Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

As if that weren’t enough, the menu and each morsel of food presented represents the chef’s life of experiences, his or her family history, the cuisine of their forefathers, every chef who contributed to their training, and everything that they believe in – as it pertains to food. It is a juxtaposition that is nearly impossible to manage.

Guest Recovery 411

Guest Recovery Seasonal Menu Presentation Customer Experience 411

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

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. Menu and food choices Your restaurant’s menu and food choices can entice or put off customers. Moreover, the menu sets expectations for the dining experience.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Customer Service Online Ordering 397

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.”

Hiring 405

Hiring Training Pricing Leadership 405

7 Shifts

AUGUST 7, 2024

Why it matters Restaurant Food Cost Percentages Calculate Food Cost Percentage Food costs vs Prime costs Menu Changes and Seasonality Strategies to Reduce Your Food Costs Food Cost Management Tools FAQ What is food cost? It all depends on the kind of restaurant and what's on your menu. Table of Contents What is it?

Food 363

Food Seasonal Menu Inventory Pricing 363

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The buck seems to always stop with the chef; it’s the chef’s kitchen, the chef’s food cost, and the chef’s menu that drives marginal profit at best. When you know what the cost of a menu item truly is then you are able to build proper selling prices that lead to profitability. The top line drives the bottom line.

Food 395

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Point of Sale 395

7 Shifts

JUNE 4, 2021

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. It also plays a key factor in pricing your menu. Average customer headcount.

Point of Sale 416

Point of Sale Inventory Employee Relations Customer Service 416

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

AUGUST 9, 2021

Let them kick the tires and take the menu for a spin. Show them about budgets, and marketing, human resource management and inventory control, menu planning and recipe costing, and how to build their personal brand. They can’t sell a product that they don’t know. Be that resource for them. Teach them to take your job!

Front of House 474

Front of House Customer Experience Dine-in Training 474

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 20, 2024

There has always been a commonsense way to build a menu knowing that in the end it is the beverage, and the bookends (appetizers and desserts) that hold the greatest opportunity for profit. A menu should thus be designed and priced to make those items seem essential.

Fine Dining 402

Fine Dining Food Truck Back of House Pricing 402

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2021

Simply stated it is what a menu item contributes to the financial success of a restaurant. This can be direct (the menu item itself contributes working funds) or indirect (because the item is present on the menu – other items are more likely to sell). 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

7 Shifts

JULY 16, 2021

Create a Menu. This includes but is not limited to your equipment, permits, menu, and marketing. Expected menu prices. Create a Menu. Menu engineer Gregg Rapp, echoes this statement , mentioning that it's better to have a simple menu with no more than 7 menu items per category. Coffee Shop Concepts.

License 459

License Hiring Equipment Small Business 459

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

Either diners have switched to ordering the more expensive items off the menu, or we're seeing very strong inflation of prices on menus. This is the silver lining: even as menu prices have increased, guests are tipping more. Make small menu price adjustments. Streamline your menu. in 2019 and $99.50

Tip Distribution 370

Tip Distribution 2021 2019 Cash Management 370

7 Shifts

AUGUST 12, 2021

You may, for example, use push notifications for advertising special discounts or notifying consumers about a new menu. For example, chefs want to ensure that their customers enjoy what they see on their plates when choosing the menu or sending it out. Menu Promotion. Special Offers and Promotions.

Marketing 397

Marketing Email Marketing Loyalty Program Social Media 397

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2022

More than anything else, when I was in restaurant kitchens I looked forward to planning and testing the next set of menu changes. A stale menu is not cost effective, ignorant of quality issues with ingredients, uninspiring for employees, and just plain boring. How are your menu planning skills? Are you ready?

Seasonal Menu 318

Seasonal Menu Front of House Presentation Menu 318

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. To compute this, use the formula: Menu Item Profitability = No.

Point of Sale 397

Point of Sale Inventory Seasonal Menu Cash Management 397

Culinary Cues

JULY 22, 2021

The food didn’t seem as exciting or well-prepared, the server was less familiar with the menu than they had expected, their orders took forever, the ambience of the dining room seemed a bit off, staff seemed stressed and disconnected, prices were way too high, and many people were still nervous about being in a public place without a mask.

Guest Recovery 449

Guest Recovery Uniforms Point of Sale Customer Experience 449

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2022

How do the rest of us explain the menu with $25 appetizers, $60 entrees, and $20 desserts? From my perspective the answer lies in menu planning, training, and labor efficiency. This may be the perfect time to align menu planning, effective buying, solid training, and efficiency.

Pricing 365

Pricing Consumer Goods Training Small Business 365

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. If you can arrange for Bernard to play on your record – count on it being “GOLD”. Bread is the same way.

Food Truck 471

Food Truck Customer Experience Take-out Food Supply 471

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

APRIL 16, 2022

To this end the menu that you build should always have some fluidity. Whether it is a constantly evolving menu or a robust “features” component, part of reaching and maintaining success is to offer a bit of excitement and surprise each time a guest makes a reservation.

