Category: Trends

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Marketing Restaurants Trends

5 Restaurant Tips to Reduce the Effects of Inflation

Restaurants that have survived the pandemic are now threatened by recent inflation. People are quickly feeling the price increases among everyday items affect their decisions. 

Now restaurant owners are faced with the effect inflation has on the industry. Inflation can cause an increase in costs in all aspects of the restaurant industry. That includes rent, food, labor, utilities, and insurance. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wholesale food costs were 17% higher in March than last year. Along with a rise in hourly earnings for employees than the prior year. 

Establishments deal with rising costs of goods while seeing fewer customers walk through the door. Some people are eating out less and finding it more affordable to cook at home. Cutting back is the first thing people begin to do when prices rise. Diners are more hesitant to dine out because their everyday expenses rapidly increase. With interest rates rising, people find it more challenging to borrow money or lines of credit as well. 

Here are 5 tips to help you fight inflation, save money and keep customers in the door. 

1. Find Ingredient substitutions 

Restaurant owners can agree that food costs are one of the biggest challenges, especially when it comes to inflation. Taking a closer look at your inventory costs can be beneficial by revisiting your cost analysis. Is there any ingredient that you use a lot of that’s seriously cutting into your budget? Or maybe a hot-selling dish brings significant revenue but includes pricey ingredients which impact your profit. 

By exploring ways you can swap ingredients for something less pricey, you will begin to see savings. 

2. Audit your menu 

To do a proper menu audit, take all the factors into account in your menu and the profits you make on each dish. Sort the menu items out from the most highly profitable to the least. When you’re finished, evaluate what you can cut off your menu and save for something more critical, or put the money elsewhere into another dish. 

To do this properly, you’ll have to take a good look at your menu and know the profit you make on each dish. Segment your items into four groups and make adjustments based on their performance. Take into account which dishes really work and which one’s dont. 

3. Consider Price Changes

Increasing your prices may actually prove to be more beneficial to your establishment. Consider adding ingredients to make the cost more valuable, or try including a premium side to bundle and spend more. 

4. Reduce food waste 

If you’re not on top of monitoring your inventory, you may risk a big part of your budget by not accounting for food costs. Don’t just count inventory; dig into your numbers and understand where exactly you are losing money due to waste and over portion sizes. If you notice that guests are finishing their plates, you may need to look into smaller portion sizes. Optimize your recipes and use the most out of all your ingredients. 

5. Try to Reduce Food Costs 

Profitable restaurants usually incur 27%-36% of their revenue on direct food costs. In the current inflationary environment, keeping a close track of our direct food costs is more important than before. Accurate and consistent ordering from reliable vendors should also help. Do not hesitate to ask for price break volumes and freeze food if it makes sense. We occasionally see local merchants and wholesale clubs like Restaurant Depot, Costco and Sam’s Club offering limited-time deals on quality food products. A lot of small independent restaurants we have talked to do not hesitate to buy through such retailers, especially the products which they have tried before.

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Marketing Restaurants Trends

5 Of The Best Apps for Restaurant Owners

As technology is growing every day, sometimes it feels like you can’t keep up with the latest app trends for your business. It seems like there’s always a new app trending, and you find yourself always asking the question, “Is there an app for that?”  Business App development has been booming so there are a lot of options out there available for restaurant owners and diners.

This can make it hard to narrow which App fits best for your needs.

So, which apps are really the best for restaurant owners? Here are the apps that we believe you can best benefit from and utilize to influence and grow your business.

Here are 5 of the best apps to generate more business and make your life as a restaurant owner a little easier.

1. ChowEasy

Want to attract the perfect customer? ChowEasy is an easy and efficient way to grow business by offering a marketing tool that provides promotions for diners looking for your type of restaurant cuisine. Unlike other sites, ChowEasy allows you to directly set up promos on your terms and conditions. This marketing tool allows your business to grow by offering promotions that define your brand. Allowing diners to bid for the food and type of restaurant can match diners with bids that fit them and what they are looking for. Diners save money, and restaurants attract and retain new customers. It’s a win-win for both parties.

2.  Hootsuite

It’s crucial in today’s age to have an active social media presence. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram can gain you exposure and customers that may not know about your restaurant. So being there is a must for any restaurant but keeping up can be a difficult and daunting task.

Apps like Hootsuite allow you to manage posting and engagement, along with being fully involved in your community. Managing all your social media accounts on one easy-to-use platform, and allows you to schedule posts months in advance. Available for Apple and Android products, you can create the online presence you want for your restaurant with help from the App’s tools.

3. Partender

Selling alcohol generates revenue for restaurants because the markup is high and it’s easy to upsell it to your customers. The average revenue that comes with selling alcohol is anywhere from 20 to 25 percent of a restaurant’s income, sometimes even higher.

