Blog

Guides for restaurant owners

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

102 articles

Restaurant Break Even Point Explained

Calculate your restaurant break even point step by step, with fixed and variable costs, a worked example and what to do when sales do not reach it.

DineHarbor teamMar 24, 20265 min read

Rules and compliance

VAT on UK Takeaway and Delivery Food

Understand the UK VAT basics for hot takeaway food, cold items, eat in sales, mixed baskets, delivery charges and the clear records your restaurant needs.

DineHarbor teamMar 18, 20267 min read

Technology and AI

Set Up Restaurant Kitchen and Receipt Printers

Set up Bluetooth, network and USB restaurant printers, route kitchen tickets, prepare failover, format receipts and test the cash drawer before service.

DineHarbor teamMar 12, 20267 min read

Technology and AI

AI in Restaurants: What Works and What Does Not

A plain guide to AI in restaurants: voice ordering, menu import, guest assistants, forecasting, drafting text and manager questions, with limits and privacy.

DineHarbor teamMar 9, 20268 min read

Opening a restaurant

Restaurant Insurance Types Explained

Understand the main kinds of restaurant insurance, which are legal duties and which are choices, and how to compare quotes without paying for the wrong cover.

DineHarbor teamMar 8, 20267 min read

Team and hiring

Restaurant Tips and Service Charges Explained

How tips, service charges and tronc schemes differ, what UK law requires since 1 October 2024, how to write a tipping policy and what to do in other countries.

DineHarbor teamMar 3, 20267 min read

Menu and pricing

Menu Design and Descriptions That Sell

Design a menu guests can read in two minutes: layout, categories, honest descriptions, prices, photos and allergen information for print and online menus.

DineHarbor teamFeb 25, 20266 min read

Running a restaurant

Kitchen Ticket Times and Peak Service

Measure ticket times, find the bottleneck, and run a calmer peak service with menu caps, better prep, order pacing, clear calls at the pass and a weekly review.

DineHarbor teamFeb 24, 20267 min read

Opening a restaurant

Restaurant Technology Checklist for Opening Day

Plan the till, kitchen, printers, card reader, menu, ordering, delivery and reports your new restaurant needs, with important UK setup duties kept in view.

DineHarbor teamFeb 18, 20266 min read

Team and hiring

Managing Conflict in a Restaurant Kitchen

How to prevent and handle conflict between cooks, servers and managers: early signs, a calm conversation script, mediation, what to record and when to escalate.

DineHarbor teamFeb 16, 20268 min read

Online ordering

Build a Restaurant Website That Takes Orders

Build a fast restaurant ordering website with a clear menu, own domain, collection and delivery choices, food details and a simple direct route from Google.

DineHarbor teamFeb 12, 20267 min read

Kitchen and food safety

Pest Control for Restaurants: A Practical Guide

Keep pests out of your restaurant: signs to look for, proofing, cleaning, deliveries, waste, contractors, records and what to do if you find an infestation.

DineHarbor teamFeb 8, 20266 min read