Blog

Guides for restaurant owners

Practical articles on online ordering, delivery, rules and running service, written by the DineHarbor team.

102 articles

How to Keep Restaurant Staff and Cut Turnover

Keep restaurant staff with fair rotas, clear pay and tips, training, feedback and honest exit interviews, and measure your own turnover.

DineHarbor teamJul 30, 20267 min read

Opening a restaurant

How to Choose a Restaurant Concept and Location

Choose a restaurant concept and site with evidence: test the demand, count real footfall, read the lease and check delivery reach before you sign anything.

DineHarbor teamJul 24, 20268 min read

Running a restaurant

Manage Several Restaurant Branches in One Account

Manage several restaurant branches with clear local control, shared standards, team access, reports and plan limits while keeping each location responsible.

DineHarbor teamJul 22, 20267 min read

Team and hiring

Restaurant Staff Onboarding Checklist

A practical onboarding checklist for new restaurant staff: paperwork before day one, the first shift, week one training, a buddy, check-ins and a 30 day review.

DineHarbor teamJul 16, 20268 min read

Opening a restaurant

Restaurant Start Up Costs and How to Budget

What it costs to open a restaurant, in the buckets that matter: lease, fit out, equipment, technology, licences, opening stock, staff and a cash reserve.

DineHarbor teamJul 15, 20267 min read

Team and hiring

Restaurant Labour Cost and How to Build a Rota

Control restaurant labour cost with sales per labour hour, demand based rotas, fair scheduling and break rules. Includes a worked rota and common mistakes.

DineHarbor teamJul 10, 20267 min read

Menu and pricing

How to Design a Kids Menu That Works

Design a kids menu that parents like and kitchens can serve: portions, food safety, allergens, simple choices, pricing and ways to keep children busy.

DineHarbor teamJul 7, 20265 min read

Running a restaurant

Running a Dark Kitchen With Several Brands

Plan a dark kitchen with several brands, controlled menus, one clear kitchen flow, reliable delivery and reports without assuming unsupported software features.

DineHarbor teamJul 3, 20267 min read

Marketing and loyalty

Restaurant PR and Local Press

How to win local press for a restaurant: find the story, build a media list, write a short pitch, host writers, follow free meal disclosure rules and measure.

DineHarbor teamJul 1, 20268 min read

Opening a restaurant

Restaurant Licences and Permits Explained

The licences, registrations and inspections a restaurant usually needs, with UK examples, notes for the US and the Gulf, and how to find your own list.

DineHarbor teamJun 26, 20267 min read

Money and margins

Restaurant Budget: How to Build and Use One

Build a restaurant budget from sales forecasts down to costs, set targets for food, labour and prime cost, and review results weekly and monthly.

DineHarbor teamJun 25, 20265 min read

Online ordering

Stop Paying Delivery App Commission

Learn how to take restaurant orders direct, keep delivery apps for discovery, and build a practical commission free ordering plan for loyal repeat guests.

DineHarbor teamJun 22, 20267 min read