Industry Insights

Last month, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law a comprehensive package of legislation designed to strengthen New York City’s anti-sexual harassment policies and combat workplace sexual harassment.

How do large restaurant chains turn their menus on a dime either when sales are slumping or a competitor sneaks in with a solid menu engineering strategy? And what can other emerging brands do to make similar business decisions?

Behind the stick, there is nothing that beats lemonade for sheer refreshment. Here are four ways to enjoy lemonade as spring shifts into summer.

The LMT team has returned from this year’s National Restaurant Association show with the latest tabletop trends and developments that have us buzzing with excitement going into summer.

Good design is good business. In an increasingly challenging market for new products, it’s important to take advantage of any competitive edge you can find.

Having your customers talk positively about your restaurant has huge advantages, and there is a psychological aspect to UGC that underpins its effectiveness. Here are several reasons why consumers love user generated content...

Consumer behavior in the food industry is transforming, thanks to emerging e-commerce and technological trends. The face of dining out and food establishments has changed from the traditional brick and mortar image.

Anyone who has worked in restaurants knows sexual harassment is rampant in the industry. Some explain it away as the nature of the restaurant business, but it is essential to take a harder line on sexual harassment to protect your employees and your business.

Although the focus of each of the two conferences I attended was different (with the former focusing on the larger commercial trade and its major exporters, while the latter has an emphasis on smaller retailers/products for them), common trends emerge that we ignore at our peril.

Outstanding culinary students from public high schools were awarded scholarships to continue their culinary studies at the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) New York Awards Breakfast at The Pierre Hotel. C-CAP President Karen Brosius awarded over $650,000 in scholarships and opportunities...

Assisting restaurateurs and other food service operations with health code compliance, has taught us that the key to operating at the highest levels of food safety lies in developing a strong food safety culture.

As the warm weather approaches, so does the risk for additional pest pressures. One pest sighting in a restaurant could mean the difference between a 5-star review and an onslaught of negative feedback, so it’s important to take the necessary measures to prevent the biggest pest threats

As most of you know, there are jurisdictions where the chains have been posting calorie information for both food and, voluntarily, for alcoholic beverages. Let’s see what they probably will look like on most menus.

As expected hundreds showed up at the Long Island hearing, many from the restaurant community, servers, bartenders and operators that do NOT want a change to the current tip wage system and said “Leave the tip wage alone, Governor Cuomo”.

This month, I have two positive developments to share with you that impact New York City restaurants. One is about the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the other concerns peddle assisted electric bicycles.

Gut instinct forecasting doesn’t consider factors that can impact sales - making it difficult to schedule, order or predict a store's overall performance and profitability. Intelligent forecasting is the most important change you can make in your restaurant right now, and here’s why...

Studies show that there is only a 50% chance that an injured employee will return to work after a six-month absence; which declines to a 25% chance following a one-year absence and is further reduced to a 1% chance after a two-year absence

So, you want to bootstrap your restaurant business? Fortunately, there’s no time quite like the present. The restaurant industry offers a unique opportunity because it always seems to be changing, with unique trends influencing the market and the way businesses are managed every year.

In lucky cases, a restaurant partnership can be a match made in heaven. You find someone with aligned interests and goals. But, in other cases, you end up with the partner from hell. What might have started out on a positive note has devolved into a monster over time. You never know for sure how it will turn out.

In addition to Libbey celebrating 200 years of business this month, Revol unveiled a brand new showroom space on the 19th floor of 41 Madison to toast the company’s 250th anniversary. Despite a rapid and successful brand expansion in the past decade, Revol remains fiercely loyal to its heritage, maintaining quality

This article is meant to scare you. Sales taxes are complicated. Sales taxes are “trust taxes.” Improper compliance can lead to a civil audit, significant penalties, personal liability, and in the worst-case, where you are facing a criminal investigator. Every year, some business owner has an audit go from bad to worse from not paying sales tax.

The appetite for food halls has been growing nationwide with the predication that by 2020, the number of food halls in our Country will go from 70 to 300+. It is no surprise one of the culinary epicenters of the world, New York City has a food hall game that’s been getting stronger thanks to many additions over recent years.

With so many options out there, how do you know you’re choosing the right software for your business? We’ve listed out eight features that you should look for when deciding what event management software is right for your restaurant.

Website accessibility is a hot topic right now which means you should be checking if your website is compliant with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If your website is not accessible to individuals with disabilities, you might get slapped with an unwanted and expensive lawsuit.

Four “words” stand between you and more money in the bank. They’re words your suppliers don’t want you to know. They’re words that have to do with food costs and food trends. And they can save you money.

Food halls are the food courts. Where malls have struggled to compete with ecommerce, and traditional restaurants wrestle with grocery delivery services, food halls seem to create an experience not easily replicated by other options.

I work with many restaurants and collaborate with other professionals across the hospitality industry. One thing I continually see and hear about are the sheer numbers of operators not taking regular inventory or closely analyzing food, beverage and labor costs.

From Market Analysis to Financials, we have consolidated a list of 8 must-haves to include when creating your restaurant business plan. Learn more about what the outline of your business plan should be in this article.

Ice from contaminated ice machines is one of the most common Health Code violations. And what's the biggest reasons why ice gets contaminated? Improper handling by employees or improperly maintained ice machines. Here's what you can do to make sure your ice machines and ice handling are safe and up to code.

Once again in 2018, high-end steakhouses continue to grow in NYC. No matter how accomplished a home cook is, a great steak is still a challenge. The chances of having a commercial grade broiler or grill that can generate the intense heat necessary to replicate high-end steakhouses make it virtually impossible.

Deciding how to brand your food truck may be the most important decision you’ll face as a food-on-the-go entrepreneur. Well executed food truck branding can draw attention to your business all day, every day, everywhere it goes. Follow our food truck branding guide and your truck will race ahead of your competition.

Having the proper ventilation in your restaurant’s commercial kitchen has a multitude of benefits. This article lays out the basics of commercial kitchen exhaust ventilation in plain language. The two chief objectives are to prevent fires from breaking out and to serve better tasting food that smells great.

It is a fact: fashion follows food! Manhattan is a paradise of sweet spots, offering all types of decadent destinations under the sun. The options are endless, making your sweet dreams come true.

As a restaurant owner, you should be well aware of the dangers and repercussions of pest sightings at an eatery. Complaints of infestations, dead insects or their presence in a food item may attract penalties from the regulating authorities. If you want to protect your restaurant from common pests, you must be aware of...

We get asked “Why is my POS reporting two different amounts of sales tax collected for the same time period?” The answer is simple once you understand how most POS systems calculate sales tax. The POS reports sales tax two different ways depending if you are looking at the Transactional Sales Tax Report or...

Marketing your food startup is as important as having a great tasting product. Delicious food and exceptional services are no good when only you know about them. And now, getting the word out about your business has become easier than ever before! Use these five essential marketing tools to get you started: