ChowNow

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

Whether youre an independent operator or part of a small chain, visibility is everything. 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. Are you committed to affordable, high-quality meals for busy families?

2025

Lavu

MAY 30, 2025

Whether you manage a busy caf or a full-service restaurant, these actionable tips can make a significant difference in your daily operations. 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.

Seating

The Rail

JANUARY 15, 2025

Small inefficiencies can often add to larger operational issues, so identifying these pain points is crucial. Look for underutilized corners, walls, or other spaces that could serve additional purposes, such as hosting extra storage, decorative elements, or seating options. Pull-out drawers under counters can store small items.

Outdoor

Squirrel Systems

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Gift cards are a great prize option, as they encourage repeat business. This guarantees that you’ll fill seats and can plan accordingly for a busy day. You can offer a small discount for pre-orders, which can be advertised through social media, email, and in-store promotions to get customers excited ahead of time.

Social Media

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

Growth Drivers in the United States Fast Food & Quick Service Restaurants Market Growing Demand for Convenience and On-the-Go Eating The busy lifestyle of American consumers has driven the need for quick and convenient meals. Inflation, supply chain issues, and increased wages due to staffing shortages have driven up operational costs.

Fast Casual

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

I often travel alone as a result of my career, and business travel is changing too: for many companies, having large numbers of employees traveling isn’t financially prudent – but being a solo diner doesn’t mean our expectations around our dining experience have changed.

Customer Experience

ChowNow

MAY 30, 2025

With 45% of consumers saying theyre more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews, knowing how to respond to a bad restaurant review is a skill every successful restaurant owner should possess. For example: Thanks again for your feedback about the delay in seating.

Operations

Future Food

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

From the rise of AI to the increasing popularity of experiential dining, businesses are adapting creatively to meet new consumer demands. Hospitality businesses that were exposed to reduced consumer discretionary spending, higher operational costs and increased costs of servicing debt were most likely to be at risk. Small is beautiful.

Hospitality

SpotOn

DECEMBER 11, 2024

For fast casual guests who prefer on-premise dining, they'll find limited seating options and a pared-back dining room. If physical location allows, patio spaces and outdoor seating are great options for fast casual restaurants, since they're already operating a minimal service model.

Fast Casual

The Restaurant Group

APRIL 18, 2025

Accounting vs Restaurant Bookkeeping Restaurant accounting uses data to assess your restaurants financial situation and make business decisions. Its simpler and often used by small restaurants. You gotta check metrics like revenue per seat, prime cost calculation, and daily sales report. It’s foolproof and saves hours!

Management

The Restaurant Group

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Guests should find menus, contact information, and reservation options without a hitch. Happy hours, lunch specials, or early bird discounts can fill seats that might otherwise remain empty. Collaborate with Local Businesses Partner for Cross-Promotions Offer joint deals with nearby shops or services.

Loyalty Program

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. " As we mark the fifth anniversary, MRM magazine surveyed restaurant insiders about the pandemic’s lasting impact on their businesses and the industry.

Loyalty Program

EATER

JUNE 2, 2025

In the New York Times , Ephrat Livni chronicles how often third place has come up in academic research over the past year, noting that COVID lockdown led to the closure of many businesses that counted as third places, and that virtual spaces cannot replace the experience of physical gathering.

Bar

Paper Chase Accountancy

JULY 10, 2025

This discipline has become the cornerstone for businesses aiming to thrive, allowing them to optimize rates, increase occupancy, and, ultimately, maximize profitability. business traveler vs. leisure guest). Booking Pace: How quickly rooms are being reserved for future dates. a standard room vs. a suite).

Hospitality

EATER

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Social reckonings and politics and pandemics and recessions and all kinds of horrific real-world stuff have intersected with restaurants in a way that had to happen, but which has turned the act of eating food into pretty serious business. And that’s a good thing; food is serious business. The smaller the group the better.

Seasonal Menu

Paper Chase Accountancy

JUNE 25, 2025

To thrive in an increasingly competitive and rapidly evolving landscape, especially in the wake of global shifts like the recent pandemic, businesses need a sophisticated approach to profitability. In simpler terms, it’s about getting the most money out of every available room, seat, or experience you offer.

Tourism

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 10, 2020

In the restaurant business, this also means a dip in sales, but restaurateurs are mostly undaunted. ” 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. A time to recover from back-to-back holiday parties and festive gatherings.

Outdoor

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 20, 2020

Lacking cash reserves and the resources to access money (traditional bank loans), most restaurants were forced to lay off their employees. Professionals advised restaurant clients not to seek traditional bank loans to cover wages and to save their money instead for the reopening of their businesses.

