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50 Great Ideas

The top industry ideas we've spotted in the last year

50 Great Ideas

36. Yappy hour

 Aug. 08, 2018

On Thursdays from 3-8 p.m., Cafe Adelaide & the Swizzle Stick Bar in New Orleans welcomes dogs with a full menu of their own, while their owners can opt for a $5 cocktail called Dog Day Afternoon....

50 Great Ideas

35. Explanation-free catering

 Aug. 08, 2018

Many options on the events menu at The Gray, one of Kimpton Hotel’s Chicago properties, are inspired by the in-hotel restaurant, Boleo. That includes empanadas. To make it easier and more frictionless...

50 Great Ideas

34. Viral table

Aug. 08, 2018

When new steakhouse Boston Chops designed its layout, it included an Instagrammers table. The table, which cost $10,000 to build and outfit, includes customizable features that are controlled by the g...

50 Great Ideas

33. Watching the weather

Aug. 08, 2018

Denver-based Mad Greens has a weather prediction service programmed into its ordering system to help forecast sales. The chain has found that when it’s too warm or rainy, sales go down. It’s helped th...

50 Great Ideas

32. Upcycling compost

Aug. 08, 2018

Chefs are repurposing compost into menu items and playing off the word in the item’s name. Compesto—a pesto made from vegetable trimmings that would end up in a compost bucket, such as carrot tops and...

50 Great Ideas

31. Getting in front of on-the-go consumers

Aug. 08, 2018

As an alternative to food trucks, Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out motorized food carts—putting coffee in the hands of mobile customers. 

50 Great Ideas

30. Iconic expectations

Aug. 08, 2018

Today’s cocktail culture has ushered in a range of funky, nontraditional drinks on menus; imbibers don’t even always know what they are ordering. To set expectations and offer a point of reference, Wa...

50 Great Ideas

29. Wearable incremental sales drivers

Aug. 08, 2018

Desserts are on the menu at Xoco, Rick Bayless’ counter-service spot in Chicago, but customers don’t always think to order them when they order meals. Once they sit down, there’s no way to know they c...

50 Great Ideas

28. Straw education

Aug. 08, 2018

More and more restaurants are eliminating plastic straws. To educate its customers about sustainability, Mountain Brauhaus in Gardiner, N.Y., puts a flyer on every table saying “Skip the straw and sav...

50 Great Ideas

27. Charge it up

Aug. 08, 2018

Chicago’s Parlor Pizza wants to find ways to encourage its guests to stick around and order more food and drinks. One way it accomplishes that is by offering to charge guests’ phones. Specifically, th...

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