Restaurants make up around 2% of businesses in the United States. That’s not a surprising statistic – they’re a popular form of business for a couple of clear reasons. Firstly, people regularly want to skip cooking dinner and head out to a nice place to eat, meaning the local restaurant scene is always going to be in demand. Secondly, it’s quite easy to market food. When a dish looks like it tastes good, people are going to book a table to try it!
However, once someone has dined with you for the first time, it can be difficult to get them to come back again. Repeat custom is something every restaurant needs to be able to rely on, but if your diners didn’t love the experience the first time, they’re unlikely to make repeat bookings in the future.
So, what can you do? How does a new restaurant that’s got everything to prove call their diners back time and time again? Well, you need to make it easy for your diners to fall in love with the restaurant you’ve created.
Host Regular Events
Restaurants are well placed for hosting regular, exciting events that draw in the customers and leave your tables fully booked. If you want your diners to fall in love with your establishment and see it as more than just a restaurant, host a few such events of your own.
Karaoke and open mic nights, band performances and stand up comedy, speed dating and workshops – these are all fun events that won’t be hard to host, but will still drum up a lot more custom than you’re used to. When the people are seated while having dinner and taking part, they’ll start to associate your restaurant with a very good time!
Run a Lunch or Dinner Time Promotion
What time are you the most busy throughout the day? This is the time when customers are free to dine with you, which is typically either lunch or dinner time. The former is when working executives get away from their desks and head out for a good meal, and the latter is when people have finished work and are on their way home. If you see a lot of custom at either of these hours, run a promotion to complement the rush.
Two for one, 30% off, free drink when spending over a certain amount – these are all common and useful ways to bring more customers in. They also ensure people will enjoy their experience of dining with you, seeing as you’re providing more value with a simple coupon or discount code. They’re little ways to provide a bit more for less, and when a customer knows they’ve got a good deal, they’re going to come back for more!
Post Pictures of the Food You Serve
A picture paints a thousand words, and never is that more true than when you take a clear, high definition photo of a freshly cooked and plated dish. Let your food speak for itself by posting images like these on your social media.
When people come across these pictures in their feed, they’re much more likely to investigate who made the food, where they can get it, and what it’s going to cost them. Whether they end up booking or not, your profiles are going to get a lot more traffic and a lot more followers!
Let Customers Bring Their Own Bottle
Many restaurants allow for a ‘bring your own bottle’ policy, meaning customers can save money on drinks and bring in their own beer, wine, or champagne. This also bridges the gap between what they want to drink and what you’ve actually got in the racks, which keeps the main emphasis on the culinary delights you’re able to serve up.
To make sure you’re not out of pocket with a policy like this, you can put a corkage fee in place. If you’re not sure what that is, read more about instituting one correctly and fairly. This way both you and your customers get what you want out of the dining experience, without compromising on your fairness towards customers or the affordable fee of dining with you.
Have an Online Booking System
Don’t make someone have to phone through to secure a table. Give them the option to book it online, without the need for a middleman. This way someone can make a booking in a spare moment they have, no matter where they are or what they’re doing, and they don’t need to go to much effort for it!
Train Your Wait Staff
When your wait staff are well trained, they’re going to provide excellent service to anyone in the section they’re assigned to. They won’t just be smiley and friendly, but they’ll be charismatic, knowledgeable, and more likely to get a good tip on the other side as well. A little bit of customer service training goes a long way!
Respond to Your Reviews
If you’re left a review, respond to it within 24 hours. Whether it’s good or bad, or even neutral, make sure you leave a response and let the person know you’re aware of what they’re thinking. Say thank you when someone is positive, be productive when someone is negative, and invite people to come back down again no matter the tone in question.
When businesses respond to reviews, they become more firmly seated in a customer’s mind. Here’s an owner who looks out for the customer, and is active in responding to compliments and complaints – that must mean they care about what their customers feel! And you do, but this is the best way to show it outside of providing an excellent dining experience.
Run a restaurant? Don’t let your diners leave without falling in love! You can do this with a good bit of decor, some amazing food, and affordable prices that won’t break your average customer’s wallet. Be welcoming, be flexible, and always train your staff to deliver the best experience possible.
Collaborative post
