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Operations

New vs. used equipment

The conundrum facing operators is to go with new, used or both. Budget, needs and anticipated usage are the major considerations.

Consumer Trends

The state of fine dining

The recession nearly led to the category's demise, but concepts that evolved survived—and even thrived.

Financing

Control heating costs without getting burned

By Kelly Killian on Oct. 14, 2014

With “frigid and bitter” conditions predicted for the upcoming winter, operators already are preparing, checking systems and making upgrades.

Trends from the top

By Kelly Killian on Oct. 14, 2014

Fine dining has evolved, adapting a more humble and more accessible attitude to appeal to more wallet-conscious customers.

Lemon lovers get bitter shock on California drought: Commodities

Sep. 25, 2014

The latest wallop from California’s drought is a spike in the citrus fruit’s cost.

Cocoa prices surge on Ebola fears

Sep. 19, 2014

A disruption in shipments from West Africa could crimp supplies in the U.S. and trigger a spike in costs.

Financing

Analyze this: The cost of counting calories

By Amanda Baltazar on Sep. 02, 2014

How do you fit hefty menu analyses that can stretch over hundreds of SKUs into the budget?

Food

Elevating fried chicken

By Patricia Cobe on Aug. 25, 2014

Perhaps it’s due to rising beef prices, a craving for comfort classics or the Southern-food trend, but fried chicken is getting serious attention in every segment.

Financing

A twist on corkage fees

By Kelly Killian on Aug. 12, 2014

With so much variance in corkage fees, innovative policies make the charge less taxing to consumers.

Financing

Local sourcing for less

By Sara Rush Wirth on Jun. 17, 2014

Local sourcing is hot with operators and consumers alike, but the trick remains how to do it without breaking the bank.