Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

This is a behind the scenes look at the place and the people that bring a plate of food to the guest’s table. In the kitchen – work responsibilities are divided into oversight and action positions – the number depending on the scope of the restaurant menu and the size of the operation, but basically there are chefs, cooks, and support staff.

Seasonal Menu 517

Seasonal Menu Back of House Customer Service Front of House 517

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

These days, a restaurant's reputation is built on more than the taste of its food. 60% of guests who have a positive experience are likely to dine at a restaurant more frequently. From creating a welcoming ambiance to offering unique menu items, let’s explore the ways you can refine your restaurant's customer experience in 2024.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Customer Service Online Ordering 397

Culinary Cues

JUNE 22, 2020

There are times, possibly many times, when you question your own skill – whether in cooking or presenting food, or even with the operation of a kitchen. I consider myself an acceptable chef from the perspective of cooking, respectable at food presentation, and better than average at running a kitchen operation.

Food 433

Food Presentation Leadership Café 433

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 9, 2021

Wow visuals on the plate and in the dining room, wow views from every seat, wow service, and of course – wow flavors on the plate. We may complain about the guest who is taking loads of pictures of their food and posting them on Instagram, but deep inside we get a bit of a rush when it happens. It is, and must be, a team effort.

Front of House 473

Front of House Customer Experience Dine-in Training 473

Culinary Cues

JULY 22, 2021

There have been numerous articles from restaurateurs asking customers to “give us a break, be patient, we’re trying our best, it’s not our fault that the food isn’t quite right, that the service is painfully slow, that servers are not well trained, or we just seem to be disorganized.” In the meantime – here we are. have a problem Houston.

Guest Recovery 448

Guest Recovery Uniforms Point of Sale Customer Experience 448

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 20, 2024

It is important to always keep in mind that dining out is still a luxury, even though more and more families have built it into their lifestyle. Whether a quick service restaurant, family dining, food truck, or white tablecloth fine dining operation – there will always be some level of price sensitivity.

Fine Dining 389

Fine Dining Food Truck Back of House Pricing 389

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2023

Have you experienced the flavors and presentations of the items that may grace your menu? Wine is part of the experience, and it has an impact on the food experience just as the food experience impacts wine. Can you plan a menu focused on total utilization of meat and carcass?

Seasonal Menu 481

Seasonal Menu Leadership Training Fine Dining 481

Social Hospitality

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

How can you convince a customer to come to your business and spend money on your food? Mobile Menus. Your online menu is the crux of your restaurant’s digital marketing efforts. Everything you do should funnel customers towards your mobile menu to encourage takeout orders. That all changed in 2020. Delivery Apps.

2021 434

2021 Social Media Mobile Ordering Online Ordering 434

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 29, 2020

You know that every chef has wrestled with this – should the menu reflect a personal philosophy to move the bar or stick with time-tested standards? Restaurants survive and thrive on the “early and late majority” that represents over 60 percent of the dining population. That is in our DNA, we can’t really help ourselves.

Fine Dining 425

Fine Dining Café Customer Experience Menu 425

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2021

In those restaurants where profit is measured in terms of smaller numbers with significant volume then concerns such as food cost percentage are of paramount importance. Simply stated it is what a menu item contributes to the financial success of a restaurant. In both cases it is sales (the top line) that sets the stage for success.

Point of Sale 450

Point of Sale Front of House Back of House Customer Experience 450

Social Hospitality

JANUARY 5, 2022

Even remote parts of the world embraced restaurant and food delivery apps like never before. Mobile chatbots equip restaurants and food delivery apps to do many things. Restaurants would always adhere to food safety standards. There will still be an emphasis on the delivery and pickup of food. Prioritize Health Concerns.

Mobile Ordering 459

Mobile Ordering Customer Service Food Safety Delivery 459

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

On top of this – restaurants are offering wages that were unheard of pre-pandemic and still employees are not inclined to return to kitchens and dining rooms. The quick fix may just be a dramatic change in how we plan and present our menus. CHANGE #1: The days of the fixed menu for restaurants should come to a halt.

2021 495

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 495

7 Shifts

JUNE 4, 2021

Food cost percentage. Ideal menu price. To put it simply, your cost of goods sold is how much it costs you to produce a menu item. As you add together all of your menu items, you can determine the total cost of everything (to you) that you sell to your guests. For fine dining, around 30 percent. Break-even point.

