October, 2023

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Restaurateurs are giving their menus an upgrade

Restaurant Business

State of the Plate: Menu trends columnist Nancy Kruse examines operators' push to make their menus more experiential with options such as truffle and caviar.

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Disgraced Chef Mario Batali Teases a Comeback on Instagram

EATER

Scott Eisen/Getty Images He’s in his “virtual events” era, apparently After a nearly six-year social media hiatus, disgraced chef Mario Batali is officially back on Instagram. The chef made his comeback to the platform on October 21, complete with a slightly blurry photo of red-sauced pasta and a cryptic announcement: “Mario Batali virtual events coming soon.

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Table Turnover Rate in Your Restaurant: How to Improve & Seat Incomplete Parties

Lavu

What is Restaurant Table Turnover Rate? Table turnover rate measures of how often a table is occupied by a new group of guests during a specific period of time. It is calculated by dividing the number of guests served by the number of tables available during that time period. For example, if a restaurant has 10 tables and serves 30 guests in a four-hour period, its table turnover would be 3.

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An Evening in the Bucolic Bliss of JOLO Winery and Vineyards

Sante

Nestled within the heart of North Carolina’s picturesque landscape of Pilot Mountain sits one of America’s hidden gems – JOLO Continue Reading

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How to Set Better OKRs and Drive Results

Before you can achieve success, you have to define it. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) give you the framework to do just that. Paycor’s free guide includes a step-by-step process leaders can use to work toward – and achieve – their loftiest business goals.

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10 Tips for Using Reviews to Boost Your Restaurant’s Online Following

Restaurant Engine

It’s key to engage with your customers through their online reviews. You can do all the marketing in the world. You can entice people with the best offers. And you can work hard to close the sale. Just as important, though, is using your strong, positive online reviews to leverage trust and loyalty in your restaurant. Your happy, satisfied customers are your brand ambassadors and pivotal to your marketing strategy.

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How Technology Is Transforming Restaurant Checkouts

Modern Restaurant Management

When you ask your diners how they would like to pay, when was the last time they handed over physical cash? Perhaps you don’t even accept cash anymore? You wouldn’t be alone; well-known brands including Prezzo, Itsu and Côte Brasserie have all made the decision to go card-only for good as a means to reduce costs and speed up customer service.

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California’s ‘Junk Fee’ Ban Proves Confusing for Restaurants

EATER

Last week Gov.

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The nugget-ification of America cannot be stopped

Restaurant Business

Can the nation's collective palate evolve beyond the chicken nuggets they loved as toddlers? Or will we finally reach peak nugget and find another craveable protein to dip in all those terrific sauces out there?

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Ordering Channels and Preferences Have Shifted: How Restaurants Can Win The Customer

Modern Restaurant Management

Surging prices have been top of mind for consumers for two years and counting, leaving restaurant leaders questioning how inflation might influence diners’ behavior and overall spending habits, including their usage of digital ordering and third-party delivery apps– both of which gained momentum during the pandemic. While restaurants might have expected to see a bigger shift back to in-person transactions as a result of customers looking to cut costs, there simply hasn’t been a

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CHEF-CENTRIC RESTAURANT OR RESTAURANT-CENTRIC CHEF

Culinary Cues

One of the dilemmas restaurateurs’ face is the approach taken with the management and delivery of a restaurant concept and menu. To make it simple, the restaurant can choose to be either chef centric or restaurant centric. This involves, first and foremost, the decision regarding who to hire as chef and sous chef and the level of control this person will be given.

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How to Set Better OKRs and Drive Results

Before you can achieve success, you have to define it. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) give you the framework to do just that. Paycor’s free guide includes a step-by-step process leaders can use to work toward – and achieve – their loftiest business goals.

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Customer satisfaction boils down to one thing

ChowNow

“The temporary ‘pivots’ developed during the pandemic—expanded delivery services, outdoor dining options, to-go alcohol offerings, and investments in technology—are the foundation of the industry’s new normal.” – 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry Report , National Restaurant Association The pandemic changed everything—especially the restaurant dining experience.

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Jeremy Shanker, Corporate Wine Director at Mina Group and Master Sommelier To Judge 2024 Sommeliers Choice Awards

Sante

MINA Group, led by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Michael Mina, is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in creating Continue Reading

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This Is Muffin-Top Dining

EATER

Molly Valdez & Judson Valdez Why eating only the best part might actually be the worst Bad Roman, the latest restaurant from the Quality Branded group, is three flights up the Shops at Columbus Circle, above the Whole Foods and past the Paper Source, in an upscale Manhattan mall. It remains impossible to get into. And it might be the restaurant that most exemplifies the current maximalism trend popping up in the restaurant world, a marked penchant for the loud and campy and irreverent.

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Off-Premise Order “Shoplifting”: Why It Matters, And How To End It

Restaurant Business

In the past year, several major retail brands have been surprisingly frank with investors about the big financial hits they’ve taken due to theft and fraud. Yet the restaurant industry has been mostly silent about its similar problem: off-premise orders that are lost due to customer pickup mistakes, delivery driver errors and the restaurant version of shoplifting.

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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker

Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.

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The Best Pre-Launch Marketing Strategy for Your Fine Dining Restaurant

Modern Restaurant Management

Launching a fine dining restaurant is an undoubtedly exciting venture, but it's not without its challenges. With the fierce competition in the food industry, a well-thought-out pre-launch marketing strategy is crucial to ensure your restaurant gets the attention it deserves. With 60 percent of new high-end restaurants failing within the first year, it’s clear that far too many budding restauranteurs are not pursuing the optimum marketing strategies.

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Savor the Future: Food and Flavor Trends in 2024

Goliath Consulting

Culinary boundaries will be pushed next year through taste and innovation. Food and flavor trends in 2024 are all about embracing the rich diversity of global cuisines, pushing the boundaries of taste, and celebrating the artistry of culinary craftsmanship. It’s a year to savor the past, explore the present, and anticipate the exciting flavors that lie ahead.

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THE HEART AND SOUL OF WHAT WE DO AS COOKS

Culinary Cues

I admit that sometimes I look around at the state of the world and wonder “what is the possible meaning to what I did for a living as a chef”? With all the pain and suffering, mistrust, and angst, and hate and fighting – is there a real benefit to what cooks do daily in restaurants around the world? Reading the newspaper or watching the endless hours of television talking heads and “breaking news” can be exhausting and demoralizing.

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Robots, Uncle Nearest, and Patrick Durbin

Sante

[link] Sandra and Emiliano discuss the plusses and minuses of robots for restaurants on the Santé Tasting Room podcast. They also cover the amazing growth of Uncle Nearest, and interview Patrick Durbin, the founder of Sea Bird. Click here to subscribe to the Tasting Room podcast. Don't miss an episode!

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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An Eater’s Guide to Phuket, Thailand’s Island Hotspot

EATER

Austin Bush Millions cram into Phuket’s popular beaches and resorts, but diners should look elsewhere to taste the mix of southern Thai, Hokkien, and Baba food that makes the island arguably Thailand’s most underrated food destination Phuket is one of the biggest travel destinations in the world. In 2022, 9 million tourists visited Thailand’s largest island (down from 15 million in 2018) in search of white-sand beaches, clear waters, and palm trees.

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Domino's and Microsoft are working together on artificial intelligence

Restaurant Business

The pizza delivery giant and the technology company will join forces to develop AI strategies to improve operations and customer service.

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IoT Is Revolutionizing The Way Restaurants Operate and Manage Food Safety

Modern Restaurant Management

IoT has become an indispensable tech solution for the restaurant industry. Integrating IoT devices and connectivity drives efficiency, enhances food safety, mitigates risks, increases transparency, reduces waste, and provides many other benefits for restaurants. In fact, leveraging IoT is revolutionizing the sector by optimizing supply chain management, enhancing the customer experience, and facilitating data-driven decision-making.

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It’s Hectic Season for Restaurants

Modern Restaurant Management

It’s a trend well-known to restaurant operators, and yet each year brings the same scramble: young people who provided a ready supply of flexible labor over the summer simultaneously change their patterns – resigning to focus on school, moving back to college, or limiting their availability to accommodate other activities. In 2021, for example , 36.6 percent of teens 16-19 had jobs during the summer, dropping to 30.5 percent during the school year.

