Restaurant Blog

Actionable articles on costs, hiring, compliance, and growth — written for operators, not MBAs.

24 guides for independent operators. Start with a reading path below, or browse by category.

Where to start: five reading paths

Pick the path that matches where your restaurant is today. Each list is in reading order, and each ends with the tools that put the guides to work.

Opening your first restaurant

Read these in order if you are still between an idea and a signed lease. Each one answers the question the previous one raises.

  1. 01How to Start a Restaurant — The full sequence, from concept and site to soft opening.
  2. 02Restaurant Startup Costs — What the build-out, equipment and opening cash actually cost.
  3. 03Restaurant Equipment Financing — How to pay for the kitchen without draining working capital.
  4. 04Commercial Kitchen Layout — Plan the line before the contractor does it for you.
  5. 05Restaurant Permits & Licenses — Every permit, who issues it, and the order to apply in.
  6. 06How to Get a Liquor License — The longest lead time on most openings, so start it early.
  7. 07Restaurant Insurance Guide — The seven policy types, what they cost and which ones are required.

Tools for this stage: Restaurant Business Plan Template · Restaurant Budget Template · Break-Even Calculator

Getting the numbers right

For operators who are open and busy but not sure where the money goes. Start with the formula, then work outward to the menu and the top line.

  1. 01Food Cost Formula — The three formulas every cost conversation starts from.
  2. 02Average Restaurant Profit Margin — What a realistic margin looks like for your service style.
  3. 03Restaurant Menu Engineering — Sort every dish by popularity and profit, then act on it.
  4. 04How to Increase Restaurant Sales — Grow the top line once the costs underneath are under control.

Tools for this stage: Food Cost Calculator · Menu Pricing Calculator · Prime Cost Calculator · Restaurant P&L Template

Hiring and paying the team

Pay guides for the roles that are hardest to hire and keep. Use them to set an offer you can defend, then write the posting with the matching job description.

  1. 01Bartender Salary — Base wage, tips and what changes the take-home.
  2. 02Sous Chef Salary — The second-in-command's pay and how it scales with the kitchen.
  3. 03Executive Chef Salary — What a chef running the whole kitchen costs to hire.
  4. 04Restaurant Manager Salary — GM, assistant and shift manager pay, and bonus structures that work.

Tools for this stage: Restaurant Interview Questions · Line Cook Job Description · Restaurant Manager Job Description · Tip Distribution Calculator

Staying inspection-ready and covered

The guides that keep a restaurant open: what the health inspector, the fire marshal and a plaintiff's lawyer will look at first.

  1. 01How to Pass a Health Inspection — What inspectors check, stop by stop, and a prep plan for the week before.
  2. 02Restaurant Fire Suppression System — NFPA 96 and UL 300 rules, inspection schedules and what a system costs.
  3. 03Dram Shop Liability — When you are on the hook for a guest you over-served.
  4. 04Food Truck Permits — The mobile version of the permit stack, state by state.

Tools for this stage: Health Inspection Checklist · Food Temperature Log Template · HACCP Plan Template

Catering, food trucks and new revenue

Ways to sell more without adding seats: off-site catering, a truck, a weekend daypart and a list of guests who already like you.

  1. 01How to Start a Catering Business — Licensing, pricing and the first events.
  2. 02Food Truck Menu Ideas — Menus built for a small line and a fast window.
  3. 03Brunch Menu Ideas — A weekend daypart that fills a slow morning.
  4. 04Restaurant Email Marketing — Bring regulars back with a list you own.
  5. 05Happy Hour Menu Ideas — Fill the late afternoon without giving away margin.

Tools for this stage: Catering Proposal Template · Banquet Event Order Template · Food Truck Business Plan Template

Browse guides by category

Financial Management

(4 articles)

Formulas, margins, startup budgets and how to pay for equipment.

Food Cost Formula: How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage
Master the food cost formula with step-by-step examples and benchmarks.
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Restaurant?
Detailed breakdown of startup costs from lease to working capital.
Restaurant Equipment Financing
Compare financing options, rates, and lease vs. buy decisions.
Average Restaurant Profit Margin
Net margin benchmarks by concept, a $100 P&L waterfall, and a margin calculator.

Operations & Staffing

(5 articles)

Pay guides for the hardest roles to hire, and how to lay out a kitchen that works.

Commercial Kitchen Layout
Layout types, workflow principles, equipment placement, and code requirements.
Bartender Salary Guide
Bartender pay by state, experience level, and establishment type.
Sous Chef Salary Guide
Sous chef compensation by state, experience, and restaurant type.
Executive Chef Salary Guide
What executive chefs earn by state, venue, and experience, and what owners should budget.
Restaurant Manager Salary Guide
Manager pay by tier, state, concept, and store revenue, plus bonus structures that work.

Compliance & Safety

(7 articles)

Permits, liquor licensing, insurance, fire code and passing the health inspection.

Restaurant Insurance: Types, Cost & What You Need
Coverage types, average costs, and how to choose the right policy.
How to Get a Liquor License
State-by-state requirements, costs, timeline, and license types.
Food Truck Permits: State-by-State Guide
Permit requirements, costs, and application process by state.
Restaurant Fire Suppression System
System types, code requirements, inspection schedules, and costs.
Dram Shop Liability
What it is, state laws, and how to protect your restaurant.
How to Pass a Health Inspection
What inspectors check stop by stop, the costliest violations, and a 7-day prep plan.
Restaurant Permits & Licenses Needed
All 17 restaurant permits with issuer, cost, timeline, apply order, and a Chicago cost roll-up.

Marketing & Growth

(8 articles)

Menu engineering, new dayparts, catering, food trucks and email.

Brunch Menu Ideas
Seasonal themes, pricing strategies, and food cost analysis per item.
How to Start a Restaurant
Complete guide from concept to opening day.
How to Start a Catering Business
Step-by-step guide to launching a catering operation.
Restaurant Email Marketing
Build your list, craft campaigns, and drive repeat visits.
How to Increase Restaurant Sales
Proven tactics for boosting revenue and average check size.
Restaurant Menu Engineering
Stars, puzzles, plowhorses, dogs — optimize your menu for profit.
Food Truck Menu Ideas
12 costed truck concepts with sample menus, plate costs, and equipment footprints.
Happy Hour Menu Ideas
Drink and bar-food specials with a worked pour cost example and the legal limits.