This App is a life save for restaurant owners serving alcohol and all you need is an iPhone. Partender helps owners manage and track liquor inventory in their bar by measuring their liquor and sales data. Creating this type of data lets you know what is being sold and calculate how much your bartenders are pouring correctly. It’s really an easy, must-have that is worth the monthly investment.

4.  Yelp

Social proof can make or break a restaurant. Managing that is an important part of marketing your restaurant.

Many diners wouldn’t even consider a restaurant until they have checked the reviews on Yelp. That’s because sites like Yelp are powerful and more influential than any other for the restaurant business. Yelp allows you to build customer loyalty and gain new customers with loyal customer reviews. This FREE tool has 132 million monthly visitors; that’s why managing a Yelp account is essential for your restaurant to grow.

5.  Feedly

Stay in the know! There’s so much going on every second, and there’s information being shared that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Don’t be left out on all the latest and greatest industry trends. Now you can stay up to date with Feedly.

Feedly is a power news aggregator, compiling information from sources all over the internet. Choose publications, blogs, and set up keyword alerts for content related to your restaurant. This App is full of helpful information, super user-friendly, and easy to read because of its minimal layout design.

What apps will your restaurant use?

Maybe you’re already using some of these.

When you stumble onto a new app, research it, find its value and determine if you can implement its use in your day-to-day restaurant business. When implementing any new tool for your restaurant, determine your end goal then find the best app to help you accomplish that goal.

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Dine In Trends

5 Women-Owned Restaurants in Atlanta To Check Out During Women’s History Month

Women-owned businesses are a driving force in the U.S. economy. Every day, we rely on women entrepreneurs running their businesses and demonstrating their skills and expertise in the restaurant industry.

First, let’s look at some statistics that show how women have been dominating the business world. 

  • Within the last year, women have started over 1,800 new businesses daily, and these women-run businesses are growing every day.
  • Of these new businesses, 64% of them are women of color.
  • More than 11.6 million firms are owned by women (generating 1.7 trillion in sales) 2017
  • 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S., generating over $300 billion in annual revenue.

We narrowed down five women-owned restaurants (out of the many) in Atlanta that are a force to be reckoned with.

LottaFrutta

When Myrna Perez opened LottaFrutta in 2006, she wanted to infuse her Cuban culture with Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. This staple Latin restaurant has been in the community for the past fifteen years, and it’s a neighborhood favorite.

LottaFrutta serves fresh-cut fruit all day, smoothies, salads, and famously delicious Cuban-style sandwiches.

We recommend trying the Limonatta fresh fruit cup, which features Perez’s signature spicy chile guajillo. It is surprisingly spicy and an excellent combination of cantaloupes, pineapples, papaya and a sweet and spicy combo kick you never knew you needed.

Anna’s BBQ

This BBQ joint is everything we love in Atlanta food, and owner Anna Phelps is no rooky on the grill. Featuring classic items like smokey bbq ribs, mac and cheese, pulled pork, wings, and everything in between.

Since opening in 2013, Phelps has served southern-style meals in this cozy restaurant that feels like home with its warm and inviting comfort food. Anna’s was also voted Atlanta Magazines Best BBQ in 2019, which means these menu items are playing no games in the excellent food department.

Slutty Vegan ATL

This vegan food truck took Atlanta by storm when it opened in 2018. Pinky Cole has made a name for herself by creating a menu that gained a massive following in the ATL vegan community and is now a staple among vegan restaurants and black-owned restaurants. Her customers rave over the secret seasoning uses in her burgers which creates a Caribbean feel with a southern style twist.

To learn more about Pinky Cole, check out her interview with Forbes!

Slutty Vegan’s menu items are full of originals like their Super Slut, a plant-based patty loaded with guacamole, jalapenos, vegan cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and their signature Slut Sauce on a vegan Hawaiian bun.

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours

Executive Chef Deborah VanTrece is putting her signature stamp on soul food and flavor with an elevated twist. After 25 years of experience, VanTrece opened Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. It is now ranked highly among Atlanta restaurants and has been featured on the Cooking Channels Late Nite Eats and Genius Kitchen Carnivorous.

They serve a dinner and brunch menu, many highlights, but the specialty cocktails make their restaurant even more special. Their southern martini includes bacon-infused vodka, brown sugar, apple, sage, and Nux Alpina liquor.

Infusion Crab Atlanta 

Kimberly Knox opened Infusion Crab ATL to serve up what she calls “soulful seafood”. Centering her business around her and her 2 daughters McKenzie and Madison, they created their business centered around family. The three ladies have gained a large following for their family-oriented business that has a knack for making out of this world seafood entrees. 

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Marketing Restaurants Technology Trends

How To Use TikTok To Promote Your Restaurant

We have seen the latest social media trend TikTok everywhere, and it’s another social media marketing tool to use to promote your restaurant. This new app is a GAME CHANGER for restaurant owners, and there are so many incredible ways to let your followers know what’s going on. 

Here are some things we know about TikTok:

  • It has 100 million monthly active users in the U.S., with an 800% increase in users since 2018. 
  • It has 50 million daily users in the U.S. 
  • It has been downloaded over 2 billion times globally. 

