Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 25, 2022

Each year, Flavor & The Menu editors Cathy Nash Holley and Katie Ayoub compile a set of trends that will resonate with today’s consumers and provide growth opportunities for the restaurant industry. This iconic issue serves as a roadmap for innovation, providing menu developers with ideas for in-market implementation.

2022 450

2022 Menu Social Media Innovation 450

SpotOn

APRIL 1, 2025

However, getting more guests in seats through outdoor dining can also come at a cost, both in time and money. Having managed a restaurant with an extremely popular patio and brunch menu, I know this firsthand. Add high tops to vary up seating. Put weatherproof seat cushions on chairs to make them more comfortable for guests. 

Seating 98

Seating Outdoor POS 2024 98

EATER

APRIL 11, 2025

What if youre seated next to someone who sucks? But no, the worst part is that I was seated next to him. Others serve things individually plated, but from a set menu. Either way, the format allows the kitchen to fire a limited menu all at once, and sometimes not even have to worry about plating.

Fine Dining 275

Fine Dining Seating Dine-in Cash Management 275

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 16, 2025

Unlike omakase, which centers on raw fish, kaiseki is a cooked and composed tasting menu that flows with the rhythm of the seasons. The multi-course experience is served at a 10-seat counter with two seatings per evening.

Back of House 340

Back of House Customer Experience Customer Service Hospitality 340

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

This puts the customer in the driver’s seat and removes the reliance and uncertainties on timeliness of delivery offered by third parties. Is this bringing in customers that tend to order from the dinner or lunch menu? How far are customers driving for this new menu item? Adding Location Insights to the Menu.

Mobile Ordering 508

Mobile Ordering Marketing Menu Fast Casual 508

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

By incorporating non-branded keywords into their website, menu descriptions, and online listings, restaurants can capture more organic traffic and improve visibility in local searches. Here, restaurants must ensure they provide accurate information, such as hours, contact details, and attributes like outdoor seating or delivery options.

SEO 324

SEO Social Media Customer Experience Customer Service 324

Goliath Consulting

APRIL 5, 2025

Efficient Seating and Ordering Process Minimize wait times and ensure smooth transitions from arrival to seating. Provide digital menus or physical copies that are clear and well-designed. The ambiance should be inviting, with appropriate lighting, music, cleanliness, and decor that aligns with your restaurants theme.

Customer Experience 195

Customer Experience Email Marketing Customer Service Mobile Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 18, 2022

That’s not necessarily a bad thing—when you have enough staff to handle the crowd and an efficient plan to get those waiting customers seated and served in a reasonable amount of time, you can call it a successful day. Managing a crowded lobby of customers waiting to be seated requires plenty of effort from your staff.

Seating 507

Seating Customer Experience Customer Service Take-out 507

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 20, 2021

It is a constant balancing act to maintain an optimal turnover rate—one that is long enough to allow guests to enjoy their dining experience and not feel rushed, yet short enough to maximize revenue and ensure new parties don’t have to wait a long time to be seated. It’s dining, on demand. 1 +1 + 1 Is More Than 3.

Dietary Restrictions 493

Dietary Restrictions Customer Experience Dine-in Technology 493

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 23, 2020

Some trending concepts over the past several years have included more open seating, high ceilings, and exposed structure concepts. The qualities of the space must complement the menu options to deliver an unforgettable experience. Getting Creative with Outdoor Space. With the current climate of the U.S.,

Design 539

Design 2021 Outdoor Brewery 539

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 31, 2024

From salted egg yolks and chili crunch fusions to mushroom-infused teas and freeze-dried fruit powder garnishes, Kimpton’s in-house experts share the standout ingredients, menu items and techniques that will come to the table in 2025. Move over “swicy.” ” “Swalty” has entered the chat.

2025 450

2025 Beverage Fine Dining Guest Recovery 450

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 7, 2020

With social distancing guidelines in place and capacity and party size restrictions like we’ve seen outlined in other states , we can expect to see increased spaces between tables, eliminated host stand waiting areas, reductions of bar seats and even entirely new layouts for restaurants that highlight contactless offerings.

