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Turn Your Restaurant Into a More Profitable Business . . . Starting Today!
Join our community of thousands of independent operators who are starting, improving and growing their restaurant business.
Find hundreds of how-to articles and downloadable forms, checklists, manuals and other templates plus online seminars, audio programs, restaurant business plan resources and more. View some
FREE Samples
of our resources.
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 DOWNLOAD: Menu & Recipe Cost Spreadsheet Template
Knowing what each of your menu items cost is one of the most basic yet overlooked aspect of running a profitable restaurant. Use this easy to use spreadsheet tool to calculate and maintain the current cost of your menu and recipes. . . . more >>
 DOWNLOAD: Training Manual Templates
Having comprehensive, easy-to-understand training manuals for every position in your restaurant is vital for new employees to learn to perform their jobs the "right way." Use these templates as a guide to create your own detailed training manuals for server, bartender, busser, prep cook, line cook, dishwasher . . .
. . . more >>
 DOWNLOAD: Restaurant Business Plan Template
A professional, well-conceived restaurant business plan is absolutely essential for an independent restaurant venture to obtain funding and have any real chance for success. Our business plan templates will provide you with the tools to develop & communicate your plan in a professional, compelling format that will enhance your chances of securing capital and making your plan a reality. . . . more >>
 AUDIO: Why Traditional Advertising Doesn't Work for Independents & What You Can Do About It
Very few restaurants can afford to sit back and expect a sufficient number of customers to just drop in anymore. There are just too many other restaurants and dining choices. Also, conventional advertising is expensive and often doesn't deliver results. Find out how some independents are building sales in highly competitive markets. . . . more >>
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Recipe Costing Basics: How To Calculate The Cost of Your Menu Items
by Jim Laube
Operators who commit to an ongoing, accurate menu costing discipline have vital information to make intelligent business decisions which directly impact their food cost and bottom line. In this article, we look at how to put in place a "cornerstone" business practice of the restaurant industry. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Recipe Manual Template
Use this Microsoft Excel® workbook to document all of your recipes to ensure consistency and control cost. This is a great tool for creating your own recipe manual and calculate the cost of your recipes and menu items. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Restaurant Job Descriptions
Complete and accurate job descriptions for each position in your restaurant is a necessity today. Job descriptions describe the role you're asking your people to play in your restaurant and they help your employees to understand their duties, responsibilities and the results and standards of work they need to achieve. . . . more >>
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How to Jump into the Tip Pool Safely
by Doug Duerr, Esq.
Tip pooling has been in our industry for as long as we can remember. But does that mean it is for everyone? Moreover, if you currently utilize tip pooling in your restaurant, be sure it is set up correctly, or you could find yourself drowning in back pay and fines . . . more >>
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Restaurant Marketing: Our Members' Best Practices
In a recently conducted survey, our members shared ongoing restaurant marketing practices that were the most effective. While some of the practices listed were expected, we did uncover many new and creative marketing activities as well. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Competitor Pricing Survey
If you want to know what price restaurant or bar customers will pay for your menu items, begin by finding out what your competition is charging. Use this form to collect and record prices your competors charge for simlilar food or bar menu items . . . more >>
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Receiving: What Goes on at Your Back Door Does Matter
Receiving is an area where the combination of poor systems, carelessness, mistakes and good old fashioned greed adds up to big losses for many restaurants. If you have solid controls everywhere else, but are lax about your back door, you could be losing lots of how you check in your deliveries, chances are it's costing you plenty of money. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Employee Evaluation of Manager
Often, employees don't leave restaurants, they leave managers. Do you have a manager who is negatively impacting your morale, productivity, turnover and success? Find out quickly by learning what your employees think. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Peer Review and Self-Evaluation Job Performance Forms
You can't see everything. So how do your employees REALLY perform (when you're not watching)? How do your employees think about their own job performance & that of their co-workers? By seeing your employees through the eyes of your staff, you'll be better informed on the things each employee does well and which areas need improvement. . . . more >>
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ONLINE SEMINAR SERIES: Food Cost Fitness
Food cost is the single biggest cost in many restaurants and it's also the most volatile operating expense you've got. There are just many, many ways to lose money working with food. This comprehensive, 5-part multi-media program will give you scores of practical, proven ways to cut food losses in purchasing, receiving, storage, preparation and serving & settlement. . . . more >>
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Restaurant Marketing Ideas That Work!
