POS Technology Maintenance Guide For System Protection

Nothing will drop your business like malfunctioning Point Of Sale (POS) technology.

Just ask Starbucks. Several years ago they suffered an outage, rendering their POS technology useless for a short period of time. This outage forced baristas to hand out thousands of free drinks to satisfy irritated customers. 

Regular maintenance on your POS will keep it running longer and smoother.

Understanding the POS management system installed in your store helps you know how to maintain it properly. Maintain your POS technology with these simple steps. Keep reading to learn more about Point Of Sale tech for your business!


Know Your POS Technology

Understand how your POS technology works. Read the manual from cover to cover to familiarize yourself with it. 

Then conduct an inspection regularly. Keep an eye out for dirt or dust buildup that could cause problems to your Point Of Sale system. 

Your eyes are your first line of defense for problems. Regularly inspecting the POS will help you see a problem before you have one. 


Keep It Clean

POS management systems are particularly susceptible to the filth that will compromise their effectiveness. Grease, grime, and dust clog pores.

If you run a restaurant, your POS will shut down more quickly than other businesses. You must keep it clean.

Start with the manual. Read it. Do not do anything to your POS that would void its warranty.

So even if you read that you should use vinegar on your POS, see what your manual says first. 

Next, turn off the components. You want nothing on while you clean the POS. This means you should clean the POS either before you open for the day or after the last customer has left.

Then, start dry. Begin with a dry cloth to dust the POS. Use small tools to scrape out any crevices where grease and gunk have gathered.

Try to find a microfiber cloth. These have special fibers that basically suck up dust. They attract the dirt you're trying to remove.

Once you've thoroughly dusted your machine, break out the distilled water. Use only distilled water if you use any to clean the POS. 

Then dry your POS system thoroughly. 

Remember to clean the inside of your computer. Dust can accumulate and then cause your point-of-sale system to overheat.

Remove the buildup from finger sensors with a piece of tape and wipe your POS technology inside and out. 


Keep It Cool

Overheating will cause your POS technology to shut down. Sometimes overheating will cause damage beyond repair.

For these reasons, you need to keep your POS well ventilated.

Keep your POS in a cool area. Do not place it against a wall or anywhere that would block the flow of air through the unit. 

Most units already have some sort of cooling fan. Unfortunately, most need more than the fan they come with. So keep them in a place with cool air movement. 


Keep It Consistent

Use the POS consistently. This means you need to train staff on how to use the system, but do not let everyone use it.

Make sure you train them thoroughly in the proper protocol. Make sure they know how to use your system.

Have a staff in-service or meeting to train new staff on how to properly run the POS technology. 

Create a manual of protocol or cheat sheets near the system. This way your staff can see how to run the machine.

Use the basic methods of teaching to teach your staff how to use the system:

1. Show them how to use it.
2. Have them practice using it with you watching.
3. Have them use it alone.

Encourage them to not just mash buttons when they get confused. Instead, they need to ask questions. 

If a staff member breaks your POS technology, you will lose business. Take time to train them well. 

In that training, make sure they use their fingers and not a pen.  Teach your staff to not just touch the screen with a pen.

Engineers designed touch screens with pressure sensitivity. They respond best to fingers until someone uses a different tool. Use your fingers.  


Keep It Up to Date

Begin with reliable POS software. You will spend a big chunk of change on this software. You want something you can trust.

Then, as you maintain it, consult experts. Use a point-of-sale system repair service should your POS system go down. The software engineers and technicians know best how to keep your POS running and keep you in business. 

You can troubleshoot some on your own as well. Begin by rebooting your system regularly. Try to do this daily when your business is not open. 

Make the reboot a regular part of the closing checklist for your employees. Put it somewhere between "clean the bathroom" and "shut off the lights." 

In addition to rebooting, you should back your system up regularly. If you are not already using a back up for your data, use one.

You can use an external hard drive or an off-site data storage company. This way if something happens to your business, your data will still be safe. 

