ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

Menu pricing isnt just about covering costsits about finding that sweet spot where profitability, customer perception, and operational reality meet. Understanding the Key Factors in Menu Pricing Before you develop your menu pricing strategies, its important to ground your decisions in the numbers.

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Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fast casual or fine dining. Foot traffic or heat mapping, menu item engagement, or consumer demographics by time of day. I think smart, AI-enabled platforms will turn data into intelligence around visit frequency, ordering, traffic patterns and more.

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Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

After successfully opening a second location in Kernersville, NC, and planning for a third one, the fast-casual gourmet slider brand has started franchising and plans to grow strategically in the Southeast region. First, consumers are demanding more convenience and customization, pushing brands to rethink their menus and service models.

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ChowNow

JUNE 12, 2025

And no, increasing restaurant sales doesn’t mean turning your restaurant staff into pushy upsellers trying to squeeze a few extra dollars out of every order. Create Limited-Time Offers That Drive Action Limited-time offers (LTOs) give potential customers a reason to order now, not later.

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Loyalty Program Social Media Online Ordering Email Marketing 195

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

As a step further, offering a flexible menu catered to solo diners – with smaller portions to reduce food waste and allow the diner to taste more dishes – provides waiters with an additional opportunity to make personalized recommendations specific to these menu offerings. Cuisine type?

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ChowNow

MARCH 21, 2025

Understanding your target market is the foundation of making smart decisions for your menu, pricing, and overall guest experience. 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.

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Marketing Social Media Email Marketing Loyalty Program 195

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Today, customers rely on Google searches, online reviews, and social media to decide where to eat. People want convenience, transparency, and a connection to the brands they support, and that starts with how you market your restaurant online. A strong online presence means more visibility, more orders, and, ultimately, more revenue.

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EATER

OCTOBER 5, 2020

I’d eaten my fair share of “barbacoa” at Chipotle, where its shredded-beef burrito was my splurge order. But as we reckon with the complicated intersection of social and political structures behind food, we have an opportunity to demand a very different future for fast casual. I thought I did.

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ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Its significantly more cost-effective to keep your regulars walking through the door than it is to get a new customer every time you take an order. Customers earn rewards by meeting thresholds you define, whether its the number of orders or total dollars spent. All you have to do is keep them happy. And when you do?

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2025 Loyalty Program Operations Email Marketing 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 10, 2020

A restaurant’s brand identity is the cumulative effect of what your guests see, taste, smell, feel and hear at your restaurant, online, and in the world at large. A restaurant’s brand identity is the cumulative effect of what your guests see, taste, smell, feel and hear at your restaurant, online, and in the world at large.

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ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

While these platforms do bring in orders, they also come with the price of high commission fees, loss of customer data, and a weaker connection between you and your guests. Its up to you to educate them on the impact and show them why ordering direct makes a difference. can be an eye-opener for customers.

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ChowNow

APRIL 8, 2021

As a restaurant owner, your menu photos are a powerful marketing tool to attract new customers, increase ticket sizes, and retain guests. They’re ripe for use on social media, within marketing emails, and on your online ordering menu. Pay attention to position and perspective in each menu photo. Be realistic.

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Equipment Menu Social Media Email Marketing 370

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 5, 2020

As consumers have come to rely on their cell phones in virtually every aspect of their lives, restaurants should consider letting guests order via mobile rather than at a counter. This can be done by making interactive menus available online or in an app. Contactless Ordering. Contactless Payments. Contactless Receipts.

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7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Have you ever walked into a restaurant, excited for a great meal, but the server can’t answer your questions about the menu? Without the right training, even the best menu or ambiance can fall short due to poor service, leading to dissatisfied customers and lost revenue. Let’s say you run a fast-casual restaurant.

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Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 29, 2021

“We are seeing sign-on bonuses at fast food and fast casual locations, something never seen before in the industry. Some operators are willing to have you work today, get paid tomorrow in order to get people in place to handle their minimum requirements. 200 online orders a month with one to two people. .

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Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 16, 2022

Reports show that 81 percent of fine dining establishments, 78 percent of family restaurants, and 77 percent of fast-casual spots added curbside pickup, pivoting away from dine-in services after March 2020. Also, menus largely went digital, and more restaurants have since adopted digital menu managers as a way of life.

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Online Ordering Management Management Point of Sale 472

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

For example, if you run a social media campaign or pay for online ordering integrations, all of these contribute to your overall marketing expenses. Imagine you own a café, and you’ve just run a campaign to boost your online ordering. You spent $800 on Facebook ads and in-store promotions over a month.

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ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

That includes the ingredients and packaging for your menu items, but not things like rent and payroll. This gives you a sense of how effective your menu pricing is. You can have packed tables, long lines, and strong menu item sales, but if your operating expenses are out of control, you still might be losing money.

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Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Here are a few examples of tech-centered solutions to ease the ongoing labor crisis in restaurants by putting more functionality directly in the hands of customers: Digital Tableside Ordering to Support Service Staff. Enter digital tableside ordering. For fast-casual or QSR brands, digital tableside ordering is equally beneficial.

