Ash Wednesday falls on March 1st this year, so Lent is just one calendar page away. It’s time to think about your restaurant’s Lent menu recipes and the best ways to cater to your guests. The 40-day observance is an opportunity to satisfy and impress customers now so that they look forward to your Lent menu options next year.

How many hours does your staff spend prepping stocks and braising liquids? How quickly can you add flavor complexity to specialty sauces and signature soups?

If you’re looking to trim time and labor costs, speed scratch cooking addresses these questions and more. It’s a value-added option that works in all types of foodservice operations, and it’s easy to implement in your commercial kitchen.

When a nationally recognized news source publishes a list of top-rated restaurants, you take notice. When the roster focuses on more than two dozen eateries in the Los Angeles area alone that serve the best veggie burgers available, you have to take a second look.

It takes a combination of cooking talent and hard work to make your catering business successful. The competition is usually friendly, but you’re always on the lookout for ways to stay ahead. One very good strategy is also very simple: Expand and upgrade your buffet station ideas.

You do your research, crunch numbers and taste-test every recipe. Restaurant menu development combines the best of your culinary talents and practical kitchen skills. It’s exacting and exciting, and it builds a solid framework for impressing dining guests and increasing profits.

With the sizzle of summer just around the corner, how do you wrap up hot new menu ideas and still stay cool? Start with a nutritious profile, crisp romaine leaves and a little culinary imagination. Bundle those three ingredients together, and make healthy lettuce wrap recipes part of your summertime menu specials.