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

Chef-mate We Can Better - skyscraper - both - 06.23

Dixie Ultra Surface Systems - skyscraper - both - 02.23

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

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

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

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - banner - both - 04.19

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Sugar Food Traina California Dried Fruits - banner - OE - 10.19

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

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

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Bulk and Single-Serve Packets - skyscraper - both - 09.21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance Plus Food Safety - skyscraper - both - 09.21

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocados - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Banner Ad - 1 - MM - Recipes - Operator - supersized

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

Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

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

Savor Imports - banner - both - 06.24

Performance Dairy Extra Melt - banner - both - 04.24

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

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

Ambrosia Chocolate - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Kraft - Bold Flavor, New Home. - skycraper - both - 08.22

Stacked for Success - OE - banner - 05.01-08.31.26

Skyscraper Ad - MM - Cook - Operator

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Campbells Culinary Reserve Jerk Chicken - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Performance Dairy Clarified Butter - banner - both - 04.24

Tyson - Bonici - Crave Chorizo - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Simplot Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - banner - both - 08.20

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

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

Sugar Foods Barista Blend - banner - both - 04.17

Simplot RoastWorks - banner - both - 01.20

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

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

Sugar Foods Barista Blend - skyscraper - both - 04.17

Simplot GoodGrains - banner - both - 01.20

Sunny Fresh Egg Bake Bites - skyscraper - both - 03.23

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

Seafood is Better - banner - both - 05.21

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

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

Campbells Culinary Reserve Thai Curry - both - skyscraper - 02.26

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

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

Basic American Shred Competition operator banner ad - 12.17

Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

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

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

Banner Ad - 3 - OE - Operator - supersized

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

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Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - skyscraper - both - 08.25

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Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt banner with chef - both - 04.23

Empress 5-Compartment School Food Tray - 05.22

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper with chef - both - 04.23

Banner Ad - 2 - MM - Food calculator - Operator - Supersized

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper - both - 04.23

Campbells Masterbrand SnackCore Chips and Pretzels - both - skyscraper - 02.26

Catch of the Season - banner - both - 07.22

Cargill - Truvia Serve America's Best-Selling Stevia Sweetener - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Wild Alaska Salmon Burger - skyscraper - both - 04.25

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Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - skyscraper - both - 04.19

A Family of Fine Cheeses - skyscraper - both - 08.22

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

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt banner - both - 04.23

Ready to Eat Frozen Vegetables - banner - both - 03.23

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

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

Entree Redi Wild Alaska Pollock - banner - both - 08.25

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Simplot GoodGrains - skyscraper - both - 01.20

