Independent Restaurants

Training staff to be butchers to help control meat costs

Our chefs have been trained to be very competent butchers, so we are able to cut all our meats in-house [at each of Firebirds 36 locations]. This has allowed...

The year’s head-spinning moments: 5 that screamed for neck braces

Here are five developments from 2014, including one from just last month, that shouldn't be forgotten as the calendar changes.

Here from Chicago research firm Datassential are the 10 limited-time offers that consumers adjudged to be most in line with their tastes, and why.

Juicing is powering up menus. The recession put a squeeze on sales of made-to-order juices, according to the 2014 Juice & Smoothie Bars in the U.S. report by Los Angeles market researcher IBISWorld. But increased consumer demand for healthy beverages and an expansion of juicing into concepts other than smoothie and juice bars are revitalizing the category, the report says.

The line between restaurants and entertainment—be it sports, music or any other fame-building endeavor—has always been a smudged one. The boundary was obscured a little more this week.

Recent signs suggest a growing emphasis by restaurants on luxury.

It’s not an exact science, but there are tricks restaurant operators can use to predict revenue.

Consumers want restaurants to dig deeper on health, “natural” and local sourcing. Here’s how the industry is responding.

Whether dealing with food contamination, a scandal (a la Subway) or simply an angry guest, negative PR can put a brand’s image—and revenue—at risk.

Chef-owner Tory Miller knew from experience that about 25 percent of people prefer to order vegetairan, so he reworked a seasonal veggie paella.

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