June, 2023

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How to Build Social Proof for Your Restaurant Business

Modern Restaurant Management

The restaurant industry has generally seen an increase in online orders since the start of the pandemic. Although this is a welcome development, it also means more competition. It means more restaurant businesses now have an online presence. So, how do you attract more customers to your restaurant in the competitive market? One way to do this is by building social proof.

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Great Wolf Resorts Partners with APS to Modernize Reservations Technology

Hospitality Net

Great Wolf Resorts, North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts, has selected Above Property Services (APS®) to modernize its technology across their 19 properties across the country. Great Wolf Resorts’ strategic decision to partner with APS was part of an ongoing effort to enhance capabilities and the overall guest experience.

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USDA Approves Cultivated Chicken for Sale, Daily Harvest’s Toxic Year + More

Food + Tech Connect

Image Credit: CNBC Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In a major milestone for the food industry, the USDA has granted inspection approvals to Upside Foods, Good Meat, and Joinn Biologics, signaling the imminent arrival of cell-cultured chicken in the American market.

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The need for greater flexibility in foodservice equipment

Restobiz

By Doug George The foodservice industry continues to evolve, with constantly changing regulations and new technologies and innovations emerging all the time. As all sectors of foodservice rely on speed and efficiency when it comes to smooth operations, managers and operators are seeking equipment in 2023 that offers operational flexibility and can be convertible by […] The post The need for greater flexibility in foodservice equipment appeared first on Restobiz.

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Food & Beverage Industry Report 2024

Driven by a diverse and exciting ecosystem of passionate, ambitious, and often young entrepreneurs, the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector is a highly competitive environment full of immense challenges and exciting opportunities. Expert Market’s 2024 industry report, sponsored by Toast, is informed by a survey of 522 U.S. food and beverage professionals, from restaurant owners to food service managers, providing insights into the real-time challenges and opportunities within the industry.

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Your 5 Ways to Improve Restaurant Efficiency

Sculpture Hospitality

As a restaurant owner, you know that running a successful restaurant requires more than just delicious food and great service. You need to manage inventory , streamline operations, and keep your staff organized.

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Menu Engineering: The Secret to Maximum Profitability

Modern Restaurant Management

Not all menu items are created equal, nor do they contribute the same profit to the bottom line. Some dishes are more popular and increase revenue, while others carry a smaller margin or might not be ordered as often. It is important to understand not only the profitability of each item per serving but also its overall contribution according to the total servings sold.

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Student portrait - from army leadership to hospitality excellence

Hospitality Net

Emilien Dombele’s journey at EHL has exceeded his expectations with its international atmosphere and strong sense of community. With a diverse background and work experience in banking and the Swiss army, Emilien wanted to challenge himself and explore his passion for managing people. Emilien has formed deep connections with his fellow students, creating a vibrant student portrait that celebrates diversity and fosters personal growth.

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Cultivated Chicken Receives USDA Approval, Cava’s IPO Raises $318M + More

Food + Tech Connect

Image Credit: Green Queen Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In a significant milestone for the cultivated meat industry, Upside Foods of California and Eat Just have both achieved USDA label approval.

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School's Out But Scratch-Cooked Meals Aren't

Chef Ann Foundation

School districts are working hard throughout summer vacation to make sure kids still have access to healthy, scratch-cooked meals.

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How to Choose the Best Restaurant Inventory Management Software

Sculpture Hospitality

In the fast-paced restaurant industry, effective inventory management is crucial to ensure smooth operations, maximize profits, and deliver an exceptional dining experience.

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The Tipping Point: Tech Tipping Causing Tension

Modern Restaurant Management

Half of customers felt manipulated or tricked into leaving a tip at checkout, according to Capterra ’s June 2023 survey, which was conducted to learn more about how the overuse of tablet tip screens is changing the way consumers approach tipping culture. Among the insights: Over-asking for tips is alienating customers: 50 percent have felt manipulated or tricked into leaving a tip or tipping more than they intended to.

