Beyond the Meal
Stories dedicated to extending hospitality online and growing your business.
BentoBox News September 2019
Check out the latest news from BentoBox HQ
10 Ways to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Easy ways to increase guest traffic and engagement
Top 5 Online Holiday Restaurant Trends
Maximize profits through your restaurant website with these holiday trends
A Day in the Life with John and Karen Urie Shields of Smyth and The Loyalist
We talk about their day to day, The Farm and what influences their culinary journey
The Best Restaurant Websites of 2019
A roundup of 2019’s best restaurant websites
3 Powerful Reasons To Offer Direct Online Ordering
Online ordering through your restaurant’s website
BentoBox News August 2019
Check out the latest news from BentoBox HQ
Best Restaurant Websites - Texas
A roundup of our favorite restaurant websites from the Lone Star State
How To Build Your Restaurant’s Brand
From logos and menus to great restaurant photography
BentoBox News July 2019
Check out the latest news from BentoBox HQ.
A Day in the Life With Zach Mack of Alphabet City Beer Co.
We talk beer, business and how no two days are the same at the shop
6 Restaurant Metrics and How Operators Measure Them
These are the metrics you should be tracking regularly
Best Summer Restaurant Playlists 2019
Moving the guest experience beyond the brick and mortar, restaurants share their playlists online
SEO Tips for Restaurant Websites in 2019
SEO best practices that restaurants can use to boost their local rankings online
Considering Online Ordering for Your Restaurant?
These are the partner platforms to check out
Is Your Restaurant Website ADA Accessible?
What you need to know about digital accessibility, restaurant websites and BentoBox
Winners of the 2019 Bento Design Awards
Congrats to the winners of our restaurant design competition
Congrats to the 2019 James Beard Award Winners
The winners and nominees that are #poweredbybento
Online Advertising Tools & Tips for Restaurants
A breakdown on Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads
BentoBox - Powering Hospitality
An inside look into the founding, principles and investments of BentoBox
The BentoBox UI Redesign
Designing for hospitality—a look into the redesign of our backend user interface
Why Your Hotel Restaurant Needs Its Own Website
Tiny Lou’s and Beebe’s on why hotel restaurants should have their own website
Bento Design Awards: Judges Spotlight
Meet the judges recognizing the most talented designers in hospitality
The Best Bar Websites
A roundup of our favorite bar website designs
How to Host Restaurant Classes
Build a community and drive revenue
The Best DIY Image Editors for Restaurants
A roundup of helpful image editing tools
Q&A: Online Catering Tips from Saigon Sisters
How to build a robust catering store on your restaurant website
BentoBox’s 2018 Year in Review
See how these top restaurant website trends can impact your business in 2019
Q&A: Super Bowl Success with Toll Man Joe’s
How to win big selling tickets on your restaurant website
Essential Restaurant Hiring Tips
How to find and retain top talent
Restaurant Website Inspiration for 2019
A before & after look at some of our favorite restaurant website redesigns
Four Essential Reports You Can Run from Your Restaurant POS
The top data and analytics to be pulling from your POS
Q&A: Snake River Grill
How to sell thousands in gift cards in just one day
Instagram Stories for Your Restaurant
A guide to using this social media tool to promote your business
A Restaurant's Guide to Branded Merchandise
What you need to know about selling branded merch for your restaurant
Best Restaurant Website Design Trends
A visual roundup of the biggest restaurant website design trends from this year
2018 Restaurant Holiday Gift Guide
A roundup of the best holiday gifts from our customers’ websites
Q&A: Birchwood Cafe
How the Minneapolis café prepares for the busy holiday season
Behind the Scenes of BentoBox’s New Branding
How and why we updated our visual identity
Holiday Prep Guide for Your Restaurant
Our best advice for navigating the busy holiday season, both online and off
The Best Restaurant Websites of 2018
A roundup of our favorite restaurant website designs
Case Study: Fox in the Snow & Daisies
Two restaurants that used BentoBox to drive more revenue online
Why Restaurants Are Going Cashless
Sunday in Brooklyn and Tacocina on why it’s the right business move
Case Study: Cheesetique
How taking their restaurant website into their own hands helped Cheesetique grow
How To Use Google My Business for Your Restaurant
How to manage and improve your restaurant’s presence on Google’s platforms
Best Restaurant Playlists
BentoBox customers share their top music choices to help get diners in the mood for summer
So You Want to Write a Cookbook?
