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10 Ways to Build Restaurant Sales

Sep 30, 2011

In a new article appearing in the September 26 issue, Nation’s Restaurant News shares a number of great industry ideas for “10 ways to build business inside your restaurant’s four walls”—all of them “touch points” for the consumer’s dining out experience.

We’d like to add a few ideas of our own.

One: Make an Online Connection

• Be sure to post a current menu online, on both the website and Facebook, including prices
• Investigate a means for taking reservations as well as comments and criticism online
• Put your address and phone number on every page of your website

Two: Dress Up Your Outdoor Décor

• Ensure the safety of arriving guests with such basics as level pavement, minimal steps (if possible) or at least ones that are clearly marked, and adequate lighting so there are no darkened areas or blind spots
• Smooth the transition from indoors outdoors to in. If you operate in a cold climate, for instance, provide a heated “airlock”-type double entrance, or at least a heavy curtain with a clear way through to the dining or indoor entrance area
• If possible, display your menu somewhere that’s accessible and well-it, so passers-by can have a look before they decide

Three: Make Your Greeting Count

• In addition to friendliness and a warm welcome, there are nuts-and-bolts issues that should be addressed in the entryway or lobby as well, such as a place to put down packages or purses while removing coats (not to mention a place or a means to store coats), and/or a bench that’s enough out of traffic for a guest to wait for a car or another guest without having to go to the bar

Four: Tap Your Sales Keg

• Make sure there are nonalcoholic options for those who are not imbibing, for whatever reason. If they’re special enough—flavorful, signature items with appropriate glassware and garnish—you can even charge a premium for them.
• Make sure the bartender acknowledges a waiting guest even if he or she can’t take the order immediately

Five: Get a Rave Review

• Consider such tableside service touches as pouring a sauce onto an entrée, splitting up or providing additional plates for a dessert that customers say they will share, or tossing a salad tableside

Six: Fine Tune Your Food

• Try to respond to guests’ concerns about food allergies or intolerances, portion sizes, substitutions and “custom orders” by establishing clear policies and procedures with employees, and empowering both service and kitchen staff to follow through
• Make sure the menu is easy to read and understand from the point of view of such elements as typeface/size and layout, and the way the categories or organized, as well as table lighting

Seven: Show off Your Chef

• Consider including the name of your chef and other important kitchen personnel, such as the sous chef, on the menu
• Likewise, you may want to include a bio of your chef on the website, or even a blog, recipes and other, more personalized messaging from the kitchen. Chains such as Oceanaire Seafood Room are doing this to great effect

Eight: Rev Up Sales at the Drive-Thru

• At the risk of sounding xenophobic or un-PC, make sure the person taking order speaks clearly and without an accent that may be hard for the customer to understand
• Be cognizant of the fact that cars come in many sizes, from low-to-the-ground sports cars to big SUVs, when determining the height of speakers, window exchange areas, and the like

Nine: Make Guests Feel at Home

• Be aware and take steps to correct issues such as drafts and hot or cold spots, speaker “shadows” and the like
• Lighting, lighting, lighting (appropriate for your target customer, adequate without being too bright, and adapted to the function of the location—e.g., reading the menu at the table, the entrance to the restroom areas)
• On the subject of restrooms, if possible their entrance and layout should afford every possible privacy. They should not open directly into the dining room; if yours is a small restaurant with minimal room for a corridor, at least provide some sort of screen. And designate a staff member to check them regularly for cleanliness, availability of supplies, and so on

Ten: Leave a Lasting Impression

• Presenting loyalty cards, coupons and other materials to departing guests is all well and good, but make sure to do it with subtlety—consider leaving these on the table with the check or place them near the door where customers can grab them, if they want to

For more ideas on how to build your business, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants