Confronting rising labor costs and a complex regulatory landscape, restaurant operators face the critical challenge of effectively recruiting and retaining employees....more >>

More often it seems we are focusing so much on the process involved in growing our restaurants that we forget about the people! There are systems to develop and operating policies and procedures to follow for sure, but the most important ingredient in the recipe for growth is having the right people in the right place at the right time....more >>

Restaurant Week promotions around the country are a great way for operators to energize sales during slow periods, introduce their brand to new patrons, and support worthy causes. Startup operators need to tread carefully, however. There can only be one first impression, operators putting their best foot forward must be careful not to trip over it....more >>

When online haters attempted to denigrate a restaurant for celebrating the victory of a certain football team, the owner fought back with the support of the community....more >>

What a chef wears has a history that goes back 400 years. While many chefs prefer garb to pay homage to their time honored tradition, others prefer alternative threads to express their individual styles. Learn what some employers are doing to jazz up their kitchen staff dress...more >>

This certification form will be used to evaluate the successful training of the Cashier/Order Taker (QSR) position. The evaluator will observe the employee's performance under regular working conditions....more >>

Join hosts Chris Tripoli and Barry Shuster and their guests for a podcast for anyone who is starting a restaurant business, growing an independent restaurant business, or dreaming about starting an independent restaurant business. Learn from successful restaurateurs who share their stories WHY they got into the business and HOW they created and built their winning concepts. Corner Booth is a production of RestaurantOwner.com and its official magazine, Restaurant Startup & Growth. So grab your favorite beverage, have a seat, and listen in!...more >>

As operators compete for labor in a scarce labor market, they will have to boost compensation to fully staff their units. That said, even in this age of continuing automation, you can't run a successful restaurant without reliable hourly employees. Treating staff like a commodity is an invitation to high turnover and poor service....more >>

Most concepts offer some form of pricey protein on the menu. It behooves (no pun intend) all restaurant management to be conversant in the language of beef, lamb, pork and poultry. So how much do you know about your pricey protein inventory items?...more >>

New Normal, New Loyalty...If there is any good news for restaurants that have had to shift emphasis to increasing off-premises business, a recent Deloitte Consulting survey indicated guests prefer to order directly from the restaurant's app instead of a third-party delivery tool when given the chance....more >>

You know better than anyone, there's no such thing as a free lunch. If you intend to have music played or performed in your restaurant, it will pay to learn about your obligations regarding music licensing law...more >>

Playing the market. Is taking your independent restaurant's products to retail distribution a good move for your concept? In this article, we look at the current opportunities, benefits and stumbling blocks....more >>

"I'm an optimist for the most part, but as days blur into weeks into months, it's hard to hold it together," says Dawn Huston, an Indiana restaurateur who opened her first restaurant just a year ago. "I'm not sleeping and I am terrified of the uncertainty."...more >>

As a result of our townhall-style webinars, we're finding that collaboration is one of the most powerful ways to get new ideas that work. One of the most popular features of our live webinars are the comments and insights we get from our hundreds of participants....more >>

Your landlord is not your partner, regardless of what your real estate broker tells you. You need to balance your restaurant lease in your interest before signing on the dotted line. Here, we underscore troublesome terms and conditions, and how to avoid them....more >>

All too many restaurant operators have lost small and even large fortunes to a dishonest bookkeeper. Here's an example of what can (and does) happen when owners lose sight of following basic internal controls associated with this important function....more >>