Insights & News

Straight talk for the
hospitality industry

AI, leadership, strategy — and everything that actually matters in daily operations. Practical knowledge from 30+ years in HoReCa, no affiliate links, no bullshit.

01 Mindset
11,000 insolvencies. And you say you're doing fine.

11,000 businesses gone. 2024. And you're looking the other way. This isn't a market problem — it's a mindset problem.

26 Mar 2026 Read
02 Mindset
5 pence on garnish is too expensive — but the video shoot isn't

Why hospitality newcomers cut costs in all the wrong places, hire their best mate as manager and then wonder why nothing works.

19 Mar 2026 Read
03 AI & Digital
AI meets the kitchen — why the hype misses reality

Everyone talks about AI in restaurants. Few actually use it. And even fewer understand which tools make a real difference.

18 Mar 2026 Read
04 Mindset
Mise en place as a mindset: why preparation saves the business

Mise en place isn't a kitchen term — it's an attitude. 15 minutes a day that make the difference between reacting and leading.

18 Mar 2026 Read
05 Strategy
Review management without the bullshit — how to respond properly

How to reply to negative Google reviews without sounding defensive — and why the reply matters more than the rating itself.

18 Mar 2026 Read
06 Strategy
Building regulars: what loyalty really costs (and delivers)

A regular brings five times the revenue of a walk-in. What you can do concretely — without a loyalty card and without an app.

18 Mar 2026 Read
07 Leadership & Team
Staff shortage — and why your onboarding is the real problem

It's not the salary that drives new hires out — it's the rubbish onboarding. What you decide in the first two weeks.

18 Mar 2026 Read
08 AI & Digital
Rota in 20 minutes: how AI is changing labour scheduling

AI helps with the rota — but not with yet another subscription. How to use ChatGPT or Claude to sort your shifts in 20 minutes.

18 Mar 2026 Read
09 Strategy
Food cost below 30% — the 5 levers that actually work

Cutting food cost without sacrificing quality: 5 concrete levers from 30 years of HoReCa practice — no theory-bullshit, only what actually works.

18 Mar 2026 Read