Restaurant Business

OCTOBER 23, 2024

This transformation is not just about automation; it's about creating smarter, more efficient, and more personalized dining experiences. The technology is redefining the nature of dining, working behind the scenes to make the experience more efficient, personalized, and enjoyable.

Customer Experience 301

Customer Experience Operations Back of House Customer Service 301

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

Meticulously clean kitchens; pristine, starched chef whites; the very best equipment and ingredients from around the world. Fifteen-hour workdays, no time for anything but the pursuit of excellence. Guests spending hundreds of dollars for a memorable meal and making reservations months in advance just to garner a seat.

Fine Dining 348

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Front of House White Paper 348

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

What can you expect to see on menus in 2025? Read on for predictions from industry insiders that include chili crunch, black limes, newstaglia, stealth health, and elevated snacking. ” Guests will have the opportunity to experience many of these trends come to life at Kimpton restaurants and bars across the globe.

Beverage 450

Beverage 2025 Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Solo dining – a time dedicated to eating a meal alone at a sit-down restaurant – is an opportunity for diners to practice self care over a meal, whether that be by relaxing and reflecting at the end of a long day or even by engaging the mind with a book or catching up on the news. Just the “cover count.”

Customer Experience 450

Customer Experience Fine Dining Seating Catering 450

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 26, 2024

This financial strain could dampen discretionary dining expenditures. In 2025, the restaurant and broader hospitality industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After weathering years of pandemic-related challenges, the sector continues to rebound with optimism. Navigating Emerging Challenges in Profitability In 2024, U.S.

2025 418

2025 Management Management Insurance 418

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 30, 2024

The restaurant experience was once solely comprised of human-to-human, in-person experiences. Fast food and food delivery gradually began changing that equation. Then, in 2020, we saw the restaurant industry go through a major digital upheaval, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to get this process down to one hour, or less.

Customer Experience 519

Customer Experience Loyalty Program Dietary Restrictions 2025 519

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 2, 2025

The Off-Premises Dining Shift: Food That Travels Well Delivery and pickup continue to dominate the pizza market as off-premises dining solidifies its role in customer behavior. Customers are increasingly expecting restaurant-quality food, even when dining at home. This not only frees up labor but also reduces order errors.

2025 251

2025 Online Ordering Franchise Franchising 251

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 26, 2024

With cashless transactions and delivery services becoming the norm, diners are enjoying faster, more streamlined dining journeys. The restaurant experience has quickly become a digital landscape. But this technology adoption has also introduced new cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic, cashless transactions (e.g.,

2025 558

2025 Point of Sale Food Supply Online Ordering 558

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 22, 2025

pipes intersecting walls) or wrong equipment placements. How Design Technology Improves Space and Guest Experience Every square foot counts when redesigning a fast-casual eatery or a fine dining venue. Simulating every detail, from the floor to the appliances, will help the owners budget their costs.

Design 221

Design Technology Fine Dining Fast Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 24, 2024

” How a restaurant handles review responses can have significant impact as 78 percent of potential patrons consider responses to reviews as influential in their dining decisions, but only if they are personalized and informative. Reviews impact the number of diners available to your restaurant.

Dine-in 446

Dine-in Influencer Customer Service Information 446

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 18, 2025

Music and dining are all about expectations. However, when going out to dine, it is all about being social, having great conversations and enjoying each other’s company. When someone goes to a nightclub or live music night at a bar, the expectation is that it will be loud and they may have to shout to be heard.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program License Customer Experience Restaurant Law 251

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 5, 2023

When people think of the way AI is currently used in quick service restaurants – such as fast-food chains – they might think of AI-powered voice bots utilized at drive-thrus or AI tools to forecast inventory needs based on demand. Restaurant owners agree, as nearly half of hospitality operators in the U.S.

Dine-in 474

Dine-in Customer Service Customer Experience Hiring 474

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 22, 2024

As a general rule of thumb, if you’re determining when and how long someone works, set their pay rate, provide the equipment for them to do their jobs and directly supervise them, they are likely an employee. percent, about 87,000 positions, above their February 2020 employment peak, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Restaurant Law 332

Restaurant Law Tip Distribution Fine Dining Insurance 332

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

The Tech That’s Already Here Automation in restaurants isn’t just about robots bringing food to your table or mixing drinks; it’s about redefining the dining experience altogether. This technology already exists today. Pudu Robotics and Bear Robotics are deploying food-running robots in restaurants across the globe.

Front of House 450

Front of House Food Order Seating Customer Experience 450

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 24, 2025

Mother’s Day reigns queen as the largest dining-out holiday of the year, with Americans projected to spend around $35.7 Music Drives Dining Performance Music is the invisible host. Yet, many restaurants either throw on a random playlist or forget music altogether, missing a crucial opportunity to elevate the dining experience.

License 251

License Fine Dining Customer Experience Dine-in 251

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 27, 2022

As a result, ghost kitchens, delivery-focused kitchens without a storefront or dining area, are growing in popularity. The cost of running a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant is high, and many restaurants are losing significant in-house dining business amid the ongoing pandemic. Check all equipment. Utilize digital tools.

Kitchen Safety 530

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Audits Food 530

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 5, 2024

This trend of using unique glassware to showcase specialty drinks and cocktails is growing in both fine dining and casual establishments across the country. This trend of using unique glassware to showcase specialty drinks and cocktails is growing in both fine dining and casual establishments across the country.

Fine Dining 405

Fine Dining Consumer Goods Presentation Seasonal Menu 405

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

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. For the first part, click here and for the second part, click here. Data, Data, Data. As of 2024, over half of U.S.

