Continue to Site >>>

50 Great Ideas

The top industry ideas we've spotted in the last year

50 Great Ideas

42. Which water?

 Aug. 08, 2018

To make it easier for servers to refill water glasses at Union Square Cafe in New York City, guests get a glass with a red stripe if they order sparkling water and a plain glass if they request still ...

50 Great Ideas

45. Mentorship meetings

 Aug. 08, 2018

Dunkin’ Donuts holds weekly mentor meetings for its staff members. Younger employees can ask questions, bring up problems and get advice from more seasoned colleagues, providing a direct source for ca...

50 Great Ideas

48. Sticking with the theme

Aug. 08, 2018

Operators want to build a database of customers as well as know who is in their restaurants, and the bowl for business cards has long been a low-tech way to do that. To draw attention to its take on t...

50 Great Ideas

28. Straw education

Aug. 08, 2018

More and more restaurants are eliminating plastic straws. To educate its customers about sustainability, Mountain Brauhaus in Gardiner, N.Y., puts a flyer on every table saying “Skip the straw and sav...

50 Great Ideas

31. Getting in front of on-the-go consumers

Aug. 08, 2018

As an alternative to food trucks, Dunkin’ Donuts is rolling out motorized food carts—putting coffee in the hands of mobile customers. 

50 Great Ideas

34. Viral table

Aug. 08, 2018

When new steakhouse Boston Chops designed its layout, it included an Instagrammers table. The table, which cost $10,000 to build and outfit, includes customizable features that are controlled by the g...

50 Great Ideas

37. Discounting desserts

Aug. 08, 2018

At the Citibank corporate cafeteria in New York City, desserts are 50% off in the late afternoon.

50 Great Ideas

39. Modernizing the rules

Aug. 08, 2018

To be a more appealing employer, the HR team for convenience chain RaceTrac went through its rules with one question in mind: If a policy is not there to keep customers or employees safe, question it....

50 Great Ideas

43. Driving profits with boozeless

Aug. 08, 2018

Punch Bowl Social has found its guests are drinking differently than in the past, often imbibing less frequently or at different occasions. In response, the chain’s beverage director, Patrick Williams...

50 Great Ideas

46. Early staging

Aug. 08, 2018

Jason’s Deli has a booming catering business, and at the same time prides itself on delivering on its customers’ same-day needs. The chain can feed a group of any size in as little as 90 minutes. Its ...

  • Page 1