ChowNow

JANUARY 30, 2025

Restaurant branding is not easy, but when done correctly, the reward is a packed dining room every night with a steady stream of to-go orders out the side door. Whether its fresh, locally sourced ingredients or unforgettable dining experiences, your promise must be clear, authentic, and consistently delivered. But how do you get there?

Email Marketing 195

Email Marketing Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 14, 2020

Gaining steam prior to the pandemic, the idea of forgoing a dining room and optimizing kitchen space for off-premise sales only is more practical than ever. By deploying trained, uniformed personnel to bring food to the end consumer, restaurants can have better control of the customer experience and their brand.

2030 520

2030 Customer Experience Delivery Uniforms 520

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 1, 2020

As the novel coronavirus outbreak leads to state-mandated dining room closures, many food service franchisors are struggling to maintain business. Because patrons are not able to dine out, call-ahead orders have increased. We will pick ten winners to receive free bowls for a month (four free bowls!)

Technology 472

Technology Healthcare Social Media Mobile Ordering 472

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2023

In the waning days of 2022, FDA issued an updated Food Code with several important updates. FDA is responsible for more than a quarter of the U.S. economy, and the Food Code impacts virtually every American. Many of the key changes in the 2022 Food Code relate to food allergens. How does this modify cooking requirements?

2022 471

2022 Allergens Food Food Safety 471

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2020

There is comfort in wearing a clean, crisp, white uniform that represents history, tradition, and pride. A well-run kitchen is not a free-form environment where every cook does his or her own thing or moves to the beat of his or her own drum. There is comfort in following the directives on a prep list, a recipe, or a banquet order.

Uniforms 474

Uniforms Airlines Food Order Fine Dining 474

The Rail

MARCH 31, 2025

This means a uniform organizational structure and better decision-making. Standardized Training Programs: Newbies get uniform training with digital training tools across multiple locations. In addition to increasing productivity, this means a uniform and happy customer experience across all office locations.

Technology 130

Technology Management Management Operations 130

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 10, 2023

For franchise owners, maintaining uniform excellence across all outlets is key. Running a restaurant isn't just about serving great meals. It's about consistently delivering top-notch quality, exceptional service, and an unforgettable experience.

Loyalty Program 486

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising Social Media 486

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

Let’s go over a few basic questions all dining establishments should consider when selecting their furniture. That stated, how and why your patrons will dine is paramount. But always consider your clientele and their expected dining experience. You should work with someone on this too. But definitely consider getting help.

Fast Casual 450

Fast Casual Uniforms Dine-in Take-out 450

ChowNow

APRIL 25, 2025

Why Restaurant Branding Matters More Than Ever Restaurants have more competition than ever, giving customers a near-endless number of dining options, and the restaurant they choose largely has to do with a restaurants brand, not just its great food. Ask yourself: Why does my restaurant exist beyond serving great food? What do we believe in?

Mobile Ordering 195

Mobile Ordering Social Media Email Marketing Customer Experience 195

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

It would be difficult to find a more sinister, demoralizing, harmful, or self-destructive word than mediocre. Mediocre sucks the lifeblood out of an individual or an organization – it is the dark side of the moon, the harbinger of discomfort and pain, and the salt in the wound that saps your energy and leaves you hardened and embarrassed.

Uniforms 450

Uniforms Fine Dining Small Business Customer Service 450

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 8, 2020

Faced with the stark reality of closed dining areas, people working from home, and home-cooked meals, COVID-19 will force a radical rethinking of Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) marketing. Overall, you have people who fear leaving their homes and won’t be quick to flock to crowded indoor dining spaces where they dine without masks on.

Marketing 442

Marketing Franchise Franchising Social Media 442

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 20, 2020

As the reality of COVID-19 began to develop, it became clear that restaurants would need to put steps in place to combat the change in dining preferences that COVID-19 has caused. This will clearly help as the market returns to on-site dining. How can restaurants weather these complexities? Can a host bus tables?

Customer Service 459

Customer Service Training Front of House Dine-in 459

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

We filled the dining room, and everyone was served, but what was their experience? Push it out, how many covers, lock, and load, finish strong, over the hump, wrap it up: this the language of the kitchen during service, these are the timestamps like the number of quarters in a football game or innings in baseball. We made it!

Customer Service 439

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 439

Culinary Cues

MARCH 21, 2022

In the dining room, the same attention to organization must be prevalent. From first-in, first-out in the walk-in cooler to how you fold side towels and where your knives are placed – it is organization that allows a kitchen to run efficiently and keeps the mood and pace of the restaurant in sync.

Front of House 443

Front of House Back of House Point of Sale Food Order 443

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 14, 2023

Even the most successful food joints — their walls lined with James Beard Awards and Michelin stars — may struggle to fill their dining rooms. Any time your business creates marketing materials or modifies the dining room, it should be cross-referenced against the brand book. But where to start? Think about your own life.

Social Media 419

Social Media Book Customer Experience Design 419

Culinary Cues

MARCH 26, 2022

These are the restaurateurs who call me up and ask: “My dining room is full, why am I not making any money?”. [] NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO PLAN EFFECTIVE MENUS. Spoiler alert – nothing could be further from the truth. It really isn’t hard to know what to do – it has all been done before. Training ALWAYS pays back in dividends.

Cash Management 462

Cash Management Social Media Restaurant Law Communication 462

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

How powerful is a complete dining experience and what exactly is it? An owner for whom I worked years ago referred to it as the Total Dining Experience and I have held on to this concept ever since. Have you established a uniform and grooming standard in your restaurant and is it equitably enforced? Who are your odor police?

Fine Dining 409

Fine Dining Dine-in Front of House Design 409

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Unfortunately, dining out and finding the right place to work is oftentimes a wishful roll of the dice. It all matters – education level, income bracket, age range, frequency of dining, and food and wine preferences. [] KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BE AND HOW YOU WANT TO BE PERCEIVED. Don’t try to be something that you are not.

Fine Dining 449

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 449

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

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

Operating Costs Operating costs are the day-to-day expenses to keep your restaurant functioning, like: Cleaning supplies Light bulbs Paper products Uniforms Software Maintenance Tech tools (software) POS system Pest control Its easy to overlook the items in this category because no single thing seems massive, but together, they add up fast.

Operations 195

Operations Email Marketing Food Supply Seasonal Menu 195

Culinary Cues

JUNE 26, 2021

When owners are faced with a design that will cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars their first reaction is: “Kitchens don’t generate revenue – dining rooms do. “Chefs” want to create kitchens that work, spaces that are designed to correct the numerous problems that were previously faced in poorly designed kitchens.

Design 446

Design Fine Dining Uniforms Waste 446

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 12, 2021

This place tucked away in the hills of the northeast represented the epitome of culinary arts in their American Plan dining room. This place tucked away in the hills of the northeast represented the epitome of culinary arts in their American Plan dining room.

Seasonal Menu 474

Seasonal Menu 2005 Hotels Customer Service 474

The Rail

MAY 22, 2025

Tip #1: Creating a Signature Brand Voice that Matches Your Dining Experience The personality of your brand should reflect the experience you provide in-house. This covers expertly styled interior pictures, professional photos of your food , and an elegant menu, uniform, and signage branding.

Social Media 130

Social Media Front of House SEO Uniforms 130

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Whether it's the utilization of AI-driven analytics to elevate menu design or the precision of robotics transforming kitchen operations, a new era in dining is taking shape. These technologies, often unseen but highly influential, are quietly revolutionizing culinary practices and guest experiences.

Fast Casual 294

Fast Casual Fine Dining Customer Service Customer Experience 294

The Rail

DECEMBER 17, 2024

It is possible to produce a distinctive seafood experience when using techniques such as ocean-to-table dining and interactive menus. Regardless of the digital format, interactive menus produce a distinctive seafood dining experience because: It gives the guest an opportunity to order at the exact moment they are ready.

Customer Experience 130

Customer Experience Seasonal Menu Dine-in Uniforms 130

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 14, 2024

The media went from bowing their heads when a chef walked into a room to seeking out the angry and disgruntled, the outliers and the pundits, the cooks who are unworthy of the uniform and the tattered and worn who are simply burned out from aligning with the wrong operations. It often starts in the home – that interest in food and cooking.

