How to start a restaurant
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How to start a restaurant

Opening a restaurant is a dream for foodies everywhere. As an owner, you enjoy full creative control over the menu, food quality and customer experience. Before you start a restaurant, however, it’s important to understand exactly what goes into the process.

So sit back, untie your apron and dig into the steps for opening a restaurant.

Steps to open a restaurant

Opening a restaurant is both exciting and complicated. From getting licenses to planning a menu and buying kitchen equipment, each phase requires patience and attention to detail. Use these steps to organize your plan of attack.

1. Decide on a restaurant concept

Your restaurant concept is the central idea or theme of the business. Typically, it involves two core elements: the cuisine you offer and the environment in which you serve it.

Popular cuisines include:

  • italian
  • Indian
  • mexican
  • chinese
  • American
  • sushi
  • vegan
  • BBQ
  • Pizza

Once you know what kind of food you want to serve, it’s time to design the environment. Some common style and size options are:

  • Diner
  • Fast food
  • fast casual
  • Counter-serve
  • Sit-downs
  • ghost kitchen
  • Fine dining
  • Café/bistro
  • Coffee shop
  • Pubs

To crystallize your concept, summarize the idea into a sentence. For example, “a small fast-casual café serving espresso drinks and elevated comfort foods in a cozy setting.”

A list of 10 restaurant concepts.

2. Build a restaurant business plan

Write a restaurant business plan that describes your operations, analyzes the market and identifies the target audience. It should also lay out the structure of the organization and make financial projections.

A well-researched plan is a roadmap for opening a restaurant — you can use it to guide every important decision, from choosing a location to setting the menu. Potential investors will use the plan to determine your potential for success.

When you’re opening a small restaurant, the business plan can be less complex. You might include fewer details about the organizational structure and focus primarily on the target audience and competitor analysis.

3. Secure restaurant funds

There’s no getting around it: It’s expensive to open a restaurant. Many owners need to seek funding to help cover the costs of rent, furniture, decor, equipment, insurance, licensing and labor.

Some common funding sources for restaurants are:

  • Business loans
  • Business lines of credit
  • Financial support from family and friends
  • External investors
  • Crowdfunding
  • Grants

Restaurant startup costs can vary considerably based on size, type, and location. One survey of restaurant owners reported that average totals range from $175,000 to $750,500. Another report estimated startup costs ranging from $95,000 to $2 million.

Owning a restaurant can be profitable. However, since profit margins are tight — usually ranging from 3% to 5% — you must control factors such as inventory tracking, ingredient selection and food waste.

4. Find a restaurant location

Location is one of the most important factors in a restaurant’s success. It determines everything from public perception to the customers you’re most likely to attract. A restaurant that’s highly visible and set in a convenient location may have an easier time than one that’s hidden away on a back street with no parking.

As you evaluate locations, consider these factors:

  • Price
  • size
  • Layouts
  • Available parking
  • driving distance
  • Proximity to public transportation
  • Visibility from the sidewalk or road
  • Ease of access
  • Existing kitchen facilities

Think about your target audience, too. Where do they live? Will they walk or drive to the restaurant? What kind of environment do they prefer?

Use audience insights to guide your property search. If your goal is to be the local date-night hotspot, for example, you might prioritize a property with a beautiful view or an intimate vibe.

5 questions to ask before signing a restaurant lease

5. Obtain restaurant licenses and permits

Every restaurant needs a license; it demonstrates to customers and officials that you know how to operate legally and safely. Restaurant licensing requirements vary based on your location and business and may be required by city, county, state, or federal regulations. Common licenses and permits include:

County/city

  • Business license
  • Food service license
  • Food handler’s license
  • Building health permit
  • Certificate of occupancy
  • Sign permit

state

Federal

6. Create your restaurant menu

Work with your chef to craft a menu. Most menus fall into five categories: static, cyclical, fixed-price, du jour and à la carte. As you choose dishes, consider these factors:

  • Alignment with restaurant concept
  • Popularity and competitive advantage
  • Most important ingredients
  • Ingredient availability and seasonality
  • Prep time and complexity
  • Costs and profit margins for each dish
  • Food allergies and dietary preferences

When you come up with a short list of dishes, consider menu pricing; set prices that are acceptable to your target market but still enable you to make a profit. If certain items are too expensive for the restaurant concept, eliminate them from the menu.

At this point, you should have a final list of dishes. To design the menu, follow these tips:

  1. Separate dishes into categories.
  2. Allow plenty of white space.
  3. Highlight priority meals with bold fonts or graphic elements.
  4. Indicate items that are safe for allergies and dietary restrictions.
  5. Write applying descriptions.
  6. Take beautiful photos for your website and delivery menu.

7. Find restaurant equipment and food suppliers

With your menu in mind, find suppliers that can deliver the necessary ingredients on your required schedule. Build community and gain a competitive advantage by working with local suppliers to source high-quality foods with short delivery times. Other options include national wholesalers, catering suppliers, and commercial butchers, farmers, and fishmongers.

Then, purchase the necessary equipment for the restaurant. At a minimum, you’ll need appliances and furniture for:

  • Food preparation
  • Foodstorage
  • Foodservice
  • Guest comfort
  • safety
  • Cleaning
  • trash collection

Equipment is a big investment, but you can buy used items to save money without sacrificing functionality.

Technology is another important consideration; it helps you market the company, process orders efficiently, and capture more delivery business. Most restaurants need a point of sale (POS) system, printer, cash drawer, payment processing technology, kitchen displays, and a mobile ordering system. Grubhub can streamline your tech stack — it integrates with many POS systems, so delivery orders flow right through to the kitchen.

8. Hire restaurant staff

Place job postings in local newspapers, on online job boards, and in social media groups. You can also reach out to professional contacts for referrals, especially when it comes to manager and chef candidates.

