There are various factors that contribute to the success of a restaurant.
However, more than often, restaurants owners get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and this can lead to neglecting certain important aspects of the business.
As the key-decision maker in the restaurant, sometimes we fail to realise how certain actions and decisions are killing our restaurant instead of growing it.
Here’s 3 things you need to stop doing, and start doing, to sustain your restaurant.
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Your restaurant has no social media presence
So maybe you’ve decided that having a website for your restaurant is too expensive to set up or running a Facebook business page is too time consuming.
Did you know that 93% of the 80 million or so Millennials globally, use their smartphones to constantly discover, research and review restaurants? And that more than 50% of millennials make dining decisions through social media.
By having an online presence, you’ll not only be able to promote your restaurant, but also run online ads to reach the millions of potential diners, and of course increasing the number of customers at your restaurant!
You’re not paying attention to the interior of your restaurant
So you’ve set up your restaurant. You’ve thought about the chef, the menu, the plating of the food. You’ve placed a few tables here, 4 chairs around it, a cashier and you’re ready to hit the ground running.
But have you considered whether your restaurants interior is instagrammable?
If you didn’t know already, Instagrammable restaurants is the trend now, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.
A 2017 study showed that the interior design of a restaurant is one of the factors that influences customer satisfaction. Having an attractive interior can result in your restaurant being an immediate social media magnet, whereby you’ll be able to benefit from free PR.
As a restaurateur, you’re designing a restaurant experience. Somebody could have a drink at home, but they decide to come to your place — they’re coming for a certain experience
You’re not embracing change
So maybe you’ve been running your restaurant for over a decade now. Business used to be great, but anymore.
It’s time to sit up and decided what needs changing. Does your restaurant interior need a refresher? Do you need to set up a credit card terminal? Is it more cost-efficient to invest in a dishwashing machine instead? Should you invest a food delivery? Does the menu need new items?
Markets are fickle and restaurant trends come and go quickly. Smart operators spend time reading and researching. The information that’s out there.
You can embrace change and welcome it into your restaurant like your friend. Or you can shut the door and ignore it. Ego, pride and denial have closed down more restaurants than a bad economy. Sometimes the best medicine is when you look yourself in the mirror and say these two words: “STOP IT!”
Actionable Takeaway:
As of today, Facebook has a reported 2 billion users! Take action today, and set up a Facebook Business Page if you haven’t already! It’s completely free and will cost you nothing!
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