Recent Articles

• Restaurants are re-prioritizing the takeout experience for a post-pandemic…

  Katherine Radin Food & Beverage

  Consumer behavior has shifted greatly since March 2020, and restaurants have responded. While "the restaurant of the future" was often discussed, the coronavirus pandemic forced restaurateurs to truly adopt those futuristic practices. With a focus on improving the customer experience, bolstering loyalty programs, and revitalizing the drive-thru experience, quick-service restaurants are setting themselves up for success now, and in the post-COVID world.

• Iodine: The forgotten ‘cure-all’ mineral

  Rebecca Eberhardt Food & Beverage

  Most of us are unaware of how iodine functions in our body and how a serious lack of it causes ailing symptoms that mimic other health issues. The result: overmedication and insufficient treatment of the root issue. Fortunately, many integrative medical practitioners and other holistic-thinking individuals are bringing iodine back as a key part of daily nutrient intake.

• Reopening roadblocks: How your equipment can bridge the gap

  Rachel Herren Food & Beverage

  For leaders in the food industry, it seems, the steady return to normalcy is simply a transition to a new state of uncertainty. As you prepare for widespread reopening, you're likely wondering how to tackle these new challenges while staying focused on recovering revenue and keeping up with demand. A big part of the answer lies in what you're keeping behind the counter.

• 8 questions every aspiring business owner must ask

  Patrick Burke Food & Beverage

  Do you have what it takes to own a business? Your first answer might be that it depends on the market, but that's only part of the story. So is thinking it depends on your product. The bottom line is it depends on you. If you don’t focus on your own drive, abilities, and tolerance for stress and uncertainty, you’re missing a key part of the equation. And if you start a business without really finding out if you should, you’re making a grave mistake. Say you've got a great idea. You've got a niche service. You've done the research and there’s space for you to grow a company. Before you start looking for a storefront, look in the mirror — by asking these eight simple but vital questions of yourself.

• Balancing compassion and performance in a pandemic world

  Courtney Lynch Food & Beverage

  When I served in the Marines, we had a saying: Mission first, people always. Everything about leading Marines came down to achieving results in times of challenge, chaos, and uncertainty while taking care of your people. Now, as an executive coach, as I’ve helped my clients navigate pandemic times, often I’ve been guiding them in demonstrating service-based leadership. Leading with service is about acting selflessly on behalf of others to ensure their success. It’s about the simple actions you take to support others so they can thrive. The great news for leaders is that service can be demonstrated in the simplest ways.

• Pandemic-created challenges become corporate responsibility opportunities

  Peggy Smedley Food & Beverage

  Uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued businesses around the globe — particularly those in the supply chain community — accentuating weaknesses never seen before. However, if considered from a different perspective, it has given rise to opportunities for these same companies to shine like beacons in the night. When the pandemic first hit, supply chains were disrupted — so much so that an everyday consumer quickly understood what the supply chain was and how it might impact being able to access goods in a timely manner.

• Infographic: How to set work boundaries to avoid burnout

  Pia De Los Reyes Food & Beverage

  With remote work being the new professional normal, it can be especially challenging to stay productive and separate job stress from our personal lives. When stress is high and maintained over a period of time, it can lead to burnout or a type of work-related stress that can have a myriad of negative effects on your health and productivity. Those experiencing burnout can suffer from fatigue and mental exhaustion, and it can also lower work performance and cause job dissatisfaction. Over time, burnout can increase your vulnerability to disease and even potentially cost you lost income because of unpaid sick leave or a missed promotion.

• With succession planning, avoid the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ syndrome

  Donald F. White Food & Beverage

  Do you remember Alice, the little girl who fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland? As Alice wandered about Wonderland, she came upon a Cheshire Cat with a distinctive, mischievous grin. Too many people are on their way to somewhere, with little to no idea what or where somewhere is. They assure themselves that someday they’ll know what and where somewhere is because, well, aren’t they on their way there? Sadly, when it comes to business continuity and succession planning, most business owners are like Alice — on their way to somewhere, yet with little to no idea what or where somewhere is.

• Infographic: The rise of the ready-to-drink cocktail market

  Brian Wallace Food & Beverage

  As we all were forced to become our own bartenders last year, 44% of Americans began purchasing alcohol online, and purchases of ready-to-drink cocktails grew by 43% worldwide. It’s awesome that COVID at least gave us some tasty new drinks, but sometimes it’s even better to be able to just grab the drink and relax, without all the prep, mixing, and cleanup. Ready-to-drink gives us the perks of a "bartender" doing all the work from the comfort of our own homes. These drinks may have risen in popularity due to our collision with calamity, but unlike quarantine mandates, ready-to-drink cocktails are here to stay.

• Besides higher wages, what else can businesses do to address labor shortages?

  Linchi Kwok Food & Beverage

  When everyone in hospitality is hiring to meet growing demand and prepare for the summer, many are struggling to fill job openings. How bad is the current labor shortage situation? A restaurant owner in New York City, for instance, posted a job listing for a host/hostess position at $30 an hour but received no response for two weeks. A year ago, the same restaurant would have received "hundreds and hundreds of resumes" already for the same position paying $20 an hour. When every company is offering a higher wage and even sign-on bonuses to new hires, businesses must do more to respond to the labor shortage challenge.

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