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ChowNow

JUNE 12, 2025

Knowing the true cost per serving means you’re not guessing where to set menu prices. Add Packaging Costs (if applicable) If your dish is available for delivery or takeout, include the cost of any additional items that are included in the order and will be taken, such as containers, bags, utensils, or stickers. The remaining 71.7%

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Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

percent) than they do in casual restaurants (16.5 Takeout tips are down : Tips for online orders and delivery dipped slightly, falling from 8.83 In spite of earning the biggest in-house tips, bars were hit hardest on takeout, with the median online and delivery tip falling from almost 10 percent to 8.54 percent to 8.07

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Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2022

Regardless of whether this is proper dinnertime etiquette, the truth is that most people can pull out their smartphone to read through your menu just as easily as perusing a physical menu. Here are five reasons why you should stick with QR code menus instead of pulling those plastic menus out of storage.

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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.

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Seating Back of House 2025 Presentation 228

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 18, 2020

launched its COVID-19 online operator resource, the US Foods Restaurant Reopening Blueprint. Adapting with a tighter, more focused menu to allow kitchens to better plan labor and prep needs and manage enhanced sanitation routines. Click here to view the application and instructions. US Foods Holding Corp.

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Front of House Back of House Online Ordering Kitchen Safety 520

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 3, 2025

The restaurant needs cohesion, from signage to menu design to uniforms. Social media, online reviews, and delivery platforms make digital branding just as important as physical branding. We were entering the saturated fast-casual burger space and knew we needed to make an impact. The work doesn’t stop with launch though.

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Social Media Customer Experience Email Marketing Loyalty Program 251

Restaurant Business

JUNE 11, 2025

These ads will direct back to a restaurants’ DoorDash ordering page. In the future, they could also link to a restaurants’ own website if they use DoorDash’s Storefront online ordering system, Samolis said. But some have bristled at the idea that they must now offer discounts in order to compete. Sign up here.

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Advertising Fast Casual Social Media Leadership 228

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

This has led to many perks for consumers, such as reduced wait times, contactless ordering, and more personalized offers and rewards. The market is influenced by evolving consumer lifestyles, the growth of digital ordering, and consumer demand for convenient and affordable dining. percent from 2025 to 2033 and reach US$ 345.6

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ChowNow

MAY 2, 2025

The right restaurant newsletter doesnt just share updates; it keeps customers invested in your brand, your menu, and your next move. Its your chance to turn casual diners into consistent regulars, promote new menu items before they even hit the table, and build a real sense of community around your restaurant.

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ChowNow

APRIL 25, 2025

In this article, you will learn: How to turn in-store and online ordering guests into email subscribers What incentives and touchpoints actually grow a valuable restaurant email list How to automate your email marketing so it works while you sleep Lets start with why email still matters in the age of algorithms.

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ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

Did you scroll through the online reviews first? Online reviews have become one of the most influential factors in how consumers choose where to eat, especially for independent restaurants. Whether someones deciding where to make a reservation or who gets their lunch order, what others say about you online carries real weight.

Online Ordering 195

Online Ordering Social Media Customer Service Customer Experience 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

We’re seeing massive disruption to front-of-house systems, too, delivering personalized guest experiences from order to payment to final delivery. One great thing about the online delivery market is that it produces massive amounts of data. Heloise Blaure, founder of HomeKitchenLand.com.

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Mobile Ordering Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 539

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 18, 2021

While there are clear benefits to an all-digital menu system, to get the most out them, you must first take a step back to re-examine what your menu means to you. Your menu: Part love letter, part manifesto, instructions for use and a bill of goods, all rolled into one. Should your menu move to the cloud?

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Back of House Seasonal Menu Customer Experience Fast Casual 474

ChowNow

JANUARY 30, 2025

Within this guide, youll discover proven strategies that help you stand out in a crowded market, captivate your ideal customers, and turn casual diners into lifelong regulars. Restaurant branding is not easy, but when done correctly, the reward is a packed dining room every night with a steady stream of to-go orders out the side door.

Email Marketing 195

Email Marketing Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 18, 2021

But as reality of the pandemic sunk in and dining rooms remained closed, it became apparent that ordering delivery and takeout was the best way to help restaurants weather the storm — and there was a significant consumer appetite to do so. By August 2020, Americans reported ordering takeout 2.4 So what’s next?

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7 Shifts

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Get it wrong—with a menu that doesn't fit the ambiance or pricey dishes not suited for the clientele—and would-be regulars will at best feel confused and at worst never return. Restaurant concepts define the overall theme or idea behind a restaurant, including cuisine, service style, music, and menu design. Menu design.

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Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

By restaurant category: 50 percent reported using quick-service restaurants “more” or “much more” 36 percent increased visits to full-service restaurants 39 percent increased visits to casual eateries 39 percent increased visits to breakfast restaurants So who are these frequent users? Lean on technology.

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Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Service Online Ordering 470

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 26, 2021

Of course, delivery also spiked, but the underlying thread between each of these dining preferences is the use of mobile for ordering and pick-up. In fact, according to a report by Bluedot , 86 percent of respondents surveyed said they have ordered directly from a restaurant app since the start of the pandemic.

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Mobile Ordering Download Customer Experience Fast Casual 546