ON THE LINE

Your Guide to Tackling the Patio Crowds

Spring and summer 2023 are coming in hot, with record numbers anticipated. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau tells us that consumers are spending more on dining out at restaurants than they are on groceries. Which is great! Except… staffing shortages and inflation.

But don't worry: We want to show you how you can make the most of the busy season, despite the challenges.


In this guide, we’ll give you the tips and best practices you need to tackle the patio crowds — short staffed, time-strapped, and all. 


The following sections are filled with expertly authored resources, tools, and articles that will help you and your team be ready for the extra traffic come sunshine.


DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only. It is neither legal nor tax advice. If you have specific legal, accounting, or tax questions, you should consult your attorney, accountant, or tax advisor, as appropriate.

FEATURED RESOURCES

Operations

Your Guide to Patio Season: How to Make the Most of Outdoor Dining

Is your patio ready for the warm weather? Here is your go-to guide for making your outdoor dining stand out from the crowd as the weather gets better.

Marketing

15 Outdoor Dining Promotion Ideas (2023)

Get some outdoor dining promotion ideas going to keep your patio busy.

Step 1: Improve Menu Profitability & Keep Costs in Check

Menu + Food

How to Improve your Summer Sales with a Seasonal Menu

Learn what a seasonal menu is, how a summer menu can improve business, and how to make a summer menu that will keep customers coming back.

Catering & Venue

10 Most Profitable Bar Foods for your Busy Season

Get ready for your busy season with these 10 profitable, high-margin bar foods that will help your business succeed.

Accounting

How to Control Food Cost in a Restaurant

Manual food cost control methods are no longer feasible for protecting your margins in today's volatile environment. See how you can inject automation into your food cost management.

Operations

How to Calculate Restaurant Cost of Goods Sold

Calculating your restaurant cost of goods sold might seem like a pain, but it's an important part of making sure your business is healthy. Here's an easy way to calculate it.

Accounting

How Restaurant Costs Breakdowns Can Boost Financial and Operational Performance

Restaurant operators must understand the costs they're up against if they want to optimize performance, turn a profit, and scale their business.
icon RESOURCE

Menu Engineering Course

Take this course to make the most of your menu. Learn about menu psychology and design, managing your menu online, and adapting your menu to increase sales.

Get free download
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Step 2: Staff Your Restaurant for the Busier Months

Hiring

Restaurant Seasonality: How to Hire for Busy Season

Seasonality can dictate the highs and lows of your business. Planning ahead can help you run your restaurant smoothly year-round.

Hiring

How to Survive the Restaurant Industry Labor Shortage

Dive into the data to see how to help boost employee retention for your restaurant operation — even amidst the ongoing labor shortage.

Training

How to Retain Restaurant Employees

Learn what it takes to get your best staff to stick around.

Hiring

How to Hire Front-of-House Staff

Hiring stellar staff is essential to your restaurant team and your bottom line. Learn how to hire the best front-of-house employees for your restaurant.

Hiring

How to Hire For Back-of-House Restaurant Jobs

Learn how to attract, interview, and hire great back-of-house employees to build a happy, engaged team in your restaurant kitchen.
Learn how to build (and rebuild) your team with Joy from Busboys and Poets.
New Course

Learn how to build (and rebuild) your team with Joy from Busboys and Poets.

Your Guide to: Restaurant Staffing

Take the Course

Operations

How to Extend your Outdoor Patio Season

Not every restaurant gets to benefit from a mild year-round climate, so finding ways to extend your patio season as the seasons change is crucial for consistent, year-round success.

Operations

How to Make Your Restaurant a Hit During Rooftop Season

Make sure you're getting the most out of your restaurant's rooftop real estate.

Marketing

20 Best Outdoor Dining Restaurants

Read about these incredible outdoor restaurants to discover your next dining experience.

Industry News

Top 20 Restaurants with the Best Rooftops

Experience dining with a view with our list of the top 20 restaurants with the best rooftop terraces.

Step 3: Find Ways to Improve Operations

Operations

Update Your Restaurant Service Model to Thrive in Your Busy Season

Harmonize your restaurant service model with your cuisine, sales channels, labor force, and other key components to prepare for your busy season.