To back up your system regularly, you need to purge data as well. Get rid of what you do not need. If you do not know if you'll need the data, send it to that off-site database. 

Check your system regularly for updates. Then download those as soon as possible. Updates keep your POS technology running bug-free. 

An old system will not run efficiently. So when you purge data, back up the system, and update the system, you will have smoother running POS technology. 


Keep Your POS Technology Running

Successful businesses thrive on the details. POS technology maintenance qualifies as some of those details. Payment is always a top priority for businesses to survive and thrive.

Dusting, cleaning, updating, purging, and backing up your POS technology will keep it up and running. And you can rest easy knowing you will not lose a sale with your properly function Point Of Sale system.

Hiring Your Next Restaurant And Foodservice Recruiter

Managing and running restaurants are tough jobs, and you must have the right staff who can help you on a daily basis. You need to go to the marketplace to source the fresh ingredients from the local markets, cook a tasty menu, serve drinks, deliver the food and make sure that the customers are getting the best dining experience for the night to keep coming back. More about the roles of restaurant owners and managers on this site here. 

This is where you need to hire the best staff that works in the hospitality industry. You can’t just run the show alone. If you need to feed over twenty people in one sitting, it’s essential that you have chefs and line cooks who will sear the steaks and prepare appetizers simultaneously. 

However, some restaurant owners and managers find that the restaurant industry is infamous for its high turnover rates. With the stress and increased energy levels that come with the job, it’s not surprising that many employees leave and go out of the revolving door, never to come back. With these restaurateur difficulties in mind, you might want to get the help of recruiters who specialize in the foodservice industry and who can help you find loyal employees who can stand behind your back through thick and thin. 

Searching For The Right Recruiters 

• It’s crucial for you to find the support you need when it comes to restaurant recruitment. 

• Tell the headhunting firm about the roles that you need to fill, whether it’s for a cook or a waiter 

• Identify the requirements and responsibilities that the candidates would need to meet 

• Know where the best places to find the candidates through the agency 

• Hasten the selection process, so there’s no disruption in restaurant operations 

• Ask some questions before hiring someone 

• Provide a more realistic view of what the job entails 

• Make sure to provide adequate training if the employee is onboarding 

• Start early and hire before the busy season begins 

Challenges To Know About As A Restaurateur

Higher Turnover Of Restaurant Employees 

The staff in the hospitality industry is known to leave their jobs at a moment’s notice. The numbers and trends are rising, and there are even studies that the numbers are growing to more than 70%. This is where a restaurant recruiter comes in because a team of experts who have experience in this field will make sure that you’re facing lower turnovers. They know the industry’s needs, and they can help you increase employee retention. 

There are several reasons why employees tend to jump ship. For one, the jobs have been lacking in flexibility for some time now, and there are sometimes unclear job roles and expectations. If you couple this with complaining customers, miscommunication in the kitchen, and overall poor working conditions, it’s not surprising why someone else would leave. 

A Decline In The Younger Generation’s Workforce 

One of the more common jobs for many youngsters before is to become bartenders and waitresses. Over 80% of Generation Z have experienced working at a restaurant. However, the issue lies in the number of seekers as more jobs are becoming available, but fewer of these people are looking to be a waitress. They graduate from college, get their bachelor’s and work in a corporate office. 

If you’re thinking that the fight for talent is challenging right now, expect this to become worse in a decade. Many owners are looking for workers, but few are becoming available. Some restaurant owners and managers are even looking to robotics in the future, although that's not feasible for most non-fast food companies. This is why you need a recruitment firm that can provide you with a steady pool of talents that will help your food service business thrive. 

Competition In Local Restaurant Hiring 

Your competitors are also doing their best to get the best people for the job. You might find various signs outside the restaurants that they hire or managers who actively seek eligible cooks and chefs to make their food more flavorful and delicious. Know why it’s hard to find good chefs on this site: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-so-hard-to-find-good-chefs. 

