Front of House

  • Consumers raise hygiene standards for restaurants

    March 22, 2023
    These days, consumers are looking for higher levels of hygiene from the businesses they frequent, including the restaurants they visit. In the past, a quick swipe of the table with a damp cloth did the trick for many, but consumers now want to feel like they are entering a safe and sanitized environment when they ...
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  • 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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  • Fast-food restaurants face competition from convenience stores

    March 8, 2023
    The fast-food market is becoming even more competitive, as convenience stores continue to get attention in this space. With persistent labour shortages, supply chain delays, and the significant growth of off-premise dining, many stores are expanding, capitalizing on higher food margins to help grow their profits. Can convenience stores deliver what diners are looking for? Consumers ...
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  • Lower wait times to raise your restaurant’s revenue

    March 3, 2023
    As a restaurateur, prioritizing your guest experience is vital in garnering return visits, and longer wait times could be hindering your restaurant’s success. Nobody likes waiting, and your diners are no exception. In fact, a study of 94,000 diners found that the revenue of a popular restaurant increased by 15 per cent when wait times ...
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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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  • Restaurant design for the post-pandemic consumer

    February 28, 2023
    By Tom Nightingale Perfecting your restaurant design can be tricky but it is a vital step for attracting and retaining customers. How can restaurateurs ensure they are appealing to the contemporary consumer and providing an atmosphere and aesthetic that diners want to experience? Datassential’s Trendspotting report offered a lowdown on some key and emerging trends in restaurant design ...
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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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  • What customers are looking for from restaurants

    February 24, 2023
    By Megan Prevost If customers from 2019 time-traveled to today and stopped in at their favourite restaurants, they would immediately recognize some key differences. Over the past few years, the restaurant industry has morphed, at first changing out of necessity and quickly becoming more of a matter of preference. Because of this ongoing evolution, it can be ...
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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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  • Vaulting the staffing hurdles to find a way forward

    February 7, 2023
    By David Hopkins The restaurant industry is facing a significant crisis: staffing. It’s a trend that has been particularly exacerbated over the last several months and, unfortunately, shows little sign of vanishing soon – foodservice operations across the country are struggling to find, hire, and retain staff. ​So, why is this happening, and what can restaurants do ...
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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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  • 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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