2023

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What Does 2024 Look Like for the Restaurant Industry?

Modern Restaurant Management

A new year brings new beginnings and opportunities for transformation in the restaurant industry. It’s the perfect time to look back on a few things we learned in 2023 – based on recent survey data from our restaurant partners – as well as what we predict for the industry in 2024. A Look Back at 2023 To gauge the state of the restaurant industry, including the industry’s most pertinent worries around food and labor costs, Restaurant365 conducted a survey of over 730 custo

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Disgraced Chef Mario Batali Teases a Comeback on Instagram

EATER

Scott Eisen/Getty Images He’s in his “virtual events” era, apparently After a nearly six-year social media hiatus, disgraced chef Mario Batali is officially back on Instagram. The chef made his comeback to the platform on October 21, complete with a slightly blurry photo of red-sauced pasta and a cryptic announcement: “Mario Batali virtual events coming soon.

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Beyond the Plate: The Future of Restaurants in a Tech-Driven 2024

Modern Restaurant Management

As the calendar turns towards 2024, the restaurant industry stands at a crossroads, with innovation and adaptation at the heart of its ongoing evolution. This vibrant sector, a cornerstone of the global economy that tantalizes taste buds and fuels job markets, is bracing for transformation that will redefine its future. However, persistent labor shortages are pushing restaurants to explore automation and artificial intelligence to streamline operations – from kitchen management to customer

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Beef prices are soaring. It won't get better anytime soon

Restaurant Business

With beef inflation expected to stick around for the next few years, steakhouses and meat-focused concepts are creating strategies to manage sourcing and the menu. It's all about being flexible.

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Future-Proof Your Talent Pipeline

Get ready for the future of business. As HR navigates an ongoing labor shortage, leaders need stronger, more adaptable recruiting strategies. Do you have the tools you need to build a talent pipeline that drives sustainable business growth?

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What’s the future for espresso?

Perfect Daily Grind

It is impossible to deny just how popular espresso is around the world. According to some sources, espresso – after water – is the second most consumed beverage in Italy. Moreover, in the fall edition of its National Coffee Data Trends report, the National Coffee Association states the second most popular specialty coffee beverage in the US is espresso , behind the latte.

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No One Has What It Takes to Lead Margaritaville

EATER

The exterior of the Margaritaville Resort Times Square. | Clay Williams/Eater Who among us can “work in a constant state of alertness”? Ah, Margaritaville Times Square , a land of contrasts. A beacon of beach chill in the middle of New York’s most upsettingly busy neighborhood. A place with terrible food and surprisingly good cocktails. A place that has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in an attempt to refinance $309 million in debt , raising the question, “If Margaritaville is foreclosed,

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More Trending

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How Butter Beans Went From Gross to Glamorous

EATER

Lille Allen | Eater The unlikely “it” bean of 2023 has had a meteoric rise, thanks largely to vegan and vegetarian influencers who are embracing it as a main character, not a forgettable side dish About six months ago, I started noticing food influencers on TikTok going gaga over butter beans. As an omnivore who loves meat and whose husband leans vegetarian, I often rely on TikTok for recipe inspiration, so the idea of substituting animal protein with beans wasn’t new or shocking.

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Domino's regains its momentum

Restaurant Business

The pizza chain is regaining delivery customers as profitability improves, thanks to better operations, staffing and higher prices. It is now focused on accelerating growth worldwide.

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The Restaurant Industry Has a Child Labor Problem

EATER

A protest against child labor outside a Popeyes in Oakland, CA | Fight for $15 Over the past few years child labor violations have surged across the food industry. Why? If it seems like child labor has been in the news a lot lately, that’s because it has. In recent months, a number of companies, many of them in the food industry, have been accused of violating federal and state labor laws by allowing children to work long hours in sometimes hazardous conditions.

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YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW TO BE A CHEF

Culinary Cues

It is the classic diatribe – “I can do that better that the chef. I’ve been cooking for 15years now; I should be the chef.” Fine, that may be the case but let’s just see. If it’s your time and you’re ready then make it happen, find your spot, push for the job, step up and show them what you’ve got. But, for a moment, let’s take inventory: [] CHECK YOUR REPERTOIRE: You need not remember every ingredient, in every dish, but you must understand the methods and the result.

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State of AI in Sales & Marketing 2025

AI adoption is reshaping sales and marketing. But is it delivering real results? We surveyed 1,000+ GTM professionals to find out. The data is clear: AI users report 47% higher productivity and an average of 12 hours saved per week. But leaders say mainstream AI tools still fall short on accuracy and business impact. Download the full report today to see how AI is being used — and where go-to-market professionals think there are gaps and opportunities.

