Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Hi,

First off is it a residential area? if so have printed or even cheaper print yourself highly enticing invitations for your neighbors to come by and taste your food.If you are not afraid of the quality give them satisfaction guarantee so if they do not like your food they can claim their money back.
You have to use referrals of the people who come to you and enjoy the food.Offer them soft drink for free or 10% discount every time they refer new client to you or come with their friends.People have lots of friends so why not use it.
Think of how you could make those who come to you from time to time only, drop by your place more often.They are your best customers.If they have kids think up a dish for the kids so they could enjoy it as well.
Come up with a special low-fat meals inviting all the people who care about their health.You will be surprised how many people have problems with their cholesterol level.Make them your everyday guests.

Hope it can help.

Adam

gsmith521,

Some questions:
1. Can you raise prices?
2. Can you lower any costs?
3. What is your breakeven point?
4. How far away are you from your breakeven point?
5. What is your daily traffic like?
6. What capacity do you have for daily capacity?
7. Have you asked your repeat visitors to share their experience with others?

Gsmith,

What type of restaurant do you have? How many tables/seats do you have? What are your hours? Can you do private functions? Do you do catering? Do you have a bar area? What is your staff like? Do you have a staff you can trust when you are not there? The answers to these questions allow for more in depth suggestions to help you with your situation.

However, without knowing the answers, the best and most economical thing you can do is to make sure you are doing the basics. Serve good food, give great and sincere customer service, keep the bathrooms clean and teach the entire staff to say “thank you” every time a person walks out the door.

These will help with the customers you do get and it will create some word of mouth advertising, but you will need to personally get out and meet some of the local businesses such as car dealers and realtors to have them mention your place. You also want to make sure local businesses know your menu, your prices and the amount of time a person can get in and out, if serve lunch.

At the end of each day you and your staff need to answer one question “what did I do to either increase revenues and/or reduce waste?” A great customer experience or telling someone about your place are examples of increasing revenue. When it comes to reducing waste, don’t simply look at cutting costs as sometimes that can lead to poor food, poor service or other problems. Instead, look at getting more for your money. Make sure the staff knows what each piece of a place setting is worth. Be sure to utilize as much of your product as possible. Watch your garbage – what are you throwing away – order smarter. What are your guests sending back to the kitchen – preparation issues? The lists go on and on and you will need to look at every aspect of your business. Yes, it’s time consuming the first few times, bet definitely worth it when it becomes a daily habit or way of life.

I hope these help, should you wish to discuss other ideas or wish to talk more about marketing, please contact me directly.

Best wishes,
John

Yes, lots more information needed to be specific, but these will work for you:

1) Get decent (doesn't have to be 1st class) menus printed on single page and HAND DELIVER them to businesses in your area (you decide the radius). Before you give it them HAND WRITE a code on the menu and tell them to ask for that code when they call. You can decide if that is free delivery or 2:1 prices or whatever.

2) Contact local business (hairdressers, tanning salons) and offer to place their business cards at your location in exchange for doing the same at theirs.

3) Couponing: Put up a big sign that says we take ANY food coupons...even 50 cents off Healthy Choice frozen dinners. This cost you NOTHING and word on this travels so fast. If you want it to go even faster.. say you take EXPIRED coupons. If there is a ENTERTAINMENT book in your area, tell them you give 10% off with the card. You don't need approval for that.

Watch your costs but don't blow the quality. You don't want to be in a race to the bottom.

Post some more details and we'll all be able to add more.

Michael