A commercial deep fryer is a vital piece of restaurant equipment in any kitchen. But as anyone who has worked in a commercial kitchen knows, they can also be high maintenance when it comes to cleaning. Changing the heating oil is a constant chore, especially in higher volume establishments, and …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2011
Why Restaurants That Offer Discounts Dominate Top U.S. Brand Rankings
There has been much discussion about discounting in the restaurant business over the past few years. Many in the industry worried that serial discounting would forever cheapen their brand and condition customers to be coupon hunters rather than loyal patrons. That’s why it was interesting to see the results of …
Read More »Choosing Stick Mixers For Your Commercial Kitchen
A stick mixer is a hand-held, electronically powered device that allows chefs to mix large amounts of sauces, soups, and stews during preparation and cooking. The motor connects to a long shaft with an attachment on the end that rotates at a high speed, making large-scale mixing projects manageable in …
Read More »Engineering Your Menu
The menu is often the first thing your customers see when they decide to eat at your restaurant, and sometimes might even be the thing that convinces them to come inside in the first place. But you’d be surprised how many restaurants spend little or no time on menu design, …
Read More »Menu Engineering: Combo Meals Make Customers Think Value
No matter what kind of restaurant you run, from fast casual to fine dining, combo meals can help your customer make a choice that makes them feel like they’re getting a deal, even if the combo costs exactly the same as the a la carte menu. This is backed up …
Read More »Restaurant Management Tips: Cross-Training
The food service industry can be a brutal business, and sometimes the differences between making it and breaking are very, very thin. As the manager, you have a lot on your plate – from training and supervising employees to running budgets and purchasing new equipment and supplies. This series is …
Read More »How To Turn Coupons Into Restaurant Marketing Opportunities
Despite the fact that a majority of restaurateurs view discount sites like Groupon as the biggest threat to their business, and despite a lot of talk in the restaurant industry about how discounts devalue a restaurant’s brand, new market research reveals that coupons and deep discounts are probably here to …
Read More »Klick Kitchen: Can Your Restaurant Save By Ordering Online?
Last summer I wrote about Klick Kitchen, an internet-based replenishment service for food service businesses. At the time it struck me as odd that despite all the press Klick Kitchen had been getting, there didn’t seem to be any feedback from real chefs/managers/owners in the field who could substantiate Klick …
Read More »How To Improve Dessert Sales
Any server will tell you the hardest thing to sell is dessert. The meal has come to an end, customers are ready to go or just enjoy a cup of coffee, and more often than not the dessert menu is met with some pretty stiff resistance. Add in a climate …
Read More »Helping Food Service Workers In Need
Anyone who has worked for a significant amount of time in the food service industry has seen the dark side of the restaurant business. While food service can be incredibly rewarding, and can provide many opportunities for advancement with little or no formal education, there are also many in the …
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