Fueled by improving sales and traffic levels and growing optimism among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s comprehensive index of restaurant activity rose sharply in March. The Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) stood at 100.5 in March, up 1.4 percent…
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S. Truett Cathey, the 89-year-old founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, grew up in Atlanta, where his first business venture was operating a Coca-Cola stand in his yard at age 8. In 1946, he and his brother opened a small…
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On a recent Thursday night, after most of the dinner crowd had left, Bernard Ros, the owner and chef of Meli Melo, a French bistro in Manhattan, grilled three steaks, threw together a few pasta dishes and salads and pulled…
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You know that big, hot restaurant that opened up a few months ago downtown? The one that all [insert your city here] is abuzz about? Chances are that new restaurant is in a hotel or condominium. Nearly every major restaurant…
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It has all the qualities of classic comfort food: a steaming mug of sweet tomato soup served with a sandwich of melting cheese inside slices of golden buttery toast. Moms have been presenting grilled cheese sandwiches to happy children for…
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CLICKETY-CLACK. Here was Donatella, coming through, charging into her new $2.5-million restaurant construction site. Donatella, nervelessly pushing past the yellow caution tape to traverse the splintery floor in nude-patent-leather four-inch Louboutins. Donatella, in short-short Prada silk. Donatella, pointing. Donatella, dishing.…
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Danish cuisine reigns supreme, according to the some of the planet’s most prominent eaters. S. Pellegrino’s annual “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list was released on Monday at a celebrity-chef-studded event in London, England, marking the ninth edition of the much…
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It took more than a year, but American diners are coming out of hiding, starting to splurge on everything from tea to tacos and tacking on some dessert. The meals aren’t fancy — and business is far what it was…
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The table is set for company: Villeroy and Boch china, Hepp silverware, fresh flowers in a crystal vase. The wait staff is clad in impeccable white and black, and a dark-suited director of dining services greets many of the bejeweled…
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Nearly 20 years after Emeril Lagasse begged, borrowed and scrounged every penny he could to open his own restaurant, the celebrity chef worried it was all slipping away. Lagasse’s 17-year run on the Food Network was over. Hurricane Katrina had…
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According to a leading research firm, breakfast sandwiches are now the fourth most ordered food item in restaurants, after pizza, french fries, and — the winner and still champion — hamburgers. Last year, North Americans consumed 25 million more breakfast…
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There are fashions in meat, as in all things, but… Are you ready for lamb bacon? That’s just one of the new dishes popping up on menus across the country as chefs experiment with American lamb, a trend driven partly…
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Chenee Capuyan, a McDonald’s restaurant employee from Davao Del Sur, Philippines, stunned celebrity judges and an audience of more than 14,000 with a powerful performance of Destiny’s Child’s “Stand Up for Love” to win the Voice of McDonald’s global singing…
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Why did the downtown restaurant close? The downtown restaurant opened about a year earlier. I wasn’t surprised that it closed. I was surprised that it stayed open so long. It was around the corner from my office. I walked past…
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Whenever we decide to run an e-mail marketing campaign, we tend to agonize over the content and how to maximize our results. The first objective should always be, what are the results I’m trying to achieve with the campaign? Who…
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The multiple award-winning Restaurant Manager’s Handbook is the best-selling book on running a successful food service. Now in the fourth completely revised edition, nine new chapters detail restaurant layout, new equipment, principles for creating a safer work environment, and new…
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Anthony Bourdain has been away from Brasserie Les Halles, where he last worked as a chef nearly a decade ago. Given the opportunity to spend another day on the job; he re-evaluates his skills in the kitchen, his love of…
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While a lagging economy can offer a great excuse for a downturn in sales, you still have to ask the hard questions about why you’re not growing.
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Without a health inspection, your restaurant could fall victim to a foodborne-illness outbreak that could ruin your establishment's reputation and even force you to close your doors.
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  As a young operator, I always hated complaints. Complaints often seemed like a personal affront. I tried very hard to make it right for my guests and when they complained, it felt like a knife in the heart. I…
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All too often we hear managers say things along the lines of "My store would be successful, if it weren't for . . . ". These managers can give you a long list of reasons for their operation's poor performance,…
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There’s no question about it: If you own a restaurant, you want repeat business. Consistently serving good food and providing excellent service is a huge part of fostering customer loyalty. However, it never hurts to stay in touch with your…
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Having your own restaurant is one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable business ventures. Food is a renewable commodity. This means that people won’t stop looking for different sources of food because dining out is entertaining as well as functional.…
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