Published January 6, 2017

Secrets to selling more gift cards

More than 90 percent of consumers purchased or received gift cards in 2015, with 51 percent of consumers reporting that they visited a store more after receiving a gift card, according to First Data Corp. Restaurants now compete with big-box stores and even online auction sites for gift card sales, so placing a tent card […]

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Listening to guests drives Caswell Restaurant Group owner

In today’s social media–driven world, customers have come to expect to have their voices heard quickly. And many quick-service operators are taking advantage of this by breaking away from outdated market research tactics like focus groups and surveys and utilizing technology to solicit valuable customer feedback. Customer feedback is a marketing term that describes the […]

Published January 5, 2017

4 ways to strike a better a work-life balance

If you’re finding it more challenging than ever to juggle the demands of your job and the rest of your life, you’re not alone. Many people are putting in extra hours, or using their smartphones to be on call when they’re not physically at work. Here are four ways to bring a little more balance […]

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How to view your restaurant like a customer

Companies still run by founders vastly outperform those in the hands of professional management. (One suspects the relative youth of a founder-run company tilts this analysis a bit. But still.) The trick is how to pass that founder’s urgency along to the next generation. The truth is, the urgency already resides in the workforces of […]

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App eases the strain of waiting

Owner Trip Turbyfill fretted he was losing business from guests wary of the sometimes unpredictable wait. In the spring of 2015, he decided to try a guest management program: the Cake Guest Manager, an iPad-based seating app. Guest Manager integrated with Turbyfills point-of-sale system at the time, but since then he’s shifted to Cakes POS, […]

Published January 4, 2017

Gluten free grows up

The gluten-free trend keeps growing. But is it all just hype? Does gluten sensitivity really exist? Are more people being diagnosed with celiac disease? Is modern wheat the problem or could it be genetic engineering? Here we unravel the facts. Wheat—and the main protein it contains, gluten—has been cited as a cause of weight gain, […]

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11 tips to keep staff happy over the holidays

Ensuring that your employees are happy and productive around the holidays is important to the success of your business. Whether you are a major corporation or a small shop, the costs of hiring and training new staff members are often higher than the costs of investing in and retaining your current employees. In order to […]

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Legalized marijuana could dilute drinks sales

As legal marijuana grows in popularity, domestic beer brewers are starting to take big profit hits in states where recreational pot is legal. People are now spending their money on weed at a similar rate to alcohol states with legalization, especially among the younger generation. The shifting landscape is digging into the profits of the […]

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Scorched herbs find a place at the table

The smoking of herbs and meats at restaurants has really taken off in recent years. Many restaurants even have their own smokers on site for this purpose. Many chefs are finding new and impressive ways of tapping into this demand in the market. From serving slow-cooked bacon over smoking rosemary to burning rosemary on the […]

Published January 3, 2017

‘Plain’ rice is the perfect palette for a world of flavor

Any aromatic herb or vegetable goes a long way toward adding a bit of intrigue to a simple pot of rice. Very often, some of the same seasonings going into the main dish are great for the rice as well. I’ve found that whole spices are usually better for adding subtle flavors, while ground spices […]

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