Celebrity Chefs

3 Steps to Take If Your Restaurant Business Isn’t Getting Enough Traction

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When you have a dream, it’s the only thing you can think about. That dream emanates from your cells, and if there is ever a time you’re not actively pursuing the fulfilment of that dream, you feel lost. Dreams are beautiful things, and everybody should spend their lives in an active pursuit of that dream-never wavering, never backing down, and always doing what needs to be done to see that dream come to light.

The path isn’t easy, and if you’re in the restaurant business, the path becomes even harder to navigate. As is true with any business, the possibility of failure and the looming questions about  bankruptcy will come up, but you’ve got to do everything to push through. Restaurants are a dime a dozen and not only is it your job to make amazing food that people want to eat, you also have to figure out how to get people in the doors and keep them coming back.

Here are 3 steps to take if your restaurant business isn’t getting enough traction:

Evaluate Your Menu

If you own your own restaurant, the reason is probably because you have such a passion for cooking and creating new and amazing delicacies for people to indulge upon. However, if your restaurant just isn’t popular, the reason might link back to your menu. It’s the reason people come to your restaurant in the first place.

It might be hard to stomach the idea that your menu needs work, but if you swallow your pride, ask questions, and make adjustments to the menu, you might find that people start raving about your food and keep coming back for more. When the menu is beyond compare, people will want to share that with their friends.

Host Parties

In business, you often have to do things that might make you lose money on the front end, but will bring in money and business on the back end. If you’re not getting a lot of traction, try hosting parties, and opening up your place for events and catering gigs. Offer up free or discounted appetizers or offer up packages that get people dinner and a drink, coupled with a live show or a free dessert. It’s all about giving the illusion that you’re giving customers something they can’t pass up.

Bring in Entertainment
In the end, it’s about the entire package. If you have great food but your building sucks, people will not come over as often. If you want a restaurant that people rave about, try adding entertainment every now and again. People love live music and love enjoying themselves in multiple regards when they go out to eat. Give the customers a bite, they’ll take the line.

Originally posted on September 15, 2016 @ 1:40 pm

4 Tips For Opening A New Restaurant

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Opening a new business of any sort can be challenging and stressful, but opening up a restaurant is even more difficult because of the competitive nature of the industry. There are bars and restaurants all over the place, so it can be hard to stand out and succeed as a business, especially when you are brand new. If you are planning on opening a restaurant of your own or you recently have, you may need all the help you can get. So here are 4 tips for opening a new restaurant. [Read more…]

Originally posted on February 27, 2022 @ 12:54 pm

3 Reasons Your Restaurant Isn’t Getting Enough Business

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In the restaurant world, it’s important to not only attract customers but retain them. With so much competition out there, you can’t expect to fill your seats and generate revenue if you’re not getting enough business. If you’ve found recently that your business is struggling in comparison to others, then it can be frustrating and even scary. 

However, identifying the reasons why is the first step towards remedying the situation, and hopefully attracting more clients. To help you brainstorm, here are some of the most likely reasons why your restaurant isn’t getting enough business.

Not Focusing On Your Ideal Client

The first step to attracting clients is knowing exactly who you’re trying to attract. In other words, who is the type of person that is most likely to want to eat at your restaurant? This is likely to depend on where you’re located, and the type of environment your restaurant provides. This will also depend on your values as a business. Do you support the police force? 

Why don’t you market your restaurant towards your love for law enforcement? Perhaps you have respect for the elderly community, and you can attract them by offering senior specials. The more you can appeal to your ideal client, the more you can draw them in and start to make a name for yourself in that community 

No Online Presence

Online presence is everything in today’s business world. If you don’t have a Facebook or Instagram page, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. You need to make sure that you are visible and accessible on a wide variety of platforms. This will ensure you increase your engagement, and make yourself visible in comparison to the competition. Remember, it’s all a numbers game.  The more following you have, the more credibility you’ll give yourself as a restaurant.

Inconsistency

Let’s face it, if you compare McDonald’s to a five star Michelin restaurant, then it’s hardly considered the best food in the world. However, there’s a reason why McDonald’s is so popular amongst the masses! It has less to do with how good the food is, and more to do with consistency. 

You know that every time you go to McDonald’s your food is going to taste exactly the same. If your customers aren’t sure whether they’re going to catch you on a good day or a bad day, then they’re probably going to assume the worst. So make sure that you deliver consistency in your cooking and products so that your customers know exactly what they’re getting.

This should be done by conducting regular training amongst everyone in your staff, and asking for feedback from customers. Even though feedback can be a scary thing, it can be your best friend when it comes to delivering consistent quality.

Originally posted on June 6, 2024 @ 11:01 pm

3 Ways to Attract More Customers To Your Restaurant

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There are all sorts of things that go into creating the success of a restaurant. From the quality of your ingredients to the menu choices, to your location, everything will come into play. However, the most important thing a restaurant needs is customers. 

After all, without customers, who would eat your food? Where would your money come from, and who would spread the word about your business? You can be the best restaurant in the world, but if you don’t have any customers then how can you possibly hope to succeed? 

If you’re struggling to bring in customers to your restaurant, then here are some ways to start attracting people right away.

Use Social Media

Social media is one of the most important tools you have for spreading the word about your restaurant, since you can quite literally choose your audience. Are you looking to market to people over 80, or are you looking for more of an early 20s crowd? 

Social media is critical for pinpointing the kind of customers you want, and targeting them with the right content. Create engaging content that will showcase why your restaurant is unique, and what kind of dishes you offer. 

Share photos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and of course videos. The more content you can share, the more engagement you’ll encourage, and ultimately more followers. When it comes to getting a buzz going, followers give your restaurant credibility.

Offer Discounts

The best way to get people into your restaurant off the street is to offer them a deal they can’t resist. Everyone loves a good offer, so this can be an effective way to attract new customers. You could try something like a happy hour special or even a buy one get one free. 

Just remember, you don’t only want to focus on first-time customers. You also want to retain the current customers you have.  Offer loyalty advantages that will encourage people to continue coming back for more. This will encourage customer loyalty, and create a family-like restaurant atmosphere.

Host an Event

Why not host a local event at your restaurant? Perhaps you could host a themed dinner, or even a cooking class.  Some restaurants even go as far as partnering up with local businesses like speed dating or hanging an artist’s work. When you do host an event, make sure that you market it as much as possible. 

Promote your event on places like social media, and additional websites like Meetup where you can ensure the maximum amount of attendance.

Remember, hosting an event at your restaurant is your chance to shine. Show visitors who might not have otherwise come to your restaurant that it’s definitely somewhere they want to check out again.

Originally posted on May 25, 2024 @ 11:44 pm