Everything you need to know to get started
Online Privacy and Restaurant Websites
What You Need to Know About New GDPR Laws
How To Promote Your Restaurant’s Happy Hour Online
Use your restaurant website to successfully promote happy hour events
The 5 Most Important Pages for Any Restaurant Website
What guests are looking for when deciding where to eat
3 Ways to Improve Your Restaurant Website Updates
Simple ways to make the most out of your updates
How To Make the Most of Your Restaurant Website
Advice from US Foods on optimizing your restaurant website to better serve guests
Best Bakery Websites
A roundup of some of our favorite bakery websites
How To Choose a Restaurant Website Template
Must-have features to help you connect with guests online
Congrats to the 2018 James Beard Award Nominees
All of this year’s nominees that are #poweredbybento
How To Run A More Sustainable Restaurant
How and why restaurants are building sustainability into their brand
Restaurant Roundup: Best Email Newsletters
Inspiration for connecting with your guests online, even when they aren’t on your restaurant website
BentoBox’s 2017 Year in Review
An inside look at the biggest restaurant industry trends of the year— and what they mean for you
Q&A: Chef Chris Scott and Eugenie Woo of Butterfunk Kitchen
How appearing on Bravo’s Top Chef has impacted their restaurant, their website and more
New Year, New Look: Restaurant Website Design Inspiration for 2018
A roundup of our favorite restaurant website redesigns
How to Make Google Analytics Work for Your Restaurant Website
An easy to follow, step-by-step guide
Q&A: Seylou Bakery
We talk fresh whole grain flour, website design tools and more
Restaurant Roundup: Best Online Holiday Promotions of 2017
Highlights of some of the best online restaurant promotions this season
Why Upscale Restaurants Are Going Fast-Casual
With advice from Daily Provisions, Made Nice and VHH Foods
The Best Restaurant Websites of 2017
A roundup of our favorite restaurant website designs
Q&A: Chef Sam Plotnick of Temporis
We talk teamwork, tech tools and more
5 Game-Changing Ways to Boost Revenue this Holiday Season
Tools to maximize your profits during the busiest time of the year
Emily Pizza’s Keys to Instagram
Matt and Emily Hyland share their tips for Instagram success
Restaurant PR 101
Everything you need to know about PR from the pros at RVD Communications
The Best Restaurant Logos
A roundup of our favorite BentoBox restaurant logos
How To Develop A Wine List
Advice From Charlie Bird’s Sommelier
Q&A: Marco Canora of Hearth and Brodo
The James Beard Award-winning chef on growth and staying relevant
How To Expand Into A Multi-Unit Concept
Advice from The Meatball Shop, Tacolicious and Next Door on growing your restaurant business
Should Your Restaurant Offer Online Ordering?
How to make online ordering work for you, with tips from the pros at ChowNow
How To Get Investors For Your Restaurant
Tips and tricks from pros who’ve done it themselves
Top 3 Challenges Restaurants Face Online
And how BentoBox can help
The Best Summer Wines To Add To Your List
3 picks from the pros at Charlie Bird in NYC
Behind The Scenes At Gramercy Tavern
An inside look at Table128 Bistro+Bar’s experience staging at Gramercy Tavern
5 SEO Tips To Reach More Guests
A rundown of our top tips to optimize your restaurant’s search engine results
5 Easy Ways to Cut Food Costs
Tips and tricks from US Foods
The Best Minimalist Restaurant Websites
A roundup of our favorite minimalist restaurant website designs
Why Your Restaurant Should Offer Catering
3 big reasons, plus how to promote it online
Congrats to James Beard Award Nominees
A roundup of all the 2017 nominees that are #poweredbybento
Understanding Restaurant Real Estate
How to navigate the complex leases and more
5 Tools for Easy Restaurant Website Maintenance
A rundown of the BentoBox tools that keep your site running smoothly
Everything You Need To Know About Influencer Marketing
How to make influencer marketing work for you, with tips from the pros at Obviously
Case Study: Lilia
How BentoBox’s digital tools transformed the Brooklyn hotspot
Which Online Reservation System Should Your Restaurant Use?
We compare OpenTable, Resy, Tock and Yelp
Why Your Restaurant Should Sell Tickets Online
3 reasons why your website should offer online ticketing
How To Declutter Your Restaurant Website
5 things your website doesn’t need
What’s Trending in Restaurant Website Design
The BentoBox design team’s tips for staying on top of your restaurant website game
The Best Restaurant Websites of 2016
A visual roundup of our favorite BentoBox restaurant website designs
Our Favorite Restaurant Website Redesigns
Before & After: A visual roundup of the best restaurant website redesigns
Q&A: Leah Herman of Kindred Co.