Now, it’s time for your restaurant to tap into the new social media platform. Restaurants and other places of business have been using TikTok to grow their advertising and marketing through this outlet, specifically after the pandemic when TikTok grew rapidly. 

There are many cool features in TikTok that allow you to edit videos and share them with a wide range of people. Creators have access to effects, filters, and songs. 

Video is a great marketing tool for your brand and business, and this outlet allows even more content for you to share. TikTok provides user-friendly tools to create short videos. Every user could be a potential ambassador for your brand and spread messages and campaigns about your restaurant. 

Share Recipes and Ingredients 

Sharing recipes and making cooking videos is a great way to launch your restaurant’s TikTok page. It’s easy to make a video together to create a step-by-step way to make a recipe of your choice; these videos get TONS of likes, comments, and shares. 

Users on TikTok love food trends and it’s always something that’s trending on social networks. People love this type of content and hashtags like #food and #foodies will help give your video more views. There are currently over 116.2B views for #FOOD. 

#AtlantaFood is also a trendy hashtag considering all the great food options Atlanta is famous for. Check out Atlanta-based cook on TikTok justlex.x showcase her soul food video content that has some serious drool-worthy food clips. 

Tips and Tricks 

Try chef tips, like demonstrating and teaching fundamental skills like slicing and cutting techniques, or any other technique that can be useful when cooking. 

Here’s @cookingwithshereen on TikTok showing you how to cut grapefruit with her quick chef tips.  

Introduce Menu Items 

Your restaurant menu is continually updating and changing, and TikTok is an excellent way to showcase new or unique items. 

Chefs are Trending 

Showcasing your chef is the way to go. There are endless chef accounts; a good example is @maxthemeatguy, specializing in meats and creating video content to show off his skills. 

Collaborate with Influencers

Teaming up with social media influencers is the new way of promoting your restaurant and business social media profile. 

Reaching out to a younger audience is also a good reason to collaborate with TikTok influencers. Chipotle was the first major restaurant to launch on TikTok in 2019 and has had much success with gaining influencers to collaborate with. 

Dunkin Donuts followed the trend last October and has been promoting its new drink with influencer D’Amelio, who has more than 90 million followers on TikTok. The partnership promoted its new cold brew, which after marketing on TikTok, sales rose 20% the first day. 

Go Behind the Scenes 

Take your TikTok audience backstage and behind the scenes of restaurant operations. Giving people a look inside your team and kitchen makes it more personable and a mini-view of your restaurant’s inside. Making your customers feel they are included in something is crucial to create that relationship between owner and diners. 

Host a Live Event

It’s important to know that your TikTok account must have at least 1,000 followers to host a live event. Once you’re able to host live events, you’ll realize that it’s a great tool when marketing your brand. Having a class or a mini-lesson series is a fun way to create more content on your account, LIVE. 

Now that you have their attention they will search for the desired cuisine via ChowEasy. Make sure they can find you! Learn more about what ChowEasy can do to successfully market your restaurant.

Categories
Dine In Trends

VEGAN? Here Are The Best Options When Dining Out

Switching to a plant-based diet or vegan diet is a huge lifestyle change that alters your eating habits and the way you order out. Dining out with fewer options can be frustrating, but don’t worry, we have your back. There are things you can look for when eating out and ordering off a menu, and we’re here to suggest the best options for you. It’s important to note that getting creative in these instances will be the beginning of you getting more comfortable with your vegan lifestyle. Here are some options that might make things a little easier the next time you dine with friends and family. 

When ordering anything as a vegan, we must tell the people who are making our food. It’s obvious, I know, but sometimes you might think something is already vegan when in fact, it could have a broth or a marinade that contains meat or poultry. Places of business want to accommodate all your needs, and they want to create the best experience possible for their customers. Sometimes restaurants even have a vegan menu that’s not on their regular menu, but you won’t know unless you ask. 

We often see menus that include the “V” next to the dish description or a leaf icon. That will guide you to your best picks. 

Even when the menus aren’t all that vegan-friendly, it’s important to know that most things can be easily made vegetarian/vegan. There is no shame in asking for substitutions, and most of the time, they have options to accommodate you. If you see main dishes that aren’t necessarily vegan, look to the sides. Getting multiple side dishes will still satisfy you as well. 

There are tons of great apps and websites to help you find vegan-friendly restaurants near you. This can be great for travel or getting to know your local vegan places. 

Ok, so what restaurants have the best vegan options? 

Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants 

This one may seem obvious, but we don’t see many vegan/vegetarian restaurants, but there are more and more appearing every day the more common veganism has been becoming. 

Mexican

With Mexican food, it’s simple to eat vegan and not have to worry too much. You can change many traditional Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, and fajitas, and there’s always a vegetable option. 

Be sure to ask for no sour cream or cheese, and sometimes dishes are made with chicken broth, so ask for substitutions. 

