Campbells V8 Peach Mango and Pomegranate Blueberry - both - banner - 02.26

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - banner - both - 01.20

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - banner - both - 03.19

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Family Recipes - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Simplot - Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Jennie-O No Basic Burger Here - banner - both - 03.20

Skyscraper Ad - MM - Cook - Operator

Ambrosia Chocolate - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Fabri-Kal - Packaging solutions for environmental and off-premise needs - skyscraper - both - 11.19

Tyson Cortona Pepperoni - skyscraper OE 1.23

Campbells Pacific Rose Chai Pistachio Milk - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Simplot Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - banner - both - 08.20

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Snyders Pieces - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - We Cook It - Operators Take Credit - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Full Case of Bacon No Grease - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Entree Redi Wild Alaska Pollock - banner - both - 08.25

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper - both - 04.23

Sugar Foods ecoStick Dispensers Beverage Station - skyscraper - both -10.16

Basic American Shred Competition operator banner ad - 12.17

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - banner - 02.26

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Ambrosia Chocolate - banner - both - 03.23

Stacked for Success - OE - banner - 05.01-08.31.26

Jennie-O Take Burgers Over the Top with Turkey - skyscraper - both - 03.20

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - skyscraper - both - 09.24

Sugar Foods - Add Savory Beet Notes Crispy Beets banner - both - 05.18

Rich's Plant Based Cooking Creme - banner - both - 02.18

Simplot GoodGrains - banner - both - 01.20

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Style and Substance - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Nestle Stouffer White Mac and Cheese - banner - both - 08.18

Simplot - Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - banner - both - 07.21

Flattop Grillers - banner - both - 06.24.26

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Customize Creamy Comfort - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Rich's Plant-Based - Good Things Grow - banner - both - 11.20

Butterball - Quality, Versatility, and Consistency - banner - both - 07.19

Golden Tiger Vegetable Spring Roll - Elevate Dishes with Vibrant Flavor - OE - banner

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Less Time Less Grease Less Mess - banner - both - 02.20

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - banner - both - 01.20

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - banner - both - 04.20

Cargill - Truvia Serve Americas Best Selling Stevia Sweetener - banner - both - 03.19

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocado - banner - both - 01.20

Basic American Crispy Craveable Operator banner ad - 12.17

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - skyscraper - both - 07.18

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Style and Substance - banner - both - 04.18

Performance Dairy Clarified Butter - banner - both - 04.24

Campbells Pacific Rose Chai Pistachio Milk - both - banner - 02.26

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - banner - both - 07.21

Portion Roast and Stew Meats - banner - both - 06.24.26

Nestle Stouffer's Comfort Foods Beyond Compare - video - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Now Serving Flame-Seared Perfection - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Reel in Greater Appeal - both - banner - 10.22

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - banner - both - 04.18

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Hormel - Bacon 1 - You've Never Seen Bacon Like This - banner - both - 02.20

General Mills - Pillsbury Takeout and Delivery Tips - skyscraper - both - 04.20

General Mills - Gluten Free Options - banner - both - 03.18

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - skyscraper - both - 08.25

La Ranchera Birria Base - both - 09.24

Simplot RoastWorks - banner - both - 01.20

Nestle Minors Slow-Simmered Stock - Free Sample - banner - both - 02.20

Shrimp that Brings the Big Picture - skyscraper - both - 11.22

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - skyscraper - both - 02.23

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Don't Labor Over Great Chicken - banner - both - 02.20

Rich's Plant-Based - Good Things Grow - skyscraper - both - 11.20

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - banner - both - 05.18

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - banner - both - 04.18

Grab 'n Go! Anytime. Every Time - banner - both - 07.23

Catch of the Season - banner - both - 07.22

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - both - skyscraper - 04.20

Performance Dairy Craveable Flavor and Time Savings - banner - both - 04.24

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - banner - both - 03.23

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Simplot Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - banner - both - 08.20

Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

Tyson - Wright Brand Bacon - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Simply Potatoes Low Sodium Mashed Potatoes - skyscraper - both - 09.23

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

Ready to Eat Frozen Vegetables - banner - both - 03.23

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - skyscraper - both - 05.18

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Great Bacon in Half the Time - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Nestle Stouffers White Cheddar Mac and Cheese - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Skyscraper Ad - MM -  Beat - Operator

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - banner - both - 08.25

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Meats - Unparalleled Flavor - banner - both - 02.20

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Single-Serve Packets - banner - both - 09.21

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - banner - both - 04.20

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Performance Dairy Convenience and Consistency - banner - both - 04.24

Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Nestle - Every Season is Pumpkin Season - skyscraper - both - 08.18

Simplot RoastWorks - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Banner Ad - 4 - PICs - Operator - supersized

Deliver Flavor and Value with Galbani Mozzarella - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper with chef - both - 04.23

Every type, size, and specialty of restaurant needs a strong marketing plan if they want to be successful. A strong marketing plan has strong campaigns, and email marketing campaigns are one of the best ways your restaurant can bring in new customers, welcome back old ones and just have an overall positive impact on your business.
The most important part of a successful email marketing campaign is providing value for your audience. It&rsquo;s a delicate dance between actually sending emails that benefit the customer and risking coming of as annoying by blowing up their inbox with unwanted messages.
By sending strategic, value-driven messages to your restaurant audience, your email campaign can become a powerful, cost effective marketing tool for customer acquisition and return customer strategy that helps boost your sales.
Different Types of Email Marketing
Different types of emails can be used by businesses with specific goals in mind. for different purposes. Here are some examples to help kickstart your next email marketing campaign:
Welcome Emails 
<ul>
<li>Likely the first email you would send once you receive a customer&rsquo;s email address</li>
<li>Warm and welcoming copy and branding to make them feel connected to the organization</li>
<li>Opportunity to advertise any upcoming events to your customers to encourage repeat dining</li>
</ul>
Newsletters
<ul>
<li>Sent weekly, monthly, or quarterly to customers inbox</li>
<li>Way to update customers on big changes happening with your restaurant</li>
<li>Typically used for ongoing promotions, big announcements and seasonal events</li>
</ul>
Celebratory Coupons
<ul>
<li>Provides coupons for celebratory events such as customer birthdays, personal anniversaries, etc.</li>
<li>Shows customers you care about them, thereby increasing customer retention rate</li>
</ul>
Loyalty Rewards Updates
<ul>
<li>Reminders for customers to redeem rewards through repeat dining</li>
<li>Streamlined and natural way to ensure customer retention</li>
</ul>
Promotional Emails
<ul>
<li>Usually for any other coupons or offers you want to send your customers</li>
<li>Can be used for new menu items, popular dates and holidays, seasonal menu items, etc.</li>
<li>Boost sales during slow periods of business</li>
</ul>
To develop an effective email marketing campaign for your restaurant, stay true to your brand and provide your customers with information they would want to see in their inbox&rsquo;s. Email marketing is ultimately all about reminding your guests of the great experiences they had with your establishment while not coming off as too needy by overloading them with unwanted messages.
Source: <a href="https://applova.io/blog/email-marketing-restaraunts/" target="_blank">Applova</a>

A strong marketing plan has strong campaigns, and email marketing campaigns are one of the best ways to have an overall positive impact on your business.