The number of employees you need depends on the size of the business. At a minimum, you should hire:

  • general manager
  • Chefs and/or cooks
  • Dishwashers
  • Hosts
  • Bartenders
  • Servers
  • bussers
  • Janitors

In small restaurants, the same people may fill several of these roles. Large or specialized restaurants may need additional staff members, such as a food and beverage manager, executive chef, pastry chef, sommelier and kitchen manager.

Onboarding is paramount for a new restaurant. With thorough orientation and training, workers can do their jobs with confidence and create a positive experience for customers. This is a great time to establish company values ​​and traditions that minimize employee turnover: respect, fair and flexible scheduling, continuing education, staff safety and an inclusive environment.

9. Create a restaurant marketing plan

Marketing is critical for a restaurant startup. Done successfully, it builds a buzz and gets local customers excited to try your food. A marketing plan helps you stay on task and build brand awareness, even amidst the chaos of a grand opening. This document maps out your marketing strategy — what you want to achieve with your promotions, how you’ll do it, and how you’ll know it’s successful.

As you build a restaurant marketing plan, include these items:

  • Description of the target audience
  • Competitor marketing analysis
  • Marketing objectives, such as building brand awareness or increasing foot traffic
  • Marketing activities that achieve your objectives, such as social media campaigns or marketing emails
  • Metrics to track the performance of marketing activities

For modern restaurants, a website is the most important marketing tool. It’s the core of your web presence; customers will visit to see the menu, look at photos and find opening hours. To drive additional business, consider adding a branded online ordering website with Grubhub Direct.

10. Host a grand opening

There are two phases to a restaurant opening: the soft opening and the grand opening.

During a soft opening, you invite a select group of people to try your restaurant. It’s a great time to get your staff up to speed, refine your operations and experiment with a trial menu to see how customers respond to different dishes. Before your soft launch, you should have a menu with prices, all necessary equipment and trained kitchen and front-of-house staff.

After you implement the lessons from the soft launch, you can plan the grand opening — the first day the restaurant is open to the public. Make sure to build excitement with advertisements, social media posts and influencer marketing. Create a sense of occasion by offering special treats to the first customers, setting up a photo background or planning live entertainment.

Invest in tools to grow your business

Getting to your restaurant’s grand opening takes time and effort, but the results are rewarding. With careful planning and an organized approach, you can set the business up for long-term success. Grubhub is here to support restaurant growth. Our solutions like professional delivery, direct online ordering, POS integration and virtual restaurant support can help get your new restaurant in front of eager customers. Want to learn more about how partnering with Grubhub can benefit your business? Try Grubhub free for 30 days.

How to grow a restaurant’s social media following
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How to grow a restaurant’s social media following

Food is everywhere on social media. Spend just a few minutes scrolling and you’ll see restaurants, private chefs and food bloggers showing off their latest creations. It’s easy to see why — highly visual platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest are the perfect place to display mouthwatering dishes. If you’re not using social media marketing for your restaurant, it’s time to get posting.

Why is social media marketing important for restaurants?

Social media is critical for your restaurant marketing plan — after all, it’s where your customers are spending time. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of American adults use at least one social media platform. People between the ages of 18 and 49 are particularly active; more than 80% of this age group use social media regularly. The majority of users visit their preferred platforms at least once every day.

Your customers aren’t just connecting with friends; they’re using social media to search for potential restaurants and make purchasing decisions. An MHG study found that 45% of American diners have decided to try a restaurant because they saw one of its posts on social media.

Building a social media presence takes time, even if you use a social media management company, but it can have a significant impact on your business. The benefits of social media marketing for both large and small restaurants include:

  • Increased brand awareness and brand recognition
  • Creating a stronger brand identity
  • Converting followers into customers
  • Building customer loyalty
  • Expanding your audience
  • Building social proof

How to choose the right platform

If you’re like most restaurant owners, you don’t have time to maintain profiles on every major social media platform. To maximize your ROI, all you need to do is choose the platform where your target audience is most active. Later, you can expand to other social media channels.

Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media platform across all age groups, according to Gallup research. About 60% of all Americans aged 18-34 and 55+ use the service daily or weekly, in addition to 66% of people 35-54 years old. No matter your target audience, a Facebook page is a must.

Many users see Facebook as an extension of a brand’s website; they come to check current opening hours, see daily specials and look at the menu. Facebook also allows you to receive reviews, add links, post content and even answer FAQs via chat, so it’s an ideal place to build a community.

Instagram

Instagram is primarily a photo and video-sharing app. The platform is almost entirely visual, so it’s the perfect place to show off your best food photography. Instagram is an effective discovery engine; use appropriate hashtags and location tags to help people find your content. Instafoodies is a growing community, and sharing delectable photos and videos of your cuisine is a sure way to grow a following.

If your audience is between the ages of 18 and 54, Instagram is particularly useful. Gallup finds that the majority of this age group logs in daily or weekly. Customers 55 and older are less active on the app.

TikTok

If you have the resources to film and create short videos, TikTok can be a valuable digital marketing channel for your restaurant. This relatively young video platform is effective at delivering your content to new users, so it’s a good way to reach a bigger audience. To get the most value and exposure, keep up with trending video styles and sounds.

TikTok is a good way to reach younger diners. About 33% of people aged 18-34 use the platform frequently. According to Gallup, it’s also growing in popularity with millennials; 23% of people between the ages of 35 and 54 use the platform.

Twitter

Twitter is a useful social media marketing tool if you’re ready to engage with the community. The fast-moving feed has a limited character count, so you can share short, easily digestible bits of information. Make sure to allocate time to respond to comments, answer questions, and join in on discussions — Twitter is all about conversations.