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14 Restaurant Management Tools to Make your Business More Efficient

7 Shifts

The role of a restaurant manager is always in motion. There’s always something else to get done, a new fire to put out, and broken things to fix. All of that on top of the everyday tasks from scheduling to payroll to reporting can catch up to you. But there are several different tools to help you manage your restaurant—from single shifts and tasks to top-level overviews showing your business's health.

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The Impact of Color and Lighting in Brand Photography

Social Hospitality: Restaurants

The right photos have the power to sway customer opinions in a matter of seconds, both positively and negatively. As such, carefully consider every image your brand puts out online or in print. This is why brand photography is so important. Below, we’ll go over what brand photography is as well as how the use of light and color can help convey your brand’s identity and leave your customers wanting more.

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How AI Technology Can Help Restaurants Stay Open

Modern Restaurant Management

In recent years, the restaurant industry has incurred staffing issues that have closed independent establishments and franchises nationwide. With two jobs open for every jobseeker , chances are slim that human workers will fill the demand. Fortunately, the latest advances in AI technology may keep the lights on for restaurants facing staffing shortages, while also helping these businesses run more efficiently and obtain more customers.

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Is Your Restaurant AI the Real Deal? Here Are Five Questions to Ask Vendors

Modern Restaurant Management

The restaurant industry is undergoing a technology renaissance. Everywhere you care to look, AI and automation can be found taking on critical roles and supporting restaurants, bars, cafes, and coffee shops still battling against labor shortages and rising inflation. Robots are helping with food prep and even serving dine-in customers. Data-driven analytics tools are allowing restaurants to optimize pricing and personalize menu options.

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Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

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The Best Pre-Launch Marketing Strategy for Your Fine Dining Restaurant

Modern Restaurant Management

Launching a fine dining restaurant is an undoubtedly exciting venture, but it's not without its challenges. With the fierce competition in the food industry, a well-thought-out pre-launch marketing strategy is crucial to ensure your restaurant gets the attention it deserves. With 60 percent of new high-end restaurants failing within the first year, it’s clear that far too many budding restauranteurs are not pursuing the optimum marketing strategies.

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Tik Tok Marketing Proves Profitable

Modern Restaurant Management

Seventy-eight percent of small businesses that run ads on TikTok have already realized a positive ROI–the majority within just six months. according to Capterra’s TikTok Marketing Survey. TikTok marketing yields undeniable power, especially with Gen Z as it helps mitigate choice paralysis by giving users immersive, vertical videos that take them inside a business instantly, rather than sifting through text-heavy sites.

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Why Manual Workforce Management Processes Should be a Thing of the Past for Restaurant Owners

Modern Restaurant Management

Scheduling employees is one of the most time-intensive tasks for restaurant managers. They often have to rely on historical data to forecast customer demand, and typically can’t take into account the impact of weather and other local events on demand. Additionally, they have to remember how this demand aligns with employee skills and availability, before they begin creating shift schedules – often using pen and paper or an Excel spreadsheet.

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Six Important Steps Restaurants Should Take to Build a Strong Food Safety Culture

Modern Restaurant Management

Ensuring food safety is essential for restaurant brands and others within the food industry. A weak food safety culture can have severe consequences, including product recalls, foodborne illnesses, reputational damage, diminished customer loyalty, and financial losses. Restaurants and other food businesses must prioritize building and maintaining a strong food safety culture to mitigate these risks.

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The Funding Recipe for Your Restaurant – A Guide To Growing Your Business

Fuel your restaurant’s success with our comprehensive 2025 funding guide! Running a restaurant comes with unique financial challenges, from managing seasonal fluctuations to covering unexpected expenses like equipment repairs or ingredient shortages. This guide dives into fast, flexible financing options for restaurant owners. Discover how to bridge cash flow gaps, fund expansions, or navigate slow seasons without compromising service quality.

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Three Things Your POS Can’t Do if You Lose Internet

Modern Restaurant Management

Nearly every restaurant in the United States relies on a Point of Sale (POS) system for the majority of its front-of-house operations. That system needs access to the internet in order to keep functioning. But what happens when your restaurant suffers an internet outage, taking your POS system with it? Not only can that become frustrating for your guests, but it can also make in-house operations much more difficult.

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A CPA’s Insight on Top Issues Restaurant Owners Face

Modern Restaurant Management

For restaurant owners, there are a number of issues in their workplace keeping them up at night and hindering them from successfully managing and operating their restaurant efficiently. As a firm that specializes in working with clients in the restaurant industry, we regularly assist restaurant owners with many of these issues, particularly in areas like tax compliance, payroll, bookkeeping, and providing sound financial advice to help manage cash flow and business growth strategies.

