Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2025

At major chains like McDonald's, AI-powered drive-through systems are reducing order errors, predicting maintenance needs, and cutting waste. For example, Taco Bell is using AI-driven labor and inventory management tools to fine-tune staffing and reduce food waste. For independent restaurants, the same AI-driven efficiency applies.

Airlines 434

Airlines Hospitality Waste Food Order 434

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

While restaurants have always been intentional about food waste, menu offerings, and purchasing, I see operators doubling down on looking for any efficiency to help save money right now. Tap Into Technology to Make Menu Engineering Easier. This could include inconsistent portioning, kitchen waste, and employee theft.

Menu 491

Menu Management Management Waste 491

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

You can have a crowd-pleasing menu, loyal regulars, and a packed dining roomand still watch your margins disappear. Too many restaurant menus are built on intuition and aesthetics, not real numbers. What Is Menu Engineering and Why Should You Care? Because not every dish thats popular is profitable.

Menu 195

Menu Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 2, 2022

Restaurant menu prices continue upward as the U.S. But with rising food and supply costs, how can operators keep menu prices low when they have to pay more for inventory? Run LTO’s to Reduce Food Waste. This edition of MRM's "Ask the Expert” features advice from Buyers Edge Platform.

Pricing 487

Pricing Menu Food Supply Waste 487

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2025

We’re not slashing service or trimming the menu. And when those are off, waste and inefficiencies climb. That level of control has helped us reduce waste by nearly 75 percent during slower periods, in addition to serving our guests the freshest food possible. The key is control, not cuts.

Food Supply 251

Food Supply Waste Supplies Inventory 251

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. Restaurant operators should limit significant menu price increases, explore value menus when possible, and avoid implementing any sneaky service charges.

Loyalty Program 439

Loyalty Program Social Media Front of House Back of House 439

ChowNow

MARCH 20, 2025

Instead of constantly playing defence with menu updates, imagine a centralized system that allows you to make menu changes instantly across every delivery app and direct ordering platform. What is Menu Management Software? Think of menu management software as the control center for all your restaurants menus.

Menu 195

Menu Management Management Online Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 17, 2024

Steady Online Ordering Brings Food Waste, Donations to the Forefront of Priorities Ordering food online increases restaurant sales, but it also can potentially increase wasted food if proactive measures aren’t taken – for both the business and consumers at home.

2025 419

2025 Loyalty Program Customer Experience Online Ordering 419

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. The Problem with Restaurants’ Supply Chain Food Waste You’ve probably felt forced to raise menu prices to offset losses incurred by wholesale prices rising and fewer people eating out.

Food Supply 130

Food Supply Waste Supplies Food 130

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

The survey examines top restaurant industry trends across categories including menu offerings, beverages, flavors, global inspirations, packaging/off-premises trends and industry macro-trends. Sustainability will continue to influence menus and how restaurants make decisions across the board.

2022 493

2022 Menu Recycling Sustainability 493

ChowNow

JULY 4, 2025

Even your most reliable menu items can lose their shine over time. All of these things are ok, so long as you’re menu is evolving with the changes. Menus aren’t meant to stay static, and not adjusting to the ebbs and flows of business could be damaging your bottom line, and many times, you might not ever realize it’s happening.

Menu 150

Menu Online Ordering Seasonal Menu Point of Sale 150

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 28, 2024

The future of restaurant success depends on streamlining processes, reducing food waste, and enhancing customer experiences—all while making the most of existing resources. Restaurants need technology that’s as flexible as their menu offerings, capable of evolving with the industry without major overhauls.

Point of Sale 445

Point of Sale Customer Experience Technology 2024 445

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 30, 2024

This reduces waste and ensures menu availability, even during busy periods. However, inconsistencies across platforms and unanticipated errors, such as unavailable menu items or out-of-sync systems, often frustrate customers. Menu innovation has become a key way to deliver value.

