How to calculate menu item contribution margin (and use it to price smarter)
How to calculate menu item contribution margin A catering director once told me that her most popular pasta lost money on every plate, while…
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Food, places
& what fills them.
Practical thinking for the people who serve, sell, make and move food — plus the dishes, products and details worth crossing town for.
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True food kitchen: what the term really means and how it shapes a modern restaurant
True food kitchen: what the term actually points to A cook in Portland slices golden beets over a sheet tray while a server writes…
How to choose food places worth coming back to
You walk up to a restaurant you have never tried, glance at the menu taped to the window, and make a decision in about…
Slow weekday restaurant promotion ideas without discounts
Slow weekday restaurant promotion ideas without discounts Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. The dining room holds forty covers. Twelve are seated. The chef has prepped…
Food open now: how to find late-night kitchens and last-minute meals
Food open now: a practical way to find a real meal at the last minute It is 10:47 p.m. on a Tuesday. The kitchen…
Chipotle catering: how the program works and what to expect
When a team lead types “chipotle catering” into a search bar, the question is rarely academic. Someone is feeding a group this week, and…
How to track repeat restaurant customers without an app
Most restaurants already have the data they need to recognize regulars. The receipts, the card swipes, the name on a reservation, the bartender who…
Japanese food: a practical guide to the dishes, customs, and meal structure
A traveler staring at a wooden menu board outside a small japanese food restaurant in Osaka often has the same problem as a first-time…
Food nesr me: how to find a restaurant that is actually worth the drive
The first thing most people do when hunger hits and the fridge is empty is type food nesr me into a phone and scroll.…
Restaurant menu description template for high margin dishes
A 32-seat neighborhood bistro quietly raised its average check by 11 percent in a single quarter without changing a single plate on the line.…