7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

They must also focus on creating memorable experiences for customers at every touchpoint. 60% of guests who have a positive experience are likely to dine at a restaurant more frequently. Food quality Food quality plays a big role in your customer’s experience. Presentation also matters.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Online Ordering Customer Service 397

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 16, 2025

Tableside caviar service A prosciutto cart An authentic kaiseki tasting experience and members-only Japanese whiskey lounge Tableside s’mores These are just a few examples of ways restaurants across the country are hoping to attract guest by elevating the dining experience and creating a vibe highlighted by superior food and presentation.

Back of House 340

Back of House Customer Experience Customer Service Hospitality 340

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 18, 2025

With social media shaping trends, culture and commerce around the clock, younger generations are increasingly using these platforms to discover new dining experiences. Now is the time for restaurant brands to ask: Are we merging human insight with technology to craft meaningful customer journeys?

2025 322

2025 Sustainability Social Media Customer Experience 322

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 17, 2024

With so many people leaving the industry, restaurants stepped up—raising wages, creating new opportunities, and doubling down on the employee experience. Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked restaurant industry experts for their views on what trends and challenges owners and operators can expect to see in 2025.

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Customer Experience Online Ordering 419

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 20, 2025

This shift is fueled by more adventurous young palates and a desire for children's dining experiences to reflect the culinary sophistication enjoyed by adults. Kids are no longer subsisting on chicken tenders and fries alone as parents are increasingly demanding more diverse, nutritious, and high-quality meal options.

Menu 251

Menu Dietary Restrictions Social Media Catering 251

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

It is atop the list for restaurants looking to modernize, differentiate, and elevate experiences. So much data is generated at every point within a restaurant, whether fast casual or fine dining. The question now becomes – how to make sense of that data and use it to elevate the dining experience. Data, Data, Data.

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Social Media Fast Casual 419

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

No longer are customers relying solely on traditional keyword-based searches for terms like “restaurant near me”; instead, they’re using natural, conversational language to find exactly what they want. SOCi's 2024 Local Visibility Index (LVI) reveals that the U.S. restaurant industry risks losing approximately $6.9

SEO 324

SEO Social Media Customer Experience Customer Service 324

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 26, 2022

When you dine out at a restaurant, you tip your server. Most customers don't think twice about leaving a few dollars on the table or selecting a percentage on a tablet. Tipping in Europe was born in the middle ages, a master-serf custom where servants would receive an extra gratuity for excellent performance.

Presentation 486

Presentation Tip Distribution Restaurant Law Back of House 486

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 2, 2025

Pizza restaurants are poised to continue their evolution this year and incremental changes, especially in the areas of artificial intelligence, operational efficiency and customer preferences, will create both challenges and opportunities for pizzeria owners. This not only frees up labor but also reduces order errors.

2025 251

2025 Online Ordering Franchise Franchising 251

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

Make the tomato an experience. Youre a chef, dont take the easy route of buying pre-cooked cold cuts for your meat roast, smoke or braise your own; make it your signature and let the customer see the product being sliced in front of them. Leave your customers speechless and your employees beaming with pride.

Fine Dining 348

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Front of House White Paper 348

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 14, 2025

Diners are looking for a better overall experience, from streamlined ordering to more inviting restaurant environments. At the same time, 21 percent say they’ve increased their budgets in 2025 – showing that while some are pulling back, others still see dining out as a worthwhile indulgence.

Loyalty Program 332

Loyalty Program 2025 Mobile Ordering Fast Casual 332

Restaurant Business

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Third-party delivery (3PD) services play a critical role in bringing delicious meals from restaurants into the hungry hands…er, mouths…of customers. Not only do smart lockers simplify the order pickup process for the delivery drivers, they also increase customer satisfaction. But those who have used them report significant benefits.

Customer Experience 273

Customer Experience Food Order Customer Service Delivery 273

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 27, 2024

For restaurant operators, these challenges underscore the importance of thoughtful decisions that boost efficiency and drive customer retention. For restaurant operators, these challenges underscore the importance of thoughtful decisions that boost efficiency and drive customer retention.

