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In the food and beverage industry, many employees depend on tips – or gratuities – to earn money. Typically, these tips are left up to a customer’s discretion. While tipping is customary in the United States, customers are not required to leave a tip – which is why some restaurants, bars, and other establishments use automatic gratuities. There are a number of laws that affect your ability to impose automatic gratuities. Understanding these laws, and complying with the tax code…

If there was one thing that the food and beverage industry learned in 2020 – 2021, it was the importance of take-out service. Faced with ever-changing rules and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses only survived due to take-out. While dine-in sales plummeted, take-out sales rose by an astounding 59%. With more to-go options than ever before, it is clear that take-out is here to stay as a primary source of revenue for restaurants. Given this new reality,…

In the past, a restaurant’s reputation was largely built on word of mouth. While a review in a local newspaper might help bring in new clientele, most business came from customers who loved the food and told their friends and family about it. In this way, the success of a restaurant was largely based on goodwill in the community where it operated. Today, things are very different. While local opinions matter, the methods for obtaining those opinions have shifted. One…

You’ve decided to start a brewery: congratulations! Breweries have become increasingly popular throughout the United States. In fact, microbreweries, brewpubs and taprooms produce 32.8% of all beer in 2020. Of course, deciding to open a brewery is just step one of what can be a fairly complicated process. As small business owners ourselves, we understand how difficult it can be to turn your ideas into reality. That’s why we have compiled a list of the best brewery resources out there.…

They say that there are only two things that are certain in life: death and taxes. As a restaurant owner, you are probably all too familiar with taxes. In addition to paying federal income tax, owners may also be responsible for a slew of other taxes. Understanding your legal obligations when it comes to taxes is critical to keeping your business up and running. Depending on where you are located, your profits, and the number of employees you have, you…

One of the most challenging parts of running a restaurant isn’t coming up with a great menu, or even staffing the business. For many restaurant owners, it is all of the other work that goes into making a restaurant successful that can be so hard – like branding and marketing. From coming up with a slogan to crafting a marketing strategy, branding your restaurant is critical to its profitability. When you get these elements right, it can be a boon…

One of the most important elements of a successful restaurant is a good layout. If you have amazing food and drinks, but the space is uncomfortable, customers won’t want to spend time there. At the same time, having a good flow to your floor plan can make sure that your restaurant runs efficiently. Knowing that you need a good floor plan is one thing – actually achieving that goal is a separate matter. Ideally, your floor plan should balance customer…

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, businesses of all types have had to adapt to stay in the black. This is particularly true for restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, all of whom have been affected by shutdown orders. As a result, establishments are relying on takeout orders more than ever before. In this new era, having branded disposables for takeout is incredibly important. Whether your customers post pics of their takeout on social media or simply show their family and friends…

In these difficult times, restaurants are more reliant than ever on takeout business. Even if there are no pandemic-related restrictions on eat-in dining, many customers simply do not feel safe eating in a restaurant – creating a strain on restaurants across the country. To remain profitable during COVID-19, increasing takeout sales is vital. There are a number of ways that businesses can increase the amount of delivery and pick-up orders. By making it easy to get takeout and increasing the…

If you are a coffee aficionado, or simply have an entrepreneurial spirit, you may be considering opening up a coffee shop. These businesses can be incredibly successful, particularly if you are able to cultivate the kind of atmosphere that makes people want to spend time there. Coffee shops often have lower overhead than restaurants, which can make it an ideal choice for a new business owner. Of course, opening up a coffee shop still requires a fair amount of planning…