Try Email Marketing If You Want More Orders to the Kitchen

Consumers seek affordability and operators want profitability. Can the two co-exist in today&rsquo;s restaurant economy?
Three chain restaurant CMOs showed how they&rsquo;re finding the right balance during a panel on Monday at Informa&rsquo;s Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix. Joel Bulger of WOWorks, Cathy Chavenet of Paris Baguette and Katie Love of Sonny&rsquo;s BBQ shared menu strategies that are working for them. Here are some of their takeaways.
Focus on items that are simple to execute. When a menu item is operationally complex, it will turn out to be more expensive than it seems if you&rsquo;re basing price on cost of goods, said Love. If you&rsquo;re using a lot of labor and bringing in more SKUs, it erodes profits. And if the complex item is not executed well, it can turn off guests and they won&rsquo;t return. Make simplicity a priority to improve margins.
Cross-utilize to the max. The operators all agreed that they never bring in a SKU for just one menu item &mdash; it has to work across multiple platforms. Chavenet, who oversees R&amp;D along with marketing at Paris Baguette, shared a clever cross-utilization idea that doubled as a zero-waste solution. Before large cakes are frosted, the tops and sides may be shaved to even them out and make them smoother, resulting in a pile of cake scraps. The team recycles those scraps to create &ldquo;cake cups&rdquo; that are layered with fruit and cream and sold for $3 as a small treat.
Value = food + experience. Fast-casual and full-service restaurants are working to deliver value without discounts, deals and low prices. For WOWorks&rsquo; concepts like Frutta Bowls and Saladworks, it&rsquo;s about making it easier on the consumer. &ldquo;For a lot of my brands, customers walk down the line picking ingredients to build a bowl or plate,&rdquo; said Bulger. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re new and there are 10 people behind you, it&rsquo;s terrifying, so we created chef favorites that are curated. They sped up the line and accounted for about 12% of orders.&rdquo; There&rsquo;s a lot of talk about how a restaurant&rsquo;s ambience and service can add value, but ease of ordering may not be as obvious.
Value means different things on- or off-premise. For guests dining in at Sonny&rsquo;s BBQ, the Southern-style hospitality and tempting aroma of smoke wafting through the restaurant creates value, said Love. But for takeout and delivery customers, it&rsquo;s about speed, convenience, accuracy and food quality. The same goes for Paris Baguette &mdash; without the smoke. &ldquo;You walk into our caf&eacute;s and our cases are filled with fresh, house-baked pastries and beautiful cakes,&rdquo; said Chavenet. &ldquo;Combined with our photography and messaging, it creates an immersive experience.&rdquo;
High demand can translate to higher menu prices. The demand for protein is at an all-time high, and Sonny&rsquo;s leaned into that demand with limited-time $10.99 protein plates featuring cost-effective chicken and pork. &ldquo;They performed really well, but when the promotion ended, our customers practically stormed the gates,&rdquo; said Love. Realizing they could lose loyal guests, Sonny&rsquo;s brought back the protein plates at a higher price: $12. &ldquo;We haven't had a single comment from somebody calling out that we raised the price by $1, and the plates have been performing better than before,&rdquo; she added.
Beverages are profit centers. Operators have known for a long time that high-margin, low-cost drinks are a sure way to increase the check, but these days, those drinks have to be on-trend. WOWorks has added a virtual dirty soda brand to its portfolio, which is being tested at several locations. &ldquo;They couldn't be easier to make &mdash; soda, plus some sort of sweet cream, plus pumps,&rdquo; said Bulger, &ldquo;and it&rsquo;s very high profit and purely incremental, especially with delivery orders.&rdquo;
Paris Baguette does seasonal LTOs, with a theme that weaves throughout the food and beverage menu. This summer, it&rsquo;s blueberries. The fruit is showing up in pastries and cakes as well as drinks, such as blueberry latte, blueberry lemonade and blueberry matcha. And Sonny&rsquo;s has developed a line of non-alcoholic cocktails geared to Gen Zers, since the chain&rsquo;s customer demographic skews a bit older, said Love. The young team members are loving the flavors and selling the mocktails, she said, an indication that Sonny&rsquo;s hit the target.
Tell your story. The three marketing pros agreed that it&rsquo;s good to brag a little. Market the quality of your ingredients, the hand-crafted techniques you&rsquo;re using, the baker, chef or pitmaster in the back of the house, the origins of a menu item &hellip; all those stories enhance a brand&rsquo;s value in the eyes of the consumer and can justify the price you charge. &ldquo;Make people feel good about the money they&rsquo;re spending in your restaurant,&rdquo; said Love.
Informa&rsquo;s media brands, Restaurant Business and Nation&rsquo;s Restaurant News, moderated several of the panels and sessions at the Restaurant Leadership Conference, which concluded on April 22.
Source: Patricia Cobe, <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/marketing/making-menu-works-hard-boost-profitability" target="_blank">Restaurant Business</a>

Three operators share their strategies for maximizing margins as costs continue to rise and consumers grow wary of menu price hikes.

