Get An Instant 20-30% Increase In Restaurant Sales By Following These Year-End Tips
The New Year is almost here. I can smell sweet ham cooking in the kitchen, and at the same time I’m writing down the ways I figured to make 2010 the most profitable year for your restaurant.
But let’s get one thing straight. Looking forward to a prospective new year doesn’t mean you won’t learn anything from the one you’re leaving behind. New opportunities are a result of careful observation of your experiences.
Here are some of my tips for 2010.
1. Where’s your profit coming from
Where’s your money coming from? Do most of your customers order take-out? Do you have delivery? Is it booming?
What you should do is list down on a spreadsheet which of your services generate how many dollars as well as the percentage of your total sales. This is how you’re going to plan what you’re going to do in the coming months. If 65% of your earnings come from lunch, then you’d do well to allocate 60% of your budget to advertise your lunchtime offers.
2. Establish a marketing calendar
One of the most painful mistakes you could make as a restaurant owner is to bite into every single marketing gimmick your ad rep throws your way. That is—and believe me on this—a complete waste of money.
But like I said earlier, it pays to look back once in a while. Which is why you should put up a marketing calendar. Make notes on your calendar which advertising gimmicks worked and which ones blew. The idea is to weed out the gimmicks that failed and keep the ones that succeeded.
3. Talk with your customers
So okay. This one doesn’t really apply to a specific year, and it is pretty much self-explanatory. Talking to your customers allows you to build a relationship with your most important resource. I wonder how most restaurant owners would react if I tell them that it’s six times easier to sell to a long-time patron than it is to find a new customer.
4. Explore niche restaurant marketing
Niche marketing is the future of restaurant advertising. Period.
Fact is many restaurants are already doing it. Why not attend a local bridal show to promote your Asian dishes and diet-friendly cuisines? Take note of Valentine’s Day and advertise your dinner specials as early as January. Before summer vacation, why not promote an event where graduating high school students get as much as 20% discount if they bring in their parents?
Niche marketing will really boost your sales, if done right.
My last piece of advice: stick to your plan, put it into action. A new year is an opportunity to begin with a clean slate. In your case, take what you can from the previous year, turn it into a learning experience, and then use that as leverage to bring your restaurant to new heights.
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