We recently conducted a survey in which we asked our members to tell us about their greatest marketing accomplishments. We were amazed at some of the creative ideas they came up with to increase their sales and promote their restaurant. Here are some of their responses . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: Menu Cost Allocation Tool
Whether it's table condiments, chips and salsa, bread and butter, or frying oil; every restaurant has food products that make it difficult to allocate cost to specific menu items. The Menu Cost Allocation Tool provides a means for evaluating and distributing the cost of non-menu specific ingredients. . . . more >>
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DOWNLOAD: New Hire Checklist
Download this checklist to verify that you've collected the many forms and other pieces of information necessary when hiring a new employee such as Employment Application, Uniform Agreement, W-4, I-9, Emergency Information Sheet, etc. Also, document company materials such as training manuals, employee handbooks, etc., that they have received . . . . . . more >>
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| Here's what our members are saying . . .!
"I am now in my second
year of being a member. My only regret being that I did not find you in my prior
8 years as I would have saved a lot of money and grey hairs from your tips and
formats. Thank you for indirectly saving my restaurant & for the growth I now
see."
Marc Cedron
Printer's Alley Bar & Grill
Memphis, TN
"Your web-site and magazine has helped our independent restaurant grow from 1 restaurant with revenue of $350,000 to 3 restaurants bringing in $3.5 million in only 4 years."
Donald Spahr
Spahr's Seafood
Thibodaux, LA
"Since becoming a member, I have literally changed the way I do business. My
attitude has changed about every aspect of my restaurant and in implementing
many new systems which you re-enforce on your website, I have seen
drastic improvements. I'm making more money, my purveyors are making more
money and my staff is making more money."
David Chicane
Pearle Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Dublin, NH
"I've found everything on the site to be a big help. From the financial side to the menu, the amount of information has been a
bargain for the price of a subscription!"
Eddie Scoggins
Tavern At The Village Green
Cleveland, TN
"I am a small business owner. I must say this
is the best tool I've ever subscribed to. I was suspicious at first, I did not
expect much. This is awesome. Thank you so much. Keep it up."
Gesine Franchetti
The Topaz
Santa Rosa, CA
"RestaurantOwner.com is a wonderful asset, glad
I discovered it. I’ve deleted two full time positions, reduced my inventory, &
have been tracking everything much better. I am breaking even now instead of
borrowing more money!"
Joleen Coles-Wilt
Matters of Taste Bakery Market Café
Honolulu, HI
"So far, we’ve revised our accounting system
and introduced the prime cost concept. My prime costs are dropping because of
focusing on both inventory and labor together. This will improve my contribution margin by
$120,000!"
Brian Fitzgerald
Paddy's Brewpub & Rosie's Restaurant
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Your website and magazine have been
extremely helpful to our growing business. We are just about finished with the
construction of our new location. I have learned so much from your articles, the
online seminars, the discussion forum and the spreadsheets are an invaluable
asset. I continue to learn something new every day.
Belinda Self
Ginza Japanese Restaurants, Inc
Winston Salem, NC
"Thank you for this site. Little guys like me
need all the help we can get and it is wonderful to be able to get answers to
questions here."
Margaret Williamson
Hizzoner's Uptown Deli
Bellingham, WA
"You are giving me a great education. I can't
soak it up fast enough. The articles, templates and especially the online
training are heading me in the right direction to having a great business."
Martin Hardy
City Bagel Café
Siloam Springs, Arkansas
"I have sung the praises of your site to many of
my friends, associates, and suppliers. There is a wealth of information and
material available from your site that is of tremendous benefit to all
independent restaurateurs. We have used virtually everything you offer in some
form or another, from the restaurant by the numbers material to all of the
articles on service, management, training, etc. The templates for training
manuals and various forms have saved us a lot of time which would have been
spent compiling and organizing this vital information."
Robert Hodgson
Lefty's Restaurant
Parksville, B.C.
"This website is "exactly" what I've been looking for. I'm absolutely thrilled with what I've learned so far. My only regret is that I didn't join sooner."
Stan Lewis
Pappa's Bossier
Bossier City, LA
"I love love love your site. It gives me inspiration, organization and
so many of the missing tools I have been seeking for the last 20 years."
Jennie Cook
Cook's Double Dutch
Culver City, CA
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Who Should Join
