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Thailand Could Get Pricier for Vacationers With Twin Resort Charges

(Bloomberg) — Overseas vacationers might quickly discover Thailand a dearer vacation spot than previously two years with the nation now planning to lift lodge charges to pre-pandemic ranges to help a sooner restoration of the trade.

Thailand’s tourism ministry plans to ask lodge operators to implement a dual-tariff construction beneath which overseas guests could also be charged charges just like pre-pandemic days whereas locals might proceed to take pleasure in discounted charges, Traisuree Taisaranakul, a authorities spokeswoman stated in a press release on Wednesday .

“That is to take care of our requirements of charges and companies for overseas vacationers, which impacts the notion of the nation’s tourism model,” Traisuree stated. “Charges which have been decreased throughout Covid-19 will likely be maintained for Thais to maintain the momentum of home tourism.”

Motels in tourism hotspots akin to Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Koh Samui proceed to supply large reductions to attract again guests after the pandemic pushed room occupancy charges to about 30%.

Whereas there was no quick response to the proposal from lodge operators, the tourism ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will quickly maintain talks with the Resort Affiliation of Thailand in regards to the twin pricing plan, in accordance with Traisuree.

Whereas the Southeast Asian nation has scrapped all Covid-related journey restrictions, the tourism sector continues to be reeling from heavy losses collected through the pandemic. Thailand expects 9.3 million overseas arrivals this yr, a fraction of the 40 million vacationers it acquired in 2019.

The best restaurant summer menu ideas for 2023

Summer is peak tourist season in the US, which means restaurants experience more foot traffic and higher order volumes. If you’ve been wanting to experiment with fresh dishes, now’s the perfect time — new restaurant summer menu ideas can keep locals and visitors coming back all season long.

Menu tips: 4 easy ways to make your summer menu stand out

A tantalizing summer menu appeals to loyal diners and new customers alike. To make it a success, try these tips:

Go with lighter fare. When it’s hot outside, many customers prefer meals that aren’t too heavy. Look for ingredients that feel refreshing and healthy, including fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and lean meats.
Offer more kid-friendly options. Summer is a big time for family travel; to bring in larger, high-value groups, make sure your menu has a few kid-approved meals. Grilled cheese, cookies, corn dogs and chicken strips are always crowd pleasers for younger diners.
Tempt your diners with summer menu promotions. Combo meals, buy-one-get-one offers and afternoon happy hour promotions encourage customers to choose your restaurant over a competitor. For people who are deciding between ordering delivery and cooking at home in the heat, a great promo can be the deciding factor.
Showcase your most refreshing summer drinks. Complement your light, fresh food items with a special summer drink menu.

Download Grubhub's food delivery calendar.

8 summer menu ideas to inspire your restaurant

Ready to get started? Use these menu ideas to refresh your restaurant’s menu for the warmer months.

1. Use fresh, local ingredients

Have you ever noticed that locally grown, seasonal food tends to taste better? That’s because it doesn’t have to travel far to reach you. Short transit times mean farmers can harvest at peak ripeness, when flavors are at their best. Use this to your advantage by incorporating fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs into your summer menu. Sourcing local ingredients can both cut costs and highlight local flavors.

The foods you choose will depend on your location and climate, but some summer favorites include:

Fruits like watermelon, mangoes, peaches and berries
Vegetables like cherry tomatoes, avocados, bell peppers, arugula, sugar snap peas, cabbage and zucchini
Herbs like basil, dill, mint, rosemary, oregano and cilantro

2. Grill meat and vegetables

For many Americans, summer is the most popular grilling season. Tap into that traditional experience by adding grilled, charbroiled or smoked foods to your menu. After all, what says summer is better than a freshly charred hamburger with lettuce, cheddar cheese, pickles, red onions and crispy bacon?

Start with classics such as grilled burgers, pork chops and barbecued chicken and add in a few vegan-friendly options such as mushroom caps, sweet potatoes, vegetables and corn on the cob. If your location allows, set up a grill outside so the delicious aromas can tempt diners in from the street.

3. Cook up cold sides to refresh your guests

Too many hot foods can feel overwhelming when the temperature is high. To help your guests cool off, pair your entrees with a choice of cold sides. Options to consider include:

Salad pasta
Fresh fruit
Coleslaw
Side salads with mixed greens
Cold potato salad

The best part? You can prepare the most cold sides in advance, which streamlines food preparation during the lunch or dinner rush. Just make sure to keep them refrigerated to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

4. Offer seafood delights

Light and flavourful, seafood is a popular summer food — especially when you pair it with fresh herbs or citrus sauces or marinades. To appeal to health-conscious diners, add a few menu items that feature seafood options such as grilled fish, shrimp, crab cakes or scallops. If your business is located near water, use locally caught products for maximum flavor and freshness.

5. Serve chilled soup

Cold soup is the perfect starter for summer. Gazpacho, cucumber soup and vichyssoise satisfy customers without making them sweat. For extra appeal, choose soup recipes that include fresh herbs, colorful vegetable garnishes, goat cheese or a dollop of sour cream.