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

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

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

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Running a restaurant is no easy task. There are so many things to think about: customer service, staffing, ordering and prepping the right amount of food, managing costs, and more.
It can be tough keeping everything running smoothly and efficiently. We&rsquo;ve put together a list of five ways restaurants can improve their <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/blog/3-kds-features-that-drive-restaurant-kitchen-efficiency" target="_blank">efficiency and streamline operations</a>, both of which have a direct impact on your bottom line. Read on for tips!
1. Prep for Success
Literally. Nothing slows down service more than scrambling to restock the line or waiting for a recipe to be prepped. An efficient shift starts with a thoughtful setup, which means ensuring your line, prep stations, and storage areas are fully stocked before the first order is placed. Beyond simply having products on hand, smart operators track par levels, rotate inventory properly, and verify that every workstation has the tools needed to work efficiently. This might include things like pre-portioning ramekins of sauces and salad dressings and making sure paper goods are stocked at the to-go station.
A modern <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/blog/how-do-you-manage-inventory-in-a-restaurant-kitchen" target="_blank">food &amp; beverage management system</a> can take this a step further by analyzing historical sales, usage patterns, and seasonality to help you determine exactly how much to prep before a shift. With accurate prep forecasts, you minimize the risk of running out of key items during a rush while also reducing over-production and food waste. Better inventory visibility not only protects margins but also empowers your kitchen staff to focus on consistency, speed, and execution.
2. Leverage Efficient Restaurant Technology
Labor and staffing is a key part of the efficiency equation. You might actually be getting orders out quickly, but if you&rsquo;re using too much labor to do it then you&rsquo;re not utilizing your resources efficiently. An efficient kitchen is able to produce food while simultaneously reducing operational expenses (in this case mainly labor and lower food cost from eliminating waste). There are a <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/blog/software-for-restaurants-review" target="_blank">number of technology solutions</a> on the market that can help you operate more efficiently.
<ul>
<li>Employee Scheduling Software. Scheduling the right number of labor hours at the right time of day means you&rsquo;re neither overspending on labor nor shortchanging your guests with a poor experience. The best scheduling software takes into account historical trends and forecasts to recommend how many employees you need in what positions at all times. If you can maintain or lower your labor expense while processing the same number of orders, this improves your efficiency.</li>
<li>Online Ordering. Online ordering platforms can help you sell more without needing to add human order takers. Online ordering can also boost your revenue per check, which is an added bonus. However, there is a risk that selling too much through online channels can overwhelm your kitchen. This is why you should look for online systems that can automatically reduce online ordering capacity when in-store demand is high. &zwj;</li>
<li>Kitchen Display System. A KDS can improve efficiency in a number of ways. A clear, easy-to-read display reduces errors, which means fewer re-makes slowing down the line. The timing elements on a KDS can also increase awareness and motivate staff to complete more orders &ldquo;on time&rdquo;, and advanced features like <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/kds-features/intelligent-order-sorting" target="_blank">intelligent order sorting</a>&nbsp;can automatically organize the queue to maximize the number of orders completed on time.</li>
</ul>
3. Training, Training &amp; More Training
Having a well-trained staff is worth its weight in gold when it comes to efficiency. Every operator knows the impact of having a &ldquo;10x&rdquo; team member&ndash;the person who maintains calm under pressure, anticipates needs before they arise, and consistency performs at a higher level. While natural talent plays a role, most &ldquo;10x&rdquo; employees are created through thoughtful training, clear expectations, and ongoing skill development.
Many restaurants provide a basic onboarding when someone is first hired, but the top-performing operations treat training as a continuous investment. This includes structured refreshers, coaching during real service, and intentional cross-training across stations so staff members understand the full workflow of the kitchen. Cross-training not only builds flexibility into your staffing model&ndash;helping you cover call-outs or unexpected rushes&ndash;it also deepens employees&rsquo; confidence and sense of ownership.
Restaurants that reward employees for completing additional training or certifications amplify these benefits. Recognition, small bonuses, or opportunities for advancement encourage staff to expand their skill set, leading to higher consistency, smoother service, and <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/blog/staff-retention-tips-for-restaurants" target="_blank">reduced turnover</a>. When employees feel supported and challenged, they&rsquo;re far more likely to stay and far more likely to become high-impact contributors.
4. Create &amp; Implement Systems
There&rsquo;s a reason why all sorts of industries rely on checklists: because they work. You probably feel a lot safer getting on an airplane knowing it&rsquo;s been through a thorough pre-flight safety checklist. Although running a restaurant isn&rsquo;t the same as flying an airplane, you can use comparable systems to improve operations in your kitchen.
<ul>
<li>Create checklists for all repeatable tasks and then stick to them.&nbsp;You might have checklists for opening tasks, closing tasks, shift-change tasks, side work, health inspection, and line checks to name a few.</li>
<li>Pre-portion when possible. Speed is critical during the rush, so look for opportunities to do pre-work where you can. Some examples of this might be pre-portioning to-go ramekins of sauces, ketchup, and dressings. Not only does this help with speed, but it also reduces food waste by making sure you don&rsquo;t over portion. &zwj;</li>
<li>Optimize movements. If to-go orders need paper napkins then stock napkins need the to-go station, not across the kitchen. By looking for ways to reduce the amount of time employees have to move around the restaurant you&rsquo;ll be increasing efficiency. Other examples of this include pre-bussing tables and carrying clean dishes back to the line every time you pass the dish station.</li>
</ul>
5. Focus on Communication
Clear, consistent communication is one of the most powerful drivers of efficiency in any restaurant. With so many moving parts&ndash;multiple stations, high guest expectations, and unpredictable rushes your team can only perform at its best when everyone understands what&rsquo;s happening and what&rsquo;s expected of them. Effective communication starts before service, with pre-shift meetings that review menu changes, 86&rsquo;d items, staffing adjustments, special events, and sales goals. During service, tight communication between the front- and back-of-house helps reduce errors, prevent bottlenecks, and keep ticket times on track.
Ensuring each team member knows their role and responsibilities is just the foundation. High-performing kitchens also establish standard communication protocols: who calls the board, how modifications are read, when runners need to jump in, and how issues should be escalated. Ultimately, a well-communicating team feels more coordinated, confident, and supported. This creates a smoother workflow, fewer mistakes, and a more enjoyable work environment for everyone involved.
Source: <a href="https://www.fresh.technology/blog/5-ways-to-improve-restaurant-efficiency" target="_blank">fresh kds</a>
Editor&rsquo;s Note: This article is for informational purposes only, and no endorsement of any vendor(s) should be inferred.

Restaurants can improve efficiency by implementing new technology, training employees well, improving communication, and creating systems and procedures.

5 Ways To Improve Restaurant Efficiency

Think beyond the usual! While classic comfort foods are always a hit, consider offering special menu items that cater to diverse tastes.
<ul>
<li>Hearty Brunch Options:&nbsp;Think gourmet burgers, like <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/calabrian-chili-burger-melts/7ebb8ebe-eaab-4382-8710-26985fff421a" target="_blank">Calabrian Chili Burger Melts</a>, <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/individual-beef-wellington-with-cognac-cream-sauce/c9318738-9fa6-44d1-8fd0-b462ea75e3d6" target="_blank">Individual Beef Wellington with Cognac Cream Sauce</a>, or <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/cajun-biscuits-and-gravy/c87f0a4e-b074-4b04-a01e-6e9175064141" target="_blank">Cajun Biscuits and Gravy</a>. Don't forget delicious sides like crispy bacon, savory sausages, and fresh fruit.</li>
<li>Dinner Specials:&nbsp;Offer premium cuts of meat like prime rib, slow-smoked BBQ ribs, or a unique seafood dish. Pair these with robust sides such as loaded baked potatoes, <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/garlic-parmesan-biscuit-pull-apart-bread/217fd8bf-d0c4-437f-86f0-ed89d87c12a5" target="_blank">Garlic Parmesan Biscuit Pull-Apart Bread</a>, or artisanal mac and cheese.</li>
<li>Themed Desserts:&nbsp;Create desserts with a masculine touch, like a <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/chili-spiked-peach-cinnamon-roll-cobbler/79554144-1d38-4904-a07f-69dcbca254b2" target="_blank">Chili Spiked Peach Cinnamon Roll Cobbler</a> or a fun twist on an old favorite like <a href="https://www.generalmillsfoodservice.com/recipes/bananas-foster-fried-brownie-sundae/7a3d9c04-ebbc-4142-a233-de73526ab386" target="_blank">Bananas Foster Fried Brownie Sundae</a>.</li>
<li>Beverage Pairings:&nbsp;Suggest special craft beers, bourbons, or non-alcoholic "mocktails" that complement your menu.</li>
</ul>
By focusing on these menu ideas, you can create a memorable and successful Father's Day celebration for all the dads and their families.
Content courtesy of General Mills Foodservice
&nbsp;

Think beyond the usual! While classic comfort foods are always a hit, consider offering special menu items that cater to diverse tastes.

Crafting a Winning Father's Day Menu

To adapt to 2026 snacking trends, restaurants should pivot toward high-protein, functional, and "palm-size" items&mdash;such as smaller, affordable wraps or savory snacks&mdash;that blend indulgence with nutrition (e.g., protein-boosted, gut-healthy). Key strategies include highlighting global flavors (Indian, Malaysian, Korean), offering customizable snacks for midday/late-night, and prioritizing textural contrasts (crunch + melt) in menu items.
1. Revamp the Menu for "Snackable" Moments
<ul>
<li>Smaller &amp; Portable Items: Shift from full meals to smaller versions of menu staples, such as palm-size wraps, elevated instant noodles (ramen), or savoury snack boards.</li>
<li>Protein-Packed &amp; Functional: Offer snacks that offer health benefits, such as high-protein, prebiotic-packed foods that support digestive health.</li>
<li>Global Flavors &amp; Comfort: Focus on adventurous yet comforting flavors like Korean-inspired gyoza, savory Caribbean curry bowls, or Indian-influenced spices.</li>
<li>Texture Overload: Design snacks that have contrasting textures, such as crunchy freeze-dried components, crispy oils, or melty dips.</li>
<li>"Permissible" Indulgence: Offer comforting, indulgent items (like loaded potato items or gourmet pastries) that are portion-controlled to feel like a healthy treat.</li>
</ul>
2. Focus on Health &amp; Ingredient Transparency
<ul>
<li>Protein+ Focus: Add protein boosts to existing items like smoothies, pancakes, and salads.</li>
<li>Nutritional Transparency: Use menu labels to highlight fiber, high protein, and low sugar, especially for consumers managing diets with weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s.</li>
<li>Clean Labels: Emphasize "free-from" ingredients and avoid artificial additives, favoring fresh, locally sourced, and fermented items like house-made pickles.</li>
</ul>
3. Optimize Operations for Snacking
<ul>
<li>All-Day "In-Between" Menu: Create a separate, specialized menu for 2-5 p.m. or after 9 p.m. featuring shareables, dips, and bites.</li>
<li>Streamline for Pickup: Invest in technology that facilitates quick, app-based ordering for pickup, as consumers are moving away from high-fee delivery.</li>
<li>Reduce Waste with "Upcycling": Use ingredients from the main menu to create snacks, such as turning bread trimmings into croutons or veggie scraps into flavorful dips.</li>
</ul>
4. Social-Driven Marketing
<ul>
<li>Textural Visuals: Feature photos of the "melt," "pull," or "crunch" on social media to highlight sensory experiences.</li>
<li>"Real" Over "Instagram-worthy": While visuals matter, focus on marketing the authenticity and flavor of the snack rather than just the appearance, reflecting a trend towards authentic dining.</li>
</ul>
Content developed with assistance from AI

To adapt to 2026 snacking trends, restaurants should pivot toward high-protein, functional, and "palm-size" items that blend indulgence with nutrition.

Adapting to Snacking Trends

As the days grow warmer, people enjoy getting outside more, especially at mealtime. Outdoor dining, in fact, was one way many restaurants survived during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Association&rsquo;s <a href="https://restaurant.org/research-and-media/research/research-reports/state-of-the-industry/" target="_blank">2023 State of the Industry Report</a>, anywhere from a quarter to a third of operators in all six major segments say they offered outdoor seating for the first time during the pandemic. Across each of the six major segments, more than 9 in 10 operators that currently have outdoor seating say they plan to continue offering it in the future. And nearly 7 in 10 customers say they like having an outdoor dining option when they eat out. Using outdoor space for dining expands the number of customers you can serve, appealing to both those still concerned about the safety of dining indoors and those who just like to eat outdoors in pleasant weather. Here are 10 tips for setting up successful outdoor dining. 1. Get the proper permits. A huge number of municipalities issued temporary permitting processes for outdoor dining areas during the pandemic. Many of those are expiring, and while most cities are making the rules permanent, some have proposed new ordinances that would make it more difficult and expensive to get permits for those spaces when COVID-19-era rules expire.
Required permits may include those for:
<ul>
<li>outdoor dining location (private property, sidewalk, street, etc.)</li>
<li>seating capacity and accessibility</li>
<li>construction details (setbacks, sightlines, materials, dimensions, access to utilities (electricity for lighting/heating, plumbing, etc.)</li>
<li>off-premises, or special-use liquor license</li>
<li>sound systems/noise ordinances</li>
<li>four-legged friends</li>
</ul>
2. Plan for all types of weather.&nbsp;As much as customers enjoy dining outside, few look forward to getting drenched in a cloudburst, baked under a hot sun, or chilled on a cold evening.
<ul>
<li>Equip your patio with heaters.</li>
<li>Use umbrellas, awnings, gazebos, sails, or tents to provide shade and rain protection.</li>
<li>Provide fans, either overhead (where permitted), along a roofline, or on one side to cool guests and maximize airflow.</li>
<li>Develop an evacuation plan and drill employees in case of dangerous weather conditions</li>
</ul>
3. Invest in durable, weather-resistant outdoor furniture and equipment.&nbsp;Whatever you purchase should be able to withstand the elements, be easy to clean and wipe dry after a rainstorm, and be lightweight enough to move easily. Consider self-leveling <a href="https://flattech.com/us/" target="_blank">technology</a> for tables to adapt to uneven outdoor ground surfaces. Keep your seating arrangements and furniture flexible to accommodate different size parties. Use mobile planter boxes to create visual interest, establish perimeters and provide more privacy. Consider a hostess stand if you don&rsquo;t want guests to go into the restaurant to arrange sitting in the outdoor space. A bussing station with POS terminal can speed service. And a portable bar can provide faster beverage service. 4. Control pests. Follow the same strategies you use indoors, but be extra vigilant. Don&rsquo;t forget to:
<ul>
<li>clean thoroughly</li>
<li>cover and contain garbage</li>
<li>store and cover foods properly</li>
<li>keep landscaping well maintained</li>
<li>eliminate standing water</li>
<li>install outdoor fans</li>
<li>set up bug zappers out of customers&rsquo; way</li>
<li>arrange herbal centerpieces with natural bug repellants (basil, mint, thyme, and rosemary) for tables and planter boxes around the perimeter to keep pests away</li>
<li>burn citronella candles on tables and torches around the dining area</li>
</ul>
5. Add amenities&nbsp;such as trash receptacles and hand sanitizing stations to the space. 6. Design an effective layout. Seating arrangements should not only provide comfortable accommodations for guests, visual appeal, and optimal occupancy, but also allow for smooth workflow. Making it as easy for staff to navigate as it is comfortable for patrons will make for a better experience for all. 7. Use technology to help speed service. With servers that much farther away from the kitchen, any ways you can incorporate technology&mdash;handheld order entry and transaction devices, tablets or smart phones, QR codes, payment by digital wallet, etc.&mdash;will help staff provide better, more expedient service. 8. Set the mood with lighting. String lights are casual, fun and festive; tabletop candles or battery lamps are romantic and intimate; spot lighting can accentuate service areas such as the bar, hostess station, or door to interior restrooms. Customers will need enough light to read the menu. 9. Don&rsquo;t disturb the neighbors. Being a good neighbor is important to your business. Even if amplified sound systems are permitted, keep the volume down, and keep noise to a minimum with planters and variable surfaces within the space. 10. Keep the outdoors out. With staff and guests constantly going in and out of your restaurant and outdoor dining area, it&rsquo;s potentially easy for the elements and pests to make their way inside. Consider self-closing door hardware, two-way swing doors, or an air curtain over the door leading to your patio, sidewalk, or rooftop dining to keep the great outdoors where it belongs.
Source: <a href="https://restaurant.org/education-and-resources/resource-library/10-tips-to-make-outdoor-dining-pleasant-and-profitable/" target="_blank">National Restaurant Association</a>