Making A Menu That Works Hard to Boost Profitability

Campus foodservice operators can use flexible beverage solutions to attract students throughout the day. And, they compete well with off-campus options.
Rapid Recap 
In a hurry? Here&rsquo;s a quick Q&amp;A highlighting what today&rsquo;s university dining hall trends mean for your beverage strategy.
Q: Why are beverages becoming central to university dining hall trends?
A: Pick-me-ups are now the #1 beverage occasion,1 making beverages a full-day traffic opportunity, not just a mealtime add-on.
Q: What types of beverages are driving growth?
A: All beverage growth through 2029 is expected to come from cold beverages.2 Operators have seen steady sales in the last year from most beverage types, but mocktails, refreshers, energy drinks, and cold coffee have seen the most growth.3
Q: What do students expect from campus beverage programs?
A: Variety. Colleges and universities have the largest menu of any on-site segment,4 yet 32% of students believe there isn&rsquo;t enough menu variety.5
One of the biggest university dining hall trends right now is a simple shift: rethinking what beverages are really for, from function to pleasure. Today&rsquo;s college students use beverages to power through morning classes, take study breaks, reward themselves between commitments, and connect with friends. Students, faculty, and staff enjoy drinks throughout the day, not just with meals.
For colleges and universities, that changes the role beverages play&mdash;and creates opportunities for campus dining programs to engage throughout the day.
Beverages Are No Longer Secondary 
Pick-me-ups are now the #1 beverage occasion, accounting for 22% of all beverage moments.1 And Gen Z is also more likely than other generations to drink non-alcoholic beverages as a way to treat themselves.3
These drinks aren&rsquo;t tied to full meals&mdash;they&rsquo;re chosen for energy, refreshment, or a small reward. They happen between classes, before practice, or during late-night study sessions, often well outside traditional mealtimes.
These insights are important for campus beverage programs. They suggest that cold beverages aren&rsquo;t just supporting the dining experience: they&rsquo;re often the reason students stop in. When a drink feels like a small indulgence or a moment of reward, the dining hall starts to feel less like a cafeteria and more like a destination.
In other words, beverages aren&rsquo;t just there to hydrate. When designed intentionally, they can become consistent drivers of engagement and incremental revenue across the day.
Why This Matters for Campus Operators 
Students can easily handle basic hydration in their dorms or apartments&mdash;bottled water, simple coffee, whatever fits in a mini-fridge. What they can&rsquo;t easily recreate are handcrafted cold beverages, rotating iced tea flavors, indulgent specialty drinks, or limited-time seasonal offerings. And maybe just as importantly, they can&rsquo;t capture the caf&eacute;-style experience that goes with them.
Students are already choosing to spend on experiential beverages. The question is whether campus dining programs are positioned to capture that spend&mdash;or leave it to off-campus competitors.
The opportunity isn&rsquo;t to simply add more beverages to the menu. It&rsquo;s to design beverage programs intentionally enough that they feel worth the purchase beyond the dorm or apartment.
Campuses already have a built-in competitive advantage; a program that can deliver a quality drink between classes beats commuting to an off-campus caf&eacute;. When beverage strategy is approached thoughtfully, it can strengthen both meal plan engagement and retail revenue.
Students Eat On Their Own Schedule 
Another important shift in university dining hall trends is the rise of all-day menus. Programs that serve food and beverages beyond traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner windows are now the largest and fastest-growing segment in college and university foodservice.⁴
That growth reflects how students actually live. Classes, activities, and jobs stretch their days across a 16-hour window. Students aren&rsquo;t waiting for scheduled mealtimes: they're eating and drinking between commitments. When campus dining programs rely solely on traditional dayparts, meaningful traffic can slip through the cracks.
There&rsquo;s also a variety gap. Colleges and universities already offer the largest menus of any on-site foodservice segment&mdash;the average campus offers more than 102 side options alone.4 Yet 32% of campus dining users still say there isn&rsquo;t enough variety.5
Many college and university operations have identified one potential solution: toppings and condiments continue to grow on campus menus.4 Students aren&rsquo;t necessarily asking for more core menu items when they can enjoy more control and customization over what&rsquo;s already there.
For beverage programs, that means a static lineup may not be enough. Flexible, modular programs allow you to layer variety and personalization onto consistent foundations&mdash;meeting student expectations without adding operational strain.
The Anatomy Of A Beverage Program Students Can&rsquo;t Ignore 
1. Speak To The Moment
Students heading to the library to cram for finals are in a different mindset than those leaving an intense workout session. Shifting from &ldquo;How do we sell more drinks?&rdquo; to &ldquo;How can we be included in more campus moments?&rdquo; can meet students where they are.
Intentionally aligning beverage messaging with student routines can create more natural reasons to stop in. This can mean signage promoting brain fuel for library-bound traffic, grab-and-go options for between-class corridors, or even cold refreshers near the gym.
2. Balance Indulgence and Better-For-You
Indulgence still leads to campus treat occasions. Milkshakes, dirty soda, and coffee drinks (like iced coffee or specialty, espresso-based beverages) top the list of go-to pick-me-ups. At the same time, juices, smoothies, and fruit shakes also rank highly,6 suggesting that many students are also looking for options they perceive as healthier.
Flexible programs&mdash;such as coffee, tea, lemonade, or juice bases&mdash;can shift between indulgent and better-for-you depending on what they&rsquo;re mixed with. A consistent foundation paired with customizable elements allows you to serve multiple variations without adding extra equipment, operational complexity, or complicated SKUs.
3. Build Around Strong Bases
The strongest campus beverage programs aren&rsquo;t built around a single trending drink. Trends evolve quickly. Programs built on consistent, quality foundations with rotating elements can evolve with them.
Successful designs keep the base steady and refresh the experience around it. That might include:
<ul>
<li>Flavored creamers or syrups</li>
<li>Seasonal iced tea or lemonade infusions</li>
<li>Cold foam or texture add-ons</li>
<li>Limited-time flavor releases</li>
</ul>
The goal isn&rsquo;t a longer menu. It&rsquo;s a better experience. When beverage programs are built this way, you can create differentiation through customization and seasonality&mdash;without adding major back-of-house strain.
The Bottom Line 
For colleges and universities, beverage strategy isn&rsquo;t about chasing every new trend. It&rsquo;s about thoughtfully using trends to drive traffic.
Today&rsquo;s students are already looking for small, repeatable moments of reward throughout the day. Forward-thinking operators are intentionally designing beverage programs around those moments&mdash;creating systems that support meal plans, retail purchases, and frequent visits.
The difference isn&rsquo;t offering more drinks. It&rsquo;s building flexible programs that evolve with student behavior while remaining operationally manageable.
Trends may spark interest. But on campus, it&rsquo;s strategic beverage execution that turns that interest into engagement and steady, repeat traffic.
Content courtesy of Nestle Professional
Sources:
1Datassential, Beverage Bonanza (2025)
2Technomic, Away-From-Home Beverage (2025)
3Datassential, Non-Alcoholic Beverages (2025)
4Datassential, State of the On-Site Menu (2026)
5Datassential, C&amp;U Segment Guide (2025)
6Datassential, Little Treat Culture (2025)

Campus foodservice operators can use flexible beverage solutions to attract students throughout the day. And, they compete well with off-campus options.

University Dining Hall Trends: Beverage Strategies That Win Campus Traffic

Many kitchens default to using a single glove type for every task. It&rsquo;s simple, easy to stock, and familiar for staff. But as kitchen workflows become faster and more specialized, this one-size-fits-all approach can introduce avoidable risks.
Modern operations increasingly treat gloves the same way they treat knives or cookware: matching the tool to the task.
For example:
<ul>
<li>Quick-change gloves for cold assembly and service stations</li>
<li>Tighter-fitting gloves for prep work requiring dexterity</li>
<li>Cut-resistant gloves paired with nitrile for knife-intensive tasks</li>
</ul>
Looking at gloves this way highlights something many kitchens overlook: glove selection isn&rsquo;t just about sanitation compliance &mdash; it&rsquo;s part of how the operation is designed to run.
One way to approach glove selection is to start with the tasks being performed in the kitchen and work backward from there. Different tasks place different demands on gloves, and a single glove type rarely performs equally well across every situation.
When one glove is used everywhere, it almost always ends up being the wrong glove somewhere. In a fast-moving kitchen, that mismatch can lead to operational problems - from reduced grip and control to a higher risk of burns or cuts.
Where One-Glove Systems Create Problems
Heat Exposure
Lightweight gloves designed for quick food handling, like poly, are not intended for use around hot surfaces or heated equipment. When used near grills, fryers, or hot holding areas, these materials can lose structure or compromise grip - increasing the risk of burns or dropped items.
Knife Work and Slicing
Prep work requires precision. Gloves that are too loose or lack tactile control can make knife handling less stable, increasing the likelihood of slips and lacerations.
Wet and Oily Foods
Many prep tasks involve marinades, oils, or raw proteins. Gloves that do not maintain grip under these conditions can cause tools, trays, or ingredients to slip unexpectedly.
High-Frequency Task Switching
In service environments, staff constantly move between food assembly, plating, and guest-facing tasks. Gloves that are not designed for rapid on/off use can slow transitions and lead employees to keep gloves on longer than they should, creating both sanitation and safety concerns.
Designing Safer Kitchens Through Task-Based Tools
Most restaurant injuries are not the result of negligence. They happen when fast-moving operations rely on tools that weren&rsquo;t designed for the task at hand.
Treating gloves as task-specific tools rather than generic supplies helps kitchens maintain speed while reducing unnecessary risk.
In many kitchens, this starts with a simple shift in perspective: evaluating the work being done in the kitchen and selecting gloves that support those tasks.
Because in high-volume kitchens, safety often comes down to something simple:&nbsp;using the right tool for the job.
Content courtesy of Handgards, Inc.

