GUESTS: Secret Ingredients for to Attract New Customers
It is an understatement to say that the restaurant industry is competitive. With more than a million restaurants operating in the US right now and more opening each day, it would be naïve to think this business is anything but cutthroat. In such a competitive industry, what are your chances for success as a new eatery? In this article, we explore various strategies to attract new customers and make those customers loyal patrons.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Musical Yelp Reviews
The Internet can be a frustrating place and it can also be a fun and silly refuge. You can find the latter if you visit singer and comedian Grace Hayes TikTok account. She’s been immortalizing some of the most outrageous and amusing Yelp reviews in song.
US Troops in the Middle East
While the U.S. presence in Iraq is sizable, other Middle Eastern countries host many more U.S. troops. The largest U.S. base in the Middle East is in Qatar. The country hosts around 13,000 U.S. troops, according to numbers compiled by the Washington Post. Located southwest of Doha, Al Udeid Air Base has proven crucial in the fight against ISIS. Qatar invested $1 billion in constructing the base and it's also home to the the U.S. Combined Air Operations Center, responsible for coordinating U.S. and allied air power across the Middle East, particularly in airspace over Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Smoking Loses its Cool
While lighting up a cigarette was once considered a sign of class and sophistication or, at the very least, an act of coolness, smoking seems to have lost some of its spark in recent years. According to a new report published by the Federal Trade Commission, cigarette sales in the United States dropped to 216.9 billion in 2018, the lowest level since the FTC started tracking cigarette sales in 1967.
MORE COFFEE
Why it matters to you: Upping your coffee game is good for business.
Coffee is one of those menu items that you just serve. Guests order it at almost any time of the day, it preserves well in an air-pot, and you don't have to think too much about it. Unfortunately, if that is the extent of your effort, you are simply leaving money on the table. Did you know that 61% of the coffee served nationally is considered gourmet. Consequently, you can assume that folks that are visiting your restaurant have that same taste for what is perceived as quality coffee. The problem is that most of you don't even consider coffee a part of your alcohol-free menu and that is why you just let it run itself.
The best practice we suggest is giving your guests what they are already interested in buying. Upgrading your coffee has little upfront cost and is the clear direction the market has gone. Whether you invest in a serious piece of equipment like an espresso machine or just offer a couple of coffee options that include recognizable gourmet elements, it will return dividends. Your current guests that crave good coffee will spend more on products they perceive to be gourmet, and you might even attract a new client or too that likes your food, but comes for your coffee.
Do a review of your coffee systems and ask your coffee vendor to review your options. From there, the level you take should match your guests. Ask them what they want in a cup of coffee, you can move forward from there.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
TRADEMARK ME, PLEASE
Why it matters to you: Your name and tagline are a part of your brand; protect them with a trademark.
Branding is one of the least appreciated forms of marketing by independent operators. Developing your identity by promoting and protecting them is a powerful way to ensure your brand is both more recognizable and won’t be stolen or copied to diminish their value. One of the simplest ways to protect your brand identity is to trademark your restaurant name. Whether you are opening a new restaurant or just focusing on protecting your existing identity, trademarking is a simple and straight forward tactic to guarantee no one will steal your name or even come close if they are in the same industry.
There are some key steps to trademarking your restaurant name and you can do this work yourself if you just take a small amount of time to focus on it. The most important aspect of trademarking your name is having a unique one. For example, you can’t trademark a name that is either already in use or that is not sufficiently unique that it won’t get confused with someone else’s mark. So, you can’t use the word Levi’s as your brand and especially if you are selling blue jeans.
Furthermore, you can’t protect a name that is so generic as to be too common in use. For example, you could not trademark the name Sports Bar. The words both separately and together are in such common use that a trademark would be rejected. However, if you named your place Cosmic Sports Bar, it would be unique enough to be protected, even though all of the words are common. The combination is sufficiently unique as to qualify. We suggest you read this primer on Modern Restaurant Management on how to trademark as your first step to protecting your name and owning your identity.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