As summer approaches, you can increase your sales by creating a positive alfresco dining experience.

10 Tips to Make Outdoor Dining Pleasant and Profitable

At an education session at the recent National Restaurant Show in Chicago, The Culinary Edge&rsquo;s Erica Holland-Toll shares how to trim the fat but keep the heart and soul of why your guests come to you.
Erica Holland-Toll opened her session at the recent National Restaurant Association Show by hitting the audience with two rhetorical questions: &ldquo;Is it a struggle to hit your monthly margin targets?&rdquo; and &ldquo;Is the sky blue?&rdquo;
Holland-Toll, culinary director at The Culinary Edge, a food and beverage consultancy, is a culinary leader with more than 25 years of experience across fine dining, QSR, hotels, campus dining and large-scale foodservice operations. She works with dozens of brands large and small to help them get a grip on their finances without letting go of the things that customers love and keep coming back for.
That&rsquo;s a tough ask when inflation, tariffs, turnover and supply chain in major flux constantly now. Holland-Toll shined a light on mistakes that are easy for foodservice operators to make when trying to save money.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a mistake to sacrifice quality [for saving money]; the results are rarely defensible, and the outcomes decline in traffic,&rdquo; Holland-Toll said, giving the example of the Panera CEO who regretfully admitted the brand was &ldquo;forcing guests to chase tomatoes around the bowl&rdquo; because they had stopped cutting them in half to cut down on labor.
Holland-Toll pointed out that price increases can alienate customers who see your brand as a value brand. &ldquo;IHOP increased their prices by almost 82% since 2021 and their guests stopped coming, so their CEO has created for the first time a value menu&mdash;for what was traditionally a value brand,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Subway is also doubling down on &lsquo;value on top of value,&rsquo; and that tells a larger story.&rdquo;
Over the years, The Culinary Edge has helped brands with a fresh perspective on what they&rsquo;re doing wrong, and how they can make it right, and Holland-Toll shared a few key tactics that reliably ring true.
Show me the numbers
&ldquo;Our sales mix tells us who we are and how our guests use us,&rdquo; Holland-Toll said, adding that many answers are hiding within the numbers, if you ask &ldquo;what sells and what doesn&rsquo;t? How can we leverage that and do more of that? Do we have an opportunity to do some supply chain negotiation? Do we need to look at smaller square footage?&rdquo;
Looking at the numbers can also mean predicting the future. &ldquo;Prices are volatile through the seasons and with different vendors,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But if you know a short rib will sell, if you can get a year ahead of that, you can take advantage of the best beef pricing. These are things your invoices can tell you.&rdquo;
Selling out vs. selling more is another mistake operators can make, assuming that if they sell out of a menu item, that&rsquo;s a good thing. On one hand that&rsquo;s true, in terms of waste, but &ldquo;it doesn&rsquo;t reduce your waste if you lose sales,&rdquo; Holland-Toll said. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re a steakhouse running out of filet, it doesn&rsquo;t reduce your waste; it loses sales. Buy more to sell more.&rdquo;
A caveat to buying more, though, is to &ldquo;understand your perfect pack size. Bigger isn&rsquo;t always better, especially if you&rsquo;re not selling all of it. We see brands make the mistake of buying a 20 pound case of something but as the team is dishing out of it, the product underneath is getting crumbled or going bad.&rdquo;
Tapping into traffic patterns
&ldquo;Traffic reports are loaded with clues,&rdquo; Holland-Toll said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an opportunity to take a look around. What are your neighbors doing? Are you missing out on a trend? Did you just raise your prices? Know your frequency and what impacts that.&rdquo;
Through-put can hold so many answers, including whether or not your executing your potential. For example, &ldquo;if the line is too long, you need to manage your through-put; maybe that&rsquo;s as easy as scheduling appropriately,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Maybe you just don&rsquo;t have enough people at your peak hour.&rdquo;
And if the peak hour is &ldquo;working for you, and your year-over-year is still up,&rdquo; Holland-Toll recommends digging deeper. &ldquo;Look at another daypart,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Look at where your sales are soft and look at ways to firm it up.&rdquo;
Happy Hour is well-known now, but it began as a strategy to address slower shoulder hours, to &ldquo;get people to come in a bit before dinner time. That was a strategy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Maybe you can add snacks to go with a beverage or beverages to go with a snack during your shoulder periods.&rdquo;
Old dog, new tricks
Holland-Toll leans heavily on the &ldquo;Star Dog&rdquo; model for menus, which basically means some menu items are amazing, some are not, and the rest is in the middle. The middle is where she wants to focus, not on the stars and dogs.
&ldquo;Your stars should always rise and always design your other menu items to outshine your stars, not undercut them,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And when dogs need to go, you need to eliminate them to drive the right margin, tell the right story and improve your operational efficiency.&rdquo;
She cautioned not to let the &ldquo;vocal minority&rdquo; talk you into holding onto a menu dog for too long. Just because Mrs. Jones loves the pasta primavera and orders it every week is no reason to keep around an otherwise unpopular menu dog.
Sales cure all ills
&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no better way to improve your bottom line than to sell more,&rdquo; she said, advising operators to attach menu items to other menu items, like &ldquo;dirty sodas or boba and pretzel bites, bagel chip-and-dip or tiny tacos. They all hit at &lsquo;snack o&rsquo;clock.&rsquo;&rdquo;
&ldquo;Basket fillers&rdquo; like cake pops, pie poppers and churro fries are perfect for that snack time, and Holland-Toll said to be skeptical of people getting sick of sweet treats. &ldquo;Everyone says they don&rsquo;t want sweet treats anymore, but that&rsquo;s actually not true.&rdquo;
Get the most out of your menus
That means online and paper. Holland-Toll finds that an old advertising adage, the &ldquo;Golden Triangle,&rdquo; still holds true regarding how the human eye tracks across menus, starting in the middle bottom, going up to the right and then the left. &ldquo;Put your stars in that triangle,&rdquo; she said.
Also, impersonal ordering is a double-edged sword, taking away the personal touch, but adding a layer of privacy. &ldquo;A kiosk gives your guest some anonymity. If they don&rsquo;t have to tell you they want the large fries, they&rsquo;re more likely to add the large fries, or to add a milkshake instead of a soda.&rdquo;
Source: Tara Fitzpatrick, <a href="https://www.foodservicedirector.com/foodservice-operations/avoid-these-common-pitfalls-when-cutting-costs-in-foodservice-operations" target="_blank">FoodService Director</a>

