Midnight madness
Restaurants are offering late-night menus to please night owls who want exciting food and drink into the wee hours.
Financing
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In compiling our second annual ranking of the fastest-growing up-and-coming restaurant chains in America —the ones tallying sales between $25 million and $50 million—we were struck by how many new growth stories there were to tell. Thirty-one of this year’s Future 50 growth chains, or 62 percent, are entirely new to the list. That tells us that the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in 2007, and that the restaurant business is still where it lives.
The boneless, center-cut sirloin is cut from the top butt; it’s a single muscle devoid of any sinew. It resembles a filet mignon in appearance but is a better value, averaging 25 percent food cost. Brandt’s cattle are corn-fed for 365 days without growth promotants, producing steaks that are tender with rich, concentrated beef flavor.
Many of today’s trendy bars are all about star mixologists, molecular cocktails, craft beers on tap and boutique wines. But stocking the latest exotics and creating mixology moments doesn’t necessarily boost the bottom line. Here’s how a bunch of business-minded bar managers go beyond the dazzle to stay in the black.