Owning a restaurant might seem like a sure way to gain a profit. Unfortunately, the food industry is quite crowded and the competition is tough. It also doesn’t help that the profit margins are very thin with high expenses when it comes to buying ingredients.
But it is possible to beat the odds. You only need to be innovative and have an eye for some great improvements. Here are some examples of what you can do for your restaurant to increase sales:
Online Orders
One potential way to allow for more sales is to sign up for online ordering. Many people get lazy and often want to call for meal delivery. In the past, you had to have your in-house service to offer delivery.
Things are much different now, with multiple online food ordering services allowing restaurants to offer deliveries without needing the infrastructure. You can potentially double or triple sales if you have a listing on these services.
Increase The Space
It is a simple idea: more tables means more sales. Increasing the number of tables in your restaurant can mean more customers coming in. But it is not as simple as that. If your restaurant has been around for some time, you might be able to expand by buying adjacent spaces though it can get expensive.
You need to be creative. For example, installing a fixed retractable awning tropical countries such as the Philippines can allow you to have additional space by extending to the outdoors. As long as the climate permits it, you can potentially add a few more tables without spending large amounts of money.
Start a Customer Loyalty Program
You should also put some effort into retaining the customers you already have and convince them to come more often. This is where a customer loyalty program comes in. It doesn’t have to be complex. Even a simple stamp card with a prize at the end can convince people to keep coming back. You can have milestones marked on the card when they win a free treat.
This can be something as simple as a drink or even a whole meal. You can even have a point system that records every purchase, though this is more difficult to set up.
Focus on Increased Efficiency
If you have limited tables and can’t expand, then you should focus on getting your customers moving faster. You can do this by improving the efficiency of the processes in your restaurant. For example, take note of how your people take orders and process them. If you can improve so that you can serve your customers as quickly as possible, you will see your tables clear up and allow for more people to dine in. You should also look into your kitchen operations to see what improvements can be made to provide faster and better service.
If you have a chance of boosting your restaurant’s profit in any way, you should take it. Various improvements should allow you to attract more customers and serve more meals. It might seem like a risky investment at first, but you can expect to witness growth if you do it right.