Food Safety 480

Food Safety Mobile Ordering Front of House Seating 480

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 3, 2020

Masks and distanced seating are great short-term adaptations to the current climate but restaurants must work toward returning to full capacity. While it may seem like restaurants can survive and return to normal with band-aid solutions like masks and distanced seating, this is not the case.

Technology 450

Technology Consumer Goods Customer Experience Seating 450

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 11, 2020

While having to reduce the number of seats is never ideal for a restaurant, many states are requiring it. The best option is to remove some tables and chairs from your dining room altogether in order not to have a bunch of empty seats as reminders of restrictions. Give your outdoor seating the same importance you give indoor.

Customer Experience 516

Customer Experience Dine-in Food Safety Kitchen Safety 516

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 5, 2022

I don’t have one client who has all the servers necessary to run their operations, which results in a lot of complaints about long waiting times once the guest is seated. For a few minutes, the guest feels better because they are in a seat, but the big problem is on the horizon. Improve Service Through the Menu.

Seating 468

Seating Training Customer Service Point of Sale 468

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 27, 2022

Regardless of whether this is proper dinnertime etiquette, the truth is that most people can pull out their smartphone to read through your menu just as easily as perusing a physical menu. Here are five reasons why you should stick with QR code menus instead of pulling those plastic menus out of storage.

Online Ordering 508

Online Ordering Customer Service Fast Casual Recycling 508

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Photos of your menu items, ambiance, and even happy customers will give potential guests a glimpse of the dining experience you offer. Use it to share updates, special events, or new menu items. Create engaging email newsletters that have a clear purpose, such as promoting an event, offering a discount, or sharing a seasonal menu.

Book 195

Book Marketing Email Marketing Social Media 195

EATER

MARCH 28, 2025

Levy A host of diverse offerings are on the menu at Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, and other arenas this season. These baseball stadiums didnt start developing new menu items overnight or without forethought. One of the most important factors to consider, however, is that new menu items are hand-held or easily enjoyable finger foods.

Serving 270

Serving Seasonal Menu Food Supply Menu 270

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 2, 2024

For this, flexible seating arrangements are the key – from cozy booths to communal tables and counter seating, offering options that cater to individual preferences ensures that solo diners feel comfortable and valued. First impressions matter. Creating an inviting ambiance is critical for attracting (and retaining) solo diners.

Loyalty Program 411

Loyalty Program Catering Seating Customer Experience 411

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 18, 2023

Each table has its own wench, which allows them to be raised and lowered to any desired height –– seated, cocktail, or all the way up to the ceiling –– using a network of cables and an electric power source. Brian, the executive chef, changes Ronin’s menu daily to reflect the best of the week’s harvest.

Back of House 418

Back of House Seating Seasonal Menu Design 418

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

Due to many factors including inflation and supply chain challenges, restaurant owners and operators have been faced with tough choice about raising menu prices. To do this, restaurants will either need to use lower cost food items or raise menu prices. Another way to introduce price increases is to introduce new elements to the menu.

Pricing 490

Pricing Food Supply Seasonal Menu Menu 490

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

From the app, customers can browse the menu, place orders, and learn about the restaurant more easily than third-party apps, giving operators a stronger connection with their guests and making them more likely to become repeat customers. With a dedicated app, restaurants can control pricing, menu updates, and promotions without restrictions.

2025 195

2025 Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Online Ordering 195

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 13, 2025

Real-Time Data & Analytics : Track sales trends, top-selling menu items, and peak business hours to make informed decisions. Plus, their reliance on high fees forces restaurants to either raise menu prices or accept smaller profits. This system then suggests menu changes that will increase sales while reducing food costs.

2025 195

2025 Technology Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering 195

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

Depending on a guest’s allergies or dietary preferences, AI can suggest personal picks from a restaurant’s menu, for example. Restaurants are responding with creative menu innovations, offering smaller portions, bundled meal deals, and "value bites" menus to provide premium experiences at reasonable prices.

Loyalty Program 221

Loyalty Program Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Customer Service 221

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 8, 2020

” However, we expect the initial reduction in seating capacity to be closer to 25-30 percent, not 50 percent. This period will likely last four-to-six weeks, and we expect the seating reduction to create table spacing of approximately 9’-0” on center (from the typical 6’-0” on center).