If you’re competing with the other employers in your area, you have a better chance of succeeding when you have the inside knowledge of the talents and candidates that are currently looking for work. 

Resilient Restaurant Recruiting

With the help of the right restaurant recruitment firm, you can reach out to them first, offer them an attractive package, and get employees who live near your place. Some of the longest-tenured people are the ones who are in your locality, so don’t miss the chance to meet them.

5 Reasons Why You Need a Beer Line Cleaner

Have you fantasied about that cold, crisp beer at the end of the day or a hard week? You get to the bar, put your order in, hold it to your lips and suddenly it smells bad and tastes of chemicals? That is the result of poor beer line hygiene. As someone who sells beer or even serves it in a home bar, you need to keep your pumps clean and bacteria-free. Below, we go through the reasons why you need a beer line cleaner. 

1. Beer Line Cleaner Reduces Bacteria 

Beer is made from a delicate balance of yeasts and bacteria. If you fail to clean your lines, elements can breed on the side of the lines. This can come off into other beers pushed through the pipe, infecting the brew. 

This yeast can also cause carbon dioxide production that is not needed in the line. Having excess carbon dioxide will cause the beer to froth and bubble when pulled, increasing loss of product and essentially, profit. 

2. Improves Taste 

In old beer, its yeast and components can upset the balance and taste if it is left in the lines. They can also adversely impact temperature control, which is vital if you are a craft beer establishment that needs to serve beer at specific temperatures. 

It is also important that you get the correct dose and brand of beer line cleaner. If this is wrong, you can get a metallic or chemical taste in your beer. This will be almost impossible to remove without a whole line replacement. 

3. Increases Customer Satisfaction 

It is very rare that a customer would tell you if a beer does not taste correct. They will often simply not buy another and go to a different bar. This will cost you customers and money. 

Beer from uncleaned lines can also put people off buying certain brands, and suppliers and large companies would be unwilling to do business if they knew their product was being sold as a substandard product. It will impact their brand awareness and they may take business elsewhere. 

4. Aids in Food Tasting 

Just like wine compliments a meal, so can beer. If you are an establishment that also makes money from dining, a beer from an unclean beer line can ruin a meal for a patron. Just as you would not serve out of date meat or withered vegetables, you must also ensure the freshness in your beer. 

5. Keeps the Coloration of the Beer 

Just as foreign bodies in beer can impact the taste, they can also impact on the coloration. This is important as the color of a beer should also give some indication of its flavor. A discolored or cloudy beer will be noticed by customers. 

Better Beer And Bars 

Now you can see why you need a good, regular beer line cleaner, you need to build a schedule so that it is done regularly and on a cycle. If you are looking for other ways to save money in your beer bar, pub, winery, or restaurant business, then check out the blog on Frugal Fitness. We have lots of money-saving ideas for lifestyle and business purposes, so let us help you get frugal today!

5 Tips for How to Open a Coffee Shop

Did you know there are roughly 56,729 coffee shops in the United States? 

You may want to open a coffee shop of your own, but you might have lots of questions about the process. How do you pick a good location? How do you select a good coffee machine? 

Read on, and you'll learn how to open a coffee shop that'll be successful. If you follow these steps, it won't be long before you're serving a coffee to your first customer. 

Let's begin coffee connoisseurs!


1. Location Is Important

One of the critical things you need to consider when opening a coffee shop is the location you're going to choose. After all, if your shop is in the wrong spot, it will be hard to attract customers. 

People might go to the middle of nowhere to get a Starbucks, but that's because Starbucks has an established brand. As a brand new coffee shop, you won't have any brand equity, and so people won't travel a long distance to get a coffee from you. 

So, what should you think about when selecting a location for your coffee shop? 

Ideally, you want to place your coffee shop in an area that experiences a lot of 'footfall.'

