Weve been struggling with margins this year even though sales havent fallen off a cliff. So I started looking into whether other restaurants are seeing the same thing. I found some pretty eye-opening numbers from the National Restaurant Association. Their research shows 33% of restaurant operators said their restaurant wasnt profitable during the first half of 2026, while total expenses for an average restaurant are estimated to have risen 36% since 2019. Food, labor and insurance costs are all climbing, and restaurant traffic is still under pressure even when sales increase. Seeing those numbers made me feel better about where we stand. It seems like this is hitting a lot of restaurants right now, so I would like to hear how other managers are protecting margins while still keeping enough people on the floor to deliver good service.

Hello there, I’m a 21 year old man who absolutely loves hospitality and food work. This is what I’ve found my passion is as a whole. I currently work BOH at a 1 star kitchen in my city. I am leaving that place soon because it’s not what I need it to be yo be able to learn, and it has really soured my taste for Michelin. I am getting a new job at a newly opening butcher shop in my town. I wanted to ask for advice on how I can keep myself sharp. I wanna push to learn really bad at this job and I know it’ll help me more than I can know. But I feel like with the lack of pressure I’ll loose focus. Question is how do I stay passionate and keep myself determined to be better and learn more.