Modern kitchens require task-based glove strategies to support safety, efficiency, and control.

The “One-Glove-Fits-All” Fallacy

Adopt Innovative Approaches to Reduce Ingredient Costs
How can successful restaurants maintain the same level of customer experience&mdash;food, mood and service attitude&mdash;in the face of current challenges such as rising food costs? The short answer: strategic thinking.
Foodservice operators know that supply chain disruptions affect lead time and, consequently, their restaurant&rsquo;s ingredient costs. Managing food costs is the No. 1 business challenge for operators, followed closely by increasing customer traffic and managing labor costs.1
Strategies such as paring down the menu, incorporating ready-made items and offering high-margin meal add-ons can help operators be savvy and simplify back-of-house operations&mdash;all while keeping customers satisfied.
Amanda Gourley, Custom Services Lead at Nestl&eacute; Custom Services, is no stranger to helping operators develop strategies and find solutions to cost challenges.
&ldquo;Nestl&eacute; Custom Services offers the Menu Now&trade; Collection, which is full of ready-made items that can help operators protect against rising costs,&rdquo; Gourley says. &ldquo;Plus, our exceptional product development team can work with operators to swap out raw materials, which helps with savings, too. For example, if an operator likes one of our cheese sauces but has requirements around pricing, we can explore a more cost-effective cheese blend.&rdquo;
Streamline Your Menu 
Across the industry, operators are making efforts to stay competitive while managing costs. One way is by paring down their menus. Smaller menus can mean more efficiency, which can help combat rising ingredient prices and lower margins. Consider streamlining your menu to feature only best-selling items.
To understand which items may be eliminated, gather information from staff. Ask questions such as:
<ul>
<li>Which menu items are ordered most often and draw rave reviews? Conversely, which menu items are the least popular?</li>
<li>Are there certain menu items that customers modify consistently?</li>
<li>What are the least-profitable menu items?</li>
</ul>
Even with all this information, streamlining your menu can be challenging. Gourley explains how <a href="https://www.nestleprofessional.us/custom-menu-development-0" target="_blank">custom menu development</a> from Nestl&eacute; Custom Services analyzes menus to see if there are ways to reduce your total SKU count. &ldquo;For example, we can create a custom base sauce or recommend a product from our Menu Now&trade; Collection that can be used in different applications,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This helps one SKU do a lot of work across your menu.&rdquo;
Rethink Your Pantry
Time is a hot commodity in restaurants. Using ready-made items, like ready to use butter sauce for pasta, seafood, chicken and vegetables, can shorten lead time without cutting quality.
The products in our Menu Now&trade; Collection are heat-and-serve and help get customer-pleasing food to the table more quickly, which increases throughput and shortens table turnaround time. Additionally, these products offer consistent flavor and great taste&mdash;and there are no order minimums.
Put Trends to Work with Menu Add-Ons
Restaurant experiences remain in demand among customers who want to connect with others over a shared meal.2 What&rsquo;s more, dining occasions are enhanced when patrons can experience new flavors or fresh iterations of their favorite menu items. High-margin menu add-ons offer customers the option to customize or elevate their meal without putting unnecessary strain on staff. Even better, such menu add-ons can increase check averages.4
Consider the following approaches to build a selection of high-margin menu add-ons:
<ul>
<li>Identify multi-use ingredients.&nbsp;The ingredients you already use in other menu items can be turned into enticing side dishes. For example, four cheese sauce&nbsp;can enhance favorites like shareable dips or signature flatbreads.</li>
<li>Offer an additional salad option or LTO.&nbsp;Restaurants are creating opportunities to entice customers with <a href="https://www.nestleprofessional.us/trends-insights/restaurant-strategies-more-profitable-peak-hours" target="_blank">off-hours or slow-day meal offerings</a>.</li>
<li>Add more better-for-you choices. With 34% of consumers agreeing that healthfulness or better-for-you qualities increase the value of a food item,3many operators are planning to add more healthful and nutritious options to the menu.2</li>
<li>Feature popular desserts. Offer an indulgent treat without adding extra work to the back-of-house by using brownie batter.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Anticipate Inventory Challenges
Incorporating more shelf-stable items or single-serve frozen pouches means fewer items to work with and less waste. Additionally, making simple swaps can help. For example, replace romaine lettuce with spinach or kale, which last longer and can be used in multiple dishes.
Look for recipes where products such as high-quality, premade sauces might work in place of made-from-scratch sauces, too.&nbsp;
Gourley also notes that if a restaurant consistently has leftover product, like extra burger patties, Nestl&eacute; Custom Services can recommend how they use the surplus to make the ingredient go further and reduce waste.
&ldquo;For one customer, we make a soup base for chili that just has to be opened, heated and the burger meat added to it,&rdquo; she shares. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re an operator who doesn&rsquo;t know what your waste will be, a frozen soup base like this is great to keep on hand when you have leftovers to use as needed.&rdquo;
Keep Cooking with Creativity
In 2025, 86% of foodservice operators saw an increase in food costs over 2024.5 However, higher costs don&rsquo;t have to hamper menu creativity or profitability. Operators who make proactive decisions around menu size and ingredient swaps can expect to maintain their profit margins. The experts at Nestl&eacute; Custom Services are on hand to help restaurants work around rising expenses with access to custom solutions that meet needs on both operational and financial levels.
&ldquo;The rising cost of food has been tough for operators looking for ways to shorten ingredients lists and reduce BOH time to increase throughput,&rdquo; Gourley says. &ldquo;Our goal is to provide kitchen-ready and tailored solutions that give restaurants the opportunity to provide quality, delicious meals that keep guests coming back.&rdquo;
Content courtesy of Nestle Professional
Sources:
1Datassential, Pulse Industry Overview, August 2025
2National Restaurant Association, State of the Industry Report, 2023
3MenuMatters, 2025 Trends, November 2024
4Kinetic 12, Emergence Q4 2022 Report
5Datassential, Industry Overview, August 2025

Rising food costs don’t have to hamper menu creativity or profitability. Implementing simple changes can help combat rising restaurant food costs.