2025 450

2025 Dine-in Mobile Ordering Customer Experience 450

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. This level of precision in forecasting helps restaurants reduce food waste - a significant issue in the industry - by up to 20%.

Customer Experience 301

Customer Experience Operations Back of House Customer Service 301

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

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. Despite the popularity of our events, we will continue to keep them small but mighty in 2025."

Beverage 450

Beverage 2025 Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 7, 2024

In 2025, more plant-based menu items will be appearing at an incredible rate of speed as well. Controlling food waste is a hot topic in the industry as well. Food Waste Management Food waste management has always been a challenge for the restaurant industry. This is a trend I hope will go away. For $14.99

2025 474

2025 Loyalty Program Waste Compost 474

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 20, 2021

Growing your produce is an especially great way to: Choose fruits and vegetables you want to feature on a menu. Waste Reduction. Another way to make your restaurant more sustainable is to reduce the amount of waste you produce through daily operations. You can also cut back on waste by simplifying your menu.

Sustainability 537

Sustainability Food Supply Front of House Transportation 537

Goliath Consulting

JULY 11, 2025

Operators are leaning into four types of AI—Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Conversational AI, and Predictive AI—to streamline operations, reduce waste, and personalize the guest experience in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago. Goliath Consulting Group is a restaurant consultancy group based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Email Marketing 221

Email Marketing 2024 Social Media Waste 221

Culinary Cues

MARCH 10, 2025

How each area contributes to the whole is a lesson learned in large properties like hotels, resorts, and clubs. [] MENU DIVERSITY A multi-outlet hotel, as an example, will likely have a breakfast restaurant, a family oriented mid-priced restaurant, and a fine-dining operation.

Hotels 376

Hotels Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Healthcare 376

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Staff productivity plays the largest role in restaurant revenue, which is why it’s so important to invest in your recruiting and hiring strategies, finding like-minded individuals to move your restaurant forward while minimizing time waste. According to Forbes , 50% of employees waste parts of their day on their phones.

Mobile Ordering 221

Mobile Ordering Back of House Customer Service Online Ordering 221

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

If this means deleting menu items, don't be afraid to do it. Otherwise, these products may go to waste. Maybe the menu item needs a better menu description. If there is a menu item listed as "Roasted Turnips," it may not be a top seller. They have to price it on the menu and add it to the inventory.

Pricing 520

Pricing Food Seasonal Menu Food Order 520

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

AI-driven tools can help optimize everything from labor scheduling to inventory management, reducing waste and improving margins. Data Analytics – Leveraging real-time sales and customer behavior data allows operators to make smarter decisions about menu offerings, promotions, and staffing.

Loyalty Program 251

Loyalty Program Franchise Franchising Fast Casual 251

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 16, 2025

From managing actual water use to reducing waste tied to drinking water, restaurants have a significant opportunity to save money and minimize unnecessary spending. Adjusting menu prices may have worked in the past, but it’s no longer enough to offset rising costs. One often-overlooked area is water consumption.

Back of House 251

Back of House Food Supply Waste Transportation 251

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Is this bringing in customers that tend to order from the dinner or lunch menu? How far are customers driving for this new menu item? This all equates to less wasted ad spend and a more loyal user base. Adding Location Insights to the Menu. Has there been a decrease in the share of visits to competitor locations?

Mobile Ordering 508

Mobile Ordering Marketing Menu Fast Casual 508

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Restaurant operators searching for something versatile that will cross the dayparts need to look no further than their breakfast menu as waffles have been breaking out of the morning. Profitability: Waffles are a low-cost, center-of-the-plate item and one of the most profitable breakfast item menu offerings.

Back of House 221

Back of House Seasonal Menu 2024 Customer Experience 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 30, 2025

From identifying low-performing menu items, anticipating staffing needs before shifts go off‑balance, and even forecasting how events and weather impact guest flow. Tools that automate prep lists, or show real-time menu data don’t replace chefs and managers–they give them more time to lead. Where did we miss a moment?

Hospitality 251

Hospitality Sustainability 2025 Tourism 251

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 19, 2025

AI-powered analytics are giving operators clearer visibility into their performance—from tipping patterns and top-selling menu items to bottlenecks in service flow. AI and automation are being used to forecast demand, optimize labor scheduling, and even guide menu development. And it’s not just for large enterprises.

Hospitality 305

Hospitality Front of House Back of House Food Order 305

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Approximately 70 percent of the menu items at the breakfast and brunch brand with 34 locations features eggs as an ingredient. Other things to do: manage food waste and examine your P&L. "It's "An egg contract, in this case – is a time-tested safeguard when dealing with fluctuating food costs. ."

Hospitality 221

Hospitality Food Supply Seasonal Menu 2025 221

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

As a step further, offering a flexible menu catered to solo diners – with smaller portions to reduce food waste and allow the diner to taste more dishes – provides waiters with an additional opportunity to make personalized recommendations specific to these menu offerings. Cuisine type?

Customer Experience 450

Customer Experience Fine Dining Seating Catering 450

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

Whether that be via restaurant operations, menu improvements, or services, there are quite a few criteria that restaurant owners constantly juggle to create the perfect balance. Reduce Your Food Waste. To fully utilize the food you have purchased, you should track the waste in your restaurant. Conduct a Competitive Analysis.

Operations 553

Operations Website Management Social Media Customer Service 553

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 19, 2022

Menu engineering is a top-down approach to increasing revenue while Actual versus Theoretical (AvT) – tracking the difference between theoretical food costs and actual food costs – is a bottom-up approach to controlling costs. Create More Profitable Menus with Menu Engineering. Prioritize Accurate Recipe Costing.

Food Supply 469

Food Supply Waste Point of Sale Inventory 469

Goliath Consulting

JANUARY 25, 2025

Health-Focused Restaurant Concepts Smaller or Streamlined Menus As diners prioritize healthier options, smaller menus are emerging as a strategic approach. By focusing on nutrient-dense dishes, restaurants can reduce waste, optimize ingredient sourcing, and provide curated choices that align with current wellness trends.

Dietary Restrictions 221

Dietary Restrictions Food Email Marketing Customer Experience 221

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 28, 2021

When inventory management is done the right way, operators can reduce costs, reduce waste, and reduce the number of hours spent managing this important variable of their business. When you don’t know the true cost of each of your menu items, there is no way to accurately order the right amount of ingredients. Recipe Costing.

Inventory 520

Inventory Management Management Waste 520

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 3, 2025

This will also allow the operator to concentrate on the operational and menu aspects, ensuring that both customer service and menu innovation remain exceptional and continuously evolving. In what ways should restaurants be tapping into AI for marketing? Restaurants should tap into AI for marketing in a few key ways.

Marketing 380

Marketing Loyalty Program Email Marketing Customer Experience 380

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Bars that effectively manage their inventory and reduce waste tend to maintain higher margins. Reevaluating the prices of your drinks and knowing the types of drinks you sell can help you earn more for each bottle, as well as implementing portion control and even redesigning your menu. Did you know that just 1 oz.

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Merchandise Seasonal Menu Bar 195

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 21, 2025

Every order placed at a kiosk generates valuable data, allowing restaurants to better understand customer preferences, forecast demand, and optimize menu offerings. Self-service technology allows restaurants to focus on what really matters–customer satisfaction. Technology is quickly becoming a lifeline for survival.

Technology 221

Technology Front of House Customer Service Back of House 221

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

This exercise can also help you identify – and resolve – issues that are wasting money, like over portioning, over ordering, and theft. Reduce food waste. In the US, we waste between 30-40 percent of our food supply, which equates to an astonishing 133 billion pounds and $161 billion in waste, according to the USDA.

Food Supply 530

Food Supply Supplies Food Food Truck 530