Even Mexican starters like salsa, guacamole with tortilla chips are vegan friendly, and veggie bean burritos taste heavenly. 

Thai 

Vegetable pad thai, veggie rolls, vegetable curry, and styles of rice dishes, Thai food is an excellent choice for vegans alike. These are easy cuisines for any vegan to enjoy, and Thai food has endless green options, tofu, and other plant-based foods. 

Just be sure to ask for no egg or fish sauces; most places can use a substitute.

Japanese

It’s surprisingly easy to find plant-based food when ordering Japanese cuisine. You have tons of options like edamame, veggie sushi rolls, fried tofu, vegetable tempura, and seaweed salads. Again, always let the restaurant know your vegan, so they don’t add any eggs, fish sauce, or dried fish flakes commonly used in Asian cuisines. 

Chinese 

That’s right! You can still enjoy your favorite Chinese food vegan style. Your options include vegetable spring rolls, veggie dumplings, soups, fried rice, and noodles. Chinese food has many options for vegans and plant-based dieters; make sure you let them know not to add in the egg, which is often used in Chinese dishes. 

Italian

Classic Italian food is another excellent option for non-meat-eaters and vegans. Italian cuisine includes bruschetta dishes, various salads, grilled artichokes, pasta, vegetable-style pizzas without cheese. When ordering vegan, it’s ok to get creative, and it’s ok to ask for your specific needs to be met. 

Make sure when ordering your salad you use dressings with a vinegar base and contain non-dairy options. 

You may not order the calamari, but you can always ask for them to fry up some zucchini or see if they have other vegetable replacements. 

Greek

Greek food is another excellent option for vegans, with a ton of platters to choose from. It’s often easy to find a Greek restaurant or diner nearby that has all the plant-based ingredients you’re looking for. That includes common Greek dishes like hummus, pita bread, Greek salads, grilled vegetables, and roasted eggplant. The greek food option is one of the healthiest, and most of their dishes provide protein and other nutrients your body loves. 

Greek salad is loaded with tomatoes, onions, olives, peppers, and cucumber; don’t forget to ask to hold the feta sprinkled on top. There are even options for different style wraps on the menu that can include vegetables and rice.  

BBQ or steak restaurants

Ok, this one sounds a little bizarre, but bbq and steak restaurants often have different vegan options. That is deep-fried pickles, french fries, vegetable chili, sweet potato fries, and even vegetables smothered in bbq sauce. 

Be cautious and ask for no cheese or butter often used in these dishes, and batters often contain buttermilk.

American

With traditional American food, you have your selection of vegan picks. The classics include french fries, onion rings, potato wedges, and most of the time, there’s a veggie burger option. There are also tons of sides to choose from, brussel sprouts, steamed spinach, mushrooms, baked potatoes with a little bit of olive oil, YUM! 

Middle Eastern 

One of the best parts about being vegan is that we get to try new things, and middle eastern restaurants have plenty of vegetable options on their menu. You have your choices of falafels, tahini, rice, pita, couscous, all available options for vegans. It’s often served with yogurt or cheese, so be sure to let them know you can do without. 

Ordering out doesn’t have to be a hassle when eating on a vegan diet. You don’t have to go to vegan-only restaurants or miss out on what your friends want to eat. 

Learn more about how ChowEasy can help you grow your dine-in business.

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Trends

9 Restaurant Trends in 2021 You Must Know About

A server holding up a contactless menu on an iPad

With all the resources available online, it’s fairly easy to forecast upcoming restaurant trends for the next year.

Enter 2020 and…well, you get the point.

In this post, we highlight some restaurant industry trends that are here to stay in 2021 and that have been catalyzed by the pandemic. Stick around till you reach the bottom of the page where we share our favorite restaurant adaptions brought on by the pandemic itself. Their genius!

How many of these are you thinking about applying to your own restaurant if you haven’t already?

Ghost Kitchens are Coming to Life

While ChowEasy advocates supporting restaurants through dine-in and caters to foodies who live for the dine-in experience, delivery is important. Delivery has soared so much in popularity that “ghost kitchens” have been given new life.

The use of ghost kitchens is a revolutionary trend in the restaurant delivery scene. Not to be mistaken with virtual kitchens, ghost kitchens do not require a brick-and-mortar location. Kitchen space is rented from landlords from facilities like Kitchen United or Cloud Kitchens. The space is then “occupied” by restaurant brands and orders are sent out from the kitchen. Customers order from 3rd-party apps like DoorDash and Grubhub.

Virtual kitchens usually consist of an exclusive delivery-only menu created by existing restaurants to expand their market.

Can existing restaurants use ghost kitchens? While the answer is yes, it depends. Ghost kitchens are still a new concept and is widely considered an unknown territory. It has been suggested that existing restaurants can greatly benefit but only if they have achieved stellar brand awareness.

