Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

Guests spending hundreds of dollars for a memorable meal and making reservations months in advance just to garner a seat. If you want to exude excellence in your taqueria then you will grind the dried corn to make your own masa and shape it with care, rolling or pressing it into perfect corn tortillas, and griddle them to order.

Fine Dining 352

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Front of House White Paper 352

EATER

MAY 14, 2025

Organize all your orders dine-in, online, and third-party and fulfill them in a flash, right from your POS. Size of restaurant in 2020: 850 square feet, 24 seats (20 dining room, 4 bar) Size of restaurant now: 4,700 square feet, 56 seats (48 dining room, 6 bar, 2 ADA bar) On finding a space We didnt think we needed over 4,500 square feet.

Seating 222

Seating Outdoor Dine-in Beverage 222

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 20, 2020

In March, social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic came into effect and restaurants en masse were forced to close in order to stop the spread of the virus. Lacking cash reserves and the resources to access money (traditional bank loans), most restaurants were forced to lay off their employees.

Front of House 525

Front of House Back of House Reservations Seating 525

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 10, 2020

” No one knows for sure, but we are seeing glimpses of a trend that may be the answer for restaurant owners and operators: expanded outdoor seating. ” An (ROI) Argument for Expanding Outdoor Seating. Creating or expanding outdoor seating is nowhere near as expensive as a building expansion. Inside Out.

Outdoor 553

Outdoor Seating Customer Service Small Business 553

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

While swicy took the front seat this year, Rubix’s proprietary research found that 5 percent more Gen Z respondents reported having frequent sweet and salty cravings over sweet and spicy. The day of the women’s singles finals on September 7th, tennis racket orders spiked 116 percent as consumers tapped into their inner athlete.

2025 450

2025 Beverage Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Lavu

MAY 30, 2025

The last thing any restaurant should do is make the customer feel like they are being pushed out of their seat for the next guest. Maximizing table turnover is crucial for restaurants to optimize their seating capacity and increase their profitability. However, turning tables must be done tactfully.

Seating 140

Seating Mobile Ordering Customer Service Customer Experience 140

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2020

Rakuten Ready surveyed more than 100 customers to measure how behaviors around dining have, or are anticipated to change around the perceptions and impact of COVID-19 on restaurants, food delivery and order for pickup. Up the restaurant’s hygiene and cleanliness standards: fully sanitize tables, menus and chairs after each reservation.

Front of House 499

Front of House Back of House Restaurant Law Food Safety 499

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 13, 2020

People have been both eager and hesitant to venture back out into the world as stay-at-home orders have lifted. In fact, 70 percent of consumers are ordering takeout directly from restaurants amidst the pandemic. Here are three new things consumers expect: Consumers Expect to Dine in the Way They’re Most Comfortable.

Food Safety 539

Food Safety Consumer Goods Hiring Customer Service 539

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 9, 2025

Small dining rooms feature dim lighting, vintage decor, and closely spaced seating that fosters conversation. Tech-savvy tools: Online reservations and ordering streamline service for busy guests. This intimacy creates a sense of belonging that turns dining into a personal, almost home-like experience.

Fine Dining 221

Fine Dining Influencer Dine-in Innovation 221

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Hoteliers and restaurant operators are increasingly demanding POS systems that seamlessly connect with CRM, loyalty programs, reservation systems, inventory management, and payroll. They appreciate restaurants that use AI and data analytics to anticipate their needs, remember their preferences, and offer seamless ordering processes.

Loyalty Program 221

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Customer Service 221

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 1, 2021

Henry is ready to order some dinner. He visits your restaurant’s app and orders his favorite dish on the menu. He receives an estimated wait time for his order of 45 minutes. As he is about to enter the restaurant, let’s consider the technology that he will encounter along his journey to pick up his order.

Technology 508

Technology Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 508

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 7, 2020

Since the start of the crisis, restaurants affected by mandatory closures have pivoted to delivery and takeout to sustain their businesses, with nearly half of Americans willing to leave home to purchase restaurant meals as long as there is a low or zero-contact way to pick up the orders.

