Running an eating joint or restaurant is an idea that strikes many, successful businessmen and celebs alike. However, success in running a restaurant often proves to be elusive. There are instances of successful entrepreneurs biting the dust after trying to run a restaurant. There are also examples of rank newcomers hitting the bull’s eye in this regard. A lot of people believe in concepts like the location of the restaurant is a vital factor or you need to focus a lot on aesthetics. But these are not exactly hard and fast rules! However, to ensure a restaurant business grows and becomes popular a few tried and tested measures can be taken up.
7 top measures you can take to ensure success and growth in restaurant business:
1. Keeping it simple about menu
A lot of restaurant owners make the mistake of trying to include too many items in the menu! They do so being driven by the belief that it will give them some edge over the rivals in the region. Including too many dishes on the menu of your restaurant can actually prove to be detrimental –whether it is a multi-cuisine restaurant or one that sticks to Thai cuisine. Offering too many items in the menu can leave some customers rather baffled, to begin with. It may also lead to another serious problem in some cases. You may find it hard to get fresh ingredients for all dishes. It is best that you keep the menu simple and include delicious items.
2. Locally grown food
The source of foods cooked at your restaurant also matters. Instead of getting packed meat and produce for cooking numerous dishes, you may opt for locally grown produce and meat. This will ensure you get fresh ingredients. The cost of procuring locally grown meat and vegetables is also likely to be less. You may also opt for produce cultivated in a local farmer’s market or an organic farm in your location.
3. Presentation
The age old proverb of first impression, being the last impression holds true for restaurants too. You may have different types of customers and their priorities and mindsets also vary. However, nearly all customers prefer eating at outlets that are clean, neat and appear aesthetic. That does not necessarily mean a restaurant always has to be lavishly adorned with expensive tablecloth and dinner lights! However, cleanliness in the rooms, plates and attire of the waiters is a must-some people watch out for these aspects. Even the washroom needs to be clean and hygienic. Keeping surplus stock of napkins, cutlery and similar widely used items also help enhance the image of the setup.
4. Staff and waiters
To ensure your restaurant becomes a hit with customers, getting the right and skilled staffs is must. The chefs need to be good at their job and the waiters also need to be professional and courteous. You may have to deal with various types of customers and tackling them and catering to their needs requires skill and presence of mind. Handling customers with naughty kids and pacifying customers about food or delay need to be handled with care. Sometimes, the staffs can help first time customers who are unsure about the dishes to order. That is why they really need to be knowledgeable about the dishes served at the restaurant. If a particular and popular dish is unavailable at a time, they may suggest similar dishes.
5. USP
There are already many eating joints in the locality where you want to start a restaurant- so how do you stand out? It is simple, your restaurant needs to have some sort of USP. The USP can vary and your capacity to invest and prevailing situations play a role here. For example, some seaside restaurants offer their customers the option to see and choose live seafish that would then be cooked at their request for meals. Offering discounts is nothing new but you should offer discounts that before the customers in many ways. For example, you may offer freebies to customers that order in the group. You may also keep a menu meant for vegans. Some restaurants also offer children friendly dishes.
6. Ambiance
The ambiance in a restaurant should be soothing yet enticing. Based on the location and type of eatery, things like lighting, seating setup and decor can vary. For a seaside restaurant, utilizing natural light and air makes more sense. For a restaurant located in a busy urban area, soft ambient lighting and soothing music in the background is the way to go! Using the right color scheme inside the restaurants is also important since certain colors induce specific emotions in human mind.
7. Social media
Like any other entrepreneur, the owner of a restaurant simply cannot afford to ignore the power of social media. It is a very powerful tool to get more customer and spread word about your restaurant. Using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is particularly relevant in this context. This will help your restaurant business connect and stay in sync with tech savvy younger generations. However, creating social media profiles for your eatery is not enough. Updating the profiles with new and interesting posts will help you retain friends and followers and get new ones. You can also make use of social media platforms to offer customers special offers and promotions from time to time.
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