Twitter is on par with TikTok when it comes to usage, but those stats are likely to change as TikTok grows. Currently, the platform is used daily or weekly by 36% of people aged 18-34 years, 23% of people aged 35-54 and 13% of adults aged 55 or older.

Social media marketing tips and tricks

Restaurant social media marketing is flexible. If one post type doesn’t work, you can adjust your social media strategy quickly and cheaply. As a restaurant owner, it’s a good idea to stick to these best practices:

  • Stay professional, but establish a unique voice
  • Track analytics to identify the best-performing content
  • Engage your audience
  • Keep up with the latest trends
  • Use hashtags to join the conversation

1. Create a consistent brand voice

Every time you post on a social media account, use a similar style and tone. Consistency gives your restaurant a distinct personality, which attracts customers and builds familiarity.

If you’re not sure where to start, imagine your restaurant is a person. How would it speak? Would it use slang, or would it be more formal? It’s also helpful to consider the words and tone your target audience will respond to.

2. Share rewards, discounts and limited-time offers

Give your social media followers a reason to visit your restaurant by offering special deals and offers. Add a promo code for online orders, or invite people to follow your profile to get a discount when dining in. You can run promotions during happy hours, food holidays or even slow days of the week.

3. Host a social media contest to build customer loyalty

Social media algorithms reward engagement; if your posts get a high volume of likes, comments and shares, the platform is more likely to show future content to more people. Contests are a fun way to generate more leads and encourage viewers to follow, create user-generated content and interact with your profile.

keep it simple; you can post a photo and host an informal caption contest, ask people to post their best food photos, or invite followers to name your newest menu item. Offer a prize that boosts business, such as a free meal or branded merchandise. Make sure to cross-promote your social media marketing contest on other channels.

4. Deliver an authentic social media presence

Modern social media users are exceptionally savvy — they respond best to authenticity and enthusiasm. To build stronger connections, showcase the human side of your restaurant. Offer a behind-the-scenes peek into the kitchen, introduce your staff, and explain the meaning behind your restaurant logo. You can also hop on the “no gatekeeping” trend by sharing recipes and cooking tricks.

5. Establish a healthy cadence

A regular posting schedule is essential for social media brand-building; it ensures a steady flow of content. Aim to post at least three times per week, or more if you have the resources.

Consider creating a content calendar to plan posts in advance. That way, you can write content and take photos whenever you have free time. On posting day, all you have to do is hit the “publish” button. Facebook and Instagram even allow you to schedule future posts on the platform.

6. Reach out to an influencer

Influencer social media marketing is a great way to get your restaurant in front of a new social network. The process is simple: You pay food bloggers and social media personalities to promote your brand to their followers. Stick to people in your area, and don’t be afraid to work with micro influencers; their followings are often small but highly engaged.

7. Try a little video marketing

Video is the most popular and highest-performing social media in 2023, according to HubSpot’s The State of Marketing report. Engagement is particularly high on the short-form videos you’ll find on TikTok and Instagram reels. Try posting cooking tutorials, recipes or even beautiful clips of your top-selling menu items.

8. Respond to online reviews

Social media platforms are public forums; take advantage of that visibility by responding to negative reviews. When you’re professional, friendly and transparent, it builds trust and strengthens relationships. While you’re at it, leverage customer feedback to boost engagement and improve your operations.

9. Showcase menu updates

Social media is one of the most direct channels to reach customers. Instagram and Facebook are often the two common platforms diners check to get updates on your restaurant. Posting about your menu updates, restaurant announcements or seasonal changes can get your latest news to your customers in real time. Letting customers know about your restaurant’s changes can help drum up excitement and give diners a reason to place an order.

10. Increase takeout and delivery sales by promoting online ordering

Customers often scroll through social media when they’re trying to choose a restaurant for lunch or dinner. If they see something that appeals to them, they’re likely to order right away. Make it easier by promoting your online ordering options in your posts. Update your social media profile with links to your online ordering website and partner delivery apps. If you’re posting on Twitter or your Facebook page, you can include a clickable link in the post itself.

If you don’t currently have a way for customers to order online, Grubhub Direct is an easy way to build a branded, commission-free ordering website. The Direct Success Playbook can help you increase orders, create special promotions, and improve your marketing.

Create a commission-free, customized ordering website with

Social media marketing is a cost-effective way to get your restaurant in front of hungry diners. Start small, post regularly, and don’t be afraid to experiment — it’s a great way to find out what content resonates best with your audience.

Use social media to build a loyal following and increase your restaurant’s sales

Social media is a great marketing tool to help you reach new customers, build a fan base, and increase your restaurant’s sales. From promoting a dine-in special to using commission-free direct ordering links from Grubhub for Restaurants, social media can help increase your restaurant’s sales and build a restaurant brand.

Need a partner to help get your menu in front of more paying customers? Partner with Grubhub today to reach 33+ hungry diners and grow your business.

10 Restaurant Sustainability Tips | Grubhub
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10 Restaurant Sustainability Tips | Grubhub

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 30% to 40% of the food supply in the United States goes to waste each year. Restaurants are a significant contributor; in fact, between 4% and 10% of the food in commercial kitchens is thrown out before it’s even prepared. That’s a lot of meals thrown in the trash.

If you run a restaurant, this issue may already be on your radar. By finding ways to reduce food waste in your organization, you can ease the financial and environmental impact and set a good example for other businesses in the industry.

But how can your restaurant reduce food waste while maintaining quality? Read on to find out.

The impact of food waste

For restaurant owners, reducing food waste is a financial priority. After all, the ingredients you don’t use can come with significant costs. If you spend $100,000 on food and 4% of it goes to waste, you’re losing $4,000 — plus the costs of labor and storage that come with ordering, handling, and managing inventory.

On a grand scale, wasted food has more serious effects, both for the planet and the human race.

