Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

The magnetism of the kitchen dates to those early days of growing up in a home where food played an important role, not as much as some, but enough to leave an indelible mark on my life. At least from my own experience there is comfort and excitement every time I enter a professional kitchen. These are my memories of cooking for the soul.

Food 415

Food Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 415

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 2, 2023

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. restaurants lose $162 billion annually in food waste costs.

Waste 466

Waste Technology Food Inventory 466

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2025

The hospitality industry has always been about delivering great service—but today, that means more than just good food and friendly staff. For years, restaurant technology has been about speed and efficiency—faster orders, better scheduling, streamlined payments. Contactless ordering and AI powered recommendations.

Airlines 434

Airlines Hospitality Waste Food Order 434

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 16, 2025

This trend of seeking out a more sustainable process of e-commerce related to food goods is not going away anytime soon. Here are some key strategies you and your target food delivery partners can be using to create a more sustainable future. Fuel and e-commerce order management systems help streamline delivery routes.

Sustainability 221

Sustainability Delivery Recycling Food 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 2, 2025

Fast food and casual dining are currently seeing higher traffic. With dining out becoming more of an occasional treat, it's very important that guests have a great experience – whether that's at an upmarket restaurant or a fast food outlet. When they do eat out, they're often choosing cheaper options.

Menu 428

Menu Innovation Loyalty Program Fast Casual 428

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 9, 2021

Waste management is one of the challenges affecting the restaurant industry. Research from the University of Arizona shows that fast-food restaurants waste 9.55 percent, while full-service restaurants waste 11.3 Therefore, you should start by monitoring waste production before consolidating your efforts.

Waste 508

Waste Management Management Recycling 508

EATER

OCTOBER 15, 2024

As part of creating that good environment, she’s taken multiple steps to cut Rifrullo’s carbon footprint, including composting all food scraps, one of the most important steps restaurants can take to combat climate change. When food waste goes to landfills, it creates methane , a powerful greenhouse gas.

Compost 284

Compost Food Equipment Waste 284

Restaurant Business

JUNE 17, 2025

Continue to Site >>> Menu C-stores are stealing fast-food tactics. Not quite yet An easy way to bring bold Korean flavors to modern menus From BBQ to beverages, menus are seeing a lot of action Food C-stores are stealing fast-food tactics. Photo: Shutterstock Made-to-order food, value offerings, loyalty programs.

Food 278

Food Fast Casual Leadership Loyalty Program 278

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 16, 2024

were registered on food delivery platforms like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. For example, an app might offer 15% off your first order. They will create multiple fake accounts in bulk and then sell them to those looking for a discount on food. What are some common fraud activities you are seeing that affect restaurants?

Delivery 417

Delivery Food Order Online Ordering Food Supply 417

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 11, 2025

Minimizing Menu Price Increases : Just because diners are still eating out and ordering in, does not mean they are happy about higher menu prices. Optimize Supply Chains : Use AI inventory tools to reduce food waste and ensure your supply chain is as efficient as possible.

Loyalty Program 439

Loyalty Program Social Media Front of House Back of House 439

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 13, 2024

Thanks to these technologies, tasks such as ordering food and paying bills can take place on a self-service basis. In quick-serve restaurants, staff can focus on preparing food rather than taking orders. This is important because signal loss interrupts digital services such as QR-based ordering and kiosks.

Marketing 449

Marketing Tip Distribution Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 449

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 24, 2025

"If I had the opportunity, I would encourage them to employ voice analytics, not to automate ordering, but rather to analyze customer/employee conversations for insights into customer experience, operational efficiency, marketing effectiveness, safety compliance, employee engagement, and more, he said. "The

Loyalty Program 305

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Coaching Customer Experience 305

Restaurant Business

OCTOBER 23, 2024

These systems can understand various accents and dialects, process orders accurately, and even upsell menu items based on customer preferences. Inside restaurants, AI is powering self-ordering kiosks and chatbots, streamlining the ordering process and reducing human error.

Customer Experience 304

Customer Experience Operations Back of House Customer Service 304

The Rail

OCTOBER 17, 2024

While the cost of food waste isn’t a secret , you probably overlook it, considering it a part of doing business in this industry. It can help you fix discrepancies in ordering and inventory management , minimizing food shrink. The consumer price index for restaurant food costs increased by 7.7%

Food Supply 130

Food Supply Waste Supplies Food 130

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

“Through expansive experiences that inspire our guests paired with the ambiance of the space and the food on the plate, we’re setting new standards for the industry and creating truly spectacular moments for all who enter our restaurants and bars.” That’s where the NEXT Flavor Report comes in.

Beverage 450

Beverage 2025 Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2025

Instead, we’re leveraging better forecasting, stronger vendor relationships, and a culture of accountability that helps our teams feel empowered and in control of what happens in their kitchens We are managing costs by leveraging technology and staying hyper-focused on four key pillars: forecasting, ordering, prep, and scheduling.

Food Supply 251

Food Supply Waste Supplies Inventory 251

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

We were ill-prepared for the COVID pandemic that devastated the food industry with supply chain disruptions, product and labor shortages, and soaring inflation. The biggest learning from COVID is that food businesses must be prepared for any crisis – and ensure their suppliers all along the supply chain are also prepared and resilient.

Food Supply 530

Food Supply Supplies Food Food Truck 530

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Otherwise, these products may go to waste. Good words sell food. The data to analyze with food is the following: food sales, food costs, sales mixture, food inventory, cost of goods sold, menu pricing, invoice reviews for accuracy of pricing, stock on hand, beginning and end of day protein counts, and daily sold items.

