This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Just like a well-crafted mission statement will help guide your business decisions, identifying and understanding your target customers and competitors through restaurant market research will give your business a competitive edge. Instead of having a vague goal like "Improve my business," make your goals more specific.
”It’s not just about the caviar—it’s about the experience, the storytelling, and the attention to detail that make a meal at Costa special.” Unlike omakase, which centers on raw fish, kaiseki is a cooked and composed tasting menu that flows with the rhythm of the seasons.
The chain has kept its menu prices lower than inflation, and it has invested in other limited-time specials, such as its popular Never-Ending Pasta Bowl, in an effort to appeal to price-conscious consumers. It plans to keep prices down while also adding more lower-priced items to the menu. “If
You can also reach out to other local businesses or organizations to provide further context to search engines about your restaurant’s location. Collaborate with nearby businesses for events or promotions, and ask them to include a link to your website on their site. It's an active marketing tool.
When going through the ordering process, diners want three things: Speed Ease Clarity Your menu categories have more to do with delivering on those expectations than you might think. A well-organized menu—whether it’s a physical menu or an online menu—guides guests quickly to what they’re craving.
With the rising costs of goods, consumers growing more conscious of spending habits, and private equity-backed brands popping up in communities large and small, mom-and-pops are in danger of adding to the failure statistics. Scalable solutions like self-service kiosks and predictive analytics are transforming the way smallbusinesses operate.
Think about it: What if you could automatically send a special offer to a customer who hasnt ordered in a while? Thats why 44% of restaurants are investing in restaurant technology tools to improve their business analyticsbecause customer data works. Or adjust your staffing schedule based on peak ordering times?
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.
The right restaurant newsletter doesnt just share updates; it keeps customers invested in your brand, your menu, and your next move. Its your chance to turn casual diners into consistent regulars, promote new menu items before they even hit the table, and build a real sense of community around your restaurant.
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.
But without a clear budget, your restaurant risks losing customers to competitors who consistently promote their business. In this guide, youll learn how to create a budget that works for your business without overspending or second-guessing every decision. Increase sales by promoting high-margin menu items and special offers.
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 seasonalmenu items, weekend-only bundles, or one-day-only discounts; the urgency motivates guests to take action soon.
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.
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.
A well-crafted email can remind a past guest to stop by again, encourage reservations for a new seasonalmenu, or even boost online orders with a limited-time discount. A well-timed email with a special offer, new menu item, or exclusive promotion can be the nudge they need to place another order. can go a long way.
Every year, this weekend is the official time to celebrate smallbusinesses. In preparation for the holiday gift giving season it was somehow decided that it was appropriate to recognize those private businesses within your community by stopping in to say hello, thank them for all that they do, and spend a little money.
More recently, as chefs have been working up seasonalmenus to highlight local specialties and homegrown bars have been remixing native spirits, Sri Lanka drew millions of tourists in 2024 , announcing the islands comeback on the global stage after a few years of economic uncertainty.
A bar is a profitable business option if you’re looking to enter the food industry. 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.
Here are a few simple strategies to help them understand how they can help your business: Use signage in-store and on your website: A clear message near your register, on your front door, or even on table tents can inform customers that ordering direct supports your business. Next time, try our online ordering!
Whether youre a seasoned owner or just starting out, this advice will help you boost efficiency, keep your team motivated, and turn customers into regulars. From smarter hiring to prepping for busyseasons, were sharing strategies that work across small bistros and bustling chains alike. Small perks go far too.
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? The only way to know for sure is by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that drive business growth.
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.
Thats not a solid foundation for making smart, scalable business decisions. Businesses that use restaurant analytics can boost their profits by as much as 8%-10% , proving that data analysis explains whats happening and also whats possible. Ordering data includes more than just what gets sold. Which dishes are getting ordered the most?
As a restaurant, you’ve got the opportunity to feed into that joyful excitement with special events for the season, so grab the chance before the winter holidays takeover! Throw an unforgettable Halloween party that benefits your business by following these simple tips. Serve Special (Spooky) Food and Drinks.
