On weekdays, the lunch crowd from the local police academy and nearby industrial park pack out Lido’s in Meriden, Connecticut. And on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s all about serving it up to the kids — soccer teams and Brownie troops alike. ...

Q: Is it better to have a full liquor license, a wine and beer only license, or none at all? A: Years ago when I was traveling a lot, Todd King, a VP for Green Mills in Minnesota, told me to always have a full liquor license if possible. Originally, ...

The types of window treatments for Pierro’s Italian Bistro and A’mis Italian Restaurant are as far apart as the geography between them. At Pierro’s, a former five-and-dime-store-turned-hip-hangout in the historic district of Fayetteville, North...

Kim Fiorcello flips on the A/C as early as mid-April at Antonio’s Pizza in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. That’s because even on a mild spring day when temperatures hover at 70 and summer’s dripping humidity is yet to come, the dining area can becom...

Stranded. That’s how I felt the last time I had a bad restaurant experience. The wait was short, the ambiance was perfect and the food delicious. Everything was perfect until the interminable final minutes of my visit. I must have slipped into an a...

Operators know that reinvention is critical in the restaurant industry because there’s always a new trend to chase or create. Colors and décor go out of style before the paint dries. Customer service can up its game with a new gadget or technology...

When John Farrell went to visit his daughter, Jacque, at college, they were treated to dinner cooked by the father of Jacque’s friend. He made pizza for the group, and the pizzas that they enjoyed that night changed their perception of what pizza c...

Investing in a call management system, whether simple or sophisticated, is money well spent when operators learn to take full advantage of the system’s features. Today’s call management systems have the capacity for multiple to unlimited phone li...

There is something noticeable about the staff’s look at Cocco’s Pizza in Primos, Pennsylvania — expression of individuality and brand awareness. Employees sport graphic T-shirts with the pizzeria’s name and logo. Owner Michael Cocco says his ...

A Connecticut woman, who suffers from Celiac disease, said she got sick after ordering a pizza that she thought was gluten-free. The pizza, as it turned out, had breaded eggplant hidden under the cheese. Watch this story: WFSB 3 Connecticut To read t...

We sat there… and sat there… and sat there…. My oldest son had just finished up playing a doubleheader in baseball. It was one of the hottest days of the year. In fact, he had to be removed from the game due to heat exhaustion. Needless to say,...

Seeing the same people frequent your pizzeria means you are doing something right. There are aspects of your business that draw them back over and over again, whether it’s your great pizza, friendly staff or comfortable environment. Building re...