2025 275

2025 Loyalty Program Email Marketing Customer Experience 275

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 22, 2025

The uniforms worn by staff, from kitchen to counter, represent your brand in every customer interaction, making apparel a strategic business decision rather than merely an operational requirement. Professional garment design achieves this balance by carefully considering operational requirements and visual presentation.

Uniforms 221

Uniforms Loyalty Program Front of House Customer Experience 221

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2021

Let’s put aside, at least for a short time, the antagonistic, woe is me, hard-nosed dialogue about the problems with staffing, the generation that doesn’t want to work anymore, the cheap employers that don’t want to pay a fair wage, and customers who refuse to respect us and let’s focus on what we do.

Dine-in 450

Dine-in Take-out Customer Experience Café 450

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 6, 2024

Sixty-nine percent of consumers would dine out more often if it were more enjoyable, and that number goes up to 78 percent for adults under the age of 35, according to a report from ChangeUp. 66 percent of consumers believe a desirable experience is more important than price and convenience.

Customer Experience 493

Customer Experience Fast Casual 2024 Dine-in 493

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 26, 2021

Dining rooms are open, and tables are at 100 percent capacity in most states. These conditions present an evolving challenge for restaurants when it comes to providing a safe dining experience for customers and employees, especially when it’s often unknown whether patrons are vaccinated or not.

Technology 568

Technology Ordering Front of House Customer Experience 568

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

This is not the normal amount of angst that has been present for decades fickle customer tastes, rising cost of goods, changing demographics, or escalating rents; there are far deeper concerns that make everyone scratch their heads in wonder. Theres plenty of fear and loathing going on in the restaurant business.

Fine Dining 242

Fine Dining Food Supply Customer Service Recruiting 242

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

However, with prices rising, customers are choosier about where they spend their money. This has led to a growing appeal for unique dining experiences and fast-casual concepts. While this shift isnt entirely new, it has gained momentum post-pandemic as consumers place greater value on the overall dining experience.

Fast Casual 221

Fast Casual Customer Experience Design Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 26, 2021

As the effects of COVID-19 subside, the industry is expected to continue growing as consumers increase spending on discretionary purchases, such as outdoor dining, outdoor events, and travel, including hotel stays. ” Eventually, confidence will be achieved when the industry experiences a trend that implies sustainability.

Hospitality 474

Hospitality Presentation Outdoor Travel 474

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

Off-premise dining was already on-trend in the restaurant industry well before COVID-19. Just since the beginning of the pandemic and the restrictions on on-premise dining, 62 percent of operators have or plan to implement designated takeout areas due to the re-configuration efforts. Delight Your Customers. Simplify Their Lives.

Coupons 596

Coupons Social Media Online Ordering Customer Experience 596

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 10, 2021

It’s easy for restaurant experiences to be impersonal and ordinary right now, with face masks and takeout containers dictating the nature of dining. Upgrade Your Takeout Experience. Upgrade Your Takeout Experience. Delivery is still all about the guest experience and your value proposition.

Food Safety 487

Food Safety Customer Experience Customer Service Entertainment 487

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 9, 2025

But one thing I’ve learned is that every challenge presents an opportunity to improve. When introducing new restaurant software technology and launching the company’s first private dining program, I focused on ensuring that these changes improved the guest experience without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Leadership 251

Leadership Innovation Technology 2024 251

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

Customers are going to be hesitant to dine indoors. That they can get coronavirus from someone sitting next to them while dining. Create a contactless experience via QR Codes with a contactless menu and contactless check-ins. 'Safety' An app-first experience for restaurant chains. That tables are too close.

Marketing 585

Marketing Social Media Food Safety Email Marketing 585

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 25, 2025

With big-box retailers closing up shop, more than 140 million square feet of desirable retail space has become available, presenting the opportunity for restaurants such as fast-casual concepts to expand their businesses. In more recent years, there's been a wider adoption of fast-casual concepts. Has it evolved?