The pair, longtime visitors to Maine and Beal’s customers, not only retained the essence of the restaurant while expanding the menu and service, but they also took the brand nationally. Because of this, we increased our focus on our Direct to Consumer (shipping) business and takeout.
But learning how to make his wife a great bagel ended up creating a business, Jeff’s Bagel Run, which now has 15 locations and is franchising. The pandemic was in full swing, and we got really busy, like 300-400 DMs whenever we dropped a menu,” he said. The couple began to build a slow and steady business. We’d sell out.
A Link Page solves this problem by hosting a menu of links accessible with one evergreen link. In the caption, you write something like, “Tis the season for Cranberry Martini’s! Online Menu Link. The first thing most customers want to find is your online menu. Example : “Check out our new online menu!
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.
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.
Food Costs (COGS) Your food costs, or cost of goods sold (COGS), include everything that goes into producing your menu items, including: Recipe ingredients Beverages Condiments Disposables, like to-go containers, straws, and napkins Tracking your food costs percentage helps you understand how much of your revenue is being spent on your menu.
In fact, 65 percent of smallbusinesses use email to communicate with their clients. This is not some special type of email marketing. Highlight Your Menu. Most customers want to look at the menu before heading to a specific restaurant to eat. With this in mind, you can highlight your menu items through a video.
Due to many factors including inflation and supply chain challenges, restaurant owners and operators have been faced with tough choice about raising menu prices. To do this, restaurants will either need to use lower cost food items or raise menu prices. Another way to introduce price increases is to introduce new elements to the menu.
These are your friends and neighbors; they are cornerstone businesses that support local little league teams, charities, and causes that unite the people around you. They are the businesses that provide gainful employment for all age groups, and in some cases – those jobs for youngsters entering the workforce for the first time.
It is important for smallbusinesses to keep up with trends, but also to decide whether it is a valuable addition or an expensive mistake. While it makes sense not to leave money on the table, it can be overwhelming, to have to come up with a whole new menu in an attempt to increase revenue and take advantage of this trend.
The holiday season is just one blink of an eye away. Thankfully, you still have time to strategize for the holiday season so your restaurant runs smoothly and your guests and employees are happy. Here are six ideas to help capitalize on the holiday season. For the restaurant industry, it can be challenging to manage.
One fact about the restaurant business stands out to me – something I have always appreciated: the kitchen is the great equalizer. So, no matter what their journey has been like; no matter their heritage, race, gender, education level, or portfolio of beliefs – this is a business of unity in purpose.
According to a study, 82 percent of smallbusinesses fail due to cash flow problems. A cash flow shortage occurs when more money is flowing out of the business than is flowing into it. To overcome your restaurant's cash flow crisis, you need to be ready to take action to save your business from an ultimate demise.
There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes to get that bottle of your secret seasoning mix into hands of your guests or onto big-box shelves. Identify the Winner on Your Menu. Often, we look for bottlenecks in production: where an item is custom, requires skilled labor and is used in large quantities on the menu.
These are tools that can help you streamline operations, easily schedule staff, and make sure you never run out of ingredients for your best-selling menu items. AI can analyze past sales, seasonality, even weather patterns to predict what youll need and when. That means smarter ordering, less spoilage, and fewer 86s.
Even when the temperature rises ever so slightly in March and April, Clint Carey can still count on more business to his ice cream shop. On weekends, families come in to pick out a cone or one of the shop's special sundaes. Of course, this year is trending in a different direction for both businesses.
By finding the right balance, you can avoid these pitfalls and ensure your business stays profitable. Train your staff to use ingredients efficiently and plan your menu to minimize waste. Our free restaurant profit margin calculator lets you know whether your business is profitable. Constantino writes.
Long before the restaurant chains of today, decades prior to the birth of fine dining, experience dining, and molecular gastronomy, there were neighborhood cafes that were part of small communities across the country. In any case, The Blue Gentian was a busy place. No one ever left the restaurant still hungry.
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.
Building a restaurant email marketing list might be the single most underrated move an operator can make to grow their business. Theyve either dined with you, placed online orders, or want to hear about upcoming events and menu items. But heres what really matters: people who join your list are already interested in your restaurant.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 49,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content