Automation is Simplifying Lives

The restaurant industry, in general, is a bit slower to adopt technological advances compared to many industries. The benefits of automation to business operations are well understood however. Automation often allows more efficient operations and reduced costs over time.

Though we’d love to talk about robot servers, for practicality, we’ll just mention simpler modes of automation being widely used by restaurants:

Reservations

Some higher-end casual restaurants are still booking reservations. With limited indoor seating available, it can be a hassle to manage restaurant capacity.

Having reservations taken care of for you is sure to free up some time to focus on more urgent matters. There are many online booking services (i.e EatApp) that allow diners to reserve tables in real-time. Reduce phone call volume by automating reservations!

Delivery Automation

This one has been a game changer for countless restaurants during the pandemic. There are many apps and services that enable diners to order online and have the order sent directly to the restaurant’s POS system.

Kiosks

If you’re an avid reader of our blog, you probably know that we mention kiosks numerous times. Kiosks are a great way to automate orders in restaurants and kill waiting lines. Self-serve kiosks have been shown to increase upselling up to 47%.

With social distancing measures in effect, kiosks may help fast casual restaurants speed up traffic.

Read more about the benefits of kiosks in our blog post titled Increase Restaurant Sales by Taking Control in 2021.

Chatbots

Chatbots are underused by restaurants but the restaurants that have been using them have seen dramatic increases in efficiency.

Chatbots send automated messages to customer inquiries. They can answer general questions like open/close times, delivery/takeout options, and much more. Can you imagine how much time you will free up by having all mundane questions answered for you?

The power of Chatbots doesn’t stop there however. Restaurants have unlimited freedom with custom automated responses and can set them up practically anywhere online. Automated messages can be applied in emails, Facebook messages, texts, phone calls, and more.

Some chatbots can even recognize your most loyal customers and automatically send promos via text, email, or Facebook message.

Zero Waste Kitchens are Hip

By becoming a zero-waste kitchen, you not only attract diners that care about reducing greenhouse emissions, you also can save $7 for every $1 invested.

There are many services that allow restaurants to make better forecasts on food supply and sell their soon-to-be-expired food. Finding every opportunity to save is important in these times and will increase your bottom line significantly in the long-run.

Learn more about zero-waste technology available to all restaurants.

Our Favorite Restaurant Trends Born From the Pandemic

While the trends above were rising even before the pandemic, a few trends were directly started by it. Here are the ones that stood out to us the most:

Food Trucks

Some restaurants have adapted by opening up a food truck station in their parking lot. This was a smart move for numerous reasons.

Food trucks don’t have the same restrictions as dine-in spaces, creating a perfectly valid “loophole.” As people travel to and from work, they could easily spot the food truck for a quick bite.

Cook-it-Yourself Kits

Another creative adaption made by restaurants world wide are cook-it-yourself kits. Got a secret ingredient or special way of preparing pasta that can’t be replicated? Cook-it-yourself kits have had mass appeal for those who want to have a homemade meal from the restaurants they love.

Contactless Menus

Perhaps one of the most important trend to arise from the pandemic are contactless menus. Many restaurants now have QR codes that can be scanned via smartphone to pull up a digital menu.

Looking for a fun way to attract more dine-in customers? ChowEasy is a free app dedicated to helping restaurants get new, quality customers from the local area. Attract passionate foodies with promos that run on your schedule and on your terms with your restaurant name revealed only to committed diners. No upfront costs or commitments! Sign up here. 

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Dine In Diners Organic & Local Restaurants Trends Uncategorized

The Most Cost-Efficient Plastic Straw Alternative is…

The Most Cost-Efficient Plastic Straw Alternative is...

If you haven’t heard yet, you might want to jump on this new restaurant trend fast. Well, it’s not quite a trend yet but it’s right at the tipping point. There is a movement to ban plastic straws and replace them with sustainable alternatives.

Don’t believe us? Then consider the fact that Starbucks announced plans to eliminate plastic straws by 2020 and that McDonald’s has already started mobilizing plastic straw alternatives in Europe. Then there is the State of Seattle, which jumped ahead of all of us by banning plastic straws back in July 2018!

As you may know, many restaurant trends involve going green such as using biodegradable packaging. It’s become so widespread that almost any restaurant you visit today will have an eco-friendly take-out box. Just like this, plastic straw alternatives are the next to take over the restaurant industry.

Which Plastic Straw Alternative is Best For Your Restaurant?

It takes a whopping 200 years for plastic straws to decompose and 500 million are thrown out daily. That’s a gazillion straws in the ocean over two lifespans.

Whether you care for the environment or not, eco-friendly alternatives are a trend and adjusting to them can help you win over customers. In addition, these alternatives are reusable and can help you actually save on costs.

So which is the most cost-efficient plastic straw alternative? Let’s take a look.

Paper Straws

Plastic straw alternative - paper straws

Paper straws are a relatively cheap alternative to plastic straws that are quite high in supply. They are great for the environment for their fast decomposition time in the ocean of 2-6 weeks and won’t harm wildlife if ingested.

