ideas

5 hot ways rooftop bars are warming up for winter

By Heather Lalley on Dec. 15, 2017

Here’s how operators in cold climates ensure their rooftops reel in off-season sales.

Steal This Idea: Barrel aging for one

By Sara Rush Wirth on Apr. 16, 2015

The craft-focused bar offers guests the option to buy smaller, individual barrels filled with their own customized, aged cocktail.

Financing

Chipotle unwrapped

By Steve Brooks on Feb. 09, 2015

Everyone is clamoring to be the next Chipotle. So what are the secrets to success for this industry strongman? We pull back the foil for a closer look.

Taco Bell tests cheese-stuffed shell

Feb. 09, 2015

Newly emerging details about the Quesalupa test product indicate the mash-up features a shell stuffed with cheese, a notion not unlike Pizza Hut’s cheese-stuffed crust.

5 lessons for restaurants from the world’s most innovative company

By Kelly Killian on Feb. 13, 2015

Eyewear retailer Warby Parker tops Fast Company’s list of groundbreaking brands as much for its approach to customer service as its inventive ideas. Here’s what restaurateurs need to know.

Financing

Getting on the shelves: Licensing lessons

By Sara Rush Wirth on Mar. 02, 2015

Licensing products doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. Brands with small programs that they say are lucrative as well as simpler to maintain—and began with relative ease. For restaurateurs looking into licensing, there are lessons to learn at every level.

Are you ready for a power outage?

By Amanda M. Westbrooks on Mar. 05, 2015

Electrical surge or super storm; any number of conditions can create a power outage in your restaurant. Are you prepared?

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.

Food