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50 Great Ideas

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

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

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

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

40. DIY desserts

Aug. 08, 2018

Supermarket chain Giant Eagle created an eye-catching and interactive DIY bakery experience in select locations. The display features colored sprinkles, piping bags and icings, which are kept chilled....

50 Great Ideas

10. Cocktail list to suit the guests

Aug. 07, 2018

Houlihan’s divides its restaurants into one of three tiers, then creates a drink menu tailored to the typical guest. Tier 1 guests care most about value, Tier 2 customers put equal weight on brands an...

50 Great Ideas

13. Tapping outside talent for specials

Aug. 07, 2018

Instead of having the in-house chef create ethnic-inspired specials, In Situ, in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, offers a rotating menu of signature dishes from 80 chefs around the world. The ...

50 Great Ideas

16. Keep a card handy

Aug. 07, 2018

To combat the tough labor market, TJ Schier, president of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches franchisee SMART Restaurant Group, passes out business cards to anyone, anywhere who has given superior custome...

50 Great Ideas

19. Buddy system

Aug. 07, 2018

At Pennsylvania State University, managers ask students and full-time employees if they have a best friend at work. Management says it’s a great measurement of employee morale.

50 Great Ideas

22. Champion for retention

Aug. 07, 2018

The Pilot Flying J convenience store chain has potential hires meet with “role champions,” employees who excel in the position. The champions talk with applicants about expectations and demands and pr...

50 Great Ideas

25. Old school efficiency

Aug. 07, 2018

On one of the walls at Magpies Softserve ice cream shop in Los Angeles hangs a jumbo roll of butcher paper listing the day’s specials. The low-tech board is easy to update, with a staffer simply rippi...

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