Ray Delucci

The restaurant industry is both gratifying and difficult to maneuver. If you have run a successful restaurant and are ready to retire, or simply have found that the restaurant industry is not for you, you might be wondering how to sell your restaurant. Whatever your reasons, selling a restaurant is a highly involved process. Use […]

Mastering vegan cooking is a badge of cooking mastery (not a leash on a chef’s creativity). The best chefs are able to transform any ingredient into an incredible meal, and a solid vegan chef is one who shows technical ability with the ingredients to create vegan restaurant menu items. As vegan diners expect more from […]

Restaurant lighting is a dynamic part of a dining experience that can enhance or detract from it. In an age of social media, higher expectations of culinary experiences, and the desire for more aesthetically pleasing food, lighting plays a big role. We break down some actionable restaurant lighting ideas for your restaurant, offering you the […]

The debate many food entrepreneurs will have with themselves will be whether or not they should choose to start a food truck versus a restaurant. The debate starts and ends with some key factors: your startup capital, the scope of your menu, the amount of labor you need, and the type of experience you want […]

Food waste directly impacts your restaurant’s finances—on average, a restaurant loses 4% to 10%1 of the food they purchase. Food waste mitigation not only helps your bottom line by lowering food and operating costs, but it also makes your business more sustainable. With millions of people in the US struggling with food insecurity, minimizing food […]

Restaurant noise is one of those important details that can be easily overlooked yet seriously impacts the customer experience. Just last week, I personally steered clear of a restaurant for dinner because it was too loud for my friends who dined there. That being said, restaurant sound dampening is something that you need to be […]

Driving sales is always the main goal for restaurant operators, as gaining new customers is crucial to staying afloat and succeeding in this highly competitive industry. While you’ll be aiming to boost your revenue, these strategies can also be meaningful ways to enhance customer experience. In the article below, we break down how to boost […]

A soft opening is a designated service—or period of services—in which a select number of guests or customers are welcome to try your new restaurant or menu. It is one of the best ways to test out your new restaurant, work out service and menu kinks, and anticipate how you need to operate overall when […]

Table turnover is the time it takes to seat a party of guests, serve them, clear the table, and reset the table for the next group of guests. The rate at which you do this will dictate the number of customers you can serve—and the amount of sales you can generate—within your restaurant. The average […]

Employee turnover in the restaurant industry can be devastating if not managed properly—the cost of losing good talent and reintroducing new talent into your restaurant is high. Losing consistently trained labor also yields poor products and inconsistent customer experience. In this article, I break down the best ways to reduce restaurant employee turnover as well […]

Every restaurateur and food service worker has encountered customer complaints. Common restaurant complaints can range from disappointing food and service to the temperature in the dining room. One key to being a successful restaurant owner or manager is knowing how to handle restaurant customer complaints. Responding to customer complaints can be nerve-wracking and downright uncomfortable—but […]

Starting a restaurant takes a lot of capital, and finding investors to start a restaurant is a key task for many restaurateurs. Whether it is money to buy a new space, renovate an existing space, or expand a brand, a restaurant investor helps generate the funds for new beginnings in the restaurant industry. In this […]