Operations

How are restaurants trying to sway consumers who are shorter on time than they are on dollars? Recent days provided head-turning examples and insights. Spoiler alert: Not all approaches are worth copying.

The tabletop category includes glassware, dinnerware and flatware or silverware—all of which represent a major investment and an ongoing expense for replacement.

For a generation that’s grown up watching Iron Chef and considers dining out a necessity, the restaurant experience needs drama, action and stagecraft to stand out. While open kitchens and display cooking are not new concepts, more operators are giving guests “a peek behind the foodservice curtain.”