Five Things Restauranteurs Often Forget
Restauranteurs are hard workers. They work long hours and often don't get much praise. Often times restaurant owners wear several "hats",and are constantly on the go. They're usually "putting out fires" in both front and back of the house, getting ready for the next pop, or cleaning up after a tiring day. In their busy days, owners sometimes miss checking up on the small ticket items, instead focusing on the most important issues at the moment. This can make them miss out on some small, but simply opportunities that can change a customers perspective on the restaurant. Let's look at a few of these opportunities, which could be game changers for any restaurant.
1.
Ambience - We all use our basic senses throughout the day, no matter what situation we're in. It's typically an unconscious process that we go through to experience the world. It's no different when customers go out to enjoy a restaurant. Because of this, restaurant owners should be aware of the sights, smells, and sounds that come out of their restaurant. I'm not saying that you should go out and hire an interior designer. Far from it. The "sight" customers may experience could easily revolve around proper lighting. Are you setting the right mood for the right time of day or night? Are you using candles, dimming lights, etc? How about smell: Does it smell like the amazing food coming out of the kitchen, or sewage backup from the restrooms? Get this one right, or people won't stay very long. Sound can be just as important for setting the ambience of your restaurant. Play music that makes sense for the kind of food you are serving, and don't make it too loud. This is often something that is overlooked. Does your choice of music make sense?
2.
Staff Competition - Having a happy and motivated staff isn't always the easiest thing to maintain. Having daily/weekly competitions can not only keep them having fun, but can also be used to increase sales. Try something like "who can sell the most xyz item". You'll be suprised how much fun they have with it. If they're having fun, I bet that will translate into your customers getting a better experience too!
3.
The First Bite - Contrary to popular belief, the main entree may not be the most important food you serve. Have you ever thought about how important that side of fries or mashed potatoes are? Do you tend to overlook those in favor of your main dish? Consider this: 9 times out of 10, the first bite that your customer will take won't be out of the main dish. It will be a bite from the side dish. What kind of impression are you making with your sides? They may just be the most important item you serve!
4.
The Restrooms - By now, everyone knows how important restaurants can be, but it's still commonly overlooked by owners. It's important to set an hourly cleaning/checkup on your restrooms. Customers directly correlate how clean (or dirty) the restroom is to how clean (or dirty) your kitchen is. Yes, it's the customers who actually make that mess in the restrooms, but it's the level of attention that it gets that's important. Try having your host go through quickly one time each hour (while they're doing this, have them also do a quick walk through the walkways of the dining room to pick up or sweep up anything that might be giving a poor impression out there as well).
5.
Takeout Menus - Lets face it, your customer also eats at other restaurants. In fact, your customer not only eats out, but they also order delivery and sometimes they just want to pick up food and head home. Are you missing out on having your customer order delivery and takeout from you? You might just be sending them elsewhere instead of keeping their business for those days they feel like they don't want to sit down in a restaurant. So how do you keep the customer? Try something simple like having your staff hand them a takeout menu when they leave. Do you have a way for them to order online? Have you signed up with restaurant networks like Delivery For All (www.deliveryforall.com), so customers can find and order from you other ways online? You might just be missing out on extra sales and profit if you aren't doing this. Print up some takeout menus and sign up for free with some online delivery/takeout services to increase your community presence. It will be worth it's weight in gold!