At an education session at the recent NRA Show, The Culinary Edge’s Erica Holland-Toll shares how to trim the fat but keep the heart and soul of why your guests come to you.

Avoid These Common Pitfalls When Cutting Costs in Foodservice Operations

In foodservice, few phrases are more common - or more expensive - than: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve always done it that way.&rdquo;
For distributors, that mindset is more than a kitchen habit. It&rsquo;s an opportunity. Operators who are rethinking routine processes are the ones protecting margins, saving labor, and running smarter kitchens.
One of the biggest hidden cost drains in back-of-house operations? Cleanup.
The Hidden Costs of Scrubbing
Scrubbing sheet pans and soaking trays may feel like &ldquo;just part of the job,&rdquo; but in 2026, labor is too tight &mdash; and too costly &mdash; for inefficient processes to stay unquestioned.
Minutes spent scraping baked-on residue quickly become hours of lost productivity, and real wage dollars.
Labor Savings That Add Up Fast
Panliners help eliminate the need to soak and scrub pans between batches. Staff simply remove the liner, discard it, and reset.
A task that once took 20 minutes can often take five.
For high-volume kitchens, bakeries, and catering operations, those reclaimed minutes translate into measurable labor savings across every shift.
Lower Chemical and Supply Costs
Cleaner pans mean less reliance on harsh degreasers and detergents, helping operators:
<ul>
<li>Reduce spending on cleaning supplies</li>
<li>Minimize staff exposure to aggressive chemicals</li>
<li>Cut down on plumbing strain from grease and residue</li>
</ul>
Protecting Equipment Investments
Cookware isn&rsquo;t disposable &mdash; but constant scrubbing shortens its lifespan.
Panliners act as a protective barrier, helping prevent:
<ul>
<li>Burn marks</li>
<li>Scratches</li>
<li>Corrosion</li>
<li>Baked-on buildup</li>
</ul>
That means fewer replacements and better long-term cost control.
Reducing Waste and Supporting Food Safety
Panliners also improve food release, reducing sticking and tearing - especially for baked goods - which helps cut product waste.
With fewer surfaces exposed to residue, they support stronger sanitation and lower cross-contamination risk as well.
Convenience That Becomes Strategy
Panliners are both convenient and a simple operational upgrade that reduces labor, lowers overhead, and protects the bottom line.
So what is the true cost of &ldquo;we&rsquo;ve always done it that way?&rdquo; Here&rsquo;s a hint &ndash; it is rarely on the invoice. It&rsquo;s in the sink.
Sometimes, the smartest efficiency isn&rsquo;t a major investment. It&rsquo;s as simple as lining the pan.
Content courtesy of Handgards, Inc.

