The world’s gone digital and despite the restaurant industry’s resistance to change, it also has mostly gone digital. From email marketing and social media content creation to online reviews and tableside ordering to third-party delivery and staff scheduling in the cloud and more, there’s a ton of digital options for operators to consider.
But knowing what digital services to invest in requires knowing two things — what will fix pain points in your business as well as what your restaurant’s guests expect from you in terms of service.
The folks over at Netwaiter did some research and created a nifty infographic on restaurant digital statistics operators, owners, and managers should know.
The Highlights
First off, the number one potential guests on your restaurant’s email list or social media account followers want to see are discounts and special offers for your restaurant (80%). Sure, the fun content is great to keep their attention and potentially get in front of more eyes, but at the end of the day you’re a restaurant and your cash-scrapped followers are looking for a great deal.
Restaurant guests, however, are pretty bad at planning ahead of time. The vast majority of guests (86%) decide where to dine spontaneously or within the day. So if you’re looking to really score with guests, you want to schedule your special offers and discounts around the time guests are planning on going out — typically the weekends. So Thursday through Friday early afternoon might be your best bet at striking a chord with your guests.
Lastly, the vast majority of dining research is done via a smartphone (89%). That means you want to be sure that you’re on the major review sites and social media apps, and make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. Be sure all relevant info for your business is there (hours, contact info, menu, etc.) and that you have high quality photos of your venue and your food and drink. This research phase is your restaurant’s first (and potentially only) impression on hungry diners, so make it count.
Check out the full infographic for more restaurant digital stats.
![State of the Restaurant Industry 2021: Post-COVID Edition [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56a2785c69a91af45e06a188/1624456093617-7MNR7QR90WNFTYRI8W5D/State+of+the+Restaurant+Industry.png)
