There are few things that can complement an enjoyable dining
experience. However, with the right
drinks, food, music, views and specials you’re bound to make a killing. With the holidays coming to a halt you need
to make sure your foot traffic stays at a steady pace. The summer has just started and this is the
time of year where people enjoy outdoor dining or dining with a scenic view as
the weather is nicer. Let’s face it, who
wants to be inside a restaurant after a long week of being stuffed inside their
home or office?
Some major ways to increase your customer dining experience
is by enhancing your ambiance! Here are
8 tips on how to do so:
- The Ambiance - You Don’t Need Water To Have A Scenic View
Many people don’t think of this right away, but it does matter. Making people feel like they entered another world when they come into your restaurant is a great way to start off their dining experience. Start off with an idea and research ways and ideas on how to DIY (do it yourself). We know you are very busy and don’t have much time, but some simple ideas can really go a long way!
- Drinks
Now that summer is approaching people will be out and about looking for craft beers, frozen drinks, or anything that will remind them of the warmer weather. Make sure your bar is stocked up with at least two different craft beers and a blender! - Food
Food and experience are the two reasons people go out to eat. To go into a restaurant that provides both!? Well you just won over another loyal customer. Always make sure you have strict food quality guidelines because let’s face it…a negative review on a review site can and will hurt you. Keep in mind; you can’t win them all but you can make sure it’s only two negative reviews instead of five. - Music
Close your eyes for a moment and envision your place in your head. Everyone has an experience in their head of what they would like to provide. If you cannot do anything in regards to the look of your restaurant try adding some music. In a study, the right music can add up to an extra $2 on each order. Take that $2 and times it by 50 people in one day, that amounts to an extra $100 a day. Which will ultimately bring your yearly sales up another $36,000 a year! Now that new décor we were talking about doesn’t seem so unattainable after all. - The View
Amazing food with a breathtaking view!? Don’t hide this from your customers. Let them know about your breathtaking views or patio seating. It’s the summer and people want to be outside as much as they can be. This paired with an outstanding ambiance will have you packed with guests all spring and summer long!
- Specials Menu
Specials menus are very important as not only do they make your customer feel like they are getting a deal but it also creates more efficiency within your kitchen. How you ask? This helps with production within your kitchen as the cook isn’t worried about the 20 entrees you normally offer but only 5 different entrees with the occasional person who doesn’t order off the specials menu. You can get very creative with this as well, see some suggestions below:- Italian restaurants do a ‘Pasta’ or ‘Family Night’
- Mexican restaurants do ‘Taco Tuesday’ ‘Margarita Madness’ or ‘Fajita Friday’
- White Tablecloths usually a ‘Wine Down Wednesday’
- American restaurants do ‘Steak Night’, ‘Family Friday’,
‘Happy Hour’, or ‘Wing Night’
(These are all suggestions and can be manipulated to fit your restaurant!)
-
Cleanliness
The best way to see how clean a restaurant is, is by going into the bathroom and seeing how it looks. If you have never heard of that…Now you have. People base their overall experience off of four things: Ambiance, Food, Cleanliness, and Customer Experience (hence this blog). Set a schedule for your staff and make sure your managers have them stick to it. Otherwise, feet that stick to the floor, or bathrooms that smell will never win over a loyal customer. - Customer Experience
Providing an excellent customer experience can be one of the hardest battles for you as a restaurant owner. However, it is crucial to your business that you ensure and well equip your staff to handle angry customers to the best of their ability. After all, those customers will be the ones more ready to write a review. So to help combat the ‘evil’ in the world have your staff promote your review sites. Let them know that monthly you are running a contest and anyone who has the most five star reviews written about them gets a prize, and make it something good! People love to be noticed especially among their teammates.
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