MRM Research Roundup: End-of-October Edition

Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine's "According to a recent study/survey …" column has been rebranded as MRM Research Roundup.

This time, we feature why "Blackout Wednesday" is a time bars and restaurants need to stock up and be well-staffed, emerging dining trends, the best cities for restaurants to be located, best vegetarian restaurants, the importance of responding to reviews, driverless cars and delivery and food trend predictions.

Stock up for Blackout WednesdayWhile Black Friday is considered the biggest sales day of the year for big box retailers, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving -- deemed “Blackout Wednesday” in recent years -- has become the same for local restaurant and bar owners.  With practically everyone having Thanksgiving Day off of work and no reason to wake up before football games begin, it’s clear why this night has become a cultural phenomenon.

To get an idea of just how much restaurants and bars throughout the…