EATER

OCTOBER 5, 2020

But such is the world of giant quick-service and fast-casual business : Find interesting, “trendy,” flavorful ideas from any culture, dilute them into their most mass-marketable forms, and reap monetary gain without acknowledging the sources. To light the way , a new wave of fast casuals is actively changing the status quo.

Fast Casual 360

Fast Casual Casual Food Order 2018 360

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 9, 2025

Joe Gale has more than 30 years of sales, operations and account management experience, including 20 years with Coca-Cola North America Foodservice where he worked closely with numerous QSR and fast casual brands. What have been key challenges to Pancheros growth through franchising and how important is training?

Franchise 221

Franchise Franchising Loyalty Program Training 221

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

The research stems from in-person chef interviews and a nationwide survey of more than 400 restaurant owners and operators spanning 47 states with respondents ranging from fine dining establishments to fast-casual venues, breweries, and caterers. "This Restaurants are also implementing innovative retention strategies.

2024 251

2024 2025 2023 Loyalty Program 251

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 29, 2021

“We are seeing sign-on bonuses at fast food and fast casual locations, something never seen before in the industry. Fast casual will continue to push out full-service brands because they can assemble food in front of you and get food to the customer more quickly. Be open that you might not need to fill the same exact job.

Fast Casual 553

Fast Casual Hiring Online Ordering Front of House 553

Restaurant Business

APRIL 9, 2025

The state of the industry report found that 30% of restaurants planned to devote resources to kiosks, which can assist with inventory, employee trainings, menu control, and so much more. A Technomic Ignite Consumer report found a significant increase in average checks at both quick service and fast casual establishments.

Take-out 181

Take-out Technology Fast Casual Inventory 181

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Whether fine-dining or fast casual, great service now revolves around the customer experience you bring to every interaction. While disruptive, it’s an opportunity to fortify your systems, put training materials together and rearrange your establishment to accommodate your customers as safely as possible.

Customer Experience 598

Customer Experience Customer Service Fast Casual Mobile Ordering 598

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

We provide full training, marketing support, and ongoing guidance to help them succeed. JA: We have strict guidelines, standardized recipes, and regular training. I believe as far as ourniche in casual dining experiences we’re at the top of the food chain. Experience is great, but notr equired.

Franchise 221

Franchise Franchising Social Media Influencer 221

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 20, 2022

Therefore, businesses are beginning to prioritize English language training, as it results in better efficiency, productivity, and ultimately profitability of the industry. In the casual dining sector, 73 percent of workers do not have English as their first language, and in hotels, 50 percent of workers are non-native English speakers.

Communication 470

Communication Hospitality Customer Service Fast Casual 470

SpotOn

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Fast casual restaurants are popping up faster than you can say "build your own grain bowl." " They're somewhere between a full-service casual dining restaurant and a quick-service restaurant or fast food chain. Looking for tips on starting your fast casual restaurant?

Fast Casual 52

Fast Casual Casual Loyalty Program Online Ordering 52

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

Does every cook prepare each dish exactly the same as the chef trained them to? To ensure guests leave happy, invest in regular staff training and implement quality checks. In-person conversations: Train your staff to ask customers for feedback during their visit. Does front of house greet every customer the same?

2025 195

2025 Loyalty Program Operations Email Marketing 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

The modern restaurant ecosystem demands that businesses of all shapes and styles, from full-service fine dining to quick-serve fast-casual, incorporate third-party delivery systems into their business models, strategic planning, Front and Back of House training and physical design. Let your compassion and preparedness shine.

Delivery 492

Delivery Front of House Back of House Fine Dining 492

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 15, 2022

For fast-casual or QSR brands, digital tableside ordering is equally beneficial. One example of a restaurant chain leveraging similar tableside technology is the growing chef-driven Mexican fast-casual concept, Tocaya. It relieves cashiers and reduces long lines. Digital Ordering to Eliminate Friction Points for Cashiers.

