Ray Delucci

Food cost is the ratio of inventory of goods on hand vs the menu items you have sold within a given time period. It is one of the most important data points a restaurant can use to assess its financial health. You can look at food cost as a percentage of sales (food cost percentage) […]

One of the most important tasks when building a restaurant is obtaining the necessary restaurant equipment to cook, service, and store the products you sell. Equipment for a restaurant varies for each business, but the core needs remain the same. In this article, we break down the major restaurant equipment that you should look at […]

Restaurant remodeling costs money and time, so it is important that your renovations are done right. You’ll need to consider the cost restaurant remodel itself—typically $150 to $300 per square foot—as well as the cost of lost sales, and retaining staff through the build-out. If your restaurant is not yet open, a restaurant remodel can […]

It is common knowledge that the restaurant industry is one of the toughest to enter when you are operating a business. The profit margins are extremely thin, usually around 3%–5%, and it is very easy to be in the red without proper management and focus on your restaurant. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 70,000 […]

If you run a catering business, your catering menu will be your main revenue driver. Meanwhile, if you run a restaurant, adding a catering menu can create additional revenue. In this article, we share how to build a catering menu, plus some great catering menu ideas and tips that will help elevate the product you […]

Restaurant furniture is one of the first visual cues a diner encounters when entering your business, setting the tone for their dining experience. In this guide, I break down the furniture needed for restaurants, what you should look for when filling out your space, how much you should expect to pay, and where to find […]

A restaurant wine list is an extension of your menu that can drive revenue while offering your customers delicious beverage pairings that complement your food. Wine is a classic food accompaniment, and it is easy to sell by the glass or the bottle. However, not every guest reads your wine list (some can find wine […]

By 2025, online food delivery is expected to take up a 21% share of the entire restaurant industry.1 Clearly, consumer demand for takeout food is not going away. To satisfy consumer expectations for quality takeout and delivery food, restaurant operators are responsible for packaging that is functional and keeps food at safe temperatures. In this […]

Restaurant forecasting is one of the most important parts of managing a restaurant—it allows you to predict revenue at any given time period so you can make decisions on how much food to order or how you will write your staff schedule. It also lets you spot opportunities to create more business. Restaurants typically perform […]

Some of the most successful food businesses in the restaurant industry come in the form of franchised restaurants. The franchise model allows the owner of a food business (the franchisor) to grow their brand and revenue while a third party (the franchisee) undertakes the operational management of the franchised business. If your restaurant concept is […]

Anyone who cooks professionally needs to know how to accommodate common dietary restrictions. Customers may have dietary restrictions for health, religious, political, social, or cultural reasons. Knowing the most common dietary restrictions can help you serve the most customers and keep them coming back. In this article, I break down how to best accommodate dietary […]

Menu pricing is a key skill that every restaurateur should hone. There is a delicate balance on how to price food on your menu—if your prices are too low, you may not make enough profit; if they’re too high, you can drive customers away and drastically hurt your business. In this article, I lay out […]