The End of ‘The Middle’ in the Restaurant Industry The brands winning in each segment obviously aren’t lucky; they have made the right strategic choices. The restaurant industry today is not neutral about strategic neutrality, it’s penalizing it. The restaurant industry is in the middle of a strategic sorting that in many companies still feels…
The Shifting Restaurant M&A Landscape What factors are influencing it, and what are investors looking for? Despite economic volatility and slower traffic, restaurant merger and acquisition (M&A) volume increased 42.9 percent year over year, according to data from Capstone Partners. Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine spoke with experts from Bennett Thrasher, an accounting and advisory…
The Familiar Costs That Quietly Erode Restaurant Margins Unlike food costs or labor, which tend to draw immediate attention, service-vendor inflation is usually subtle. One of the biggest misconceptions in restaurant operations is that a stable expense must also be a healthy expense. In reality, stability often means only that nobody has questioned it recently.…
Analyzing the Financial Benefits of In-House Beverage Programs A beverage program can transform a restaurant from a dining option into a destination. For restaurants facing tight margins and growing competition, an in-house beverage program can capture profit, strengthen brand identity, and shield operations from supply chain disruptions. Understanding its financial advantages reveals why more operators…
Bielat Santore & Company Releases Fourth Episode in Podcast Series Mastering the 2026 Margin Squeeze: The Restaurant Survival Playbook. Bielat Santore & Company, New Jersey’s leading restaurant and hospitality real estate brokerage, is proud to announce the release of the fourth episode in its “Restaurant Owner’s Edge” podcast series, entitled “Mastering the Restaurant Margin…
2026 Mid-Year Outlook, Part One The restaurant industry isn’t in crisis, but it isn’t growing the way operators need it to, either. Guests are dining out less frequently and making more deliberate choices about where they spend. Inflation fatigue is real, and with more options competing for the same discretionary dollar, operators can’t afford a…
HAPPY 250th BIRTHDAY AMERICA! Celebrate America 250 with the Oldest Restaurant in Each State Take a delicious trip back in time. American cuisine has changed a lot over the country’s history, where ketchups were once made with mushrooms or wild blueberries and foraging was a way of life, not a trend. This year, as…
National Restaurant Association Calls for Timeout on NFL Sunday Ticket Switch The lone TV package for non-local NFL games is moving from satellite to streaming this season. A big change is coming for restaurants that rely on football games to drive traffic on fall and winter Sundays. Starting with this upcoming season, restaurants and bars…
Bielat Santore & Company Releases Third Episode in Podcast Series The Math of Million Dollar Restaurant Deals. Bielat Santore & Company, New Jersey’s leading restaurant and hospitality real estate brokerage, is proud to announce the release of the third episode in its “Restaurant Owner’s Edge” podcast series, entitled “The Math of Million Dollar Restaurant Deals.”…
How to Stop Competing on Wages Alone Winning in the labor market without breaking their wage structure. Ask most restaurant operators what drives turnover and you’ll hear the same answer: pay. The instinct makes sense. Raise the wage, keep the people. But operators who have followed that logic for the past several years have discovered…
In a Tough Restaurant Market, Business Dining is a Bright Spot Spending is outpacing the broader industry as in-office work and business travel bounce back. It’s been a tough year and a half for the restaurant industry at large. War, inflation, and a general sense of uncertainty have hurt consumer sentiment and spending, including at…
How Restaurants Can Maximize Revenue During the World Cup Restaurants that come out ahead during a major event like this prepare deliberately. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most significant hospitality events in a generation. Spanning 16 host cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, it will…
A New ‘Discovery Stack’ Emerges for Restaurants How Gen Z, TikTok, and AI are challenging traditional restaurant search behaviors. Restaurants have always faced tough competition, whether it’s finding the right market or standing out among similar businesses. Today, the main challenge is optimizing digital discovery. In recent years, there has been a noticeable decrease in…
Doubling Down on Restaurant Marketing Spend Investing in what already works. When times get tough, the old playbook says to tighten your belt and cut costs wherever you can. But restaurant owners in 2026 are flipping the script. For Constant Contact’s latest Small Business Now report, we surveyed more than 1,500 small business owners —…
Bielat Santore & Company Releases Second Episode in Podcast Series Maximizing the Value of Your Restaurant Sale. Bielat Santore & Company, New Jersey’s leading restaurant and hospitality real estate brokerage, is proud to announce the release of the second episode in its “Restaurant Owner’s Edge” podcast series, entitled “Maximizing the Value of Your…
Where Restaurant Operators Get Sales Tax Wrong and Why It Matters Sales tax is manageable, but it cannot be set and forgotten. Every restaurant operator knows sales tax is a problem. Most have quietly decided to deal with it another day. The POS is configured, the returns are filed (and hopefully paid), and sales tax…
