In any industry, one of the most important things a business owner can do is to stay in the know and up to date on industry trends. It’s no different in the restaurant industry, either. Restaurant owners, hospitality groups and even commercial and retail landlords who lease to restaurants should constantly stay up to date on food and beverage industry trends and tips.
To provide a quick and easy resource for restaurant owners, we’ve compiled this list of 20 restaurant blogs to follow:
Kenji Lopez-Alt’s blog is the first place I go to when I’m trying to figure out how to cook something I’ve never made before. The recipes are meticulously researched and tested, and J. Kenji explains the science behind why the recipe works.
A good mix of trends, industry news, and management advice. There are a lot of articles on restaurant technology and the occasional spreadsheet template freebie. One of my favorite things about this blog, brought to you by the POS company Toast, is that each article blurb lists how long it will take you to read it.
The information here is valuable, tons of insider industry news. It looks and feels like an industry print magazine that doesn’t quite understand how to transition to digital, but don’t let that stop you. It’s a good way to stay up-to-date one what’s happening across the US.
Mostly, but not exclusively, offers resources to restaurants that serve alcohol. Tips on how to train servers, trends in beer, wine, and cocktails, and how to use technology to improve restaurant operations.
This blog, from a company that specializes in restaurant web design, is about much more than restaurant web design. The articles have useful tips on everything from managing your online presence via social media and handling review sites to using emojis and interviewing potential hires.
A sister publication to restaurant-hospitality.com with the same look and feel. This site has similarly valuable news on nationwide sales trends, especially relating to the big chains.
General industry news and special reports on fast-growing small chains and groundbreaking new concepts. There is a lot of good data here if you are trying to get a grasp on what’s happening in the industry as a whole.
Useful tips and tricks from the OpenTable folks. The best thing going on here is the quick summaries of news articles from a variety of sources (CNBC, NYT, Boston Globe, etc.) that pertain to the restaurant industry. That, mixed in with in-depth articles and interviews with restaurateurs make this a blog to watch.
Eater is a giant. They have 24 separate city blogs/newsletters to follow and digest versions that will give you the highlights from across the country. Opening news, interviews and articles by chefs, opinion pieces about the state of the industry, and dining guides to locate the best BBQ, Eater has it all.
Fast casual concepts are popular with consumers and owners, with everybody trying to be the next chipotle. This blog will help you keep up with industry trends and news specific to this market segment.
The food section of New York Magazine is essential reading no matter where you live. New York is still the best food city in the country and trends start here years before they reach anywhere else.
The home for food nerds, this blog by chefs and authors Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot, has an amazingly deep archive of experiments, recipes, photographs, and creative ideas. It’s a great place to check out for inspiration or just to learn something new about food.
This site is really focused on chain stores and franchise opportunities. It’s a great resource for staying up-to-date on this side of the industry and learning about owning and operating a restaurant franchise.
BDO is an accounting firm that has a special focus on restaurant accounting. Their blog covers tax law changes, government spending bills, tips for buying an existing business, and all of the other juicy accounting and tax related concerns you have.
This blog focuses on market research, data, and industry-wide trends. They do the research, crunch, the numbers, and deliver the analysis. It’s nerdy and I love it.
A daily digest of restaurant industry news, trivia, and weirdness. Covers everything from what’s happening with tip pooling to reviews of food-related memes. It’s a grab bag of entertaining and useful stuff that feel likes it’s written by that bartender you used to work with who always knew everything that was going on.
As per their own description, RD+D Magazine is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units. There are always good articles to skim through on this site.
While this is really driven by a restaurant management software company, their blog is a great resource for restaurant owners with quick tips and info for your restaurant business.
GrubHub is more than just your average online food-ordering app. They’re thought-leaders in the food and beverage industry, as well. Their blog, The Tip Jar, is a smorgasbord of helpful tips, tricks and resources for the cutting-edge restaurateur.
This list wouldn’t be complete without our own blog. As restaurant consultants, our goal is to provide valuable and educational resources for restaurant owners, hospitality groups and landlords alike to ensure that their food and beverage businesses are booming. Check it out, and feel free to subscribe today.
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