After a few years in which so many restaurants were operating in survival mode, the start of 2024 feels like a time of greater optimism for restaurants. Technomic expects U.S. restaurants to experience more steady business growth this year after several years of challenging surprises. That, paired with some possible quieter shifts over the coming weeks, makes now an ideal time to put plans in place to drive your success this year. Slower periods are great times to get organized, test out new ideas and train staff. Use quieter shifts to clear out inventory, declutter storage areas or launch new technology. Assess your business over the past year: Where have you fallen short on food safety? Are there bottlenecks in your guest journey that you can smooth out? Areas where you can operate more leanly? Maintenance tasks that have been overlooked or delayed? Addressing those issues now can help you avoid crises later. This practice can also help you determine where you might be leaving money on the table so you can plan (and possibly automate) inventory management and marketing efforts, strengthen your various revenue streams, and potentially target new ones. Now is a good time for experimentation: Maybe you have a new menu, limited-time offer or service model to try on guests – a soft launch can help you collect feedback with less pressure. Focus more time on education, whether that’s training staff on new technology or providing a talented employee with some kind of career-development opportunity. Refresh your brand and your culture. Does your dining room décor or website interface feel stale and need an overhaul? Are there steps you could take to boost engagement and morale on your team? Take time to communicate, collect feedback, implement changes and monitor progress. Getting your business off to a strong start can help you better sustain the inevitable challenges that crop up later in the year. The coming holiday period is an opportunity to engage guests, encourage some extra spending, and hopefully give people an incentive to return and keep your business humming during quieter periods this winter. But you need to plan for it. According to a survey of restaurant operators by ResDiary, only 18 percent of early planners were never fully booked over the holiday period, compared to 34 percent of all restaurants surveyed; 82 percent of early planners made significantly more money over the holiday period; and only 10 percent of early planners did not say they struggled with no-show guests, compared with 26 percent of all restaurants surveyed. Hopefully you’ve already got a solid plan to generate holiday sales but there is still time to fine-tune your practices to protect your margins this season. Ensure you’ve optimized your menu with high-profit items (and have developed some subliminal cues to lead guests to your best ones). Scrutinize your food waste and make adjustments to your food ordering and preparation so you can minimize it. Consider how people are getting in touch with you to make bookings, order food or buy retail items – how can you use web-based and automated systems to ensure you’re not missing inquiries, orders and sales? Be the gift that keeps on giving into 2024 by offering gift cards and other incentives to return in the New Year. Finally, prepare your team from a scheduling and training perspective – make scheduling clear, arrange backup support where possible, offer incentives for staff working on key holiday shifts, and provide any special training they need to deliver your best service during the holiday season. |
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