Back of House

  • A look at today’s rising menu prices

    March 17, 2023
    As rising food costs continue to make headlines, many restaurants have raised their menu prices to help find a balance and offset their increased expenses. Rather than simply upping prices across the board, it’s a good time for restaurants to evaluate their margins, engineer their menus, and adjust pricing to better the bottom line. RELATED: Is ...
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  • St. Patrick’s Day menu ideas for your restaurant

    March 14, 2023
    By Mark Plumlee Everyone’s a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, which means that it’s the perfect time to create a specialty holiday menu inspired by the Emerald Isle! Irish beer and whiskey are a great start but don’t stop there. Be sure to add plenty of Irish and Irish-inspired dishes to round out your menu ...
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  • 2023’s top trends add flavour and colour to restaurant menus

    March 1, 2023
    Each year we see new colours, flavours and ingredients topping the menu trends list, so what’s in store for 2023 menus? Experts predict everything from global influences to splashy colours to nostalgic favourites, and more. Try out some of these top 2023 trends at your restaurant to stay current, get your customers talking, and appeal to ...
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  • Canadian diners are ordering more items off the menu

    February 28, 2023
    According to Technomic’s latest report, the last quarter of 2022 showed diners are ordering more off the menu, even as menu prices saw an increase of about six percent across the board. Only the kids’ menu category saw a decline in menu counts, finishing off the year with numbers down 2.2 percent overall. According to the ...
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  • Attract couples to your restaurant with date nights

    February 27, 2023
    By Mark Plumlee Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, it’s time to celebrate anniversaries and date nights for the rest of the year. Many couples struggle to find time to plan a special evening, but your restaurant can help with easy and romantic options, while also promoting and building your business. With tougher competition than ever in ...
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  • Why gluten-free options should be on your menu

    February 21, 2023
    By Dawn Castell Do you offer gluten-free options on your menu? With consumer dietary needs ever-increasing, it’s important that your menu reflects your customers’ needs. Gluten intolerances are one thing you may want to consider when creating and engineering your menu. What is gluten intolerance? Gluten is a type of protein found in certain grains, including wheat, barley, ...
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  • How baked goods can sweeten your cheque totals

    February 6, 2023
    Amid continued inflation, one category remains a constant in Canadian diets: baked goods. Indulging in sweet treats is a way for consumers to treat themselves without breaking the bank, according to Jo-Ann McArthur, co-founder and president of Nourish Food Marketing. “It’s worth it to them,” she says. The baked goods category allows restaurants the opportunity to ...
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  • Plating your food the way customers want to see it

    January 24, 2023
    What factors go into planning your plating? Do you consider what customers might find appealing or what your presentation says about your restaurant? Studies show that 18 per cent of diners think that when food looks better, it tastes better. Making your plating a priority means taking several factors into consideration.   The plates Consider the size of ...
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  • Attract more families to your restaurant

    January 20, 2023
    Despite the struggle restaurateurs have faced in recent years, fast casual restaurants are a growing segment of the market, and families are a large part of their business. Even though restaurant traffic is down overall by four per cent, fast-casual traffic has seen an increase of 9 per cent in the last three years. In this ...
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  • Food costs continue to soar, even as Canada’s inflation rate slows

    January 19, 2023
    Canada’s inflation rate slowed to 6.3 per cent in December (the lowest it’s been since February 2022), with the cost of living declining 0.6 per cent in November and December. According to reports, the reduced rates are directly related to lower gasoline prices, resulting in December’s lowest one-month dip since April 2020. Food prices, however, continue ...
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  • Restaurant success through the pandemic and beyond

    January 17, 2023
    If the foodservice industry has learned anything in recent years, it’s that resilience and creativity can mean the difference between success and failure. The restaurants and managers who were able to forge a new path, pivot, and try new things are still standing today, despite continued labour shortages, inflation, and supply chain delays.   Restobiz had ...
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  • Will 2023 bring the foodservice industry closer to recovery?

    January 9, 2023
    As the foodservice industry continues to move towards a full recovery, restaurants are gearing up for a challenging 2023. Restaurateurs are not especially optimistic, with only 16 per cent expecting profits to increase and 50 per cent preparing to lose money next year. In an effort to boost bottom lines, over 30 per cent have canceled ...
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  • Making the most of your inventory management

    January 5, 2023
    These days, amid labour shortages, inflation, and supply chain disruptions, it’s more important than ever to get a handle on the things you can control, like inventory management. Managing your restaurant’s inventory efficiently could have a major effect on your bottom line. Effectively managing your inventory means streamlining purchasing, monitoring storage, and efficiently using your goods. Maybe ...
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  • Plant-based dishes appeal to a broad array of diners

    January 3, 2023
    In recent years, with more consumers adopting vegan and vegetarian diets, plant-based dishes have steadily gained menu real estate. However, it looks like the increased demand comes from a general shift towards healthy eating, rather than from vegans or vegetarians. RELATED: Consumers say plant-based diets are here to stay Recently, 29 per cent of consumers said that ...
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  • Is employee burnout hurting your business?

    December 19, 2022
    Following the last few years of struggling to remain open, pivoting their business models, handling supply chain delays, tackling labour shortages, and managing food inflation, it’s safe to say that many in the foodservice industry are experiencing burnout. Despite adding 74,000 foodservice jobs in the summer of 2022, 65 per cent of operators report still not ...
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