Your POS system is a goldmine

Fine dining is in flux. With rising costs, staff shortages and fewer diners, even Michelin-starred restaurants are overhauling menus and reworking their vibe. Meanwhile, a tech startup wants to tailor your dinner to your DNA. And we’ll tell you what happens when a chef tries to sue a guest for a bad Yelp review. Let’s dig in.

Labor pains: Bernie Sanders and AOC are among the more than 50 House and Senate Democrats boycotting half a dozen of D.C.’s buzziest restaurants over labor disputes.

Nutrigenomics: A meal-delivery service based on your blood type? Food technology group Wonder is working on it. The company, which has acquired Blue Apron, Grubhub and Tatemade, is developing an app that creates a nutritional profile based on DNA samples.

Health hazards: Health officials in North Carolina are warning of fake health inspectors targeting restaurants to film content for social media. Evidently, these people conduct mock inspections and then post them online.

Prize patrol: Grubhub just handed out a total of $80K to 31 resilient Chicago restaurants that opened during the pandemic in 2020 and are still going strong five years later. Most winners received $2,500, with two standouts taking home $5,000 each.

Transformers: Food innovators, drink disruptors and tech innovators. Here are 14 game changers who are shaping the culinary landscape.

'We keep evolving while staying true to who we are.' 

Restaurant pop-ups continue to thrive, offering chefs a way to test new concepts, reach different audiences, or bring fresh energy to their brick-and-mortar spaces. Enter Little C, a relaxed, lunchtime dining experience in Beverly Hills that pays tribute to Chef Helene An’s Vietnamese heritage and fine dining legacy (she still helms the kitchen after five decades).

What started as a way to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May has expanded into a summer-long pop-up at restaurant group House of An’s flagship, Crustacean Beverly Hills. Says Helene, “The kitchen is my sanctuary. When I see guests enjoying a bowl of pho or sharing plates at the table, my heart is full.”

Elizabeth An, House of An CEO and the second of Helene’s five daughters, shares how Little C was born and what’s next for the family’s dining dynasty. –Marcy Medina 

What was the inspiration for Little C?

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and 50 years of my mother, Chef Helene An, in the kitchen, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our Vietnamese roots, which have been the inspiration behind my mother’s culinary philosophy, especially as we reflect on the 50-year journey of our family: fleeing Vietnam, rebuilding in America and redefining elevated Vietnamese fusion through Crustacean. Little C is a love letter to our roots. My mother has always said that while the art of cuisine can evolve, the soul of it must remain.

Have you started to see more interest in a lunch offering? How does this speak to your customers?

People in Southern California appreciate fresh, flavorful and approachable food that is both nourishing and elevated, enjoyed in a warm and relaxed setting. This pop-up allows us to balance the House of An experience with a more casual approach. Our guests seek intentional food without formality, especially in Southern California, where the pace is fast but the palate is refined. Little C offers a relaxed, midday escape with rich, slow-cooked pho or a craveable bite, fitting our modern rhythm while honoring tradition.

In creating the menu, how did you decide on pho and street bites?

Pho is the heart of Vietnamese cuisine. It’s not just a dish, it’s a ritual. It’s comforting, healing and yet still light. Street bites, on the other hand, are playful and nostalgic and a fun way to showcase Vietnamese flavors in just a few bites. For lunch, people love dishes that are delicious, satisfying, but not too heavy. With this menu, which features a different make-your-own roll every day and small plates like calamari (muc nuong), sparerib (suon rang) and crispy banh hoi tiger prawns, we wanted to give our guests something that tastes like home but fits into their busy lives.

How do you and the family keep the business fresh and exciting? What concepts or menu items are you excited to try next?  

We always try to listen to our guests, to our team, to our instincts. Together we keep evolving while staying true to who we are. The culinary world is constantly evolving, and we love finding the balance between tradition and innovation.

Above: Chef Helene An in the kitchen. (Courtesy @crustaceanbh/ Instagram)

Your POS system is a goldmine

Today’s POS systems aren’t just registers. They’re full-blown restaurant management hubs that lasso everything together, from online ordering and third-party delivery, to payroll and marketing. But one of the most powerful features is the data.

Your POS system is constantly collecting information about your sales, your staff, your customers and your margins. And when you know how to read that data, you can make smarter decisions across the board.

Here are six key data points your POS should be giving you, and what you can do with them.

1. Food Sales

In addition to tracking food sales, modern POS reporting also lets you dig into: what’s selling and when, how each dish stacks up against food costs and which menu items give you the best profit margins.

