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customer service

This week’s restaurant nightmares: What’d you expect?

Most of us don’t need to lick an electrical outlet to realize it’s dumb. But that class of assumptive learning often escapes people who work and eat in restaurants.

Eatsa named industry's top in tech

The frictionless-service model was selected as Restaurant Business' 2016 Tech Accelerator of the Year.

Beverage

Thirsty for throughput

By Thomas Henry Strenk on Jun. 11, 2015

Delays that pile up over a service period not only diminish the guest experience, they can result in lost profits. Savvy operators are taking steps to pick up the pace.

Marketing

Catching a buzz

By Kelly Killian on Jun. 01, 2015

When it comes to buzz specifically, it’s about innovation and differentiation, says Chris Tomasso, chief marketing officer of First Watch Restaurants and a board member of the National Restaurant Association’s Marketing Executives Group (MEG).

Food

6 previews of the future from James Beard nominees

By Patricia Cobe on May. 06, 2015

Among the trends they foresee is eliminating the disparity in pay between front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house employees.

Financing

Managing the wait

By Amanda M. Westbrooks on Apr. 22, 2015

Flipping tables and seating guests is a dance, requiring a mix of attention and tech to keep the pace.

Technology

3 new touchpoints for frictionless service

By Kate Leahy on Apr. 16, 2015

Frictionless service—when transactions at restaurants, between ordering, paying and receiving a meal, happen with less human interaction to slow down the process.

Concept to Scout: The high-frequency Simmzy’s

By Sara Rush Wirth on Mar. 06, 2015

Simmzy’s restaurant prides itself on being a neighborhood joint with a large following of regulars who come in multiple times a week—the goal of every operator outside the white-tablecloth sector. Here's how this “Cheers” of southern California attains high-frequency traffic.

Training to serve

By Sara Rush Wirth on Feb. 05, 2015

Big data says that consumers of various ages and demographics have different preferences and priorities when it comes to service at restaurants.

Stealable idea: Getting consumer feedback

By Sara Rush Wirth on Jan. 16, 2015

It’s important to understand what consumers think of your operation, but getting in-the-moment feedback isn’t always an easy task. That's why Los Angeles-based Umami Burger from restaurateur Adam Fleischman rolled out its "Umamify the Guest" program.