How small back-of-house changes like panliners can reduce labor, waste, and operating expenses.

The True Cost of “We’ve Always Done It That Way”

Plenty of research shows that it is far less expensive &ndash; and often more profitable &ndash; to retain a current customer than to acquire a new one. This is partially due to the scattershot nature of attracting new customers using ads or social media. It generally takes multiple exposures to your message to entice a new customer to give you a try and even then, guests often &ldquo;churn&rdquo; after one visit because picking one restaurant to visit over another has relatively low switching costs.
If all that a guest is seeking is a quick burger, then they will pick where to go strictly on price or convenience. This is especially true if you use discounts or other incentives to attract new customers. If you are relying heavily on BOGOs (&ldquo;buy-one, get-one&rdquo; offers) and online coupons as your marketing strategy, you will be spending far more of your marketing budget per customer than most restaurants can sustain and there is no guarantee that those guests will not abandon your concept for the next cheap offer they find.
The relationship we build with guests keeps our businesses from becoming a commodity. Once a guest becomes a regular, they are valuable to you not just for what they spend but also for the positive word of mouth they share with others. Hearing &ldquo;I love going there&rdquo; from a family member or close friend is much more likely to encourage someone to try a restaurant than a bunch of five-star online reviews from strangers. What brings the guest back time and time are the things that are hard to quantify. This includes the warmth of the service, the comfort of your dining room, and the pleasant feeling of being recognized and valued.
Successful operators combine traditional outbound marketing materials with &ldquo;four-walls&rdquo; tactics to forge the relationships. Here are some ideas for what you can do within your restaurant&rsquo;s four walls to reinforce your marketing message and develop lasting connections with your guests.
Collateral Support
Marketing &ldquo;collateral&rdquo; refers to any media that supports marketing and sales. You are likely familiar with, if not already using, the most common in-store marketing collateral &ndash; printed materials or signage inside the restaurant to highlight items or announce special promotions.
The old-school way of doing this is the specials board, either handwritten or, if it&rsquo;s appropriate for your concept, via digital signage. If your lease permits it, sandwich boards or other exterior signs can be an effective way to reinforce your brand through the colors, fonts, and language you use. (There is an entire sub-genre of clever restaurant sandwich boards posted on Instagram.)
If you use these materials, be sure to not let them become static. Change them often to reflect different promotions or to connect to your community, such as promoting a short-term drink special to celebrate a local team&rsquo;s big win.
Placing marketing messages at the table is another popular strategy, but there is some debate about the value of using a range of print materials on the tabletop. True, they offer a great way to boost sales on some items, but having too many of these kinds of materials deployed at once make your tables look cluttered and can get in the way of a good guest experience.
It&rsquo;s best to keep marketing materials like these well contained and to make sure that they don&rsquo;t take up more than five-percent of tabletop area. Many brands use a small stand with a series of cards that can be flipped through like forms on a clipboard because these permit a lot of information to be available in a very small footprint. A single table tent can be fine if it has a small footprint, but do not use them in combination with other tabletop printed matter.
Another strategy is to use custom-printed condiment caddies so that these marketing tools also serve a practical purpose on the tabletop. The more upscale your restaurant is, however, the less appropriate it is to use tabletop space for marketing messages.
Check &ldquo;stuffers&rdquo; &ndash; small, single-use marketing flyers, coupons, or promotional items included with a guest&rsquo;s restaurant check to drive future sales or engagement &ndash; can encourage repeat visits without making your tabletop appear unattractively crowded. These are far better than relying on coupons printed on the receipt as guests will rarely see or remember these.
For takeout or delivery orders, include a stuffer in each order that gives guests some kind of benefit for coming into your restaurant next time rather than ordering online. As a case in point, Otaku, a small chain of Japanese restaurants based in Nashville, has a clever flyer that it attaches to each takeout bag that includes in-store offers, fun facts about ramen, and a new QR code each month that links to a custom-crafted Spotify playlist.
For post-purchase promotions, you are better off offering repeat guests a free item such as &ldquo;your choice of appetizer free with any entr&eacute;e purchase&rdquo; than giving these customers a flat percentage off an entire future order. And you want to make sure that any offer you extend is for in-store purchases only. Orders that come through third-party delivery apps carry a substantial &ldquo;tax&rdquo; in the form of fees that, coupled with any promotional discounts you offer, may end up hurting your bottom line. The same logic applies to loyalty programs.
Whether they are digital or use a physical card, benefits from being part of a loyalty program should apply to in-store purchases only. Have servers verbally invite guests to join the loyalty program in addition to providing digital or printed promotions about the program and its benefits.
Finally, use your restaurant&rsquo;s menu as part of your marketing strategy. While academic research has debunked any significant effects of highlighting menu items with boxes or colored fonts, your menu&rsquo;s design should strongly reinforce your brand&rsquo;s message. All restaurants should have at least one signature menu item and these deserve to be placed front and center. If your restaurant offers catering or a private dining space for parties, call attention to these on your menu rather than just relying on a separate flyer or poster.
Marketing By Design
Your restaurant&rsquo;s exterior and interior artwork and design are powerful marketing tools. They send messages about what your restaurant is about, what kind of experience guests can expect, and what you offer beyond what&rsquo;s on the menu.
The most influential thing you can do to make your restaurant&rsquo;s exterior promote your business is to upgrade your signage and your lighting. Standard backlit signs are affordable (or might be all that you are allowed to put up, depending on the terms of your lease) but they send the message that the experience you offer is down-market; i.e. less prestigious.
For concepts that fill the house based on their popularity as unpretentious and low-key local dives, it likely serves its purpose. In contrast, signage that is warmly lit from above or below is perceived as more modern and upscale, both of which attract higher spending guests. Good lighting in the areas around your restaurant also attract attention and suggest to your guests that you pay attention to detail.
Inside the restaurant, choosing the right layout will pay you back many times over. An easy place to begin is to consider what guests see when they first enter the restaurant. Good marketers let guests see either signature products or high-value add-ons while they wait to be greeted and seated.
Diners have been doing this forever with their refrigerated dessert cases, a tactic used to great effect by The Cheesecake Factory and other family dining brands. More upscale restaurants might place a wine display at the entrance or offer a clear view of the bar from the host stand.
