Blog · Hospitality & Food Service · DACH · NL · BE
Writing from the inside — on what keeps a business running, what eats it alive, and what drives the people behind it. Staffing, food costs, AI, leadership. Three decades of practice, real industry numbers, no consultant speak. No affiliate links, no tool selling. Read what interests you. Write to me if something lands.
In depth · 2,500+ words
For those who want to go deep — these are the long reads, all with industry numbers, clear actions for this week, FAQ and practical AI applications.
01 — Food Cost
Food cost below 30 % — the 5 levers that really work.
Industry benchmarks by outlet type. The four sins — waste, portion size, single-supplier lock-in, menu tail. Realistic AI effects, not marketing promises. Three levers for this week.
12 min · 2,500 words
02 — Staffing
Staff shortage? Check your onboarding first.
Why people stay, why they leave, why they applied in the first place. Three questions nobody asks. Plus: four practical AI applications for induction. With example calculations.
11 min · 2,400 words
03 — AI Guide
AI in hospitality. What actually works.
The full overview. Five areas where AI has immediate impact, three common mistakes, the 90-day starter plan. Honest tool assessments. No affiliate deals.
10 min · 2,300 words
More articles · most recent first
Shorter pieces, sorted by date — newest first. If something catches your eye, read on.
Rota in 20 minutes: how AI is changing shift planning
Shift planning eating hours? With AI it takes 20 minutes. How it works and why you don't need to be afraid of it.
Read →1,190 hospitality insolvencies: warning signal
Germany 2024: CRIF expected around 1,190 hospitality insolvencies. Not an outlier — a warning signal. When are you going to look?
Read →5p plate garnish, expensive video shoot
Why operators cut corners on plate garnish and burn money on vanity projects. Straight talk on concept, ego and expensive mistakes.
Read →Review management without the fluff
How to respond to Google reviews in hospitality — without clichés, without fear. With templates and a clear stance.
Read →AI meets kitchen: hype vs. reality
Everyone's talking about AI in restaurants. Few are actually using it. Roelof Hulshof's honest assessment after 30+ years in the industry.
Read →Mise en place as mindset
Mise en place is more than prep — it's a leadership principle. Why this mindset makes the difference between stress and control in any hospitality business.
Read →Building regulars: what loyalty actually costs
Regulars are the most profitable channel in any hospitality business. What genuine loyalty costs, what it returns — and why most businesses get it wrong.
Read →If you want —
If something you read has landed — write me what you're working on. First conversation costs nothing, I reply personally. If I'm not the right person, I'll say so.