How To Boost On-Premise Business

Many operators say building on-premise business will be more important for their restaurant’s success than off-premise business this year, according to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Restaurant Industry 2025. In response, Foodservice Equipment Reports and RATIONAL hosted a Chefs’ Perspectives virtual roundtable in April focused on the topic.

Panelists, who came from a wide range of operations, shared ideas on what’s working or not working when it comes to boosting on-premise business. Highlights include the following:

Special events can help teach guests about food and beverages. Challis Hodge of Conserva Tapas Bar and Randy Hoppman of Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa find success with education-type events. Regional wine and tapas tasting events are a big draw at Conserva, Hodge says. “We do tapas 101 or 201 events, where we’ll talk through and educate people on where the wines come from and a little history of the food and the community,” he says. Plus, an all-you-can-eat paella and sangria event sells out every month.

Eagle Ridge has invited food influencers, often city based, out to the property for a morel mushroom hunt, Hoppman says. “Some of the bloggers have never picked a morel in their life,” he says. Certain influencers have thousands of followers, giving Eagle Ridge exposure. Right now, Eagle Ridge is working on an event for family bloggers to capture traffic in the off-season.

Events must speak to an operation’s consumer base. Ray Soendjaya of the University of Houston says the dining services team has boosted on-premise business through events geared toward its highly ethnically diverse student population. Diwali or Lunar New Year celebrations mark a few examples. “They play a huge part in our menu and attract a lot of students from different parts of the campus,” Soendjaya says. He says students overall prefer familiar menu items, which at UH includes ramen and pho, versus anything too over the top.

Equipment plays a role in creating a positive experience for guests. Charlene Doan, who helps run Daily Dose Hospitality’s Bosscat Kitchen and Byblos Cafe, says a RATIONAL combi oven helps staffers balance on-premise dining with off-premise dining. “Most menu items come off the same line,” she says. “We’ll do a lot of corporate parties, small banquets, things like that. We’re fortunate enough to have a RATIONAL combi.”

Hoppman and Soendjaya agree certain equipment helps set their operations apart. Eagle Ridge plans to soon invest in a microgreens-growing cabinet. “It’ll be right in the dining room so guests can see what’s growing,” Hoppman says. “It’s healthy eating. It’s sustainable. It elevates the dining experience.” Meanwhile, Soendjaya says smokers at UH’s Cougar Woods Dining Hall, which recently underwent a total refresh, allow the dining services team to deliver fresh, smoked meats.

Operators must consider local competition when mapping out offerings. Brunch, for instance, didn’t work out for several panelists. If there are a slew of brunch options nearby, consider playing up lunch and dinner service instead, they say.

Coming up, panelists aim to try different things to help grow their brands in 2025. Plans range from a guest chef series at Bosscat to a barbecue-themed menu at one of Eagle Ridge’s restaurants. Conserva hopes to provide guided trips for up to 20 guests through Spain “just to add to the overall experience,” Hodge says.

Chefs’ Perspectives April 2025 Panelists

Charlene Doan
Executive Chef
Daily Dose Hospitality, Orange, Calif.

Challis Hodge
Chef/Owner
Conserva Tapas Bar, Ludlow, Ky.

Randy Hoppman
Executive Chef
Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, Galena, Ill.

Ray Soendjaya
Senior Executive Chef
University of Houston, Houston

Hosts:

Billy Buck
Vice President of Culinary (US)
RATIONAL USA, Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Allison Rezendes
Chief Content Officer
Foodservice Equipment Reports, Jupiter, Fla.