Culinary Cues

MARCH 10, 2025

Every cook, at least every serious cook, seems to want to work in one of those exceptional fine dining or cutting-edge experimental operations that are depicted in shows like Chefs Table or The Bear. If you are serious about a kitchen career and have the focus to map out the best path, then listen up.

Hotels 376

Hotels Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Healthcare 376

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. 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

JUNE 27, 2025

A Dilemma of “Super Size” Proportions Amid rising food prices and shifting consumer preferences, the restaurant industry is facing a dilemma of “super size” proportions. percent menu-price inflation rate. Red Robin climbs 3 percent to 78 thanks in large part to its focus on menu and food.

Loyalty Program 371

Loyalty Program 2025 Customer Experience Customer Service 371

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.

Marketing 195

Marketing Social Media Email Marketing Loyalty Program 195

EATER

OCTOBER 21, 2024

Instead, you’ll see signage about the health benefits of plant-based eating — the “primary drivers of consumer choice are personal benefit,” says Goldman — and the menu board, designed like any one in other fast-food chains. The “ PLNT Impact Tracker ” on PLNT Burger’s website wants you to think about what you’re eating.

Sustainability 326

Sustainability Sourcing Consumer Goods Seasonal Menu 326

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

Of course, running a restaurant is difficult, wholesale prices of ingredients have risen dramatically since the pandemic, labor costs are out of control, and landlords have no mercy when it comes to establishing lease arrangements. Here are some thoughts: PRODUCT: Take a hard look at your menu. Do the math. You want to support them.

Pricing 415

Pricing Marketing Insurance Seasonal Menu 415

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 27, 2024

At the same time, economic uncertainty, consumer price sensitivity, and limited resources remain pressing concerns. In an era where price-conscious diners seek value more than ever, restaurant loyalty programs are becoming indispensable. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of loyalty marketing in 2025.

2025 275

2025 Loyalty Program Email Marketing Customer Experience 275

Restaurant Business

JULY 2, 2025

Fast-casual Condado Tacos—which prefers calling itself “next-gen casual”—has long had a bar program with a selection of conventional margaritas and beers to go with its Mexican-style menu and vibe. But those same margaritas had been on the menu since 2014 when the bar, so to speak, was set a bit lower. By Patricia Cobe on Jul.

Fast Casual 239

Fast Casual Beverage Back of House Leadership 239

ChowNow

JULY 4, 2025

Where our eyes land first, how we interpret prices, and what descriptions stick in our minds—all of it is shaped by subtle design choices and cues we may not even notice. It’s rooted in behavioral science and backed by decades of research into decision-making, pricing, and visual perception.

Online Ordering 195

Online Ordering Influencer Menu Ordering 195

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

You can have a crowd-pleasing menu, loyal regulars, and a packed dining roomand still watch your margins disappear. Too many restaurant menus are built on intuition and aesthetics, not real numbers. What Is Menu Engineering and Why Should You Care? Because not every dish thats popular is profitable.

Menu 195

Menu Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

MVP Menu Performances More than 200 million people tuned in to the Super Bowl last year—many with a plate of wings in front of them. 11, 2024, comparing it to the average Sunday in 2024 and found that: Wings win MVP with an 87 percent increase in sales The average price of wings ordered increased 18 percent.

2024 309

2024 Food Order Delivery Sports 309

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 24, 2020

With some outdoor dining pilot programs coming to an end as we head into the winter months, tens of thousands of restaurants across the country will be forced to operate at a fraction of typical capacity without added outdoor seating to supplement the loss. Does your dining room layout need a social distance inspired layout?

Cash Management 576

Cash Management Social Media Seasonal Menu Food Truck 576

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 31, 2024

While the restaurant industry has been focused on value meals so far this summer, Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) season has snuck up on us with independent restaurants leading the orange-colored way. billion by 2031, operators are hoping an early PSL season will drive additional revenue after a consumer pullback in spending. "Call

Seasonal Menu 474

Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Email Marketing 2024 474

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 29, 2020

Free from the limitations of static signage, restaurants can effectively and visually educate their customers on menu items, pricing structures, and ordering protocols. Custom Menus Like Never Before. Digital playlist functions allow you to setup and schedule content to the minute on daily, weekly, monthly, or seasonal basis.

Seasonal Menu 515

Seasonal Menu Customer Experience Customer Service Food Order 515

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 195

Loyalty Program Email Marketing Online Ordering Point of Sale 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 21, 2025

Every order placed at a kiosk generates valuable data, allowing restaurants to better understand customer preferences, forecast demand, and optimize menu offerings. The landscape is only getting more difficult, as evidenced by name brands like TGI Fridays and Red Lobster closing locations around the country.

Technology 221

Technology Front of House Customer Service Back of House 221

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Restaurant guests in cost-saving mode are eating out less and more conscious of menu prices, according to Restaurants: Consumer Trends Fall 2022/Winter 2023 a report produced by Provoke Insights in collaboration with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine. The study was in-field from Autumn 2022.

Fine Dining 473

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Social Media 2022 473

EATER

MARCH 28, 2025

Levy A host of diverse offerings are on the menu at Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, and other arenas this season. Although these items are still plentiful, dining at a baseball game has now become an exciting culinary affair. These baseball stadiums didnt start developing new menu items overnight or without forethought.

Serving 243

Serving Seasonal Menu Food Supply Menu 243

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2024

While three in four survey respondents believe restaurant prices are higher, other factors, such as flavor, outweigh price when ordering specialty beverages, particularly in the full-service segment. During a time of increased price sensitivity, beverages create an opportunity to increase the total check.

