This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Amid these potential disruptions, operators need a fresh approach to managing food costs. Currently, owners and operators across the country are grappling with: Worker Shortages : The restaurant industry is facing a severe labor crunch, with 45 percent of operators reporting they need more employees to meet demand.
The holiday season is a huge calendar event in the restaurant industry, with bookings booming as guests look to let their hair down and enjoy a festive feast. Over the Christmas season, 63 percent of adults plan to eat out so your restaurant needs to be prepared for the increase in demand.
The average restaurant operating a sit-down dining experience can miss 15-30 percent of incoming calls on average, with that number possibly being even higher during busy hours. menu, hours, etc.), Operational Efficiency : No constant interruptions for staff to focus on what matters when an AI phone host is available 24/7 3.
While there was a brief dip in consumer awareness of menu price increases in late 2024, the spring of 2025 has seen a moderate rise, affecting dining habits and consumer perceptions of value. “With rising prices tied to eggs and imported goods, restaurants will need to think creatively about their menus,” Fink said.
”It’s not just about the caviar—it’s about the experience, the storytelling, and the attention to detail that make a meal at Costa special.” Unlike omakase, which centers on raw fish, kaiseki is a cooked and composed tasting menu that flows with the rhythm of the seasons.
Looking for someone to oversee day-to-day operations is a critical business decision that needs careful consideration. How do you prepare your team for special events or holiday rushes? Can you give an example of how you’ve managed a large event or special occasion at a restaurant? Clear communication is also key.
By incorporating this training into your calendar, you align your business with modern consumer values and cut down on operational waste. Aside from keeping up with industry trends like this, year-round training is especially critical for maintaining consistency in operations, meeting compliance standards, and exceeding customer expectations.
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.
Understanding the Fractional CFO Role A fractional CFO is a seasoned financial expert who partners with businesses on a part-time or contract basis. Strategic Cash Flow Management Restaurants often grapple with cash flow challenges due to seasonality, fluctuating customer demand, and variable/fixed costs.
These classic flavors are beloved by many, but there’s also an appetite for innovative twists and new sensations that capture the essence of the season in exciting ways. Today’s consumers are on the hunt for bold and unique flavor combinations that enhance their seasonal experiences.
It's not just the merch on the menu that is driving traffic to the brand with a misison to create spaces that blend sports and leisure and offer innovative cocktails, next-level architecture and high-end designer decor with elevated bar bites, retro games, and exclusive event nights.
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. For example, you can promote your seasonal dishes or happy hour specials. It's an active marketing tool.
Think about it: What if you could automatically send a special offer to a customer who hasnt ordered in a while? When used strategically, customer data can help you personalize marketing, streamline operations, and create a better dining experience for your guests. It improves operational efficiency.
The holiday season brings bustling crowds, higher sales, and festive celebrations, making it a prime time for restaurants and bars. These best practices can help you maintain a safe and enjoyable environment during this busy season. These best practices can help you maintain a safe and enjoyable environment during this busy season.
As technology bridges gaps in industries and societies around the world, making advanced solutions accessible to independent operators is vital to their success. Scalable solutions like self-service kiosks and predictive analytics are transforming the way small businesses operate. Technology is quickly becoming a lifeline for survival.
in Food Science Management Martinez said that to tailor an existing menu to match guest snacking preferences, operators need to capitalize on social media trends, connect to cultural relevancy and plan around seasonality. "Whether "It also allows operators to introduce new flavors in familiar formats. ."
The same is true of chefs and cooks who countless times prepare a menu, a dish; arrange components on a plate, sauce the work, apply an appropriate garnish, wipe the rim and quietly celebrate the story behind it. Connections give a dish special value, added importance, and character that goes beyond flavor and visual appeal.
While the restaurant industry has been focused on value meals so far this summer, Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) season has snuck up on us with independent restaurants leading the orange-colored way. billion by 2031, operators are hoping an early PSL season will drive additional revenue after a consumer pullback in spending. "Call
By investing in a data-driven POS platform, restaurant operators can address labor challenges, fine-tune their stock management, design promotions based on current trends, reduce human error and more. Here's how restaurateurs can maximize the benefits of their POS data. And better customer service also translates to tangible savings.
But what if your menu was telling your guests something about luxury? In the January 23, 2024 New York Times article,“The Menu Trends That Define Dining Right Now,” the publication gathered 121 menus from restaurants all over the United States.
Everywhere we turn right now it seems restaurant brands are continuing to face operational challenges and hurdles. However, for many states and cities in climates that experience a full four seasons of weather, cooler weather is fast approaching and with it, another chance to make operational changes.
While your restaurant may feature a diverse menu, delicious food, a great ambiance, and excellent customer service, you will still struggle to build a customer base without promoting it. Others tend to emphasize their cheaper menu options. A quick look at your POS data will identify the top three selling items on your menu.
Have you ever walked into a restaurant, excited for a great meal, but the server can’t answer your questions about the menu? Without the right training, even the best menu or ambiance can fall short due to poor service, leading to dissatisfied customers and lost revenue. Focused training also speeds up the onboarding process.
