I had always prided myself on being a great manager by the book. My key performance indicators included online reviews, employee punctuality, compliance, and retention. Our culture was one of accountability and structure. What was that worth? As it turned out, very little. The dream was for Preux & Proper to become a community hub…. Read more
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
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, James Beard Award-winning chef Nina Compton of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro compares the current COVID environment with previous disasters… 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: Aug. 28, 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
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 are looking forward to returning to their favorites or trying something new, but it’s undeniable that their own… 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