If you can do that, your coffee shop will be exposed to a lot of people. Following this, you might want to see if there are any spaces available next to offices or places where people like to shop. 

Note that it might take a while before you come across an ideal location for your coffee shop. 

Location is one of the biggest factors that'll impact your ability to succeed in this industry. Therefore, there's no point in rushing through this stage, just so you can focus on the next part of the process. 

Instead, you want to wait until you find a near-perfect location. If you can do that, you should be able to set your coffee shop up for success. 


2. Getting the Correct Paperwork

If you're going to open up a coffee shop, you will need to get some licenses. The licenses you need will depend on the state you're in, and so it's hard to say here what you should get. 

That said, in most cases, you will need a business license, and you usually have to pay a fixed fee for this. In some states, you might also need a 'resale license' so that you can charge 'sales tax.'

You may also need to get 'health' and 'food handling' permits so that you can offer snacks and meals within your coffee shop. 

If you want to avoid getting into trouble, reach out to your state and ask them what you will need. 

During this stage, you might also want to think about getting some insurance for your coffee shop.

Luckily, most insurance companies are used to insuring coffee shops by now. So, if you contact an insurance company and tell them you want to get coffee shop insurance, they should be able to help you out. 


3. Getting a Coffee Machine

Coffee machines designed for shops, tend to be quite expensive, and can often be upwards of $2000. 

If you want to keep expenses low, you might want to consider leasing a coffee machine. This isn't that hard to do, as there are businesses that cater to those who want to open a coffee shop. 

One of the good things about leasing a coffee machine is you don't have to make a significant upfront payment. 

It's also worth mentioning that a leasing company will install the coffee machine for you. 

This is helpful when you consider that it can be quite tricky to install a professional coffee machine. After all, you'll need to connect it to a water line, and you'll also need to make sure it uses the right pressure when making espressos. 

There's also the option of buying a second-hand coffee machine, and this can be preferable if you don't like making monthly payments. 

If you go down this route, make sure you carefully inspect a given coffee machine before buying it. You don't have a lot of startup capital to go round, and so you don't want to waste it on a dud coffee machine. 


4. Furnishing Your Coffee Shop

Once you have a coffee machine, you need to think about getting some furniture for your coffee shop. 

Again, you'll find that there are companies that'll lease the furniture to you, which can be a good option if money is tight. 

In the beginning, you might want to get some 'pleasant' but basic furniture. Then once your coffee shop is producing enough profit, you can think about upgrading the decor so that it is more appealing. 

If you don't know how you should style your coffee shop, you might spend a weekend visiting different coffee shops. If you visit enough places, you should be able to identify what kind of furniture looks good in a coffee shop. 


5. Attracting Customers

Once you've done everything else, you then need to focus on attracting customers.

Luckily, if you've chosen the right location, attracting customers shouldn't be that difficult. That said, you might want to run some ads, just so that people are aware of your coffee shop. 

If you want customers to keep on coming back to your coffee shop, you might want to offer a loyalty scheme. 

So, you might give customers a card that'll be stamped each time they visit your store. Then, if they get a certain number of stamps, you might give them a free coffee. 


Do You Know How to Open a Coffee Shop?

Now that you know how to open a coffee shop, the only thing you need to do is take action. 

If you feel a little overwhelmed by all this information about launching a cafe, that's not a problem. Starting a coffee shop is no simple task, and it's easy to be confused by all the moving parts associated with this sort of cafe project. 

To begin with, just focus on making a plan that details the steps you need to take to make your dream come true. If you slowly tick off each item on that list, you should eventually be the proud owner of a successful coffee shop. Now brew up a cup of coffee and get started!

Understanding the 7 Main Rules of FSMA

When we buy groceries, we are always looking for safe, high-quality food products from farms and distributors.

This is the reason the FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) exists.

There are seven FSMA rules that help implement safety prevention food practices by people that grow it, process it, transport, and store it. Here are the main food safety rules.


