Tabletop/Front Of House News

The best leaders do not build teams that need them. They build teams that can thrive without them. Twenty years ago, I could break down a whole ribeye, strip, or filet loin better than anyone in my kitchen. I learned the skill as culinary manager at Tripp’s in Southern Pines, North Carolina. To this day…

Restaurant management tips often deal with ways to streamline the day-to-day operations of the restaurant itself. But what about you—the manager—who dictates those day-to-day operations? Could you use some tips to help you manage better? Of course you could. We all could. Working on yourself is as important as, if not more important than, working…

Running a restaurant today means managing razor-thin margins, unpredictable labor markets, and ever-changing compliance rules. Yet instead of relief, many operators are being overpromised that one-size-fits-all platforms will solve everything from payroll to inventory. The problem? When payroll mistakes happen, they don’t just frustrate staff – they trigger compliance fines, accelerate turnover, and cut directly…

Taste Tracker: Sweetgreen, Starbucks, El Pollo Loco, Gong Cha, Moe’s, Smoothie King, McAlister’s, Wayback, Qdoba and more headline restaurant menu news and trends. Chain restaurants are helping customers beat the winter doldrums with menu items sporting bold flavors and bright colors. Some of these are tinted red and pink to lure last-minute Valentine’s Day fans.…

Most of you reading this know how tough the hospitality business is, particularly over the past few years with economic pressures, labor issues, and shifting customer expectations. Many probably wonder at times if it’s worth it, so how can operators reignite their spark and rediscover their clarity, confidence, and purpose? Based on her 30 years…

Think of Parisian cafés, garden restaurants, rooftop bars and even beachside eateries. They all have one thing in common: their indoor-outdoor dining experience sets them apart from the rest and meet guest needs. Sixty-nine percent of adults like having the option to sit outside, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 State of the Restaurant…

Restaurants are known to be physically and emotionally taxing environments with staff under constant pressure to produce. This atmosphere is one of the reasons staffing is reported to be a continual struggle for operators. Dan Simons, co-owner of Farmers Restaurant Group, implemented policy-level mental health support, including free online therapy for all employees and their…

If you’re in the marketing world and know what SEO is, you may have heard of digital PR. Digital PR has picked up in popularity over time, especially with the introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. This is because search engines have gotten much smarter about how they analyze backlinks and brand…

In quick-service restaurants, time is everything, especially when it comes to training new employees in high-turnover, leanly staffed environments. The old industry saying goes: “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.” But today, more brands are giving that motto a modern twist: “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time…

In 2026, restaurants may be backed into a financial corner. Turbulent trade policies could raise food costs when many diners are already tightening their discretionary spending, forcing operators to get creative to keep sales healthy. “Restaurants are set for a humbling year,” BTIG analyst Peter Saleh wrote in the analyst firm’s December 2025 forecast for…