Accounting

How Balancing Occupancy and Profitability Can Help Restaurants Succeed

Learn how restaurants can maximize returns by boosting occupancy and controlling profitability.

Operations

How to Improve Restaurant Operations

While the thought of reconfiguring or updating your operating procedures might seem daunting, start with one focus area at a time and go from there. Here are a few things to start with.

Operations

How to Choose the Right Restaurant Service Model

Harmonize your restaurant service model with your cuisine, sales channels, labor force, restaurant space, and other key components.
icon RESOURCE

SOPs Template

This template will help you create SOPs for your entire business, so you can create consistency and easily train employees.

Get free download
You must have Javascript enabled in order to submit forms on our website. If you'd like to contact Toast please call us at:

(857) 301-6002
First and last name is required
Phone number is required
Restaurant name is required
What is your role? is required
What best describes your restaurant type? is required
Yes, I’d like a demo of Toast, a restaurant technology platform.
Yes, I'd like a demo of Toast is required

We’ll handle your info according to our privacy statement.

Step 4: Capture Guest Demand & Drive New Business

Marketing

Restaurant Specials Ideas: Discounts and Promotions You Can Offer

Give your guests something to look forward to.

Industry News

Spring Break 2023 Trends and Insights to Help Boost Sales

See what restaurants can expect for 2023 Spring Break dining trends, including spending, deals and specials, decision-making priorities, and more.

Marketing

15 Restaurant Promotion Ideas

Here's 15 restaurant promotion ideas that work to increase your food sales and boost your profits. Get the full list of restaurant and food promotion ideas now.

Marketing

How To Create a Restaurant Marketing Plan For Any Size or Budget

Restaurant marketing is all about keeping in touch with your loyal customers and turning one-time visitors into regulars. Here's how to do it without breaking the bank.

Marketing

The Guide to Restaurant Social Media Marketing [+ 14 Examples]

Your customers are on social media. Here's how restaurants are using social to bring in new customers and engage their current ones.

Marketing

10 Great Examples of Restaurant Email Marketing [+ Why They’re So Great]

Learn how to use email marketing for restaurants and get inspired by restaurant brands doing great marketing.
icon RESOURCE

Restaurant Marketing Plan

Create a marketing plan that'll drive repeat business with this customizable marketing playbook template and interactive calendar.

Get free download
You must have Javascript enabled in order to submit forms on our website. If you'd like to contact Toast please call us at:

(857) 301-6002
First and last name is required
Phone number is required
Restaurant name is required
What best describes your restaurant type? is required
Yes, I’d like a demo of Toast, a restaurant technology platform.
Yes, I'd like a demo of Toast is required

We’ll handle your info according to our privacy statement.

Step 5: Create a Great Guest Experience – No Matter the Season

Operations

How to Create an Exceptional Dining Experience

Here are 23 new ways how to make guests happy in your restaurant, exceed their expectations, and create raving and returning fans.

Café & Bakery

How QR Codes Transformed the Guest Experience at Café Gratitude

The New Steps of Service made a huge impact for Cafe Gratitude – here's how.

Operations

Restaurant Survey Questions for Guest Feedback

Reflect on what you want to know about the guest experience in your restaurant, and choose a handful of these 30 questions to ask.

Training

How to Train Servers to Create a Great Guest Experience

Service can make or break a restaurant experience. In this guide, you’ll learn how to train your servers to be their best.
icon RESTAURANT RESOURCE

Training Manual Template

Use this restaurant training manual template, a customizable Word Doc, to provide your staff with the rules, guidelines, and clarity they need to do their jobs efficiently.

Get free download
You must have Javascript enabled in order to submit forms on our website. If you'd like to contact Toast please call us at:

(857) 301-6002
First and last name is required
Phone number is required
Restaurant name is required
What best describes your restaurant type? is required
Yes, I’d like a demo of Toast, a restaurant technology platform.
Yes, I'd like a demo of Toast is required

We’ll handle your info according to our privacy statement.

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