ChowNow

MARCH 21, 2025

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. Key customer factors that influence dining preferences, from demographics to behavior. What Is a Restaurant Target Market?

Marketing

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Staff productivity plays the largest role in restaurant revenue, which is why it’s so important to invest in your recruiting and hiring strategies, finding like-minded individuals to move your restaurant forward while minimizing time waste. According to Forbes , 50% of employees waste parts of their day on their phones.

Mobile Ordering

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

For dining establishments that rely on in-person traffic, a simple way to track new customers is by asking them directly when they place an order or through digital receipts that prompt a brief survey. Instead of casting a wide net with generic ads, use targeted marketing to reach the people most likely to dine at your restaurant.

Loyalty Program

ChowNow

JULY 25, 2025

Cut waste through stricter prep and storage controls A huge part of lowering food costs is minimizing waste. Even trimming 5% off waste can meaningfully improve your margins. It’s calculated by dividing your actual food cost (what you spent on ingredients) by your total food sales, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

Food

ChowNow

MARCH 7, 2025

When used strategically, customer data can help you personalize marketing, streamline operations, and create a better dining experience for your guests. The more you understand your customers, the better you can fine-tune your marketing and pricing strategies. Or adjust your staffing schedule based on peak ordering times?

Loyalty Program

Goliath Consulting

MAY 26, 2025

The wrong hire can lead to off-brand posts, low engagement, and wasted effort. A trendy, fast-casual spot will likely need very different content than a fine dining experience. Todays diners scroll before they order, and your restaurants social media presence can make or break their decision to visit.

Hiring

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2025

With households increasingly treating dining out as a luxury, every menu item and service interaction becomes a potential make-or-break moment. Additionally, customer satisfaction with full-service restaurants varies significantly depending on the type of purchase experience (dine in, carry out, or delivery). At the same time, U.S.

Loyalty Program

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 24, 2024

B Corp Restaurants As of early 2024, almost 150 restaurants around the world have achieved the certification, from fine-dining independents to fast-casual chains, with hotels, breweries and food delivery companies also dotting the list. I have been fortunate to work with Sleepy Bee Cafe since its founding in 2013.

Certification

ChowNow

MARCH 14, 2025

Every day, youre juggling staff, food quality, inventory, customer service, purchasing, and moreall while trying to cultivate a dining experience that wows your customers enough to keep them coming back. Its tough, and cant be done passively.

Operations

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

This doesnt mean cutting corners and sacrificing the customer experience; its about knowing where your money is going, spotting leaks early, and fine-tuning whats already working. A good labor cost percentage to shoot for is between 20%-30% , depending on your service style and local wage laws. Are you overstaffed on slow days?

Operations

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

The truth is that the average restaurant profit margin is razor-thin, leaving almost no room for error. A spike in food costs, a drop in sales volume, or one slow season can wipe out months of hard work. If your restaurant profit margins arent healthy, it doesnt matter how busy you areyoull always be playing catch-up. added up to $60,000.

Point of Sale

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

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

Slim and stylish is fine, but in a restaurant, function beats form every time. That leads to a ton of wasted time constantly trying to create workarounds, and your staff will feel that frustration every shift. Tablets are everywhere in restaurants these days, and with good reason. Also, look for a tablet that has a strong battery life.

Front of House

ChowNow

MARCH 13, 2025

These small errors add up, leading to unhappy customers, negative reviews, and wasted food costs. Its a recipe for chaos, leading to mistakes, slower service, and shrinking profit margins. But what if all your food delivery apps were in one place? This constant back-and-forth leads to confusion, missed orders, and costly delays.

Delivery

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

For operators, restaurant apps mean higher sales, greater customer retention, and smoother day-to-day operations. Why Restaurant Apps Matter in 2025 Consumer habits are evolving, and convenience is at the heart of it. Why Restaurant Apps Matter in 2025 Consumer habits are evolving, and convenience is at the heart of it.

2025

The Rail

APRIL 10, 2025

According to a study from Delierect , 43% of restaurant diners say they are willing to pay more for sustainable dishes, and 68% believe restaurants should take active steps to reduce food waste. These efforts offer a dining experience thats informed and easy to navigate. For restaurant owners, this is a critical moment.

Food Supply

Lavu

MARCH 21, 2025

Restaurants can now use customer data to enhance restaurant menu design, creating smarter menus that increase profits and improve the dining experience. This approach also helps reduce food waste and maximize customer satisfaction. Reduce Waste : Remove underperforming items to save costs and streamline kitchens. Keep reading.

Design

Lavu

NOVEMBER 30, 2024

This article breaks down how to manage ingredient costs, reduce waste, and optimize menu pricing using modern tools like POS systems. Here’s what you’ll learn: Common Problems : Fluctuating prices, waste, and poor inventory tracking hurt profitability.

POS

Lavu

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

POS systems are transforming dining by making personalized experiences easy and efficient. This means menus can be updated to reflect what people actually want, making the dining experience more engaging and relevant. Learn more in our latest post: How POS Systems Enable Menu Personalization.

POS

Future Food

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

From the rise of AI to the increasing popularity of experiential dining, businesses are adapting creatively to meet new consumer demands. Perhaps oddly and yet understandably, premium dining spending has increased… but only through average spend. Those who already treat themselves to high end dining experiences spend more.