What about on the business side of things? Well, just like the great contradiction of saving the environment by taking from forests, it’s not so brilliant.

The straws actually get a little soggy and alter the taste of your customer’s drink. For this reason, restaurants that use paper straws usually provide multiple straws for one drink. So although paper straws are cheap, they can add up to a more costly option for you and the change in taste can give customers a bad experience.

Bamboo Straws

Plastic straw alternative - bamboo straw

The idea of bamboo straws is undoubtly cool and can really add to the aesthetic of an Asian Fusion or Tiki-themed restaurant. In addition to their cool look they are reusable unlike the paper straws.

Being naturally grown and free of preservatives they also offer many attractive natural benefits. These benefits include being naturally anti-microbrial and highly resistant to rotting.

The strength and durability of bamboo also make it great for use with hot beverages. All-in-all they will save you money because they are cheaper than most alternatives and you can reuse them for a long time.

While they do have many great natural benefits, it may not actually be the right fit for your restaurant. Bamboo straws can actually absorb drinks and alter taste. It can even absorb saliva which would pose a health risk. Also, due to having a smaller hole, it is not ideal for thicker drinks like smoothies. So if you serve mostly water and can dedicate time to clean the straws effectively, it might just work out for you.

Pasta Straws

Plastic straw alternative - pasta straw

Unlike bamboo straws, pasta straws don’t alter the taste and they are more durable than paper straws because they hold their shape up to 3 hours. Their make up of wheat and water make it an ideal alternative for eco-conscious restaurant goers for it’s 100% biodegradability.

The issue with pasta straws however, is that it could be a health risk for those who are allergic to gluten. This makes it an alternative that can’t be catered to every guest and therefore isn’t the most efficient for your budget. And even though 1 pasta straw lasts as long as 3-5 paper straws, it is still a 1-time use alternative.

So even though it may be a better alternative for the environment, it isn’t outstanding for the bank. The goal is to find the plastic straw alternative that hits the sweet spot of benefiting both the green in the world and in your wallet.

Glass Straws

a glass straw in a drink

Glass straws are perhaps the most versatile of them all. They can be made with various colors and withstand both hot and cold beverage temperatures. They also don’t alter taste like paper and bamboo straws do.

All in all, they are a pretty good cost-efficient plastic straw alternative that can save you a lot of money because of their re-usability and easy cleaning. The only real big disadvantage is that, well, they are glass and still breakable. If your kitchen is careful enough, the glass straws may be a great long-term investment.

Metal Straws

metallic straws with cleaners

There are metal butter knives, forks, spoons, and cups so why couldn’t metal straws be a norm? Obviously the strongest of all the straws mentioned in this post, metal straws are reusable and if needed to be disposed of, the most recycle-friendly.

Metal straws do have some drawbacks however. They are very sensitive to temperature and can become hot or cold with the beverage. Hot beverages in particular could pose burn risks and would be a restaurant liability.

What is the Most Cost-Efficient Plastic Straw Alternative?

The best plastic straw alternative that will save your restaurant the most money varies widely across manufacturers since it is still considered a novelty. Regardless of the price differences, we can conclude that reusable straws will be a better long-term investment than single-use straws.

This leaves glass and metal straws the winners of this plastic straw alternative shootout. Both are highly versatile and reusable but have their own unique disadvantages. Which one do you want to use in your restaurant?

Categories
Restaurants Technology Trends

New Restaurant Technology Innovations To Look Out For

A robot server in a restaurant
New restaurant technology innovations are going to change the industry forever
Currently emerging restaurant tech trends are going to change the industry forever

With the advancement of technology, nearly all industries can find new ways to increase efficiency and cut expenses. The restaurant industry is no exception. Ever wanted to hear every word on T.V in a crowded bar? Have you ever wished you could call over your server without saying a word at all? Take a look at some of these groundbreaking restaurant technology innovations that will forever change the industry.

Tablee – Get The Server’s Attention Without Gestures

Tablee, an innovative concept for getting the server’s attention

Ever have trouble getting the server’s attention? We totally understand and it’s not their fault with all the craziness on a busy weekend night. This however can sometimes be an inconvenience and is why Tablee was invented. With Tablee, diners will now be able to send a notification to the server through their app. Higher tips for faster service? We can only see both servers and diners benefiting greatly from this new restaurant technology trend.

Synk Delivery -Save That Gas Mileage

New Restaurant technology innovations like the Synk app helps restaurants deliver their own food efficiently
Restaurants will be able to efficiently map out deliveries with Synk and cut out excess expenses that most delivery apps have

The idea behind the Synk Delivery app help restaurants increase efficiency within the area that delivery companies fall short. What it does is group multiple orders from the same location for single delivery. This will allow restaurants to use their own drivers for bulk orders to the same office building, University, apartment, etc. Additionally, restaurants will be able to control radius, times, and limits of orders which will offer more power than popular delivery apps. Watch your back UberEats and DoorDash!