6. Sweeten your guests with fresh dessert

Dessert is one of the trickiest parts of a warm-weather menu; your goal is to offer sweet treats that won’t feel heavy or loaded with sugar. The solution? Select desserts that feature fruit as a main ingredient. Consider dishes such as strawberry shortcake, cherry pie, and parfaits, or keep it cool with sorbets, granitas and ice cream. Frozen lemonade pie, gourmet ice cream sandwiches, flaky pastries and lemon tarts also feel fresh and summery.

7. Take the edge off with cool beverages

Help guests start and end their meals on a refreshing note with a lineup of cold beverages. Cater to the cocktail crowd with seasonal beverages including margaritas, strawberry daiquiris, mojitos and Palomas. Don’t forget to add a few mocktails and iced refreshers — sweet, frozen drinks made with fruit, sparkling soda, and fresh herbs to make any meal feel special.

Add a lime wedge or fruit garnish to make the drink more appealing; colorful cocktails photograph beautifully, so you can promote them on social media during the summer holidays.

8. Highlight your seasonal specials

Some ingredients, such as ramps, are only available during certain times of the year. Make things more interesting this summer by incorporating these delicious foods into a seasonal menu. It’s a fun way to get creative while keeping your menu more dynamic and engaging for new and repeat customers.

Spice up your summer with Grubhub

A seasonal menu is an effective way to bring in more customers during the busy summer season. To get the most from your new food items, make sure to add them to your delivery menu — after all, summer is one of the most high-demand ordering times.

Grubhub makes it easy to promote your summer menu items and reach hungry diners. When you join the Grubhub Marketplace, your restaurant is available to both locals and tourists. The platform also comes with promotional tools to help you offer deals and appeal to budget-conscious customers. If local laws and regulations allow, you can even add beverage delivery to your Grubhub menu to increase the average order value by up to $15.

To prepare your restaurant for the summer season, join Grubhub today.

An all-inclusive guide to restaurant branding

The food-service industry is both competitive and crowded; new establishments enter the market every day. In this environment, strong restaurant branding is a must. Well done, it can help your business stand out from the crowd and build customer loyalty.

What is restaurant branding?

Restaurant branding is the process of creating a recognizable identity for your restaurant. A great brand is both visual and experiential; it encompasses the different ways customers interact with the company. This includes visual components, such as your logo design, menu layout and signature colors, as well as big-picture elements, such as the brand voice and core values.

Branding helps you carve out a place for your restaurant in a challenging industry. It communicates how your establishment is different from competitors so customers can make an informed choice.

Think about the most popular restaurants you know — chances are, they have strong brand identities. That’s because successful restaurant branding comes with a few key benefits:

Easier customer acquisition. A strong identity builds brand awareness and recognition, ensuring potential customers know about your restaurant and understand your unique selling proposition (USP). This familiarity increases the chances that diners will choose your establishment for their next meal.
Higher customer retention rates. After a customer dines at your restaurant, your branding reminds them of the experience and encourages them to come back for more. Because it’s cheaper to retain existing customers than to find new ones, this perk can boost your bottom line.
Better brand loyalty. When your brand messaging resonates deeply with customers who share the same values or preferences, it can build long-lasting brand loyalty. Loyal customers are more likely to try new foods, attend events and spend more money at your business.
Consistent customer experience. When your branding is clear across all touchpoints, guests know they can rely on you to deliver a consistent experience. This can give your restaurant a competitive advantage when customers are in the mood for something specific.
Increased order volume and revenue. If a customer loves your brand, they’re more likely to share it with friends and family. In many cases, a personal referral is all it takes to convince a new customer to try your restaurant.
Easier hiring. A recognizable brand helps attract job seekers who fit your restaurant’s personality and values — a big advantage when it comes to hiring and retaining employees.

How to build a brand in the restaurant industry

Next to creating the menu, building a strong brand identity is one of the most impactful things you can do as a restaurant owner. Take your time with each step — an intentional, thoughtful process helps you get it right on the first try.

1. Research your target audience

Restaurants get nearly all of their business from dine-in customers and delivery orders. To succeed, your brand must meet the needs of the local market.

To start, determine how many of your customers are:

Local residents
Just passing through
Tourists in the city or region

Then, break down each group into different demographics. How old are they? Why are they dining out? What are their dietary preferences? What are their priorities? What food do they like?

The more you know about your target audience, the easier it is to identify what they look for in a restaurant brand. Local health-conscious diners might want fresh ingredients, while college students are likely to prioritize price. People who are just passing through probably want a convenient location and fast service.

