The restaurant industry isn’t out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. Despite the pandemic ending in 2023, it’s still feeling the aftershock of the lockdowns.
Along with inflation and the rising cost of living, consumers are spending less on eating out. Moreover, they are more habitual to cooking at home now.
According to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), the outlook for the sector remains uncertain. And yet, restaurants remain positive.
About 30% of businesses expect higher sales in the next six months. In the same vein, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) forecasts the industry to surpass $1.1 trillion by the end of 2024 and create 15.7 million additional jobs.
Restaurant owners are continuously looking for ways to ensure incoming revenue. We’ll discuss three strategies for a successful restaurant business.
Interior Refresh
To encourage more feet at the door, a quick design refresh is sometimes all an established eatery needs.
Stick to your design theme, but add more nuanced touches. Brighten up the space by investing in wall art produced by local artists.
Lightspeed suggests creating a gallery-style wall featuring new artists if working on a budget. You could rotate a collection based on a theme every quarter. This way, artists have their work seen and potentially sold.
Biophilic design is coming into its own and finding favor within the restaurant sector. Interior spaces are bringing the outside in with succulent green plants and seasonal flowers. It also creates a visual connection for patrons to the freshness of ingredients used in the dishes.
Talking about visuals; leather check presenters are an excellent way of improving customer service.
Custom-designed covers made from leather are not only stylish but also hard-wearing. At the end of every service, all one has to do is wipe them down.
Leather menus, check presenters and coasters are the preferred choice for fine-dining eateries.
But don’t go for any type of leather. Savilino suggests handmade custom leather. The high-quality premium materials are strong and durable.
The ambience is important to eating out. We’re not just talking about the playlist. Color, form and lighting play into how a patron perceives their experience. TouchBistro says you should establish a sense of arrival at the entranceway by making it warm and inviting.
And, if your restaurant already has a well-recognizable theme, don’t overwhelm guests with conflicting ideas and styles.
Adapt to Trends
In the age of food delivery, you’d be a fool not to jump onto the bandwagon. Exploding Topics says the online food delivery market is expected to reach $182.3 billion by the end of the year.
Doordash has thus far captured 45% of the market in the U.S. It has over 450,000 merchants on its platform and 20 million customers. If you haven’t joined a food delivery platform, you’re missing out on a potential revenue stream.
Ghost kitchens are another trend that’s still coming in strong. Also known as dark kitchens, the concept is about setting up a kitchen explicitly for food delivery.
Dining-in and customer-facing experiences do not exist in ghost kitchens. They also collaborate with multiple restaurants at a time.
Similar to ghost kitchens, virtual restaurants are reaping the rewards of their business models. Primarily online, a virtual restaurant uses advanced delivery logistics and AI.
Drones, autonomous vehicles and routing algorithms ensure meals are delivered in the shortest time without compromising quality.
Listen to Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is the backbone of every successful company. Modern Restaurant Management says you should implement systems to capture feedback when a patron pays for their meal.
The data will help you understand where you’re going wrong or right. You can then make immediate adjustments and remedy any negative reviews.
If customers complain about the long wait time, address staff shortages or improve communication between the back and front of the house. Implement strategies that streamline operations, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
Check, Please!
You must implement these three strategies as the restaurant industry struggles to stay afloat.
An interior refresh does not cost an arm and a leg. Look at simple ways to make the space feel new and exciting. Choose customization options for a lasting impression.
Adapting to trends is easy. Online food delivery shows no signs of slowing down so join the money-making machine.
Always take your customer’s feedback to heart and listen to what they say. It will create a sense of loyalty and encourage others to visit your restaurant. More customers spell more profits.