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The Power of Storytelling: Secrets to Content Marketing for Franchise Restaurants

Modern Restaurant Management

Franchise brands have many goals in common: enter a new market; attract new franchisees, employees and loyal customers; increase average unit volume (AUV); and accelerate franchise expansion strategies. Yet, there is nothing common about your specific brand. Every brand has a story, and that’s what makes customers, employees and franchisees take notice, choose you and keep coming back.

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Training With Intention

Modern Restaurant Management

Early on a sunny Sunday morning, the air is thick with humidity and the servers are reeling from consecutive busy services. As families flood out of a nearby church and line up at the front door for high chairs and hash browns, it becomes clear that the grill cook isn’t showing up and the computers are down (again). As the manager on duty prioritizes each crisis and puts out literal fires in the kitchen while trying to get the POS company on the phone, a chipper newcomer clad in all black

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Gamification Prompts Restaurant Engagement and Loyalty

Modern Restaurant Management

Gamification is rapidly changing how brands interact with customers during the restaurant experience. Through dry periods, seasonal menus, product launches or limited time offers, gamification is an intelligent way to motivate engagement, drive competitive traffic, and activate specific behaviors among consumers in the food and beverage industry. But what do you need to know about this tactic to achieve your business goals while driving meaningful customer connections?

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How QSR Brands Can Best Position Themselves for Non-Traditional Expansion

Modern Restaurant Management

As travel and leisure activities continue to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands like ours have a unique opportunity to position themselves for growth in non-traditional venues like airports, casinos, college campuses, sports stadiums and other travel centers. People are eager to resume their travel journeys and fill up their social calendars, which has allowed QSRs to tap into the demand for quick and convenient food options by expanding their

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Orchestrating Restaurant Operations to Increase CX

Modern Restaurant Management

One of Merriam-Webster’s definitions for orchestration is “to arrange or combine so as to achieve a desired or maximum effect.” Simple concept yet much harder to pull off for today’s restaurants struggling to harmonize in-store, drive-thru, delivery and curbside experiences for both customers and employees. Customer expectations are level set by their most advanced in-store and digital experiences.

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Don’t Slip Up: Preventing Summer Falls at Restaurants

Modern Restaurant Management

Everyone knows to be careful during the winter months when there’s snow or ice on the ground. What people often neglect to consider is that hazards still exist in the summer months, both indoors and outdoors. In fact, it’s the element of surprise that can make summer slips, trips and falls more severe than those that occur in winter. Slips, trips and falls are the second-leading cause of employee injury nationally.

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For Restaurants, Investing in Loyalty Is an Investment in the Future

Modern Restaurant Management

By now, loyalty programs have shifted from a “nice-to-have” to a “need-to-have” for restaurants looking to retain customers and drive revenue amid record inflation figures and increased prices. In fact, research from Accenture found that more than 90 percent of companies have some sort of loyalty program. Although the development and implementation of loyalty programs have become increasingly popular, they still have a widespread reputation as generic, focusing more on ma

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Maintaining Brand Essence While Expanding (Podcast)

Modern Restaurant Management

On the latest episode of The Main Course , Alexis Blair , CEO of Fig & Olive, shares insights into her restaurant’s expansion journey. She covers the challenges and triumphs of taking a brand global, maintaining the essence of the brand while adapting to new markets, and the impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry.

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How Restaurants Can Attract Gen Z Customers by Embracing Brand Purpose and Social Responsibility

Modern Restaurant Management

For restaurant owners or franchise managers, the importance of brand purpose and social responsibility can’t be overstated, especially when attracting the Gen Z demographic. This tech-savvy, socially conscious generation has distinct preferences and values that can significantly shape the success of your establishment. Understanding the Importance of Brand Purpose In today’s marketplace, brand purpose refers to the reason for your restaurant’s existence beyond making a profit.

