If you are interested in having your voice heard on Restaurant Dive's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

• 

  Why AI is a key ingredient for success at Primanti Bros.

  The chain is simplifying and speeding up office processes by outsourcing tasks like sales and labor reporting to robotic process automation bots, writes Caitlin Stritmatter, director of financial planning and analysis at Primanti Bros.

  Caitlin Stritmatter • Aug. 21, 2023

• 

  Taylor Swift’s smash-hit tour shows restaurants can harness concert hype

  Restaurants near Swift’s Nashville show saw a 35% bump in average transaction counts YOY for the three days she played, writes Teddy Tsang, vice president of product marketing at Toast. 

  Teddy Tsang • Aug. 11, 2023

• 

  For restaurants still struggling, preserving outdoor dining is key to their survival

  Since outdoor dining has become such a boon for local businesses, the question should not be whether we keep outdoor dining, but how we make it enjoyable for all, writes Austen Asadorian, SVP of sales at SevenRooms.

  Austen Asadorian • Nov. 2, 2022

• 

  Why ‘tipping fatigue’ isn’t impacting restaurant servers the way you’d think it is

  Diner tips were 9.9% higher in Q2 2022 compared to the year-ago period, and digital payments hold opportunity for robust gratuity, says Kelly Esten, SVP & GM of enterprise at Toast. 

  Kelly Esten • Oct. 5, 2022

• 

  Managing your online reputation during a global crisis

  If your restaurant is impacted due to its name or presumed affiliation with an ongoing conflict, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, you need to act quickly, writes Monica Ho, CMO of SOCi Inc.

  Monica Ho • April 21, 2022

• 

  Gen Z is attracted to flexible restaurant jobs. But what makes them stay?

  Positive corporate culture and authentic, charitable missions may be better means to retain these young workers than increased hourly rates amid the Great Resignation, writes Tim Weiderhoft, CEO of Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade.

  Tim Weiderhoft • April 14, 2022

• 

  The importance of embracing today's always-connected diner

  Restaurants should reconsider their investments to ensure a great, connected experience for their customers, writes Anthony Cross, Yelp's vice president of restaurant products.

  Anthony Cross • April 4, 2022

• 

  4 ways data is helping restaurants reinvent themselves in 2022

  The value of building long-term relationships with diners can be the difference between meaningful growth or a struggling business, writes Dan Silver, SVP of marketing at GroundTruth.

  Dan Silver • March 28, 2022

• 

  4 strategies to beat QSR's biggest reward challenges

  A rewards program can help make sense of customer characteristics that are considerably variable, writes Jenn McMillen, founder of Incendio.

  Jenn McMillen • March 25, 2022

• 

  7 details restaurants need to include in sexual harassment policies

  With Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, it's time to develop new restaurant and bar policies and take a harder look at existing ones, writes Jarrett Wagner, a risk control representative at Society Insurance.

  Jarrett Wagner • March 17, 2022

• 

  In absence of RRF, restaurants can use tech to boost recovery

  A provision that would refill the Restaurant Revitalization Fund was nixed from the final version of the omnibus spending bill, but operators have the tools they need to thrive, writes Ben Pryor, head of innovation for SpotOn.

  Ben Pryor • March 10, 2022

• 

  Congress should double down on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund at this critical juncture

  Restaurants have survived but need more help in this "New Hospitality" era, writes Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast.

  Chris Comparato • March 7, 2022

• 

  How to prepare your restaurant for Valentine's Day crowds amid COVID-19

  Personalization, limited menus and social media engagement can be a recipe for success despite labor struggles on this high-traffic day, writes Jennifer Simmons, director of marketing at Restaurant365.

  Jennifer Simmons • Feb. 9, 2022

• 

  Rise of the robots: How restaurants can automate without losing the human touch

  Instead of adopting technology to replace human beings, employers should embrace digital tools that make jobs more satisfying, writes Raju Malhotra, chief product and technology officer at PAR Technology Corporation.

  Raju Malhotra • Feb. 2, 2022

• 

  Digital-first diners are driving the rise of collaborative commerce

  Collaborative commerce immerses customers in the dining experience and makes them active participants in shaping the operational experience, writes futurist Brian Solis.

  Brian Solis • Jan. 27, 2022

• 

  When it comes to plant-based foods, it's time to get back to our roots

  We should focus less on marketing and processing and more on honoring the enjoyability of real food, write Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern, co-founders of Washington, D.C.-based Chaia.

  Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern • Jan. 21, 2022

• 

  Why convenience retailers are gearing up to win in foodservice

  As vehicles go electric, stores will increasingly turn away from fuel pumps and toward innovative meals and snacks, writes retail analyst Frank Beard.

  Frank Beard • Jan. 7, 2022

• 

  The key to a successful holiday season will be flexible staffing

  For small employers, flexibility and adjustable hours are factors to compete on now that workers' demands are changing, writes Sumir Meghani, CEO and co-founder of Instawork.

  Sumir Meghani • Oct. 18, 2021

• 

  Restaurants need to break past third-party delivery apps

  Never underestimate the internal efforts needed to get your organization aligned for digital growth, writes Matt Carinio, VP of strategy and consulting at Hathway.

  Matt Carinio • Oct. 14, 2021

• 

  Emotional loyalty: Evolving restaurants' approach to brand love

  Brands that are connection-focused win the day over those that are reliant on discounts as shortcuts to boost short-term metrics, writes Ellen Green, AVP of loyalty and CRM at Hathway.

  Ellen Green • Aug. 27, 2021

• 

  What the US hospitality industry can learn from Australia

  Restaurants Down Under can teach American operators a thing or two about how the segment might fare in the coming months, writes Peter Dougherty, general manager of hospitality at Lightspeed.

  Peter Dougherty • Aug. 10, 2021

• 

  How can restaurants drive long-term resiliency in the new normal?

  The brands that maintain safety measures and digitally enabled experiences will be favored by customers and garner deeper loyalty, writes Vince Crimaldi, VP of consumer products and retail at Capgemini North America.

  Vince Crimaldi • Aug. 3, 2021

• 

  The on-premise restaurant experiencing isn't dying — it's evolving

  Rather than debating whether virtual channels are overtaking traditional ones, QSRs should focus on how the two avenues can complement each other, writes Shauna Moran, insights analyst at GWI.

  Shauna Moran • July 26, 2021

• 

  How successful ghost kitchens are built

  Restaurant operators need to focus on location, menu development and consumer satisfaction KPIs when developing delivery-only concepts, writes Chris Adams, vice president of strategy at Oracle Food and Beverage.

  Chris Adams • July 16, 2021

• 

  Success means embracing the past year, whether restaurants like it or not

  COVID-19 dealt the industry a major blow, but also taught operators valuable lessons that could influence operations for years to come, writes Maribeth Dela Cruz, president of Jollibee Foods North America.

  Maribeth Dela Cruz • July 6, 2021

Next