2. Define your restaurant brand

This is the most important step in the restaurant branding process: defining your brand. Your goal is to distill your business ideas into a clear, concise concept. Start by identifying key elements:

Mission. This statement describes what your restaurant does. For example, the mission of sweetgreen is “building healthier communities by connecting people to real food.”
Vision. A vision statement explains what you want your restaurant to achieve in the future. It gives your brand something to strive for.
Brand values. These are the core beliefs that inform all your business decisions. For example, Chipotle’s brand values include “making food fresh every day,” “fighting for our planet” and “treating our people right.”
Unique selling proposition. Your USP is the element that distinguishes you from competing restaurants in your area. It should be something that benefits customers, such as a unique atmosphere, new cuisine or fast service. Think about what sets your restaurant apart.
brand positioning. This concept refers to how you position your brand to affect customer perception; it’s directly connected to your USP. You might position yourself as the go-to spot for healthy lunchtime takeout or the most romantic date-night restaurant in town. Think of how your restaurant will serve customers.
Concept. A restaurant concept defines the overall theme, atmosphere and service type. This will help you when you start physically planning your restaurant.
Signature dishes or ingredients. Identify the foods that will be the stars of your menu. This might include the chef’s specialty dishes, a unique local ingredient or seasonal ingredients.
Aesthetic. Describe how you want the restaurant branding to look. It might be clean and modern, bold and colorful, or cozy and earthy.

It’s not uncommon to discover areas of overlap between different restaurant branding ideas. If you’re opening the only counter-service spot in town, for example, your restaurant concept might also be its USP.

3. Develop your brand identity

Now that you have a clear understanding of your restaurant brand, it’s time to create a brand identity — the elements that help customers recognize your company.

First, develop a strong foundation:

Brand name. This is the name of your restaurant. It often conveys something specific about your location, personality, style or cuisine.
Brand personalities. List the characteristics of your restaurant to explain the vibe and diner experience. You might use words such as fun, sophisticated, youthful, innovative or healthy.
Brand voice. Your brand voice is the way you use words to express the restaurant’s personality in marketing materials, menu descriptions and customer communications. Consider your tone, vocabulary choices and style. A trendy bistro might use slang terms, and if you run a cozy local coffee shop, you could write as though you’re speaking to a friend.
Brand stories. Write a short narrative that explains your restaurant’s origins, mission, vision and values. Keep this handy so you can add an “about us” section to your restaurant’s website further down the line.

Finally, it’s time to create the most recognizable part of a brand: the visual elements. These are the things that create the look and feel of your brand. At a minimum, you should:

As you develop these visual brand elements, ensure each one reflects the intangible elements of your restaurant — namely, its personality and style. If you’re building a fun, family-friendly restaurant, you can use playful fonts, bold colors and saturated food photos on the menu. A fine-dining establishment might opt for script fonts, a sparse menu design and black-and-white photos.

For a restaurant, interior design is an extension of the brand’s visual identity. It should match the overall aesthetic of your logo, fonts and colors to create a cohesive brand image and a consistent experience.

4. Create a restaurant branding strategy

The last step in restaurant branding is getting your new brand in front of your target audience. Use a variety of marketing tactics to build name recognition and awareness.

social media Build profiles on popular social media apps like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. This is one of the best ways to directly connect with customers and introduce them to your brand. Use your visual identity elements wherever possible to help customers recognize your brand. Individual posts are a great place to showcase and refine your brand voice.
Email marketing. Collect email addresses from your guests and/or buy access to local mailing lists. Send marketing emails to promote specials, new menu items and events.
Influencer marketing. Pay local micro food influencers to promote your restaurant to their blog readers and social media followers. Social media influencers can have a direct impact on growing your brand’s reach.
Online ordering. Build visibility among local diners by putting your restaurant on an online ordering platform such as Grubhub. This will give your restaurant instant access to a large cohort of customers.

Branding best practices

Restaurant branding is different for every company; your brand strategy should be tailored to your business, food and guests. To build a successful restaurant brand, use these best practices:

Create brand guidelines to maintain consistency for visual elements and food photos.
Make sure your messaging is clear and consistent from channel to channel.
Build brand integrity with friendly, helpful customer service.
Respond to customer comments and reviews using your brand voice.
Share your brand story on social media accounts.
Post regularly on your blog and social media to increase brand awareness.
Hone in on your company’s unique qualities to develop a one-of-a-kind brand.
Add branding elements to your to-go and delivery packaging.

By following these tips you can design a restaurant brand that will strongly resonate with customers and grow your ROI.

Grow your brand with a trusted partner

The more exposure customers have to your restaurant branding elements, the more familiar they become. Your delivery partner can be a valuable asset — a reputable platform like Grubhub gets your restaurant and menu in front of customers who are actively looking for new places to eat. Sign up today to start increasing order volume and building brand awareness.

Menu engineering: creating a more profitable food and drink list

When a customer encounters your restaurant in person or online, the menu is the first thing they look for. This simple tool is one of your biggest assets — the design and dish selection affects everything from the average order value to the sales volume for each item. Menu engineering is a data-driven way to create a menu that makes the most of your resources and boosts your bottom line.

What is engineering menu?

Menu engineering is the process of designing and optimizing your restaurant menu in a way that maximizes profitability. The process starts by collecting data for each menu item:

Calculate food costs
Identify contribution margin
Analyze sales data to determine popularity

This data enables you to categorize items based on how popular and profitable they are. With that information, you can create a menu that strategically increases the profit for every diner.

In some cases, the process is as simple as writing a more compelling description or altering the menu design to promote profitable items. For others, you might need to take more drastic steps to increase profits, such as switching to lower-cost ingredients, increasing the price, reducing the portion size or altering the side dishes.

