ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Are your regulars ordering the same drink and entree every time they come in? Does the energy feel flat, and the customers look bored. Seeing those glazed-over eyes is unsettling, and youre starting to think, Maybe its time to shake things up a bit. Maybe hosting an event could pump some new life into your restaurant.

Events 195

Events Seasonal Menu Social Media Customer Experience 195

The Rail

JANUARY 15, 2025

Space optimization techniques can improve operations and enhance the dining experience. Note high-traffic areas, bottlenecks in the kitchen, dining, and storage spaces, and any zones where movement seems inefficient or obstructed. Use vertical dividers to create separate dining zones. Use stackable bins for maximum capacity.

Outdoor 130

Outdoor Seating Customer Service Customer Experience 130

EATER

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

Grandmas in floral cheeththa dresses deep-fry kokis (flower-shaped coconut rice snacks); cafes pour cups of frothy, milky tea; families set up outdoor fires to slow-cook baby jackfruit in coconut milk; and tappers climb kithul (fishtail palm) trees to collect sap for treacle and jaggery. Travel around and youll be rewarded.

Hotels 260

Hotels Seasonal Menu Back of House Small Business 260

ChowNow

JUNE 27, 2025

Restaurant review sites aren’t just for diners—they’re also savvy tools for restaurant operators to gather customer feedback and help control the narrative around their dining experience. Google also pulls in data like price range, categories ( like “brunch” or “outdoor patio”), your star rating, busy times, and snippets from reviews.

Website Management 195

Website Management SEO Book Customer Experience 195

ChowNow

MAY 30, 2025

The right promotion at the right time can reignite business, whether that means a packed dining room on a slow weekday or reconnecting with loyal customers who havent ordered in a while. If youve got a big outdoor patio, maybe a summer evening special event is the best move. Encouraging repeat visits from loyal customers?

Ordering 195

Ordering Loyalty Program Social Media Email Marketing 195

ChowNow

MARCH 7, 2025

When people are hungry, they turn to Google. Its the number one way customers discover new restaurants and if your business isnt showing up in the search results, youre losing diners to competitors who are. In this article, you will learn: How to optimize your Google Business Profile to boost visibility and credibility.

SEO 195

SEO Online Ordering Mobile Ordering Website Management 195

SpotOn

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

On the other hand, it can also mean additional complications like cold weather shutting down your outdoor spaces, employees going on vacation, grumpy guests, and unpredictable foot traffic. Your offerings can range from seasonal starters and holiday drinks to multiple courses and specials. Photo by Juliette F on Unsplash.

Loyalty Program 98

Loyalty Program Seasonal Menu Email Marketing Cash Management 98

Lavu

JUNE 6, 2025

Running a successful restaurant in 2025 means more than just great food—it requires smart financial decisions. With rising ingredient prices, labor shortages, and tighter margins, operators must find strategic ways to reduce restaurant costs without compromising quality or customer experience.

Loyalty Program 78

Loyalty Program Waste Recycling Inventory 78

The Rail

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Guests dont just visit for the food; they come for the atmosphere, the mood, and the overall dining experience. Outdoor seating areas can also benefit from a seasonal refresh with potted plants and decorative planters that bring in lush greenery. Water features like tabletop fountains or small fish tanks can add a refreshing touch.

Seasonal Menu 130

Seasonal Menu Outdoor Customer Experience Seating 130

Restaurant Clicks

MAY 6, 2025

Barbecue holds a special place in Missouri’s food scene. The casual dining atmosphere, along with options for takeout and delivery, makes it a convenient choice for both locals and visitors. Whether you’re dining in or ordering out, Smoke N Bones BBQ provides a hearty and delicious barbecue experience in the heart of St.

Seasonal Menu 78

Seasonal Menu Back of House Fast Casual Sourcing 78

SpotOn

JUNE 27, 2025

The truth is using QR codes the right way can actually help your restaurant create a better guest experience by putting customers in control of the ordering process and freeing up your staff to focus on the hospitality aspect of the dining experience. At all tables or just outdoor seating? This doesn't happen by accident, though.

