ChowNow
MARCH 21, 2025
Every successful restaurant has one thing in common: they know exactly who they are serving. 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.
Modern Restaurant Management
MARCH 11, 2025
"The pandemic forced the restaurant industry to reinvent itself overnight, moving from a primarily in-store dining experience to an omnichannel, digital-first business. These changes have become permanent shifts in how they target customers, market themselves, and design their offerings." As we mark the fifth anniversary, MRM magazine surveyed restaurant insiders about the pandemic’s lasting impact on their businesses and the industry.
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EATER
MARCH 14, 2025
Kriston Jae Bethel/Bloomberg via Getty Images The COVID pandemic accelerated a labor shortage in the industry. Now, restaurant owners and chefs across the country say theyre still struggling to recruit and retain talent. In the spring of 2021, restaurants across the country were scrambling to find staff. After a calamitous year of intermittent closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many local governments were beginning to loosen indoor dining restrictions.
Restaurant Business
MARCH 10, 2025
Todays consumers are very knowledgeable about ingredients, and theyre looking to beverages to conveniently manage their health. Spins sales data found that 39% of beverage sales are dedicated to products that promote health and wellness. We see a surge in the functional beverage space thats blurring the boundaries for all beverage formats creating opportunities for innovation.
Advertiser: Paycor
AI is reshaping the business landscape, including HR. This guide is designed to help you understand and implement AI effectively for tangible benefits and a more strategic approach. Learn how to: Automate routine tasks Boost data insights Enhance employee experiences Drive HR’s strategic value Download the guide today!
The Rail
MARCH 25, 2025
By Jordan Hayes, Contributor Relocating a restaurant is a major event that offers an opportunity to rebrand, refresh, and create excitement among your customers. Whether youre moving to a bigger space, a more strategic location, or a trendier neighborhood, the way you announce your restaurant's move can shape how customers respond to the change. A well-planned announcement not only reassures loyal patrons but also attracts new customers eager to explore your new location.
Harbor Touch
MARCH 18, 2025
Running a restaurant is a demanding job. One day youre juggling staff schedules. The next youre racing to keep inventory stocked while customers wait for tables. Weve worked with countless restaurant pros whove faced these challenges head-on. Their stories inspire these 10 proven restaurant management tips and tricks for success. Whether youre a seasoned owner or just starting out, this advice will help you boost efficiency, keep your team motivated, and turn customers into regulars.
Restaurateur Connection brings together the best content for restaurateur professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
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. By analyzing ordering patterns, sales trends, and customer preferences using the POS systems System, they can make data-driven decisions to optimize menu offerings, highlight popular dishes, and introduce profitable items.
Black Box Intelligence
MARCH 7, 2025
Recruiting and Retaining Restaurant Staff for Growth Insights from Kura Sushis Strategy Hiring and keeping great employees is a major challenge for restaurants today. With so many job options out there, how do you find the right people? And more importantly, how do you get them to stay? Kura Sushi , a fast-growing sushi restaurant chain, has found a way to make it work.
Goliath Consulting
MARCH 3, 2025
For restaurant owners and operators, success depends on more than just great food and excellent serviceit requires staying informed, connected, and supported. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by joining your state restaurant association. These organizations offer a range of benefits that can enhance your business, save you money, and provide critical advocacy for the industry.
Modern Restaurant Management
MARCH 28, 2025
The restaurant industry is undergoing a significant shift as Gen Z diners reshape dining expectations. This generation prioritizes social responsibility over traditional brand loyalty and gravitates toward integrity, sustainability, and values-driven experiences. To successfully engage this influential consumer group, restaurants can no longer rely solely on brand recognition; they must adopt innovative strategies that align with Gen Z’s preferences.
Advertiser: Paycor
Mid-year performance reviews aren’t just boxes for HR to check. Paycor’s toolkit empowers leaders to: Identify high-potential team members. Boost engagement with meaningful feedback. Support struggling employees. Nurture top talent to drive results. Learn how to ignite employee potential through meaningful feedback. When you nurture top talent, everybody wins.
ChowNow
MARCH 27, 2025
Menu pricing isnt just about covering costsits about finding that sweet spot where profitability, customer perception, and operational reality meet. Set prices too low, and youre leaving money on the table. Too high, and youll drive customers away. Somewhere in between is the number that makes sense for your food costs, your market, and your restaurants unique position.
Culinary Cues
MARCH 10, 2025
So much to learn, so little time. Where do you begin, whats the best way to learn? What should you do, where should you turn? If you are serious about a kitchen career and have the focus to map out the best path, then listen up. 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.
The Rail
MARCH 31, 2025
By Jose Chavez, Contributor Managing multiple locations is tough in the restaurant business. Communication is hard when multiple locations can get teams and office spaces out of sync. This uncertainty makes it hard to hit organizational goals, communicate consistently, and build a company culture across multiple locations. Restaurant businesses need to adopt technology that enables collaboration among remote teams and simplifies management if they want to succeed.
Lavu
MARCH 17, 2025
Managing food costs is one of the most important factors in running a profitable restaurant. With rising ingredient prices and tight profit margins, understanding the food cost formula can make the difference between financial success and failure. By accurately calculating food costs, restaurant owners can set the right menu prices, reduce waste, and maximize their profits.
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.
The Eat Restaurant
MARCH 13, 2025
A restaurant referral program is essential for client acquisition, as 61% of diners trust recommendations from friends, family, and coworkers. It encourages customers to share their experiences and rewards them for bringing in new guests. Personal recommendations are more effective than influencers or review platforms, which only 22% and 15% of diners trust, respectively.