1. Safe Standards for Fruits and Veggies

This rule applies to covered farms to make sure that all fruits and vegetables are following the FSMA plan to at least the minimum standards to grow and harvest produce.

The rule also monitors requirements for hygiene, clean equipment, tools, and buildings.


2. Mitigation Strategies Against Intentional Adulteration

This requires facilities that have to register with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to write a food defense plan.

The food defense plan has to have an analysis of any vulnerabilities and the procedures followed to monitor the food, along with the actions taken to fix any vulnerabilities.


3. Preventative Controls

This is where a food facility has to have a food safety plan that includes an analysis of hazards and preventative controls to minimize any hazards that are identified.

Another part of this rule is for these food facilities to have a recall plan in place. 


4. Sanitary Transportation

This is to help keep food safe from any contamination during transportation. It was put in place to make sure that the proper cleaning is done in between loads and that food is refrigerated properly. 

The carriers have to be trained properly to carry out sanitary transportation practices.


5. Third-Party Certifications

This is the requirement for recognition by the FDA. It is also the requirement for third-party companies seeking accreditation.

Those that are accredited can conduct food safety audits and can certify that food facilities are meeting the FDA food safety requirements.


6. FSVP (Foreign Supplier Verification Program)

This is a rule that applies to importers of food into the United States. The purpose of the FSVP rule is to make sure the food being imported meets the safety standards set by the United States. 

An importer is the U.S. owner or consignee of the food, the U.S. agency or representative of the foreign owner, or consignee when the food is entering the U.S.


7. VQIP (Voluntary Qualified Importer Program) 

This is a voluntary program to receive expedited review and import entry into the United States.

Importers that meet the eligibility criteria pay a fee and can import their products into the United States faster.


What Are Your Thoughts on the FSMA Rules?

Now that you are aware of the FSMA rules, you can have a little more peace of mind that the FSMA is helping the global food chain.

If you are part of the food industry, make sure you are aware of the Food Safety Modernization Act requirements that apply to your business to ensure that you follow the FDA requirements.

Did you find our article on food safety helpful? Please bookmark our business section to never miss our latest articles on food service tips and restaurant business insights.

9 Restaurant Management Tips to Increase Efficiency

As a restaurant owner or manager, you already know that running the shop is no walk in the park. As such, it'll probably come as no surprise to you that the employee turnover rate is 75% in the industry.

A busy restaurant can be exciting, but also stressful and exhausting. However, if things aren't running smoothly, it can be a complete nightmare. 

That's why running an efficient operation is key to any successful restaurant. The entire team, including management, waiters/waitresses, hosts, and cooks all need to be on the same page. 

Keep reading for our top restaurant management tips to help your restaurant run as smoothly as possible, blowing the competition out of the water. 


Restaurant Management Tips to Increase Efficiency

It's not enough to be a hardworking owner or manager unless you plan on doing all the work yourself. A lot goes into making a restaurant run efficiently. It's all about the employees and the work environment you create together. 

Take a look at these tips to increase efficiency, which in turn, boosts employee morale and sales.


1. Set a Good Example

As a manager or restaurant owner, you must set the example. If you want your employees to perform a certain way, you need to show them how. They won't respect you or your wishes if you're constantly harping on them to work while sitting on your phone scrolling through Facebook.

Additionally, one of the best restaurant management tips revolves around the Golden Rule. Treat your employees not only how you want to be treated, but also how you want them to treat each other. 

Your employees will not work efficiently if you are prone to blowing up and losing your cool. The more you remain calm during busy and stressful times, the more your employees will follow suit.


2. Maintain a Positive Environment

It's also important for you to create a positive work environment. When employees are happy, they tend to work more efficiently. They will also weather the hardships of working in the food industry better.

However, creating and maintaining a positive work environment takes effort and forethought. It's something you have to build up with your employees, not something you can just demand. 

First, you need to make sure everyone is on the same page. All of your employees need to know what is expected of them, both with their work ethic and their attitude. 