How to keep restaurant business booming during winter
Best Websites of 2016: Fine Dining & Cocktail Bars
A visual roundup of our favorite fine dining, cocktail bar, and hotel restaurant website designs
How To Promote Your Valentine’s Day Offerings
Some last minute digital promo tips for your restaurant
Q&A: Lauren Hobbs of Union Square Hospitality Group
Why Danny Meyer’s restaurant group loves BentoBox templates
Best Websites of 2016: Neighborhood Restaurant Edition
A visual roundup of our favorite neighborhood restaurant website designs
Q&A: Grand Army Bar’s Carissa Clay
Talking shop with the winner of Imbibe Magazine’s “Cocktail Bar of the Year” award
How To Score Restaurant Sales On Super Bowl Sunday
Game day tips and tricks guaranteed to win online
Best Websites of 2016: Fast Casual, Bakeries & Food Trucks
A roundup of our favorite restaurant website designs
Optimizing Restaurant Menu Mix
How to change your menu to get more business
2017 Trend Report: Hospitality & Tech
Tech Bites host Jennifer Leuzzi on what to look for in the year to come
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Restaurant Website
How to start the new year with the best site ever
How To Promote New Year’s Eve Online
Tips and tricks for promoting your restaurant’s New Year’s offerings online
Demystifying New York’s Proposed Overtime Laws
A restaurant lawyer shares what you need to know about the potential upcoming changes
Restaurant Roundup: The Best Digital Holiday Promotions
A look at the best digital holiday promotions from some of our favorite restaurants
Case Study: Claudine Artisan Kitchen and Bakeshop
How the LA-based restaurant and bakery uses digital tools to grow their business
How to Keep Team Spirits Bright
The Meatball Shop’s tips for maintaining strong team spirits during the busy holiday season
Q&A: Charles Bililies of Souvla
The founder & CEO of the San Francisco fine-casual restaurant on tech in the hospitality industry
Q&A with Matt Maschi of Patrizia’s
The co-owner of the family-style Italian restaurant on making guests feel at home
What Hospitality Really Means During the Holidays
One BentoBox staffer who grew up in the restaurant business shares a holiday memory about the true spirit of hospitality
How To Run Great Private Events During the Holidays
The pros from Union Square Hospitality Group on how to ensure great private event service during a busy season
Manage Holiday Staffing Like a Pro
Tips on how to manage your staffing needs during busy seasonal periods
Sunday in Brooklyn Q&A
The restaurant making a business out of their ideal day off
How to Master Thanksgiving Day Service
Everything you need to plan, promote, and execute Thanksgiving at your restaurant
How to Get Great Photos for Your Restaurant's Website
Engage your guests with great website photos
How to Optimize Your Website for the Holidays
The digital features your restaurant needs to help drive business this season
The Simple, Effective Way to Selling More Restaurant Gift Cards
How to increase your gift card sales this holiday season
Q&A With Two Guns Espresso
The co-owners who brought their New Zealand culture to the L.A. Scene
Going Digital: Restaurant Holiday Marketing
How to use digital support to grow your restaurant’s business during the holidays
Q&A with Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury
The award-winning chef and owner on hospitality
Mobile Matters
The best mobile website practices for your restaurant
Secrets Of Restaurant Branding
How to make a lasting restaurant brand with the pros at LMNOP Creative
Q&A with Shore Gregory of Row 34 and Island Creek Oyster Bar
The Boston based restaurateur’s thoughts on OpenTable, overcoming failure, and more
Winning At Instagram
Your restaurant's Instagram profile made easy
Q&A with Bettina Stern of D.C.’s Chaia
The chef and co-owner talks staffing, tech, hospitality, and more
How To Use E-Commerce to Boost Your Restaurant's Sales
Why restaurants should offer gift cards, merchandise, and more online
How Email Can Help Get More Guests into your Restaurant
How using email lists can get your restaurant more customers
The Smile's Matt Kliegman | Q&A
The always cool restauranteur talks hospitality and more
Restaurant Web Design Essentials
How to make a restaurant website that gets you more business
Hospitality First
Extending the hospitality experience beyond just the meal
Dead Simple Search Engine Tips for Restaurants
How to use SEO to get more guests into your restaurant