As a server, you've heard this question SO many times. "What's good here?" And almost as many times, the response is "Everything. Everything's great!" Honestly though, is every item on the menu at your restaurant great? Even more importantly, if the response is "everything," you miss out on the opportunity to build rapport and create a personal connection with your guests. Don't shut down the conversation with, "everything." In this video, you learn three tips to turn "What's good here?" into an opportunity to give your guest genuine hospitality, excellent service, and an experience that could turn them into loyal, repeat guests....more >>

There's a bit more to weighing than first meets the eye. All scales don't measure up. This article points out how a good scale can make you money and how to choose the scale that's right for your particular situation....more >>

Purchasing too much restaurant inventory could be hurting your bottom line. Here are some tips to help you streamline the process......more >>

The Source of Every Employee Problem You Have In our live workshops on culture and leadership, something consistently happens to most attendees (independent owners and managers) by day two. They begi...more >>

Growing concerns. While franchising has alluring upsides, it isn't right for every independent concept. How do you know if it is? Well, here are some questions to ponder before you dive in....more >>

Behind those stainless steel panels and bins are a variety of technology, feature and functions. You need to understand your restaurant's needs, in terms of ice production, storage capacity, maintenance, and what to do if your ice machine goes on strike....more >>

Choosing and using the right type of dishwasher is important for any type of restaurant operator. If there's one thing that will turn customers off before they even get a chance to order, it is dirty dishes or flatware....more >>

One of the hardest parts of management is managing people you're close to. Here are some ways to navigate those relationships. The key is to maintain a professional stance at work that balances the opportunity to preserve the friendship yet still holds them accountable to the same performance standards as anyone else on your team....more >>

Being a strong and highly engaged manager will lead to more confrontations and difficult conversations with your team members, right? Not true! Confrontations and difficult conversations result much more often from being a weak leader, who soft-pedals their authority. On the other hand, strong- leaders who have regular, often boring- conversations with their team members have to deal with much less drama. Ongoing communication and coaching have proven to be the best way to prevent workplace problems from building up and eventually boiling over....more >>

Make sure that anyone in your restaurant who serves alcoholic beverages understands and has training in responsible alcohol service....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 >>

Getting into franchising is an expensive, time-consuming proposition and not every successful restaurant translates into a successful franchising business. Use these 10 key questions as a reality check to determine whether your business is a good candidate for franchising or not....more >>

A growing trend in the restaurant industry is independent restaurants banding together to promote their businesses, as a way of competing with the marketing clout of the large chains and franchisors. Review the features, benefits and potential pitfalls of these rapidly expanding organizations here....more >>

Hope for the best... An estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety....more >>