Part of maintaining a positive environment falls on you. If you are constantly coming down on employees, micromanaging them, and being overly-critical, don't expect to have a good atmosphere. 

People should want to impress you because they respect you, not because they're afraid of you.


3. Streamline Your Point of Sales

One of the best restaurant management tips for efficiency concerns streamlining your point-of-sales process.

If you're using an outdated or malfunctioning system that can't keep up with you during rush hours, it's time to upgrade. A slow system could significantly slow you down, potentially leading to unhappy customers and lower sales. 

To get an idea of what you need, there are some top-of-the-line sales systems you can see from other restaurants and food service companies.


4. Learn How to Schedule and Hire Employees for Efficiency

Finding the right employees is one of the most important things you can do as a restaurant owner or manager. Who you hire will directly affect how your restaurant operates. 

Additionally, over time, you need to learn which employees work best together. Whether they get along too well or not at all, this could affect work efficiency.

Take your time when hiring your staff and don't be afraid to hurt an applicant's feelings if they aren't a good fit.


5. Be Creative

Learning to be a creative problem solver is one of the best restaurant management tips for any owner or manager. 

First, it helps you think fast. If an employee doesn't show up for work, you may have to jumble everyone's job that night. Alternatively, if an oven goes down, you'll have to find a way to keep things rolling.

Be creative and think outside of the box for maximum efficiency. Your plans may not always work out, but it's a learning curve.


6. Give Incentives 

Another fantastic way to increase efficiency is by rewarding your employees for good work. 

Studies have shown that positive reinforcement, rather than negative reinforcement is much more effective for keeping employees happy and working hard. As we said before, as a leader, it's better to be loved than feared.

Appropriate incentives could be small bonuses after a week of high numbers and efficient work, ice cream parties, longer breaks during the slow times, etc. How you want to reward your employees for solid work is up to you, but don't skimp out. 


7. Delegate

A good business owner or manager also knows how to delegate, which is one of the most important restaurant management tips. 

A manager who can't delegate runs around trying to do everything by themselves. Whether they don't trust others to do it properly or haven't taken the time to train them up, this can lead to extreme stress.

You need to work hard, yes. But you shouldn't be trying to do everything on your own. The more tasks your employees are capable of, the more efficiently your restaurant will run.


8. Learn How to Resolve Conflict

Regardless of how good of a boss you are or where you work, people are going to have a conflict with one another. It's inevitable. 

However, instead of looking at it as a huge thorn in your side, view it as a way for you to grow as a leader. A leader capable of conflict resolution is one worth following. Learn how to solve problems in a way that serves everyone's best interests.

A boss whose answer to conflict is "figure it out yourselves" will not gain any respect. As a boss, conflict resolution is your responsibility.


9. Focus on the Customer

Finally, focusing on your customers is one of the most important restaurant management tips to keep things running efficiently. If your main priority is customer satisfaction based on the quality of your food and timely service, efficiency will come naturally.

Put the majority of your effort into making your customers happy and your business will flourish. Happy customers tip. Tips make the team happy. Quality service is a win/win for everyone involved. 


Start Making Changes Today

With these restaurant management tips, you're ready to start perfecting your business. Remember, it rests on you to get your employees working at optimal efficiency by being a good boss and providing a positive work environment. 

It will take some work, but you can do this as a rockstar restaurateur. We have faith in you and your restaurant management skills.

And if you are looking for any more work, management, or financial advice, be sure to check out the rest of our blog!

Have Yourself A Meat-Free Little Christmas! A Guide For Restaurants

According to the Vegan Society, there are around 600,000 people in the UK that have embraced a vegan lifestyle. That’s 1.16% of the population and rising! If you want to make sure your restaurant is inclusive to all dietary choices and requirements, a vegan menu is vital. 

Plus, unveiling a vegan menu for Christmas could be a welcome addition for many vegan diners, who often feel left out over the festive period when it comes to restaurant dining. In this article, we’ll show you how to have a vegan-friendly menu ready for Christmas! 