How to calculate your food costs

The first step in menu engineering is calculating food costs for everything in your restaurant menu. To start, write down all the ingredients, including garnishes, condiments and seasonings. Then, assign a quantity to each ingredient and calculate its cost based on the price.

For example, imagine a recipe calls for a 15-ounce can of tomato paste. Your restaurant pays $45 for a case of six cans, which means each can costs $7.50. The recipe makes 25 servings, which means each serving uses $0.30 in tomato paste.

Add up the individual ingredient costs to get the food cost for each dish. Use this data to calculate your contribution margin, or the amount of money you make by selling each dish. To do so, subtract the food cost from the menu price. If you sell a serving of lasagna for $15 and the food costs are $6.50, the contribution margin is $8.50.

You may already have key menu engineering data on hand; many restaurants use food cost percentage and profit margins when setting menu pricing.

Creating a menu to maximize profits

Once you have the food cost and profit margin for each restaurant menu item, it’s time to bring in the sales data. For each item, note the number of sales over a given period. The higher the sales volume, the more popular the item.

Next, use your contribution margin and sales volume to plot each item on a menu engineering matrix. The x-axis should show profitability (contribution margin) from low to high; the y-axis should show popularity (sales volume) from low to high. Based on the placement of items in the matrix, you’ll be able to visualize how they fall into four categories:

High profitability, high popularity
Low profitability, high popularity
High profitability, low popularity
Low profitability, low popularity

Reworking your menu based on profitability and popularity

Now, it’s time for true restaurant menu engineering: identifying concrete ways to maximize profits in each of your four categories.

1. High profitability, high popularity

The items in this category are the most important — they have high profits, and customers love them. There’s usually no need to make changes to the dishes themselves. Instead, find ways to increase sales by altering the menu design:

Place items near the top or center of the page or section
Create a special section defined by a colored box or frame
Highlight popular dishes with a “customer favorite” icon
Showcase dishes with food photography

A powerful, visibility-focused menu design can boost profits, even when the price and ingredients stay the same.

2. Low profitability, high popularity

These dishes are popular with customers, but they use high-cost ingredients. To increase the profits, you have a few options; each one comes with benefits and risks.

Raise menu prices. This strategy maintains the existing quality and taste of the dish and increases profitability. It can be effective if your customers aren’t price-conscious; if diners are on tight budgets, you risk a drop in sales.
Adjust ingredients. Ask your kitchen staff to swap in cheaper ingredients. If you can do this without changing the flavor and texture of the dish, you can increase your profit while keeping prices the same.
Change portion sizes. When portions are too big to finish comfortably but not so big that they produce left overs, consider reducing the size. Your customers will still be satisfied, you’ll make more money and you’ll reduce food waste.
Create more profitable specials. Take your popular dish and add high-profit items to create a special. If customers love a low-profit appetizer, for example, you could create a happy-hour special that includes an appetizer and a cocktail with a high contribution margin.

3. High profitability, low popularity

When you have dishes that are profitable but largely ignored by customers, it’s time to do some digging. To start, offer the item as a freebie to select customers and ask them about their experience. Is the dish too expensive? Is the flavor unappealing? Are they turned off by the ingredients? If so, you can adjust accordingly.

If you find that customers like the food and the price, it’s time to change the menu design. It could be an awareness issue — a problem that’s easily solved by putting the dish in a more prominent position on the page. You can also consider writing an appealing menu description that whets customers’ appetites and explaining why the dish is special. This strategy uses the psychology of menu design to create curiosity and appeal to the senses.

4. Low profitability, low popularity

It might seem alarming to find menu items that have high food costs and low sales volume, but it’s actually a valuable opportunity. After all, this category tells you a great deal about what your customers do and don’t want.

In most cases, your best bet is to remove these items completely. You’ll free up space on the menu and create an opening for new, more popular dishes.

As a restaurant owner, it can be difficult to give up menu items. If you’re passionate about the dish, you can try to salvage it by improving the flavor or using ingredients with higher profit margins.

Get your menu in front of customers

You’ve analyzed menu items and invested in the menu engineering process — now, it’s time to get your new, profit-focused restaurant menu out to customers. For in-house diners, all you need to do is replace old menus with the updated versions. To avoid the costs of printing new menus, you can replace physical copies with a QR code menu. Print the QR code on table tents, stickers and signs so customers can find it easily. Make sure to keep a few paper copies on hand for tech-averse diners.

Keep in mind that many customers check out your menu online before making a reservation or ordering for delivery. To ensure they’re seeing the newest menu, follow these steps:

Do you use a food delivery platform? You’ll also need to update the menu in your profile. Grubhub for Restaurants streamlines the process with a simple update system — edit the menu after closing and it will be visible to customers during the next shift. Any changes you make automatically flow through to your Grubhub Direct branded ordering websites, saving time and ensuring every menu is consistent.

When you’re a restaurant owner, the menu is your most important marketing tool. Menu engineering is an effective way to streamline and refine the menu to ensure every item is pulling its weight. Ready to get your menu in front of more customers? Partner with Grubhub today to gain access to 33+ million hungry diners.

