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Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D.

Articles by
Jonathan Deutsch, Ph.D.

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Operations

Should restaurants respond to all online reviews?

Advice Guy: Whether you like a review or not, the least you can do is to thank a guest for it.

Operations

Should restaurants serve alcohol to pregnant women?

Advice Guy: Staff should not try to dissuade or refuse alcohol service on the basis of pregnancy.

Should a BYOB restaurant still check IDs?

Advice Guy: Yes. Even though you don’t have a liquor license, you do take responsibility for what happens in your establishment.

Operations

How to approach tipping with diners who aren’t used to it

Advice Guy: International guests who are less familiar with U.S. tipping culture may expect to tip marginally or not at all when dining out. To reduce uncertainty, politely clarify tipping expectations on your signage or menu.

Operations

I’ve been accused of running a deceptive ghost kitchen. How should I respond?

Advice Guy: Always be transparent about where your guests’ food is coming from and keep your pricing consistent across platforms.

Food

Should my restaurant have a separate vegan menu?

Advice Guy: If you have sufficient variety and quantity of menu items to warrant a special menu, you should make one available.

Operations

Is a vegan restaurant automatically kosher?

Advice Guy: Fruits, vegetables and grains are inherently kosher, but unless a restaurant has rabbinical supervision and certification, it is not.

Operations

Should I start a supper club?

Advice Guy: The supper club model can work well, but you may want to test it as an event series first.

Workforce

Do I have a say in where I get food safety certified?

The short answer is yes, says Advice Guy, though you will want to check with your local health department first.

Workforce

I’ve done everything I can think of to retain cooks. Why am I still having issues?

Advice Guy: Labor challenges in restaurants are not going away. It might be time to think about ways to streamline your operation with a smaller team.

Beverage

Customers are asking me to scrap Bud Light. Should I?

Advice Guy: By bowing to a few loud guests, you may end up alienating many more.

Operations

We got rid of complimentary bread, and customers complained. What now?

Advice Guy: Restaurant guests feel very loyal to operations—and that’s great. But part of that loyalty is that there may be a backlash to any little change.

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