The Increase In Dining Out Over The Festive Season 

Christmas is a great opportunity for people to meet up with friends and family and head out for a meal, so restaurants usually experience a far busier season. As well as run-up bookings, it appears more people are making reservations at restaurants for Christmas Day than ever before, and results from Google Trends validate this. Between 2011 and 2022 alone, there was a 251% increase in people celebrating the holiday outside of their home and 35% of Brits would consider doing the same. 

Firstly, you need to see what the demand for vegan catering is like in your area — a little research can help with this before you head off to create your vegan menu. 

Gathering Data 

Let’s look at how to gather this data. To carry out extensive customer research, there’s a mixture of methods that you can follow to gain reliable data that can inform your restaurant decisions and even your future budgets. 

If you’re already on social media, then you already have a fantastic free resource for research. If you already have an established following, create a free survey on software like SurveyMonkey that asks questions around veganism / eating healthy and whether your audience would like to see more options on your menu. Promote this to your own audience and then push it out in local groups to generate a more valuable response. 

Get the thoughts of your current customers too! Remember, they may have friends and family members who follow this type of diet. 

Building A Vegan-Friendly Menu 

The chances are that you already have a handful of vegetarian options on your menu, but vegan dishes need a little more tweaking to remove any animal products. Initially, most restaurants believe that they are limited with what they can serve to a vegan, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Almost anything you would serve to a non-vegan, you can put a vegan twist on it and create a standalone dish. Offering a vegan-friendly meal also helps to boost the reputation of your company. 

For a vegan Sunday or Christmas dinner, take a look at building a meal around a vegan nut roast. This can serve between six and eight people and takes around two hours to make. If you have enough vegan customers, this could be the perfect dish to make and then serve separately. Simply combine root vegetables with mushrooms, grains, hazelnuts and fresh herbs and then add additional parsnip crisps to add a crunchiness to the dish. 

As an added bonus, many vegan-friendly meals and sides will use ingredients that you already order in. So, this will not impact your current relationship with suppliers. 

There’s no reason why your vegan options can’t cater to everyone either — just try keeping non-vegans away from this beautiful fudgy chocolate cake made with vegan chocolate! To be more convenient with ingredients and time spent preparing other desserts in the kitchen, you could keep this as your only chocolate cake dish as it will taste just as good as non-vegan options. Using avocado, soy milk and raw sugar will result in no one knowing the difference and still enjoying the meal. This indulging cake will only take an hour to prepare and cook but will serve up to 16 people. 

Gain some valuable feedback from vegan or vegetarian bloggers and food critics with a taster session. They could then post about your new menu and generate more publicity for your restaurant.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how restaurants can offer vegan meals during the busy and lucrative holiday season.

Interested in more articles about healthy vegan eating? 

Read Related Resources:

• What Vegans Should Consider Before Starting Their New Diet

• Delicious And Nutritious Vegan Sandwich

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Some Healthier Restaurant Food Choices

A few solid go-to items to keep your diet on track when you are out to eat!

Breakfast Options (Restaurant):

-Whole Grain English Muffin or Bagel with Egg Whites and Low Fat Cheese, lean turkey optional

-Egg White Veggie Omelet

-Eggs & Whole Wheat Toast w/o Butter

-Oatmeal and fruit

-Whole Grain / Multigrain Bagel w/ Peanut Butter

-Raisin bran with low fat milk

Lunch / Dinner Options (Restaurant):

-Grilled Chicken Salad

-Grilled Salmon

-Tuna, Salmon, and or Veggie Sushi

-Grilled Chicken Sandwich on whole wheat no mayo or creamy sauces

-Seared Tuna

-Non-Creamy Soups

-Shrimp cocktail

-Vegetable, Chicken, Scallop, Shrimp stir fries (brown rice)

-Subway Grilled Chicken Subs w/ veggies, light sauces, whole grain bread

-Fruit platter, sampler, or sides

-Veggies, sweet potato, brown rice, and non-fried bean sides

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Interested in more articles about frugal fitness? 