Technology 563

Technology Loyalty Program Fast Casual Email Marketing 563

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 12, 2021

According to Upserve’s 2020 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, the industry will collectively lose $240 billion, with casual dining sales volume down by 60 percent and fast casual down 50 percent. There’s no disputing that the past year has been extremely hard on the restaurant industry overall.

Fast Casual 411

Fast Casual Food Safety Loyalty Program Customer Experience 411

The Rail

MARCH 31, 2025

Standardized Training Programs: Newbies get uniform training with digital training tools across multiple locations. This approach not only makes it easier to train new staff on familiar machinery but also simplifies maintenance and reduces downtime. Time saving: Managers can focus on customer service.

Technology 130

Technology Operations Management Management 130

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 10, 2024

Consider a large Mexican fast-casual chain that implemented a tuition coverage program for employees pursuing degrees in fields like agriculture, culinary arts, and hospitality. What impact does a modern approach to workforce education have? Investing in employee education can yield substantial returns for QSR owners and operators.

Education 221

Education Loyalty Program Leadership Fast Casual 221

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 7, 2020

The 31-year-old, fast casual, farm-to-table chain was doing well, prior to COVID-19. Training new people is easier with shorter menus.” The company will bring back furloughed employees and look to make new hires as necessary to prepare and train staff for reopening. There will be staff that don’t come back.

Food Safety 511

Food Safety Front of House Back of House Seating 511

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 8, 2024

This trend reflects the growing popularity of drive-thru and fast-casual dining, coupled with the demand for digital technologies such as QSR digital signage and QR codes. To tackle this pressing issue effectively, businesses must invest in staff training and development, vital for retaining and upskilling their existing workforce.

2024 539

2024 Loyalty Program Cash Management Customer Experience 539

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 30, 2023

This migration could be a goldmine for casual/fast food brands if only they had the people to support them. It’s not unusual for a fast-casual restaurant with over 1,000 locations to manually save the recipes on these drives and then send them to the field teams, and hope they’re properly uploaded.

Technology 474

Technology Fast Casual Waste 2023 474

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Table of Contents Biggest overall team management challenges Top priorities for restaurant operators Wage Increases Leadership and Training Programs Hiring and retention remain the biggest challenge for restaurants when it comes to team management overall. Here's what we found. The greatest challenge is staff retention.

2023 397

2023 Hiring Leadership Fast Casual 397

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 22, 2021

Owners and managers should follow the latest tech trends in the industry and train their staff to use new software in order to keep catering to customers although they might be off-premises. Rethink Technologies. Restaurants will have to continue providing exceptional service in terms of technology, too.

Allergens 520

Allergens Online Ordering Fast Casual Food Safety 520

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Cafes, breweries, some full service restaurants, casual restaurants. Casual restaurants, fast food, quick service. Fast casual, cafes, breweries, Percentage of sales. Full service restaurants, casual restaurants. Casual Dining Restaurants. Fast Casual Restaurants. Tip pooling. Percentage-based tips outs.

Tip Distribution 365

Tip Distribution FOH Fast Casual BOH 365

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

By restaurant category: 50 percent reported using quick-service restaurants “more” or “much more” 36 percent increased visits to full-service restaurants 39 percent increased visits to casual eateries 39 percent increased visits to breakfast restaurants So who are these frequent users? Hint: rewards help.

Loyalty Program 470

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Service Online Ordering 470

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 2, 2024

On Menu Ingredients We predict the rise of “bougie” ingredients like caviar, lobster and truffle popping up at restaurants at more affordable prices and in more casual settings like fast casuals and QSRs.

2024 493

2024 Fast Casual Food Safety Insurance 493

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 8, 2023

If they take the risk of stepping outside their homes, diners look for more than casual, throw-away experiences. Restaurateurs don’t all have the skill set for social media; they’re not trained marketers, photographers, or influencers. How Can Restaurateurs Create Memorable Experiences for Patrons?