Uniforms 401

Uniforms Book Article Café 401

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 22, 2024

89% of people do dining research on their phones, so if you’re not making the most of your online presence, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. If you feel that digital marketing isn’t giving your local restaurant the results you need, then it's time to explore more targeted strategies.

Marketing 195

Marketing 2025 Social Media Email Marketing 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 20, 2024

It’s been 89 years since Escoffier stood in front of a range for the last time, yet his presence is still felt by professional cooks and chefs. In every office where I sat over the past 30 some odd years, has hung this picture of the master craftsman, leader, and ambassador of proper cooking and kitchen organization.

Hotels 341

Hotels Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 341

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Restaurateurs may very well look to expand beyond the typical pop up, food truck, festival or off-premises event to more interesting, intimate venues like social influencer kitchens, dining rooms and gardens. For part two, click here. A tightly integrated technology strategy will be key to workplace satisfaction and profitability.

2023 419

2023 Loyalty Program Fast Casual Customer Experience 419

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Chefs and cooks may avoid walking through those swinging doors into the dining room because they fear that vulnerability. Some who work in kitchens can distance themselves from the overwhelming responsibility of the cook or chef, but to others it is a heavy weight to carry. If this is not their norm, then pay attention.

Employee Relations 449

Employee Relations Training Take-out Fine Dining 449

Culinary Cues

JUNE 16, 2020

Is the relationship of food and dining much less important to all stakeholders? Dining out was unavailable and we got by, we re-introduced ourselves to cooking at home and dusted off those skills that had been dormant, or added some new ones that had here-to-for not existed.

Social Media 366

Social Media Entertainment Email Marketing Customer Experience 366

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 28, 2023

You know this voice is present the minute you walk into a dining room or step foot in the kitchen – there is an energy hard to deny; an energy that permeates every part of the operation. Uniforms will be pristine, the demeanor of cooks will be professional, knives will be sharp, and pans scrubbed clean.

Food Supply 460

Food Supply Dine-in Uniforms Presentation 460

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2022

Tom quickly washed his hands, tied on an apron, adjusted his uniform and set-up his workstation. Tom quickly washed his hands, tied on an apron, adjusted his uniform and set-up his workstation. But when this occurrence takes place with a team, the results can be magical. The rest of the team was already settled in and hard at work.

Café 439

Café Front of House Point of Sale Back of House 439

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

It was a good night with two full turns of the dining room. Similar activity is taking place in the dining room as tablecloths are replaced and touched up, place settings aligned, glasses checked for water spots, chairs polished and carpets touched up, napkins are folded, and plants are misted.

Fine Dining 468

Fine Dining Uniforms Dine-in Food Order 468

EATER

JANUARY 31, 2025

Dina vila We adapted the Zuni Cafes roast chicken and bread salad to be easier but no less flavorful A lot of ink has been spilled over Zuni Cafe, the iconic San Francisco restaurant that has been a bastion of California cuisine since it opened in 1979. Frankly, cooking from the recipe, all four-and-a-half pages of it, is a pain.

Seasonal Menu 222

Seasonal Menu White Paper 2004 Take-out 222

EATER

JULY 31, 2020

How simple, streamlined white stickers ended up in pantries across America Before the pandemic , I never spent much time in my apartment’s tiny galley-style kitchen, preferring to dine out (or take out). Stay-at-home orders changed all of that. homedecor #homedecorideas #minivlog #howtodecorate #kitchenupdate #amazonfinds #etsyfinds ?

White Paper 279

White Paper Uniforms Social Media Back of House 279

EATER

JUNE 22, 2020

where the impact of — and reaction to — the novel coronavirus has been anything but uniform? We’ll hear from business owners looking towards the next phase, as they discuss everything from implementing sanitary measures to considering worker safety to navigating the financial challenges of a reshaped dining scene. EST / 11:00 a.m.

Uniforms 274

Uniforms Events Reservations Presentation 274