Modern Restaurant Management
MARCH 18, 2025
2025 is as nuanced a year as brands have ever seen with consumers behaving and setting expectations in opposing ways. Brands that will thrive are those who embrace these contradictions as opportunities. With consumer behaviors evolving at a rapid pace, brands looking to build momentum for the rest of the year must take advantage of these insights. This year has been defined by paradoxes—where diners crave both digital convenience and personal connection, indulgence and thrift, and personal
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. Local restaurant SEO is the best way to attract new customers, and its easier than you thinkyou dont need to be a technical expert to start seeing real results.
The Restaurant Group
MARCH 23, 2025
Introduction Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! Ever noticed how ordering your favorite meal has become as easy as pie? That’s the magic of online food ordering systems. They’ve not only spiced up our dining experiences but also served up a platter of benefits for restaurants. Let’s dig into how these systems are changing the game.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
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.
SpotOn
MARCH 21, 2025
Menu pricing is a delicate dance. It requires accurate data on food costs, total sales, overhead costs, labor costs, and all the many costs in between. You need to know what your competitors are charging and gauge the boundaries of what guests will pay for the dining experience. Just when you've found the ideal menu item price, the cost of eggs skyrockets and you're back to square one.
Lavu
MARCH 21, 2025
Multilingual Menus for Restaurants are transforming the dining experience by breaking language barriers and enhancing customer satisfaction. These menus not only improve accessibility for a diverse range of customers but also streamline restaurant operations by simplifying menu management and order processing. With menus tailored to multiple languages, restaurants can increase efficiency, reduce errors, and boost sales by providing a personalized experience for diners.
Squirrel Systems
MARCH 5, 2025
As we look ahead to 2025, the restaurant industry is poised for significant transformations driven by consumer preferences, technological advancements, and a heightened focus on sustainability. Whether you’re an operator, chef, or food enthusiast, understanding these emerging trends is crucial. Here’s an overview of what’s shaping the future of dining: Plant-Based Innovations Plant-based dining has evolved from a niche market to a mainstream movement.
Modern Restaurant Management
MARCH 7, 2025
Picture this: You’re at self-checkout where you just scanned, bagged and paid for your own groceries when the screen asks, “Would you like to leave a tip?” Wait… for who? If that scenario feels all too familiar, you're not alone. Tipping expectations have skyrocketed, and consumers are pushing back. According to a recent Bankrate survey , nearly one in three Americans think tipping has gone too far.
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.
ChowNow
MARCH 7, 2025
Restaurants collect a ton of customer data. Every online order, email sign up, and reward program interaction generates valuable insightsbut if that data just sits there, youre missing a major opportunity. Think about it: What if you could automatically send a special offer to a customer who hasnt ordered in a while? Or adjust your staffing schedule based on peak ordering times?
Thrive POS
MARCH 4, 2025
Skip the Drive-Thru: Make Pizza the Star of Your Lenten Menu As Lent approaches, many pizza shops are preparing to serve customers looking for delicious, meat-free options. While fast-food drive-thrus roll out their annual fried fish sandwiches, why not offer something more satisfying, fresh, and flavorful without the soggy bun and mystery tartar sauce?
Web Diner
MARCH 21, 2025
Hungry customers in your area are searching for their next meal right now. Is your business in the menu? When your establishment appears at the top of local search results, you’ve essentially secured a virtual prime location that rivals even the busiest street corner in town. Local SEO isn’t just another marketing buzzwordit’s the digital equivalent of having your restaurant on the most visible intersection in the neighborhood.
Lavu
MARCH 7, 2025
PCI Compliance for Restaurants is essential to protecting customer payment data and preventing costly breaches. With 70% of transactions made via cards, restaurants are prime targets for cyberattacks. Failure to comply with PCI standards can result in fines of up to $100,000 per month, legal complications, and a significant loss of customer trust. Implementing robust security measures ensures compliance and safeguards both business operations and customer data.
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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.
EATER
MARCH 25, 2025
Keith Lee, the internets most famous food critic. | Photo by Renee Dominguez/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images The TikTok food critic has spent the last few years advocating for independent restaurants, most recently in a partnership with Toast. He also hopes to open his own someday. At this point, theres no denying that Keith Lee is among the countrys most influential food critics.
Modern Restaurant Management
MARCH 31, 2025
As the restaurant industry continues to evolve in 2025, effective legal strategies are more important than ever for operators aiming to grow and scale their businesses properly. From franchise compliance to mergers and acquisitions (M&A) terms, the right legal frameworks can guide a restaurant company to long-term, sustained success. With over 25 years of experience in legal strategy, risk management and market expansion, I have had the privilege of helping brands navigate these challenges,
ChowNow
MARCH 27, 2025
If youre one of the thousands of restaurants that added online food delivery in recent years, you might be wondering: is it actually helping my business grow? The only way to know for sure is by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive business growth. These metrics give you a clear picture of your delivery performancefrom order volume and customer retention to delivery speed and profitability.
Apicbase
MARCH 5, 2025
For thousands of foodservice operators, the Apicbase sales dashboard is the first stop of the day. Why? Because it answers a fundamental question: How are we doing? Apicbase provides deep insights into every back-of-house metric. But when you need a quick pulse on business performance , the sales dashboard is where you go. At a glance, it shows: Revenue Cost of Goods Sold (CoGS) Total profits Discounts Profit margin % Today, Im looking at the sales dashboard of a multi-site restaurant group.
Advertiser: Paycor
Get Paycor’s guide, based on a survey of 3,000+ professionals, and learn why successful companies are: Almost 80% more likely to identify top talent through formal systems 40% more likely to protect managers’ time spent on coaching 83% more likely to plan to upskill their teams and more!
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