For traditional restauranteurs, ghost kitchens may seem like the scariest new addition to the exploding delivery sector, which is forecast to hit $75.9B in gross volume by 2022. With growth in delivery running over 9%/year , and the sector expected to soon comprise 11% of the total market, no one can afford to let any […]
Keep readingHow better food truck hygiene revs up revenue
There’s a crucial message missing in all the euphoria about the $2 billion in total 2018 revenue for food trucks, and the projected 20% growth for 2019: You could do even better. That’s because, despite the continued trend toward eating on the go, “hygiene on the go” just isn’t keeping up – and that’s keeping […]
Keep readingThe missing secret to optimizing commercial kitchen flow
If you Google the phrase “how to optimize kitchen flow” you’ll come up with millions of results, the most prominent of which are all about kitchen design, floor planning, process efficiency, technology use and the like. But a recent experiment by kitchen optimization consultant Alan Kinsella revealed the power of a low-tech (but high-return) investment […]
Keep readingThree reasons restaurant owners can’t sleep (and three cures)
Owners of quick service restaurants, fast casual chains, and casual dining concepts all have one thing in common: a more challenging business environment than ever. With more competition, fewer workers and continued competitive expansion, the situation is enough to keep any restauranteur awake at night. There are, however, a few basic steps that you can […]
Keep readingHow to retain millennial workers with a simple lunch break
There’s one easy way to help retain your millennial workers in this tight labor market: let them each lunch. Recent research shows that while 90% of employees say that the ability to take a lunch break is critical to their decision to accept a job, only 37% of millennials feel empowered to take time for […]
Keep readingHow restaurants turn trash into treasure via composting
Restaurants are discovering new benefits in the composting movement, because it improves a very specific slice of the environment – their business environment. In this article, a sustainability advocate explains how composting programs can lower a restaurant’s waste disposal costs while raising its profile among the rapidly-growing group of sustainability-minded customers. You’ll discover seven key […]
Keep readingHow to make your restaurant stand out in a delivery world
Wonderful restaurant you’ve got there. Great write up in the local paper. Even better online reviews–and best of all, terrific food. Too bad nobody wants to come in and eat it. “Nobody” may be overly dramatic for the moment, but only for the moment. Delivery and takeout has been growing 300% faster than dine-in business, […]
Keep readingFour labor-saving ideas to get restaurants through the labor shortage
It’s hardly a news flash to say the restaurant industry is struggling through a major labor shortage. In fact, a 2018 study showed that nearly 60% of restaurant managers point to hiring, training and retaining staff as their biggest challenge. And while the most common response may be to get more competitive for employees, with […]
Keep readingFive tips to keep your restaurant’s catering from cratering
In the last decade, the crush of new competition has forced restauranteurs to look for revenue beyond their dining rooms — and catering has emerged as one of the biggest boosts to the bottom line. It is now a $58 billion business in the U.S. — fully 11% of total foodservice industry revenue — and […]
Keep readingFive Missing Links to Chain Restaurant Success
If you’re in the chain restaurant business, you may feel like new competitors, not customers, have been eating your lunch. Restaurant traffic is down, and delivery is up, driven, literally, by the disruptive likes of Uber Eats and Grub Hub. Convenience is the killer app, served up by everyone from supermarkets with healthy meal kits […]
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