Food Safety 480

Food Safety Mobile Ordering Front of House Seating 480

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 16, 2022

As a result, the use of self-ordering kiosks and QR codes during the pandemic went up by 750 percent, with 77 percent of survey respondents saying they would prefer contactless ordering and payment once the pandemic ends. consumers being new to ordering meal delivery services (up from 47 percent in March 2021).

Online Ordering 472

Online Ordering Management Management Point of Sale 472

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 27, 2022

Get Ready for Reservations (or Don’t). The first big decision you need to make for any major holiday is whether or not you’re going to accept reservations. For example, by accepting reservations you’ll allow a select few parties to skip the wait, ensuring that they’ll have a great spot and a great time.

Management 531

Management Management Customer Experience Reservations 531

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 11, 2020

” In order to bring back the customer base, neighborhood restaurants will have to reconcile with real concerns over safety and sanitation, while still providing a great dine-in experience. While having to reduce the number of seats is never ideal for a restaurant, many states are requiring it. Make it feel natural.

Customer Experience 516

Customer Experience Dine-in Food Safety Kitchen Safety 516

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 31, 2021

If possible, restaurants should consider expanding into casual and comfortable outdoor seating arrangements that can feature a more pre-pandemic feel. Other practices can be updated to enhance the feeling of personal service; for instance, table settings can be placed as guests are seated.

Customer Service 474

Customer Service Customer Experience Online Ordering Hospitality 474

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

From managing reservations at the host stand or firing orders straight to the kitchen from table side, tablets are changing the way restaurants run. Bonus points if the interface is also customer-friendly, especially if you plan to use tablets for self-ordering or digital menus. Its a nightmare.

Front of House 195

Front of House Allergens Online Ordering Back of House 195

ChowNow

MARCH 7, 2025

With a few key optimizations, your restaurant can rank higher on Google, get noticed by people searching for places to eat, and ultimately drive more foot traffic and online orders. Restaurants that rank higher in local search results get more foot traffic, online orders, and reservations. Leave us a review on Google!

SEO 195

SEO Online Ordering Mobile Ordering Website Management 195

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 12, 2024

For example, implementing a seamless online reservation system optimizes the restaurant's scheduling while offering convenience to customers. Seating to First Server Contact : Cameras can track the duration from when a customer is seated to when a server approaches them. How should they be turning to AI?

Loyalty Program 473

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Dietary Restrictions Customer Experience 473

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2025

Accuracy of food order leads the way at 88, while beverage quality and waitstaff performance both score 86. Popeyes (up 4 percent to 75) looks to build on gains by rolling out its “Easy to Run” initiative to standardize processes, improve order accuracy, and reduce wait times. Every aspect receives a score of 81 or higher.

Loyalty Program 371

Loyalty Program 2025 Customer Experience Customer Service 371

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

Your restaurant website needs to help your guests find you online, inform them about your menu and, possibly, help them reserve a table or order a delivery directly from you. Implement an online reservation system. Contactless ordering and payment available. Implement an Online Reservation System.

Design 520

Design Online Ordering Mobile Ordering Reservations 520

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

Many operators will devote their resources to online or app ordering, reservations, mobile payment, or delivery management, in addition to back-of-the-house technology. restaurant operators think the availability of seating on a sidewalk, parking lot, or street will become more common within their segment this year.

2022 518

2022 2030 Food Supply Recruiting 518

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 13, 2021

Searches on Yelp for restaurant reservations are up 134 percent, and searches for online waitlists , like the waitlist feature in Yelp Guest Manager, are up 82 percent, in October 2021 compared to the same period a year prior, suggesting that consumers are once again making plans to dine out and don’t want to sacrifice convenience.

Management 474

Management Management Seasonal Menu Customer Experience 474

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 3, 2020

Masks and distanced seating are great short-term adaptations to the current climate but restaurants must work toward returning to full capacity. While it may seem like restaurants can survive and return to normal with band-aid solutions like masks and distanced seating, this is not the case.

Technology 450

Technology Consumer Goods Customer Experience Seating 450

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The right marketing strategy helps you get the most out of every dollar by increasing customer retention , boosting order volume, and encouraging repeat visits. Between online reservations, third-party delivery apps, and direct ordering from your website, digital interactions often happen before a guest ever steps through your doors.

