Restaurant Consultants

07/06/2026

**One of the biggest mistakes I see in restaurants isn't bad food.**

It's owners trying to solve profit problems by working harder.

Working longer hours rarely fixes the real issue.

The restaurants that consistently succeed usually have something else in common:

✔️ Clear operating systems
✔️ Well-defined labor controls
✔️ Menus designed for profitability—not just popularity
✔️ Inventory systems that reduce waste
✔️ Standardized training
✔️ Reliable delivery and off-premise strategies
✔️ Managers who spend time leading instead of constantly putting out fires

After more than four decades working with restaurants, I've learned that most struggling operations don't need a complete overhaul—they need better systems.

If your restaurant feels like you're constantly reacting instead of operating, it's probably time to step back and evaluate the systems behind the business.

Sometimes a few operational improvements can make a bigger difference than a busy weekend.

What operational challenge is your restaurant facing today?

07/04/2026

Can AI run a successful restaurant?

It's one of the questions I've been asked more and more this year.

The answer is... yes and no.

Artificial intelligence can help create menus, analyze reviews, forecast sales, write marketing content, suggest pricing, and even recommend staffing levels. Those are powerful tools, and they're only getting better.

But AI doesn't greet your guests.

It doesn't coach your managers.

It doesn't know why food costs suddenly increased, why labor is out of control, or why a restaurant with a full dining room is still losing money.

Those answers come from experience.

After more than 40 years working with restaurants, I've learned that successful operations are built on thousands of decisions—about people, systems, costs, service, and leadership. AI can help you make those decisions better, but it can't make them for you.

At U.S. Restaurant Consultants, we embrace AI because it helps us analyze information faster and identify opportunities sooner. But our clients don't hire us for software—they hire us for experience, judgment, and practical solutions that improve profitability.

The future of restaurant consulting isn't AI replacing people.

It's experienced professionals using AI to build stronger, more profitable restaurants.

How are you using AI in your restaurant? What's worked well—and where do you think human experience still makes the biggest difference?

06/20/2026

What customer behavior has changed the most in your business over the last 5 years?

Not labor.

Not food costs.

Not delivery.

Customer behavior.

For me, one of the biggest changes has been seeing more people drink less alcohol while still wanting the social experience of restaurants and bars.

What are you seeing?

06/17/2026

Restaurant operators:

Which customer trend has surprised you most over the past 5 years?

• Drinking less
• More delivery
• Solo diners
• Labor shortages
• Loyalty changes
• Remote workers

What's changed most in your business?

06/09/2026

NEW INSIGHT SERIES: CHANGING CUSTOMERS

Many restaurant operators are asking the same question:

Why do customers seem different today?

They're drinking less.

Dining alone more often.

Working remotely.

Redefining loyalty.

Seeking convenience.

And increasingly looking for connection and community.

These shifts are reshaping restaurants in ways that go far beyond food costs, labor, or technology.

To explore these trends, we've launched a new thought leadership series:

CHANGING CUSTOMERS

Current articles include:

• The Customer Didn't Leave the Bar. The Alcohol Did.
• The Loneliness Economy: Why Restaurants Still Matter.
• The Rise of the Solo Restaurant Customer.
• Why Younger Consumers Are Redefining Restaurant Loyalty.
• Convenience Is Winning. But At What Cost?
• Why Restaurants Are Becoming Community Centers Again.

The restaurant industry is changing.

The customer is changing.

Understanding those changes may be one of the most important competitive advantages restaurant operators can develop over the next decade.

Explore the series here:

https://usrestaurantconsultants.com/the-changing-customers

What customer trends are you seeing in your business?

Explore how changing consumer habits, loyalty, convenience, loneliness, and dining behaviors are reshaping the future of restaurants.

06/08/2026

One of the most interesting changes happening in hospitality today has nothing to do with technology, AI, delivery, or labor.

It's alcohol consumption.

Like many people, I've stopped drinking.

What surprised me wasn't giving up alcohol.

What surprised me was realizing that I still wanted everything else that came with the experience.

The conversation.

The atmosphere.

The community.

The bar stool.

The restaurant.

The social connection.

As a restaurant consultant, it raises an interesting question:

What happens when customers continue showing up but stop ordering one of the industry's most profitable categories?

How should restaurants and bars respond?

I recently explored this topic in an article called:

"The Customer Didn't Leave the Bar. The Alcohol Did."

I'd be interested to hear perspectives from both operators and consumers.

Is this a trend you're seeing?

https://usrestaurantconsultants.com/the-bar-changed

06/05/2026

https://usrestaurantconsultants.com/toast-versus-door-dash

06/05/2026

Most restaurant operators still think Toast is a POS company and DoorDash is a delivery company.

Both assumptions are becoming outdated.

Toast is rapidly evolving into a restaurant operating system built around operations, payments, payroll, AI, and financial services.

DoorDash is evolving into a commerce infrastructure platform built around customer acquisition, demand generation, logistics, and consumer intelligence.

What's fascinating is that both companies are moving toward the same destination:

Owning the restaurant ecosystem.

The future battle won't be won by the company with the best POS terminal.

It may be won by the company that best combines operations, commerce, AI, customer engagement, and financial infrastructure into a single platform.

I explored this emerging trend in a new article:

Toast vs. DoorDash: The Emerging Battle for the Restaurant Operating System

05/21/2026

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/award-winning-chef-says-popular-retailer-has-elite-beef-bargain-prices?fbclid=IwZnRzaAR71kJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeZ19A-tlrP-JShv2Su8s6TnZ89yCa9skXoO1wAHj81Dpdann5M8FA4zZCGgw_aem_FjfanVVnhkEpB5x1g_VWgQ

Walmart is an excellent place to buy USDA Prime beef, with pricing competitive with Costco stores, says a James Beard Award winner and former executive chef.