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Social Media Fast Casual 419

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2025

No longer solely defined by crowded dining rooms, special occasions are increasingly being marked by the ease and comfort of takeout and delivery, presenting both opportunities and challenges for restaurants. "We’ve "That shift has only accelerated in recent years. . "We’ve

Catering 282

Catering Delivery Specials Online Ordering 282

Goliath Consulting

MARCH 26, 2025

Why Spring HVAC Maintenance Matters Unlike residential systems, restaurant HVAC units work overtimehandling kitchen heat, crowded dining rooms, and frequent door openings. Adjust thermostat settings, test system responsiveness, and ensure fans and vents are properly balanced to maintain consistent airflow throughout the dining space.

Allergens 221

Allergens Kitchen Safety Seasonal Menu Food Safety 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

Automation – Investing in smart kitchen equipment and AI-driven scheduling tools can help reduce labor costs and improve efficiency. Consumers, especially younger generations, are making dining decisions based on a brand’s environmental impact. Most recently, he co-founded Sammy's Sliders with chef Sammy Gianopoulos.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising Fast Casual 251

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

You have all the right equipment and purchase your beans from a reputable one-stop wholesaler who carries a complete line of product for restaurants from cryovac strip loins and 109 ribs to dry goods, paper supplies, small restaurant equipment, and yes coffee. Is that what you believe? Is that how you want to be perceived?

Fine Dining 238

Fine Dining Small Business Customer Experience Equipment 238

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

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. However, with prices rising, customers are choosier about where they spend their money.

Fast Casual 221

Fast Casual Customer Experience Design Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

Now, more than ever, dining establishments need to delight customers at every touchpoint, gain real-time customer feedback and secure competitive insights. Listings are vital for guests who search online for places to dine out. But how dining establishments manage the review process varies widely.

Sustainability 568

Sustainability Guest Recovery Customer Experience SEO 568

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 23, 2022

Let’s look at some different layouts that could improve your kitchen: An Island Layout – In an island configuration, all cooking equipment is found at the center of the kitchen, with countertops around the edge. This means that all equipment needed is close to hand and accessible. Leave Space for Instructions.

Design 507

Design Kitchen Safety Equipment Food Safety 507

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 25, 2025

If you are a caterer, you’ll face traditional restaurant risks like equipment breakdown and damage to your property; however, you may have a greater interest in coverage such as hired and non-owned vehicle insurance. If We Have an Opportunity for Curbside Dining, is that Space Considered our Premises?

Insurance 221

Insurance Restaurant Law Outdoor Catering 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 9, 2025

This focused, instant warmth provides comfort on demand, regardless if visitors are dining on a chilly patio or relaxing on an observation deck. This broad applicability and versatility ensures consistent warmth across different areas of the resort, such as patios and dining areas, observation or event decks, and cold-weather areas.

Outdoor 386

Outdoor Brewery Seating Small Business 386

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 6, 2022

Some ghost kitchens are even set up to house several delivery-only concepts from different operators that share equipment like refrigerators, dishwashers and more. In either case, 64 percent of consumers said they don’t plan to return to their pre-pandemic dining habits for the next several months.

Operations 491

Operations Kitchen Safety Food Safety Waste 491

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

The average restaurant operating a sit-down dining experience can miss 15-30 percent of incoming calls on average, with that number possibly being even higher during busy hours. With 59 percent of customers hanging up after calling in and waiting for a minute or less, according to Linga, restaurants are missing out on a lot of business.

Reservations 448

Reservations Online Ordering Loyalty Program Book 448

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

With people dining out less, some restaurant owners are increasingly trying to cut costs to stay afloat. Take temperature checks – constantly checking equipment to ensure its optimal temperature is an essential daily task. Inflation is promptly changing the behavior of everyone. This past May, the US inflation rate rose to 8.6

Inventory 474

Inventory Equipment Waste Pricing 474

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 27, 2021

These tools have become so commonplace that many have become an extension of the restaurant experience — so integrated into dining culture that employees and guests do not necessarily realize how tech-savvy they have become. Too Much Tech Is Not a Solution. However, adopting tech for the sake of appearing modern is not the solution.

Front of House 609

Front of House Back of House Loyalty Program Customer Experience 609

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 19, 2025

Over the last two decades, I’ve worked alongside operators in just about every hospitality setting—independent cafés, high-end dining rooms, food halls, and regional chains. We saw widespread adoption of mobile payments, digital ordering, and contactless dining almost overnight. Operators had to shift—fast.

Hospitality 305

Hospitality Front of House Back of House Food Order 305

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Restaurants are no longer just about the food – they are about the complete dining experience, which includes ambiance, service speed, and personalized interaction. For example, IoT devices can notify when stock is low, or equipment is not functioning optimally.

Operations 472

Operations Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 472

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2025

It’s about taking friction out of operations—so staff can spend more time focused on hospitality, not paperwork. AI Is the New Secret Sauce in Restaurant Operations First, let me take a moment to say – AI isn’t just ChatGPT or image generation. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean human-like behavior.

Airlines 434

Airlines Hospitality Waste Food Order 434

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Your staff, especially your restaurant manager, plays a crucial role in the overall dining experience. How do you handle unexpected challenges, such as equipment failure or supply shortages? Looking for someone to oversee day-to-day operations is a critical business decision that needs careful consideration.

Leadership 195

Leadership Management Management Operations 195

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Back-of-house (BOH) staff, including chefs and kitchen assistants, will focus more on food safety, food handling, and kitchen equipment use. A well-informed team improves service, enhances the dining experience, and reduces errors in the kitchen. Each restaurant has unique staff roles that require different types of training.

Training 195

Training Kitchen Safety Food Safety Customer Service 195

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 13, 2024

The restaurant industry is a case in point, where employment has yet to climb back from pandemic-induced losses. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), as of October 2023 eating and drinking places were 14,000 jobs below their February 2020 level.

Marketing 449

Marketing Tip Distribution Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 449