Restaurant Business with Fexingo: Food Service, Hospitality, and Independent Operators

In this episode of Restaurant Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the rising sophistication of restaurant coffee programs. They spotlight Blue Bottle Coffee's partnership with fine-dining group Major Food, the economics of a $6 pour-over versus a $4 drip coffee, and how independent operators are using specialty coffee to boost margins and build daytime traffic. The hosts break down the n...

Lucas and Luna break down the economics of restaurant wine pricing. They explain the traditional three-times markup, why bottles under thirty dollars are often the best value for diners, and how a handful of independent restaurants are experimenting with lower markups to drive volume. The episode centers on a specific case: a Brooklyn bistro that cut wine margins from 300% to 150% and saw table tu...

Episode 5 of Restaurant Business with Fexingo: Food Service, Hospitality, and Independent Operators digs into the dark economics behind third-party delivery. Lucas and Luna break down the real commission structure — not just the 30 percent headline, but the hidden per-order fees, marketing upcharges, and how a $20 salad actually nets the restaurant less than $10. They explore the 'delivery margin...

Dynamic pricing is making its way from airlines and ride-share apps to restaurant tables, but operators are learning that the hospitality industry has different rules. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how a handful of independent restaurants and small chains are adjusting menu prices by time of day, day of week, and even real-time demand — without alienating their regulars. They look at the...

In episode 3 of Restaurant Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how independent restaurant operators are actually pulling ahead of chains when it comes to staffing. They zero in on a 2025 survey by the James Beard Foundation that found indies retained 82% of front-of-house staff year-over-year, compared to 67% for large chains. The conversation digs into the specific tactics independents...

Lucas and Luna dig into the fast-casual industry's pivot to compact store formats. With real estate costs up 20 percent since 2020 and labor still tight, chains like Sweetgreen and Chipotle are opening units half the size of their legacy stores. Lucas breaks down the unit economics: a typical Chipotle now needs 18 percent less staff and pulls 12 percent higher revenue per square foot. Luna challen...

In the debut episode of Restaurant Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna drill into the single number that explains the biggest shift in casual dining: the $13.45 average transaction at Chipotle. They unpack why that number matters beyond one chain—how it reflects input cost inflation, menu engineering, and the new normal for independent operators. Lucas walks through the math behind a 35% price h...