You can do everything right in the kitchen and still lose customers over a fake review, a food safety slip-up or a dated social media strategy. Protecting your reputation and earning diners’ trust is just as important as what’s on the menu. This week, we look at why fake reviews can backfire, how to build food safety into daily operations and what Jersey Mike’s can teach you about winning over younger customers.

But first, DoorDash is buying Instacart in a $17 billion deal. How will it affect you?

Raising the steaks. Au poivre-flavored everything has a moment in L.A.

Fed up. Customers are pushing back against private equity’s restaurant infiltration.

California dreamin’. The Cheesecake Factory becomes a punchline thanks to a recent Obama remark.

Following suit. Toast gets sued by the FTC over hidden fees.

Hanging it up. NYC restaurants are facing the steepest closure rate in decades.

Think twice before you pay someone to write reviews. Fake Yelp reviews are becoming an increasingly costly gamble for restaurants. A working paper found that more than 4,900 businesses have received Yelp’s 90-day Consumer Alert since 2023 for suspicious or incentivized reviews. Flagged restaurants experienced an average 8% drop in foot traffic, with some effects lasting 18 months.

Why it matters: Manipulating online ratings might seem like an easy way to attract customers, but the consequences can outweigh the benefits. A public warning can damage credibility and drive away business long after. Restaurants are better served by earning authentic reviews through consistently good experiences. (Eater)

Don’t lose customers over food safety snafus. With lean staffing and high turnover making consistent food safety harder to maintain, restaurant owners need to build safe practices directly into daily kitchen operations. There are a few practical steps you can take, including creating clear procedures, checklists, color-coded tools, recurring training, easy-to-clean equipment, routine maintenance and regular temperature and sanitation checks.

Why it matters: Food safety can't depend on employees remembering every rule during a hectic shift. Operators need systems that make the right behaviors easier to execute, even under pressure. Simplifying workflows, reinforcing training and routinely checking compliance can reduce contamination risks, protect customers and help prevent costly operational and reputational damage. (Nation’s Restaurant News)

Is your social media strategy reaching the right people? Jersey Mike’s is seeing results from a bigger investment in digital marketing aimed at younger consumers. The sandwich chain previously allocated just 1% of its marketing budget to digital channels but has since increased that share. The strategy is helping attract younger diners, more women and Hispanic customers, while same-store sales rose 3% in Q3.

Why it matters: Jersey Mike’s offers a reminder that marketing strategies need to evolve alongside changing customer demographics and media habits. Restaurants that underinvest in digital channels risk missing opportunities to connect with younger audiences. A more intentional social media strategy can expand brand awareness, attract new customer segments and translate engagement into measurable sales growth. (Restaurant Business)

The percentage of restaurant operators who reported higher same-store sales in September compared with September 2025, up from 51% in August. (National Restaurant Association)

Reservations, takeout orders, supplier calls: the phone doesn't stop when the rush starts. RingCentral gives your restaurant a cloud-based phone system that keeps your team connected:

Keep the calls coming in and your team on the same page.

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The Prep is written by Kelly Dobkin and edited by Bianca Prieto.