Hotels 384

Hotels Presentation Reservations Social Media 384

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Yes, it is your reputation on the line, your menu, your job description to be in charge. You need to do more than just hear the noise – you must truly listen to your employees, peer managers, and the guest. Every moment of listening provides an opportunity to learn and grow. [] IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU Yes, you are the chef.

Coaching 383

Coaching Restaurant Law Training Article 383

7 Shifts

AUGUST 18, 2024

This document will outline your bar's concept, menu, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Choosing Your Concept & Bar Type Defining your concept Your concept is the main idea or theme and includes service style, cuisine, menu, and music. Your menu is more than just a list of food and drink. Keep it simple.

Bar 370

Bar License Email Marketing Customer Service 370

7 Shifts

JUNE 29, 2022

Menu Consistency. A consistent menu ensures standard serving across locations. Often cited as one of the biggest challenges to operating a franchise , however, the lack of control over menu offerings and their prices can potentially cause dissension from franchisees. 7shifts mobile restaurant communication tool.

Franchise 370

Franchise Franchising Restaurant Law Document 370

Culinary Cues

JUNE 29, 2024

The chef invests time in building a signature menu, testing recipes, establishing plate presentations, and making sure the best ingredients are within the teams reach. MAKE the time to walk the dining room on occasion, stop at tables, offer advice on menu items and drinks, smile and thank them for choosing your restaurant.

Dine-in 304

Dine-in Customer Experience Back of House Customer Service 304

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2021

Do you remember when the chef that you admired turned to you for the first time and said: “Come up with a feature for tonight’s menu”? I am working on our next menu change and think that it’s time for you to develop a couple dishes that we can put in print. Remember the results of a defined dish that was ready to join the menu?

Dine-in 447

Dine-in Take-out Customer Experience Café 447

Culinary Cues

MAY 4, 2021

There will be many who ignore the signs and hang on to normal as long as they can, but a few that will heed the call and embrace the opportunity that change can provide.

Customer Service 490

Customer Service Customer Experience Training Pricing 490

7 Shifts

APRIL 25, 2022

Your restaurant likely does regular menu engineering and analysis to keep your offerings unique, but how often do you do this by location? Knowing the profit margins for each item and menu section helps each restaurant price items accurately, but knowing the profit margins for each location does much more.

Operations 370

Operations Point of Sale Inventory Restaurant Law 370

Social Hospitality

JANUARY 5, 2022

Here are key considerations in the post-Covid scenario: Focus on the most popular menu options: Offer minimum menu options to prevent overproduction. How can restaurants switch from the traditional dine-in business to a business focused on delivery or pickup?

Mobile Ordering 459

Mobile Ordering Customer Service Food Safety Delivery 459

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2020

Whether it’s menu, special events, feature nights, or catchy pricing packages – do something that keeps people guessing and returning to your social media posts for more news. KEEP THE SURPRISES COMING. Every few weeks add another twist to what you do – keep it exciting. REMEMBER FRIENDS – MAKE NEW ONES.

Social Media 442

Social Media Communication Loyalty Program Training 442

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 31, 2022

Sample Menu. You don't, by any means, have to have a menu ready to go. A sample menu can go a long way in helping a potential investor imagine themselves eating at your restaurant. It also shows that you've done your research given the market, suppliers, and have an idea on menu design. Marketing plan and channels.

Point of Sale 397

Point of Sale Back of House Document Download 397

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2021

Chefs who are able to develop systems of production that work with fewer people will find a gold star on their resume. [] STREAMLINED MENU PLANNING. Chefs who are able to generate, assess, and use analytical data in their decision-making (menu trends, cost trends, daily labor analysis, market prices, etc.)

2021 467

2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 467

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Whatever your concept, whatever your menu – make sure that you execute it well every time. It is important to have crystal, bone chinaware and sterling silver when the menu is priced in line with an American Express card. [] SEE EVERYTHING THROUGH THE GUESTS EYES. Does it? [] BUILD AN APPROPRIATE TABLETOP.

Fine Dining 405

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 405

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 18, 2023

Kiosk ordering also makes it easy for customers to browse the entire menu at a glance and request order modifications as needed. You can then use this information to adjust your menu, make purchasing decisions, or change your pricing. There are many restaurant kiosk providers, including Toast, Grubbrr, and TouchBistro.

Management 397

Management Management Email Marketing Point of Sale 397

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

When a menu item fails to perform well, we simply change it out or modify its flavor profile; when our equipment is a hinderance to production we find a different tool to change the outcome; when a purveyor fails to provide the quality of ingredients that we require – we simply find another source. Why is this the case?

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

Here are some thoughts: PRODUCT: Take a hard look at your menu. Assign the task to your chef to create a menu that is exciting, innovative, delicious, accessible, and financially tolerable. Reverse engineer your menu from this perspective. Start by looking at the economics of producing and selling what you THINK must be there.

Pricing 321

Pricing Marketing Insurance Seasonal Menu 321