Operations & service
The Pass: How Great Kitchens Communicate Under Pressure
Kitchens say 'heard' and think the loop is closed. It is only half closed. Here is how the pass works, and what to borrow from hospitals to fix it.
Blog
Operations & service
Service Recovery: A 5-Step Framework for Turning Complaints into Loyalty
A well-handled complaint is the most dependable route to a guest who returns. A five-step routine for restaurants and hotels, with a candid look at what the research does and does not prove.
Operations & service
How to Run a Pre-Shift Meeting Staff Actually Remember
Pre-shift meetings often turn into announcements that evaporate by the first table. A shorter, changes-only format with a quick check for understanding sticks better.
Operations & service
Sustainable Restaurant Operations: Energy, Water and Waste
Start with the bin, then the tap, then the meter. A practical order of work for a sustainable restaurant, with the published evidence on what pays back.
Menu, food & drink
Menu Engineering Explained: How to Design a Menu That Sells Itself
Menu engineering ranks each dish by how often it sells and how much cash it earns. Here is the method, a worked example, and why a low food cost percentage can point you the wrong way.
Menu, food & drink
Food Cost Percentage: Formula, Benchmarks and How to Lower It
Food cost percentage tells you how much of each sale goes on ingredients. The useful number is the gap between what it should be and what it is.
Menu, food & drink
How to Price a Menu: 6 Methods Beyond Multiplying Cost by Three
Cost times three gives you a number, not a price. Treat it as a floor, then add six methods that set prices guests accept and the business can live on.
Menu, food & drink
Bar Profit: Pour Costs, Par Levels and a Beverage Program That Pays
A bar's profit margin is set by three numbers: pour cost, par levels and variance. Here are the formulas, a worked example and a weekly routine that finds the leaks.
Menu, food & drink
Wine Lists That Sell: Curating for Margin and Memory
A good wine list earns on cheap bottles and wins loyalty on memorable ones. Here is how to price the ladder, what the research supports and how to build a list guests remember.
Menu, food & drink
Zero-Proof Hospitality: Building a Non-Alcoholic Menu Guests Respect
Venues now commonly offer something alcohol-free. Few offer something worth ordering. Here is how to build a non-alcoholic drinks menu with the same care as the wine list.
Menu, food & drink
Coffee Shop Business Model: The Unit Economics of a Specialty Café
Coffee is cheap to make and expensive to serve. A coffee shop business plan should model the barista's minutes, not the beans. Here is the arithmetic behind a specialty café.
Menu, food & drink
Seasonal Menus: A Calm System for Changing Dishes Without Chaos
Seasonal menus fail when everything changes at once. A slot-based system lets ingredients rotate while stations, prep and costs stay steady.