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Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

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Decoding Digital Barriers in Restaurant Loyalty Initiatives

Modern Restaurant Management

Running a restaurant isn't just about serving great meals. It's about consistently delivering top-notch quality, exceptional service, and an unforgettable experience. For franchise owners, maintaining uniform excellence across all outlets is key. This highlights the importance of efficient systems to monitor and uphold these standards. Moreover, as the hospitality sector becomes increasingly competitive, tapping into the nuanced aspects of customer behavior becomes necessary.

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Surgical Pricing Strategies: How QSRs Can Navigate Inflation

Modern Restaurant Management

Has consumer dining behavior returned to pre-pandemic levels? Many standard indices say yes. While it’s understandable to believe everything is back to normal – according to our QSR monthly trends, August 2023 traffic was down just half a percent compared to 2022 – the landscape has taken a seismic shift. Using the QSR traffic and sales data Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) has been gathering for 25-plus years, our analysts recently completed an exhaustive comparison of pre a

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MRM EXCLUSIVE: Consumer Data Analytics Reveal Dining Patterns to Attract Customers 

Modern Restaurant Management

The last few years have not been easy for several key industries in the U.S., including restaurants. According to CNN, there are fewer U.S. restaurants today than in 2019 and it is not clear when —if ever — they’re coming back. In 2022, there were about 631,000 restaurants in the United States. That’s roughly 72,000 fewer than in 2019.

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Painting Tips for Restaurant and Bar Owners

Modern Restaurant Management

Adding a coat of paint will always freshen up any space. The same goes for any restaurant or bar. Understanding how to prepare your staff for a fresh coat, what styles of paint, and finishes can help you create a space that is inviting, warming, or even exciting for your customers. Throughout my almost two decades of experience working with restaurant and bar owners these are the areas I always discuss with them when they decide to give their establishment a new look.

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The Funding Recipe for Your Restaurant – A Guide To Growing Your Business

Fuel your restaurant’s success with our comprehensive 2025 funding guide! Running a restaurant comes with unique financial challenges, from managing seasonal fluctuations to covering unexpected expenses like equipment repairs or ingredient shortages. This guide dives into fast, flexible financing options for restaurant owners. Discover how to bridge cash flow gaps, fund expansions, or navigate slow seasons without compromising service quality.

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Maximizing Holiday Sales: How Restaurants Can Enhance Customer Experiences with Modern Payment Solutions

Modern Restaurant Management

Modern payment solutions that provide the ultimate convenience and enable customers to order and pay how they prefer are on the rise this holiday season, empowering restaurants to deliver an improved experience without sacrificing the quality of service. With the rise of on-demand delivery and easy-to-use checkout technology driving consumer demand for quick service, restaurant operators are implementing modern payment solutions that provide a more seamless and customer-friendly dining experienc

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Tech to Trash Can – How Technology Is Redefining Food Waste

Modern Restaurant Management

Food waste is recognized as an endemic challenge around the world. According to Feeding America , nearly 40 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted each year, about 119 billion pounds, estimated at over $408 billion. Wasting food while seeing people go hungry is only one aspect of the problem – consider the environmental resources needed to produce, package, and transport, and food waste grows even more concerning.

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Five Ways to Increase Employee Retention with the Next Generation of Chefs

Modern Restaurant Management

Finding employees willing to take on the demanding hard work of a kitchen and retaining those employees has always been a struggle, and it’s time restaurants begin looking at solutions to the problem for the next generation of chefs. This generation, Gen Z, has grown up relentlessly surrounded by technology — whether it's at-school laptops, online gaming, or digital communication, it's here to stay.

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Restaurant SEO: Four Easy Steps to Improve Your Online Presence

Modern Restaurant Management

If you’re looking to rank higher on Google and land in front of more customers, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, you’ll learn how to improve your restaurant’s online presence and how it will land you in front of thousands of hungry customers in your local area. The best part? It’s just four steps, and you don’t need an entire marketing team to do it.

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2025 Payroll Calendar Templates (Biweekly, Semi-Monthly, and Monthly)

Use these handy calendar templates to stay on top of payroll in 2025! Download them today to share with your HR team or post for employees. Whether your company has biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly pay periods, Paycor has you covered. Get your templates today!