TikTok is not a "dance app." It's an important tool to help your restaurant grow its digital presence, engage with new customers, and may give you a necessary push to develop a short-form video strategy.... more >>

Passing on responsibility to others can sometimes be difficult. But, training, and eventually delegation, are necessary steps in staff development.... more >>

There are few businesses as competitive as the restaurant business. Gathering "intel" is necessary when competing for brand awareness, guest traffic, and repeat patronage.... more >>

Many people who open an independent restaurant don't fully understand the role they should play as the owner. They're convinced that rolling up their sleeves and "running the restaurant" will lead to restaurant success, when in reality, this mindset is often the fatal flaw behind many underperforming or failed independent operations. Find out what independent restaurant owners SHOULD be doing instead.... more >>

Almost everyone has had that dream in which they show up to class unprepared for the exam. All of us fear being unprepared, and for good reason. It creates disorganization, frustration and lost opportunity, and can be costly.... more >>

Do you know if your social media marketing is building guest traffic and sales? And which platforms and messages are performing best? These are good questions and that's why, in this article, we cover the basics of measuring and driving results from your social media campaign.... more >>

One of the most important aspects of running a restaurant is training your front-of-the-house employees. These folks are the primary determining factor in gaining repeat customers. A memorable experience as well as fantastic food will almost guarantee a return visit.... more >>

Ambience is a tricky thing to describe. It's a mood; it's a setting; it's a feeling you get from the surrounding environment. Most restaurateurs know intuitively that their guests seek out the dining experience you offer as much as they seek out your food. Here are a few tips to consider as you plan the ambience for your new startup.... more >>

First impressions last. Your guests' experience with your restaurant begins well before they taste your food. These touchpoints include your website and social media promotion which are all part of a successful first impression.... more >>

Without adequate quality staffing, it is difficult to run a good restaurant and provide the kind of experience that fosters repeat patronage. The good news is we learned from RestaurantOwner.com members who not only survived but succeeded in the wake of the pandemic.... more >>

A culture of caring versus a culture of indifference, the latter is a workplace where most employees don't like their jobs and they're indifferent to what's going on. You can't afford it, and in this RestaurantOwner.com Learning System course, you and your managers can get ideas on how to avoid it.... more >>

While handwashing seems like such a simple food safety practice, when done frequently and properly, it is the most effective sanitation measure in the restaurant. Spreading a foodborne illness is no way to get your new concept off to a good start, and it can bring down an established concept overnight.... more >>

Approach complaining, irate customers with a calm, attentive and respectful frame of mind and you'll find yourself with more business and very few "guests from hell." In this article, we review some of the basics of a service recovery program.... more >>

No matter what size of restaurant, you need a food labeling system to avoid inventory waste that will drive profits into the ground. Learn how proper dating and labeling not only prevents waste but ensures that guests get your best quality as well.... more >>

Crack the code! In this article, we review examples of easily calculated finance and operations metrics that can tell us a lot about the health of our businesses. We examine how often to crunch these numbers, and what new relevance these metrics take on in the current operating environment.... more >>

The Digital Journey...Is your concept putting as much effort into providing your guests a high-quality digital experience as it is assuring a high-quality on-premises experience?... more >>

Jennifer Ruppert explains why keeping abreast of trends, organizational talent, and solid identification of objectives is vital when planning restaurant events. If you've been scheduling and hosting events with less-than-stellar results, these tips from an independent restaurant event marketing pro can get you back on track.... more >>

Effectively communicating information to employees that will ensure they get your message is not as daunting as it seems and can be accomplished by a single medium – the employee handbook.... more >>