  • environmental impacts: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that food waste accounts for 21.6% of municipal solid waste. Most of that waste ends up in landfills; this cycle wastes all the energy that went into growing, producing, and transporting the food. Because food emits methane as it decays, it contributes to climate change.
  • Food insecurity: The USDA found that 13.5 million households in the United States were food insecure in 2021, which means they didn’t have access to enough food at some point during the year. Wasted food can’t be rerouted to families in need.

The causes of restaurant food waste vary. Some food spoils before it can be used, often due to ineffective storage or poor inventory management. In some cases, your kitchen team might prepare too much of a certain dish; if you can’t serve it in time, it ends up in the trash. The same thing happens when customers don’t finish their meals.

7 restaurant sustainability tips to reduce food waste in restaurants

Here’s the good news: There are plenty of things you can do to improve food waste reduction at your restaurant. With small adjustments to your operational practices, you can cut waste, save money and reduce your ecological footprint.

1. Conduct a food waste audit

A food waste audit is one way to track the food that’s thrown out at your restaurant. During the audit period, staff should dispose of all food waste — including kitchen scraps, spoiled food and plate scrapings — into designated bins. In the process, ask your team members to make notes of the following:

  • Ingredients, dishes or items that appear frequently
  • Items that could be donated
  • Food that’s thrown out before it’s used

At the end of the audit, weigh the food waste. Write down the amount, along with the number of meals you served and the revenue you brought in. These numbers serve as a baseline for future comparisons.

The results of the audit can help you find opportunities to reduce waste. If you notice that customers almost always throw out a certain vegetable or side dish, for example, it’s a sign to replace it with something else. If you have a high volume of spoiled food, consider revising your inventory and storage strategy.

2. Recycle used cooking oil

Restaurants use an average of 35 pounds of cooking oil per day. Disposing of it can be a hassle; an environmentally friendly solution is to recycle the oil. Get in touch with an oil-collection company that can pick up your used oil and transport it to a recycling facility. There, the oil is transformed into biodiesel fuel, animal feed, fertilizer and other products.

To reduce the amount of oil you send out for recycling, extend the life of your cooking oil by skimming it every 2 hours. It’s also a good idea to filter it at least twice a day to remove extra food particles and contaminants.

3. Optimize your restaurant storage

A poorly planned storage system can cause food to go to waste before you have a chance to use it. Here are some steps you can take to successfully optimize your restaurant storage:

  • Designate storage tasks to specific employees.
  • Create a shelf-life chart for quick reference.
  • Store and label products immediately after delivery.
  • Use ingredients on a first-in, first-out basis.
  • Use perishable items as soon as possible.

If you notice that certain items go in the trash frequently, it might be time to remove them from the menu or order them in lower quantities.

4. Donate food whenever possible

Speak to local food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters to identify the foods you can donate. Most organizations have specific rules; for example, they probably won’t accept prepared food that’s been on a buffet line. However, they can typically take non-perishable goods and packaged foods that aren’t expired.

Donating food doesn’t cut your costs, but it can help you earn tax credits. It also keeps food waste out of landfills.

5. Give leftovers to employees

When your restaurant has left over food that can’t be safely stored, donated or used in another dish, invite your employees to take it home. This is a great way to reduce food loss when a specific item doesn’t sell or the kitchen makes too much. It also helps boost employee morale.

To protect your employees, it’s important to follow safe food-handling practices. Don’t let them take food that’s been sitting out too long, and always make sure it’s packaged and stored properly.

6. Consider composting

There’s not much you can do to salvage food scraps left over from food preparation or customer meals. Instead of throwing them in the garbage, turn them into compost. One option is a commercial composter, which works quickly and accepts most types of food. Alternatively, you might be able to send your scraps to an industrial composting company.

If you have the space — and if the local health department allows — you might be able to build a traditional compost bin outdoors. Then, simply donate the compost to a local farm or community garden.

What can be composted in a restaurant kitchen?

  • Food and vegetable scraps
  • Coffee grounds and paper filters
  • Paper tea bags (no staples)
  • Eggshells (crushed)
  • Shredded paper and cardboard

Meat, dairy products and oils cannot be composted. Cooked food also will not be composted.

7. Reduce portion sizes

Does most of your restaurant’s waste come from customer plate scrapings? Your portion sizes might be too big. Reducing portions is particularly effective if your customers can’t easily take leftovers to go; this is a common issue for restaurants located near hotels and airports. Alternatively, offer popular dishes in multiple size options so customers can order the one that best fits their appetite.

Before you start offering smaller portions, take time to train the staff. Teach them how to measure the correct amount of each item and how to plate it attractively. Depending on current sizes, you might consider using smaller plates or getting creative with presentation.

Additional restaurant sustainability tips

Reducing food waste in restaurants is just the first step toward sustainability. If you want to make a bigger change in your business, try these tips:

  • Turn off equipment. By shutting down some kitchen equipment when orders begin to dwindle, you can save hundreds of dollars each year.
  • Replace pre-rinse spray valves. Swap them with efficient models that use 20% less than the federal standard of 1.6 GPM; it can help you save $115 to $240 annually on water and energy costs.
  • Insulate your water pipes. This low-cost strategy reduces energy loss.
  • Become a certified green restaurant. Work with the Green Restaurant Association to get personalized sustainability recommendations. When you meet them, you’ll receive a certification that can be used on your website and marketing materials.
  • Invest in sustainable packaging. Swap out plastic and foam options for sustainable to-go containers
  • Reduce single-use plastic cutlery. You’ll save money and reduce overall waste. To help, Grubhub has joined the #CutOutCutlery campaign. In addition, delivery orders automatically default to zero utensils, so customers can opt in only if needed.

