Industry Information


KaTom Design + Build Uses VR Kitchen Design Icon
KaTom Design + Build Uses VR Kitchen Design

KaTom Design + Build includes VR kitchen design services, letting clients virtually interact with project models. Learn more here.

Add the Flexibility of eGift Cards to Your Restaurant Icon
Add the Flexibility of eGift Cards to Your Restaurant

eGift cards are extremely popular and provide instant, customizable gift options. KaTom covers how to offer eGift cards at your venue.

Saving the Soft Drink Icon
Saving the Soft Drink

Soft drink sales in the U.S. have been declining steadily for years. Here's how you can help make up for lost sales in your restaurant.

Flyspotting: Flies & Sanitation in Your Restaurant Icon
Flyspotting: Flies & Sanitation in Your Restaurant

Flies are a huge headache for restaurant operators and a red flag for health inspectors. KaTom explains how to keep them out.

Restaurants & Menu Labeling Mandates Icon
Restaurants & Menu Labeling Mandates

Federal menu labeling laws for chain restaurants went into effect in 2018. KaTom looks at these laws and what they entail.

Cashing in on Wedding Season Icon
Cashing in on Wedding Season

Weddings are a huge industry. KaTom explains a few ways your foodservice establishment can get a piece of the cake.

Know Your New Restaurant's Reputation Icon
Know Your New Restaurant's Reputation

Purchasing a restaurant fixer-upper may involve more than replacing equipment. Be sure to know the reputation of the business before you buy.

Buying a Restaurant? You Need a Non-compete Icon
Buying a Restaurant? You Need a Non-compete

If you're buying an independent restaurant concept, include a non-compete clause in the sales contract for extra protection.

Buying a Restaurant, Liabilities Not Included Icon
Buying a Restaurant, Liabilities Not Included

You get more than a dining room and a kitchen when you buy a restaurant. Avoid 3 major liabilities that bite prospective restaurateurs.

Your New Restaurant's Liquor License Icon
Your New Restaurant's Liquor License

If you're buying a restaurant that serves liquor by the drink, don't let archaic ABC laws get in the way of a smooth liquor license transfer.

Is Your Restaurant Tourist Friendly? Icon
Is Your Restaurant Tourist Friendly?

Millions of families hit the road during the summer travel season. Follow these tips to make your eatery a stop for hungry travelers.

From the Farm to Your Commercial Kitchen Icon
From the Farm to Your Commercial Kitchen

KaTom shares seven tips on starting your farm-to-fork menu and buying fresh, local food for your restaurant kitchen

Your Commercial Kitchen's Stamp of Approval Icon
Your Commercial Kitchen's Stamp of Approval

Dale Mackey of Dale's Fried Pies discusses her experience building a commercial kitchen and getting the health department's approval.

Building a Mobile Kitchen? Think Smaller Icon
Building a Mobile Kitchen? Think Smaller

Sometimes, dreaming big means building smaller. Dale Mackey explains why her food truck turned into a food trailer.

How to Survive the Slow Season Icon
How to Survive the Slow Season

Is your mobile food business cooling off with the weather? Dale Mackey shares some ideas about how to spend your "off" season.

5 Surprise Costs of Your Mobile Food Business Icon
5 Surprise Costs of Your Mobile Food Business

Dale Mackey offers tips for food truck hopefuls and business owners about what unexpected costs they should starting planning for now.

How to Handle Events? Book Smart, Not Harder Icon
How to Handle Events? Book Smart, Not Harder

Not sure how to maximize your event opportunities? Dale Mackey offers one big tip for mobile food businesses: assertive booking.

7 Winning Tactics for Food Truck "Wars" Icon
7 Winning Tactics for Food Truck "Wars"

How to win the food truck wars? Just play nice. Check out Dale Mackey's tips on navigating local competition. Hint: They're not the enemy.

5 Reasons to Hyperfocus Your Food Business Icon
5 Reasons to Hyperfocus Your Food Business

Dale Mackey of Dale's Fried Pies discusses why you should narrow your menu and the benefits of doing one thing very well.

How to Handle Restaurant Data Breaches Icon
How to Handle Restaurant Data Breaches

If you accept credit cards at your restaurant, you also accept the responsibility of keeping your customers' personal information safe.

To Catch a Bacterium Icon
To Catch a Bacterium

CSI: Commercial Kitchen? Forensic Sanitarian Dr. Robert Powitz explains how crime investigation techniques help operators and the courts.

Buying a Business? Don’t Get Left Leaseless Icon
Buying a Business? Don’t Get Left Leaseless

KaTom teaches you how to avoid the kinds of oppressive lease agreements to which even the most diligent restaurateurs sometimes fall prey.

Buying a Restaurant: Inspecting Your Equipment Icon
Buying a Restaurant: Inspecting Your Equipment

Another KaTom tip for buying a restaurant: If the pros aren't inspecting the equipment, you could be setting yourself up for failure.

How Cash Can Kill Your Restaurant Deal Icon
How Cash Can Kill Your Restaurant Deal

KaTom's advice for buying a restaurant? If a seller can't show some credible flow, a buyer might let the opportunity go.