Marketing
Back-to-school isn’t just about kids, classrooms, and chaos. For foodservice businesses, it signals a major shift—in habits, spending, and daily routines.
Here’s what to watch for this season and how you can stay ahead of the curve.
There’s been a lot of talk lately about import tariffs, and as a restaurant owner, you might be wondering what all of this has to do with you. Running a restaurant comes with its fair share of challenges, from managing food costs to keeping customers happy. Staying informed about economic factors like tariffs is crucial for protecting your business.
There are two types of diners at a restaurant. The first one walks in, knows exactly what they want to order and within minutes has ordered and is patiently waiting to be served. The second pores over the menu for a long time, weighing each and every option. This diner seeks a unique culinary experience and is eager to try new foods.
The Prix Fixe menu is a menu format that offers benefits to both ordering styles. It’s a great option for other reasons as well. It can be used to control costs, promote or test new dishes or streamline holiday / special event dining into quicker and more efficient service.
ChatGPT is everywhere. Advertisers, web designers, coders, businessmen, writers, and artists are incorporating innovative generative AI technology to help them work smarter and more efficiently. Will ChatGPT overtake the food industry as well? I wanted to find out, so I asked the AI itself. The following response is ChatGPT’s unedited answer:
Too tired to go out? Not interested in splurging on takeout? Why not reach for your Blue Apron subscription box that comes right to your doorstep and cook your own Korean-style tofu brown rice bowl with kimchi and marinated carrots, using the ingredients and recipe inside. Blue Apron, a service that delivers ready-to-cook dinners to subscribers, is a popular player in the rapidly expanding field of food subscription and delivery boxes — a field that includes everything from monthly gourmet baby food shipments, to a box loaded with a variety of pickles, and everything in between.
Every era has its own iconic food that typifies that generation. For example, a decade ago, avocado toast made news headlines as the millennial dish. Today’s younger generation also has its own food favorites, and a unique way of engaging with food. Are you clued into Gen Z food trends? How many of these dishes have you heard of? Give yourself a point for each dish you are familiar with:
I stepped into my neighborhood Dunkin Donuts a few weeks ago. Seemingly overnight, the store had undergone an autumn transformation. Employees had overlain the windows with tantalizing photos of fall foods and pumpkin spiced lattes, apple themed donuts, and slogans like “Trick Out Your Treats.” The counters were lined with fall decor, including orange crepe paper and plastic leaves, and a well-placed sign informed me of the seasonal “Donut Decorating Workshop” for kids next week.
Put your signature mark on every touch point of your business by learning the art and skill of what has been coined “Five Sensory Dining.” Have you heard of the cruise ship that offers its customer a “Journey for the Senses?” No matter where guests are dining, onboard or during onshore excursions, they aim to create sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and touch experiences that entertain all five senses. If you work in the foodservice industry and want to edge out the competition, don’t leave customer experience to chance.
If you work in foodservice and haven’t yet tapped into what is currently one of the biggest business trends of the millennium, it’s time to step up to the plate and sink your teeth into the Grab and Go Market. Also known by the acronym GNG, Grab & Go or Grab-and-Go, refers to ready-to-eat, pre-packaged food items sold in your establishment. Not surprisingly, the largest body of consumers, literally eating up the opportunity, are millennials, the on-the-go Gen Y and the younger Gen Z populations.
If you work in the food or beverage industry and are wondering how to create a restaurant menu that sells, you have come to the right place! It’s common knowledge that great food and drink, above-average customer service, and a super-smooth guest experience are some of the key ingredients to business success. But did you know that the potential power and profitability of a well-crafted menu is often underrated?
Continue reading about creating a standout restaurant menu →