when looming issues like the labor shortage, rising costs of operation, an eroding passion for careers in the kitchen, and diminishing profits haunt our everyday operations. Unfortunately, your customers are oblivious to the difficulty in operating a restaurant, especially at a time when challenges are abundant.

Customer Experience 437

Customer Experience Café Customer Service Training 437

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

The chef must define that destination: how the restaurant wants to be perceived by all stakeholders. [] A Mentor to Others. Budgeter Cost Controller and Analyzer Marketing Resource. THE LAW: First and foremost – the restaurant must be profitable! Restaurant Consulting. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Restaurant Law 450

Restaurant Law Coaching Café Sourcing 450

Culinary Cues

APRIL 15, 2023

It’s early spring, mud season as it is commonly called, and they are putting in a Yeoman’s effort at organizing another restaurant week. All good intentions – they want to create full or partially full dining rooms for restaurants in need. If you are not in the restaurant business, then maybe this sounds reasonable.

Café 518

Café Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Social Media 518

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

Getting that dish just right, controlling costs, managing inventory, meeting budgetary goals, topping yesterdays customer count, clearing the rail of tickets without any re-fires, a complement from customers, top ratings on Trip Advisor or Yelp, or a positive local restaurant review can all be viewed as a competitive opportunity.

Fine Dining 450

Fine Dining Coaching Café Dine-in 450

Culinary Cues

JULY 15, 2024

It is apparent in the classroom, the local grocery store, your doctor’s office, the gym where you work out, car dealerships, airports, subways, hotels, and yes – restaurants. In other words – when a restaurant is not working as it should, start by looking at leadership and how they approach the business and the people within.

Leadership 472

Leadership Food Truck Employee Relations Training 472

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

This may seem like a strange topic for a blog focused on the restaurant industry and the world of food but hear me out. What’s the harm in continuing in this way and by the way – what does this have to do with restaurants anyway. We must protect the sacredness of restaurants and those sanctuaries for social networking.

Social Media 441

Social Media Food Safety Small Business Retail 441

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 27, 2022

Using images in restaurant email marketing is a great way to reach your current audience and expand as well. But how can I use images in my restaurant email marketing campaigns? There are seven tips in total, but the most basic tips are very simple to implement and are very cost-effective. Select the Right Size and Format.

Email Marketing 508

Email Marketing Marketing SEO Social Media 508

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

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? If you can afford the cost and the time, of course a culinary school would help as an integral part of your plan. So where will you get exposure to much, if not all of that?

Hotels 505

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 505

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 3, 2020

From coast to coast restaurants that are open at some level are paralyzed by a lack of staff. As restaurant owners and chefs scratch their heads trying to figure out what’s going on – it might be helpful to look at the lessons that are before us. According to ABC news – more than 16,000 U.S.

Government 493

Government Training Small Business Consumer Goods 493