Managing a restaurant business is quite tricky. There are plenty of factors you need to consider aside from the food quality. You need to ensure that the customers are getting what they paid for.
Another challenge for restaurant owners is competition. More and more people have started their food businesses around the country. You’ll be surprised as food trucks and stalls suddenly appear near your area, grabbing people’s attention.
To make it worse, CoVid-19 made many businesses suffer, especially the food industry, as many people didn’t go out. They prefer to cook at home or use delivery apps.
Now, businesses are returning to normal, so it’s time to level your management to increase sales and grow your restaurant.
This article will provide tips to increase your restaurant’s profit.
Master Restaurant Menu Engineering Tactics
Have you ever wondered why some food you serve doesn’t sell well? On the contrary, you have items on your menu that are in demand.
Engineering your menu could solve the issue has something to do with menu price optimization. It is divided into four parts: a star, plough horse, puzzle, and dog.
A star is highly profitable and popular, while the plough horse is popular but doesn’t sell well. A puzzle is profitable but not popular, and a dog isn’t popular nor profitable.
Instead of selling the food items as is, you can offer combos. For instance, you can partner your best-selling soup with appetizers that don’t sell well. You can also provide some of your drinks with discounted snacks.
When you have mastered restaurant menu engineering, you’d be able to improve the sales of plough horse and dog items.
Choosing The Right Ordering Platform
Delivery service is very convenient for customers. They can have food no matter where they are and how busy they are. However, customers sometimes have difficulty choosing what they want to order.
Mainly, there are two options for your restaurant’s ordering platform: direct ordering and third-party apps.
Direct ordering platforms have a flat-rate fee, so you’ll pay the same amount no matter how much you earn. On the other hand, third-party apps require you to pay commissions.
However, the main concern here is the app’s availability among the users in your area. Some apps are not optimized for specific phones, so customers might not find it convenient to order. So make sure you consider the availability of the app.
Another factor when choosing a platform is if your menu offers a lot of single-order dishes and combos. Customers might feel overwhelmed as there are too many options. A trick when engineering your menu is to provide just enough choices to boost delivery.
Build and Optimize Your a Restaurant Website
Websites are powerful marketing tools. When visiting your website, customers can find the food you offer, including the current promos and menus.
Make sure your website has complete data to market your restaurant; you can add a brief history about the food, how you process the meals, location, missions and visions, and other information about your restaurant.
Customers are not only interested in the food but how you handle the business. The website can play a huge role in introducing what your restaurant has to offer.
Don’t forget to add high-quality images of foods and their description. You may also include blogs or other food-related articles using the right keywords.
Marketing
Proper marketing management techniques are critical when managing a restaurant. When your sales are down, you might consider offering discounts, lowering the prices, or moving to a different location.
However, before you start doing any of those things, you’ll have to understand what affects the business performance. Could it be the dish you offer? Perhaps the ambience?
When creating marketing strategies, it’s best to identify the root of the problems before taking action. One of the most effective marketing campaigns is to rebrand the restaurant. This comes in changing the logo, menu, and even the fixtures in the restaurants.
If rebranding is not an option, you can create a survey to hear the voices of your customers, and by then, you’ll be able to create an effective plan.
Loyalty Program
There are various ways you can make a loyalty program for your restaurant. Some could be effective for your business, while others are not.
One of the most common methods is to offer VIP memberships. Customers can sign up for a membership plan and enjoy its perks. Let’s say VIP club members get 10% off from their delivery orders, or they can get a freebie when they eat at the restaurant.
If you want to boost a certain dish’s sales, you can offer it as a freebie when they order a specific amount in value. You’re getting profit from your best-selling dishes and promoting the others simultaneously.
Another loyalty program you can offer is to sell limited edition items to loyal customers. You can make enticing mugs, T-shirts, hoodies, caps, or other memorabilia. You can also give people an option to buy these products when they spend a certain amount in a single purchase.
Loyalty programs don’t only increase sales but also boost the retention rate of your restaurant.
Improve Your Social Media Presence
Billions of people are using social media, making it a perfect way to reach your audience.
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just some of the most powerful social media sites nowadays. You can boost your visibility on those platforms by engaging with various people.
You can connect to them by answering their comments or messages. You can also post various content on your page, such as promos, menus, your customers’ experience, and a lot more. Make sure to share the photos regularly to increase organic traffic.
Creating videos for YouTube or social media sites is also effective. Use the proper keyword and utilize hashtags that are relevant to your business.
For instance, you can post your recommended dish for the week. Include enticing descriptions, and don’t forget the hashtags. When people see it or react to it, engage with them.
Another way to boost your social media presence is to use influencers. Collaboration with them can attract their followers to try your dishes. However, ensure that the influencer has the same or similar vision as yours to avoid negatively impacting your target audience.
Improving the Table Turnover Rate
People eating in your restaurant can increase your sales and, at the same time, hurt the business. If they love eating at your establishment, chances are they make the queue length as the others wait for their turn to sit and eat.
Although you have many customers, not all of them get the experience you want. Expanding your business can be good, but that would cost you a lot as you have to renovate the building or relocate to a new one.
In addition, you can’t rush your customers to eat as others are waiting. Instead, it’s better to make the process more efficient to increase the table turnover rate.
When your customers are ready to eat, the kitchen should receive their orders immediately. The servers can bring the food once they’re all cooked and prepared.
You should also make the payment more efficient. After the customers have eaten, their checks should be collected in time.
Efficient services will make your customers happy as they get the best experience and increase your table turnover rate.
Sum up
Restaurants have tough competition, so it’s pretty challenging to increase sales. However, with proper techniques, you’d be able to boost your restaurant’s revenue.
Menu engineering is one of the keys as it is the process of combining dishes at reasonable prices. Delivery services can also increase the number of customers buying food.
Utilizing your website and social media can reach your target audience; just make sure you have quality content to attract them. You can create various marketing campaigns, such as discounts, promos, or loyalty programs.
Don’t forget to build an efficient system to give the best experience to your customers.
Following the tips above, your restaurant will surely improve its sales quickly.