White Paper 531

White Paper Seating Employee Relations Back of House 531

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 20, 2020

If, prior to the pandemic, your restaurant had a seating capacity of 120 seats, that may be reduced by 20 percent or more. Use the projection to anticipate your supplier needs once you do reopen—perhaps a smaller menu selection can reduce the amount of product to be purchased.

Front of House 525

Front of House Back of House Reservations Seating 525

EATER

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

The menu, which includes the ever-popular fry bread taco, tells a story of connection, innovation, and respect for legacy and Indigenous culinary traditions. Thirty Nine’s menu highlights high-protein and precolonial ingredients.

Innovation 318

Innovation Food Truck Seasonal Menu 2004 318

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 25, 2020

With outdoor dining occupying the foreground, and bars and indoor dining taking a back seat to consumer preferences, it begs the question: what happens when it gets cold? Menu Features – We’ve seen many of our restaurant partners implement menu features with great success.

Seasonal Menu 493

Seasonal Menu Outdoor Customer Service Catering 493

Modern Restaurant Management

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

The past year has also continued to drive consumer demand for alcohol to-go and outdoor dining with nearly four in 10 consumers saying the availability of outdoor seating would make them more likely to choose one restaurant over another similar one. Roughly half of U.S.

2022 518

2022 2030 Food Supply Recruiting 518

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

This edition of MRM's "Ask the Expert” features advice from Buyers Edge Platform on the topic of menu engineering. Need to make menu changes? The best results right now can be discovered through the alteration of menus based on what consumers need now, and on what sells best. Keep in mind to keep the menu simple.

Supplies 492

Supplies Seasonal Menu Back of House Delivery 492

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 10, 2023

The partnership resulted in a 116-seat signature restaurant directly inspired by the chef’s menu. Why is design so crucial for creating the right look and atmosphere to complement a menu? Conceived as a destination, The Desmond is tucked away in a slightly hidden location and an elevator ride is required.

Design 487

Design Customer Experience Magazine Seating 487

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 10, 2021

Bypassing third-party fees means Southwest can pass cost savings along to the consumer, which is analogous to what some restaurant brands are already offering with a best price guarantee on the menu for booking direct. Real Estate.

Airlines 493

Airlines Consumer Goods Point of Sale Hotels 493

7 Shifts

JULY 16, 2021

Create a Menu. Do they have indoor seating or are they takeout-only? This includes but is not limited to your equipment, permits, menu, and marketing. Seating capacity. Expected menu prices. Coffee shop with seating: $80,000 to $300,000. Coffee shop with both seating and a drive-thru: $80,000 to $300,000.

License 459

License Hiring Equipment Small Business 459

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

Give your guests a better menu experience Digital menus are easier to update in real-time, so its simple to 86 an item (even in the middle of service) or update your specials for the weekend. Plus, an interactive menu feels modern and engaging, especially to younger diners who are already used to browsing everything on a screen.

Front of House 195

Front of House Allergens Online Ordering Back of House 195

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 19, 2020

Creating and optimizing the menu based on US Foods’ exclusive food-costing tools, industry analysis and recipes designed by in-house chefs that focus on both profitability and diner trends. Seated Acquires VenueBook. Seated acquired digital event booking platform VenueBook. ” DoorDash Partners with NBA. .”

Kitchen Safety 515

Kitchen Safety Loyalty Program Delivery Customer Service 515

EATER

DECEMBER 3, 2024

According to Restaurant Business, Zehnder’s and Bavarian Inn are two of the highest-volume independent restaurants in the country , with more than 1,000 seats in each; in 2022, the two collectively served some 1.8 million people. In 1928, William Zehnder, Sr.

Hotels 274

Hotels 2022 Seasonal Menu Dine-in 274

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 30, 2023

Keeping brand integtrity, the interior featured a walk-up counter, digital menu boards and condensed seating/waiting areas with TVs. Burying this information in fine print at the bottom of the menu or not putting it anywhere at all can quickly drive customers away and become a social media nightmare in an instant.

Operations 449

Operations Mobile Ordering Customer Experience Online Ordering 449