BUSINESS: How to Boost Your Reputation with National Partnerships
When 76% of consumers say they’re more likely to dine in a restaurant that partners with leading brands, restaurant operators should take notice. Working with large, national partners helps bring peace of mind to your guests that you use quality items and can help drive traffic with pre-built and customizable promotions. Here’s how restaurants can boost their reputation by teaming with national brands.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Haunted Houses
It’s Halloween! And whether you believe in ghosts, goblins and haunted tales, it’s sometimes fun to pretend they’re real for a good fright. With that said, here are 13 houses in America that might be legitimately haunted… maybe. Who can tell? J
Red Sox Revenge
Sports fans are notoriously melodramatic, and that goes double for Red Sox fans. Well, the Sox social media account is having a field day by going back and responding to tweets from March 29th. Why? Well, the Sox blew a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the 8th to lose 6-4 on Opening Day and some fans were, well, coming unhinged. If only we all could do that, eh?
Happy Halloween!
As revelers gear up for Halloween by splurging on a host of costumes, decorations and candy, all of that spending is starting to add up. Indeed, for some people the fright factor isn't just confined to Halloween with real-life credit card bills sending a shiver down people's spines well afterwards. This year, 70% of Americans plan to celebrate the beloved autumn holiday and on average, each person will spend $87.
SILENT COMMUNICATION MUST BE GOLDEN
Why it matters to you: Your staff’s body language can communicate more than any guest greeting.
What silent message does your team deliver when a guest is seated at their table or bar? This is one of those observable behaviors that many managers don’t focus enough time on in their overall training. Sure, you train them thoroughly on your menu and service standards, but little coaching is done with regard to their body language. We have all experienced service that was delivered with a smile where their body language contradicted their offer of warm service. It’s the little things with body language that matters. Making direct eye contact while speaking to a guest and genuinely smiling are powerful communicators of real hospitality. Add to that the need for patience when I guest needs service.
Of course, guests don’t know that they are disrupting servers when they ask for catsup immediately upon returning with a previous service item. They are simply attempting to enjoy a meal at your restaurant. We strongly encourage you to observe your staff as they interact with guests. Observe their stance, expression and engagement with the guest. You might find a problem lurking below the surface. If you do, don’t begin with accusation. Start by asking if they are having any challenges (here or at home). Support them in resolving them, so they can focus on serving your guests with genuine hospitality and positive body language.
[Source: RestaurantEngine]
GOT WIFI?
Why it matters to you: Better utilize your restaurant by offering work space for remote employees.
How’s your lunch traffic doing? If you are like most operators, your lunch is soft and you constantly question if it’s profitable enough to continue serving during the day. Lunch is a complicated segment that’s driven more by location than your menu. So, what can you do to drive traffic during the day?
According to the folks at Thrillist, you should be offering your dining room as a work space before dinner. It makes sense. You likely have WIFI you offer for free and you have a bartender that is there regardless of how many guests you serve. The question is whether your location is the right place for an open work space.
Start by assessing where you are located. If you are in a suburban strip mall, you may see some traffic by offering your space for day workers, but not nearly as much as a more urban location. You may also need to open your dining room or bar early for those that want access for the day. This would entail bringing in a server or bartender a couple of hours early, which is cheap even when you pay full minimum wage. It’s likely that folks that do spend the day in your bar, will also be interested in coffee and lunch. You also become their go to place and have top of mind awareness from giving them a place to work. Do the little things, like having cellphone charging and making outlets accessible, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you create your own work community to fill your empty bar.
[Source: Thrillist]