Point of Sale 416

Point of Sale Inventory Employee Relations Customer Service 416

Culinary Cues

JULY 12, 2020

Meticulous plate presentations do not apply, the basic rules of thumb: “hot food hot, cold food cold” are a stretch when a guests meal is placed in disposable containers for re-heating at home, and the showmanship of service is relegated to passing a bag of food through a car window.

Front of House 403

Front of House Back of House Dine-in Food Truck 403

Culinary Cues

JUNE 29, 2024

Memorable food, exceptional experiences, a perfect evening…these are the types of reviews that every chef hopes for and every restaurant strives for. What would it take for guests to rave about dining in your restaurant? Is it possible to set the stage for these reactions? The answer is context and context is sometimes elusive.

Dine-in 294

Dine-in Customer Experience Back of House Customer Service 294

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Cooks are busy at work with their own preparations as breakfast orders from the dining room arrive at a harrowing pace. The cooks are in the zone as the orders attack the kitchen even faster now as the dining room fills and servers’ line up to make toast and refill silver coffee pitchers. This is magical.

Kitchen Safety 423

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 423

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 21, 2021

Get it wrong—with a menu that doesn't fit the ambiance or pricey dishes not suited for the clientele—and would-be regulars will at best feel confused and at worst never return. Restaurant concepts define the overall theme or idea behind a restaurant, including cuisine, service style, music, and menu design. Menu design.

Fast Casual 370

Fast Casual Food Truck Casual Customer Service 370

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2023

One of the dilemmas restaurateurs’ face is the approach taken with the management and delivery of a restaurant concept and menu. The menu is oftentimes a statement by the chef; a statement of his or her beliefs, likes and dislikes, and experiences. This menu is who I am.” Emotion is far less of a driver in these operations.

Hiring 391

Hiring Training Pricing Leadership 391

7 Shifts

AUGUST 26, 2019

From there, you can make vital decisions about price, service capacity, table turnover, and your menu to boost revenue and profits. Engineer your menu for sales and profits. Managing your restaurants capacity is crucial as it impacts your profits, sales, customer service, and the dining experience. Control table turnover.

Management 408

Management Management Airlines Customer Service 408

7 Shifts

AUGUST 22, 2024

A Ghost Restaurant take orders through online apps (like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Skip the Dishes) and prepare food exclusively for pick-up, take-out and delivery customers. Virtual restaurant concepts only exist in apps, and use ‘ ghost kitchens ’ (aka ‘virtual kitchens’ or ‘dark kitchens’) to serve a virtual menu to virtual customers.

Online Ordering 370

Online Ordering Customer Service Delivery Food Order 370

7 Shifts

AUGUST 2, 2024

By tracking metrics like customer retention and employee turnover rate, contribution margin, and menu item profitability, restaurant managers can identify each area’s strengths and what areas need improvement. This number is essential because it helps you determine the price of your food and beverages. for every dollar you earn.

Point of Sale 397

Point of Sale Inventory Seasonal Menu Cash Management 397

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The choice to be great or not so great is in the hands of the restaurateur and the folks who make a living with food. Unfortunately, dining out and finding the right place to work is oftentimes a wishful roll of the dice. Ironically, there is always room to be great and there is plenty of room to be mediocre.

Fine Dining 392

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 392

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

I know how much personal experience is expressed in the menu that is oftentimes comprised of family recipes and a chefs “best effort”. I know how heartbreaking it is when the dining room is nearly empty, and how invigorating it is when it is full. Chef Charlie Palmer’s Aureole was one of those operations.

Fine Dining 433

Fine Dining Employee Relations Front of House Small Business 433

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 11, 2024

Kindness Food Network's “Kindness is Served Here” is rolling out in 63 restaurants across Northeast Ohio as part of Values-in-Action’s Kindland movement in partnership with the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance. Torres said they wanted to bring the colors of Kindland (orange) into the food industry. "I

Menu 167

Menu Customer Experience Download Hospitality 167

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Yes, it is your reputation on the line, your menu, your job description to be in charge. Try taking a few moments everyday walking around the kitchen and the dining room looking for successes and great work. The article struck a nerve with its focus on A Cook’s Kitchen Laws. However, you cannot succeed alone.

