ChowNow

JUNE 12, 2025

The real wins come from small, smart shifts; things like improving your online ordering system, highlighting your most profitable dishes, and giving existing customers more reasons to come back. Think seasonal menu items, weekend-only bundles, or one-day-only discounts; the urgency motivates guests to take action soon.

Loyalty Program

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 22, 2025

From small towns to bigger cities, you’ll find spots that have been serving for years alongside newer places gaining attention. 30 – Hog Heaven BBQ Source: Hog Heaven BBQ Hog Heaven BBQ in Laurel is a local go-to for classic Southern-style barbecue, served from a small spot on Ellisville Boulevard.

Back of House

ChowNow

MARCH 21, 2025

Understanding your target market is the foundation of making smart decisions for your menu, pricing, and overall guest experience. Without a well-defined target market, restaurants risk wasting resources on strategies that dont connect and menu offerings that dont selltrying to appeal to everyone, but standing out to no one.

Marketing

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

For example, dont host a parking lot cookout if your parking lot is relatively small or you share the spaces with other businessesalthough it never hurts to ask if they would like to participate in the event and promote their store. If partnering with other businesses, be sure they also share the content you make for the event.

Events

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 18, 2025

From small towns to busy cities, you’ll find local spots that have been serving for years, often with smokers running all day and recipes passed down through generations. 30 – Jomax BBQ Source: Jomax BBQ Jomax BBQ in Metter is known for its no-frills, wood-smoked barbecue served in a rustic, cabin-style setting.

Seasonal Menu

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 21, 2025

From small roadside joints to busy neighborhood favorites, each one has its own way of doing things. 30 – The Bone BBQ Source: The Bone BBQ The Bone BBQ is a locally owned barbecue spot with locations in Gainesville and Old Town Manassas, Virginia. Barbecue has long been a part of Virginia’s food culture.

Back of House

ChowNow

JUNE 12, 2025

This guide will help you tackle both of these issues, so you can understand the power of small, data-driven adjustments, along with straightforward steps on how to achieve them. Knowing the true cost per serving means you’re not guessing where to set menu prices. It’s the foundation of knowing your actual food cost.

Operations

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 19, 2025

30 – Kendall’s BBQ Source: Kendall’s BBQ Kendall’s BBQ in Georgiana, Alabama is a roadside stop known for its wood-smoked meats and laid-back setup. Located off Interstate 65, it serves from a walk-up window in a gas station parking lot, offering a menu packed with barbecue staples and Southern favorites.

Back of House

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 23, 2025

Across the state, you’ll find small shacks, roadside joints, and local hangouts where the smoke never stops and the flavors stay true to tradition. While each place has its own way of doing things, they all share a focus on slow cooking, seasoned pits, and a strong sense of community.

Back of House

The Rail

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

Leveraging engaging and authentic video content allows restaurants to showcase their menu offerings, build a recognizable brand identity, and create a loyal base of regulars and word-of-mouth referrals. Showcasing New Menu Items and Specials While many aspects of a restaurant shape the experience guests have, the most important is the menu.

Serving

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 30, 2025

Growing menu innovation and healthy fast food further drive the growth of the market. The demand for fast food is still strong because it is affordable, convenient, and offers a wide variety of menu items, which is why it is the go-to option for millions of Americans every day. billion in 2024 and is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 3.74

Fast Casual

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 22, 2024

When a restaurant participates in local events or partners with local businesses, it becomes part of the neighborhood’s fabric. 72% of American consumers prefer to do business with companies that share their values both in the retail and restaurant industries. Go to the Google Business page and claim your restaurant.

Marketing

Restaurant Clicks

JULY 24, 2025

Some are small roadside joints, and others are more well-known, but they all have one thing in common: they know how to cook low and slow. 30 – Robb’s Smokehouse Source: Robb’s Smokehouse Robb’s Smokehouse in Shawnee serves up traditional Oklahoma barbecue with a focus on wood-fired meats and homestyle sides.

Fast Casual

ChowNow

MARCH 14, 2025

On the flip side, poor operations can lead to inefficiencies that snowballlike staffing issues that slow down service, supply chain mishaps that throw off the menu, or rising costs that eat into profits. By putting systems in place to effectively deal with random dilemmas, youll prevent them from derailing your business.

Operations

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 31, 2025

The research found that businesses worldwide – particularly restaurants – intend to experiment more in 2025, especially with customer retention programs like loyalty, as they face the triple challenge of sustained high inflation, shrinking consumer wallets and the need to raise prices across the board.

Marketing

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Foot traffic or heat mapping, menu item engagement, or consumer demographics by time of day. The quicker businesses can feed that information back into operations, the better, whether for personalized dining, staffing optimization, or advertising and marketing.

2025

The Rail

JUNE 11, 2025

Consider foot traffic, parking availability, nearby businesses, and zoning regulations. Talk to local business owners, visit during peak and slow hours, and imagine what your day-to-day operations would look like there. Consider having a seasoned team member from your original location help with onboarding at the new one.