Fast Casual 221

Fast Casual Casual Retail Food Supply 221

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 20, 2025

The Value Wars continue to shake up the dining industry, increasing competition for the same share of stomachs. For fast casual chains, competition includes usual suspects like casual dining and QSRs as well as c-stores and grocery chains who are ramping up foodservice offerings to capitalize on the trading down trend.

Fast Casual 221

Fast Casual Casual 2025 Dietary Restrictions 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 7, 2021

Restaurant owners are looking for creative ways to revamp the indoor dining experience with improved health and safety standards. Restaurant owners can use these helpful tips to promote key health and safety standards in order to regain trust and improve the overall customer experience: Improve Air, Hand and Surface Hygiene.

Kitchen Safety 531

Kitchen Safety Customer Service Customer Experience Dine-in 531

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 11, 2024

The year 2024 promises a journey of adaptation and fierce competition for the restaurant industry as it manages stronger-than-expected economic data and slowing inflation while dealing with the headwinds of short labor supply, more demanding customers and an uncertain political environment.

2024 473

2024 Customer Experience Compost Loyalty Program 473

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 22, 2024

From improving your Google listing to leveraging customer reviews, these tips will show you how to boost your visibility and drive more traffic to your restaurant. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you could be losing out on potential customers.

Book 195

Book Marketing Email Marketing Social Media 195

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

As news of loosening restrictions in some parts of the country offers diners an opportunity to return to indoor dining, will customers be ready and willing? According to a recent study by McKinsey, more than 80 percent of survey respondents reported medium to high anxiety levels about the idea of returning to dine-in restaurants.

Technology 460

Technology Guest Recovery Customer Experience Mobile Ordering 460

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

As the world is largely re-opened post-COVID, people are eagerly out and about dining in restaurants and bars to reinvigorate their social routines. According to Morning Consult , 77 percent of all polled adults are comfortable dining out at restaurants or cafes as of June 2022.

Fine Dining 474

Fine Dining Customer Experience Events Seasonal Menu 474

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 20, 2021

Restaurants should ask themselves the following question: as customers return to dining out, how can we keep not only our guests—but staff—happy? It’s dining, on demand. With the rise of online shopping, customers are now more than used to controlling their experience and their time more than ever.

Dietary Restrictions 493

Dietary Restrictions Customer Experience Dine-in Online Ordering 493

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 25, 2020

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, more of those same restaurants have started considering—and even implementing—new plans for welcoming employees and customers back for in-person dining. Unexpected downtime, when paired with a swift return to work, can present new risks to restaurant employees.

Employee Relations 547

Employee Relations Customer Experience Communication Training 547

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2024

Establishments are grappling with a complex crisis characterized by empty seats in dining areas and behind the scenes, where a shortage of skilled workers is keenly felt. Understanding the Drought The labor shortage has hit hard, with many restaurants operating below capacity despite a rebound in customer demand.

Loyalty Program 491

Loyalty Program Customer Service Customer Experience Insurance 491

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

Digital not only powers seamless experiences but also unlocks guest data that can elevate hospitality across all touchpoints, both digital and in-person. Digital not only powers seamless experiences but also unlocks guest data that can elevate hospitality across all touchpoints, both digital and in-person.

Front of House 221

Front of House Loyalty Program Recruiting Customer Experience 221

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 7, 2024

The dining landscape is shifting, driven by Gen Z's (currently 11- to 26-year-olds) quest for “genuine” culinary experiences over the conventional allure of "the best" restaurants. They research, investigate and seek out experiences – especially when it comes to restaurants.

Social Media 493

Social Media Customer Experience Influencer Dine-in 493

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2024

Rethinking Beverages The typical drink upsell—soft drinks and coffee or tea—has decreased over the past few years as customers increasingly eat restaurant food at home. Delivery users are less price-sensitive than customers using other sales channels. One in four respondents order specialty beverages more than once a week.

Beverage 493

Beverage Fast Casual Seasonal Menu Customer Experience 493