Even the best restaurants will face a dip in sales at some moment in time. This is true for any industry. The important thing is to know how to overcome such situations. There could be a couple of reasons for the decline in sales for a restaurant business. Offering discounts out of panic might not be the best way to address the challenge. According to statistics, more than 60% of restaurants fail in their first year of business from restaurant marketing mistakes. This will be alarming for anyone who is looking to venture into the business.
Before you can do anything about the dip in sales, you first need to identify the reasons that could be contributing to the problem. Consumer trends are constantly changing almost on a daily business and it can be hard for restaurants to try and keep up without losing authenticity. The decreases in sales might be a result of a lack of consistency or lack of an updated menu. Whatever the reason for the decline, you must ensure that you’re taking the appropriate measures to mitigate these issues. Here are some tips that will come in handy for your restaurant business plan if you’re looking to improve sales for your restaurant business.
Work on Your Online Presence
Almost everyone uses the internet on a daily basis. That is why you could be losing a lot if you don’t have a robust online presence. Most people will go online to look for restaurants in their area. You won’t benefit if you’re not on the first pages of search engines. The modern customer is tech-savvy and will want to read reviews before trying a new restaurant. You should also not forget about social media, especially Instagram. You want to make sure you’re taking clear pictures of the different foods available on the menu. Your followers need to be updated on any specials or offers. Having an active online presence increases visibility which will ultimately translate into walk-in customers.
Kind Gestures go a Long Way
Sometimes it is the little things that will make a big difference. A customer might remember the food but will certainly remember how they were treated when they came to your restaurant. You should make it a culture that the servers have to greet the customers before anything else. You should make it your business to know what the customer would like. The waiter can also suggest best sellers if the customer seems to be confused about what they should be getting.
Have the Manager Around
Not every customer is going to be pleased with the services. Having someone of authority might help in such situations. Sometimes that customer might just want to share their experiences or have a small chit-chat. It will help if the owner of the restaurant is also around occasionally.
Track Food
Sometimes the decline in sales might be caused by waste. It can be difficult to track the food when there is no proper system in place. You could try out a free POS system Harbortouch if you’re looking to keep the costs down. You need to identify the areas that you might have gone wrong. Having a POS system will make things a lot easier. You’re able to analyze the tables that are occupied compared to the sales that have been generated. The customers might be ordering low-profit margin foods which contribute to the poor sales. This will mean reevaluating your menu and coming up with something more attractive.
Reducing Food Costs
Food cost in a restaurant can be approached in two main ways. The first approach is the cost of purchase and the second is the cost of sales. It is imperative that you’re looking at food cost percentages so you can know how much of the total budget is being allocated to food. Doing so manually can be laborious and time-consuming. That is why there should POS systems in place so that you’re immediately notified whenever there are major deviations in the food costs.
You should also check your menu if you’re looking to reduce costs. This is where menu engineering comes into play. You need to identify the types of dishes that are popular and why customers choose them. Tracking the performance of your menu items is crucial in the decision making process. You can get rid of poorly performing menus to reduce the wastage.
It can be hard to track the performance of your restaurant without a POS system in place. Doing it manually won’t be as accurate and the data might not be right. Investing in a system will ensure efficiency in all your restaurant’s operations.
