12 must-read blogs for restaurateurs
Jul 2016 ⋅ 5 min read
Previously on the RotaCloud blog, we shared a list of the best blogs for hoteliers - from mammoth news sites to amusing Tumblrs.
Next, we turn our attention to blogs for restaurateurs. These blogs will keep you updated on industry happenings, give you advice on how to improve and grow your restaurant business, and play host to vibrant communities of like-minded restaurateurs.
This article was originally published in July 2016. It was updated in February 2017 and July 2018 with more must-read blogs.
Read on and find out if your favourite blog is on the list - if not, let us know in the comments!
Industry news and views
Big Hospitality is perhaps the biggest and best source of hospitality news for UK restaurateurs. The site is helpfully split into content about each hospitality sector, so you can easily isolate restaurant-focused news.
As well as industry news, you'll find plenty of opinion pieces on various current topics as well as general advice pieces. Check out the 'Ask the Experts' section for tips on specific hospitality topics.
Recommended reading: 10 tips for successful al fresco dining
The Caterer has provided industry news to restaurateurs since 1878, and the publication now boasts a strong online presence, with all the high quality industry news you'd expect.
The website also features additional analysis, comment, and even video content.
Recommended reading: How to tap into the casual dining boom
Restaurant Hospitality focuses on the US instead of the UK, and tends to report on food trends instead of industry events. UK restaurateurs will find that the site is a great source of menu inspiration - and it'll give you a peek at upcoming trends that might cross the Atlantic.
There's a huge wealth of content on Restaurant Hospitality - aside from food trends, you'll find tips on marketing, HR, and back of house processes.
Recommended reading:Eight elements of a customer service culture
Now for another US site: Eater. Eater presents industry news in a rather less formal manner than the other sites we've mentioned here, which makes the articles a pleasure to read. Most of the content will be equally of interest to foodies as it is to restaurateurs, but there's some industry-specific high-quality content on the site too.
The site has a vast amount of articles added daily, so there's bound to be plenty of features and posts that you'll find of interest.
Recommended reading: By the numbers: A day in the life of a restaurant food runner
Restaurant management tips, advice and opinions
Foodable TV is the largest web TV network for the restaurant industry, with over 500 published videos. It really is like a TV network, with plenty of different shows that 'air' on a regular basis. You'll need to pay up to access most of this content.
As well as their video offerings, Foodable TV publish a blog for restaurateurs packed with useful articles, including chef interviews, news round-ups and in-depth opinion pieces — and it's accessible to all.
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Toast's blog is aimed solely at restaurateurs. You'll find dozens of advice articles on almost every aspect of restaurant management you can think of.
Articles are nicely formatted and easy to read, with plenty of images and the occasional infographic. We think that restaurateurs will find plenty of value in Toast's blog.
Recommended reading: Restaurant branding ideas: How to build your restaurant brand
TouchBistro's Restaurant Success blog is amongst the best brand blogs catering to restaurateurs, with restaurant-oriented articles published several times a week.
You'll find articles on management, marketing, food trends and much more. There's also the occasional interactive quiz and infographic that really elevate this blog from the standard fare.
Recommended reading: 10 Restaurateurs' Advice to Their Younger Selves
Typsy publish online video courses for hospitality professionals and trainees - and their blog is packed with equally valuable advice in text form.
Blog topics range from training tips and HR to management and marketing - so there's bound to be something that interests you.
Recommended reading: How to get a local food blogger to write about your restaurant
Marketing
Restaurant Engine offer website design for restaurants, and their site contains a frequently updated, high quality blog.
The blog's focus is on marketing and social media, but occasionally strays into other areas of restaurant management, such as setting prices and front of house design.
Recommended reading: Little known ways to attract more customers to your restaurant
Upserve's blog provides restaurant management advice for experienced and new restauranteurs.
Again, you'll mostly find articles about software and digital marketing, accompanied by a sprinkling of other content. You'll also find some fun posts detailing the various woes of kitchen and waiting staff - complete with reaction gifs!
At the time of writing, new articles are posted daily - so you'll always find something new to read on the Upserve blog.
Recommended reading: Easy and inexpensive restaurant video marketing ideas
Forums and social networks
We're certainly stretching the definition of a blog here - but there's a subreddit dedicated to restaurateurs. You don't need to have a Reddit account to read threads and discussions, but you'll need to sign up for a free account to participate in discussions or start your own threads.
Participants can start their own discussions through text posts, or submit links that they think the community will find useful. A word of warning: self-promotion is frowned upon on Reddit so avoid mentioning your restaurant by name (or linking to your website) unless a respondent specifically asks for it.
The restaurateur subreddit is reasonably active, with about one new thread each day. Bear in mind that Reddit's predominantly a US site, so most of the legal discussions won't be relevant to UK or international readers.
Other subreddits to check out: /r/Chefit, /r/AskCulinary and /r/KitchenConfidential.
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Quora
Another fantastic resource for restaurateurs is Quora - a site where anyone can ask questions and experts answer them.
The link above takes you to the Restaurant Ownership topic, but if you have specific questions about indirectly related subjects, type them in the search box - someone else has probably already asked them! If not, go ahead and ask and wait for the experts to get back to you.
Recommended reading: How would you market a restaurant that will open in 6 months?
We've probably missed some other amazing blogs for restaurateurs - let us know which blogs we should add to our list in the comments section below!