Front of House

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 31, 2021

The pandemic has left restaurateurs around the world scrambling for ways to diversify their product offerings and continue to attract business. In a time when uncertainty abounds and cost-effectiveness is essential, businesses that can still offer their clients a safe, comfortable place to retreat will be that much closer to survival.

Customer Service

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2020

"It's a challenging time for restaurants — large and small — and we believe that there are some practical steps restaurants can take to address the social distancing concerns you and many are voicing today," said Susie Fogelson, Founder/ CEO, F&Co. "First

Front of House

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 11, 2020

Now that states are beginning to loosen their lockdown restrictions and reopen small businesses like restaurants, it’s fair to wonder how drastically the dine-in experience will have to change to accommodate the new safety requirements. Perhaps you can maximize outdoor seating that makes people feel more comfortable and safe.

Customer Experience

7 Shifts

JULY 10, 2020

Here’s how to plan your restaurant’s grand opening (or re- opening) to get back to business with a bang. 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. 1 Set goals for the event ?? Set a budget ??

Events

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 24, 2021

Day-to-day demands – coupled with all of the FOH and BOH duties – can be simply too overwhelming for many small restaurant owners. Customers want the ability to order online, set up delivery, view seating, and book tables through the convenience of a mobile phone. Google Rankings and Google My Business.

Marketing

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. The COVID-19 pandemic forced both sides to embrace new digital communication tools for making reservations and placing orders. Online Ordering Will Continue to Thrive.

Allergens

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 1, 2021

In the case of Henry, he’s entered the restaurant and encountered a small stand with a QR code and a sheet of instructions. He wants to meet up with a group of friends for the weekend and decides to make a reservation at your restaurant. He conducts a quick Google search and makes a reservation with a few easy clicks from Google.

Technology

EATER

OCTOBER 15, 2020

Still struggling to recoup shutdown losses, businesses now must survive the harsh blow of cold weather It happened around Labor Day weekend, the spiritual end of Midwestern summer. After a brutal six months for the restaurant business, things are only about to get worse: Winter is coming.

Outdoor

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 21, 2020

Though expecting business as usual to be ‘usual’ is a little far fetched, many restaurants are opting for innovative ways to counter the virus – some even becoming part of the solution. Here’s a quick checklist to help you make safe choices while ensuring business continuity: Redesign Your Offerings.

Social Media

Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2024

We all have our particular missions that do not include small talk. Pushing through the swinging kitchen doors I am engulfed by the smells, sounds, and oh such intense heat from a busy operation. As an evening sous chef for the operation, I expected to be insanely busy trying to juggle all these different events.

Back of House

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

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 19, 2020

A number of restaurant and retail store owners in the city of Pasadena have quietly established the nation’s first dense “face-pay” network, top video.These small business owners have embraced an advanced facial recognition technology that lets their customers make secure, hands-free purchases using only their faces.

Kitchen Safety

7 Shifts

AUGUST 18, 2021

Small gestures like these will make your service go from good to great. Try to be as prompt as possible when it comes to seating, and provide your guests with accurate estimated seating times. Avoid overbooking reservations. Overbooking reservations is as much a pain for the restaurant as it is for the customer.

Customer Service

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 10, 2020

Michael Dorf, Founder and CEO of City Winery , sent a note, saying in part: “As a business which is all about NOT social distancing, we have implemented every measure and precaution possible to create an environment for our guests that is as safe as possible. ” At The Cake Girl in Tampa , it is business as usual.

Kitchen Safety

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

32 percent of survey takers chose outdoor seating availability as a factor in their dining-out comfort level. A final piece of advice for restaurants is to invest in a user-friendly reservation system. Small Business Recovery. while 57 percent say it will impact their own business' financial security.

2020

7 Shifts

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

With the right tech tools, managers can ease their workloads, employees enjoy a much smoother scheduling process, and guests benefit in countless ways — from mobile ordering to digital menus to better ways of making and managing reservations. OpenTable seats around 1.6 Apple | Android 3. Apple | Android 8.

Management

7 Shifts

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

With the right tech tools, managers can ease their workloads, employees enjoy a much smoother scheduling process, and guests benefit in countless ways — from mobile ordering to digital menus to better ways of making and managing reservations. OpenTable seats around 1.6 Apple | Android 3. Apple | Android 8.

Management

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

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

If you fit the mold – then you possess a special value reserved for just a few, value that – to the chef goes way beyond the ability to prepare breakfast items. The average dining room guest for breakfast is likely to spend no more than 30 minutes from the time they are seated. The details are small, but nevertheless important. .

Back of House