Industry Insights

In the restaurant business, raw materials are of great importance. They are inextricably linked to the quality and safety of the food served, and hence to the customer's well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to audit potential food suppliers before approving them...

As we celebrate Earth Day (April 22), several of the nation's premier chefs have shared sustainability tips straight from their acclaimed restaurants and their home kitchens. The insider sustainability tips and resources come from...

Food stands at the center of social life and cultural identity. Take a moment to imagine Japan without sushi, Mexico without tacos, and Italy without pizza. These societies have unique dishes, and they wouldn't be the same without them.  One thing anyone starting a food business focuses their time...

If you’re looking in certain corners of the Internet these days, there is a lot of information about mindset, specifically a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset. In my world, a restaurant owner with a growth mindset is more successful, better able to lead in their restaurant. Unfortunately...

Are you familiar with the 80-20 rule? Also known as the Pareto Principle, it’s a theory that 20% of your efforts should yield 80% of your results. In business, the 80-20 rule helps identify inputs that have the potential to be the most productive and make them the priority. Once these factors...

Change is underway. Can you feel it?  It’s in more than just the cold-then-warm-then-cold-again days. It's in more than just the blossoms budding on trees as hail briefly falls on a sunny afternoon. Mother Nature’s dichotomy is likely reflective of what your own business is facing at this time. 

After seeing a substantial uptick in new delivery and carry-out services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has been a lifeline for many restaurants to continue serving customers, keep employees working, and perpetuate a revenue stream. As such, the introduction of third-party delivery services...

Have you dreamt of owning a food truck, but assumed it was something that would always be out of reach? Make your dream a reality. All the decision making that comes with a new business venture can be stressful. But when it comes to the foodservice equipment for your food truck...

As we continue to welcome back dining guests to our restaurants, it is necessary to create priorities to maximize resources. It’s challenging to pick what projects should be at the top of that list. One often overlooked process is the care of a restaurant’s floors, both in the front and back of the house.

The food delivery business has served as a lifeline for many restaurants throughout the pandemic as government mandated closures restricted on-premises dining. If it was not clear before, it is clear now that delivery workers play an increasingly important role in a restaurant’s operations...

Join Total Food Service and L. Sashin & Associates on April 13th at 9:00 for Virtual Breakfast Session #16: Staffing Shortfalls-Changing the Work Environment & Tapping Tomorrow’s Talent Today! The restaurant, bar and hospitality business has always hard, but with work...

Many restaurant owners fall into the trap of trying to do everything themselves, including bookkeeping and payroll. But what if I told you, while you might be saving hundreds of dollars each month not paying for those services, that you’re probably losing thousands of dollars each month...

Access to first-party data has grown significantly for restaurants in the past few years. Driven by a shift to digital ordering that has been amplified by the pandemic, restaurants are gathering first-party data from customers through apps, websites, and loyalty programs...

While major restaurant chains have already started to create content on the TikTok network, smaller and independent restaurants who have embraced the format are finding that it’s a lot easier to drive business than Facebook or Instagram. Stories are happening all over the place how just one video caused a major shift...

When I sat down to write this month’s column the world was not in the topsy turvy position we find ourselves in now. Bartenders weren’t dumping out bottles of Russian Standard (yes, made in Russia and owned by Russian oligarch Roustam Tariko, who also owns Bank Russian Standard) and...

Some, mostly New Englanders, may think the first coffee shop was Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1948. But really, coffee shops have been around since The Ottoman Empire. Coffee shops began as an alternative to establishments only serving liquor, and quickly increased in popularity. Today, coffee shops can be found just about anywhere, and do so much more than just beverages.

As restaurant and foodservice operators move towards how they will define their “next normal”, there are still a number of questions to be answered. Close to the top of the list is how to continue an on-going agenda of green and sustainable without taking their foot off...

New York employers in the hospitality industry are no strangers to the constant proliferation of labor laws they must keep up with in order to avoid substantial penalties and expensive lawsuits. Now, just as the hustle to comply with COVID-related labor laws calms down, employers should be aware...