2025 195

2025 Marketing Email Marketing Operations 195

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 22, 2021

Not to mention that after practicing social distancing for over a year, not everyone will be thrilled to go back to tight seating arrangements indoors. Online Ordering Will Continue to Thrive. The COVID-19 pandemic forced both sides to embrace new digital communication tools for making reservations and placing orders.

Allergens 520

Allergens Online Ordering Fast Casual Food Safety 520

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 28, 2021

A friend of mine recently told me that her group had reservations for a large party on a Sunday night at one of their favorite restaurants. She called to confirm the reservation on Friday only to be told that the restaurant is no longer open on Sundays. The restaurant had reservations and did not call any of the guests.

Customer Service 465

Customer Service Reservations Specials Training 465

Lavu

OCTOBER 13, 2023

This should include all tables available for seating customers. Efficiently manage reservations: Ensure that the booking system is organized and avoids overbooking to prevent delays in table turnover. Use technology, such as a restaurant management software, to track who chose to reserve a table, and manage waitlists effectively.

Seating 174

Seating Mobile Ordering Customer Service Online Ordering 174

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2022

They may have discovered you from an Eater article, booked their reservation through OpenTable, or located you via Google Maps, and they will surely review their experience on Yelp — whether positive or negative — when their meal is complete. Restaurant customers do everything from their phones.

Online Ordering 508

Online Ordering Customer Service Fast Casual Recycling 508

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Ordering process 74% of customers won’t hesitate to leave a long queue, and 70% are only willing to wait up to 15 minutes for an item or service. Additionally, digital menus accessible via QR codes provide an interactive way for customers to explore menu options and customize their orders. “That saves me a lot of time.”

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Online Ordering Customer Service 397

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 19, 2020

Local and state guidelines will also have an impact on how restaurants must operate in order to keep their staff and patrons as safe as possible. Call out any new policy changes as necessary on your site, have you stopped taking group reservations for parties over six? Do people need to make reservations in advance?

Guest Recovery 474

Guest Recovery Kitchen Safety Food Safety Email Marketing 474

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 24, 2021

Customers want the ability to order online, set up delivery, view seating, and book tables through the convenience of a mobile phone. Mobile-Friendly Options – online menus, reviews, ordering, reservation options, etc. This is a trend that is sure to remain even after the pandemic is finally behind us.

Marketing 508

Marketing Social Media Mobile Ordering Website Management 508

7 Shifts

JULY 10, 2020

Set a goal for your restaurant’s grand opening—whether it’s seating capacity, an order volume, or revenue for your first day back in business. Adjust floor plans to fit local seating capacity and social distancing regulations Demarcate floor with markers for any areas where a line up may occur (restrooms, pick up areas, etc.)

Events 351

Events Social Media Kitchen Safety Seating 351

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2024

Establishments are grappling with a complex crisis characterized by empty seats in dining areas and behind the scenes, where a shortage of skilled workers is keenly felt. The restaurant industry has always been dynamic and challenging, but the labor shortage has pushed it to a critical juncture.

Loyalty Program 491

Loyalty Program Customer Service Customer Experience Insurance 491

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 5, 2020

With decreased traffic and high demand from consumers who have been under restrictive stay at home orders, it is the perfect time for local governments to get creative in assisting local businesses and revitalizing their communities.

Outdoor 420

Outdoor Seating Government Employee Relations 420

Culinary Cues

MAY 19, 2022

This was “order/fire” time. Jake didn’t even spend much time at the expo station until this first group of reservations was well underway – the line could handle it quite well. By 6:15 the crew had pushed through about 40 orders with relative ease. Ordering: 2 halibut, 3 salmon – medium, 1 filet – well (crap).

Seating 448

Seating Dine-in Seasonal Menu Ordering 448

The Rail

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

While this becomes harder to maintain as businesses expand, there are plenty of things you might look to do, from remembering the names or orders of regular patrons, to providing unique recommendations depending on the diners’ preferences.

Customer Service 130

Customer Service Loyalty Program Customer Experience Point of Sale 130