💬 Ask [me] anything!

Really. Each month we’ll take a look at the questions we get and answer one here. Have a question about our product, accounting, or restaurant operations in general? 💌 Email me or message us on our social media channels.

Bill-E's | Fairhope, AL

THE ECONOMY

Inflation Up

The July 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report is in, and indicates the following month-over-month changes in food inflation:

• Overall Food Inflation: Stayed at 0.0% from June, and is up 2.9% YOY.
• Food At Home: Down -0.1% from June, and is up 2.2% YOY. 
• Food Away from Home: Up 0.3% from June, and is up 3.9% YOY.
• Limited Service Meals: Up 0.1% from June, and by 3.3% YOY.

• Full Service Meals: Up 0.5% from June, and by 4.4% YOY.

Overall, inflation came in at 0.2% up from June, putting year-over-year inflation at 2.7%, exactly the same as last month's YOY. While tariffs are impacting imported goods like furniture, lower gas prices significantly contributed to the overall numbers staying the same. A September rate cut still looks likely, but there is growing concern over the data quality for these reports due to budget and staffing cuts, causing some portions of the CPI reporting to be suspended.

Tl;dr - Groceries got a little cheaper last month while restaurants were up, particularly for Full Service.

Salt & Vine | Olney, MD

'TIS THE SEASON

Back to school 

Best practices for employee training

It's August, which means it's back-to-school time (yes, already, where did summer go?!). And in the world of restaurants, you can go to culinary school, but more often than not, learning new things comes from on-the-job training.

And great training isn’t just about teaching the job, it’s about showing your team why they matter and how they impact the rest of your business. When we see statistics like 70% of high-retention-risk employees will leave their company in order to advance their career, and that retention rates rise 30-50% for companies with strong learning cultures, it paints a clear picture that a strong training program is a powerful tool in your employee retention arsenal. Investing in training keeps your team happy, engaged, and ready to grow. With that in mind, here are four training best practices to keep in mind:

1. Use technology

Make training easier for you and more fun for your team with tech! Learning Management Systems (LMS) can streamline and sometimes even gamify training, making it a simpler and more engaging experience for new hires and training managers. Tools like Attensi let employees learn at their own pace and keep things engaging and consistent across the board. Using a scheduling software like 7Shifts can also make it simpler to onboard a new employee to communicate about availability and shifts.

2. Prioritize personalization

One-size-fits-all training? Nope. One of the best parts of our industry is working with people from all backgrounds and walks of life. And since we know that personalization is one of the best ways to show hospitality to guests, it makes sense that personalization should make its way into your training program, too. Every new hire should always have a new hire orientation with a manager to set expectations and walk through the new hire paperwork, get a training schedule made, get their uniforms and tour the building.

Tools like Axonify that incorporate personal touches like adapting to learning styles or letting them focus on weak spots show employees you’re invested in their growth.

3. Keep training and rewarding growth

Training isn’t a one-and-done deal. Continuing to invest in your team with new opportunities to learn, like our teammate Eric Jeffay, who hired an acting coach to train his team while working as a general manager of a fine dining restaurant, reinforces your commitment to your team and, in turn, their commitment to your business. Growth benefits everyone.

4. Positive reinforcement

Lastly, a little recognition goes a long way. Bonuses, free meals or even keeping it simple with a shoutout in a team meeting for finishing training can help improve culture and keep your team feeling valued and supported. Positive vibes keep employees motivated and engaged, and can even increase guest satisfaction. 

5. Prepare ahead of time

Bringing on new employees is often an ongoing process, so it's a good idea to have pre-made training packs ready to grab and go. That way, you avoid not having the proper paperwork and having to print it off while the new hire is awkwardly standing in your office.

The same goes for uniforms, so make sure to have new uniforms in multiple sizes stored and locked somewhere for new hires or for other team members to purchase.