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Under One Roof: Creating Distinct Identities for Three Concepts

Modern Restaurant Management

Managing one restaurant is challenging enough, but can you imagine hosting three concepts within a 110-year old historic building? Steve Lewis and Chef Chris Thompson share with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine how they navigate the unique challenges they’ve encountered while operating Meadowlark Hospitality, which houses three original concepts in Chicago: daytime salumeria/cafe Lardon (MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022), beer-centric restaurant Union , and new craft cocktail lounge M

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On World Food Safety Day, Here’s How Internet of Things Solutions Can Help

Modern Restaurant Management

In the food services industry, safety is paramount to protect customers, brand reputation, and, ultimately, profits. Food that is not stored or handled properly can result in serious, even deadly, illnesses. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that on average, 1,600,000 people get sick each day due to unsafe food. That’s why World Food Safety Day aims to promote food safety globally and celebrate the efforts being made to prevent foodborne illness.

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Design Inspired by Japanese Sensibilities

Modern Restaurant Management

Inspired by Japanese sensibilities including intentional hospitality, Janken, a 9,000-square-foot restaurant, opened in Portland, Oregon’s Pearl District at the end of 2022. The name comes from the Japanese equivalent of the Rock, Paper, Scissors game and the space combines natural elements, fluid design lines, and Japanese precision throughout. The pan-Asian restaurant focuses on Japanese and Korean cuisines and handcrafted cocktails with an angulated slat wall that fades from white to black a

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Managing Risk: Prevent Foodborne Illness, Protect Your Restaurant

Modern Restaurant Management

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , an estimated 48 million Americans get sick each year from a foodborne illness. Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. The worst part is, this type of illness is largely preventable Restaurant owners and operators need to take active steps to prevent foodborne illness from coming out of their kitchens.

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Opening a Restaurant: Steps to Take and Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Modern Restaurant Management

Business owners must know the risks and potential pitfalls involved in setting up a new restaurant so their investment is protected. They have to adhere to a set of common guidelines to ensure their business hits the ground running. Conduct Market Research Market research helps you define your business purpose. It allows entrepreneurs to gauge customer sentiment, demand, and potential competitors’ business models.

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AeroFarms Files For Bankruptcy, JBS Is Building a Cultivated Meat Factory + More

Food + Tech Connect

Image Credit: Grit Daily Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. In a contrasting turn of events in the agricultural industry, Aerofarms has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reflecting the sector’s struggle with dwindling funding and waning venture capital enthusiasm.

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Plunging Food Startup VC Funding + More Top Food Innovation News

Food + Tech Connect

Image Credit: Meati Foods Every week we track the business, tech and investment trends in CPG, retail, restaurants, agriculture, cooking and health, so you don’t have to. Here are some of this week’s top headlines. VC funding for the food and beverage industry is facing a steep decline. Over the past year, both the amount of money raised and the number of deals have significantly dropped compared to the previous year, the impact of which is being felt deeply by all startups.

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Booking.com Launches New AI Trip Planner to Enhance Travel Planning Experience

Hospitality Net

Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, has announced its new AI Trip Planner, which will launch in beta to a selection of US travelers in the company’s app on June 28. Built upon the foundation of Booking.com’s existing machine learning models that recommend destination and accommodation options to millions of travelers on the platform every day, the AI Trip Planner is also partially powered by large language model (LLM) technology from OpenAI’s ChatGPT API to create a

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10 Secret Ingredients to Growing Your Multisite Restaurant Business

Sculpture Hospitality

As the owner of a multisite restaurant business, it can be challenging to stand out in what is a highly-competitive market. Yet doing so is crucial to driving up profit margins and achieving long-term success.

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How to Beat Inflation in the Restaurant Industry

Modern Restaurant Management

Owners of eating and drinking places have been compelled to increase menu prices as a survival strategy. Full-service menu prices jumped 8.8 percent and limited-service menu prices rose 7.1 percent in September year-over-year. However, continuing to raise prices to try to beat inflation could sound the death knell for restaurants at a time when they should be reveling in tune with the Christmas bells.