The Cash Flow Blind Spot That’s Closing Restaurants Why profitability on paper isn’t enough. The food is excellent. The dining room stays busy on weekends. Reviews are strong. And yet, somehow, the restaurant always seems to be “in trouble.” This scenario plays out across the industry with uncomfortable regularity. According to a widely cited U.S.…
Bielat Santore & Company Anniversary Podcast Series First Episode Well Received Initial Episode “Architects of the Hospitality Deal” Debuts on Major Platforms. Bielat Santore & Company launched its inaugural podcast episode last week, quickly gaining visibility on leading platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and others, along with featuring on the…
Bielat Santore & Company Launches Special Anniversary Podcast Series Celebrating 45 Years as New Jersey’s Premier Restaurant and Hospitality Real Estate Brokerage. Bielat Santore & Company, the leading experts in restaurant and hospitality real estate brokerage, is proud to mark its 45th anniversary with a legacy of innovation, market dominance, and unparalleled service in…
The New Definition of Value How restaurants are adapting to more intentional diners. The restaurant industry in 2026 feels different – not because consumers have stopped dining out, but because they are dining differently. Spending remains relatively steady in many markets, but traffic can feel unpredictable. Guests aren’t necessarily pulling back; they’re becoming more strategic.…
Nearly Half of Full-Service Diners Cut Back Visits New Q1 2026 data shows shifts in consumers spending. Full-service restaurants are experiencing deeper reductions in visit frequency than other dining segments, according to a Q1 2026 consumer report from Revenue Management Solutions. The study, based on a survey of 841 U.S. consumers conducted in early February,…
The New Restaurant Survival Playbook Built around simplification, control and fewer high-impact moves. Independent restaurants are in a reality that feels less like a temporary squeeze and more like a permanent operating environment. Labor costs remain elevated, food inflation continues to ripple through menus, and third-party platform fees still take a meaningful bite out of…
Restaurant Industry Faces Modest Growth Amid Cost Pressures in 2026
Tariffs and Inflation Left Restaurants Scrambling for Solutions in 2025
How May Mikie Sherrill as NJ Governor Impact the NJ Restaurant Industry
Despite Consumers’ Caution Restaurants are Betting on Sales Growth in 2026
For Restaurants That Rely on Imports, the Tariff News Is Scant Relief
Research Roundup Diner resiliency, automation technology, and egg prices. Despite a higher cost of living, the average consumer’s dining habits are unchanged. In fact, the number of consumers who dine out weekly or more often was actually up slightly from 39 percent to 42 percent, according to TouchBistro’s 2025 American Diner Trends Report, surveying 1,500…
Frigid Weather? Rising Inflation? Restaurants Are Having a Big Winter Anyway
James Beard Foundation Releases 2025 Independent Restaurant Industry Report
2025 Outlook – Part One Steady online ordering brings food waste donations to the forefront of priorities. Ordering food online increases restaurant sales, but it also can potentially increase wasted food if proactive measures aren’t taken – for both the business and consumers at home. When consumers order more food online, it’s clearly good for…
Restaurateurs Say Trump’s Pick for Labor Should be a Plus for the Business
Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Making Outdoor Dining Permanent
Massive Port Strike is Expected to Severely Disrupt Supply Chains
How Sale Leasebacks Provide Restaurant Owners With Capital To Grow
Full-Service Restaurants are Winning the Customer Satisfaction Battle
Accelerated Sales and Traffic Growth Bring Optimism to Restaurants
The Holiday Season is Looking Particularly Merry for Restaurants This Year
How Consumers And Restaurants Are Changing Thanksgiving This Year
Why Bar and Restaurant Owners Should Capitalize on Live Sports Entertainment
Effort to Kill the ‘Joint Employer’ Redefinition Draws Support in the Senate
Murphy Reportedly Expects to Conditionally Veto Brewery Bill Post-Election
Biden Administration Wants to Raise the Threshold for Overtime Pay
Lawmakers Propose Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to $17 – Kill the Tip Credits
How to Sell Your Restaurant Amid Retirement, Burnout and Economic Uncertainty
Are Restaurant Loyalty Programs Worth It for Full-Service Establishments?
Legislation to Change U.S. Tax Code Would Help Restaurants Expand, Rebuild
SBA Will Redistribute Remaining $180 Million to Restaurants in Need
US Food Suppliers and Chain Restaurants Warn Prices Will Keep Climbing
Why the $48 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund Refill Won’t Pass in the Senate
Congress Dashes Chances of Restarting the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022! The Best of Restaurant Business 2021 The up-and-down year in the restaurant industry. It’s amazing to think just how much of a roller coaster the past year really was. The year began with continued COVID challenges and political upheaval that evolved into hope with vaccines and reopenings and a surge in…
House Introduces a Bill to Bring Back the Employee Retention Tax Credit
Dram Shop Law: Can Bars Be Held Legally Responsible for Drunk Driving Accidents?
