Ever have one of those days where it seems like up is down, left is right, and there’s a surprise waiting around every corner? Well, if you’re an active or aspiring foodie, that could actually be the perfect recipe for adventure. Today’s culinary landscape features quite a few menu items that sound like they could be one
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What You Need to Know about the Restaurant Industry
Understanding and keeping an eye on the economic landscape of the restaurant industry can be an integral part of managing your business. As a provider of financial and marketing services to the restaurant industry, Rewards Network has unique insights into the industry through the data we receive from over 10,000 restaurants. We also monitor the
9 Unlikely Taste Combinations That Just Work
In 1976, Herb Hudson opened a small Los Angeles restaurant that exclusively served chicken and waffles. At first, many people were surprised to see an entire menu dedicated to this uncommon pairing — but all it took was one visit to get them hooked. Now, 40 years later, the unlikely, but delicious, combo at Roscoe’s
5 Smart Email Marketing Tips
Over 100 billion emails circulate around the world every day. Yes, you read that correctly — that number is on a daily basis. The average consumer is continuously bombarded with emails, so how do you break through the clutter? In 2014 alone, Rewards Network sent over 155 million* promotional emails, yet our open rates ranged
December and January Marketing Ideas
Marketing during the holidays might seem easy: decorate the restaurant, add some snowflakes to your flyers, or recruit Santa for a meet-and-greet. By opting only for the Yuletide standards, though, your restaurant risks getting lost in the same Christmahanukwanzaaka marketing from other businesses – including your competitors! Adding unique ideas like these to your marketing
Do You Trust Your Vendors Too Much?
Watching your business requires diligence in all areas, even with your vendors. According to a report from the University of Florida, 5.96% of shrink can be contributed to vendor theft. I had a hard lesson during my first days as a manager at TGIFriday’s regarding vendor theft. I have never forgotten what my mentor Ken
Three Ways to Increase Customer Spend in Your Restaurant
Once a customer makes the decision to dine at your restaurant, you probably depend on your food, service, cleanliness and overall experience to bring them back. But what are you doing to increase their spend while they are still there? 3 Ways to Increase Customer Spend: 1. Sweeten your dessert sales. Simply asking a customer
The Only 4 Ways to Increase Restaurant Sales
This article was originally posted in March, 2013, focusing on the only four ways to increase restaurant sales. A lot has changed in our industry since then as we saw the rise and fall of daily discounts, an ever-changing economy and a surge of new and focused restaurants in all segments. As consumers are dining
Responding to Customer Feedback: What to Say
After you have taken a deep breath and are ready to respond to customer feedback, what do you say? This is an important question because Rewards Network data shows that customers who receive a response from a restaurant after providing feedback spend 14.4% more and visit 11.7% more often. Simply having a restaurant customer satisfaction
Restaurant Theft – It Happens but It Doesn’t Have to Happen to You
We all know that theft happens in our industry; it happens in any industry, really. And unfortunately there are stats to back up the prevalence of restaurant theft: 75% of employees steal from the workplace at least once, and half will steal repeatedly (U.S. Chamber of Commerce) Internal employee theft is responsible for 75% of inventory
