Movies like Chef & The Hundred-Foot Journey might appeal to the chef in you. But, managing a restaurant is not as easy as running a hot knife through butter. It’s like greasy-long hours of toiling over the pressure and living up to the expectations of food gourmets. Along with serving the taste palette of guests and managing inventory, there are many other critical processes to be taken care of while making your restaurant business successful.
Here’re some dos and don’ts in the restaurant business for those who want to push their limits and broaden the reach.
The Do’s in Restaurant BusinessStick to Your Guns
In your business, there are many failed attempts! And, the possible reason for this is restaurateurs changing the concept quite frequently. Instead, they need to come up with an idea, based on market research, and stick to it. If you are frequently changing your course in the middle, it will send a wrong signal to your guests. Stick to your guns and have your ducks in a row to advertise your restaurant’s USP. Distinguish yourself from the rest or join the increasing list of restaurateurs with mothballed dreams.
Do Let Your Consumers Set the Price
Something which is considered too cheap at $15 in Malibu can be too expensive for guests visiting a restaurant in the suburbs. Setting the price for each item in the menu is about considering the location, demographic and psychographic factors. Fortunately, you can refer to analytic reports and the ratio of the change in profits and guest counts with the shift in prices. Technology solutions like restaurant POS software can help you analyse the response of customers to changing food prices. In the end, you have to make all price adjustments on the basis of the guest behaviour. The best idea is to raise prices on selective menu options, which are not price sensitive.
Use a Good POS Software
POS software will help you go a long way in terms of central kitchen management and inventory management system. With automatic table ordering and billing, you can fasten processes at your restaurant. Inventory management processes can also be made more efficient with top restaurant POS software like Petpooja, as you can track your stock in terms of location and quantity. Not to forget about leveraging the features for online reservation, hassle-free food ordering and quick delivery. You can also run loyalty programs like special discounts and vouchers to delight your customers and ensure repeat visits.
Don’ts in Restaurant Business
Don’t Put Higher Prices on the Menu Unnecessarily
Why increase the price of those dishes in your menu, which are not much in demand? Instead, you can raise the price of your chef-special dishes which move really fast, as your guests wouldn’t mind spending more on those. Also, you can adopt practices like offering smaller food portions at a lower price to ensure that guests are happy with the pricing. Another trick to attract price-sensitive customers is not putting the price along with the tax included. This will have a positive psychological impact on your guests.
Don’t Ignore the Legal Matters
In your restaurant, everything has to be perfect – The wine list, menu, guest reservations, kitchen processes, and so on. Amidst all this, you may end up ignoring the legal & financial foundation of your business. Bookkeeping, accounting, payroll and HR tasks are often taken for granted, resulting in the shortage of utilities. You can’t serve the best food in the world if you run short of utilities. Also, ensure that you comply with restaurant regulations in your locality to avoid any legal trouble that can send your restaurant business off track. You have got to do it all to win a running race.
Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things
Be aware of any new trend that hit the restaurant market. Remember that your guests want to experiment with new menu options. For instance, a lot of guests put requests for fusion foods. So, it’s a smart move to introduce fusion food specials on your menu and delight your customers. You can also organize musical and fun events at your restaurant to attract more customers.
Wrapping Up
The more cautious steps you take, the more profitable your restaurant will become. Watch your steps and calculate the impact of every change you introduce at your La Bistro or La Brasserie.
Also, find out how you can make the most of restaurant technologies and stay ahead of the pack.
