Insights for restaurant owners.
Practical reads on cost, compliance, and growth — written by the team that closes the books.
Why Most Restaurant Marketing Fails — And the 3-Part Framework That Fixes It
After working with restaurants across the country on their back-of-house operations and marketing strategy, we've identified a pattern that shows up almost universally: operators focus almost entirely on attracting new guests while ignoring the two strategies that actually drive sustainable, profitable growth. Here's the framework that fixes it — and why it changes everything when you apply all three parts together.
How do I address the topics of rumors and gossip in the workplace?
Dealing with employee relations can be tricky. Gossip in the workplace is a common issue in every organization. How you address it is important, as it helps set a tone and foster respect among colleagues.
How to Turn a Slow Tuesday into a Profitable Night — Without Discounting Your Menu
Before you can fix a slow Tuesday, you need to understand why it's slow in the first place. In our experience working with restaurant operators, slow nights fall into one of three buckets: Awareness, Habit, and Perceived Occasion.
What "Normal" Actually Looks Like On A Restaurant P&L in 2026
If you've ever stared at your P&L wondering whether your numbers are "bad" or just normal for a restaurant, you're not alone. Almost every operator we talk to has the same question underneath all the others: compared to what? Rent feels high, payroll feels high, food costs feel high — but high compared to whom? So we pulled together the current industry benchmarks for 2026 and want to walk through them the way we'd explain it over coffee, not the way a textbook would. No jargon overload, just the numbers that matter and what they mean for your bottom line.
How to calculate true food cost
Why the COGS number on your P&L isn't your real food cost — and the four adjustments most operators are missing.
Menu pricing strategies that actually move margin
Menu engineering beyond the four-quadrant chart: pricing by contribution, anchoring, and the psychology of the second-cheapest item.
The five payroll and tip compliance mistakes we see most
From improper tip pooling to missed overtime calculations on tipped wages — what's costing operators in audits.
Cash flow tips for restaurants heading into slow seasons
A simple seasonal model anyone can build in a weekend, plus the three expenses to renegotiate before things get tight.
Preparing to open a second location: a financial readiness checklist
What your books should look like before you sign the next lease — and the questions investors will ask first.
Get our Food Cost Calculator.
A no-fluff spreadsheet template our team uses with new clients — with formulas already wired for true plate cost.
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