How to Take Your Restaurant Business to the Next Level

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Food & Beverage Company Business Capability Model (1-page PDF document). A business capability model for a food and beverage company. To be used as a core document for Enterprise Architects and EA work. Also very valuable to Business Architects and Business Architecture projects/programmes.

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The hospitality industry has taken a very nasty beating over the past couple of years. If inflation and rising prices isn’t forcing restaurants to rise their menu prices and customers to just make homemade again tonight, then a pandemic is closing their doors entirely.

The good news there is that we learned that restaurants are very susceptible to evolving. The industry was met with a huge problem, and adapted to deal with it, in a variety of surprising ways.

And you can take those lessons, plus more that are out there in the world, and boost your own restaurant with it. If you have found that you are stagnating a little bit, or you are simply looking to be more ambitious, you might be interested in our pointers. In this guide we show you how you can push your restaurant to the next level: get more feet through the door, get more positive feedback, and gain more reach from your premises. Read on for all the details.

Takeout/Collection

The biggest lesson that was learned from the pandemic was to not underestimate the influence of the almighty takeaway. Sure, apps like JustEat and UberEats had kept the concept chugging along, trying to convince the rest of us that you didn’t just have to stick to getting a kebab delivered to your door. Food of all ranges could be delivered. The more high brow of establishments weren’t having it.

And then the pandemic hit, and the takeout businesses were the only ones permitted to stay open. Suddenly a takeout service was a necessity, and premises around the world found out that there was a lot of customers who wanted good food but simply didn’t want to get all dressed up or leave the house. And the idea stuck.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, this trend of staying in and getting a decent takeout has stuck, which means restaurants that aren’t getting on board are missing out. People either can’t afford or simply don’t want to go outside, so alongside a streaming service giving you the latest movies, the best food delivered to your door is an acceptable date option.

Take It on the Road

Another idea that gained some traction was the concept of the food truck. Street food is a big hit, especially with the younger generation. There is just something about it that says, “This is quality food, something you’ve never tried before, for an affordable price.”

Plus, the benefits are there for you too. The brilliance of a food truck is that it’s portable. You can park where the crowds are thickest, in the city streets, beside the park, at music festivals, etc. and sell to the masses.

This idea has led to many variations, like the concept of ghost kitchens and pop-up kitchens, where catering is taken to a new extreme when they have a canopy set up to cover a set of kitchen equipment that appears out of nowhere (or out of a van).

And then there are people who simply create food out of their own home kitchen and forgo the idea of renting or buying a premise at all. With the help of delivery services like Deliveroo and JustEat, people can order everything from an app or website which you can then cook up and send off straight from your home set up.

Boost Your Website

Speaking of apps and websites, you might want to look into improving your online presence. Users are finding just about everything they want to do, from shopping to eating out, and researching it online. The best place to direct these people to is your own business website.

The good news here is that it’s a lot simpler than it used to be to be able to create a professional looking website. You can use a website builder with a template to make everything look fancy and like you’ve been coding all your life.

But another perk is that these website builders also come with a lot of good features that will make your customer’s lives easier – which should be your main goal. Restaurant technology trends only start on the website. Booking forms, calendars, menus, and more will allow your customers to see availability, set reservations, and even decide what they want in advance, making life a lot easier for everyone. No more spending half your shift on the phone.

Make It Social

Social media marketing is a given for restaurants. It’s the most accessible, most affordable, and most effective means of putting yourself out there. But take the term “social” to a new level when you’re making marketing content.

This generation of users are very aware of the world’s problems and are trying not to add to them, so make sure to promote the fact that you’re not looking to either.

What does this mean? This means show off your vegan options. Show off your sustainable business practices, how you cut down waste, if you’re donating to the local food bank, etc. Show off your inclusive team of employees, any events that help the community, and anything else you think would encourage customers to say, “I like what they’re doing for more than just me”.

Get Redecorating

However, the internet isn’t all doom and gloom. The Instagram affect on restaurants and bars is palpable. Have you noticed doorways decorated with roses that couldn’t possibly survive in the climate,  outdoor dining structures and backyard pole canopy setups, barbers that look more like speakeasies, and cafes that are decorated entirely in pastel?

People are catching on that users are taking pictures when they get their food. Either to show off who they are with or where they are dining, so give them something to show off. Sure, you’ve got the food, but that won’t do if the girl’s are getting together for a selfie.

No one’s saying you need to stick to the pale pinks and blues of the Instagram color palette, but remember when you started how an entrepreneur told you that you needed to pick a niche? Take that niche and redecorate with it. Scour the interior design magazines and add any bit of style or color you can to the space.

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