Beverage 493

Beverage Fast Casual Seasonal Menu Fine Dining 493

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 2, 2023

Behind the scenes, strategic decisions greatly impact a restaurant's bottom line, and at the forefront of these is the art of menu engineering. Far from just a list of dishes, a well-engineered menu is a powerful tool that can significantly increase a restaurant's efficiency and profitability.

Menu 419

Menu Cash Management Seasonal Menu Influencer 419

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

When you decided to open a restaurant, you probably didnt picture yourself glued to spreadsheets or tracking the price of eggs, but keeping an eye on the numbers is how you stay open year after year. A spike in food costs, a drop in sales volume, or one slow season can wipe out months of hard work. added up to $60,000.

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Insurance Fast Casual Customer Service 195

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Youre delivering a great dining experience, yet foot traffic remains inconsistent, online engagement is low, and new customers arent coming in as often as youd like. This includes hours of operation (including holiday updates), your website link, phone number, and menu. Here are two ways to make a big impact on your local SEO.

2025 195

2025 Email Marketing Social Media Loyalty Program 195

ChowNow

JULY 4, 2025

Even your most reliable menu items can lose their shine over time. Dining habits change, food costs fluctuate, and customer preferences can shift depending on what’s trending. All of these things are ok, so long as you’re menu is evolving with the changes. A shift in dining trends. But together they add up.

Menu 150

Menu Online Ordering Seasonal Menu Point of Sale 150

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features delivery data, tariff troubles, summer dining trends, and Beer Serves America. Additional findings indicate that 44 percent favor a balance of human staff and some technology, while 41 percent prefer no AI use at all in their dining experience.

Fast Casual 251

Fast Casual Food Point of Sale Mobile Ordering 251

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

Food Costs (COGS) Your food costs, or cost of goods sold (COGS), include everything that goes into producing your menu items, including: Recipe ingredients Beverages Condiments Disposables, like to-go containers, straws, and napkins Tracking your food costs percentage helps you understand how much of your revenue is being spent on your menu.

Operations 195

Operations Email Marketing Food Supply Seasonal Menu 195

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Pick your event idea by looking at your: Venue size and layout Customer demographic Available resources Time of year (season) Community Write out each of these factors, and a picture will emerge of which restaurant event idea will best fit your location. Are your regulars ordering the same drink and entree every time they come in?

Events 195

Events Seasonal Menu Social Media Customer Experience 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 17, 2022

With wholesale food prices soaring 13 percent in 2021 and labor costs rising as worker shortages continue, many restaurants are looking for smart ways to lower costs and avoid passing them on to their diners. One such solution has been shrinking restaurant menus. One such solution has been shrinking restaurant menus.

Seasonal Menu 472

Seasonal Menu Mobile Ordering Food Order Menu 472

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

Prices of raw materials and labor, of course, have gone through the roof and there is no end in sight. On top of this – restaurants are offering wages that were unheard of pre-pandemic and still employees are not inclined to return to kitchens and dining rooms. The important reality is that we MUST MAKE CHANGES NOW!

2021 508

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 508

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The cost of raw materials seems to always go up, most ingredients that restaurants use are highly perishable, customer volume is less predictable than we would like, seasonal differences in quality are quite significant, the supply chain is out of step with demand, and waste seems to be a real problem in many operations. First in, first out.

Food 449

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Consumer Goods 449

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 24, 2022

When properly deployed, they can transform the employee experience by improving daily operations, syncing front-of-house and back-of-house communication and execution, and delivering a memorable dining experience that won’t send staff to the walk-in cooler for a good cry. What Makes Hospitality So Vital to the Dining Experience?

Technology 558

Technology Front of House Back of House Online Ordering 558

Culinary Cues

APRIL 15, 2023

It’s early spring, mud season as it is commonly called, and they are putting in a Yeoman’s effort at organizing another restaurant week. All good intentions – they want to create full or partially full dining rooms for restaurants in need. A tip of the chef’s toque for the good old college try.

Seasonal Menu 519

Seasonal Menu Café Point of Sale Social Media 519

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 26, 2022

Create a Prix Fixe Menu. A prix fixe menu features a fixed multi-course meal that is served to all customers on a specific night, often for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Prix fixe menus can help increase sales and lighten the load on your kitchen staff. A prix fixe menu also gives off an air of elegance.

Social Media 563

Social Media Seasonal Menu Advertising Events 563

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 13, 2021

These challenges are impacting menu availability, raising the prices of menu items, leading to short staffs, increasing wait times for diners, and changing operating hours and offerings. As we head into the holiday season, we expect consumers to return to in-restaurant dining with enthusiasm.

Management 474

Management Management Seasonal Menu Customer Experience 474

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Customers expect to browse menus, place orders, and pay for their meals with just a few taps of their phones. Since 2014, online ordering has grown 300% faster than dine-in and now accounts for roughly 40% of restaurant sales. In 2025, the US online food delivery market is expected to reach $424.9 billion in revenue.

Online Ordering 195

Online Ordering Ordering Email Marketing Mobile Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

This instability will push operators to trim costs by shortening menus and investing in labor-saving technology to free up cash for wage increases. This instability will push operators to trim costs by shortening menus and investing in labor-saving technology to free up cash for wage increases. Simplified Menus.

2022 547

2022 Customer Service Online Ordering Website Management 547

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2020

Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business. YES – the menu is that important! The menu comes first and should reflect the philosophy of the owners and chef and how the operators expect to be perceived by the public.

Menu 484

Menu Seasonal Menu Front of House Reference 484

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 13, 2023

Since the pandemic, restaurants have endured a plethora of issues ranging from fluctuating dining restrictions to supply chain issues to rising food prices. Demand for Dining Out Isn’t Going Anywhere. But arguably no issue has proven to be as constant and bedeviling as the labor shortage.

Front of House 528

Front of House Back of House Online Ordering Food Order 528