Restaurant week happens so fast. The crowds rush into your restaurant, they revel in your delicious recipes for a quick three (or four) courses, they gush about your restaurant online, more crowds pile in… and then, before you even have time to finish counting all your profits, it’s all over for the year and everything returns to normal. But wait, wouldn’t you rather have the crowd-rushing of restaurant week continue for the rest of the year? Don’t you think that your restaurant (since it is the best in the known universe and that it is the delicious expression of your heart and soul) should be packed every single day?
Yeah, we think so too. Restaurant week customers around the nation share their opinions every year on how restaurants can win their undying love, and because we’re here to serve you, we read all their comments for you. It’s a lot of reading, but we wanted to make sure to give you the absolute best tips we could. During restaurant week, make sure to do these four essential things to get your restaurant week customers coming back again and again, every month of the year. Read more
Three Ways to Make Your Restaurant Menu Stand Out
/in Tips & Tricks /by HilaryIt’s time for some hard truth here: today’s upscale restaurant menus all look the same. In fact, they’re usually written in French, which means that most of the menus in your restaurant class are advertising the exact same dishes. Is your restaurant falling into this trap? Are your customers as bored with your menu offerings as the people in the photo? Here are 3 much-needed updates that will make your restaurant menu stand on its own.
In 1970 Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking changed the culture of food as we knew it. At the time, America hung on every new French phrase, as Julia told them how to make Coq Au Vin, Steak Frites and even baguettes, but today’s chefs have expanded our palates so far past traditional French cuisine. Today’s global economy and increased travel have expanded our American food options significantly and everyone around is lining up to eat the next best thing. But a lot of restaurant menus haven’t caught up with the new and exciting food trends of today and are still selling the same old foods, and even worse, using the same language to sell them. Here are some totally new ideas that will make your menu shine. Read more
Keep Your Restaurant Business Hot in Winter
/in Tips & Tricks /by HilaryClimate change is coming to everyone’s front doors this winter, including the hot kitchens of the restaurant business. We’re pleased that you’re staying open and furthering the cause of delicious food in the world, and we want to help you keep your reservation lists high, even when the temperatures are low. Here are 3 tips to keep your restaurant business hot in winter.
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Top 7 Restaurants You Need to Try During Chicago Restaurant Week
/in Dining Out, Restaurant Week /by HilaryEveryone can agree that Chicago Restaurant Week is delicious and for adventurous foodies, the tastiest week of the year is a great time to splurge on exploring the exciting and unique food right here in our own backyard. We looked through the menus for this year’s Chicago Restaurant Week, and came up with seven of the most unique restaurants we could find. Some popular flavors this year included basil ice cream of two kinds and a ridiculously extravagant junk food dessert. There were also various pates, including a burger topped with pate which sounds so decadent that we have to try it. These menus are making us ravenous and our countdown has now officially begun for this year’s Chicago Restaurant Week.
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How You Can Make the Most of Restaurant Week
/in Restaurant Week /by HilaryAh, restaurant week. Around the country it’s that magical time of year when everyone’s eyes and tastebuds are focused on your restaurant. According to Choose Chicago’s results from last year, Chicago area restaurants made $26.9 million during restaurant week, and served over 513,000 diners. Last year was the biggest year yet, and this year should be even better. But will it be a good year for your restaurant? Restaurants that make the most of restaurant week bring in some huge benefits, such as community inclusion, in-person and online buzz, and increased regular customers–but some restaurants still aren’t experiencing all the benefits that restaurant week offers. Make sure that you’re making the most of your week in the spotlight with these four helpful tips. Read more
How To Make Restaurant Week Customers Come Back Year Round
/in Restaurant Week /by HilaryRestaurant week happens so fast. The crowds rush into your restaurant, they revel in your delicious recipes for a quick three (or four) courses, they gush about your restaurant online, more crowds pile in… and then, before you even have time to finish counting all your profits, it’s all over for the year and everything returns to normal. But wait, wouldn’t you rather have the crowd-rushing of restaurant week continue for the rest of the year? Don’t you think that your restaurant (since it is the best in the known universe and that it is the delicious expression of your heart and soul) should be packed every single day?
Yeah, we think so too. Restaurant week customers around the nation share their opinions every year on how restaurants can win their undying love, and because we’re here to serve you, we read all their comments for you. It’s a lot of reading, but we wanted to make sure to give you the absolute best tips we could. During restaurant week, make sure to do these four essential things to get your restaurant week customers coming back again and again, every month of the year. Read more
The Cocktail: Here’s to Beauty and Simplicity – and Boosted Profits
/in Cocktails, Tips & Tricks /by Josh SaundersWhat are some of the best strategies for developing a menu of cocktail specialties to boost bar and restaurant sales? According to Restaurant Business, Jon Taffer – who is host and executive producer of Spike TV’s Bar Rescue, as well as the founder and chairman of the hospitality consulting and business services firm Taffer Dynamics – says that drinks that offer visual appeal (and that can be made quickly, using what he calls “one minute mixology”) allow for the greatest return on investment. While exotic ingredients found in cocktails served at popular establishments in New York and San Francisco (Weather Up and Bourbon and Branch, for example) appeal to many consumers, it is how a cocktail is presented (both on the table and on the menu) that matters more than factors like using premium spirits and other special ingredients. A simple but eye-catching cocktail served in an attractive glass – and with a colorful garnish – is really what allows for a higher markup. Read more
Why Are You Losing Money During Restaurant Week?
/in Restaurant Week /by HilaryRestaurant week is one of the most exciting times of the year for local foodies, but sometimes it isn’t the most exciting time of the year for restaurants. Restaurant week’s high advertising costs and deep price-slashing can make it tough for restaurants to succeed during such a competitive time, and if your restaurant is feeling the strain of cutting your margins too thin without a reasonable return, you might be thinking that it’s about time to call it quits between you and that darn restaurant week. Here are some common restaurant week problems, with advice for fixing them, as well as ways to tell when you should just skip restaurant week altogether.
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The Hard Cider Revolution
/in Beer, Industry Trends /by Josh SaundersMention hard cider ten years ago, and the name of this cold alcoholic beverage might not even register with more than a handful of traditional American beer drinkers. Not so today. Consumer demand for cider is increasing, and big corporations are moving in on this promising market, with Angry Orchard cider the fastest growing brand of the Boston Beer Company (producer of Samuel Adams). Even Stella Artois and Michelob – both owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev – now sell hard cider. Last year, MillerCoors bought the Crispin Cider Company. European financial institution the Rabobank describes the U.S. market for hard cider as “just emerging.” Read more
Three Tips to Shape Up Your Restaurant Profits in 2014
/in Industry Trends, Tips & Tricks /by HilaryHey you, listen up. We’re making a New Year’s prediction. Let’s just consult this crystal ball here… Aha! We see more money for you in 2014! According to our amazing powers, this year should be filled with profits for you and your restaurant, because your new iPad wine list means that you’ll increase your drink sales and then live it up with your earnings. Don’t give us that look, we’re sure we’re right because we have the facts to back us up. Here are three money-making secrets to get your tablet wine list working for you this year. Read more
5 Winter Cocktail Ideas for your Restaurant
/in Cocktails /by Josh SaundersWinter is in full swing in much of the country, with cold weather and people looking to warm up. We took a look at cocktails on menus getting the most interest right now together with some great ideas to spruce up your cocktail list. Read more