It took a nonfiction best seller and Hollywood’s Oscar-nominated adaptation to establish “perfect storm” in the popular lexicon as a handy metaphor for rare convergences of fateful factors.Though few restaurant operators may see themselves in...

Diners at North Pond, located in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park, can’t help but notice the changing seasons as they walk to the restaurant or look out its windows. Its park setting is most fitting for a restaurant dedicated to serving...

I always knew I’d own a restaurant,” Barbara Lynch recalls of her childhood growing up in the South Boston projects. “Maybe a bar or a small—what we call a sub shop. Just because I thought I’d have a job, I’d be employed.” She...

Glori Ann Byrd, a married mother of two, has completely re-evaluated the way her family spends money in a slumping economy. In so doing, she and countless other Americans like her are provoking survival-minded restaurateurs everywhere to rethink...

When Janos opened on Halloween of 1983, Tucson, Ariz., hadn’t seen a fine-dining restaurant whose servers weren’t intimidating men dressed in tuxedos, and Southwestern cuisine was barely a glimmer in the eyes of a few unusual chefs.Chef-owner...

Los Gatos, Calif., is a picturesque community in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, an hour south of San Francisco. It’s not far from the Pacific and the counterculture sensibilities of Santa Cruz, not far from the rich farmland of...

When chief financial officer Steve Tanner looked at the numbers, he knew that Real Mex Restaurants needed to work out a new deal with its landlord for the leased Acapulco location in Portland, Ore.—and fast.That branch of the industry’s largest...

Like an old friend, Harrah’s Steak House is comfortable to be around, a familiar, relaxing oasis in a busy world. Now in its 41st year, the restaurant is located on the lower level of Harrah’s Reno Hotel & Casino. It was here in...

I always knew I’d own a restaurant,” Barbara Lynch recalls of her childhood growing up in the South Boston projects. “Maybe a bar or a small—what we call a sub shop. Just because I thought I’d have a job, I’d be employed.” She...

While torrents of price hikes continue to rain down on restaurants, and consumer spending simultaneously is drenched by the depressing economy, foodservice operators also are getting pelted on the labor side of their businesses.Among the issues...