Regulations
Is It Legal to Add a Credit Card Surcharge?
Short answer: in most of the United States, yes — with conditions, and the conditions are where operators get in trouble.
The Avocado
More from The Avocado
Browse the archive of practical guidance for restaurants and food trucks.
Food Trucks
What a Commissary Kitchen Actually Costs — and What to Ask Before You Sign
Every commissary listing leads with an hourly rate, and that rate is the least useful number in the deal.
Regulations
2026 Lettuce and Jalapeño Recalls: What Restaurant Owners Should Do Now
Last updated August 12, 2026.
Food Trucks
The Event Math Nobody Does Before Saying Yes
The vendor fee is less than half the cost of working an event, and the number that flips most decisions is what you'd have made at your normal spot instead.
Operations
Third-Party Food Delivery Services vs In-House Delivery: A Restaurant Guide
Disclosure: Avocado provides point-of-sale, online-ordering, and delivery-management tools for restaurants. This guide is designed to help operators compare delivery models based on their economics and operational needs. Marketplace prices cited below were checked on July 28, 2026 and may change by plan, market, or contract.
Food Trucks
Do Food Trucks Need a Kitchen Display System? A Practical Guide
Disclosure: Avocado builds point-of-sale and kitchen display tools for food trucks and restaurants. This guide explains when a KDS is useful, when a printer may be enough, and what to evaluate before choosing either option.
Food Trucks
How to Set Up Online Ordering for a Food Truck: A Practical Guide
Disclosure: Avocado builds point-of-sale and online-ordering tools for food trucks and restaurants. This guide explains the operational decisions behind a successful online-ordering setup, whether you use Avocado or another provider.
Marketing
I Wasted Hundreds on Facebook Ads. Here's What Actually Works.
I'm going to say something a lot of people are scared to say: Facebook ads are mostly a waste of money for restaurants.
Marketing
How We Got 800 Google Reviews in 6 Months (And Why It Was the Best Thing We Did)
If I had to pick one thing that drove more new customers to my restaurant than anything else, it would be Google reviews. Not Instagram. Not ads. Not any growth hack. Just a lot of people leaving honest reviews on Google.
Marketing
"Always be launching"
When I was running my restaurant, we had a saying: grand opening every month.