Join us as we explore what these pop-ups are, how they work, their benefits, and provide practical advice on location selection, marketing, and legal requirements. What is an outdoor pop-up restaurant? As mentioned before, outdoor restaurant pop-ups are temporary dining setups located in parks or outdoor spaces, offering a unique culinary experience outside the traditional brick-and-mortar environment. These pop-ups can range from a single chef’s table to a mini food festival featuring multiple vendors. Historically, these pop-ups started as a way for chefs to test new menu items and restauran ..read more

Joining forces with other businesses helps allow owners to pool resources and create new ways to attract and delight customers. There are a host of potential benefits of small business collaboration–not just for each of the businesses involved, but also for the local community.  Here are six small business partnership examples to inspire you. 1. Share your space Collaborating with businesses that offer complementary goods and services allows you to combine–and grow–your common base of customers. People who buy clothing from a local retailer are also likely to be interested in accessories ..read more

Luckily in 2024, the U.S. restaurant industry continues to evolve and is on the brink of passing a historical $1 trillion in sales, with certain business models standing out for their profitability. Whether you’re interested in quick service or full service, this guide will help you navigate the 15 most profitable restaurant types to open in 2024 based on data. Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) Quick Service Restaurants are usually characterized by their speed of service, convenience, and affordability, setting them apart from other restaurant models. They include a variety of formats such as f ..read more

Florida is home to a broad range of cuisines and eateries. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, Florida has more than 48,000 restaurant locations generating a whopping $77 billion in revenue. What’s more, Florida welcomed an estimated 140.6 million visitors (not including residents) in 2023–that’s a lot of potential restaurant guests. So, if you’re thinking of opening a restaurant in Florida, we’ve got you covered with information on how to open a restaurant in Florida. Here’s a list of foundational items you’ll need to consider or have nailed down when opening a restaura ..read more

Among these is the migration away from third-party ordering apps, as 71% of customers prefer a restaurant’s own website or app due to the personalization, cost efficiency, and convenience they offer.  This data suggests that restaurants not only need to prioritize offering online ordering options directly through their own platforms, but also highlights a major opportunity to strategically shift operations to support the demand.  This has spawned the concept of secondary online ordering (OLO) kitchens designed to keep up with pick-up and delivery orders without impacting the experien ..read more

Most great restaurants need great restaurant managers. These employees are generally entrusted to mitigate customer complaints, create shift schedules, handle cash drawers and bank deposits, help employees navigate interpersonal conflicts, and even hire employees on behalf of ownership. The question is, how do you find a good one? Hiring a restaurant leadership team can be overwhelming, but great people are out there to steward your business and satisfy your customers. Here are a few steps and strategies to find—and retain—managers you trust. Decide what restaurant leadership roles you need&nb ..read more

If you’re already taking weekly inventories, this hack probably won’t be super helpful. But, for operators who are short on time or resources and still want to make an impact in between monthly counts, here’s our hack: do a quick count of your top five highest cost key items before you make an order. With this restaurant inventory management hack, you can sustainably manage waste, maximize profitability, and wrangle wiley food costs. Here’s how to do it in three easy steps. Step 1: Take note of your top five highest cost products If you’re tracking your COGS either with a restaurant management ..read more

Like any form of technology or tool for a restaurant, there’s typically an up-front investment for installing and maintaining a point of sale system. Restaurant POS systems enable credit card and digital transactions, and they’re an essential tool for most restaurants today. While restaurant owners will need to account for up-front and potentially ongoing costs, the benefits of POS systems in restaurants can result in increased sales, improved revenue, better customer satisfaction, increased referrals, and more. How much does a restaurant POS system cost? There are typically a few costs associ ..read more

Figuring out which opportunities are right for your eatery can help increase profitability and bring in new customers. Here’s where to start.  What are the benefits of additional revenue streams? Any business that successfully launches new revenue streams can benefit from increased profit, new customers, and a financial safety net in case something goes wrong. In the restaurant industry, expanding beyond dine-in sales can help your business survive economic downturns or unexpected situations, like broken kitchen equipment, employee turnover, or even a pandemic.  Alternative restauran ..read more

Business travelers? They’re the dreamiest. They’ll fill bar seats that other customers may find less desirable, quietly relax or have a friendly chat with the bartender, and happily consent to upsells, as they’re often paying with a company per diem. More and more people traveling for work are folding sightseeing and entertainment into their trips as part of the “bleisure” travel trend. As food tourism also continues to grow, restaurants are well positioned to receive valuable business from work travelers. Tourists and business travelers have distinct needs and desires, but they’ll all find yo ..read more