2. Alcohol Sales

If you’ve got a liquor license, this can be your secret weapon. Alcohol typically offers your highest margins and POS data lets you see: which drinks bring in the biggest profits, what food items pair best with them, when people are drinking and what’s worth discounting to drive traffic and pad your bottom line.

3. Hourly Sales Trends

Your POS can show you sales data by the hour, and that’s a game-changer. It not only allows you to prep for weekend rushes and adjust specials and promos based on time of day, it lets you be in the right place, with the right staff, at the right time.

4. Product Mix

Think of this as your menu’s report card. Your POS tells you which items to keep and which to ditch. Even better? Some POS platforms combine this with inventory tools that reorder supplies for you based on what’s actually selling.

5. Sales Mix

Not all dollars come from the same place. Your POS should break down where your revenue is really coming from: food, drinks, takeout, delivery, merch, etc. Learn where you’re thriving, adjust your marketing or pricing accordingly and build momentum where it already exists.

6. Labor Costs by Hour

Labor is one of your biggest (and most controllable) costs. Today’s POS systems can show hour-by-hour labor spend, server performance stats (like sales per shift) and kitchen efficiency (how fast food goes out).

Why it matters: Your POS can’t run your business for you, but it can help you run it smarter and with fewer surprises. After all, the numbers are already there; you just need to know where to look and what to do with what you find. (Back of House) 

Fine dining is in survival mode

Skyrocketing costs, labor shortages and fewer reservations are squeezing even Michelin-starred restaurants—and the pandemic’s impact is far from over.

Since 2020, the average restaurant has seen food and labor costs jump 35%, according to the National Restaurant Association. Menu prices are up 31%. Diners are cutting back, and international tourism is down, especially in major markets like L.A. and New York.

Still, chefs are adapting; special events, ambiance and creative pivots are replacing tasting menus.

“The writing was on the wall,” says Kevin Meehan, who transformed his Michelin-starred Kali in Los Angeles into a casual neighborhood steakhouse. “Not everyone can afford dry-aged duck with cherry glaze.”

But the biggest shift for restaurants may be their tone. The old fine dining vibe was snobby. Now, it’s warm and welcoming. True luxury is good food, great ingredients and making people feel like they belong.

Why it matters: This shift marks a redefinition of luxury dining from formal tasting menus to casual, comfort-driven experiences. It reflects how chefs are adapting to rising costs, changing diner expectations and post-pandemic realities. As customers seek warmth, value and authenticity, fine dining is evolving to stay relevant in order to survive. (Business Insider) 

How to turn tariff pressure into profit

Rising tariffs on imported spirits are putting pressure on restaurant and bar margins. But with smart adjustments, operators can stay profitable without compromising guest experience.

Here’s where to start:

Rethink packaging: Glass bottles are costly to ship, especially with tariffs in play. Alternatives like bag-in-box systems or small-format cans cut transport costs, reduce waste and extend shelf life. Pair that with strong presentation such as smart glassware and garnishes to keep the experience premium.

Source locally: Imported spirits face the highest price hikes. Domestic wines, beers and spirits offer quality without the tariff markup and tap into growing demand for local and sustainable products. For wine-only licenses, wine-based spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails can help expand your menu without expanding costs.

Simplify the menu: A lean, focused beverage menu reduces inventory waste and keeps purchasing efficient. Build creative cocktails from a shared set of ingredients and cut underperforming SKUs. Fewer suppliers mean better pricing and fewer delivery fees.

Train with intent: Every ounce counts. Staff should understand portion control, inventory handling and the cost of over pouring. Regular training boosts both efficiency and team engagement, and helps protect your bottom line.

Why it matters: Tariffs aren’t just a pricing issue, they're a profitability issue. Every extra dollar spent on imports chips away at margins in an industry already operating on razor-thin profits. For bars and restaurants, adapting isn’t optional—it’s essential. Those who rethink sourcing, streamline operations and invest in smarter systems won’t just survive tariff pressures, they’ll turn them into a competitive edge. (FSR)

74%

Respondents who say they view Baskin Robbins positively, making it the number one dining brand in the country. By comparison, McDonald's has a much lower popularity share, at 59%.

(Statista)

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"Within the first five minutes of seeing someone walk into a kitchen, how they hold themselves, you can tell... And we zero in on that stuff." 

–Houston restaurateur Aaron Bludorn on quickly being able to recognize talent.

(🎧 Chef's PSA)

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