Episode 29: Prepping your restaurant for winter.

There’s Risk in Revenue

A lack of outdoor dining means more customers inside.  Are they willing?  Are you willing? 

If nothing else is certain, it looks like we are going back to square 1. 

Remember:

There is money going to be spent in the last quarter of this year… it just may not be counted by “Butts in Seats” – take some time to figure out your best way to capture these dollars spent.

We have been thru this and you can now prepare.

• Take Out Everything
  • Digital Assessment
    • Maximize online presence – Online ordering, Mobile app, Social Media, etc.…
    • Be visible EVERYWHERE
    • Be engaging more now than ever…stay top of mind
    • Google for Business
    • Partner with someone to take our game to next level.  THIS WILL PAY OFF!!

• Reduce Transactional Friction
  • Review your E-commerce platform
  • Review your online ordering systems
  • Do you have curbside?  
  • Consider delivery

• Broaden Offerings
  • “Delivery Only” menus – maximize GP to fend off 3^rd party delivery fees
  • Develop a new brand via the Ghost Kitchen
  • Partner with other restaurants to diversify offerings
  • Drinks, drinks, drinks
  • Meal kits
  • Family packs
  • Merch
  • Sell an experience – Live, recipes, virtual happy hour, etc.…

• Holiday Meals for pick-up and delivery
  • Market Holiday meals – Turkey and Ham dinners with sides
    • Offer Bulk cocktails – not sure on laws everywhere for this
    • Do the Main Course to keep simple and ala cart sides to build ticket
    • Train service staff to take orders now while people are dining in.
    • Offer Discount for ordering before a cut-off.  Give impression of deal

• Improve Your Quality
  • “Delivery Only” menus – maximize your quality by only offering those items that travel well
  • Packaging
    • Think it through
    • Test it out
    • Examples:  ALL sauces on side; hot items separate from cold items
    • Better packaging = better food
    • Is your food designed to be taken home?  Can it be?
      • If not, don’t offer it!

• Enclose it
  • Heaters, heaters, heaters (The new hand sanitizer?)
  • Tents, tents, tents

• Hibernate
  • Is not operating a possibility?