A reader posted the question, “Can trade dollars paid as wages count toward minimum wage requirements?” The question was posed in response to our article, Barter Is One Answer For Restaurant Owners’ Challenges. What do you (more…)

While enjoying a good cup of coffee this morning at the Amsterdam Coffee House I found the comments of Michael Sanson, Editor-In-Chief of Restaurant Hospitality most interesting.

According to Sanson, despite ever-rising food costs, many restaurant owners feel the availability of labor and related immigration laws will be their top worry in 2008. Especially the dwindling supply of experienced line cooks.

Further complicating the situation is the “top chef phenomenon” where television shows (more…)

Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Check E. Cheese, is using his innovative mind once again. As the founder of uWink, his latest brainstorm is aiding restaurants–tableside touch screens.

Now the placement of one’s food order can be made faster and more efficiently, and eliminate the possibility of human (waiter) error.

The National Restaurant Association has labeled self-service technology as one of the industry’s top trends to watch, from (more…)

An extremely successful family-owned restaurant chain is Lawry’s Restaurant. (Some customers refer to the company as Lawry’s Prime Rib.) They’ve been around for eight decades with locations in Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas. Overseas sites include Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo and, soon, Hong Kong.

They also own Five Crowns in Orange Country (CA) and the Tam O’Shanter Inn in Los Angeles.

In addition to their longevity they’ve been (more…)

Barter is a must if you are to maximize your restaurant’s bottom line, because barter purchases are done at your company’s variable cost. For success in any business one needs to advertise, to get customers into your establishment before they can purchase your services or product. Even if (especially if) you have a limited budget, you still need to advertise or your business will have limited success.

If you are operating on a tight budget, it is especially important that your restaurant business stands out from all others. People need to see your restaurant as a special place (more…)

Food service supplies distributor Mountain States Distributing Co. has launched a new website which will provide restaurateurs and others with links and quick access to economical, high-caliber equipment suppliers.

With such access to food service and restaurant equipment suppliers who offer low-cost, high-quality goods and services, customers can save time and money. They’ll now be able to contact the right restaurant equipment or food service supplier, submit an informed order for supplies or equipment, expect responsive customer service, and be assured of (more…)

If by Saturday’s end Maine’s organic farmers weren’t convinced they were on the right track, Sunday’s speakers at the 18th annual Farmer-to-Farmer Conference, held in Bethel, Maine, sealed the deal.

Maine consumers for the first time are demanding organic products at a rate that (more…)

San Francisco is one great city and the area’s cuisine is among the best in the USA. A new environmental restaurant is now open for your next trip to the Bay Area.

Fish & Farm is a unique restaurant passionate about food, farms, and the environment, is now open at 339 Taylor Street - two blocks away from Union Square. This chic, intimate establishment will bring exclusive, small farm sourced food at (more…)