November 2024

Monthly News & Updates

Chairman's Message

Aloha HRA Members and Friends,

As we step into November, I’m excited to share some important developments with you.

We are thrilled to announce that beginning this year, the Hawaii Restaurant Association (HRA) will host its own annual show, called the Hawaii Restaurant and Food Industry Expo, which will take place on February 26-27, 2025. For the past several years, HRA has collaborated with HLTA, and we greatly appreciate that partnership. Although this change was not by choice, we fully embrace the opportunity to create a show that highlights the unique needs, trends, and innovations of the restaurant and foodservice industry. This shift will allow us to provide more tailored opportunities to support and elevate our vibrant community of restaurant professionals.

Our goal is to make this show an invaluable resource for our local restaurateurs, chefs, and hospitality leaders, offering tools and insights that can help your businesses thrive in an ever-changing market. This event will be a platform for networking, learning, and discovering the latest industry innovations and products that can enhance your operations and guest experience. Stay tuned for more details as we prepare for this exciting event!

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to wish you all a warm and happy Thanksgiving. This is a time for gratitude and togetherness, and what better way to celebrate than by supporting our local restaurants? I encourage everyone to visit one or more of your favorite local spots with family and friends, enjoying a meal while giving back to the heart of our industry.

Mahalo for your dedication to our industry, and I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you.

Warm regards,

Andy Huang

Chairman, Hawaii Restaurant Association

On-Demand Webinar:

Three Tactics to Grow Your Restaurant's Revenue This Month

Tune in to learn tactics restaurants can implement this month to increase revenue without investing too much time or resources. Experts go over strategies like using customer data to reach your customers and stay top-of-mind, boosting online presence via reviews and profiles, and optimizing high-margin menu items to maximize profitability.

Hiring? Ask These Interview Questions to Spot Versatile Restaurant Talent

Ask These Interview Questions to Spot Versatile Restaurant Talent: Seamless restaurant operations, where the crew anticipates customers’ and coworkers’ needs and easily course-corrects, require more than technical know-how and vetted organizational systems.

Still, finding candidates who embody these traits remains a perennial challenge—and nearly impossible if you’ve been asking the wrong questions. Hiring for soft skills becomes much simpler when you know exactly what to ask and look for in interviews. This article shares tips so you can hire people who will excel in the role and not only fill it.  

Smart Supply Chain Management Can Reduce Food Waste and Improve Margins in Your Restaurant

Around 33 to 40 percent of food goes to waste each year. A large chunk of that comes down to complex problems in global food supply chain management that most restaurants have little control over. What restaurants can do, however, is re-think how their direct food supply is managed – from transport to inventory control. It may be a small part of the overall supply chain, but how food gets to a restaurant has significant implications.

This article explores smart strategies restaurants can enact in their supply chain management to minimize food waste, improve margins, and ease their environmental impact in the process. 

Improving the Age-Old Challenge of Restaurant Employee Retention with Earned Wage Access

The restaurant industry has long grappled with a persistent challenge: employee turnover. For Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) operators, the statistics are sobering – nearly half of all employees leave before reaching their 90-day mark. This revolving door of staff doesn't just impact team morale; it creates a costly cycle of recruiting, hiring, and training that can severely strain operational resources. 

Many brands have found a new way to make employees happier to help improve retention: on-demand pay.

Finish Strong: Year-End QSR Restaurant Planning for HR, Payroll & Operations

The final quarter is traditionally a slower time for quick service restaurants (QSRs), but operators can use this time to streamline operations, align payroll practices, and enhance their culture. For Human Resources, Payroll, and Operations leaders or teams, time spent in these areas will lead to a productive start to the new year.

AI and Robotic Revolution:

A Glimpse Into the Future of the Restaurant Industry

Imagine this: It’s the year 2035. You walk into your favorite restaurant, but there’s no human host to greet you at the door. Instead, you're welcomed by Tao, a sleek robot host programmed to seat you efficiently based on your preferences, even remembering your favorite booth from past visits. You take your seat at a table embedded with a touchscreen menu. Tap a few buttons, and your order is sent to the kitchen, where robots are preparing dishes with precision, ensuring perfect consistency every time.

How to Prevent Delivery App Outages from Costing You Thousands

Delivery isn’t new to the restaurant business, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still growing pains. In the past five years, delivery as a percentage of revenue for quick service restaurants has surged, from 2.4 percent in 2020 to 11.1 percent in 2023 (the last full year of data), and tracking to be even more in 2024.

Forecasting the Restaurant Industry in 2025: Future Projections

The latest forecasts for 2025 traffic and sales growth in the restaurant industry have been released.

Recent data shows a modest upward trend in restaurant performance over the past few months, a positive shift that is expected to continue into next year. Projections suggest that 2025 will see better results for restaurants compared to 2024.