Hospitality

Lavu

MARCH 13, 2025

By leveraging POS data, restaurants can adjust inventory, staffing, and marketing strategies to maximize profits during busy periods and minimize waste during slow seasons. These numbers show how profitable certain times are and highlight dining habits over different periods – like daily, weekly, or yearly.

POS

Squirrel Systems

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, the dining experience at hotels and resorts has become a crucial element in shaping guest satisfaction. From sustainable practices and health-conscious menus to tech-enhanced dining and global flavors, hotel and resort restaurants are adapting to meet the diverse needs of the modern traveler.

Hotels

Lavu

MAY 9, 2025

Lightspeed : Excellent for complex menus and inventory management, ideal for fine dining or multi-location setups. From quick-service spots to fine dining restaurants, it offers tools to meet a variety of operational needs. In the competitive restaurant industry, choosing the right Point of Sale (POS) system is crucial.

POS

Lavu

JULY 18, 2025

In this post, we’ll explore five essential POS features designed to reduce wait times and deliver faster, more efficient dining experiences. This eliminates the hassle of waiting in lines or for servers to take orders, tackling one of the most common delays in dining experiences. times faster than traditional methods.

POS

Lavu

APRIL 25, 2025

This system helps restaurant owners and managers track stock in real-time, reduce waste, and maintain optimal inventory levels. Poor inventory tracking costs restaurants up to $600/month on beverages , but mobile tools reduce waste, prevent overstocking, and improve real-time decision-making.

Inventory

SpotOn

MARCH 21, 2025

You need to know what your competitors are charging and gauge the boundaries of what guests will pay for the dining experience. For fine dining establishments, or other restaurant concepts with inherently high food costs, lowering food costs might not be an option. Menu pricing is a delicate dance.

Pricing

Lavu

APRIL 25, 2025

Consumer dining preferences have shifted and today customers are looking for experiences, not just a meal. Efficient Operations : Track ordering patterns ( dine-in vs. delivery ) to optimize staffing and inventory, ensuring smooth service. POS systems track patterns across dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders. The result?

POS

Lavu

JULY 25, 2025

From wait times and staff efficiency to sales trends and customer satisfaction, POS system performance offers critical insights into daily operations. Yet, many restaurant owners overlook the valuable data it holds. The technological heart of your business, Point of Sale systems are essential. So, what does your POS say about your business?

POS

Paper Chase Accountancy

JULY 9, 2025

” Average Check: This represents the average amount that is spent by each customer dining. When operating a hospitality business, it’s hard to know if your financial metrics are on par with the industry, especially with a changing economy and unique concept types. Labor Cost: The cost incurred by a business to pay its staff.

Hospitality

Paper Chase Accountancy

JULY 25, 2025

Restaurants and Food Service: Including fine dining, fast casual, QSRs, cafes, and catering. Detailed Inventory Control: Especially for restaurants, managing perishable inventory (food and beverage) requires meticulous tracking to minimize waste, control COGS margin , and ensure profitability.

Hospitality

Lavu

MAY 23, 2025

In today’s fast-paced dining environment, even a few seconds of lag can create a ripple effect that impacts your entire service flow. Inventory Issues : Manual stock counts and outdated tools lead to inaccuracies and waste. All of these factors lead to longer lines, irritated customers, and a less efficient dining experience.

POS

Lavu

APRIL 25, 2025

Smart ingredient substitutions help manage food costs, reduce waste, and adapt to seasonal changes – all while keeping dishes consistent and appealing. Use Inventory Wisely: Reduce waste by incorporating available stock. Thats where ingredient substitutions come in. Creating Inventory Ingredients 1.

Seasonal Menu

SpotOn

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Gross and net profit margins for restaurants What is the average restaurant profit margin? Restaurant profit margin calculator How to lower restaurant costs How to increase restaurant sales Gross and net profit margins for restaurants In restaurants, profit margin is the percentage of revenue left over after expenses and costs are taken out.

Operations

SpotOn

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Considering the amount of time you’ve spent on menu engineering , you’d hate for it to go to waste on a poorly designed, confusing menu. Diving your menu into appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts is just fine. Your restaurant menu defines your restaurant. Give yourself some freedom to change up the specials.

Design

Apicbase

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Did you know a poorly managed menu could cost you thousands in wasted food and lost profits each month? With the right tools, you can keep your menus consistent, appealing, and profitable—resulting in higher margins, less waste, and smoother operations. The more locations you operate, the bigger the loss.

Menu

Paper Chase Accountancy

MAY 20, 2025

In the bustling world of gastronomy, the art of restaurant bookkeeping often takes a backseat. It’s a nuanced dance, balancing income and expenditure, ensuring the financial health of the establishment. This guide aims to simplify the process, whether you’re a seasoned restaurateur or new to the industry.

Cash Management

EATER

DECEMBER 4, 2024

In both fine dining establishments and cafes, filtered, sparkling water is increasingly part of the included hospitality experience, not an upsell. In an already pricey dining setting, the chef didn’t want to create an atmosphere of exclusion. And that’s how it should be. And for the restaurants, it comes at a cost.

Fine Dining