With a goal of spotlighting perspectives on resilience, serving the community, and strengthening inclusion, the New York City Hospitality Alliance was thrilled to team with the Tao Group and MSG’s Garden of Dreams last month on a very special event. The 60-minute in-person event...

In this episode of the Restaurant Misfits podcast, Brett interviews Josh Morgan. Josh is the CEO and co-founder of Sesame, a new restaurant marketplace created by restaurants, for restaurants. Born out of the need to create a more sustainable way for restaurants to manage...

Severe allergic reactions of all kinds happen quickly and can be life-threatening and with an estimated one in ten adults with a food allergy in the United States, food allergy related negligence can be a dangerous and costly mistake for hospitality businesses...

Three recent surveys hit my desk, I’m sharing the trends you need to know about that may impact your business for what you buy, sell and serve in 2022. Gen-Zs, adults ages 18- 24, are driven to purchase specialty foods from diverse suppliers, small or local companies, and those that are...

It’s hard to believe we’re already through February. How are your new year’s resolutions coming along? Are you still as committed to reaching your goals now as you were two months ago? Many people have already dropped their goals and resolved to tackle them later or even next year...

Food store customers and employees are aligned on one thing: they want to know stores are taking every safety precaution to limit the spread of germs. Many store policies now reflect more frequent and thorough sanitation procedures and efforts to prevent bacteria transfer...

As we settle into the new year, businesses are faced with possibilities of growth and opportunity. Another trip around the sun means exploring avenues that will ultimately increase their profits and help protect their bottom line. Adding a foodservice program to your existing business is a great way to do just that.

Consumers, your guests, and even you  – we are all online, all day long. Reviews.org reports that the average American picks up their mobile phone 262 times a day! According to research from RescueTime (an app created to monitor mobile phone use) people average over 3 hours on their phone EVERY DAY...

The hospitality industry, like others, have had to reinvent themselves since the start of the pandemic. Pushing businesses towards a model where an essential point of contact with consumers is online, these changes have resulted in the development of new websites, mobile apps...

As we bob and weave through the opening act of 2022, there is a seemingly endless agenda on a restaurateur’s proverbial plate. I’ve created a new goal/vision: “The End-Demic”. As many restaurants continue hiring and bringing back their staff, the emphasis needs to be on the paperwork...

L Sashin and Associates and Total Food Service (TFS) are set to host a series of virtual breakfast sessions on the web. “Our goal is to help the restaurant and foodservice industry take advantage of the perspective that we have been able to gain in working with clients in a wide...

2020 was like a raging wildfire. Then 2021 came, with some good and some hard stuff. For example, customers came back, but you also saw rising wages, rising food prices and some of those customers were mean as hell. Now that 2022 is here, I want to share to my five biggest predictions for the restaurant industry.

Restaurants that have built in grease traps or interceptors need to make sure they are maintained properly on a recurring schedule to prevent back-up and overflow into their restaurants. As the weather here in the Northeast gets colder, the grease in the lines becomes more solid due to...

Within the first month of 2022, businesses in the foodservice industry continued to navigate through the many adjustments that the Pandemic has brought them. These adjustments will become the foundation of each restaurant’s new normal as owners/managers and chefs meet their dining patron’s needs.

With the new year officially underway, hospitality employers should be aware that website accessibility lawsuits still loom large. The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) prohibits discrimination against disabled members of the public in the “full and equal enjoyment” of the goods and services...

With so many changes on our minds throughout the pandemic, there is no shortage of misconceptions that frustrate our industry. One myth at the top of that list, as we talk to our Imperial Dade customers across the country, is that foam packaging is banned everywhere. That is simply not true.

From outdoor dining legislation to the latest in “vax-policing”, HUB Insurance and Total Food Service (TFS) hosted what has become a must view event last week. The quarterly Hospitality Webinar Series: “Where Do We Go From Here?: 6.0” Looking Ahead - Top Hospitality Trends, Concerns & FAQs...

In this episode of the Restaurant Misfits podcast, Brett interviews Sean Brennan,  the founder of the international multi-unit quick-serve pie and coffee concept “The Pie Hole” based in Los Angeles, CA. He has plus or minus 20 years experience in hospitality and organizational development.