The greatest expense that a restaurant can experience is the increased number of empty chairs, which can drain the business to closure. Meaning that the top priority as manager assigned to a restaurant that is facing financial issues, should consider maintaining the existing customers and work on attracting others. The incessant assignment for this restaurant just like any other, even the most successful ones is to increase the sales (Guthrie, 2009). Among many other dining establishments vying for customers, effective marketing measures based on the launching your restaurant identity by enhancing customer loyalty goes a long way in maintaining existing customers. While the profit revenue margin in a catering industry is comparatively important, administering a profitable restaurant dose not only involve offering good food, but it’s the marketing strategy that is used to consistently attract and also keep the customers (Miner, 2007).
Determining a comprehensive marketing and advertising plan is the most essential key point in emergent and maintaining a continuous profitable restaurant business. The advertisements will need to segregate apart from the other restaurant and pique a personal interest to pull through (Miner, 2007). The marketing efforts should be recognized both internally and externally through promotions and incentives. Having a presence in the community activities will help promote the name of your business thus having a large number of people being informed about your industry. Networking through meetings with other businesses and trade groups will also back up the marketing process due to the exposure you give the business. The more visibility and publicity you give your restaurant the greater the market reach (Guthrie, 2009).
Other marketing techniques that as a manager entrusted in increasing the restaurant sales, should consider is the free advantage that internet has given. The business website should be very attractive and more so very as interactive as it can be. Allowing people make reservations and even make inquiry of the things you are offering. On one hand as we make efforts to attract new customers in the business maintaining the existing customers is also of great importance and should go hand in hand. Introducing incentives to the loyal customers, this can come in very many different ways, is a nice way of welcoming them again (Miner, 2007). This could come in the form of business card drawings, discounts, coupons, customer loyalty programs, punch cards, promotions and many others. At times you might want to consider trying a combination of incentives to enhance the business.
Like in any other business teamwork plays a major role in the establishment of a successful business. It is highly recommended in having a team that is bound by one objective to attain a common goal. While the ultimate responsibility lies with the manager there is no much that can be accomplished without an effective team in place. A team that is working together has a major way assisting, through the team spirit it creates loyalty among its staff member and the same fortitude is transferred to the customer through good service and food (Miner, 2007). The importance to assess the staff you have is of essence in this situation. It is of great importance to evaluate their effectiveness of the collaboration in their communications skills, coordination, and balance of contribution, mutual support to the team, the efforts made and the consistency in performance (Guthrie, 2009). After choosing of the team carefully, the combination of strengths gets the business a range of abilities, fields with expertise and different personal type that can cover all aspects in the business.
With all the hard work in marketing and the great service offered by the member of staff, the chief key will lie on the kind of food offered. The quality of food served will be the major reason that the customer will come back. The service offered should be done to meet or exceed the expectation of the customer, as the restaurant has promised, either through the designed menu or advertisement (Guthrie, 2009). The quality of the food offered does not really mean healthy food or a balanced diet, but merely was promised.The food must be prepared properly and the service offered should be prompt and at most courtesy.
To reiterate, having a business that its revenue margin is greatly reliant on a good marketing structure, a great service by the staff follows and fine meal tops it all, is the best way or even maybe the only way to have a successful business or consequently raise the proceeds in a trouncing state. This really helps because your business becomes the first in mind when one thinks of dining out, holding functions and special occasions. This also gives your customers compelling grounds to keep coming back, thus turning them into loyal customers who in turn become your very own army of sales and marketing. The success in the restaurant business will highly be determined by the manager learning to leverage the existing resources and outsourcing the surrounding functions so you can get maximum results and increased income.
References
Guthrie, G. (2009). Real Options in Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Miner, J.B. (2007). Organizational behavior: From theory to practice. New York, NY: Penguin Classics.