Social Media 450

Social Media Customer Experience Website Management Customer Service 450

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 14, 2021

Differentiated benefits packages that include greater flexibility, career paths and training benefits, and enhanced company culture will also be important. As seen first with many fast casual chains, we expect more differentiated benefits packages to continue to emerge as a way for restaurants to fill much needed open positions.

2022 508

2022 Employee Relations Outdoor Fast Casual 508

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 2, 2024

Beyond physical amenities, we trained our staff to welcome solo diners. Simple gestures such as offering menu recommendations or striking up casual conversation can go a long way in putting solo diners at ease, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

Loyalty Program 411

Loyalty Program Catering Seating Customer Experience 411

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Marketing trends, mobile data insights show that Gen Z has a considerable appetite for restaurants, clean eating, fast-casual, and exciting twists on healthy dining options. It’s more cost-effective for many companies than hiring, training, and deploying a fully-staffed internal marketing and digital department.

Marketing 523

Marketing Social Media Fast Casual Influencer 523

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

There are kitchen robots you can easily “train” by having them exactly replicate your arm movements and perform highly complicated yet repetitive cooking and preparation tasks. In the short term, it’s QSR that will experience labor improvement, then fast-casual. Restaurants will become increasingly casual.

Mobile Ordering 539

Mobile Ordering Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 539

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

Fine-tuned scheduling, proactive management, and continuous training harmonize staff efforts with the fast-paced QSR landscape, ensuring teams align with business goals and evolving demands. Casual Dining In today's casual dining sector, the focus is on blending operational efficiency with a welcoming atmosphere.

Fast Casual 294

Fast Casual Fine Dining Customer Service Customer Experience 294

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. If the process isn’t effortless and the employees personable and polite, processes and employee training should both be updated immediately.

Customer Service 474

Customer Service Customer Experience Online Ordering Hospitality 474

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 29, 2023

News headlines give you a pretty good idea of what’s top of mind for employees at QSRs and fast-casual locations: Staffing Shortages : We’re still 14,000 restaurant jobs short of where we were in February of 2020. It starts with more robust general job training. Some folks sense the uneasiness among their staff.

Technology 309

Technology Front of House Fast Casual Back of House 309

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Those who traditionally favor casual dining chains with full service may trade down to fast casual while those who typically dine in fast casual may dip into lower price points at fast food. Fast casual will continue to shine as it has since the pandemic generating the highest asking prices in the marketplace.

2023 419

2023 Loyalty Program Fast Casual Customer Experience 419

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 3, 2025

We were entering the saturated fast-casual burger space and knew we needed to make an impact. First, You need toensure you’re maintaining brand consistency across multiple locations, and that involves streamlining logistics, sourcing, and staff training to keep quality high across your chain.

Social Media 251

Social Media Email Marketing Customer Experience Loyalty Program 251

7 Shifts

AUGUST 27, 2020

Our research from over 1,900 restaurant professionals shows that the main reasons employees quit are due to poor training, bad relationships with managers, and lack of team-building activities. Doesn’t it make sense to create a restaurant employee handbook that encourages a positive workplace culture through teamwork and training?

Employee Relations 370

Employee Relations Hiring Document Food Safety 370

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 21, 2020

Serve-Safe and other entities that train restaurant employees to prepare and handle food will proliferate, and the constant disinfecting of communal surfaces, such as counters, door handles, tables, chairs, and condiment containers, will become the expected norm. Internal Systems and Restaurant Design Will Evolve.

2021 478

2021 Online Ordering Email Marketing Advertising 478

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

To combat revenue challenges, 36 percent of leaders said their top investments would be in enhanced sales and marketing technology, promotions, and loyalty programs, alongside 27 percent who are planning staff investments, including enhanced training, salaries, recruitment, and benefits.

Franchise 221

Franchise Franchising 2024 Mobile Ordering 221

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2022

Robotics – A recent BostInno article included this video of Alfred the Robot making salads at BONAPITA, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant in West Roxbury, MA. There’s also a growing role for skilled technicians to train, manage and repair this pervasive restaurant technology.

Food 474

Food Food Safety Front of House Fast Casual 474