Having guests pass the bar or vibrant food displays on their way to their seats makes these offerings top of mind and costs you nothing. If you are planning on the more expensive approach of an open kitchen, make it work for you by giving guests a great view of the more exciting elements of cooking rather than having just a sea of bobbing ball caps or toques obscured by counters and the backs of servers picking up for their tables.
Grills, rotisseries, and pizza ovens serve as interesting visual elements that enhance the dining experience. Or you may want to make the saut&eacute; station more visible if your production team is skilled with flamb&eacute;, creating an exciting and memorable brief burst of blue-tinged flames.
We know from research that guests who are physically comfortable will spend more and are more likely to return. Keep guests comfy by ensuring that your seats are designed for the length of stay that you want for your concept. While having a plain wooden seat might be fine for a quick meal, hard chairs or benches don&rsquo;t make a lot of sense for operations like brewpubs where you may want a longer stay and where guests often come in groups.
Avoid metal chairs entirely, particularly those rounded back galvanized chairs that were all the rage a few years back. Using these could suggest that you care more about aesthetics or buildout budget than guest comfort. No matter what they are made from, all seats should have backs, especially at the bar. Ambient temperature matters too. Keep your front-of-house areas at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) and shield any seats near doorways from cold drafts. On patios during the cooler seasons, provide heaters and have clean, branded fleece throws available for anyone who would like to bundle up.
Your trade dress &ndash; the unique and non-functional aspects of your design such as logo, colors, and signage &ndash; should clearly communicate who you are and be distinct from other concepts in your category. That said, avoid overuse of logos or text in your interior design. Look for more subtle ways to express your branding such as patterns on vinyl or fabric upholstery, paint colors, and light fixtures. The goal is to make your d&eacute;cor as recognizable as possible without being too garish or cluttered. Hiring a design professional with skill in both graphic and interior design will be enormously helpful.
At Your Service
If marketing is about communicating who you are and what you stand for, then the way your team interacts with guests is the ultimate marketing tool. Hiring team members for their emotional skills is more important than hiring for technical skill or experience. Union Square Hospitality founder Danny Meyer is famous for saying that he aims to hire staff who have key emotional attributes like genuine warmth, empathy, and integrity, as these cannot be taught. If your hires naturally enjoy working with people and being of service to others, that spirit will come through in what they do on the floor or in the kitchen.
Of course, good service requires more than an upbeat personality. Attention to detail during training and the continuing development of service or production skills will help ensure your team is demonstrating your brand&rsquo;s values through their actions. Cultivate a culture of &ldquo;make it better&rdquo; where the inevitable mistakes your team will make can be rectified with quick and thoughtful recovery tactics. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really sorry that happened so we are taking that right off your bill&rdquo; sends the message that you care and that the relationship with the guest is more important than winning an argument. This does not mean that you should just accept any attempt to weasel free food &ndash; there are a lot of clever scammers out there who use complaints about often imaginary orders to get freebies &ndash; but when in doubt, comp.
Select and train staff who can show empathy and genuine concern. Let them know to give a guest a chance to vent and let them know you are sorry about the situation and the way they feel. It's extremely important to not take anything they say personally. Customers will often tolerate even the most blatant screw-ups as long as they feel that someone actually cares about them. Once we sense that someone, anyone, in an organization gives a darn about us, we tend to naturally lighten up.
A Surprise Attack
Providing skilled and friendly service should be your baseline, but going beyond this to create a truly memorable experience can be a substantial component of your marketing strategy. Guests who are pleasantly surprised by something you do are much more likely to return and to recommend your restaurant to others.
Eleven Madison Park (EMP), a world-famous fine-dining restaurant in the heart of New York City, owned and operated by Chef Daniel Humm, is legendary for employing what they call &ldquo;dream weavers&rdquo;, employees whose job is to research guests on the reservation list and come up with tailored service touches just for them. These experiences can become very elaborate, like the chauffeured car that the restaurant hired to take a family of Spanish guests to Central Park so the children could experience sledding for the first time. Gestures like this are still being talked about, word of mouth that is worth far, far more than any advertising or social media spend the restaurant could make.
Delighting the guest doesn&rsquo;t have to be as elaborate as what EMP does. Most operators are familiar with practices like bringing out desserts alight with birthday candles or handwriting a friendly thank you message on the check. For restaurants that are frequented by families, having crayons and something to color on hand or even a small toy to present to young guests will earn a smile from grateful parents.
Sometimes bringing out a plain roll or other snack right away to keep hungry youngsters occupied might be welcome but always check with a parent first. And don&rsquo;t assume that grownups would not enjoy kid treatment. A bar near my home has a specialty cocktail garnished with one of a series of small plastic animals (sanitized first, of course). Guests come back frequently to buy the drink again so they can collect the whole set.
Incorporating some kind of game into your service can also delight guests, especially if those games have the potential to reduce the check on the current or a future visit. Until it closed during the pandemic, John Thomas Steakhouse in Ithaca, NY had servers bring a deck of restaurant-branded playing cards to the table at the end of the meal, inviting each guest to pull a card from the deck for a game of &ldquo;check poker&rdquo;.
Pulling a pair would wipe a dessert off the bill while drawing a royal flush would comp the entire meal for a party of five or more. Guests could keep the cards and bring them back to add to their hands on the next visit.
As another creative example, Indian concept Dishoom in London uses a chance-based dice game to encourage guests to come in again during slower periods. All guests are given a token to bring back with them on a future visit.
If they present their token while paying their bill before 6 p.m. on certain days of the week, the server pulls out a six-sided die. One guest in the party gets to roll. If the die comes up six, the entire check is comped. This may seem overly generous on the part of the restaurant but it&rsquo;s really the same as offering an across-the-board 16.66% discount, and guests see a one-in-six chance of a free meal is a far more compelling proposition than getting a percentage off the bill. Regulars love the game and Dishoom wins in both marketing buzz and increased revenue during their slow periods.
Look Inward
These examples show that your marketing strategy doesn&rsquo;t have to rely solely on outward-facing messages or expensive public relations services. Given that today&rsquo;s guests often make their dining plans based on what they hear from others, generating buzz through who you are and what you do rather than what you say on social media is a highly effective way of building a strong and loyal customer base.
Source: Stephani Robson, <a href="https://www.restaurantowner.com/" target="_blank">RestaurantOwner.com</a>

