One of the biggest trends in food service these days is nutrition labeling for entrees and the development of “healthy” menu items that appeal to growing consumer concerns over what they eat. A recent survey of 433 chefs conducted by Penn State and Clemson universities has shed some light on …
Read More »The IRS Wants You To Buy Restaurant Equipment In 2009
If you have already purchased restaurant equipment in 2009, or are planning on doing so before the year is up, make sure you get your accountant to take a special 50% depreciation allowance for all equipment that is purchased, installed and used by December 31st. This tax provision was extended …
Read More »A National Tax On Soft Drinks?
Soft drinks are “liquid candy” that provide no known nutritional benefit to the people who consume them, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), an advocacy group. The epidemic of obesity that has swept the United States in the past 25 years, especially among children, is …
Read More »Restaurants Deliver Entrees And Keep Sales Up
More and more restaurants are relying on alternative sources of income to help them weather the current economic storm. Many sit-down restaurants are turning to delivery as a way to boost their sales. If you had told any restaurateur 10 years ago that they would be relying on the delivery …
Read More »Do Price Reductions Dilute Your Restaurant’s Brand?
In a very well written post on Waiternotes.com titled “Self-Fulfilling Prophecies,” the author examined in-depth the price reduction strategies the owners of the two restaurants where he works have employed over the last year. The main point revolved around how cut-rate specials were bringing in more traffic (although not more …
Read More »Obama Fried Chicken Stand To Change Name
A fried chicken stand in Brooklyn, NY changed its name recently from Royal Fried Chicken to Obama Fried Chicken in honor of the United States’ 44th President. The stand’s owner, who remained anonymous but was represented by employee Mohammed Jabbar, thought the renaming would celebrate President Obama’s election and create …
Read More »Man Who Wanted To Be A Hooter’s Girl Settles Class Action Suit
Local man Nikolai Grushevski brought a class action lawsuit against a Hooter’s franchise in Corpus Christi, Texas after the restaurant passed on hiring him as a waiter, who are also known as the Hooter’s Girls. Grushevski’s lawyer claimed he was proud to have stood up for his rights under the …
Read More »The Public Smoking Ban Debate Continues
Los Angeles has taken the ongoing regulation of smoking in public places a step further and banned smoking in the outdoor patio areas of restaurants. The city council voted unanimously in favor of the ban, despite repeated pleas by local restaurants that the ban would hurt business in an already …
Read More »Why Employee Benefits Are A Food Safety Issue
One of the biggest sources of contamination in any restaurant are the people who prepare and serve your customer’s food. According to official food safety regulations, sick workers are supposed to go home, or even better, not come in at all while they are capable of spreading germs. Unfortunately, two …
Read More »Managing Social Media Marketing For Restaurants
2010 is the year of social media, and the food service industry has really started to embrace the world of social in a big way. As I’ve mentioned on The Back Burner before, the biggest expense marketing with social media is your time. That’s good news for tight marketing budgets …
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