Increase Restaurant Sales

Just watch, stand back, slow down, and go though a theoretical dining experience that we have been through so many times and may have provided ourselves. A bit scary I have seen this stuff through out stores that I was fixing and thought wow we ain’t where we need to be. If your focus is on increasing restaurant sales then keep reading, it is all about the small stuff. So lets explore some pet peeves, yes these are mine however please add your!

1. Eye Contact Now! 30 seconds  or Less where? At the entrance, host stand, drive through, lobby, foyer, front door, Cleaning the bathrooms or delivering the appetizer, entree’s, desert and check. all the time every-time may seem obvious but watch your staff, shut up stand back and just watch.
Watch the employees that make the most money and watch the employees that whine the most about not making the most money. I am willing to bet the eyes have it

2. Crumbs, paper , debris, wrappers, and that’s the dining room, for those restaurants that have an opening to the dining room and the guests have a great view of the kitchen.

At my local PF Changs this weekend I walked into the front door and immediately my eyeballs went right to the view into the kitchen  and it was not impressive. It should not matter what time what day or what the excuse is. this is one of the worst crimes committed in a restaurant.

3. When walking to the table is the table clean do you see crooked silverware, condiments and other stuff that is not supposed to be there? Are the chairs skee-wiff , (I just made that word up). This will not increase restaurant sales.

The subconscious does amazing things to a guest when you are not looking, watch them look around not feel welcome, not even aware they are looking for others things out of line? We know that we are not wanting to start the dining experience on a negative.

4.The storeroom in the dining room clutter junk, trays chairs shoved in a corner and not “strategically positioned around the dining room” with chairs upside down and other clutter making one particular corner of your restaurant look like a store room. I am not sure eating in a storage shed, store room is desirable to any guests

5. Finally at the table you are with your date and the table is not  level, (and they have the self adjusting feet with a folded napkin under one side?) Did you make your guest “feel” like they were the first person to sit at that table?

6. Does your server again make eye contact? is he she friendly, courteous, overbearing? is it all about them? Professionalism is at the up most importance. Hiring is easy, Hire Nice People!!

7.  & 8.  We know or should know Hot Food Hot!  Cold Food Cold! No brainer but easy to muck up

9. Check Back Check down, friendly? Timely? Accurate? Obtrusive? Offer a desert to go? Your restaurant sales?

10. Welcome Back the simple statement, call to action do something, hey you enjoyed your experience please come back and spend your money hear again. Thank You Because I know you can go anywhere else, and even have it delivered, so please come visit again we enjoy your company!

This is just the beginning there are more to come, so stand back and watch slow down and watch listen to your staff and train, train, train. And watch your restaurant sales increase. To busy to listen, to watch, to train, who is minding your business? Check out Jim Sullivan’s Mind Your Own Business: People, Performance, Profits

Caio!

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