EXPERT TIPS & TACTICS ON EFFECTIVE RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT

Whether a restaurant is new or already established, running its daily operations without any hitch is definitely daunting for any restaurateur.

The everyday tasks most often include:

• Recruiting staff and their management
• Handling marketing activities
• Running daily chores
• Keeping track of inventory
• Maintaining audits and financial records
• Meeting (or exceeding) customer expectations

With their own restaurant website, restaurateurs have the responsibility of handling the digital space and fulfilling online orders as well.

This blog has outlined tips and tactics that restaurant owners can follow to succeed in the business,keep innovating and enhance restaurant operations.

Instead of confining oneself to time-tested restaurant management tips, restaurants can try and implement path-breaking new trends.

Want To Run Your Restaurant at Full Speed?

• Use a restaurant Point Of Sale (POS) to stay versatile under any circumstance.
• Allow guests to order and pay using QR codes. This will reduce waiting time and friction during transactions.
• Sync the restaurant’s menu with that of major food delivery apps
• Offer customers a friction-free unified payment experience permitting them to pay the way they wish to.
• Utilize an intuitive and responsive POS system that enables the front-house staff to manage operations with ease.
• Keep track of the inventory using automation mode or ingredient management tools.
• Orient the staff about using built-in hospitality tools that are easy and quick to learn and operate.
• Consistently access and analyze customer data to increase profits.

Tips For Successful Restaurant Management

• Deal with customer feedback or complaints on a war footing, thereby, encouraging their return visits.
• Meet the job expectations of the staff and ensure they contribute their optimum to the growth and development of the restaurant
• Make optimal use of sophisticated advertising modes to secure maximum exposure for the business.
• Always monitor revenue and expenses to ensure that the restaurant is not incurring losses.
• Implement special promotions, menu changes, catering services, entertainment, etc.

Other Important Tips Include:

Advertising The Restaurant 

Restaurants must always look for ways to advertise the restaurant and make good use of opportunities to gain exposure. The most important aspect of this is to have an online presence – one’s own website and fill it with scintillating images of your food, an online menu, and the latest promotions. Social media platforms can also be used as an inexpensive mode to promote the restaurant.

Monitoring Cash Flow

Cash flow is the amount of money that is generated as revenue versus the amount of money that is being spent. Thiscash flow should be monitored consistently – without a break – on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Restaurant owners must have a basic understanding of restaurant finances to avoid any kind of financial risk.

Expanding Sales

When daily business review reports are generated, restaurant owners can build a history of their business. These reports will help analyze sales trends, payroll costs, increase or decrease in customer base, and also predict future sales. Sales can be expanded by setting foot in catering services and featuring promotions – like happy hours to prix fixe menus and much more.

Since the prices of ingredients keep fluctuating, make changes to the menu accordingly. Ensure that the price hike does not lead to you losing valuable customers. Always strive to help them receive value for their money.

Costs can be cut by using low-energy consuming bulbs, less water-flow faucets, or making necessary conservatory changes to the restaurant atmosphere. But, cost cutting must not reflect low quality in any manner. For example, chairs can be replaced with less expensive ones. But, customers must not find the furniture uncomfortable while dining.

Keep The Menu Pricing Up To Date

As far as the restaurant industry is concerned, the cost of ingredients keeps changing frequently. Due to this, the restaurant’s menu prices should constantly be updated. 

But, a price increase is unlikely to be welcomed by regular customers. Instead, restaurants can remove menu items that are not churning expected profits and replace them with more profitable items. This shifts the focus of the customers from the price hike to the new offerings on the menu.

Restaurant Manager Tips – Best Ones To Know

Revamp The Menu On A Seasonal Basis

Having signature dishes is a great way to help customers identify you for those recipes. But, it is also essential to keep updating and reinventing. Changing the menu offerings according to the season lends a freshness quotient and also saves money as seasonal ingredients cost lesser. For example, peaches and zucchini can be added to salads during summer. During winter, Brussels sprouts and carrots can be integrated into an entree or a side dish.

Suggest Hosting Events

Restaurant owners can use their private or semi-private dining areas to host events for groups of eight or more people. Events can help restaurants generate additional sales and keep their calendars fully booked.

• Restaurants can give additional discounts to customers who rent their event spaces during weekdays.
• People who book parties within the first two months of the events program launch can be offered 10% off
• Send gift cards or exciting gifts to people who refer your space for events

If the restaurant already has an event program running, it must add a page to the website with images and the latest event information.

Simplify The Process of Tracking Sales And Inventory 

Dealing with numbers relating to sales and inventory is often a daunting task for restaurant owners and managers. Apart from numbers relating to the two, they must also follow up with customer counts, payroll costs, and much more. This can be handled by using a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system. These digital systems allow managers to access data and work even on the go. Automating the process saves time and increases profit margin.

Experiment With Fun Promotions

Restaurants that make use of happy hours get a great opportunity to bring in more customers and greater sales.

Happy hours fall on weekdays between 4 and 7 PM making it ideal for people heading back from work to meet their colleagues or friends for a quick snack and drink before returning home.

Restaurants can create full-fledged happy hour menus or offer a few drinks or appetizers at discounted rates. Several restaurants have tasted success using special promotions like:

• Sporting Events
• Holidays
• Thematic promotions based on the city
• Seasons
• Pop-culture references

Pay Attention To Online Reviews

Restaurant owners must always be informed about the brand’s reputation.

Word Of Mouth and website reviews are highly influential factors when people choose a place for dine-in, takeaway, or delivery

A restaurant must knowhow to acquire and leverage positive reviews as they can have a lasting impact on its online presence. Always keep your Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook page up to date, read every comment left by customers, and reply even to negative comments in a graceful manner. This will help enhance your brand perception and reputation.

This blog would have been a complete guide for restaurant owners looking for the best restaurant management practices. Get in touch with Restaurantify for more guidance on restaurant digital marketing and management.

Source: https://restaurantify.com/expert-tips-tactics-on-effective-restaurant-management/