This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Guests spending hundreds of dollars for a memorable meal and making reservations months in advance just to garner a seat. Make sure everything is made in house just like that finedining chef would do for a ten- course tasting menu. Fifteen-hour workdays, no time for anything but the pursuit of excellence.
From salted egg yolks and chili crunch fusions to mushroom-infused teas and freeze-dried fruit powder garnishes, Kimpton’s in-house experts share the standout ingredients, menu items and techniques that will come to the table in 2025.
For example, Taco Bell is using AI-driven labor and inventory management tools to fine-tune staffing and reduce food waste. Other restaurants are integrating AI into reservations, guest messaging, and even menu pricing—helping them react to demand in real time.
Solo dining – a time dedicated to eating a meal alone at a sit-down restaurant – is an opportunity for diners to practice self care over a meal, whether that be by relaxing and reflecting at the end of a long day or even by engaging the mind with a book or catching up on the news. Just the “cover count.”
This Valentine's Day edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features dining and gifting trends including the importance of experience. Restaurants saw 41 percent more transactions The busiest dining hour? percent of all bookings for Valentine’s Day so far this year, up from 7.2
percent menu-price inflation rate. With households increasingly treating dining out as a luxury, every menu item and service interaction becomes a potential make-or-break moment. Red Robin climbs 3 percent to 78 thanks in large part to its focus on menu and food. At the same time, U.S. chain sales grew just 3.1
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?
Restaurants will also explore delivery options beyond costly third-party partnerships, and hike delivery menu prices to make the channel more lucrative as off-premise demand holds steady. Simplified Menus. Menu variety plays a substantial role in every dining experience. Health-Conscious Food Will Dominate Menus.
Review and Revise Your Menu Offerings. Before Restaurant Week kicks off, craft a menu that is friendly to both your bottom line and your customers. This way, you can encourage guests to return when your menu isn’t discounted while also encouraging employee retention by showcasing your kitchen team’s talents and creativity.
Reports show that 81 percent of finedining establishments, 78 percent of family restaurants, and 77 percent of fast-casual spots added curbside pickup, pivoting away from dine-in services after March 2020. Also, menus largely went digital, and more restaurants have since adopted digital menu managers as a way of life.
They help with reservations and table management, staff scheduling and time management, inventory tracking, rewards programs, automated marketing, and more. Reservation and table management apps. Managing reservations and walk-in traffic can be one of the trickiest parts of running a restaurant. Inventory and supply chain apps.
In 2025, more plant-based menu items will be appearing at an incredible rate of speed as well. More interesting for the dining public on this issue is how restaurants will rely more on premade products in 2025, which have almost zero waste and will help lower labor costs (fewer employees needed to make the products from scratch).
How the customer prefers to order (for delivery, for pick-up or to dine-in). You need to find the fine line between collecting the information you need and respecting your customers’ privacy. If some menu items are consistently added to orders but never actually ordered it could signal a problem. Optimizing Your Menu.
One such solution has been shrinking restaurant menus. This past year, 60 percent of restaurants reported reducing their menu size , citing a 23 percent drop in the number of items. A smaller menu might limit ordering options but not the ability for restaurants to wow their guests. Advanced Customization On- and Off-Premise.
Gen Z and millennials are likely to return to in-restaurant dining before older guests; and each group will have different concerns. It is important to communicate what you are doing for safety, but don’t forget to highlight the amazing dining experience you have to offer. Do people need to make reservations in advance?
A well-crafted email can remind a past guest to stop by again, encourage reservations for a new seasonal menu, or even boost online orders with a limited-time discount. A well-timed email with a special offer, new menu item, or exclusive promotion can be the nudge they need to place another order. Ask your existing customers.
Every day, youre juggling staff, food quality, inventory, customer service, purchasing, and moreall while trying to cultivate a dining experience that wows your customers enough to keep them coming back. Ignoring compliance can lead to fines, bad press, or even shutdownsso having clear protocols in place is mandatory.
Safety is the new “trend” that every dining establishment must offer, and it goes far beyond offering paperless QSR code menus and bottles of hand sanitizer at the host stand. Doing everything to ensure your customers feel safe dining with you will remain priority #1. When do reservations spike?
Have you ever walked into a restaurant, excited for a great meal, but the server can’t answer your questions about the menu? Without the right training, even the best menu or ambiance can fall short due to poor service, leading to dissatisfied customers and lost revenue.
From managing reservations at the host stand or firing orders straight to the kitchen from table side, tablets are changing the way restaurants run. Slim and stylish is fine, but in a restaurant, function beats form every time. Tablets are everywhere in restaurants these days, and with good reason.
Charging guests for booking a reservation that they don’t show up for is becoming more popular. Let’s start with the reservation charge. For now, I have recommended to my clients to only utilize the reservation charge during holidays (Mother’s Day, Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc.).
Restaurants will focus on creating story-driven dining experiences, harnessing technology and local partnerships to deepen emotional engagement with guests, according to the "2024 State of the Industry: Future of In-Restaurant Dining" report by Incisiv in collaboration with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.
