With 31 fake bookings, Amazon ghost kitchens, and the secret sauce behind what makes great neighborhood restaurants, this serving of ‘What’s Cooking?’ is the restaurant industry gossip column you’ve been waiting for. Let’s get stuck in!
Imagine that ☝️☝️ The BBC reports how one restaurant in Wales, Uk, fell victim to 31 fake bookings, during their new menu launch. If only they’d have had prepayment (Just saying).
Why is this worth a read?
Most restaurant professionals have had nights where no-show guests have caused chaos. This extreme case serves as a reminder that restaurants should have safeguards in place to prevent such situations.
The owner of the Welsh restaurant said, “It is possible for us to adapt our system so that people have to give card details when booking a table, but we don’t really want to do that at the moment.”
Well… what can we say to that? *Prepayment* (Cough)
Check out the full article here
We love quoting the guardian, and this short cosy read about running a small restaurant is no different! The article highlights that ‘what loyal customers are looking for [is] warmth, reliability, the feeling that this is their place, as opposed to the best place’ — a sweet sentiment, don’t you agree?
So… Why is it worth a read?
Reflecting on a former restauranter’s memoir: This aerticle illustrates the importance of passion, resilience, and finding a balance between perfection and authenticity—showing that while food matters, the character of a place, is equally as important.
Ghost kitchens seem like a bizarre topic to present to restaurant professionals, especially since they are primarily used for food delivery or takeout. In this piece, food-tech news outlet The Spoon provides the scoop on Amazon’s latest ‘ghostly’ ventures.
Why is this worth a read?
The article suggests the possibility of Amazon Fresh stores, teaming up with restaurants to serve food from digital food halls. Can you imagine provoding a menu for a digital food hall?
Spooky…
Bite into the speculative article here
That’s it for now! We’ll be back next month, huddling under the heat lamps with a warm cup of coffee. As the season changes, so will the news. Can’t wait until then? Check out our blog for more restaurant industry news, guides, and interviews!
