Sunday, May 17, 2009

Successful Restaurants Have A Plan

By Jose L Riesco

Successful restaurants happen for a reason. Its not luck or a secret formula that magically makes your restaurant a star. Rather, it takes a combination of factors, or ingredients if you will, to achieve success in the ever competitive restaurant industry.

When it comes to conveying a message, all successful restaurants do a fantastic job in portraying the relevant aspects of the business. A successful image must be created and must flow through the entire company. For example, the restaurant design, its customer service, the theme, nightly entertainment and, of course, it's menu -- all are important elements which dictate the restaurant's unique selling proposition.

In almost all successful restaurants, you will find something distinct that sets them apart from all the rest and keeps their diners coming back frequently. That special It could be anything, like the chef coming out to talk with patrons, an open kitchen, an ethnic menu, reasonable prices for the quality of food, far-reaching wine or beer lists, live music, or the design of the dining room. Its that special niche that gives them the winning edge.

On the very basic level, successful restaurants do well because of their location, quality of food, the value of the food offering compared to price, customer service, such as greeting each guest as they enter, and the overall atmosphere of the dining room. They are all things that customers judge a business on and remain memorable in their minds.

All successful restaurants have behind them owners or a management staff that possesses certain characteristics necessary to achieve great things in the restaurant industry. All of those who run winning dining establishments are creative and flexible to adapt to change. They can work independently, but at the same time are comfortable with exercising authority and leading a team.

Many successful restaurants do a good job at retaining customers. They do this by excelling in customer service and building relationships. They know their repeat guests by name, seat them in their favorite spot, do little things that make them feel special and show interest in them through interaction.

All successful restaurants focus on cleanliness and quality. These standards are essential through out the business, right down to how the servers are dressed. Great restaurants exercise consistency with active staff training and excellent cost control.

A comprehensive marketing plan is an essential requirement for all successful restaurants. To begin, all restaurants must have an interactive website where you may browse the menu and place orders or reservations. An e-mail marketing program, delivering tips, items of interest and special offers is in place. Ride the wave of social networking, by having a presence on Twitter, Facebook and other trendy sites. A visible presence in the community is important and there a number of ways to achieve this, such as charitable event sponsorship, trade and business group membership, special event promotion. Overall, a healthy buzz is created that encourages people to want to attend.

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