Barry Shuster

Executive Editor
RestaurantOwner Insights

Article

Stand Out: Engaging Social Media Promotion for Today’s Market

Social media is still effective for driving new traffic and engaging current guests, but the landscape has changed in the past few years. Social media promotion is increasingly both art and science. If you have the budget, you might want to hire a social media marketing professional who keeps up with ...

Success Story

A Blueprint for Lasting Success: Robin's Restaurant of Cambria, CA

Robin's Restaurant is nestled in the picturesque California Central Coast town of Cambria. A testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and genuine hospitality, for more than 40 years this beloved eatery has not only survived but thrived in our competitive industry. At the helm is owner and operator ...

Article

If Your Walls Could Talk: ‘Four-Walls’ Marketing and Promotion

Most restaurant operators think of marketing as what you do to attract new customers. The reality is that a great deal of marketing and promotion is telling others who you are and what you stand for. We tend to place a great deal of emphasis on externally focused messages like social ...

Article

Dinner and a Show: Boosting Visibility and Loyalty with Events

Hosting events at your restaurant can engage your community and drive sales, even on otherwise lackluster days or day parts. Learn how independent operators offer a variety of feel-good events to showcase their concepts and foster repeat patronage.

Article

Results Oriented: Boosting Your Concept’s Search Engine Presence

As a consumer, you might not give much thought to the back-end processes when searching for information online. As a businessperson, however, you have a vested interest in how to make your website more visible and improve its ranking in search engine results.

Article

Be the Talk of Your Town: The Power of Short Video Storytelling

In an age of AI image generation, chatbots, and inconceivable fantasy worlds portrayed on our big and small screens, we are still drawn to authentic, genuine, and unvarnished storytelling. With nothing more than short videos captured on your smart phones and broadcast on social media, ...

Article

Restaurant Training Blueprint: How to Strategically Plan and Outline Staff Training

In this article featuring the Restaurant Training Overview, it highlights how training can be broken into simple, strategic stages that guide everything from new?hire onboarding to ongoing employee development.

Training Video

Boost Sales on Slow Nights with Smart Marketing

Slow nights are a common challenge for independent restaurants, but with the right restaurant marketing approach, they can become a powerful growth op...

Download

Restaurant Marketing Planning Calendar

Today, sales growth doesn't just happen, it requires proper planning and execution! Take control of your marketing plan with this great tool to organize ...

Article

High-Touch Hospitality Relationship Marketing Best Practices

The James Beard Foundation in collaboration with Deloitte recently released the 2025 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, which drew on survey data ...

Online Course

Delighting Guests with Personalized Hospitality

Have you ever wished you could read a guest's mind? Ever wonder why certain guests are so hard to connect with, while with others it's a breeze? We may ...