Most people who dream of owning a restaurant picture the good parts. A dining room full of happy guests. A menu they’re proud of. The satisfaction of building something that belongs to them. What the dream rarely includes is the unglamorous reality that follows the ink drying on the paperwork — the payroll runs, the […]
Small Business Owners
How to Form a Loyal Customer Base Without a Big Marketing Budget
Walk into any restaurant that’s been around for twenty years and you’ll notice something. The regulars. The table in the corner that’s basically reserved in spirit if not in practice. The server who already knows what certain customers are ordering before they sit down. That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from a slick ad campaign […]
Bookkeeping Basics Every Restaurant Owner Needs to Know
Running a restaurant is one of the hardest things a person can do. The hours are brutal, the margins are thin, and the list of things demanding your attention on any given day is genuinely endless. Most operators get into this business because they love food, people, hospitality — the energy of a busy dining […]
What Independent Restaurant Owners Need to Know About the 2026 Restaurant Leadership Conference
Every April, the restaurant industry’s heaviest hitters gather in one place to hash out where the business is headed. This year is no different. The Restaurant Leadership Conference returns April 19-22, 2026, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona—and if you run a restaurant, you should be paying attention, […]
Small Business Expo Comes to Washington D.C. This April
The Small Business Expo is coming to Washington D.C. on April 8, 2026. It will be held at the Charles E. Smith Center, 600 22nd St NW, Washington, D.C., from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM EST As a small business owner and veteran of the restaurant industry, Gayle Smith Gay sees this event as a […]