Maybe Washington politicians aren’t as tone deaf as we think. Not only did restaurant owners wind up with some juicy breaks in the tax deal signed into law last Friday. They’ll also save a bundle when the Federal Reserve’s proposed new rule governing debit card transaction fees kicks in. Lower taxes, a little extra revenue: it looks like Christmas came early this year.

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It’s that special season again: the season of crowded stores, whiny kids, irritable customers, and stressed-out employees. And when fuses are short and wallets are shrinking, customers expect great service, says author Maribeth Kuzmeski. Fail to provide it, or fail to instantly implement a recovery plan on those occasions when you do drop the ball, and you may find yourself experiencing a not-so-merry 2011.

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People feel a sense of loss whenever a restaurant goes out of business, even if it’s a place in which they’ve never set foot. But shed no tears for the 63-year-old Sportsman Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge in Cleveland, which owner Judy Fiore just sold for $3.1 million. She got 10 times the building’s appraised value using a strategy other operators may wish to follow.

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