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- 10 Reasons Why You Aren't Seeing Muscle Gains

- Just How Natural Is Natural Bodybuilding?

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Favorite Gluten Free Foods, Brands, and Greater Boston Restaurant Offerings

Submitted By Helen Chin Lui of The Healing Place in Medfield MA

When shopping for condiments, check the label, because just about every condiment contains gluten. For example many ketchups and soy sauces contain forms of gluten, so be aware.
Food manufacturers use gluten as an additive in prepared foods. Gluten is used as a stablizer, an emulsifier, a thickener and flow agent in literally hundreds of processed foods, from soups to self-basting poultry. Click here for a partial list of packaged or processed food containing gluten, but again gluten can be found in just about anything. Check the label or contact the manufacturer.

Best GF Breads:

*Udi's. Great for sandwiches. Not dense, but light with holes like wheat bread! The best preparation is microwaving, which will give it a nice light and fluffy texture to it, which closely resembles wheat bread.

*Against the Grain - great bagels, rolls, baguettes and pizza crusts. Made with eggs and cheese so gooey and delicious.

*Rudi breads. The bread has the same texture and taste as regular bread. It does not fall apart in the toaster and makes a great sandwich.
Best GF Pizza (frozen or mix):

*Amy's now makes GF frozen burritos just like the regular ones. They also make a gluten free pizza. The taste is mediocre and the crust is made primary of rice flour.

*Whole Foods frozen pizza crusts - Very nice texture and crunchy when baked

*If you want to make your own pizza crust, try King Arthur's Gluten free or Bob's Red Mill pizza mix. Pizza mixes use rice, potato and tapioca flour or starches and makes approximately two 16" pizzas.
Best GF Pasta:

*Schar - Various shapes. Excellent. Tastes like you are eating the real thing.

*Quinoa - Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta Gluten Free. This, too is very good.

*Brown Rice Flour pasta - We find these cooked pastas can become mushy. If you overcook the pasta by a minute you will definately have a plate of mush. We stay away from brown pasta, but is not bad if you are attentive in preparing it.

*We have found most of the dried rice and bean thread noodles in the chinese isle of the markets to be pretty good. They are less costly if purchased at Chinese markets such as the Hong Kong supermarket in Allston or Boston. All you have to do to prepare these noodles is boil them for a couple of minutes until they are soft and they are ready to incorporate into your favorite sauces.

Best Veggie Burgers:

Sunshine Burgers - Made from whole brown rice, ground sunflower seeds with bits of vegetables - delish!
All above can be found in the freezer section at Whole Foods and some at Shaw's . Also at New Leaf in Needham Center.

Restaurants: 

UNO Chicago Grill Is The Best!

*Chateau Restaurants, Waltham and Norwood

GF pizza and Italian dinners. The one in Norwood does not carry the GF pizza, but the Waltham location does.

*Not Your Average Joe's. Various locations. GF menu.

*Legal C, Legacy Place, Dedham

GF Menu, GF bread/roll.

*Nebo Restaurant, Italian, located in the North End. GF Pizza. (Highly recommended). I believe they were shown on Phantom Gourmet or Chronicle.

*PF Chang's - Legacy Place, Dedham and Natick Collection, Natick, MA. GF Menu and GF desserts

*Outback Steakhouse, various locations, GF items

*Stone Hearth Pizza, Needham, GF pizzas, pastas, etc.

*Tavolino Pizza, Foxboro, GF pizza.

*Wicked Pizza, Legacy Place, Dedham. GF pizza. One of the best GF pizza that we have ever had.

*Zebra's, Medfield, GF Menu, GF bread/roll, GF dessert.

The Uno Chicago Bar & Grill Restaurant Location in Boston
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