Tabletop/Front Of House News

New brand president Tony Read believes better team member experiences lead to better guest experiences. When Artistry Restaurants acquired Hickory Tavern in early 2025, it wasn’t buying a turnaround project as much as it was inheriting a Carolina institution. For nearly three decades, the 20-unit chain has occupied a unique place in North and South…

Restaurant operators have measured nearly every aspect of the customer journey. They track mobile app downloads, online ordering patterns, loyalty participation, email engagement, coupon redemption rates, customer sentiment, and social media interactions. Every digital touchpoint has become measurable, optimized, and increasingly personalized. Yet one important part of the guest experience inside the physical restaurant itself…

Restaurant real estate is often described through one broad theme: smaller boxes, more off-premise capacity and fewer dining-room seats. Planned 2026 restaurant openings show a more varied market. Compact fast-casual and quick-service locations are expanding alongside casual/family and upscale restaurants built around substantially larger dining rooms. Planned 2026 location records do not point to one…

With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigating a multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak, restaurant operators and guests are questioning how to stay safe while dining out. Outbreaks are affecting restaurants across the country, according to data from Placer.ai. Given that the outbreaks are linked to contaminated lettuce and other greens, chains associated with lettuce-heavy menus…

I spend most of my time inside restaurants before they open and after they close. I see what operators struggle with, what customers respond to, and what stops working surprisingly fast. The trends below are not pulled from mood boards or trade shows. They are shaped by real briefs, real budgets, and real buildings. If…

Customer aggression is a growing operational challenge as nearly 40 percent of frontline workers believe it has increased over the past year with 42 percent reporting incidents in the past month, according to a survey from 3Gem Research & Insights commissioned by HALOS. “Restaurant owners and managers need to have strategies in place to minimize…

Discover the top restaurant design trends for 2026. Boost social appeal, efficiency, and revenue with small, smart updates your guests will love. If you can’t remember the last time you refreshed your restaurant design, this is for you. Today’s diners aren’t just booking tables—they’re booking moments, experiences, and memorable spaces. They scroll, search, and choose…

The following is a guest post by Ryan Volberg, CEO and founder of Guestologie, a guest intelligence platform built for multi-location restaurant operators. Opinions are the author’s own. The answer to repeat customer visits isn’t more loyalty tiers or programs, but deploying guest data to enhance experiences and remember preferences, writes Guestologie’s Ryan Volberg. The…

White walls and succulents, begone — the people yearn for lived-in furniture, dark wood, and Grandma’s tchotchkes “Once 2010s minimalism is gone, what’s the next main aesthetic?” This question was asked in a Reddit thread a year ago, and lately, its application to the world of restaurant decor has been growing in my mind. Until…

The Watermark Hotel in Tysons, Virginia has a secret on its 25th floor. Open an unassuming door in the fitness center’s sauna and you’ll be transported to the streets of Tokyo within The Naisho Room, a hidden speakeasy serving Japanese spirits and an Omakase dining experience by executive sushi chef Hobin Kim. “We wanted to…