The DFY Restaurant Profit Journal features today’s best strategies and techniques to get you more new customers and increase your sales. Browse and subscribe to become part of the DFY family and get what you need to create your dream restaurant.
You've heard of slipstream marketing, right? No? Good. That means your competitors haven't either. Here's the concept in one sentence: instead of creating demand from scratch, you attach your restaurant to something people are already excited about — and ride the...
Let me paint you a picture. It's 6:15 PM on a Tuesday. Both parents just got home from work. The fridge has condiments, a mystery leftover, and half a bag of shredded cheese. Nobody has energy to cook. Nobody has energy to argue about where to go. And nobody — nobody...
Summer is coming. And if you're not thinking about July and August right now — you're already behind. Here's the reality: summer looks busy but it's deceptive. People are traveling. Kids are out of school. Routines are off. Your regulars disappear for two weeks at a...
Let that sink in for a second. Someone in your town — right now, tonight — is typing into their phone: "What's the best burger place near me with a good vibe and outdoor seating?" Maybe they're asking Google. They probably still are, and we'll get to that in a minute...
Sunday was incredible. Full house. Happy moms. Tables turning. Your staff actually showed up. The kitchen didn't catch fire. It was one of those days that reminds you why you got into this business in the first place. And then Monday happened. The dining room is...
Let's talk about Mom. Not your mom specifically. Although hi, Mom. Thanks for everything. I'm talking about the single biggest revenue day on the restaurant calendar. Bigger than Valentine's Day. Bigger than New Year's Eve. Bigger than the Super Bowl, St. Patrick's...
Let's be honest about what happened. After COVID hit, food costs went up. Labor went up. Rent went up. Everything went up. So you did what you had to do — you raised prices. Most of us did. Between February 2020 and April 2025, average menu prices across the industry...
Something is happening in dining rooms across the country right now, and most restaurant owners are either ignoring it or panicking about it. Neither is the right move. Here's the reality: your customers are ordering less. Smaller portions. Fewer courses. Splitting...
So. Valentine's Day. Did you do anything special at your restaurant, or did you just slap some red tablecloths down and call it a day? If you're like most independent restaurants, you probably ran your normal menu with maybe a "Lover's...
Last week, I'm on a Zoom call with a restaurant owner. She's frustrated. Confused. Sales are slow, and she needs help getting customers back through the door. So I ask her the obvious question: "What was working for you in the past?"...