Coaching 369

Coaching Restaurant Law Training Article 369

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 26, 2024

Maybe, my expectations are unrealistic, but really all I want is a plate of food that reflects caring, effort, decent technique, well developed flavor, and a little thought when it is placed on that plate. It doesn’t need to parallel those outstanding restaurants I mentioned before – just good food, made with a little passion and care.

Dine-in 355

Dine-in Training Seasonal Menu Sports 355

Culinary Cues

APRIL 16, 2022

You remember those early moments with food – the aha moments when a dish really surprised you. We have all had those moments – this is likely the reason that a career in food became inevitable. To this end the menu that you build should always have some fluidity. Chefs must remain in constant pursuit of WOW.

Hotels 370

Hotels Presentation Reservations Social Media 370

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

The food service industry is forecast to reach $1 trillion in sales this year. We’re seeing younger buyers investing in dining experiences that blend food, convenience, and atmosphere with their values as shoppers. For fast casual and QSRs, is your menu up to date? Are you showing the latest available menu items?

2025 180

2025 Fast Casual Food Customer Experience 180

7 Shifts

JUNE 20, 2022

While that popularity has generated excitement about the prospect of these dining room-less restaurants, it's important to remember that ghost kitchens aren't an easy thing to pull off. There's no dining room, no storefront, no servers, and in some cases not so much as a sign. These can also be called food hubs or incubator kitchens.

Front of House 435

Front of House Food Truck Back of House Social Media 435

Culinary Cues

MAY 20, 2020

Profits are slim, employees may be reluctant to return, the fear of the virus is looming, the food distribution system is heavily bruised, and customers are cautious. Is there a way to make the overall dining experience BETTER than it was? There is so much angst and uncertainty among the restaurant community right now.

Kitchen Safety 336

Kitchen Safety Customer Experience Customer Service Education 336

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 28, 2024

Restaurants started using 2D barcodes (such as QR codes) at dining tables to offer digital menus and even allow patrons to order with their smartphones during the pandemic, when contactless transactions were necessary. In foodservice establishments, the same technology opens doors to greater food safety and ingredient transparency.

Information 221

Information Allergens Food Supply Food 221

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 12, 2021

In its day, the Balsams was one of the finest destination resorts in the country – a place of elegant relaxation, beautiful surroundings, and most notably – exceptional food. This place tucked away in the hills of the northeast represented the epitome of culinary arts in their American Plan dining room.

Seasonal Menu 470

Seasonal Menu 2005 Hotels Customer Service 470

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 6, 2021

TV dinners, box mixes, frozen and canned goods, and restaurant take out became the basis for the new American food culture. It is often expected that we only use the English language, we dress as American fashion dictates, and we eat what is assumed to be American food. So, what is American food and where is its story?

Influencer 362

Influencer Customer Experience Dine-in Training 362

Culinary Cues

MAY 3, 2023

Where we fall short is in the details of that menu, the complements, the “tag along” ingredients. Bread doesn’t try to out-perform the center of plate or negotiate to take over the verbiage on a menu, but it is the hitmaker. Great bread IS ESSENTIAL in any level of restaurant experience. It is essential (there- I said it again).

Food Truck 467

Food Truck Customer Experience Food Supply Take-out 467

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 9, 2020

Diners are turning to online ordering in increasing numbers because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on on-premise dining. According to a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence, 40% of Americans are ordering more food for takeout and delivery now than they were before the pandemic.

Design 397

Design Online Ordering Social Media Mobile Ordering 397

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

At some point when you were dining in a restaurant, you may have heard the BOH staff shout “86” and the name of a menu item to the waiters. How to stop 86ing menu items. In the restaurant industry, “eighty six” or “86”, means to remove an item from the menu because it is no longer available. What does 86 mean?

Definition 360

Definition BOH FOH Front of House 360

Culinary Cues

APRIL 15, 2023

All good intentions – they want to create full or partially full dining rooms for restaurants in need. Cafés and Bistros should be able to dip into a cache of “extra” money to pay for the entrance fee and since it is thought that restaurants make significant profits from the food they sell, then those deep discounts will be easy to swallow.

Seasonal Menu 446

Seasonal Menu Café Point of Sale Social Media 446