How to Counteract Rising Restaurant Food Costs

While social media these days does not offer the same organic reach it did even a couple of years ago, Jason Littrell believes that it is still a useful marketing tool in 2026. Littrell is a New York City-based brand marketing and bar consultant with decades of hospitality experience.
Social media still offers the opportunity to be discovered by new audiences, but the landscape has changed in the past few years. Littrell believes it is much more challenging to reach new audiences as algorithms shift and change. &ldquo;Organic engagement is at an all-time low,&rdquo; he says.
According to Littrell, &ldquo;Meta will not push your content unless you do spammy engagement prompts. Instagram is not nearly as effective as email. If you have a decent subject line, at least 20 percent of people are going to read your emails, but only three to five percent (of followers) are going to see your Instagram posts.&rdquo;
Given these challenges, Littrell encourages restaurant operators to outsource social media content creation to a social media marketing professional, who has more time to keep up with trends and algorithm shifts to tailor content accordingly. However, he believes that determined independent restaurant operators can create their own social media content to get visibility.
The Power of the Story
Priya Sharma is the founder of Savera, a creative brand positioning studio in Los Angeles that specializes in hospitality social media and public relations. For the last two years, Sharma has been creating social media content for Roots Indian Bistro, a local Indian restaurant in Los Angeles&rsquo; Melrose neighborhood. In that span of time, says Sharma, she has &ldquo;grown their social media following from 600 to nearly 5,000 organically while transforming them from a quiet neighborhood spot to a destination requiring reservations with lines out the door.&rdquo;
Sharma accomplished this growth through effective story telling. She pays attention to social media trends and posts compelling stories on the restaurant&rsquo;s feeds about the Indian concept&rsquo;s menu and its father and son co-founders.
For 2026, Sharma suggests three types of content that perform well on Instagram. The first is what she terms &ldquo;behind-the-scenes culturally focused&rdquo; storytelling as a way to differentiate international cuisines. &ldquo;For Roots, showing the chef's immigration story and family recipe origins consistently outperforms generic food photos by three to four times,&rdquo; Sharma says.
The second type of content is based on collaborating with influencers who have a genuine connection to the cuisine. Rather than focus on influencers with high follower counts, Shamra says she looks for &ldquo;micro-influencers who genuinely connect with the cuisine.&rdquo;
When an influencer has this level of connection, they create content that resonates with their followers, who tend to be people who share an interest in the same cuisine. As a result, their content does not merely get comments and likes, it leads to actual reservations. Sharma&rsquo;s approach to influencer collaboration and outreach is shared below.
The third type of content Sharma recommends in this environment is partnership-driven content. As she says, &ldquo;Collaborations with local venues and cultural organizations create newsworthy moments that media actually covers.&rdquo;
If your social media feed is not getting the same number of likes and engagement as in the past, it is tempting to blame the algorithm, she says. Yet another possibility is that you may be posting content that no longer resonates with users. Sharma mentions two types of social media content in particular that no longer do well on Instagram.
Ineffective content includes &ldquo;generic food photography without context or story,&rdquo; she says. Stock photos seem like a quick solution for a busy operator who knows they need to create content consistently, but audiences can tell when something came from a stock photo site. They are tired of seeing generic images of food, so simply scroll by without liking or commenting.
The second type of content that falls flat is influencer gifting programs that lack the authentic connection. For example, these are influencers with large follower counts and low authority among the target audience. If the influencer is not known in the geographic area or lacks authority over the cuisine, then it is not a good fit.
The first step toward authentic storytelling and veering away from stock photos and generic posts, says Sharma, is making &ldquo;a mindset shift&rdquo;. Instead of thinking about what kind of post to create or what caption to write, think about who you are creating for and, more importantly, why.
People connect with stories and people, not just plates,&rdquo; says Sharma. &ldquo;Instead of saying &lsquo;here&rsquo;s our butter chicken,&rsquo;&rdquo; she adds, &ldquo;try &lsquo;my grandmother taught me this recipe in Punjab. Here&rsquo;s how we make it.&rsquo;&rdquo;
She suggests three content templates that work well right now and adapt to any type of concept.
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;A Day in the Life&rdquo; content shows what goes on behind the scenes.&nbsp;Think candid snaps of the prep team hard at work, a Reel showing your team unpacking and putting away a delivery, or chef-driven content that offers a peek at the line. As Sharma says, &ldquo;This builds trust and gives people a reason to care beyond the food itself.&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Meet the Team&rdquo; content puts faces to the people who make your concept unique. &ldquo;When a restaurant posts about their team members&rsquo; backgrounds and what dishes they recommend, engagement typically doubles compared to standard food posts,&rdquo; Sharma says. Front-facing and back-facing team members all have stories to tell, so get creative about who you feature.</li>
<li>Stories about the restaurant process.&nbsp;&ldquo;Film the making of a signature dish from start to finish,&rdquo; says Sharma. &ldquo;The action of cooking is more engaging than the finished plate. Add text overlays explaining technique or ingredients used in the dish.&rdquo; Sharma believes that users these days prefer authenticity to finesse, so it does not need to look perfect. &ldquo;Imperfect but authentic always outperforms perfect but sterile.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
Each month, Sharma sets aside around two hours to plan the next month&rsquo;s content. &ldquo;I review last month&rsquo;s analytics, identify upcoming cultural moments or menu changes, brainstorm twenty to thirty ideas, and batch-create content,&rdquo; she says. Whenever possible, she uses seasonal and cultural-specific hooks to curate content, such as cultural holidays, in-season ingredients, or new menu launches.
The Five Ps
Littrell&rsquo;s approach centers on five &ldquo;P&rsquo;s&rdquo; &ndash; people, product, place, process, and proof. &ldquo;Showcase the people that work there. Make a human connection,&rdquo; he says. Photos of food and drink promote your product, but these images are only one type of content among others that tell your story.
Start by stepping back and taking an objective look at your concept, its d&eacute;cor, and ambience. They all reflect the owner&rsquo;s personal choices. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s interesting about the space? Why do you use that glassware? Why did you pick that color?&rdquo;
Littrell says sharing decisions like these on social media give your audience a better understanding of your restaurant&rsquo;s vibe. They can remind someone why they like your restaurant or give a social media user in search of something new a reason to check out your place. Like Sharma, Littrell is a fan of process-oriented content, such as videos of a bartender creating a cocktail or a chef explaining how a signature dish is made.
Littrell&rsquo;s final &ldquo;P&rdquo; is proof. He explains what that means. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been programmed through Amazon to coopt other people&rsquo;s opinions. We will look at what other people say and adopt that opinion,&rdquo; Littrell says. From sharing screenshots of positive reviews to reposting user-generated reels, proof of other&rsquo;s positive experience with the concept is influential.