9 trends in AI in restaurants

Technology is rapidly evolving in businesses, and the restaurant industry is no exception. Restaurateurs are learning that utilizing technology can make their operations smoother, growing their business. Advancements like AI in restaurants have made technology more accessible to businesses, introducing conversational language to make it easier for business owners, staff and customers to interact with technology.

The great thing about AI is that it’s a technology that can cater directly to your business needs. Don’t worry – this isn’t a technology that will take over your business, rather work for you, improving operations and streamlining your kitchen. And even better, with evolutions like ChatGPT, accessing this technology is easier than ever.

Take a look at our tips on how you can implement AI into your business to improve the experience for both your employees and customers.

What is AI?

AI (or artificial intelligence) is the simulation of human intelligence by computer systems. AI uses machine learning and predictive analytics to interact with humans. AI systems have the ability to ingest large amounts of data, look for patterns and correlations and make future predictions or answer questions. AI takes machine learning to the next level by using a variety of techniques to generate creative solutions.

No two restaurants are the same, and the needs of each restaurant owner are different. AI has made working with technology more personalized to each business.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT makes conversing with AI simple. It uses an AI language processing tool to allow for human-like conversations with a chatbot. ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, and taps into the power of Google to spit out answers to user-generated questions. It’s like having your own personal assistant – for free!

The great thing about ChatGPT is that it’s moldable. You can be as specific or vague as you want, performing endless tasks like dishing up food industry trends or writing your menu descriptions. You can specify the format you want the program to deliver (like a social media caption) and limit the amount of content it will produce (like asking it to use 200 characters).

Don’t know what to ask ChatGPT? Ask them the best way to use ChatGPT for restaurants. For example, if you type “What are good questions to ask you about running my restaurant?” ChatGPT will respond with a list of questions you can explore like “What are some effective strategies for managing food costs in a restaurant?” or “What are some best practices for hiring and training restaurant staff?” Plug in those questions and ChatGPT will instantly serve you an in-depth answer.

Get started with ChatGPT by creating your free account.

Why should restaurants implement AI?

Working in the restaurant industry is chaotic, and turning to technology like AI can help make daily operations smoother. Using AI tools can help make your most ambitious restaurant ideas a reality.

AI integrations have helped restaurants by:

Improving efficiency and accuracy. AI eliminates the risk of human error, increasing your accuracy to improve efficiency.
Streamline Labor. AI can help complete restaurant tasks, reducing your labor costs and curbing employee turnover.
Making smarter decisions. AI analyzes restaurant information and data to help you make more informed business decisions based on industry trends and your restaurant’s performance.
Creating content. ChatGPT can write menu descriptions, social content and marketing materials for your restaurant.
Cutting costs. AI can help you analyze your spending and finances to improve your ROI.
Customize the customer experience. AI can allow for menu customization to allow your diners to have more control over their dishes and experience.
Growing customer base. AI has helped restaurants grow their customer base by finding new diners and improving their reputation by responding to customer inquiries and creating engaging content.

9 ways to use AI in your restaurant

Ready to give AI a shot? Here are some ways you can utilize AI in your restaurant.

1. Phone operations

With the help of voice assistants, AI can talk directly to your customers and become your personal phone assistant. Answering phones requires employee labor, and if you grow your business, it can be difficult to always be on the line. In a Popmenu survey, 83 percent of customers will move on and find another restaurant if they try to call and get voicemail more than once. Enabling AI phone technology can allow you to care for your customers without the extra labor.

Tools like SoundHoud allow you to customize your phone system’s answers to talk with customers to answer questions and take orders. You can customize your AI phone answering to take reservations, answer frequent questions and take messages.

2. Take orders

Self-service ordering is rising in popularity. It makes the process easier for customers who can easily see all the menu options at their fingertips, and it helps staff avoid wasting time taking orders. AI makes online ordering even easier by reacting to customer behavior and predicting their next move.

Fast casual restaurants have been some of the first businesses to embrace AI ordering. Taco Bell’s in-store kiosks use AI to identify up-sale opportunities based on the customer’s order, and McDonald’s opened their first completely digital restaurant in Texas.

Not all AI integrations are a total robot takeover, and there are simple ways you can use AI to help with customer orders.

POS integration is one of the most common AI tools restaurateurs use. These tools help simplify order and menu management by connecting your different POS systems. This way you can keep track of orders, inventory and staff all from one place.

3. Get industry insights

Keeping up with the ever changing restaurant industry is difficult, especially as customer habits and tastes change. AI is a great tool for gathering and sorting through trend information. ChatGPT taps into the power of Google, making research simple. Try asking ChatGPT questions about the restaurant industry to get insight into customer cravings.

What kinds of questions should you try asking ChatGPT?

What are the top ordered restaurant foods?
What fruits and vegetables are in season right now?
What is the most popular way to serve chicken?
What are the top ordered dinner foods?

4. Enhance your menu

Research shows that menus with images and dish descriptions resonate better with customers. Now, you can create the perfect menu with the help of AI. You can use ChatGPT to generate menu text by asking them to create a one-sentence description of your dishes. Looking for menu photo tips for your cuisine? Ask ChatGPT for help on composition and style. Wondering what recipes are in season? Ask ChatGPT what’s trending.