Airflow within restaurants should flow from cleaner sources to dirtier sources – from dining areas to kitchens, restrooms to pick up / delivery spaces and more. Embracing Different Dining Experiences. Dining al fresco will no longer be a temporary fix to social distancing guidelines, it will become a must-have for years to come.
In this article, well walk you through 7 easy steps to increase table turnover effectively, helping you boost your bottom line while maintaining a great dining experience. Turnover rate may be higher in fast-casual or quick-service restaurants compared to fine-dining establishments.
It is important to always keep in mind that dining out is still a luxury, even though more and more families have built it into their lifestyle. Whether a quick service restaurant, family dining, food truck, or white tablecloth finedining operation – there will always be some level of price sensitivity.
High-end restaurants that tend to have a pricier menu should look to add more affordable items. If your customers expect you to offer a finedining experience, they won’t be pleased to know that you’ve upturned your entire restaurant. Instead, you can reach a compromise in your menu. Protect Your Employees.
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. Thankfully, outdoor dining is less expensive to build out.
At this point, all it takes is one lousy dining experience to sever the connection you once had with a customer who potentially spent thousands of dollars at your restaurant every year. The rewards themselves are flexible toodiscounts, free menu items, or other perks that align with your restaurants offer.
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) say they plan to increase their number of locations in 2025, and 74 percent plan to expand their menu offerings, leaning into new experiences and experimentation to power their growth. 3 For those who leave things to the last minute, searching by date and time on OpenTable will save dining heartache.
A great dining experience starts long before someone walks through your door. Its where potential customers decide if they trust you enough to place an order, reserve a table, or recommend you to a friend. 77% of diners visit a restaurants website before they dine in or order takeout or delivery.
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. I wonder why this is the case.
Kiosk ordering also makes it easy for customers to browse the entire menu at a glance and request order modifications as needed. You can then use this information to adjust your menu, make purchasing decisions, or change your pricing. Reservation-tracking tools allow customers to make and edit reservations online.
If your concept remains “sit down” and you are not connected with an on-line reservation system, then you will miss out on a customer base that is accustomed to 24/7 relationships with providers. This may not be the time to try and show how uniquely creative you can be with your menu. Convenience is the name of the game.
Say bonjour, always Whether it’s at the post office, a boutique, or a finedining restaurant, say “bonjour” to every single person you interact with. Make reservations. For restaurants that accept reservations, reserve. How far in advance you’ll want to reserve depends on the restaurant.
Full service restaurant concepts fall into two broad categories: casual dining and finedining. Casual and finedining restaurants offer different menus and experiences to guests and require different expertise and operational knowledge for success. Finedining concepts don't have to be formal.
Ignoring these licenses and regulations might attract hefty penalties and fines, so make sure you’re aware of the local, state, and federal regulations before opening up for business. Invest sufficient time and money in creating a dining area that customers will find charming and hospitable.
The Travel buds Grand hotels are home to some of the French capitals most exciting and elegant meals, according to Eaters local dining expert and guidebook author Hotel restaurants tend to have a special energy. And while these tables can be challenging to book, snagging a reservation tends to be slightly easier if youre a guest of the hotel.
With indoor dining still not an option in much of the country, hotel restaurants are using empty rooms as private dining suites There are few restaurants Hector Tamez frequents more than Uni , the izakaya located in Boston’s boutique Eliot Hotel. Why not briefly fill rooms by offering an exclusive evening of private pandemic dining?
Although the land, labor, and creativity of farm-to-table sourcing is so exciting and delicious, considerable operational disruption, scheduling, and menu management is still required to make it all a profitable business model. First and foremost, most restaurants are going to see a huge drop-off in the number of customers who dine in.
Diners are researching menus, scanning quick response (QR) codes, and evaluating supply chains with a level of detail once reserved for industry insiders. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are likely to research food sourcing, question menu claims, and support restaurants that align with their values.
Long before the restaurant chains of today, decades prior to the birth of finedining, experience dining, and molecular gastronomy, there were neighborhood cafes that were part of small communities across the country. Ah, but the food and conversation were consistently good, plentiful, and in-expensive.
Restaurants weren’t always about exclusive reservations and expertly fused small plates. To produce 10+ soups per day, the Soup'd Up kitchen runs like a finely oiled machine. Occupying only 900 square feet, with a chef’s table for on-premise dining, Soup’d Up is not like other restaurants.
This edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup features news of Drinksgiving and Thanksgiving trends, FSR challenges, and "out-of-the-box" dining habits. 1 ● Come one, come all – While solo dining is up 10 percent YoY, group dining is also having a moment: parties of 6+ are up 8 percent YoY.2
However, with fewer customers dining out weekly , restaurants must ensure that they can serve each diner quickly and satisfy them enough that they’ll want to return. Tracking and implementing strategies to improve this metric will allow you to maximize your dining space and generate more revenue.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 49,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content