Grubhub for Restaurants is committed to driving sustainability across the restaurant industry

As a trusted delivery and mobile ordering platform, Grubhub is taking action to boost sustainability and food waste reduction. When you sign up with Grubhub for Restaurants, you’ll gain access to features that include:

  • Quick menu edits. It’s easy to remove dishes when an ingredient runs out or you switch to a seasonal menu.
  • Promotions. Use sales to move inventory before it expires.
  • Virtual restaurants. A virtual restaurant is delivery-only; it gives you the freedom to adjust your menu, ordering and food-prep strategy to reduce waste and use fewer resources.
  • Tech integrations. Grubhub uses the latest technology to allow accurate ordering and reduce errors.

When you’re trying to cut back on food waste, every action helps. Whether you choose to compost food scraps or find a food-donation option for surplus food, your efforts can cut costs and help the planet. If environmentally friendly delivery is part of your sustainability plan, Grubhub can help. To try Grubhub for Restaurants, sign up today.

9 Tips for Becoming an Environmentally Green Restaurant
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9 Tips for Becoming an Environmentally Green Restaurant

Sustainability is a big issue for modern consumers — they want to know their money is going to responsible businesses. In fact, 70% of Millennials and Gen Z consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Modern diners are increasingly motivated to order from sustainable restaurants.

The shift toward eco-friendly and socially conscious practices creates an opportunity for restaurant owners. If you can show a commitment to sustainable operations, you can win customer confidence and create a lasting legacy.

So how can your restaurant go green? Keep reading to find out.

What are sustainable restaurants?

Sustainable restaurants embrace practices that benefit the environment and society while maintaining economic viability. The goal is to create a business model that can be sustained over time without creating a negative impact.

As you can imagine, full sustainability is challenging to achieve. The goal isn’t perfection — if the majority of restaurants make small adjustments, the collective effort has the potential to create powerful, long-lasting change. Restaurant owners are getting on board; according to a 2022 Datassential report, 70% are prioritizing sustainability. Even so, just 41% of restaurants feel their business model is truly sustainable.

Some of the factors that make a restaurant sustainable include:

  • Reducing food waste
  • Sourcing from suppliers with sustainable practices
  • Minimizing wasted water and energy
  • Embracing recycling and composting
  • Cutting back on carbon emissions for delivery and food transportation

Why restaurant sustainability is more important than ever

Restaurant sustainability benefits the planet and society as a whole; it could also affect the success of your business. It’s a top priority for food-service businesses and suppliers, especially those with a younger customer base. According to the Pew Research Center, 67% of millennials and 67% of Gen Z believe the climate is a top priority. Because these two generations include 140.79 million people, it’s important to consider their preferences.

Consumers are serious about purchasing from companies with sustainable practices. A McKinsey study found that businesses with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices are growing faster than their less-sustainable counterparts. In this environment, restaurants that are committed to going green and reducing waste may gain a competitive advantage. When given the choice, socially and environmentally conscious diners are more likely to choose a sustainable restaurant over the alternative.

It’s no longer enough to make vague eco-friendly statements. Research shows that 88% of Gen Z customers have a low level of trust in commercial ESG claims. They’re also experts in ferreting out the truth and calling out performative actions. As you build sustainable practices and hire new chefs, make sure they stand up to intense scrutiny; that way, you can avoid bad PR and win the loyalty of young customers.

Tips for sustainable restaurants

Most restaurants have room for improvement when it comes to sustainability. Beyond the obvious options, such as reducing energy use and saving water, there are several industry-specific actions you can take.

Food waste reduction

Food waste is one of the most important issues facing the restaurant industry. The food that’s sent to a landfill each year has significant consequences for the environment and the national food supply — and your bottom line. Adjusting your operations to reduce waste can cut your average food costs by 4% to 10% and reduce your cost of goods sold (COGS) by an average of 4 cents on every dollar.

Some ways to reduce restaurant food waste and increase restaurant sustainability include:

  • Redesigning your inventory management system to reduce spoilage
  • Ordering according to actual restaurant data
  • Donating food to local non-profits
  • Composting food scraps
  • Serving smaller portions

Don’t be afraid to publicize your efforts on social media, customers are paying attention. In 2022, one report found that consumer awareness of food waste had increased by 39% in just 3 years. When you’re open about the process, it can help customers feel good about dining at your restaurant.

Sustainable food sourcing

The sustainability of your restaurant isn’t limited to internal practices — your supply chain matters, too. Take time to evaluate each supplier to find out if they’re implementing sustainable methods. Any time you add a new vendor, make sure to choose from companies with socially and environmentally safe business models.

Due diligence is especially important when you’re selecting food suppliers; farming and animal husbandry have a big impact on the environment. Keep an eye out for sustainable agriculture practices such as:

  • Minimized use of pesticides
  • Crop rotation that supports healthy soil and prevents erosion
  • Intelligent water management
  • Integrated livestock and crop management
  • Fair labor practices

Another solution is to source food locally. When your ingredients have fewer miles to travel, they use less energy. And because local farmers don’t need to consider long transit times, they can harvest food later and provide fresher, more flavorful items. In contrast, the food that’s shipped from far away is often cooked with gas or chemicals.

Local sourcing does more than increase food quality at sustainable restaurants; it builds a stronger sense of community. Customers appreciate the chance to keep their money in the local economy and support small businesses they recognize. As a bonus, incorporating locally grown ingredients into a rotating seasonal menu can boost your bottom line. A regular lineup of new dishes gives diners a reason to keep coming back.

Eco-friendly packaging

Each year, Americans send more than 82.2 million pounds of municipal solid waste to landfills. About 28.1% of that waste consists of containers and packaging materials, according to the EPA.

If your restaurant offers takeout and delivery, you can make a difference by switching to sustainable to-go containers. Avoid plastic and Styrofoam; they can take up to 500 years to decompose. Plastic containers often end up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and break down into small pieces that harm sea life. According to National Geographic, the oceans already contain 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic.

Sustainable packaging is biodegradable, which means it breaks down naturally and blends safely back into the ecosystem. Compostable containers are a good solution. Some are made with sustainably farmed sugarcane or bamboo. If you’re concerned about leaks, you can find paper containers lined with a plant-based starch resin. Although these containers still make it to landfills, they break down much faster than traditional options.

What is the Green Restaurant Association?

If you’re looking to help reduce food waste and incorporate sustainable practices, the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is a good resource. This organization, which has been leading the charge for restaurant sustainability since 1990, is committed to driving change in the industry. It provides educational materials and access to a network of vetted sustainable distributors and products to help you build a better supply chain. The GRA also offers a sustainability certification program; once you become a Certified Green restaurant, the team can help you promote the credential.

The Green Star, which is a MICHELIN initiative, is a different type of distinction. It’s awarded to restaurants that are excelling in the area of ​​sustainability. A Green Star is another vote of confidence for consumers.

Sustainability is a critical issue in the restaurant industry, and it’s likely to become more important in the coming years. By taking action now to improve your practices, you can establish a solid foundation for long-term success. At Grubhub, sustainability remains a priority. With the #CutOutCutlery campaign, diners must opt-in to get single-use plastic utensils, reducing the amount of unnecessary waste generated from each order. Ready to reach more customers and share your restaurant’s mission? Partner with Grubhub today.

19 March food holidays for your restaurant to celebrate
Hotels
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19 March food holidays for your restaurant to celebrate

Did you know 45% of US customers say they’ve tried a new restaurant after seeing a restaurant’s post on social media? That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure your restaurant is establishing an effective social media strategy to grab customers’ attention. One great way to make your restaurant stand out online is to celebrate national food holidays on social media.

Take a look at these tips on how you can take advantage of food holidays this month and keep scrolling to get the full March calendar.

What are national food holidays?

National food holidays are micro holidays that center around a certain cuisine. They are often celebrated on social media and encourage diners to band together to show appreciation for everything from Oreos (March 6) to hot chicken (March 30). While these holidays don’t warrant a day off, they can still be fun to observe and celebrate. As a restaurant owner, a food holiday is the perfect excuse to offer an irresistible promotion that will encourage diners to place an order.

Why your restaurant should celebrate national food holidays

Everyone loves having something to celebrate, and restaurants can use food holidays to build excitement around their dishes. Food holidays are particularly popular on social media as diners go online to share what cuisine they’re celebrating. Acknowledging a food holiday on social media by using the holiday’s hashtag can instantly make your restaurant relevant to a wider audience.

Food holidays put specific dishes top of mind. When diners are craving waffles on International Waffle Day (March 25), you want them to turn to your breakfast menu to get their fix. Posting about your food can motivate diners to order from your restaurant. In fact, 53% of millennial TikTok users visited a restaurant after seeing it on the app. Incorporating food holidays in your social media strategy incentivizes hungry diners to check out your cuisine.

3 tips for marketing national food holidays

A successful food holiday marketing strategy begins with a strong digital presence. Modern diners flock online to discover new restaurants and place orders. Digital tactics are important for your restaurant marketing strategy.

To make your national food holiday celebrations as effective as possible, tie them into a larger restaurant marketing strategy that looks at the big picture, not just a single opportunity. A restaurant marketing strategy is a formal plan that documents, tracks and analyzes all your marketing efforts and activities.

1. Pile on promotions

Nothing motivates a diner to press ‘order now’ more than a discount. Rolling out promotions not only attracts more customers to your menu, but also encourages loyalty. Diners are more likely to place repeat orders if they think a restaurant has a good deal. In fact, 81% of consumers would switch restaurants if they saw a good deal. Your food holiday promotions can be the first thing that catches a potential customer’s eye.

Here are some promotion ideas that can get diners drooling for your dishes:

  • Discount dollar amounts: On National Sloppy Joe Day (March 18), offer $1 off your sloppy sandwiches.
  • Discounted items: Celebrate National Pound Cake Day (March 4) by offering 50% off a slice of pound cake when a customer purchases a coffee.
  • Discount-themed ingredients: Celebrate National Oreo Day (March 6) by offering 20% ​​off all Oreo flavored menu items.
  • Free items with purchase: On National Banana Cream Pie Day (March 2) spread the sweetness by offering a free slice of banana cream pie with every entree.

When you partner with Grubhub, launching promotions is as easy as pie. Restaurants that partner with Grubhub gain access to free-to-use promotional and marketing tools that are proven to increase orders and customers.

With Grubhub’s Promotions and Loyalty Tools, you can:

  • Run seasonal promotions to make the most of national food holidays
  • Offer your customer the right discount at the right time
  • Increase your ROI with our advanced technology and huge volumes of restaurant and customer data

2. Highlight online ordering

Getting customers excited about a food holiday is great, but unless you give them an easy avenue to place an order, all that momentum around your dishes will be lost.

Your restaurant’s website serves as the backbone of your digital presence. Your website should have all things a diner needs to know about your restaurant – this includes your menu, hours, location, story and an online ordering platform. Finding a platform that converts curious diners into satisfied customers can be difficult. That’s why restaurants are turning to Direct to reach more customers, drive online ordering and establish their advertising efforts with zero commission costs.

88% of restaurant operators stated a branded experience is very important for sales. With Direct, your restaurant can create an online ordering web page that’s designed and branded to match your existing restaurant’s look and feel. It can be easily integrated into your existing website (if you have one) or can act as your main site if need be. Learn more about how Direct can drive online ordering.

The Direct Success Playbook by Grubhub

Once your website is up and running, you want to make sure it’s searchable. When potential diners search your restaurant on Google, your Business Profile is usually the first thing to pop up. Claim your restaurant’s Google Business Profile so that you can make sure it correctly displays your hours, address, pricing and website link. When your Business Profile features the correct info and links, it’s far more likely a customer will place an order or come in to check you out.

3. Get social

Nobody will know your restaurant is celebrating a national food holiday unless you spread the word. That’s where social media comes in. TikTok, Instagram and Facebook are all powerful places to establish a restaurant social media presence.

Looking for some tips to make your restaurant pop on social media? Try these ideas:

  • Showcase your dishes by posting delectable photos and videos of them on national food holidays.
  • Use trending hashtags like #NationalOreoDay or #NationalPotatoChipDay to reach a larger audience beyond your social media followers.
  • Use local hashtags like #BostonFoodie or #NYCeats to connect with customers nearby.
  • create a quiz about your dishes to boost engagement with your national food holiday promotions.
  • Launch a contest with prizes that relate to your restaurant and die in with your national food holiday promotion.

It’s easy for restaurant owners’ plates to pile up, leaving little time to strategize about marketing. That’s why developing a social media calendar is essential for planning out how you will roll out your promotions.

A social media calendar is a way to organize your upcoming social media posts and promotions by date. Planning posts in advance gives you time to lay out promotions, batch content and solidify your menu to align with your offerings.

Check out these tips on how to market national food holidays on social media.

What social media holidays are coming next?

March brings the first tastes of spring, Mardi Gras beads and shamrocks. March also brings 19 food holidays for your restaurant to celebrate. Your restaurant can reserve a day this month to celebrate flapjacks (March 7), Ravioli (March 20) or Spanish paella (March 26). No matter what cuisine you’re celebrating, it pays to run a food holiday promotion.

Download our Guide to National Food Holidays to learn how to spearhead your promotional marketing and elevate your digital presence. Use your new calendar to create a marketing plan or amplify your existing one. National food holidays could be your next step toward increased sales and a wealth of new customers.

March national food holidays

March is National Noodle Month and National Sauce Month.

  • March 1: Mardi Gras
  • March 2: National Banana Cream Pie Day
  • March 3: National Cold Cuts Day
  • March 4: National Pound Cake Day
  • March 6: National Oreo Day
  • March 7: National Flapjack Day
  • March 9: National Meatball Day
  • March 10: National Ranch Dressing Day
  • March 13: National Chicken Noodle Soup Day
  • March 14: National Potato Chip Day
  • March 17: Saint Patrick’s Day
  • March 18: National Sloppy Joe Day
  • March 19: National Corn Dog Day
  • March 20: National Ravioli Day
  • March 21: National Crunchy Taco Day
  • March 23: National Chip and Dip Day
  • March 24: National Cheesesteak Day
  • March 25: International Waffle Day
  • March 26: National Spanish Paella Day
  • March 30: National Hot Chicken Day
Hotel chef that serves with a smile recognized as ‘outstanding ambassador’
Hotels
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Hotel chef that serves with a smile recognized as ‘outstanding ambassador’

Charlotte’s tourism and hospitality industry has successfully bounced back after the hardships brought on by the pandemic.

In 2022, hotel demand in Uptown Charlotte for leisure travel was up 130% over pre-pandemic numbers and up 154% for group or convention-related travel. In addition, Mecklenburg County hit its highest annual total hotel revenue ever at $887 million.

A group of the people and businesses that helped support the growth and recovery were honored last week, including one worker Your704′s Elsa Gillis recently met.

ALSO READ: Two Charlotte chefs, one bar named semifinalists in the James Beard Awards

Over the course of 15 years, Wanda Grady has been smiling and singing her way through the early morning breakfast service at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Uptown where she’s the omelette chef.

Grady’s positive attitude has not gone unnoticed by coworkers, hotel guests (her name is all over reviewed on TripAdvisor), or the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, who recently recognized her as “Outstanding Ambassador” at its annual Partners in Tourism Awards.

“It’s a beautiful hotel. Everybody is wonderful to me, I’m wonderful to everybody … You couldn’t ask for nothing more in your life,” Grady said.

Her coworker Harvey Johnson says Grady is a bright part of each person’s day.

“Every day, she’s like that every day,” Johnson said. “She has been like that for the last 13 years that we have been working together, she’s always the same. Regardless of what she’s going through, and of course we go through different things in life, she does a fantastic job.”

Grady believes it’s important to be kind to others because you never know what someone is going through.

“It’s important because it helps uplift people,” she said. “There’s people that travel through these hotels because someone’s at the hospital … there’s so many different reasons that bring you here.”

VIDEO: Colombian bakery is a family affair

2023 Alcohol Delivery Trends for Restaurant Owners
Hotels
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2023 Alcohol Delivery Trends for Restaurant Owners

Alcohol Delivery is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years – it’s time you learn how to capture this growing demand for to-go cocktails and alcoholic beverages. Check out what spiked drinks are trending in 2023 and how you can quench your diners’ thirst.

The pandemic kickstarted changes in local regulations to allow restaurants to incorporate alcohol delivery into their delivery strategy. Over 17 states and districts have decided to allow restaurants to sell to-go cocktails permanently, and customers love the ability to order to-go cocktails, beer and wine from their favorite restaurants on Grubhub.

Find out more about the benefits of offering alcohol delivery as part of your business model and see which cocktails seem to hit the spot best for thirsty diners eager for an effortless at-home happy hour.

The benefits of offering alcohol delivery or to-go cocktails

Curious whether it’s worth it to add alcohol to your delivery and to-go menus?

While it does take an up-front investment of both time and money to reconfigure your day-to-day operations and ensure your new alcohol offerings adhere to guidelines, Grubhub data shows a clear payoff.

Adding alcohol to your delivery menu on Grubhub can increase the average order value by a whopping $14-$15.