AI’s influence in menu engineering doesn’t stop there. Technology has enabled restaurants to get a better handle on their inventory. Solutions like ClearCOGS offer a kitchen ingredient management system that can keep track of your inventory to help you plan food preparation and ordering.

5. Analyze data

Odds are you have many types of restaurant technology in your restaurant, and some of these systems are collecting valuable data. Take Grubhub, for example. Our platform collects data on your customers, and serves it up to you in our Customer Insights dashboard.

Digging into data is one of the best ways to understand your customers, staff, supplies and overall business. Don’t bite off more than you can chew by trying to dig through this data on your own. You can use AI to analyze data, segment customers, organize information and find insights.

Want to create a targeted marketing campaign? Copy and paste your customer data into ChatGPT and ask them to pull out repeat customers. You can then create marketing materials specifically tailored to this customer base.

Let’s say you want to understand your customers’ impressions of your restaurant. You can copy and paste the reviews into ChatGPT and ask it to look for the main trends. You’ll then get insight into the general sentiment of your customers to help make adjustments to make their experience more positive.

You can also use AI to track operational data from your restaurant. AI can help you analyze busy and quiet business hours so you can adjust your staffing accordingly.

6. Keep track of finances

When it comes to keeping track of your finances, you only want to use technology you can trust. With POS integration, you can search and find fraudulent or inconsistent transactions, look at purchasing data and understand transaction trends. With this info, you can better prepare your inventory and adjust prices based on the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

You can use AI to unpack your restaurant’s finances. ChatGPT can help you analyze your pricing menu so that you can competitively price your items. You can ask ChatGPT the average price of a specific menu item, or how much specific ingredients cost in different seasons.

7. Organize operations

As a restaurant owner, you have a lot on your plate. Relieve some stress by allowing AI to take care of tedious tasks. As we’ve mentioned, POS integration can be a lifesaver for restaurant owners by tapping into AI to streamline operations.

Turning to technology to handle these tasks that could take employee hours gives your staff back valuable time they can invest in other areas of your business. AI tools can help you schedule employees based on busy times so that you’re prepared to handle a rush. You can also use your POS system to keep track of inventory so you can get 86 items as soon as they run out.

AI can help you make informed decisions about your restaurant, predict inventory changes, customer trends and employee needs so you can stay on top of your business.

AI can also help you communicate with your employees. Need help creating onboarding materials for your staff? ChatGPT can write it for you. Just ask it to write a training guide for a certain position.

8. Create marketing materials

Without marketing, customers won’t know about your restaurant. But with marketing campaigns getting more creative, it can be hard to come up with ideas that stand out. That’s where AI can come in – generating ideas and copy for all your marketing needs.

A good marketing campaign covers all bases: social media, email, website and paper inserts. ChatGPT can help you write copy that is optimized for each platform. Let AI help you create targeted marketing materials that resonate with your customers.

Social media marketing is one of the best ways to reach customers directly, but coming up with what to post can be overwhelming. AI can help you create content, write captions and understand trends. You can use ChatGPT to come up with social media captions, hashtags and respond to comments and messages.

9. Improve the customer experience

Finding and attracting new customers is difficult for any restaurant. You can use AI to help you interact with customers to ensure they have a positive experience with your business.

Responding to reviews is a tedious yet necessary task to keep your customers satisfied. Solutions like Chatmeter have made understanding and interacting with customers easier by compiling all the online conversations about your brand.

AI can also help you craft a response to negative reviews. Timeliness for responding to these reviews is key to showing a customer you care. If a customer writes a review on your website claiming that their service was poor, you can ask ChatGPT to craft a response.

AI features on online ordering tools remember a customer’s history to customize featured offerings based on their behavior. When a customer orders from your restaurant on Grubhub Marketplace, the platform will remember their preferences when they come back to order again. This technology helps make restaurant visits more consistent, prompting repeat customers to continue ordering.

Grow your restaurant technology with a trusted partner by your side

Embracing the latest trends in restaurant technology can help grow your business. Innovations like AI give restaurants the power to streamline their owners’ operations and customize their customer experience. POS tools have made embracing new technologies even easier by improving how restaurants manage orders, inventory and customer data.

No matter how you plan on tapping into AI tools at your restaurant, there’s no doubt that this technology is here to stay. Why not get ahead of the trend?

Ready to grow your business and attract new customers? Partner with Grubhub today to tap into the latest in restaurant technology.

New York lawmaker connected to nonprofit accused of lying about homeless vets being pushed out of hotel for migrants says he’s no longer affiliated with

CNN
—

A New York state assemblyman and former volunteer spokesperson for the nonprofit was accused of lying about homeless veterans being pushed out of a hotel to make room for migrants is no longer affiliated with the foundation, he told CNN.

Republican State Assemblyman Brian Maher said in a statement to CNN he was devastated and disheartened” to learn claims homeless veterans were pushed out of the hotel to make room for migrants were false.

On Friday, CNN reported two homeless men said they were part of a group of 15 who were offered money to pose as veterans and said they were asked to leave the Crossroads Hotel in Newburgh, New York. They claimed Sharon Toney-Finch, a non-profit leader who houses the homeless, was the person who allegedly offered the money and never paid up.