Littrell believes in repurposing content as much as possible. Rather than write a brand-new post for each social media account, he suggests operators share content in their email newsletters and then reuse the same content in a social post. For example, a newsletter might tell the story of a beloved recipe or share a behind-the-scenes look at a purveyor, creating more connection and community among newsletter recipients, who are among the most engaged fans. By repurposing and recycling content, busy operators can extend their reach without overtaxing the time spent on content creation.
Under the Influence
Sharma spends around five to seven hours a week scouting potential collaborators. She vets three months of their content history; a process she says takes around fifteen to twenty minutes per potential collaborator. If it seems like a fit, she reaches out and they go from there.
&ldquo;I prioritize engagement quality over follower count,&rdquo; Sharma says, adding that she would rather partner with a small LA-based account that has 5,000 followers who engage and ask questions than a 50,000-follower account whose audience is passive. &ldquo;So, I&rsquo;m reading their comments to see if people are actually asking questions, saving posts, or having real conversations. For culturally-specific restaurants, I only approach creators who&rsquo;ve organically posted about that cuisine or culture before, not people jumping on trends. For brand partnerships, I look for complementary audiences and shared values. The goal is introducing each brand to genuinely new people who would care, not just cross-promotion.&rdquo;
Sharma keeps a running list of creators who have naturally posted about her clients or similar concepts. Being able to reference those relevant posts makes outreach efforts much warmer, and keeping a list of potential partners makes the screening process efficient.
Short-form Video Can Go a Long Way
Short form videos may increase your discoverability on Instagram because these are shown in Instagram&rsquo;s Reels tab, the platform&rsquo;s equivalent of TikTok&rsquo;s &ldquo;For You&rdquo; page, which allows new users to stumble upon content organically. While it may seem beneficial to go all-in on videos and quit posting static images and carousel posts, Sharma advises creating both types of posts. Videos make your restaurant more discoverable to new users, while static posts let them dive deeper.
User preference with videos is similar to the shift from highly polished and styled food photography to more informal imagery, notes Sharma, who recommends avoiding overly polished, commercial-style videos. A casual vibe works to drive engagement. Highly produced video does not.
Instagram&rsquo;s algorithm gives weight to content that uses trending audio clips, so Sharma looks for trending audio first. There&rsquo;s an &ldquo;Add sound&rdquo; option at the top of the screen on TikTok. Instagram offers a variety of audio options, including a &ldquo;Trending&rdquo; menu for you to explore.
While this approach works for her, she recommends a brand-centric approach. If the trending audio options do not match the aesthetic of our brand, do not attempt to force a fit.
After finding a trending audio that fits the client&rsquo;s vibe, Sharma brainstorms content. &ldquo;The hook is everything: I plan the first three seconds first. For restaurants, this is usually action &ndash; pouring, flipping, sizzling, or an unexpected visual,&rdquo; she says.
Her videos last no more than thirty seconds and end with a simple call-to-action, like &lsquo;follow the restaurant&rsquo; or &lsquo;comment on a favorite dish.&rsquo; Given the short attention spans social media users have, Reels that run longer than 45 seconds tend to lose viewership. This means users may click away before they hear your call to action.
&ldquo;During shoots, I film three times what I need and capture B-roll constantly,&rdquo; says Sharma. The extra footage means that she can batch film a lot more footage than she needs, then walk away and edit it after the fact.
Analyze This
Both Sharma and Littrell emphasize the importance of reviewing analytics to understand what kinds of posts work for your restaurant and your audience. Sharma checks the number of video saves and shares first. This indicates that the video was valuable enough to revisit or recommend.
Comments indicate the video was engaging and made people want to respond. Sharma also looks at the completion rate, which indicates the percentage of people who watched a video all the way to the end. If a lot of people watched the video but did not visit your profile or follow you, it indicates that the content lacked a solid connection to the restaurant. If views dropped off halfway through, it indicates that the video did not hold their attention.
While follower growth is exciting, Sharma adds a caveat. &ldquo;Growth is less important than follower quality. I&rsquo;d rather see 50 new local followers than 500 random ones,&rdquo; she says.
Sharma also evaluates intent signals, which she says &ldquo;indicate content is actually driving interest, not just passive engagement.&rdquo; Intent signals include comments asking how to make a reservation, comments tagging other users and saying &ldquo;want to go here?&rdquo; or direct messages inquiring about your hours, menu items, or reservations. Because these actions indicate a strong intent to visit, they let you know that the content was effective at motivating user behavior.
When Littrell checks the analytics for short form videos &ndash; both Instagram Reels and TikTok &ndash; he focuses on the watch time to learn where users dropped off. &ldquo;If they are not hooked, they are not going to watch the rest of it,&rdquo; he says. While tracking this data on your own is helpful, he believes that it is money well spent to hire a professional content creator.
Likes and comments can make you feel good. But effective social media promotion gets users to take action off-platform. Littrell encourages operators to drive users to sign up for their email list, since email is four to five times more likely to be seen than a social media post. His preferred way to get users on email lists from social media is by using automation tools and freebies, such as a free recipe users can get if they comment with a specific word or phrase.
On the back end, Littrell sets up an automation so that users who leave the requested comment are sent a direct message asking for their email. When users give the email, they are automatically sent the freebie and their email address is added to the mailing list. Automation tools to choose from include Manychat, which has a free option so you can try it out, and GoHighLevel, which is Littrell&rsquo;s preferred tool.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
In addition to monitoring analytics within Instagram or TikTok, you will want to gather data from your team. &ldquo;The most direct measurement is tracking reservation sources. Train your host staff to ask &lsquo;How did you hear about us?&rsquo; during busy periods and log responses,&rdquo; says Sharma. Ask your servers and bartenders to keep track of customer requests that mention social media posts, such as if a guest asks for a drink that was featured in a video.
These signals confirm that your social media strategy is working to drive sales. &ldquo;If social isn&rsquo;t translating to reservation requests, direct messages about your menu, or customers mentioning they found you online, something in your strategy needs adjustment.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Good social media creates demand that your team can feel in real life,&rdquo; Sharma says. The strategies and content types favored by Sharma and Littrell are a starting point to rethink your social media strategy and the kind of content that will set your restaurant apart, attract interest, and drive not just engagements but visits.
Source: Lindsey Danis, <a href="https://www.restaurantowner.com/" target="_blank">RestaurantOwner.com</a>

