Restaurant Marketing Strategies

From the moment they walked into the restaurant, it was obvious they eagerly anticipated their meal.

Smiles as wide as sunshine greeted Kelli as she walked up to the couple's table to take their order. Their happiness was contagious, but Kelli felt a knot growing in her stomach as she entered their order into the computer. Breakfast service had officially ended ten minutes before the couple had arrived. She knew the cooks were going to pitch a fit. But she didn't have the heart to disappoint the enthusiastic couple.

I think we all know what happened next-- the heated exchange between the cooks and Kelli, the frustrated manager struggling to get both of them under control-- And the inevitable disappointment, perhaps even anger, of the couple who had their hearts set on bacon, eggs, and the restaurant's renowned pancakes.

Who was right? What guides the decision making process when the harsh realities of running a business collides with the wants and desires of the very people who make your business success possible?

A difficult question. But one thing is for sure; If the restaurant's operator hadn't clearly defined and communicated an operating mission that zealously values long-term growth over daily sales numbers, issues like the one above will create havoc.

Sell For Tomorrow—Not just Today

---AND not just restaurant marketing strategies

Each guest who dines at your tables is a potential long-term customer. And unlike most sales-scenarios, the guest doesn't need to be sold on the benefits of buying from you today; that decision has already been made. Successful operators and managers understand that it's the guest's repeat business that they need to shoot for. They do that by exceeding the guest's expectations.

For experienced managers, this is kid's stuff. But it's far easier to work towards that goal with your front of the house staff than it is with your kitchen crew. The personal interaction, the eye contact between servers and their guests builds bonds between them that strengthens customer loyalty.

But even in operations with display kitchens, there is a great degree of disconnect between guests and cooks. Servers have the advantage of "reading" a guest's disappointment, so it's easier for them to understand the ramifications for future sales if that guest's disappointment goes beyond the point of no return.

Consequently, kitchen staff are far more likely to make decisions that affect guest-experience based upon immediate costs-- or how it impacts themselves.

How does a KM or head chef counter this? First off, it's critical that they clearly articulate the operator's dedication and zeal towards growing their sales-- and it has to be a never-ending refrain.

This mission must become like a mantra. When new crew members are hired, it must be the core around which their training must revolve-- the elemental answer to every question. And once they're working the line, this mission must lie at the basis of any and all evaluations of their performance.

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The second step is to make sure those cooks get off the line on a regular basis to "meet and greet," and press the flesh of those who are paying their bills. Many KMs and chefs accomplish this by insisting that all their cooks do a predetermined number of "floor-walks" per week. Front of the house employees can play a helpful role here by introducing their teammates to their favorite regulars. This not only helps build bonds between both sides of the house, it makes guests feel they're being included as "part of the family."

It's also a good practice to encourage kitchen employees to participate in cooking demonstrations, contribute recipes to local newspapers, teach cooking classes... anything that reinforces the idea that behind those ticket numbers are real people relishing the meals they've created.

True, all this is costly and difficult to put into play. But when viewed within the context of this mission to grow sales, it becomes just another cost of doing business.

So, does a zealous devotion to your sales growth mission provide definitive answers to standoffs like the one described at the opening of this article? Not necessarily. But it certainly provides a basis for focusing on what is truly important.

As the server, Kelli, and the cook squared off, their focus was on how the issue impacted each of them. Similarly, the manager who stepped in saw it as a problem for herself-- the hassle of dealing with two angry employees.

If the operator had successfully conveyed a zealot's devotion towards growing business, the discussion instead would have been centered on how their decision would impact the guest-- and only the guest.

Does that mean the correct decision would be to ignore the deadline and serve the two guests their breakfast? Perhaps. That would depend on the individual operation. But if the realities of that restaurant warranted saying "no" to this particular customer request, then their focus better be on how they can possibly sell that notion to their guest. Their reasoning is going to mean absolutely nothing to their customer.

Instead of striking out at each other in emotional reaction, they would be working towards trying to minimize any resentment their guests would feel. Perhaps it would be a custom breakfast-like item, or a special not-on-the-menu dish made especially for them-- anything to turn disappointment into an opportunity to go above and beyond to make their guest feel special.

Moments like that-- opportunities to make customers truly feel like guests-- happen on a daily basis. In successful restaurant operations these opportunities are rarely missed. That's because the operator has clearly articulated that they treat sales growth with the zeal of a holy crusade-- and has made it clear to the staff that their continued employment is contingent upon it being their #1 Mission as well.

Garon Garson,

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Another method is to use the public relations field as a marketing tool. 

When people see a newspaper or magazine article talking about a restaurant, there is more credibility given to the information than when the same information is seen in a paid advertisement. 

Hire someone, or better yet do it yourself, to write press releases to local newspapers that reflect the uniqueness of your business.

The key to running a successful public relations campaign in place of a traditional advertising campaign is to do things that deserve notice. 

There must be something about your restaurant that the community should know about.  Get involved in the community. 

You can host events that serve as fundraisers for local charities, or offer to donate food items to the local food pantry.  Getting involved not only raises the potential for exposure, but contributing to the community will make you feel good.

Writing a press release will be a simple and effective tool for getting your businesses name out there. 

Check out this article at ehow.com for useful tips on writing a press release.