Pricing 520

Pricing Food Seasonal Menu Food Order 520

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Self-serve kiosks, QR-code menus, and personalized ordering systems will continue to redefine how patrons interact with venues. In 2025, expect to see more restaurants and bars adopting eco-friendly practices, such as reducing food waste, sourcing locally, and using energy-efficient equipment.

2025 346

2025 Hospitality Bar Customer Experience 346

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 18, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic led to fluctuations in domestic producer prices, particularly in the food sector , according to the U.S. Combine the rising prices of food with the drive to be more sustainable, and we have reached the point where we need to reduce, reuse, and shop local. Rather than waste food, we can redistribute it.

Sustainability 508

Sustainability Tip Distribution Food Food Supply 508

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 19, 2025

Over the last two decades, I’ve worked alongside operators in just about every hospitality setting—independent cafés, high-end dining rooms, food halls, and regional chains. We saw widespread adoption of mobile payments, digital ordering, and contactless dining almost overnight. Operators had to shift—fast.

Hospitality 305

Hospitality Front of House Back of House Food Order 305

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? These metrics give you a clear picture of your delivery performancefrom order volume and customer retention to delivery speed and profitability.

Delivery 195

Delivery Online Ordering Loyalty Program Food 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 30, 2024

At the same time, a rise in fast-food prices driven by inflation is reshaping consumer behavior, with many customers now treating fast food as a splurge rather than a convenience. For example, AI can help QSRs make smarter inventory decisions by analyzing purchasing trends and aligning ingredient orders with demand.

2025 450

2025 Dine-in Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 450

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 6, 2023

Integrating IoT devices and connectivity drives efficiency, enhances food safety, mitigates risks, increases transparency, reduces waste, and provides many other benefits for restaurants. The numerous, significant benefits of using IoT in the restaurant industry include: Enhancing food safety. Did you know that U.S.

Food Safety 504

Food Safety Operations Management Management 504

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 23, 2025

Effective, sustainable SOPs focus on minimizing waste and maximizing productivity. For example, implementing procedures to monitor inventory closely can prevent overstocking or food spoilage, while clear cleaning and maintenance schedules ensure the proper use and consumption of supplies.

Operations 395

Operations Workshop Sustainability Inventory 395

ChowNow

MARCH 13, 2025

Managing delivery orders shouldnt feel like running an obstacle course, but for many restaurant operators, thats exactly what it is. Juggling multiple food delivery apps means switching between tablets, manually entering orders into the POS, and trying to keep track of ever-changing fees and commissions.

Delivery 195

Delivery Food Food Order Point of Sale 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 21, 2025

Independent restaurants have always been cornerstones of community, providing anything from comfort foods to places to unwind, but despite their vital role in society, adapting to the challenges continues to be a struggle. Faster service and a reduced strain on staff–a game changer for restaurants operating with lean teams.

Technology 221

Technology Front of House Customer Service Back of House 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2025

It’s no surprise that the fast food chains, which have over 100,000 outlets between them, see opportunities for AI efficiencies. Vulnerabilities in Voice and Vision With voice-automated ordering, there are known threats such as bad actors targeting systems with sub-human-level sound, which can be heard digitally but not by humans.

Food 221

Food Kitchen Safety Food Order Food Safety 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 20, 2022

Within a decade, it could be possible for an individual to approach a drive-through in an autonomous vehicle, order through an AI-powered voice ordering assistant, and eat food that was prepared by robots. Voice Ordering. But this technology has even more applications than just ordering on guests' personal devices.

Food Order 520

Food Order Waste Online Ordering Email Marketing 520

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 3, 2025

It can also optimize operations by forecasting busy times, adjusting staffing levels, and managing inventory, making everything run more smoothly and cutting down on waste. People are looking for authenticity and transparency, so highlighting where your ingredients come from or how food is made can go a long way.

Marketing 380

Marketing Loyalty Program Email Marketing Customer Experience 380

Restaurant Business

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Even though pickup lockers have been around for almost a decade—emerging originally in the logistics and retail sector—many drivers in the food delivery space have had limited exposure to the technology. Not only do smart lockers simplify the order pickup process for the delivery drivers, they also increase customer satisfaction.

Customer Experience 276

Customer Experience Food Order Customer Service Delivery 276

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 7, 2024

Currently, 50 percent of restaurants, including sit-down and fast-food establishments, offer plant-based options, and this is only expected to grow. Controlling food waste is a hot topic in the industry as well. On the other hand, contactless ordering while you are sitting in the restaurant has been a big failure.

2025 474

2025 Loyalty Program Waste Compost 474

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 28, 2024

Restaurants started using 2D barcodes (such as QR codes) at dining tables to offer digital menus and even allow patrons to order with their smartphones during the pandemic, when contactless transactions were necessary. In foodservice establishments, the same technology opens doors to greater food safety and ingredient transparency.

Information 552

Information Allergens Food Supply Food 552

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. Red Robin climbs 3 percent to 78 thanks in large part to its focus on menu and food. Still, the food and service metrics are quite high.

Loyalty Program 371

Loyalty Program Customer Experience 2025 Customer Service 371

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

With many restaurants closed for in-person dining on and off throughout the pandemic, the food service industry shifted to delivery and takeout as a business imperative. According to SEC filings, food delivery apps experienced tremendous growth in 2020 earning a combined $5.5 Legislators Will Rethink How to Better Manage Product Waste.

Food Safety 558

Food Safety Recycling Restaurant Law Front of House 558

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.

Food 449

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Consumer Goods 449

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

Fast-casual concepts like Sammy’s Sliders, which offer high-quality, craveable food with speed and flexibility, are perfectly positioned for this shift. Customers expect seamless online ordering, loyalty programs, and delivery options, and franchise systems need to invest in tech to stay competitive.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising Fast Casual 251