Nov 01, 2004

How did you hook up with Restaurant Associates? As a teen, I worked at my brother's restaurant on Long Island, and then went on to school to learn hotel-restaurant management. After I got out, which was in the late '60s, the place to go for the...

Look Before You Leap

Nov 01, 2004

It may seem simple, yet it is often overlooked. When choosing an Internet hosting provider for their websites, the majority of business owners or companies know very little about making the best Internet/web hosting decisions. For instance, what...

Yawn Patrol

Nov 01, 2004

FOOD FOCUS: Breakfast-only operations enjoy a number of practical advantages. EGG-ONOMICS: Low food costs make breakfast a profitable proposition. It's the crack of dawn. People are hungry. If you're not serving breakfast already, are you...

Designing for Dollars

Oct 01, 2004

SUPERIOR INTERIORS: Guests feel more comfortable when they can figure out what your operation is all about from the entrance area. For instance, Echo in Palm Beach, Fla., offers executive chef Dieu Ho's "Resounding Asian Cuisine," and an...

To Market, To Market

Oct 01, 2004

WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: The back page of menus at Piatti locations talks about the sources of some locally obtained ingredients. EMPTY FREEZERS: "Our walk-ins are almost empty," says Bradley Ogden (center) of his namesake restaurant at...

Are You Clickable?

Oct 01, 2004

Internet access at home is now a reality for 75 percent of Americans, reports Nielsen/NetRatings. Many are using the web to find restaurants: 40 percent of consumers surveyed by the National Restaurant Association say they've searched the Internet...

How Inflation Affects Your Restaurant

Oct 01, 2004

BALANCING ACT: Shrewd operators know the importance of keeping their menu pirces in line with inflation. STICKER SHOCK: That $100 produce bill from 1983 would run about $183 right now. Chances are that you haven't been giving much, if any...

Reeling 'Em In

Oct 01, 2004

MITCHELL'S FISH MARKET CONCEPT: Upscale seafood restaurant OWNERSHIP: Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LEADERSHIP: Cameron Mitchell, president LOCATIONS: Columbus; Newport, KY; Pittsburgh; Louisville, KY; Lansing, MI; Birmingham, MI; Cleveland...

Little Things Add Up

Oct 01, 2004

CHAIN REACTION: Happy staffers help create happy customers - and sweeter profits. At O'Charley's, it's a matter of keeping "The Promise." At Panda Inn, it's as simple as a server remembering that a customer had visited the month before to...

Mother Knows Best

Sep 01, 2004

Mother's Bistro and Bar Opened: January 2000, Portland, OR Owners: Lisa Schroeder and Rob SampleConcept: Home-style food using recipes from mothers around the world, made from scratch with the best ingredients. Each month a different real...