Though
opening a restaurant is a dream scenario for many aspiring entrepreneurs,
running one can quickly turn into the stuff nightmares are made of. Too many
people think that "if you cook it, they will come," but based on the
staggering number of restaurants that fail before they even hit their first
anniversary, things just aren't that simple.
There isn't one secret to success that promises
your restaurant will stand the test of time, but there are some habits
successful restaurants seem to have in common.
Here are the top five as researched by Ezra Adler
1.
They're built on respect
Enticing though they may be, a Michelin-star chef
and cutting-edge concept are useless if all the elements in place to support
them aren't given the regard they deserve.
Respect
for the food: You can't make five-star cuisine out of one-star
ingredients, and food waste will tank your budget faster than you can say “bankrupt.”
If you have to cut corners, by all means find a way to do it, but don't do it
in the kitchen. Falling food quality is the leading cause of falling guest
counts.
Respect
for employees: The restaurant industry is a stressful place.
When the dinner rush threatens a manager's sanity or corporate is calling for
the fifth time that day to check on the numbers, it's easy to unload on the
people who can't answer back. But beware — what trickles down from management
to the employees tends to keep trickling down to the guests. Greet your staff
with a smile and they're likely to pass it on. Berate them mid-shift, and
expect guest complaints.
Respect
for the guests: Nobody likes the silent treatment, and failure to
respond to guest complaints or address guest issues is a recipe for disaster.
Not every mistake should result in a comped meal, but errors do need to be
addressed. Diners aren't children, and they're not always right either, but
there is a middle ground between pandering and completely giving away the farm,
and successful restaurants find it.
2.
They're consistent
Every time a dish leaves the kitchen, it has to
look, smell and taste the exact same as the time before, and it has to be
delivered with the same hospitable service no matter what mitigating factors
may be at play. Guests crave consistency; give it to them and they'll come
back. Fail and there might not be another opportunity to impress.
3. They
make education a priority
The best restaurants take an active role in
educating their staff — not just in the beginning, but throughout their
employment. It's essential to give new hires the tools they need to be
successful. For the front of house, this might include detailed descriptions of
menu items, information on the history and mission statement of the restaurant,
a list of the required steps of service, training on the POS system and so on.
Back of house should be trained not just on recipe execution, but also on
sanitation and food safety.
Continuing education is also key. Successful
restaurants keep their staff up-to-date and involved by mandating attendance at
classes that focus on upselling, wine pairing, alcohol awareness, new menu
items and customer service issues.
As they say, knowledge is power and when you
empower your employees, you set them, and your restaurant as a whole, up for
success.
4. They
embrace social media
If there is ever any doubt as to how intertwined
food and social media have become, the sea of smartphones littering the tables
in every restaurant should make things crystal clear. Whether it's hunting down
the newest culinary hot spots, making reservations, posting photos of their
meals, rating the service or blogging about the overall experience, guests are
all about weaving technology into their dining experience, and most successful
restaurants take full advantage of that fact.
Increase your visibility by posting photos of
chef's newest off-menu offerings, or tweet out a limited-time deal redeemable
only if the diner retweets it. Take pictures of guests celebrating a special
occasion like a birthday or anniversary and give them a shout out on your
Facebook page; they're likely to "like" it and share it, two things
that instantly expand your audience, all at the low cost of a mouse click.
5. They
believe in accountability
Great leaders clearly state what is expected of
their staff, and then hold them accountable for adhering to those standards.
Too many bosses rely on so-called "seagull-style management," meaning
they swoop in, squawk at an underperforming employee and fly away. It's
demoralising, and demoralised staff aren’t motivated staff. Catch employees
doing things right, and they'll be left with an indelible and overwhelmingly
positive impression.
Take the time during pre-shift to read out guest
feedback and reward high-performing servers with gift cards or coveted shifts.
Hold annual performance reviews so your staff knows where they stand. Weed out
subpar employees who fail to respond to positive reinforcement so their
co-workers understand that when standards aren't met, there are indeed
consequences.
There is no blueprint for creating a successful
restaurant, but implement these five noteworthy strategies and you have every
chance of cooking up something incredible.
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