Social media still offers the opportunity to be discovered by new audiences, but the landscape has changed in the past few years.

Stand Out: Engaging Social Media Promotion for Today’s Market

Tourism has long played a major role in restaurant revenue, but shifting travel patterns and softer tourism spending in 2026 are changing how operators think about growth.
According to the National Restaurant Association's <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/research-reports/state-of-the-industry/?utm_source=backofhouse&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_content=articles&amp;utm_campaign=increase_repeat_business" target="_blank">2026 state of the industry report</a>, in a typical year, roughly $3 out of every $10 spent in U.S. restaurants comes from travelers and visitors. While that mix varies widely by concept and location, nearly every restaurant depends on some level of out-of-town traffic.
When that demand softens, restaurants that haven&rsquo;t built strong local relationships feel the impact immediately. That&rsquo;s why many operators are now rethinking their approach and prioritizing restaurant customer loyalty as a core growth strategy rather than a nice-to-have.
I spoke with <a href="https://backofhouse.io/hilary-young" target="_blank">Hilary Young</a>, Head of Marketing at Back of House, and <a href="https://backofhouse.io/meet-our-experts-marylise-tr%C3%A9panier" target="_blank">Marylise Tr&eacute;panier,</a> consultant at Back of House, to get their expert insights on the importance of cultivating regulars.
As Hilary puts it, &ldquo;When you can&rsquo;t depend on tourism traffic to boost your sales, you have to put more effort into courting locals. Most people take great pride in their favorite local restaurant, and getting that repeat business is crucial to your restaurant&rsquo;s success.&rdquo;
Marylise reinforces the same idea even more simply &mdash; &ldquo;There&rsquo;s no better marketing than word of mouth.&rdquo;
Why Regulars Matter More Than Ever
Regulars are a stable source of revenue, but they&rsquo;re also a stabilizing force for the entire business. Unlike transient traffic, repeat guests create predictable demand, help smooth out seasonal dips, and often spend more over time due to familiarity and trust.
Some other stats about travelers vs. locals gleaned from the 2026 NRA report:
<ul>
<li>In fine dining specifically, tourism accounts for about 40% of sales, though some operators report that visitors generate 60% or more of annual revenue.</li>
<li>In casual dining, family dining, and coffee and snack segments, roughly one-third of sales come from tourists. Even in quick-service and fast casual, travelers still represent about $1 in every $4 spent.</li>
</ul>
So travelers represent a big share &mdash; but not the majority &mdash; of a typical restaurant&rsquo;s customer base. That&rsquo;s why increasing repeat business in restaurants is essential, not just for survival, but for long-term growth.
Hilary explains that this shift also changes how restaurants should think about their role in the community.
&ldquo;You can shift into the mindset that you are more than just a restaurant, you are a community hub for those in your neighborhood (and beyond),&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Restaurants have the power to give people great comfort, provide a background for making long-lasting memories, and help people feel more connected.&rdquo;
Marylise highlights the role of local guest relationships as a core part of a restaurant&rsquo;s long-term growth strategy.
&ldquo;Tourists are looking for authentic local experiences and products, and real connections with people from the community,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Focusing on local guests is a natural and strategic shift for restaurants. We saw this clearly during COVID when travel stopped, people rediscovered their own regions, and started supporting local businesses in a much deeper way.&rdquo;
What emerged from that period, she notes, is still shaping guest behavior today &mdash; a stronger appreciation for local identity and a higher expectation that restaurants reflect their community.
The Business Value of Repeat Customers
While attracting new guests will always matter, the economics of repeat business are hard to ignore.
Returning customers:
<ul>
<li>Cost less to serve</li>
<li>Convert more easily</li>
<li>Spend more consistently over time</li>
</ul>
But they also amplify growth through advocacy. Loyal guests bring friends, leave reviews, and become organic promoters of your restaurant within the community.
As Marylise puts it, &ldquo;Why not focus on both? Restaurants can attract new guests while still investing in loyalty strategies that encourage repeat visits.&rdquo;
For example, a <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/how-to-use-pos-data-to-turbocharge-your-restaurant-loyalty-program" target="_blank">loyalty program</a> combined with a &ldquo;bring a friend&rdquo; promotion can help generate new traffic while strengthening existing customer relationships.
&ldquo;New guests are important, but if they never return, the growth is not sustainable,&rdquo; Marylise says. &ldquo;No matter the strategy, the ultimate goal should always be to create repeat business, because a loyal customer with a smaller average check will almost always outperform a one-time customer with a higher spend.&rdquo;
This is where strong restaurant customer retention strategies come into play, especially if you&rsquo;re navigating tighter margins and more unpredictable demand.&nbsp;
Building Loyalty Through Convenience
If there&rsquo;s one factor that consistently determines whether a first-time guest becomes a regular, it&rsquo;s convenience. Every extra step, delay, or point of confusion creates friction that can make returning less appealing.
You want to avoid problems that make the guest&rsquo;s experience less convenient. Areas where inefficiency or unnecessary complexity cause friction include::
<ul>
<li>Calling:&nbsp;Missed calls, long wait times</li>
<li>Booking:&nbsp;Multi-step reservations, unclear availability</li>
<li>Ordering:&nbsp;Repetitive entry, confusing menus</li>
<li>Paying:&nbsp;Split bills, slow checkout, limited options</li>
</ul>
If at any point the customer experiences frustration, that&rsquo;s a reason why they might choose a different restaurant next time.&nbsp;
Hilary emphasizes the importance of ease of experience in the decision-making process. &ldquo;Convenience and accessibility both play a major role in converting first-time customers into regulars,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;The easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to return.&rdquo;
Marylise echoes this from an operational standpoint. &ldquo;If guests want to visit your restaurant, the experience should feel simple from the very beginning,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;If there is too much friction, people will often move on to another option.&rdquo;
This is where technology supports hospitality by making it easier to deliver consistently great experiences. <a href="https://backofhouse.io/online-ordering-delivery" target="_blank">Online ordering systems</a>, reservation platforms, and guest communication tools help remove that friction so the focus is on experience rather than logistics.
Technology&rsquo;s Role in Frictionless Repeat Ordering
Behind many successful repeat business strategies is a simple capability &mdash; remembering the guest.
Once a customer has ordered or visited once, restaurants have an opportunity to build a profile of their preferences and make returning feel effortless and familiar.
&ldquo;Once a customer is in the <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/an-introductory-guide-to-restaurant-pos-systems" target="_blank">POS [point of sale] system</a> &mdash; either from an in-person visit or an online order &mdash; it becomes so much easier to build a profile of their preferences using the right tech platforms,&rdquo; Hilary says. &ldquo;In-person, they won&rsquo;t realize that the tech is helping, they&rsquo;ll just feel like the experience is extremely personalized, and it will make them feel special.&rdquo;
Marylise expands on how data and digital systems support this.
&ldquo;AI and guest data can play a major role in creating a more personalized experience for returning customers,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;The more restaurants understand a guest&rsquo;s preferences and ordering habits, the easier it becomes to anticipate their needs and make the experience feel tailored to them.&rdquo;
Loyalty programs and restaurant technologies can use data to:
<ul>
<li>Suggest favorite items</li>
<li>Recommend new menu options based on past behavior</li>
<li>Create personalized offers and upsell opportunities</li>
</ul>
This is what modern strategies for how to turn restaurant guests into regular customers are built on &mdash; removing barriers and increasing relevance.
Recognition, Memory, and Human Connection
While technology helps scale personalization, the human layer is still what makes it meaningful. Simple details matter, such as a preferred table, a usual drink, or even acknowledgment of a special occasion.
&ldquo;Platforms like <a href="https://backofhouse.io/vendors/libro" target="_blank">Libro</a> help restaurants keep track of guest preferences and visit history to create a more thoughtful and consistent experience,&rdquo; Marylise notes. &ldquo;Simple touches like acknowledging birthdays or special occasions also help strengthen the relationship and make guests feel recognized and valued.&rdquo;
These small actions reinforce something technology alone can&rsquo;t create &mdash; emotional loyalty.
Loyalty Programs vs. Convenience vs. Personalization
Loyalty programs remain a valuable tool, but they work best when they&rsquo;re part of a broader experience strategy rather than a standalone tactic.
Marylise doesn't see loyalty programs and convenience as competing priorities. &ldquo;I believe both are important and work best together,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Sending too many promotional messages can create frustration instead of loyalty, and the goal should always be to offer value and create a positive guest experience.&rdquo;
She adds that guests now expect both convenience and <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/restaurant-personalization-is-changing-customer-habits" target="_blank">personalization</a> as standard parts of the experience. Personalization becomes very powerful when supported by guest data
&ldquo;Convenience has become essential because people are busier than ever and want a simple, seamless experience,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Reducing friction, whether for reservations, ordering, or payments, should be part of every restaurant&rsquo;s strategy.&rdquo;
Practical Ways To Strengthen Customer Habits
If you&rsquo;re looking to improve repeat visitation, the most effective strategies are often the simplest.
&ldquo;Give value back to your customers &mdash; that value can come through genuine interactions, thoughtful service, making guests feel recognized, or even offering a small taste of something new,&rdquo; Marylise says. &ldquo;Loyal customers return because of how a restaurant makes them feel and the overall quality of the experience.&rdquo;
Hilary reinforces this from an execution standpoint. &ldquo;Regardless of the size of your business or your marketing budget, the best thing you can do is focus on giving every customer who walks through your door the best possible experience,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;And the best part? It requires zero marketing dollars to make that happen.&rdquo;
This is where restaurant customer loyalty becomes less of a program and more of an operational mindset, built through consistency, ease, and care at every touchpoint.
The Bigger Picture
As tourism patterns shift and competition for diners increases, restaurants that prioritize relationships over transactions will be best positioned for long-term success.
In practice, contributing to more stable, predictable growth, this looks like:
<ul>
<li>Building strong local connections</li>
<li>Reducing friction in the guest experience</li>
<li>Leveraging data to personalize interactions</li>
</ul>
Sustainable success in hospitality stems from what happens after the first visit, when guests choose to come back, again and again.&nbsp;
Source: Jocelyn Hoppa, <a href="https://backofhouse.io/resources/increasing-repeat-business-in-restaurants-why-regulars-matter-more-than-ever" target="_blank">Back of House</a>

Tourism has long played a major role in restaurant revenue, but shifting travel patterns and softer tourism spending in 2026 are changing how operators think about growth.

Increasing Repeat Business in Restaurants: Why Regulars Matter More Than Ever

Building strong relationships with your guests doesn&rsquo;t happen overnight&mdash;but it&rsquo;s easier than you might think. Taking small, thoughtful steps to make guests feel valued can help turn casual visitors into loyal regulars. And genuine connections mean more repeat visits, <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/products/reputation-management/" target="_blank">better reviews</a>, and ultimately, higher revenue.
Read on for nine best practices for building guest relationships that grow trust, loyalty, and revenue.
1) Keep it simple
Managing customer relationships starts with keeping it simple. Guests don&rsquo;t just notice the quality of your food. They also pay close attention to how your staff makes them feel during their visit. Training your team to anticipate guests&rsquo; needs and handle situations by taking a proactive approach goes a long way to building customer relationships that last.
For example, servers at restaurants known for great hospitality often get the simple things right, like refilling drinks before guests even notice they&rsquo;re empty or bringing an extra chair without being asked. It might be offering a toddler seat for families with young children. Maybe it&rsquo;s noticing someone seems chilly in the <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/outdoor-seating-for-restaurants/" target="_blank">outdoor seating area</a> and offering them a blanket or adjusting the heating slightly.
Small gestures, like warmly greeting regulars by name or remembering favorite seating areas, can turn occasional diners into loyal regulars.
2) Personalize the experience
We all appreciate when a dining experience feels tailored just for us, whether it&rsquo;s a server recalling our favorite cocktail or a thoughtful touch to celebrate a special occasion. If you know a regular loves your house-made pasta, suggesting new seasonal dishes they might enjoy shows genuine care.
Similarly, noting a guest&rsquo;s birthday or anniversary and surprising them with a complimentary dessert can leave a lasting impression. Managing customer relationships involves paying attention to these small details and using them to make each visit unique and memorable.
3) Reward customer loyalty
<a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/brennans-tradition-meets-innovation/" target="_blank">Rewarding loyalty</a> is an important part of managing customer relationships because it gives your guests a real reason to return. Regular diners appreciate when their continued visits are recognized through special offers or exclusive events.
A restaurant might offer early access to holiday reservations or host an exclusive tasting event specifically for <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/restaurant-branding-loyalty/" target="_blank">loyal diners</a>. Another example is providing diners who frequently visit your restaurant with complimentary items or personalized discounts based on their previous orders. Thoughtful gestures strengthen the bond between your restaurant and its guests, helping turn those occasional diners into long-term advocates.
4) Keep in touch to build stronger relationships
Staying connected with your guests is a simple way to build stronger customer relationships. Regularly reaching out will help make diners feel more valued, all while keeping your restaurant fresh in their minds.
You could <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/email-marketing-restaurants/" target="_blank">email guests</a> about upcoming special events or seasonal dishes that can spark their interest and encourage repeat visits. For example, <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/customer-stories/stock-hill/" target="_blank">Stock Hill</a> used targeted emails with <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/products/features/restaurant-marketing/" target="_blank">OpenTable</a> to announce exclusive seasonal menus and special wine dinners, which helped draw diners back and enhanced their overall experience.
5) Listen to guests and show you&rsquo;re paying attention
Asking for feedback is another powerful way to strengthen your customer relationships. Guests appreciate when their voices are heard and when restaurants genuinely care about their experience.
If enough diners suggest they&rsquo;d love to see more vegan dishes on your menu, adding new vegan-friendly choices shows you&rsquo;re really listening. Inviting feedback and making meaningful changes based on what guests share not only enhances your offerings but also makes diners feel valued.
6) Train your team to create memorable moments
Your staff plays a central role in building customer relationships. They&rsquo;re the face of your restaurant, interacting directly with guests and shaping their experiences. Training your team to spot opportunities to surprise and delight guests can lead to unforgettable moments.
Let&rsquo;s say a server notices guests celebrating something special, they might quietly arrange for a complimentary dessert or celebratory toast. Similarly, the team at <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/brennans-tradition-meets-innovation/" target="_blank">Brennan&rsquo;s</a> went the extra mile to provide flip flops to a guest whose shoe had broken. Gestures like these don&rsquo;t just improve that particular visit&mdash;they also build genuine connections that encourage diners to come back.
7) Create added value beyond the meal
Managing customer relationships goes beyond great food and attentive service and means creating extra value for your guests. Restaurants that find unique ways to offer more than just what&rsquo;s on the plate build stronger, longer lasting connections.
Consider creating <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/products/features/experiences/" target="_blank">specialized experiences</a>, like cooking classes or exclusive tasting evenings to give diners experiences they can&rsquo;t find anywhere else. Or perhaps partner with local <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/sustainable-restaurants-premium/" target="_blank">sustainable suppliers</a> and artisans to offer limited-time products or merchandise. Creative ideas like these not only set your restaurant apart but also keep guests engaged long after the check is paid.
8) Give guests reasons to keep coming back
Building stronger customer relationships often means offering thoughtful extras that keep guests interested. Guests love when restaurants do something special that genuinely aligns with their interests or tastes.
You might occasionally invite regular diners to preview new menu items, or surprise them with something complimentary based on their previous visits. These types of gestures make diners feel appreciated and encourage them to return because they feel a real, personal connection to your restaurant.
9) Use a CRM system to improve customer relationships
Learning how to build customer relationship management can improve the way your restaurant connects with guests. A <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/restaurant-crm/" target="_blank">reliable CRM system</a> makes it simple for your team to access valuable guest information at any moment.
It can store details about diners&rsquo; seating preferences or track their visit history, so staff can anticipate their needs in advance. Managing customer relationships becomes much simpler when you have all guest insights stored in one convenient place. By leveraging the guest data within your CRM, your restaurant can deliver exceptional, personalized service and tailored communications that keep diners coming back&mdash;and spending more.
How to build customer relationship management
Calling a diner a customer doesn&rsquo;t do them justice. It&rsquo;s so much more personal than that, and guests can become regulars who feel genuinely connected to your restaurant, returning not just for the food, but for the way you make them feel.
Creating genuine relationships with your guests doesn&rsquo;t require grand gestures. Small acts of thoughtful service, personalized attention, and meaningful communication are enough to turn occasional diners into loyal regulars. Making your guests feel valued every time is how you build customer relationships and create lasting connections that keep your restaurant thriving.
Source: <a href="https://www.opentable.com/restaurant-solutions/resources/how-to-build-customer-relationships/" target="_blank">OpenTable</a>
Editor&rsquo;s Note: This article is for informational purposes only, and no endorsement of any vendor(s) should be inferred.

Nurturing your customer relationships matters. See how it can transform casual diners into loyal guests who keep coming back.

How to Build Strong Customer Relationships

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