Toney-Finch is the founder and chairman of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, which helps veterans in need of living assistance. On Friday, she denied the allegations to CNN, saying she had never offered money to homeless men to say they had to leave the hotel.

CNN reached out to Toney-Finch on Saturday regarding Maher’s statement and did not receive an immediate response.

The situation elevated tensions between the area and New York City, as earlier this week a New York state Supreme Court judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to send asylum seekers to Orange County, where Newburgh is located.

Maher said in his statement Saturday, “I am devastated and disheartened upon a conversation with Sharon Toney-Finch at approximately 3:15 pm Thursday, May 18, where I learned that the information regarding the YIT Foundation about homeless veterans being displaced is false. Their gross misrepresentation of the facts surrounding our homeless veterans is appalling.”

“The YIT Foundation purports to protect and support veterans, but the dishonest claims and fabrication of the facts by YIT does enormous harm to our homeless veterans by creating mistrust,” the statement continued.

On Friday, Toney-Finch said, “I never promised to pay anybody,” adding that she only told Maher that she had homeless veterans who were displaced, not that it was because of asylum seekers.

Maher, who was a volunteer spokesperson for the nonprofit, said he is “no longer affiliated in any capacity with YIT nor offering it any more of my help.”

The state assemblyman called for an investigation into the nonprofit by the New York State Attorney General’s office and the Orange County District Attorney “based on the new information that came to light today,” his statement said.

A spokeswoman for New York State Attorney General Letitia James told CNN Friday the office is reviewing the details of the incident to determine whether they will open a formal investigation.

“While I believed Sharon was telling the truth, I would like to apologize to those who have been negatively impacted since this news broke,” Maher wrote in the statement.

How to Recruit New Restaurant Staff

Delicious food is only half the battle in building a successful restaurant — you also need exceptional employees. Restaurant staff are responsible for providing high-quality service, humanizing the business and embodying the values and personality of the brand. With a finely honed recruiting and hiring process, you can build a high-performing team.

What restaurant positions do you need to fill?

Every restaurant has different hiring requirements; your staffing needs will depend on the size of the restaurant, the type of service, and the average number of customers. Counter-service restaurants typically require fewer employees than traditional eaters, for example. An average casual restaurant might need 1 server per 5-7 tables, 4 kitchen workers and 2 support workers for each shift.

Some of the restaurant staff positions you may need to fill include:

restaurant manager. The manager ensures the restaurant runs smoothly. They hire staff, manage finances and maintain the staff schedule. In many cases, they interact with customers and handle complaints.
Food and beverage manager. In some restaurants, this manager oversees the ordering process for food and drinks. They typically collaborate with bartenders and chefs to ensure a careful inventory balance.
executivechef. This chef is in charge of the kitchen. They oversee the menu, manage inventory, supervise kitchen staff and ensure each dish is up to par.
Cooks/chefs. These restaurant employees are responsible for making the food. Prep cooks prepare the ingredients and workstations, while head chefs, sous chefs and line cooks handle most of the cooking.
Bartenders. Bartenders make and pour drinks, clean glassware and ensure the bar is stocked.
hosts. Hosts greet customers and guide them to their seats. They also take reservations, answer phone calls and maintain a waiting list.
servers. Servers take orders and educate customers about menu items. In many restaurants, they also handle payments. They may also serve food and refill water, although some businesses hire food runners or expediters for those tasks. Servers typically make a special minimum wage that’s supplemented with tips.
Busser. A busser is an employee who clears tables and brings dishes to the kitchen.
Cashier. Cashiers handle money. At fast-food restaurants, they may also be responsible for food preparation.
Dishwashers. These workers run dishes and utensils through industrial cleaners as they come into the kitchen, ensuring cooks and front-of-house staff have a supply of clean options.

Fine-dining restaurants usually have more staff members working at any given time. That’s because each person has a specialized and limited role. In addition to the general restaurant staff, you might also need a sommelier, a maître d’ and a pastry chef. High-end restaurants often have a larger hierarchy of chefs, each with distinct roles.

Importance of a Skilled Restaurant Staff

A skilled restaurant staff is the element that takes a restaurant from good to great. After all, your employees play a big role in the customer experience. Every employee, from the manager to the dishwasher, plays a part — hosts ensure guests are seated efficiently, the chef provides excellent food and the bussers keep the tables free of empty dishes. Servers are particularly important; they set the tone for the meal, making diners feel welcome and anticipating their needs. If something goes awry in the kitchen, an experienced server knows how to communicate the situation and maintain a positive vibe.

Capable restaurant employees also contribute to the back-end functionality of your business, keeping operations running smoothly. Tables are flipped quickly between guests, the dining area stays clean and food quality stays consistent.

If you focus on hiring and training skilled workers, it can create ripple effects that extend through the business. When everyone is pulling their weight, employees can focus on their own responsibilities instead of covering for others. The resulting positive atmosphere can help reduce employee turnover. In fact, the National Restaurant Association has found that 17% of employees quit because of workplace culture.