Tunity – Tune To What You Want To Hear

Customer syncing with a muted tv at a restaurant so he can hear the audio with the innovative Tunity App
Ever wish you could hear the T.V at the bar or gym?

Here’s a really cool one that pretty much everyone can relate to. In fact, it’s already being widely used by sports fans from all over. Imagine sitting in a restaurant or bar and finding that 1 out of 20 T.V screens that’s playing what you like. We’ve all wished we could not only see it but hear it as well. Well, you actually can now with the Tunity App! Tune in to live audio from any T.V from sports bars to gyms. The app even tracks viewing patterns which can be used for targeting offers based on these patterns. Yet another clever way to have targeted ads directed to us…

Kiosks – Even Less Human Interaction?

Use of Kiosks are a restaurant tech trend that will surely become a norm in the near future

The number of restaurants using kiosks have increased and are expected to keep on popping. Customers can simply make orders through a touch screen interface usually on the top of the order counter. It even allows the customer to make requests based on their preference (i.e burger without onions). The benefits range from reduced human error caused by miscommunication to consistent service. Some kiosks even have analytics software built into it, providing restaurants useful insights of guest trends and behaviors. Some claim kiosks only distance us further from human interaction. However, it’s been counter-argued that front line staff would be more freed up to actively engage in conversation with the customer.

PathSpot – Could This Help In Times Like The Corona Virus Epidemic?

Detecting pathogens will be a huge new restaurant tech trend with PathSpot taking the lead
Restaurant health hazards will be better prevented through the use of technology

Last on this list of new restaurant technology innovations is one that couldn’t be more perfectly timed. With the current Corona Virus (COVID-19) scare, many restaurants are forced to shut down. We understand that these measures are taken to prevent the spread from one person to another. But what if the restaurant or certain foods were the culprit? Introducing PathSpot, restaurant tech invented to help prevent food safety disasters in restaurants. If it works as intended, it can instantly screen for norovirus, E. Coli, listeria, hepatitis A, and salmonella. Through hand scanning technology, pathogens are indicated. Restaurants that adopt this could have employees wave hands under the scanner and prevent devastating health hazards.

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Dine In Diners Marketing Organic & Local Restaurants Technology Trends Uncategorized

7 Ways To Attract Millennials To Your Restaurant

Attract Millennials to your restaurant with social media, healthy options, and social responsibility
Social media, health trends, and social responsibility are among a few things that millennials value in a restaurant

According to Forbes, “millennials have over $200 billion in buying power and will make up 75% of the workforce by 2025.” This means that millennials are an important target for restaurants and learning how to reach them will be crucial. So how do you attract millennials to your restaurant? With endless dining options available at the fingertips, you need to stand out but also align with their values. Keep reading to learn 7 things you can do to keep them coming back!

Use High Quality Ingredients

Appeal to the health conscious generation by using high quality ingredients

Studies have shown that Millennials are willing to fork over more money for high quality food. Since healthy eating is a trend more than ever before, be sure to use wholesome ingredients for everything. These include organic vegetables and meats that are free of hormones/anti-biotics. It would also help to emphasize phrases like “sourced locally” and “non-GMO” in the menu.

Boost Social Media Presence

Stay engaged and present in your millennial guests’ lives through social media

Since Millenials and Gen Z are tuned into the world of social media, grab their attention there. Your internet presence speaks volumes to these generations. Promote your restaurant and menu in engaging ways like posting a question or a raffle for a free giveaway. Also leave trails in your restaurant that lead to your social media. A couple ideas include inserting hashtags or your social media handle in menus or cups. Finally, update your directory listings and ask guests for 5-star reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Prep Food For The Gram

Posting food photos on social media is still a trend and shows no signs of dying

You’ve seen it. Pictures of food being posted by the millions. Food pictures are hot content for Instagram and Facebook feeds so why not use this in your favor? First, you’ll want to make sure the presentation of your dishes are worthy of a photo. Then, take a handful of snapshots yourself and experiment with various lighting edits and filters. Don’t be afraid to spend significant time on these. The photo you select needs to be captivating enough to stop people from scrolling. And you have lots of competition.

Build a Brand and Tell a Story

Fatt Matt’s reinforces their brand through merch items and even their very own BBQ sauce

Your restaurant is a brand and should have a compelling story. Make sure your social media, theme colors, and logo all reinforce the story of your brand. Millennials love their brands and aren’t afraid to endorse them through purchased merchandise. Make T-shirts, stickers, and other merchandise to make them a part of the story. You can somewhat easily attract millennials to your restaurant but a cool story will keep them.

Host An Experience

Create an experience to keep them coming back for more

To keep millennials coming back, you have to transcend beyond just providing a great meal. You have to provide an experience. It’s been shown that millennials prefer to live for new and unique experiences. This priority extends to eating out which you can thank the wave of pop-ups, food trucks, and food festivals for. If you don’t know where to start, just put some heart and soul in the atmosphere. You can use ambiance, art displays, music and aesthetic interior design to help create an experience. Additionally, you can keep them coming back through game nights, live music, art shows, and open mic nights. When in comes down to it, you want to envelop them in an immersive world they can’t to return to.

