If you aren't maximizing outdoor dining, you are quite literally, thinking inside the box

I've heard a lot of talk about restaurant owners not wanting to offer outdoor dining offering excuses from it's too hot out or they'll just wait until local ordinances allow them to increase indoor dining capacity or simply, it's just too much trouble.

In my opinion, this is a BIG mistake. Here's the simple reason why.

There are a lot of folks out there who simply will not set foot inside a restaurant ...for a long time! They are uncomfortable with the idea of indoor dining and shopping and no amount of marketing or discounts will get them inside. That doesn't mean they don't crave the dining experience and wouldn't avail themselves of open-air dining, especially if you go the extra mile to help them feel safe.

Your knee jerk response might be that this cautious customer will continue to order curbside or delivery. Perhaps. However, the in-person experience offers a better opportunity to foster loyalty and increase check size through upselling and alcohol sales.

By offering an outdoor option, you not only increase seating capacity, you have a better chance to grab some new customers and gain market share. Plus, by fashioning a fun outdoor ambiance, you will create a lot of buzz in your community.

So broaden your view of what restaurant dining looks like. It doesn’t have to be indoors. The Europeans have been dining alfresco for years! You have a choice. You can throw a couple of tables outside and see what happens, or you can create a wonderful - even magical- outdoor dining experience. Even better, gather some of your neighbor restaurants and join together to make dining outside in your center something customers wish was available year ‘round!

Here are some tips and ideas for making outdoor dining appealing and efficient.

Space

Delineate your new “dining room” with planters, fencing, flower boxes, astro turf or plants to make it cozy and welcoming.  Tents, umbrellas, fans and misters are also options to keep guests cool and protected from the elements.

Create ambiance with hanging outdoor lighting and candles. Consider outdoor speakers for music or bringing in live entertainment.

Dress the tables so they are welcoming

Put  a sign at your entry that welcomes customers and outlines safety precautions your restaurant is taking.

Really important – be sure the chairs are comfortable! If you’re using metal chairs, provide pillows.

Menu

Adapt/simplify your menu to accommodate longer running times for orders.

To increase sales, offer 2-3 course menus, flights or other bundled options.

Service and safety

Use QR codes so customers can access menus online. This is more sanitary and saves money on disposable menus.

Put self-service water bottles on each table to eliminate need for additional contact and glass handling.

Instruct waitstaff to take entire order at one time. People will understand and this will make your kitchen more efficient.

Offer sanitizer gel at the hostess stand and on each individual table

Set out rolled utensils.

Offer serving utensils in dishes that are meant to be shared so customers won’t be tempted to use their own forks and spoons.

Put trash cans and sanitizer inside and right outside the restrooms.

Of course, make sure your staff and guests all abide by all social distancing and mask mandates.

Branding and Marketing

Look for opportunities to promote your brand. Logos on fencing or facemasks are fun. Encourage employees to bring extra shirts so they always look cool, crisp and clean. (If it’s really hot, give them extra breaks to cool down.)

Once you’ve gotten it all together, let the world know through every channel available to you, including letting your neighbors know. If your new space looks great, send a photo to the local newspaper for additional publicity.

When times are difficult, use the opportunity to take advantage of every resource you have. Right now, for restaurants, the path to increased revenue is right outside their doors!

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

7 Tips to Help You Prepare for the Recovery Marathon

Short term thinking is going to  damage more business than coronavirus! Of course you’re trying to scrape together sales today and  recoup the money you lost during lockdown. But more importantly, you need to be looking at the next 18 months and ways to rebuild and reinvent your business for a new (and exciting) reality!

Here are a few tips to get you started in your long term thinking strategy.

1.       Preserve capital
Slash expenses wherever you can and hold on to your cash with a tight fist. We don’t know how rough the recession is going to be or what changes you’ll need to make to your future business that will require money.

2.       Be ready to answer this question
“What do you sell and to whom? “  That answer shouldn’t be the same as it was pre-COVD.

3.       Seek clarity in small bites
None of us seems to have a working crystal ball right now and therefore, none of us knows what the future is going to look like. (Anyone who tells you they have the answers is lying!) So each time you see a clear path, even it’s only to the next step, take pride in that milestone

4.       Understand that recovery is not linear
Just because we may hit bottom, doesn’t mean it’s a straight shot back up. There may be plateaus. There may be changes in course.  Instead of being surprised, be prepared.

5.       Get real data on the situation

Take your personal life, business and perspective out of the equation and research how COVID has affected your category of business and your community. Is unemployment higher because a large company had massive layoffs? Were cases relatively mild? Try to drill down to understand how quickly your community will recover and get a better understanding of how to best serve them.

6.       Rehire carefully and with intention

Rebuilding your team is a fantastic opportunity to create a new culture that will successfully suit your future business.

7.       Cultivate your own war room advisors

This is absolutely no time to go it alone! Gather together business neighbors, friends, even customers to discuss the future from various points of view. You’re almost guaranteed to find new ideas and inspiration by doing this.

It’s time to let go of the business you used to have and embrace the new opportunities that lie ahead.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel

Are you one of the 10 percent?

As states permit businesses to reopen, 90 percent of owners won’t do anything other than unlock their doors, provide mandated safety measures and wait for something to happen.

Don’t be one of them.

Because these are the business owners focused on merely surviving the next few months, getting forgiveness for their PPP loan and trying to sell customers whatever it is they happen to have pre-virus. These are the 90 percent.

But you are different. You are not focused on merely surviving. You are focused on coming out of the other side of this with a healthier, stronger business.  One that’s ready to continue to adapt to a fast-paced and changing environment and services its customers on the highest level.

Now, the big question, what do you need to do to become one of the 10 percent?

First, float
When caught in a rip current, swimmers are advised to stop fighting and just float. This pandemic has been the mother of all currents and fighting it is exhausting. Nobody expects you to completely understand how to navigate the situation but if you want to successfully get past this particular point in time, you need stop fighting for life and take a minute to clear some headspace. You need to let new ideas materialize instead of panicking because you don’t have all the answers.

Learn the lessons
What could have/should you have done differently prior to the pandemic? Identify the weak spots that existed (yes, every business has them) and fix them as part of your move forward plan.  Whether it’s net profitability, staff training, merchandising or marketing – now’s the time to fix it!

(Note – while we don’t have a lot of answers on what life is going to look like over the next months, we know one thing for sure: those businesses without a robust digital presence did not have as strong a chance to succeed. You might need to put this at the top of your list.)

Get the facts
There are two things you need to look at: what’s going on in your industry and what’s going on in your community.  Are there best practices within your industry? Do they jive with what is happening in your neighborhood? Understanding what people want and need right now is the best framework in which to make decisions.

Create a tribe
Engage your team in becoming part of the 10 percent team. A great business is made up of great people and employees need to be buy in to your vision because they are critical to making it happen.

Make it fun
Just because life is difficult, doesn’t mean you can’t shine a ray of light in people’s lives. From your marketing to your attitude, make your business a bright spot.

Give people a reason to leave the house
This has always been one of the “aha” moments in my work with retailers; are you doing something that makes customers want to leave their house vs. ordering online? Today, that’s taken on a whole new, meaning in a world where we, quite literally, have to encourage people dip their toes back into regular consumer behavior. As a retail store or restaurant owner, be sure you are providing good reasons for a visit. Status quo won’t cut it in these days.  

I applaud you for making the commitment to be a part of the 10 percent club. Adapt. Change. Fight.
Make this situation a stepping stone for a great future.

Until next time remember,
You can do this!
Angel