Whether you’re looking to shake things up at your restaurant or simply generate some extra profit for your bottom line, a smart (and often low-risk) opportunity is the classic LTO, or “limited time offer.” These are dishes that do not currently reside on your menu, that you can advertise as a special offering. Critical to
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Getting Restaurant Nutritional Data Right for Your Menu
In May 2017, FDA guidelines will require nutritional menu labeling for specific kinds of restaurants throughout the United States. Specifically, menus should include calorie information for each item and be prepared to offer additional printed restaurant nutritional data per customer request. The restaurants that are required by law to comply are… Part of a chain
Not So Millennial: Restaurant Food Trends for Generation Z
The term “Millennials” gets thrown around a lot when discussing any food trends that fall outside of Baby Boomer interest. And it’s easy to think of Millennials as pretty much “anyone young,” but the reality is, the majority of Millennials are now in their late twenties and early thirties, with kids of their own. Now,
10 Cardinal Rules to Managing an Irate Restaurant Customer
When managing any public space — from a full service restaurant to a corner taco stand — it is inevitable that you will come up against complaints. Consumers are justifiably particular when dining out, and not every experience you provide will be uniform or perfectly match a customer’s expectations. Mistakes happen and problems will come
Second Life: How to Start Planning for Your First Restaurant Expansion
Whenever a restaurant finds success and a solid customer base at its original location, the idea of expansion usually starts creeping into the restaurant owner’s mind. Expanding into a second location has its pros and cons, depending on the health of your business right now and the strength of the market at large. Opening a
How to Avoid Clashing with Your Restaurant Business Partner
Somewhere in-between “Two heads are better than one” and “Too many cooks spoil the broth” is the secret to a perfect restaurant partnership. As owners, it can be frustrating at times to have to deal with not just employees, vendors, and customers, but also the demands of a partner to whom you owe your loyalty
5 Ways to Build a Rapport with Your Restaurant Employees
There’s a secret that most employees know that many managers and owners forget (or dismiss). But it’s true more often than not, and powerful to think about: People don’t leave jobs. They leave bosses. Believe it or not, the relationship you build with your employees can have a greater effect on overall job satisfaction than
Sell Yourself: Building a Retail Product for Your Restaurant
Chi-Chi’s Salsa. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. College Inn Chicken Broth. Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pies. You’ve seen them all at your local grocery store, but did you know that each of these familiar products (and hundreds more) originated as extensions of their original brand, the full service restaurant? In some ways, building out a retail
Low Key Ways to Make Your Restaurant Family Friendly
No matter the main demographic of your restaurant, you should always anticipate the occasional young family coming in to dine with you. Whether it’s their one special night out or a lunch break in the middle of errands, adult diners dining alongside their children just want one thing — for the meal to go smoothly. And
Buy or Lease? How to Know What’s Right for Your Restaurant
It’s not controversial to say that owning a restaurant is a very expensive proposition. There is an enormous amount of expense and a very thin profit margin — often as little as 5 percent — so managing every cost down to the penny is critical for success. This is especially true for restaurants just starting
