I’ve worked 80-100 hours a week for the last 20 years. I took four days off when I got married. I took five days off when my daughter was born. My top priority has always been exceeding the expectations of our guests. Meeting the expectations of my family fell below that. Meeting my own expectations… Read more
Photos: Bywater American Bistro by G G. on Yelp / Denny Culbert / Bywater American Bistro by Timothy B. on Yelp As businesses start to reopen after the nearly nationwide shutdown, restaurant owners, workers, and customers are facing a brave new world of COVID dine-in experiences. In a recent episode of the Full Comp podcast,… Read more
“Very few places can take a comfort food and reinvent it to taste 11 times better than it did before. This is that place. Legit the best grilled cheese sandwiches of my life.” – Marlene M. of Houston, Texas, in her Yelp review of food truck Emojis Grilled Cheese A gourmet sandwich maker on wheels, Emojis… Read more
Editor’s note: A version of this post first ran on author Josh Kopel‘s blog. Josh is an entrepreneur, restaurateur, and host of Full Comp, a new podcast for the hospitality industry. As we prepared to open my restaurant, Preux & Proper, in 2014, we spent months conceptualizing the layout, menu, and overall concept. We considered… Read more
Editor’s note: This information hub is being updated regularly with additional resources. Last update: July 2, 2020. Restaurants are exploring how to best reestablish their dine-in service as new protocols and precautionary measures are being introduced to keep both restaurant staff and patrons safe. We’ve compiled some of the best reopening resources we’ve found for… Read more
Physically waiting in line at a restaurant is becoming a thing of the past. Waitlist apps make it easy for diners to use their mobile devices to put their name on the list for a table before they’ve even arrived, so they can wait their turn at home, in their car, or while window shopping… Read more
Even with concerns about the Coronavirus and shelter-in-place mandates keeping many of your customers at home, there’s still a great opportunity to connect and enjoy incredible flavors together virtually. Hosting a virtual cooking class is not only a fun way to engage your community online during these challenging times, but it also provides an opportunity… Read more
As Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease and many restaurants around the country move closer to reopening their doors, the term “contactless dining” is suddenly everywhere. No matter how you feel about that term, there’s no doubt that COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of low-contact dining, and restaurants are working hard to adapt. Diners… Read more
Entrepreneurs in hospitality are known to be creative and hardworking—thriving in this industry requires grit, grueling hours, and constant innovation. And while the current business environment has made it even more difficult, one of the bright spots has been seeing how restaurants and bars are innovatively adapting to the restrictive environments they’re forced to operate… Read more
COVID-19 and shelter-in-place orders have forced restaurants to quickly pivot their operations or temporarily close their doors. With new information emerging daily and regulations changing just as quickly, it’s no easy task to determine the best move for your restaurant. To discuss the factors that influence that decision and what to do once you’ve made… Read more