Arizona Restaurant Association

Adding popular online recipes to a restaurant's menu can make it more attractive and bring in more customers. People like trying dishes they've seen on the internet. For restaurant owners, it's important to pick trends that fit well with their current menu and what their customers like. This way, the new items feel right and don't seem out of place. Sharing these new dishes on social media can get even more people interested and bring them into the restaurant.

Right now, dishes like chopped sandwiches and upside-down puff pastries are very popular because they're new and can be changed up in many ways. Drinks with added flavors and dishes with feta or cottage cheese are also getting a lot of attention for being different and looking good. These trends are a chance for restaurants to update their menus in fun ways that attract people who follow food trends. By getting involved in these viral food trends, restaurants can offer something exciting and new, which keeps customers coming back and helps the restaurant stand out in a fast-changing food scene!

Dynamic pricing is making waves across the fast-food industry, introducing a paradigm where prices adjust in real-time based on demand. This concept, while not new, has been brought into the spotlight by recent discussions surrounding Wendy’s exploration of time-based pricing in the U.S. Despite the controversy and the mixed reactions from consumers, dynamic pricing is a trend that’s gaining traction, driven by advancements in AI and data analytics.

It's a strategy that seeks to optimize operations, from procurement to staffing, to better align product offerings with consumer demand, potentially leading to more efficient service and reduced waste. However, the ethical implications and consumer acceptance of such pricing strategies remain areas of debate. As the industry evolves, finding ways to leverage dynamic pricing to benefit both businesses and consumers will be key.

Maintaining good controls is important for many reasons. Not only does it help to ensure reliable financial information and the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, it also helps to prevent and detect fraudulent acts by employees and others, such as theft. Proper controls should be in place to minimize the opportunity for theft and maintaining effective operations.

Weekly controls – Controls should include (but are not limited to) the following:

-Controls should be in place so that the person responsible for counting the drawer at the end of the night is not the same individual making the deposit in the bank.
-Making deposits of cash frequently (daily is best) and keeping all undeposited cash locked in a safe.
-Controls should be in place so the person handling cash, such as making the deposit, does not also have access to modify the accounting records.
-Controls should be in place to reconcile daily deposit reports and compare these reports to both what is deposited in the bank and reports from the point of sale.
-Only management should be able to void register over-rings and mistakes and have access to register or point-of-sale (POS) system readings.
-Each cashier or server should have their own register or separate account and password for their use of the POS system. A receipt should be given to each customer for every sale.
-When making purchases, a list of approved vendors should be used.
-A purchase order system should be used when possible.
-A policy should be in place regarding the receipt of gifts from vendors.
-Payroll registers should be reviewed by management prior to processing.
-Review the results of store performance for accuracy. Office computers and POS files should be backed up regularly, with offsite storage of backup copies.

The controls noted above are just a sample of a few very important controls to consider. There are additional daily, weekly, monthly and yearly controls that need to also be considered depending on the needs of the company.