Mobile Ordering 52

Mobile Ordering Online Ordering Back of House Front of House 52

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 11, 2025

Delivery/Takeout : COVID created a shift from in-person dining to takeout and delivery options, increasing reliance on third party delivery services, and on attractive takeout options. Many restaurant owners had believed they would be covered in the event of something like the pandemic, and found themselves without a safety net.

Mobile Ordering 418

Mobile Ordering Kitchen Safety Fine Dining Food Safety 418

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 30, 2025

Whether you’re dining in or taking food to go, Ward’s provides a straightforward experience that highlights traditional South Carolina barbecue. South Carolina is known for its deep roots in barbecue culture. Across the state, small towns and cities alike are home to spots that have been serving slow-cooked meats for decades.

Sourcing 78

Sourcing Back of House Customer Experience Bar 78

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 94

Hotels 2025 Travel Dietary Restrictions 94

Buzztime Business

JULY 1, 2025

Rope off an area of your parking lot for al fresco dining – and launch any of these July promotion ideas for restaurants and bars. Come up with awesome specials on craft beers. By creating an atmosphere that’s more backyard BBQ than formal dining area. See the most popular outdoor bar games in Chicago. Need more ideas?

Bar 78

Bar Food Truck Brewery Social Media 78

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 10, 2020

It’s the perfect slow-down to tweak recipes and menus, do some deep cleaning, or consider fresh ways to change up the customer dining experience. Some folks acted with more caution than others, in terms of mask usage and social distancing, but all who emerged into public outdoor settings seemed eager to get back out into the fresh air.

Outdoor 553

Outdoor Seating Customer Service Small Business 553

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

Outdoor dining is still top of mind as owners want to keep employees and customers safe and have questions about maintaining outdoor spaces in inclement weather. That's fine for sidewalks but not very conducive to outdoor dining, including keeping tables leveled. Many sidewalks slant out toward the street.

Outdoor 508

Outdoor Fine Dining Dine-in FOH 508

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 11, 2020

Now that states are beginning to loosen their lockdown restrictions and reopen small businesses like restaurants, it’s fair to wonder how drastically the dine-in experience will have to change to accommodate the new safety requirements. And even with stricter guidelines in place, will customers actually risk dining out in public spaces?

Customer Experience 516

Customer Experience Dine-in Food Safety Kitchen Safety 516

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants everywhere are working to safely serve customers, while also creating an atmosphere that leaves patrons with a positive and memorable dining experience. As restaurants continue to navigate limited indoor dining capacity and customers wary to dine indoors, some are expanding into outdoor spaces.

Outdoor 474

Outdoor Customer Experience Dine-in Seating 474

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

While each restaurant has its own unique needs based on the existing HVAC system, size, layout and construction of the indoor dining and kitchen area, there are a range of solutions and measures to improve indoor air quality for every indoor environment. Air Filtration. High Ventilation. Air Ionization.

Dine-in 558

Dine-in Technology Employee Relations Outdoor 558

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 27, 2021

Create a Special Menu. Design a prix fixe or specials menu that’s festive for the holiday. Customers are looking for something to celebrate and be excited for, so making your menu reflect this will help mark the day and add to the specialness. Another question is how long you want to offer your specials.

Specials 554

Specials 2021 Social Media Online Ordering 554

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 3, 2021

As we return to in-person dining across the country, restaurants are facing yet another challenge: delivering an exceptional customer experience (CX) for guests who come with high expectations after more than a year stuck at home. The entire dining experience has changed in the wake of the pandemic.

Customer Experience 539

Customer Experience Social Media Email Marketing Online Ordering 539

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Comfort food, outdoor dining, Riesling and streamlined menus were top trends for 2020, according to Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants ' seventh annual Culinary & Cocktail Trend Forecast for 2021. What do they expect will be hot in the coming year? Health food, eating local and personalized experiences. Is Carob a Carb?

2021 474

2021 Outdoor Hotels 2020 474

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 25, 2024

As the weather warms and patios come alive, restaurants across the country are gearing up for a summer of outdoor dining. According to data from Tock, nearly a third of restaurants in Tock’s network have the space needed to serve guests outdoors, with 33 percent having an existing space.

Outdoor 221

Outdoor Seasonal Menu Seating Reservations 221

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. Post a picture to Google My Business of “2020 Hours” Callers just want to know you’re open and what type of dining is available. That tables are too close.

