Resources — Foodservice Articles & Resources

Operators of commercial kitchens make large investments in appliances and equipment. From this investment, they want to see top performance and get the longest life possible out of these products. An important aspect of achieving the desirable performance, longevity and safety of foodservice equipment is ensuring the proper power supply.

Understanding and calculating amps, volts and watts can save restaurant operators time and money.  Find out how.

Induction cooking holds so many advantages for commercial kitchens that it’s a bit of a mystery why it hasn’t caught on faster than it has. Considering the innate conservatism of the culinary community? It seems like the logical choice.  Find out how it can work for your business.

 

Interacting with a friendly, knowledgeable server is one of the pleasures of dining out. We’re happy to take their advice on the restaurant’s signature dishes, the evening’s specials, what wine pairs perfectly with our choices and the most delicious dessert. If they also happen to be well-trained in selling, they can easily bump up a table’s check average, resulting in a bigger tip and higher profits. The good news is that any restaurateur, from quick-service to fine dining, can use these tried-and-true strategies to boost their bottom line.

Meal kits are big business.

In early 2020, that year’s meal kit market in Canada was estimated to exceed $400 M. The estimate for the United States required a different letter of the alphabet, at over $2 B. Meal kits are big business, and those numbers didn’t even take the full effect of increased demand during the pandemic into account. 

Projections are for the market value of this service to grow vigorously over the next few years. If this whets your appetite for a bite of the market, why not step up to the table? While the multinational players in the meal kit industry may come to mind first, there’s no reason that local eateries can’t get a slice (or, more aptly, a sliver) of the pie. 

So, what can restaurant owners do to gain control over their profit margins by cutting labour costs? Proper hiring, cross training, smart scheduling, automation and streamlining operations.

A restaurant’s menu is essentially the first impression you have to make on a guest, giving insight into not only your food, but also the vibe of your space. 

Not all menus are equal, however: having a well-designed and properly engineered menu will bring more guests through your door — and have them spend more money each visit. 

Here are some helpful tips for how to design a menu for maximum efficiency, whether having your menu online vs. print is more effective… and more! 

Restaurant meals, whether dine-in, takeout or delivery, offer busy, hardworking parents a break from the chores of planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning. Restaurants are a treat, a chance to socialize and maybe even taste something new. 

Pre-pandemic, Statistics Canada reported that more than half of Canadians (54 percent) were dining in restaurants or ordering takeout at least once a week. Once the pandemic hit, the amount of takeout increased dramatically, a trend that isn’t going away even as restaurants re-open. 

Attracting families to your restaurant can be good business. But how do you keep them happy, healthy and coming back for more? It starts with a well-thought-out menu. 

Whether you’ve dreamed of selling tacos from a food truck or preparing elegant appetizers for wedding receptions, catering can be a lucrative business. Keep reading to learn the key steps to start catering or add catering to your foodservice business.

In recent years, monthly subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have become part of our lives. At the same time, sales of weekly meal kits from the likes of Hello Fresh and Blue Apron have soared. 

Some restaurants and bars are adapting the subscription model to boost their revenue stream. Here's what you need to know.

Food safety matters to everyone.  Food can become contaminated at any time during handling, storing and cooking. It’s essential that all food handlers understand the importance of food safety. Use this checklist as a reminder of the basic rules to keep customers (and staff) safe and healthy. 

Takeout is big business in the food and beverage industry. With in-house and patio dining restrictions and the growth of delivery platforms, the takeout trend has exploded over the past year. 

Any restaurant that hopes to survive the uncertain months ahead should be offering some sort of takeout and/or food delivery option. But not every dish is ready for its moment in the back of a delivery vehicle. Here’s how to optimize your takeout and delivery menu. 

Ghost kitchens are a profitable option for many foodservice operators in today’s rapidly changing food service climate.  

Ghost kitchen or ghost restaurant simply means a restaurant with only a kitchen, no dining area. But you may have heard them called other names – cloud kitchen, dark kitchen, virtual kitchen, commissary and even shadow kitchens.  

Find out what you need to know about this popular restaurant concept.