Restaurants are no longer competing with restaurants alone. You have convenience stores and supermarkets selling ready-made meals, food trucks offering delicious take away and pop-up cafes everywhere. If you are looking for ways to increase sales at your restaurant you need to get innovative.
Emphasize on up-selling. A hospitality consultant will get your staff to understand it is sales you are talking about. Encourage customers to order an extra side of fries, a second appetizer or an expensive dessert. Who is your top performing customer support? These are the people you need at the forefront doing this very job. Even the smallest item is a boost in sale.
Most restaurants have a mobile presence. Millennials are one of the most influential demographics who don’t go to sleep at night without their mobile close to them. This group admits to making buying decisions on their phone. If they want to eat somewhere, they will look at the phone. When it is decision mode time you need to get your message to them. So ensure you use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as often as possible.
At the same time studies show that millennials are a loyal bunch of people. While loyalty programs don’t matter so much to them, an enjoyable experience does. Everything is judged by the experience and if you provide an unparalleled dining experience you can be certain they will keep returning to your restaurant.
Have regular staff meetings with your employees and keep them up to date with your plans. Remember, how your staff perform will reflect on the overall sales of the restaurant. A great team will help make your restaurant reach new heights. It begins with leadership, however, you are the anchor of the ship.
Get your first time customers to return. This is key to increasing revenue. You don’t want to have one time customers, this means you are not engaging enough that they don’t feel the need to return. How do you make a good impression the first time around? Ask your staff to seek them out, pay extra attention to first time customers, make sure they are served exactly what they ordered and offer them a discount coupon on their next visit.