7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

For instance, "Discover which menu items are most popular among our target market" is a clear and focused goal. If your market research goal is to introduce a new menu item, you can measure its success by tracking its sales and customer feedback. Instead of having a vague goal like "Improve my business," make your goals more specific.

Marketing

Goliath Consulting

DECEMBER 12, 2024

The holiday season brings bustling crowds, higher sales, and festive celebrations, making it a prime time for restaurants and bars. These best practices can help you maintain a safe and enjoyable environment during this busy season. These best practices can help you maintain a safe and enjoyable environment during this busy season.

Bar

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 17, 2025

Educating patrons on how bitterness can actually enhance enjoyment — just as salt sharpens sweetness — requires thoughtful menu language and trained front-of-house staff. Back-of-house training is just as crucial. It also means rethinking menu development processes.

Front of House

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 30, 2025

Whether it’s a loyalty program, a seasonal menu, or a community initiative, every change tends to pass through multiple departments and approvals. This keeps your menu dynamic and lets you test ideas without commitment. That kind of personal touch can’t be trained, and it makes a big difference. Learn Faster.

Small Business

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Regular training and spot-checks also help maintain consistency, leading to better control over pour costs and higher profitability for your bar. 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.

Point of Sale

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Pick your event idea by looking at your: Venue size and layout Customer demographic Available resources Time of year (season) Community Write out each of these factors, and a picture will emerge of which restaurant event idea will best fit your location. Get the word out to regulars and people curious about your restaurant.

Events

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

Can you provide an example of how you’ve improved employee performance through training? How do you prepare your team for special events or holiday rushes? Can you give an example of how you’ve managed a large event or special occasion at a restaurant? How do you handle disputes between customers and employees?

Leadership

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

This includes hours of operation (including holiday updates), your website link, phone number, and menu. Creates a sense of exclusivity : Special perks make customers feel like VIPs, strengthening their connection to your brand. Weekend-Only Deals : Feature a special menu item or exclusive discount available for just a few days.

2025

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

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

A well-crafted email can remind a past guest to stop by again, encourage reservations for a new seasonal menu, 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.

Email Marketing

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

What would you do if a customer tried to use an expired coupon or special offer? How would you recommend menu items to guests to enhance their dining experience? Have you ever handled a situation where a customer asked for a dish not on the menu? What techniques do you use to upsell menu items or drinks? What did you do?

Hiring

ChowNow

MAY 30, 2025

When business slows down, its easy to blame the season, the weather, or people not going out like they used to, but sometimes all customers need is a good reminder or the right reason to show up again. If youve got a big outdoor patio, maybe a summer evening special event is the best move. Most importantly, know your audience.

Ordering

Harbor Touch

MARCH 18, 2025

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 busy seasons, were sharing strategies that work across small bistros and bustling chains alike. Training locks in that potential.

Management

ChowNow

JUNE 12, 2025

Think seasonal menu items, weekend-only bundles, or one-day-only discounts; the urgency motivates guests to take action soon. The best part is these promos don’t require big budgets or deep discounts, but they consistently boost restaurant sales while keeping your menu new and exciting.

Loyalty Program

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

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.

Operations

ChowNow

MARCH 27, 2025

Restaurants can optimize their menu by highlighting delivery-friendly items, improve kitchen workflows through better station organization, and track prep times to identify bottlenecks. For example, train kitchen staff to prepare orders in the order they were received. How well your menu is optimized for delivery. Portion size.

Delivery

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Phone orders are prone to human errormisheard items, incorrect addresses, and unclear special requests are all common issues with manual order taking. With your own online ordering system, you can collect emails, send promotions , and encourage repeat business with reward programs or special discounts.

Online Ordering

EATER

FEBRUARY 18, 2025

More recently, as chefs have been working up seasonal menus 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. Rooms start at $45 in the high season.

Hotels

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Offer exclusive deals and menu items: If customers know they can only get certain specials, discounts, or limited-time menu items by ordering direct, theyll have a strong reason to keep doing it. This could be anything from a special discount on family meals to a secret menu item available only through your website or app.

