Sure, you could become irate about the multimillion-dollar bonuses being paid out to Wall Street bankers. But why not figure out how to help them spend part of their windfall at your place? That’s what New York City steakhouse Smith & Wollensky is doing, making it easy for its banker-heavy clientele to swap bonuses paid in stock for meals at its flagship location in midtown Manhattan. The publicity generated alone makes this no-cash-required arrangement worth the effort. Could a similar barter deal work at your place?

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Admit it. You thought the recession was causing restaurants to drop like flies all through 2009. But market research firm NPD Group says they weren’t, as the total number of restaurants remained almost flat. We’ll miss the 1,652 U.S. restaurants that closed their doors last year. But consider the resiliency of the rest: Given market conditions, you’d expect many more would have gone under.

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If you want to attract a younger demographic, consider making your restaurant more user-friendly. Value may be an issue for restaurant goers these days, but the convenience remains key as well, especially to those under 34, according to a recent report from Mintel.

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