I am sure you have heard of Food Channel.

Recently, they released their Top 10 Food
Trends for 2010. Guess what?  
Barter was listed at No. 9…

You can learn the 10 trends when you click on: Barter For Food.

According to Food Channel, the bad economy will see restaurants attempting to fill empty seats. Fixed costs like cooks, staff and rental still have to be covered irrespective of the number of diners.

If you are a restaurant owner and you have more time and skills to put to use than money? What can you do?

Recommendation from Food Channel – You Barter!

Read the full story at: http://foodchannel.com/stories/2163-9-food-trend-for-2010-will-trade-for-food

They also mentioned that working with a barter trade exchange company will be a better option as the old age tradition of direct barter has its limitations.

So, prepare for 2010 now, contact me for further discussions on how joining a barter exchange can help you.

Independent restaurants are turning to an old-fashioned method to fill tables—barter.

As they struggle to keep customers and pay the monthly bills, restaurants are swapping food for services like oven-hood cleaning and pest control.

Bartering helps restaurants fill seats, reassuring prospective customers who might be turned off by the sight of a vacant eatery. It also attracts new customers when tradespeople bring friends along, reduces some costs, and helps retain employees who can’t scoop tips off empty tables.

It’s hardly a permanent fix for ailing restaurants, which still need cash to cover such expenses as rent, mortgages, taxes and utilities. But bartering is an especially useful tool for independent restaurants that, unlike some chains, lack access to corporate credit lines or cash.

You can read more when you click on “In Lean Times, Restaurants Barter For Trade Services – By Wall Street Journal”

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Many popular restaurants have multiple Gift Dining vouchers to add to their patrons’ needs.  This is the typical method for restaurant owners to create awareness and get new patrons.

One of the additional ideas to look into is for restaurant to publish cookbooks/recipes. These books are an excellent marketing tool.