Infrastructure Bill Will Terminate Employee Retention Credit Retroactively
Biden Proposes to Raise Long Capital Gains Rate from 20% Up To 39.6%
Restaurant Revitalization Fund is Now Closed But you can still check status of your application. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund program, which provided more than $28 million of economic aid to restaurants and other establishments struggling to make ends meet as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, was closed Friday, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced. …
SBA Remains Silent On Restaurant Revitalization Fund confusion. Some recently rescinded applicants received the promised funds in their bank accounts the next day, while others were told that their application is now being completely rejected. The U.S. Small Business Administration still has not directly commented on the widely varying issues restaurant operators are experiencing in…
NJ Package of Legislation to Provide $235M In small business relief. As New Jersey continues to recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy today signed five bills – A5704, A5705, A5706, A5707, and A5709 – which provide additional aid to small businesses that continue to suffer from the economic effects of…
Congress Introduces $60 Billion Replenishment Of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Congress introduced legislation Thursday to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund with a $60 billion second round of restaurant relief, after the U.S. Small Business Administration received requests for more than triple the allocated funds the first time around. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of…
Another $235M Could Be Coming to N.J. Small businesses, restaurants crushed by COVID. Another round of grants could be headed to New Jersey’s small businesses, nonprofits and childcare centers, as a package of six bills heads to the governor’s desk. The state Senate passed the $235 million in grants, aiming to help businesses suffering from…
SBA’s Pandemic Relief Fund for Restaurants Deluged with applications. The $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), passed as part of the American Rescue Plan, has received more than 266,000 applications, requesting more than $65 billion in funds as of May 12, the U.S. Small Business Administration says. Nearly half, or 147,000 applications, came directly from…
SBA: Restaurant Revitalization Fund Relief will start arriving today. Long-awaited federal help for the nation’s restaurants will begin arriving as early as today, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). As part of the first round of funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), established by the American Rescue Plan and signed into law…
COVID-19 Restrictions Eased On many fronts. Taking cues from neighboring states like New York and Connecticut, Gov. Phil Murphy announced today the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on New Jersey businesses, gatherings and venues, given the state’s significant progress in vaccinations and sustained reduction in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The reopening steps, which will begin May 19,…
The Status of the NJEDA Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program
Capacities Expanded for Large Venues, Banquet Halls, Outdoor Gatherings
Cities Have Permanently Lost 400,000 Jobs During COVID-19 Pandemic?
Ask Governor Murphy to Increase Capacity and Hours of Operation
Indoor Dining Capacity Limits in N.J. Not Likely to Change Soon
Murphy Says ‘All Options on Table’ to Fight N.J. COVID Spread
Murphy Not Likely to Expand Indoor Dining Capacity This Week
Murphy Not Ready to Expand Capacity for Gyms, Indoor Dining
Restaurant owners in New Jersey are beginning to strategize how they will make it through colder months, with less outdoor dining.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 183, which establishes rules for the resumption of indoor dining on Friday, Sept. 4 at 6:00 a.m.
Enough! Time to seriously loosen lockdown rules for restaurants and others
After 35 Years, Red Bank’s Front Street Trattoria Has Closed
Editorial: Governor Murphy Has Destroyed NJ Restaurant and Hospitality Business
Bielat Santore & Company Rolling Back Restaurant Industry Alert
Why Many Newly Reopened Restaurants are Closing Down Again
Asbury Park, NJ Shelves Plans to Allow Indoor Dining at Restaurants
Restaurants Tell Senate of ‘Absolute Despair’ from COVID Shutdown
Bielat Santore & Company has formed a task force comprised of multi-unit restaurant operators to collaborate on ideas, procedures, strategies and goals as they relate to the preparation for and the reopening of restaurants and other hospitality-based businesses in New Jersey.
Bielat Santore & Company Releases NJ Restaurant Reopening Playbook
Why Outdoor Dining Isn’t as Simple as it Sounds for N.J. Restaurants
House Approves Bill That Gives Small Businesses More Time to Use PPP Loans
Legislation Enabling Policyholders to Obtain Insurance Coverage
Rally Calling for N.J. to Reopen from Coronavirus Restrictions
How Restaurants Should Communicate Reopening with Customers
Restaurants Are Suing Insurance Companies Over Unpaid Claims
Plan Calls for Some Jersey Shore Beaches, Restaurant to Reopen in June
Insurance Companies Are Wrongfully Denying Business Interruption Coverage
11 Coronavirus Initiatives From Restaurants and Bars Around the World – And How You Can Help
What financial assistance programs can help NJ small business owners?