Marketing 585

Marketing Social Media Food Safety Email Marketing 585

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 22, 2020

In addition, pop-up restaurants (100 openings) and seafood markets (84 openings) experienced an increase in openings compared to the same period in 2019, catering to consumers' interests in novel ways to dine and shop for food outside of traditional restaurant experiences.

2019 495

2019 Food Supply Food Truck Outdoor 495

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 25, 2020

With outdoor dining occupying the foreground, and bars and indoor dining taking a back seat to consumer preferences, it begs the question: what happens when it gets cold? Outdoor dining works great during the warmer weather, and for facilitating additional curbside/delivery.

Seasonal Menu 493

Seasonal Menu Outdoor Catering Customer Service 493

EATER

OCTOBER 30, 2020

The fun of dining at Gado Gado isn’t just in the menu. Even now with a closed dining room, the Pisha-Dufflys have brought some of the restaurant’s bold design scheme to its two outdoor patios. It’s also in its signature playful spirit. Shop it: Black light posters. Add bold personal touches.

Outdoor 245

Outdoor Design Dine-in Communication 245

7 Shifts

JULY 22, 2022

Whether that looks like tables on the sidewalk or a rooftop bar, there’s no denying that outdoor dining brings new obstacles and challenges to the already complex life of a restaurateur or employee. It’s also important to note that using outdoor space and adding more seating to your restaurant can increase your revenue by 30%.

Tip Distribution 391

Tip Distribution Certification Document Outdoor 391

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 31, 2021

Restaurant management can put some thought into reconfiguring any dining area to make the space feel exclusive and welcoming, not bare or half-empty; this will likely mean the removal of furnishings that don’t allow social distancing. Safety and Normalcy.

Customer Service 474

Customer Service Online Ordering Customer Experience Hospitality 474

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. And while it’s impressive to see how many businesses pivoted to offer these services, they are sometimes executed with less care than is given to dine-in service. Live music?

Food Safety 487

Food Safety Customer Experience Customer Service Entertainment 487

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 13, 2020

Hospitality operators can take steps now to not only ensure an easier transition but also maintain revenue streams and guest loyalty even if on-premise dining goes away. Many operators were able to pivot to delivery or pick-up offerings when dining rooms closed. Diversifying Revenue Streams. drive-thru, curbside pick-up, etc.).

Dietary Restrictions 493

Dietary Restrictions Online Ordering Customer Experience Dine-in 493

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2020

With more states lifting sanctions on dine-in options, Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine reached out to Yelp's Small Business Expert Emily Washcovick to learn about ways restaurants can successfully make the transition and slowly ramp up operations, while keeping guest and staff safety top of mind. Emily Washcovick.

Customer Experience 570

Customer Experience Consumer Goods Social Media Dine-in 570

EATER

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

But with outdoor dining, it doesn’t have to be. I had to take what I could get, so to fancy birthday lunch my daughters went, sitting outdoors in designer high chairs at a socially distanced table, coloring with crayons while I enjoyed a glass of wine, then another, and my first meal out since the pandemic began.

Outdoor 329

Outdoor Fine Dining Seating Dine-in 329

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020

But one thing is for sure: the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the restaurant dining experience. Additionally, plant-based and immunity-boosting foods, sanitation and outdoor dining has accelerated to an all time high. It has resulted in a huge shift in dining consciousness. Superfoods. Sanitation. Serene Spaces.

Food Truck 508

Food Truck Outdoor Food Safety Dine-in 508

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 7, 2020

Some of Von Hengst’s restaurants have outdoor patios which he predicts will be very popular. “Social distancing will still be maintained outdoors,” he said. On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina reopened its dining rooms in 45 restaurants across Georgia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas on May 6.

Food Safety 511

Food Safety Front of House Back of House Seating 511

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2023

Are you trying to reach the after-work dinner crowd, leisurely weekend brunch groups, or families looking to celebrate a special occasion? Think about each of your customer audiences and what they’re seeking in their dining experience. Yet, there is nothing common about your specific brand.

Franchising 450

Franchising Franchise Marketing Social Media 450