Do restaurant guests want half portions?

You sort of have to be a glass-half-full person to run a restaurant, don't you? So, we're optimistic you'll be a fan of half-sized drinks and dishes. Also: A look at why this Oregon city is seeing record restaurant closures. Pull up a chair for the latest edition of the Prep.

On the menu:
💠 Half portions = happy patrons?
💠 What the election mean for restaurants
💠 Yoda gives the best restaurant advice
💠 A Seattle man is taking delivery into his own hands

Hiring surge for (some) restaurants

The restaurant and bar sector helped drive a strong month for employment in September by adding a staggering 69,400 jobs. However, job growth differs vastly among restaurant segments. The National Restaurant Association said full-service restaurant staffing levels were 4% below pre-pandemic levels through August, while quick service and fast casual were up 4%, or 164,000 jobs. Rising office occupancy likely helped boost business and staffing for quick-service and fast-casual restaurants.  “Having people on site three, four days a week certainly impacts the business for those city-center restaurants,” said the association’s Hudson Riehle. (The Wall Street Journal) 

A call for half portions

On a recent trip to New York City, food writer Khushbu Shah fell in love with Hotel Evelyn's new restaurant The Brass, or, more specifically, with their “two sipper” classic cocktails. Juliet in Los Angeles, she notes, similarly offers wine by the ounce, which appeals to diners like her who like “being able to explore, and being able to control how much I want to drink. Sometimes I want just a splash more so that I have an excuse to linger in great conversation with a friend.” Shah wants to see this trend on the dinner menu, too. 

Half portions of food and drinks “seems like an easy win for restaurants,” argues Shah. "If I owned a restaurant, I’d rather someone order the $8 half pour of wine, or the $5 half order of fries, or the $10 mini cocktail, than stick with water and add nothing to their check averages. They are already in my establishment, so I might as well have them spend as much money as possible, but have them feel happy doing so!” (Tap is Fine!)

How the election is already impacting restaurants

A recent report from William Blair examines retail sales from October through January during past presidential elections to determine how political cycles impact consumer demand. The findings aren’t great for restaurants. The researcher found that sales have dipped during every election cycle since 1996—down 2.2% in 2000, 1.4% in 2004, 0.9% in 2012, and 1% in 2016.  2008 and 2020 were excluded due to the oversized impact of the Great Recession and the pandemic.

“When you’re feeling less certain about the future, there’s just a natural tendency to tighten your belt a bit and rein in your spending,” says William Blair research analyst Sharon Zackfia. “Restaurants aren’t immune from this. There’s definitely a slowdown. We see it in almost every election cycle.” (QSR) 

The Digital Restaurant 

"Do or do not. There is no try. If you’re going to be in delivery, choose to do it well. Make it a real business. Really get after it. Do not resentfully do it poorly."

Meredith Sandland, podcast host, CEO of Empower Delivery, and co-author of Delivering the Digital Restaurant 

💠 Should influencers tip on comped meals?

💠 9 restaurant trade shows to attend in 2025

💠 Chef Jeremy Umansky is modernizing the Jewish deli

💠 Forbes’ richest list includes 11 from the restaurant industry

56%

Consumers who view convenience stores as an alternative to fast food.
(Intouch Insights/QSR) 

What we’re following: The latest tip credit news, which last week came from Seattle, where the Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that restaurants in the city will lose their tip credit on January 1st when the minimum wage for all employers rises to $20.76 an hour. 

“As the tip credit expires, we are committed to aggressively addressing many of the pressures facing small restaurants moving forward – from public safety to inflation, insurance, and a wide array of other cost pressures, including best practices in addressing the absence of a tip credit,” Harrell said.

Who we’re following: The Aperture, a Cincinnati restaurant recently included in the New York Times Best Restaurant List, showcases stunningly lit black-and-white images of its kitchen and dining room on Instagram. 

 Plus: A few months back, food delivery driver Tony Illes quit delivery gig work and went into business for himself as "Tony Delivers." He posted flyers across Seattle advertising his services: “Ditch the apps and let me deliver your food for $5.” Now he’s looking to further compete with the apps he ditched by releasing a marketplace mobile app featuring delivery drivers who would set their own fees. 

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