It’s competitive out there: According to research from the National Restaurant Association, 47 percent of operators expect competition to be more intense than last year. To be sure, the number of tools that operators have at their disposal to collect data and draw conclusions from it are raising the bar for competition. But despite the reams of metrics operators can study about their business, gaining an edge (and building authentic connections with guests) still really comes down to traditional marketing and public relations – knowing who you want to be, understanding your audience and why people come to you, and then crafting options and offers that fit neatly into their lives. This is especially critical if your business looks very similar to others in your neighborhood. A recent report from Modern Restaurant Management demonstrates the power of understanding your uniqueness in a crowded field. It shared case studies of two coffee shops operating in similar environments – they were in comparable city locations, had many competitors nearby, and had similar menus and interiors. On the surface, one might think of these businesses as interchangeable. But one business positioned itself as a destination for people working in nearby corporations, while the other positioned itself as an expert about coffee. This key difference was the seed that helped the businesses craft distinct events, social media posts, menus, atmospheres, you name it. So what makes your business unique? Understanding this and communicating it clearly to the public is the first step in building the loyalty that your restaurant needs to succeed. One recent survey found that 80 percent of guests say restaurants help them access favorite flavors that they can’t duplicate at home – or at least that’s what they think – and that’s what drives them to support restaurants. At a time when restaurants are duelling with grocery stores, meal kit companies and even convenience stores for business, it helps to know the reasons compelling your guests to order from you. Are you an end-of-the-work-week treat? Do you offer easy mobile ordering and prompt delivery to suit hungry consumers who want their meal as soon as possible? Do guests trust that you will surprise them with fresh ingredients prepared in inventive ways? Can you package your ingredients in ways that make it easy for a guest to prepare one of your meals for friends at home and look like a talented chef? As you welcome larger numbers of guest orders in person and offsite over the holiday season, solicit people’s feedback about what brought them to you over their many alternatives. Their input may help you to develop plans for new offerings that will help you bring people back and keep business steady in 2023 as economic uncertainty – or simply uninviting winter weather – makes eating out (or even ordering out) a tougher sell. |
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March 2024
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