Have A Unique Menu

Millennials like taking risks with bizarre novelty menu items like the donut burger from “Sublime Donut Burger” in Atlanta

As mentioned in the paragraph before, Millennials live for experiences. This means that novel menu items will go a long way with this generation. This generation is the most diverse and open to new cultural cuisines. With that being said, offer something fusion and even quirky. To top it off, give your dishes distinct names that’ll catch their attention. You don’t want to only offer what millions of restaurants can. For instance, offering only pizza in a market where you can get pizza anywhere. This is why many restaurant chains are closing.

Be Socially Responsible

Millennials intentionally endorse restaurants that aim to protect the environment and support social causes

Being a restaurant that demonstrates corporate responsibility will go a long way. With the accessibility of information through the internet, any news of unethical or controversial actions can be found. Studies show that millennials would rather support businesses that do good and have no hesitancy to boycott. Due to this, establishing a good online reputation and supporting a good cause would be key for longevity. To start, you can make it known that you use biodegradable wear and consistency recycle. “Millennials don’t mind spending more money on things that are good for the planet.”

Take Your Restaurant To The Next Level

Going through the list, it can seem like a demanding task to attract millennials to your restaurant. Though it takes a lot to catch the attention of this generation, your restaurant will improve in many ways. Have fun with it while you become more than just a restaurant, but a brand!

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Diners Restaurants Trends

Whole30, Keto, and Paleo – Demystify The Menu!

“I’m not dieting, it’s a lifestyle!”

-Your health conscious friend

Many Restaurants Are Adapting To Lifestyle Diet Trends – What Are They?

With increased awareness of how different foods affect our biology, many people have adopted Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 lifestyles. These lifestyle diets serve a variety of health-related functions and people with specific needs are infusing them within their everyday life.

Due to their popularity, many restaurants now provide Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 menu options to harmonize with their guest’s lifestyles.

Chipotle for instance, introduced “Lifestyle Bowls” containing ingredients that adhere to the diet regimen of customers following a Keto, Paleo, or Whole30 lifestyle.

It is no question that restaurants are starting to see the value in adapting to popular trends as more people convert. Have you seen these diet options in the menu but don’t know enough about them to place an order? Learn to demystify the menu today!

The Ketogenic Diet

More Fat = Weight Loss

Eat more fat to lose weight? Yes, the healthy kind mind you. Like there are good and bad carbs, there are healthy fats that are preferable to saturated and trans fats.

The ketogenic diet has gained a lot of traction with those who want to lose weight or stay lean. The diet consists of high fat, moderate protein, and low carbs. As little as only 20-50 grams of carbohydrates are consumed daily which forces the body into ketosis.

During ketosis, fat is broken down into ketones, which are then used as the body’s main energy source. In other words, the purpose of a keto diet is to essentially trigger the body to use fats instead of carbohydrates for energy.

The Paleo Diet

Eat like a caveman for optimal health!

Inspired by our paleolithic ancestors, the paleo diet suggests that peak health is obtainable from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle that humans evolved with. It’s followers blame obesity and metabolic diseases on food processing instigated by the Agricultural Revolution.

The paleo diet consists of foods that are rich in lean meats and seafood, accompanied with plenty of fruits and non-starchy vegetables. It is protein-rich, moderate in healthy fats, and low in carbohydrates.

The Whole30 Diet

Identify your trigger foods with Whole30

Cleanse your body. The whole30 diet is all about resetting your metabolic system by eating with a quality over quantity mindset. By temporarily adopting a pattern of quality eating, the body is being cleansed of inflammatory or digestive issues left by certain foods.

Many people participate in the cleanse to help identify the specific foods that are acting as triggers for a particular reaction. The foods to be avoided in a whole30 diet include: Added sugar, legumes, alcohol (cooking and drinking), dairy, soy, and grains.

Ingredients of processed foods such as carrageenan, MSG, and sulfites are also avoided. Lean meat, seafood, eggs, veggies, fruits, and natural fats are sought out in this diet regime.

Will Your Restaurant Menu Adapt To Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 lifestyles?

Even with the endless food options available from a variety of restaurants ranging anywhere from traditional American to fusion, people are restricting themselves in accordance with their specific dietary needs.

Like no other time in history, there is an increased awareness of the foods we are consuming and how it affects our individual bodies. Through an increase in awareness, people have become empowered over specific health limitations in their lives by choosing what to restrict and what to consume more of.

Will we see more restaurants adapt their menus to these trends to accommodate more guests? The people who follow these lifestyle diets constantly face limited options when eating out with friends. By modifying your menu to be Keto, Paleo, or Whole30 friendly, you can help others reach their health goals while increasing your business.

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