Tips for Recruiting New Restaurant Staff

When you’re hiring restaurant workers, it’s helpful to develop a set of best practices. An established set of standards creates a more consistent experience for the hiring manager and the new employees. A few practices to adopt are:

Write job descriptions that are detailed but not overwhelming.
Use a realistic job preview to communicate positive and negative aspects of each position.
Be transparent about the pay up front.
Design an onboarding practice that integrates each new restaurant employee into the company culture.
Train restaurant staff thoroughly before they start working.

Once your hiring practice is set, use these tips to refine your recruitment and hiring strategies:

Expand your reach. Ask the HR team to post job openings in more places. Include a mix of popular hiring methods, such as digital job boards and print publications. Don’t be afraid to post job flyers on community bulletin boards — it’s an effective way to reach job seekers when they’re visiting the local coffee shop or grocery store.
Consider soft skills. Look for workers who have strong soft skills, such as personal communication and conflict resolution. Then, you can train them in the necessary hard skills.
Move quickly. Keep the hiring process short and sweet; it demonstrates respect for candidates’ time and reduces the risk that applicants will take other job offers while they wait.
Anticipate hiring needs. Ensure your restaurant is fully staffed by starting the hiring process as early as possible. This is particularly important if you hire seasonal workers, since competition for talent is higher during the busy season.
Ask for referrals. Chances are your employees know other people in the restaurant industry. Ask them to refer strong candidates, and provide a bonus if you hire a referral. It’s a great way to find talented workers and recognize your employees’ contributions.

Challenges of Hiring Restaurant Workers

If you run a restaurant, hiring challenges are inevitable. Employee churn is one of the biggest issues; the restaurant industry is notorious for high turnover. In fast-food restaurants, the monthly turnover rate is 144%.

Every time an employee leaves, your management team must spend time and money hiring replacement staff. That’s not always easy in 2023; the ongoing global labor shortage is making it harder to find qualified restaurant workers.

Once you hire restaurant employees, your next challenge becomes retention. If you can find ways to keep workers longer, it cuts costs, saves time and creates a consistent experience for customers.

One way to boost job satisfaction and retention is to build an order-management process that makes employees’ lives easier. That’s where Grubhub can help — the platform integrates with your POS system, empowering workers to do their jobs more efficiently. When they’re spending less time on technology, your team can focus on preparing delicious food and providing top-notch service.

If you’re curious about how Grubhub can support your restaurant’s hiring and retention, as well as the customer experience, get started today.

US hotels set for earnings bump from robust travel even as costs weigh By Reuters

By Priyamvada C

(Reuters) – US hotel operators are expected to post a rise in first-quarter profit even as they pour in money to lure travelers to make bookings directly through their websites, instead of turning to travel agencies.

While bookings have been getting a boost from increased business and leisure travel, the investments in hotels have made to reduce their reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs), which tend to have higher marketing budgets, is eating into the gains.

Last year, US hotels received about $49 billion from online direct bookings and $57 billion from OTA bookings, according to travel market research firm Phocuswright.

“During uncertain economic times, when travelers are looking to stretch their dollars as far as possible, OTAs can help drive demand,” Phocuswright’s senior analyst Madeline List said.

THE CONTEXT

In recent years, hospitality giants like Marriott International (NASDAQ:) Inc and Hilton Worldwide Holdings (NYSE:) Inc. have doubled down on their own loyalty programs as they attempt to spend less on commissions and other costs related to third party businesses.

Through these programs, the hotels promise exclusive perks to customers in the form of redeemable points for stays at specific hotels in their franchise, among other travel benefits.

However, in the face of an uncertain economy, travelers have increasingly relied on OTAs like Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:) Inc, which give them a wider range of choices and prices to book from, alongside incentives like advance cancellation, as opposed to upfront payments .

“When the economy is weak and hotels may not be getting as much business from traditional sources as corporate travel or meetings and conventions, they become that much more reliable on online travel agencies,” Atmosphere Research Group’s travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said.

GRAPHIC: Hotel bookings through online intermediaries https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/buzz/akveqxqbwvr/Hotels.png

THE FUNDAMENTALS

* Analysts expect Marriott’s revenue to rise 28.8% to $5.4 billion when it reports results on May 2; earnings per share is estimated to be $1.84

* Analysts expect Hilton’s revenue to rise 28% to $2.2 billion when it reports results on April 26; earnings per share is estimated to be $1.13

* Analysts expect Booking’s revenue to rise 40% to $3.8 billion when it reports results on May 4; earnings per share is estimated to be $10.67

GRAPHIC: US travel operator’s stock performance https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/buzz/zjvqjoewkpx/US%20hotel%20operators%20stocks.png

WALL STREET SENTIMENTS

* For Marriott, six of 23 brokerages rate the stock “buy” or higher, 16 “hold” and one “sell” or lower, as per Refinitiv data

* For Hilton, nine of 22 brokerages rate the stock “buy” or higher and 13 “hold”, as per Refinitiv data

* For Booking, 19 of 33 brokerages rate the stock “buy” or higher, 13 “hold” and one “sell” or lower, as per Refinitiv data

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