Think about that in terms of daily or weekly revenue; If you deliver 100 orders a day, you stand to see an average overall increase of $1400-$1500 per day and $9800-$10500 per week.

Of course, alcohol delivery on Grubhub is not available everywhere.

It’s important to do your research before you commit to a menu change or start collaborating with a local mixologist on cocktail ideas. If you’re a current Grubhub restaurant partner, please check with your Account Advisor to find out if you can offer alcohol.

To learn more about how you can add alcohol to your Grubhub menu, check out our guide to Grubhub alcohol delivery.

What were the top alcohol delivery and cocktail-to-go items ordered on Grubhub in 2022?

Grubhub’s #2022Delivered showed an uptick in alcohol orders, with a handful of cocktails seeing a meteoric rise in popularity.

Check out Grubhub's 2022 Delivered
  1. Beer

Whether it’s paired with a juicy burger or helps wash down game day wings, Grubhub diners’ go-to alcoholic drink is an ice cold beer. Beer is an easy addition to any alcohol delivery menu. Its pre-canned packaging means that you can offer a wide array of ales and lagers without a lot of prep work.

  1. margaritas

Frozen, on ice, with salt or without, margaritas continue to be a hugely popular drink that’s perfect for washing down that spicy carne asada on Taco Tuesday.

Keep delivery constraints in mind while you finalize your menu – frozen margaritas are harder to prepare and deliver without seeing a dip in quality. Also, too many flavor options could complicate things for your bartenders.

  1. Hot Sake

This hot Japanese drink has taken beverage delivery by storm. Hot sake, also known as ‘Kanzake,’ is a warm alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It comes in a wide variety of flavors and is known for having a higher alcohol content than wine. You can serve Sake pre-bottled and give diners quick instructions on how they can heat it up so they can perfect their at-home happy hour.

  1. Piña Colada

Cream of coconut, pineapple juice and rum can turn any cloudy day into a trip to the tropics. You can serve it blended or shaken with ice, and garnish it with a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherries, or both. Check out tips on how to make sure your Pina Coladas can stay fresh on the road. No matter how you prepare it, diners are going bananas for this fruity classic.

  1. Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a fruity, light white wine that pairs perfectly with a soft cheese or a smoked salmon. Adding sealed bottles of wine to your delivery menu can help you easily take liquids on the road. Think about offering white wine pairings with your dinner entrees so your diners know exactly what bottle washes down their meal best.

Hello, 2023: Alcohol delivery and cocktail trend predictions for the year ahead

Half the battle when creating an alcohol delivery menu is deciding which cocktails to include. On the one hand, you want to appeal to various tastes; on the other hand, a streamlined menu with few items helps reduce buyer confusion and makes it easier for your staff to execute orders on time.

Getting to know what cocktail trends you should watch in 2023 could help you create a menu that hits all the right notes without going overboard. The result? More sales and less stress!

Bold and bubbly

If there’s one thing taking 2023 by storm it’s bold flavors. Diners are craving online ingredients both in their food and drink. Spicy cocktails are rising in popularity, combining the fiery sting of alcohols like tequila with the hot taste of chili peppers. Customers are turning toward bitter tastes as well, sipping on espresso martinis and Manhattans.

Bold flavor cravings have encouraged customers to embrace high-end spirits. Diners are willing to spend more for premium ingredients, especially if those ingredients break the norm. Don’t be afraid to offer a few higher-end cocktails and bottles of bubbles on your beverage menu for those who are looking for something bold and fancy to sip on.

Growing interest in low-ABV and alcohol-free beverages

The alcohol-free spirit movement is chugging right along, with “mocktails” getting more creative. You can buy infused faux alcohols to make mixed drinks, or rely on herbs and fruits to create fancy beverages that feel special without imparting an alcohol-based buzz. Mocktails can make your fancy drinks appeal to customers of all ages.

Global flavors are landing on drink menus

Diner’s don’t need to travel to Japan to enjoy the popular hot Sake, or fly south for a tasty Mexican beer. Global flavors are on the rise in the US as customers crave worldwide ingredients. Some of the most popular alcoholic drinks hail from all across the globe, and customers appreciate when they are paired with global ingredients. Try adding popular global drinks like Sangria, Negroni or Irish coffee to your beverage menu.

Hard seltzer are essential to any menu

Hard seltzers have continued to be an unstoppable addition to the beverage sector. Their undeniable popularity makes them a widespread winner because they tick many boxes.

They’re a lighter drink that appeals to people who might not love the taste of alcohol, they’re typically lower in calories than sugar-laden bottled cocktails and they’re nice to drink on a hot summer day.

Customers gravitate toward local spirits

Like local food, local spirits are getting a lot of support from people who want the money they spend to funnel back into their own community. As people strive to support small businesses, customers seek menu offerings that include liquor from local distilleries, breweries and winners.

Tequila (still) increasing in popularity

Margaritas are the number one drink of choice for Grubhub customers, but now their love for tequila is spreading. Try out some other accessible tequila cocktails like a Paloma grapefruit or experiment with the smokier, more complex aroma and taste of mezcal.

Grow your bottom line in the new year with Grubhub beverage delivery

According to BeverageDaily, alcohol e-commerce is expected to grow by 66% between 2020 and 2025. Much of that growth can be attributed to rising alcohol sales through online platforms like Grubhub Marketplace.

The first step to adding alcohol delivery to your business is to sign up with Grubhub for Restaurants. We have all the tips and tricks to help optimize your restaurant for beverage delivery so that your delicious concoctions make it to satisfied customers.

As a Grubhub restaurant partner, you’ll have a dedicated Account Advisor who can let you know if your market allows alcohol sales. If so, your Advisor will help you add alcohol to your account successfully so you can get up and running quickly.