Management

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

The Restaurant Group

DECEMBER 28, 2024

Understanding the Impact of Social Media on Restaurants Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Restaurants Increased Reservations and Orders Platforms like Instagram and Facebook help highlight your menu. Whether its happy hours or seasonal deals, you can amplify these offers easily. Offer small rewards like discounts for tagged posts.

Social Media

Lavu

JUNE 6, 2025

This guide breaks down 28 proven strategies that help cut unnecessary expenses, streamline operations, and boost profitability—whether you manage a small café or a multi-location chain. Focusing on making more money is essential to keep your business successful in the long run.

Loyalty Program

EATER

MAY 16, 2025

Led by business and life partners Silver and Cherry Iocovozzi, the Filipinx restaurant has garnered many accolades: It was a 2023 James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant, one of Bon Appetit s 2023 Best New Restaurants, and in 2024, was named a USA Today Restaurant of the Year. Since opening in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2022, Neng Jr.s

Tourism

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 8, 2025

From big-city legends to small-town treasures, each offers something special. 30 The Salt Lick BBQ Source: Instagram The Salt Lick BBQ stands out for its bold, smoky flavors and signature open-pit cooking style. Each bite balances tender texture and bold seasoning, showcasing true Texas-style craftsmanship.

Seasonal Menu

Open for Business

OCTOBER 15, 2024

For instance, don’t ask guests to rate the color of your napkins or the font on your menu. You might also decide to offer a small incentive to boost survey response rates, like 10% off their next visit. Keep evolving your survey Your business changes over time, and your survey should, too.

Customer Experience

Lavu

JUNE 26, 2025

Whether you’re a seasoned operator or just getting started, understanding the numbers behind your business can mean the difference between breaking even and breaking records. Even if you hire a professional to handle all the financial aspects of your business, you need to understand what is involved.

2025

Lavu

APRIL 25, 2025

By swapping out expensive ingredients for more affordable alternatives, you can optimize your menu and significantly reduce food costs. Whether youre looking to experiment with seasonal produce or make your favorite dishes more cost-effective, ingredient substitutions are a smart way to keep your kitchen running efficiently.

Seasonal Menu

The Restaurant Group

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Understanding your audience helps in crafting a menu and ambiance that resonates with them. Collaborate with Local Businesses Partner for Cross-Promotions Offer joint deals with nearby shops or services. Being active in the community shows that you’re more than just a business; you’re a neighbor.

Loyalty Program

SpotOn

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

She's designed menus, Instagram ads, and logos for small businesses. Your restaurant menu defines your restaurant. Considering the amount of time you’ve spent on menu engineering , you’d hate for it to go to waste on a poorly designed, confusing menu.

Design

Lavu

MAY 23, 2025

Disconnected Systems : Managing multiple order sources without integration causes confusion. Outdated menu items or pricing , causing confusion and delays. Additionally, 86% of restaurant operators report inconsistencies between their POS systems and online menus. Studies show manual entry errors can reach an alarming 4% ].

POS

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 4, 2025

Identifying Challenges and Uncovering Opportunities SpotOn unveiled its 2025 Restaurant Business Report , revealing the financial challenges restaurant operators face and the opportunities to strengthen their businesses. On a year-over-year basis, small business sales (+2.1 Independent operators feel the squeeze the most.

Delivery

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 21, 2025

Whether you support the president as he tries to remake global trade or are expecting a recession sometime this year, there’s no question this “new world order” will have a huge impact on our businesses. Or do we pass along the costs to our guests and perhaps lose business? Promote Seasonal Menus.

Seasonal Menu

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

It also zooms in on current challenges faced by owners/operators, menu prices and inflation, and tech/AI implementation. Some good news: A lower percentage of operators found sourcing and hiring a top pain point (12 percent), dropping three percentage points.

Point of Sale

Restaurant Clicks

APRIL 10, 2025

Some restaurants focus on slow-cooked meats, while others perfect their seasoning techniques. 30 Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant Source: Instagram ​Marlowe’s Ribs & Restaurant in Memphis secures its place among Tennessee’s top barbecue establishments with its dedication to authentic, slow-smoked meats.

Back of House

EATER

APRIL 4, 2025

According to Rodrigo Ado, associate professor of economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, most tariffs we put on other countries end up being paid by someone in the U.S., But as much as we love to value eating locally and seasonally, theres a lot of stuff that isnt grown in the U.S.

Food

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. Ana flew back to the U.S.

Seasonal Menu

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 17, 2022

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.

Seasonal Menu

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 4, 2022

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.

2022

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 30, 2024

There’s an art to scaling any small business intelligently. KPIs lose relevance if unrealistic for teams execute across the business. In addition to substantial customer research, use concept tests for new offerings with small control groups to gather feedback and assess operational readiness before full unveilings.

Leadership