It’s no secret, labor represents a major issue facing the restaurant industry. Not only is it a significant issue all foodservice operators must address that is impacting "unit economics," it is getting more complex to deal with every day.

Foodservice designers who don’t include chefs in their designs, particularly when it comes to the corporate dining arena, miss out on a range of opportunities to keep the process flowing smoothly. Collaborating with the chef early on, and certainly before specifying equipment, avoids a multitude of issues. It is far better to gain buy-in from the chef on equipment and kitchen layout beforehand vs. watching them struggle with the kitchen setup after all the decisions are made.

A government study says the U.S. labor market remains healthy. Long a Wall Street darling, Starbucks now has stock analysts piling on. Chipotle Mexican Grill has an extensive turnaround plan. Silicon Valley pizza place relies heavily on technology. These stories and a whole lot more This Week in Foodservice.

Technomic looks at foodservice growth this year. Merrill Lynch reports on findings from chain restaurant conference. Zoe’s Kitchen unveils a new restaurant design. The Bento chain is growing and plans a new headquarters. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

French fries have become a constant companion with hamburgers — and with good reason: they are perfect together! Such is the case at Five Guys. We are a fast-casual burger concept with more than 1,450 locations spanning 49 states and nine countries.

Consultant Q&A: Ignacio Goris, president, Labor Guru, Miami

Articulate your company’s vision and how potential new hires can be a part of that success.

Fewer bodies required in more efficient back-of-house designs.

How to recognize when a lower labor rate doesn’t equal the best deal

Real growth continues to be hard to come by for the foodservice industry. In fact, overall customer traffic was flat through the first quarter of 2016, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm covering the foodservice industry. Revenues and customer traffic may be inching along, but one area growing at breakneck speed is labor costs.

The National Restaurant Association’s annual trade show has come and gone to much fanfare. From what I saw and read, the participation was phenomenal. We were able to bring our full consulting team from all of our offices and even made time to break some bread together.  This year, I also participated in a panel discussion that explored unit economics  and was moderated by Steve Romaniello, managing director of Roark Capital.

2016 IFMA Silver Plate winner in healthcare Diane Imrie, MBA, RD, director of Nutrition Services at The University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, discusses cultural change, customer service and more.

A new labor department rule on overtime pay may have major impact on foodservice. An American Express survey finds operators are optimistic about the future. The NPD Group says independent operators are spending more with broadline distributors. These stories and a whole lot more This Week In Foodservice.

The Restaurant Performance Index chalked up a solid gain in July and operators continued to invest in equipment. GDP was up 3.7 percent in the second quarter. As the economy improves, operators find the labor market tightening. A study finds independent hamburger restaurants grew faster than the chains. These stories and a whole lot more This Week In Foodservice.

Foodservice operators can choose from countless ways to manage labor resources. Here consultant Juan Martinez outlines the 10 key attributes any labor management system should have, regardless of how a restaurant approaches this all-important topic.

Members of the foodservice design project team rarely find themselves working from the same location at the same time. What to do? Step into the cloud where a slew of technological solutions help bring project teams closer together.

Most of today's foodservice projects seem to share two common traits: they are all more complex than ever before and operate on a fast-track development schedule. Factor in tighter budgets and higher than normal customer expectations and the project has no room for error. In this environment, these projects often require the specialized expertise and experience of both design and management advisory consultants to not only make the most effective and efficient use of the resources available but to also position the operation for long-term success.

Labor costs usually represent the highest, or second highest, expense as a percent of sales for a restaurant. As such, proper labor management plays a critical role in driving better unit economics for a foodservice concept. If you buy into this principle, continue to read, and if you don’t then it is more important for you to continue to read on.

The National Restaurant Association says that despite slower sales for the month, foodservice operators continued to spend in February. The jobs picture and other government reports suddenly cloud the economic outlook. Labor action planned for next week. These stories and a whole lot more in This Week In Foodservice. 

Labor represents a cost all foodservice operators must address and political and social unrest can inadvertently affect this are. In this blog post, consultant Juan Martinez explores the way operators can react to the issues of the day and the potential positive and negative affects these steps can have on their businesses.

The mind works in mysterious ways. Or so we have always been told. Actually it simply works separately from our physical experience, so it ends up being more of a spin doctor for our conditioned-response selves. While we like to think it presents, through consciousness, complete thoughts or integrated ideas, the mind actually only works in data bytes. Bits and pieces of ideas, thoughts and perceptions can linger independently in the brain, unconnected, until an event or comment triggers a connective stimulus. What this means is that the mystery is quite specifically: Why did it put those bytes together? So why am I talking about this in a foodservice industry magazine?

Trying to manage labor challenges is enough to make most foodservice and retail operators want to stick their heads in the sand. Doing so, however, creates other opportunities for the business to fail. That's where applying activity-based labor management techniques, a core principle of industrial engineering, can help foodservice and retail operators eliminate at least one bull's-eye.

The expectations for today's foodservice operations continue to mount. The net result is that the process to design and build a new foodservice operation or remodel an existing one has never been more complex

Labor may be but one component of any foodservice operation but it remains one of the most expensive. Applied correctly, labor can make most any foodservice operation more efficient and help drive sales.

Saving on labor costs can be a matter of properly applying foodservice equipment and training.

A fast-casual operator’s partnering with its foodservice equipment and supplies dealer and others generates dynamic results that will contribute to the chain’s continued growth.

Doing more with fewer employees is not a passing fad for foodservice operators. As a result maximizing staff efficiency requires getting the most from an operation's foodservice equipment package.