Pick your event idea by looking at your: Venue size and layout Customer demographic Available resources Time of year (season) Community Write out each of these factors, and a picture will emerge of which restaurant event idea will best fit your location. Get the word out to regulars and people curious about your restaurant.
This includes hours of operation (including holiday updates), your website link, phone number, and menu. Creates a sense of exclusivity : Special perks make customers feel like VIPs, strengthening their connection to your brand. Weekend-Only Deals : Feature a specialmenu item or exclusive discount available for just a few days.
By analyzing customer preferences, dining habits, and feedback, AI chatbots can send personalized messages to engage customers with new menu items, exclusive offers, and meal recommendations. Within a single chat interface, consumers can go through the entire menu, choose food and beverage products, add them to their cart, and make payments.
This leads to huge financial losses, operational inefficiencies, and environmental harm. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in, providing game-changing technology that restaurants can use to streamline operations, minimize waste, and boost profits.
This "Super" special edition of Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's Research Roundup has a Super Bowl theme. MVP Menu Performances More than 200 million people tuned in to the Super Bowl last year—many with a plate of wings in front of them. The steepest decline happened between 6-9 p.m.,
Restaurant operators are now looking for solutions to retain customers as colder weather and economic conditions threaten their bottom line. These tags enable staff and operators to surface detailed guest information, including itemized POS data, visit length and frequency, spend history, and even wine preferences.
Once you have that total, subtract all of your costs, such as labor, inventory, rent, utilities, and other operating expenses. It's also important to remember that profit margins for bars can vary widely based on factors like your pour cost and operating expenses. This final number is your net profit. Did you know that just 1 oz.
Holidays provide restaurants with the opportunity to capitalize on the special moment by offering specials, events, and so much more exclusive to the holiday. Create a Prix Fixe Menu. A prix fixe menu also gives off an air of elegance. Upsell with Valentine’s Day Specials. Offer a Gift Card with Purchase.
This edition of MRM's "Ask the Expert” features advice from Buyers Edge Platform on the topic of menu engineering. While it may seem that everything is in chaos, there are ways we can maintain control of what happens to our operations. Need to make menu changes? Keep in mind to keep the menu simple.
There are a number of proven strategies for being proactive about possible supply chain shortages including menu optimization, building partnerships and LTO maximization. Creating strategic LTOs is a great way to keep customers interested each season on the brand, but it's also important to be strategic about the recipes you create.
A well-crafted email can remind a past guest to stop by again, encourage reservations for a new seasonalmenu, or even boost online orders with a limited-time discount. A well-timed email with a special offer, new menu item, or exclusive promotion can be the nudge they need to place another order.
By displaying menu items, offers, and specials on screens, QSR operators can effectively communicate with their customers and influence their purchasing decisions. Additionally, digital signage allows QSR operators to easily update their menus in real-time, respond to current trends, and target specific demographics.
The increased challenges and stress of the holiday season often reveal pinch points in bar and restaurant operations. How to Prepare: Identify a method of more real-time analysis of kegged throughput for more accurate forecasting – especially for your seasonal products. Manage and Optimize Your Increased Holiday Inventory.
Menus are shifting quickly to digital screens, promising operational efficiency and a consistent brand experience from dine-in to drive-thru. While there are clear benefits to an all-digital menu system, to get the most out them, you must first take a step back to re-examine what your menu means to you.
Free from the limitations of static signage, restaurants can effectively and visually educate their customers on menu items, pricing structures, and ordering protocols. Unfortunately, a given reality in the food service industry is that waiting is sometimes a necessary reality in daily operations. It's the Future of the Industry.
Instead of constantly playing defence with menu updates, imagine a centralized system that allows you to make menu changes instantly across every delivery app and direct ordering platform. What is Menu Management Software? Think of menu management software as the control center for all your restaurants menus.
Many restaurants have had to alter how they serve customers, and some have had to close their indoor dining and become creative with extending patio season. Offering both physical and digital gift cards (also known as eGift cards) is a great tactic to help increase revenue during the holiday season. Make Your MenuSeasonal.
Yet, historically, access to this critical diner data has been limited, keeping operators in the dark about who is ordering from them and what they value. Streamlining Operations. When replicated across thousands of customers, restaurants can use this data to obtain a bird’s-eye view of their takeout and delivery operations.
Not even God could have convinced me to not make my wedding cake, Teresa Finney, the owner-operator of Atlantas At Heart Panaderia, says of her recent foray into the bride-baker role. Hannah Mandel, the owner-operator of Forsythia Forsythia in Athens, New York, similarly used her wedding cake to reflect her and her new husbands origins.
Many operators worry about wasting money on the wrong strategies or not seeing a return on investment, making it tempting to avoid marketing altogether. Increase sales by promoting high-margin menu items and special offers. You might need to spend more on marketing before busy seasons and scale back during slower months.
Customers expect to browse menus, place orders, and pay for their meals with just a few taps of their phones. For restaurant operators, this presents both an opportunity and a challenge: how to implement an online ordering system that maximizes revenue while maintaining control over their customer relationships.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 49,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content