Best Practices

Becoming a Food Entrepreneur & Restaurateur: What You Should Know Before Taking the Leap

Consulting, General, Hospitality Consulting, Leadership / By

I’m 52 and have spent my entire career (save for a stint in the US Army for training to be a Reservist) in hospitality. My first job was as a dishwasher, and I have spent time in almost every restaurant position. Cook, server, bartender, runner, busser, chef, manager, general manager, area manager, vice president, owner. […]

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What is a Food Hall, And Why Do People Love Them So Much?

Consulting, Hospitality Consulting, Random Stuff / By

The first time I heard the term “food hall” I replied “…um…explain…” What I got was something similar to how a parent might describe a mall food court to a seven-year-old: “A collection of small restaurants, usually on the ground floor of a building with shopping, where typically seating is shared and no dining options

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Tip Credit Applied to Minimum Wage - Not as Evil as it Sounds

Tip Credit Applied to Minimum Wage – Not as Evil as it Sounds

General, Leadership, Random Stuff / By

Many people view tip credit as “just another way for the greedy restaurant owner to line their pockets with cash.” Servers often have the same opinion and feel like they are being taken advantage of. Ultimately paying a good wage and eliminating tipping would create a much easier world for all restauranteurs. There would be

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4 Quick Ways Restaurant Owners in Beach Towns Can Capitalize on Summer Vacationers

4 Quick Ways Restaurant Owners in Beach Towns Can Capitalize on Summer Vacationers

Consulting, General, Hospitality Consulting / By

We’ve all heard the term “tourist trap.” When applied to restaurants, it’s generally a negative term that refers to places with high prices serving low quality versions of foods that made the area famous. Often these restaurants thrive because their customers are lured in by flashy signage, proximity to the main attraction or campy foods

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Worst Advice for Restaurant Owners

The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard for Restaurant Owners

Consulting, Leadership, Service / By

As restaurant consultants, we are often in a position to offer advice…and to hear some zingers of both good and bad advice that restaurant owners have been given. As entrepreneurs, restaurant owners often seek advice from friends (whether in the industry or not), family members, vendors, and guests. Restaurant owners who need the advice are

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woman wrapping a gift

5 Great Holiday Gifts for Your Managers that Aren’t Cash

General, Random Stuff / By

In almost every scenario that requires motivation, we see more and more that cash gifts simply don’t work. Cash gifts don’t incentivize people to work harder because cash is the expected result of having a job. During the holidays, managers often become dependent on cash gifts to pay down their holiday debt. This creates conflict

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hostess helping a guest

6 Things Your Host is doing to Turn Away Customers

General, Leadership, Service / By

We all know the importance of the first impression and how we’re impacted by someone’s appearance, demeanor and general interaction with us. Crowd review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor have built companies that allow folks to vent their praises and critiques of service providers. Much of the commentary on these sites is about first impressions.

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