What is ‘Four-Walls’ Marketing and Promotion?

If Your Walls Could Talk

When you treat every catering order as a relationship worth tending to, the revenue follows. When you treat it as a transaction to fulfill and move on from, you stay stuck chasing new orders because you keep losing the ones you already had.
Most operators look to catering for the easy revenue. Catering orders are larger tickets, predictable timing, and scalable in ways that walk-in traffic just is not. But the operators who actually build a catering program that grows consistently? They figured out something else along the way.
Caring is the thing that makes catering work.
Not in a soft, inspirational-poster kind of way. In a very practical, repeatable, this-is-how-you-keep-the-account kind of way. When you treat every catering order as a relationship worth tending to, the revenue follows. When you treat it as a transaction to fulfill and move on from, you stay stuck chasing new orders because you keep losing the ones you already had.
There are four places where caring either shows up or it does not in the restaurant.
1. Your team
If your front-of-house team does not know how to take a catering inquiry, or your kitchen does not know that a 50-person order is coming in Thursday, or your manager treats catering as a distraction from the lunch rush, then no amount of marketing is going to save your program.
Caring about catering has to be a company-wide thing. That means your team understands why catering matters, not just what to do with it. When your staff sees catering as a real revenue driver and a way to showcase what you do to a broader audience, they treat it differently. They handle the phone call with urgency. They flag the order during prep. They pack it like it matters, because it does.
That does not happen by accident. It happens when leadership talks about catering with the same energy as anything else on the P&amp;L. Your team takes the temperature from you. If you are casual about it, they will be too.
2. Your customers
The person who placed a catering order just introduced you to a room full of people who have never tried your food. That is not a transaction. That is an opportunity.
Most operators do not think about it that way. They execute the order, close the ticket, and move on. But the guest experience does not end at delivery. It ends when the last person at that meeting finishes eating and decides whether or not your brand is worth remembering.
Caring about your catering customers means following up. A simple check-in after an order, a thank you, a note asking how the event went. It sounds small. It is not. That follow-up is what separates a one-time order from a standing account. It signals that there is a real person behind the order, not just a kitchen cranking out food.
It also means making it easy for them to come back. Clear ordering process. Consistent communication. No surprises on delivery day. The bar for what feels like exceptional customer service in catering is honestly not that high, because most people have been let down by it. When you clear that bar, you stand out.
3. Your product
Not every item on your menu travels well. Not every portion size works for a group. Not every packaging decision holds up an hour after pickup.
Caring about your product in the context of catering means being honest about what actually works off-site, and building a catering menu around that instead of just checking every box.
A tighter, well-executed catering menu outperforms a bloated one almost every time. Fewer items means fewer mistakes, more consistency, and a cleaner experience for the customer. It also makes it easier for your team to execute during busy service periods without catering feeling like a burden.
Think about the full journey of the food: from when it leaves your kitchen to when it hits the table at the event. What does it look and taste like at that point? That is the experience your customer is evaluating. If you have not thought through that part, it is worth spending some time on it before you scale up your volume.
4. Your Partners
You cannot grow catering alone. The vendors, platforms, and service providers behind your operation either support your catering program or quietly work against it.
Your packaging supplier matters. If your containers do not travel well, your food does not arrive well. Your delivery partner matters. A late or sloppy drop-off reflects on your brand, not theirs. Your technology partners matter. The platforms you sell through, the tools you use to manage orders, the systems that help you follow up with customers, all of it shapes the experience on both ends.
The operators who treat these relationships as strategic, who communicate clearly, give honest feedback, and show up as a real partner rather than just a customer, tend to get better service, better terms, and better outcomes. That is not luck. That is how partnerships work.
Build your catering program with partners who actually understand the catering space. Not every vendor does.
Caring at scale means building the standards and the culture to deliver consistently, not just when it is easy.
Catering grows when people trust you. Customers trust you when you follow up and make it easy. Your team delivers when they understand why it matters. Your product holds up when you have thought through the off-site experience. Your partners send more business when you consistently show up.
All of it comes back to the same thing. You cannot automate your way to a catering program that actually grows. You can build systems, use the right tools, and put smart processes in place. But the foundation is whether you genuinely care about the experience you are delivering on every side of it.
Make sure you are CARING about your CATERING!
Source: Kelly Grogan, <a href="https://www.fastcasual.com/blogs/4-places-where-your-catering-program-is-leaking-revenue/" target="_blank">Fast Casual</a>

When you treat every catering order as a relationship worth tending to, the revenue follows.

4 Places Where Your Catering Program Is Leaking Revenue

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