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As a restaurateur, you probably already know that having a great restaurant concept and fantastic food is only part of what you need to do to have a successful business. After all, without customers to buy your food and drinks, it’s impossible to turn a profit. So how can you get people in the door? There are lots of ways that restaurants can let people know about their business – including signs, radio and newspaper ads, word of mouth, and…

Let’s face it: there are few things better on a hot day than a scoop of ice cream. After all, the phrase “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream” exists for a reason! This is particularly true in Los Angeles, where the heat often presents a perfect excuse to go get a few scoops. L.A. has an incredible food scene that is often inspired by the many strong immigrant communities that make the area so vibrant. This…

When you think about promoting your restaurant, you may focus more on marketing or offering specials to customers. Many restaurateurs overlook a potential gold mine for getting more people in the door and creating loyalty: special events. Hosting a special event can introduce your restaurant to new patrons and may even boost your bottom line. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to having a special event at your restaurant. The event(s) that you choose should be based on your customer profile…

When you got into the restaurant business, you probably never thought that you would spend a good chunk of your time doing routine maintenance and cleaning. Yet these tasks are necessary if you want to succeed in the food and beverage industry. A key example of a thankless but necessary task: cleaning and maintaining your restaurant grease trap. A grease trap catches fats, oils, and grease before they enter the sewage system. Regularly cleaning this trap can reduce odors, prevent…

New York City is known worldwide as one of the best places to eat. Whether you live here or are just visiting, it can be hard to pick a place to have a meal. This is particularly true because it seems that the restaurant scene is always changing due to the steep costs and pressure of operating in the city. At Budget Branders, we know that it can be hard to run a successful restaurant, particularly when you aren’t backed…

If you’re not from Michigan, then you may not be aware that Grand Rapids is known for its beer. In fact, Grand Rapids has been celebrated as “Beer City USA” for 10 years. It also has received a number of accolades from USA Today for America’s Best Beer Town (2014), Best Beer Scene (2017) and Best Beer City (2021). In other words, there is a LOT of great beer in Grand Rapids – which can make it hard to pick…

In the not-too-distant past, if you wanted to advertise your restaurant, you might put up a sign, run a commercial on local TV, send a flier in the mail, or perhaps take out an ad in the local paper. The landscape has changed significantly. While you may still use these tried-and-true methods, they may not be as effective – or cost-efficient – as using the power of social media. Whether you love it or hate it, sites like Facebook are…

There is a lot to think about when it comes to how your restaurant will look. In addition to making choices about what your chairs and tables will look like, you also have to choose bigger items – like flooring. This can be daunting, particularly when whatever floor you chose will cost thousands of dollars and will have to withstand heavy foot traffic. There are many different choices for restaurant dining room floors, from commercial grade carpet to vinyl to…

Chicago is well-known for a number of culinary delicacies, from deep dish pizza to Italian beef to Chicago-style hot dogs to Garrett’s popcorn. Increasingly, it is also known as a place to get a great local beer.  The rise of Chicago’s brewery scene makes perfect sense. After all, what goes better with classic Chicago foods and a great game on the TV than a nice, cold beer? But with more than 160 breweries to choose from, it can be hard…

When you opened up a restaurant, you probably didn’t think that you’d ever have to deal with setting up a website or figuring out how to handle online orders. For better or for worse, having an online presence is necessary for any restaurant. This includes giving customers the ability to make reservations online. Instead of trying to come up with an online reservation system on your own, you can purchase software that does it for you – such as OpenTable.…