An effective coffee shop floor plan uses visual cues and physical barriers to guide customers through the ordering process and showcase retail products along the route. The best coffee shop floor plans are easy to navigate and contain options that appeal to customers looking for a comfortable space to lounge and work or simply grab…
How to Do Bar & Liquor Inventory in 4 Steps [+ Free Template]
Bar inventory is the total supply of beer, wine, spirits, and mixers that your restaurant or bar has on hand. The phrase “bar inventory” can also refer to the process of physically counting that supply. Restaurant workers may feel that inventorying is worse than a month of Mondays but, with the right planning, it doesn’t…
The Ultimate Guide to Restaurant Food Suppliers
Restaurant food suppliers are vendors that sell products directly to restaurants, whether wholesale purveyors or local farms. The critical function of a restaurant supplier is to allow a restaurant to purchase products at lower prices to increase their profit margins. When choosing food suppliers, restaurants should consider cost, delivery schedule, minimum order requirements, and quality…
The Ultimate Restaurant Name Generator
It can be challenging to create a restaurant name that is distinctive, memorable, and gives your customers an idea of what style of food and service to expect. This restaurant name generator gives you dozens of possibilities, the steps below will help you refine them. Enter your name, type of food, and location to get…
How to Use a Restaurant Schedule Template [+Free Templates]
A restaurant schedule template can help you keep your staff schedules organized that, in turn, can help you control labor costs and positively impact your staff morale. Creating a restaurant schedule can be tedious and time-consuming, but with the right tools and a little preparation, you can easily speed up your scheduling process. Restaurant Scheduling…
The Basics of Restaurant Management in 6 Steps
Effective restaurant management balances many different targets and processes to create a seamless operation. Food and labor costs, inventory tracking, staff training, food production, customer service, and marketing are part of daily restaurant management. Here’s a look at how to manage a restaurant in six steps, along with tips and advice from experienced restaurateurs. What…
What Is a Tip Out? Restaurant Tipping Methods
In restaurant lingo, “tip out” is a practice where staff members who receive tips distribute a portion of those tips to other co-workers who are involved in the chain-of-service to customers. Typically, this means that servers and bartenders give a portion of their tips to bussers, runners, and sometimes kitchen staff. Note: Customers can leave…
15 Unique Coffee Shop Menu Ideas
There are numerous coffee shop menu ideas you can use to market your cafe. With the right color scheme, font, and menu design theme (for instance, magazine-style vs hipster), you can help customers connect to your brand. It’s best to design your menu to align with the ambiance you want to create. Here are 15…
Write a Restaurant Business Plan in 7 Steps [+ Free Template]
A restaurant business plan is a blueprint for starting and operating your restaurant. You can use it to explain what type of restaurant you’re opening, why you’re in business, what food you serve, and how you will be profitable. Additionally, a business plan can help you to obtain funding from a bank or investor. The…
Top 37 Free & Low-Cost Restaurant Menu Templates
Before your customers ever eat at your restaurant, you need to showcase your food with a well-designed menu. However, what if you don’t have the budget to build a menu design from scratch? Fortunately, high-quality restaurant menu templates are now available online, many of them free. Read below for the best restaurant menu template options….
24 Innovative Coffee Shop Name Ideas
The coffee industry has a ton of international coffee chains that seem to be taking over. However, there are still many entrepreneurs who are trying to compete by offering great alternatives to cookie-cutter establishments. If you are an entrepreneur who feels inspired to start your own coffee shop but clueless on how to name your…
How to Choose the Best Restaurant Location for Your Business
Opening a restaurant is all about location, location, location. However, not every restaurant is suitable for every location, and vice versa. It comes down to a combination of restaurant concept and ideal customer. If you can define your restaurant type and identify your target demographic and its most populated areas, you’ll be well on your…