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How AI Alleviates Restaurant Pain Points

Modern Restaurant Management

Since the pandemic, restaurants have endured a plethora of issues ranging from fluctuating dining restrictions to supply chain issues to rising food prices. But arguably no issue has proven to be as constant and bedeviling as the labor shortage. Recent research has proven the industry is still struggling to rebound on staffing, reporting a woeful 500K fewer employees than before the pandemic.

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Top Restaurant Hiring Tips

Modern Restaurant Management

Ask any restaurant owner for their main pain point and the likely response will be: staffing. Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked hiring expert Sid Upadhyay, co-founder and CEO of Wizehire for his advice on best practices for hiring and retention. What do you see as key challenges of restaurant hiring right now? What are the biggest pain points and have they changed due to the pandemic?

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2025 Payroll Calendar Templates (Biweekly, Semi-Monthly, and Monthly)

Use these handy calendar templates to stay on top of payroll in 2025! Download them today to share with your HR team or post for employees. Whether your company has biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly pay periods, Paycor has you covered. Get your templates today!

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Top-Effective Tech Solutions to Improve Profits

Modern Restaurant Management

Most restaurants (76 percent) are currently using automation in three or more areas of operation and agree that certain roles are more automatable than others, according to Capterra research The survey also found that more than half of restaurant leaders say front-of-house restaurant workers can easily be automated with today’s technology, and nearly all restaurants today (96 percent) use automation tools in their back-of-house operations.

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Exploring the Factors Behind the Surge in Restaurant Automation

Modern Restaurant Management

If you've been paying attention to the tech scene, you have surely noticed a significant upswing in interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. It seems almost everyone, from social media influencers to evening news anchors, is extolling the capabilities of this emerging tech. From softwares like ChatGPT to self-driving cars like the Tesla Model 3, AI and automation are making remarkable strides In the restaurant industry, these solutions are streamlining various aspects, includ

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Strategy A La Carte: The Dish on Digital Marketing Trends for Restaurant Brands 

Modern Restaurant Management

The future is digital. Restaurant brands around the world are finding that their audience is craving something more than pretty pictures of delectable dishes, but rather a need for community and discussion. They want engaging content that keeps them entertained. Effective full-funnel marketing strategies are vital for the success of any business, but are definitely the garnish on top for those in the food and beverage industry.

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Strategic Ways for Restaurateurs to Grow Their Brands

Modern Restaurant Management

Independent restaurants with fewer than three locations make up more than half of the restaurants in the U.S. Many restaurateurs dream of growing into multiple locations, but it takes a lot of capital investment to get there. At my restaurant development and investment firm Full Course, we work with emerging brands to develop leadership, optimize business practices and ultimately provide financial investment for expansion.

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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Why Setting Wait Time Expectations Is Key to a Good Customer Experience

Modern Restaurant Management

Not much sours a customer’s perception of a restaurant as fast as unwieldy lines and long waits. Especially for fast-paced establishments, managing wait time expectations is a significant challenge and can cause patrons to leave — or, worse, never return. Although management can’t always eliminate the wait for service entirely, they can use modern technology to set reliable wait time expectations from the start.

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How Technology Is Transforming Restaurant Checkouts

Modern Restaurant Management

When you ask your diners how they would like to pay, when was the last time they handed over physical cash? Perhaps you don’t even accept cash anymore? You wouldn’t be alone; well-known brands including Prezzo, Itsu and Côte Brasserie have all made the decision to go card-only for good as a means to reduce costs and speed up customer service.

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Optimize Local SEO for Your Restaurant

Modern Restaurant Management

When it comes to attracting customers to restaurants, local SEO is crucial and can optimize their online presence to attract more local customers. What Is Local SEO? Local Search is a search format where Google's algorithms rely on location data to display specific results according to the geographic location of the user or other locations suggested by them.

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Three Holiday Workforce Trends Restaurant Managers Need to Know 

Modern Restaurant Management

The restaurant workforce is largely back to pre-pandemic levels, signaling a much-needed reprieve amidst the larger, ongoing hospitality labor crisis. However, the typical increase in consumers wanting to dine out during the holiday season – not to mention the continued demand for take-away and delivery services – could disrupt this balance, even as businesses attempt to bolster their staff with seasonal hires.

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Food & Beverage Industry Report 2024

Driven by a diverse and exciting ecosystem of passionate, ambitious, and often young entrepreneurs, the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector is a highly competitive environment full of immense challenges and exciting opportunities. Expert Market’s 2024 industry report, sponsored by Toast, is informed by a survey of 522 U.S. food and beverage professionals, from restaurant owners to food service managers, providing insights into the real-time challenges and opportunities within the industry.