Ordering

Culinary Cues

APRIL 14, 2025

The same is true of chefs and cooks who countless times prepare a menu, a dish; arrange components on a plate, sauce the work, apply an appropriate garnish, wipe the rim and quietly celebrate the story behind it. Connections give a dish special value, added importance, and character that goes beyond flavor and visual appeal.

Fine Dining

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

SpotOn

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

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.

Loyalty Program

The Restaurant Group

DECEMBER 1, 2024

Introducing new menu items is more than just adding dishes to your offerings—it’s about crafting an experience that captivates your guests and keeps them coming back for more. A well-planned new menu launch not only boosts customer engagement but also reinforces your restaurant’s brand identity.

Menu

Open for Business

OCTOBER 15, 2024

That’s why having a solid restaurant management training program is so important for owners and operators looking to build a successful team. A well-structured management training program equips new leaders with essential skills while promoting ongoing development. This will help you avoid purchasing more than you need.

Training

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

The Restaurant Group

DECEMBER 8, 2024

Training and Engaging Staff Your staffs commitment to waste reduction is pivotal. Employee Education on Waste Reduction Raise Awareness : Train staff on food wastes environmental and financial impacts. Menu Optimization for Waste Reduction A thoughtful menu design can minimize waste while offering dishes that excite customers.

Waste

The Restaurant Group

MAY 31, 2025

These emails include promotions, menu updates, special events, feedback requests, and loyalty program details, serving as a direct communication line to keep your restaurant prominent in customers’ minds. Promote Special Deals Emails effectively announce limited-time promotions and discounts.

Email Marketing

Lavu

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

POS systems do more than just process payments they enable restaurants to personalize menus by analyzing customer data. Learn more in our latest post: How POS Systems Enable Menu Personalization. Real-Time Updates : Adjust menus instantly for accuracy and relevance. Improves Operations : Smarter inventory and menu management.

POS

The Rail

JANUARY 28, 2025

Smart Cost-Cutting Strategies for Restaurants Effective inventory management requires a well-trained, organized team using consistent routines, streamlined processes, accurate par levels, menu cross-utilization, and reliable inventory software to minimize waste and maintain efficiency.

Cash Management

Clover - Restaurants

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Below are key strategies to help improve your happy hour menu and boost sales. With the right information, you can improve your happy hour drink specials to match your customers preferenceswhether they prefer craft cocktails, local beers, or classic bar drinks. Create a unique cocktail menu that changes seasonally.

Menu

Lavu

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Modern POS systems like Lavu have revolutionized how restaurants optimize their menus, replacing outdated manual methods with real-time, automated insights. Here’s what you can achieve with these tools: Track Performance : Identify which menu items are popular and profitable. Ready to upgrade? Dive into the details below.

Menu

The Rail

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

The restaurant staff must be well-trained in customer service , from greeting visitors with a nice smile to anticipating expectations and effectively addressing any concerns. Moreover, menu inventiveness such as seasonal specials or unusual pairings can make the dining experience interesting and novel.

Customer Service

Lavu

JUNE 6, 2025

Training and development opportunities to help employees improve their skills and become more efficient in their roles. Additionally, implementing proper portion control and training your staff to minimize waste can help improve costs. One effective way to achieve this is by using cost-effective ingredients in your menu items.

Loyalty Program

Lavu

APRIL 17, 2025

Analyze menu performance (best/worst sellers, seasonal trends). Modern POS systems capture a wealth of customer details – like purchase history, peak visit times, and menu preferences – that can reshape your marketing efforts when used effectively. Reward customers for trying new menu items.

POS

Lavu

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Here’s what you need to know: Sales Reports : Track revenue, peak hours, product performance, and staff contributions to refine pricing, menu, and staffing. Product Mix Reports : Identify bestsellers and underperforming items to optimize your menu and reduce waste.

POS

ChowNow

JUNE 20, 2025

It gives people everything they need to make a decision about where to eat, including business hours, phone number, location, menu, photos, reviews, and links to online ordering, all in one place. A blurry menu photo from 2018 isn’t a good look. Train your staff to ask customers to leave a review after having a great dining experience.

Online Ordering

ChowNow

APRIL 25, 2025

Theyve either dined with you, placed online orders, or want to hear about upcoming events and menu items. You can also train staff to mention sign-ups casually during checkout. But heres what really matters: people who join your list are already interested in your restaurant.

Email Marketing