Butts in Seats

In a recent blog post, we made the case that this economy is a great opportunity to grab market share for your restaurant. If you disagree with that post, then we invite you to skip this month's newsletter and we'll see you next month. For those of you who agree that now is a good time to be aggressive and gain new customers, read on.

Customer experience. Notice we didn't say customer service - it's much more than that. Were your restrooms clean? Was the service fast and accurate? The food hot and tasty? Were there high chairs available, no shortage of (thick) napkins? Did they have to ask you for ketchup? When you gave it to them did you give them more than one packet? Did they get good value for their money? Too much food? Too little food? Did you ask them how everything was and invite them back? Take nothing for granted. Now's your chance to gain customer from competitors too obsessed with cost-cutting to remember their commitment to their customers.

Be visible in the community. Local Store Marketing is ideal for increasing your visiblity and frequency of message without writing a lot of checks. Take advantage of the 7 Core Competencies at your disposal, be visible at community events. Chances are, most of your competition is cutting back on their promotional dollars (you should too, see next item), so your message is more likely to be seen/heard with very little clutter. Gather calendars of events from the local library, swimming pool, Kiwanis Club, Jaycee's, Girl / Boy Scouts, day care center, parks and recreation department, and any other local organization. You'll find several community-based events where you can be present, be involved, and hand out give-aways, samples, and coupons.

Shift your ad budget to food cost. It's essential, when gaining new customers, to put food into people's mouths. Instead of spending 3% on advertising, shift 2% to food costs in the form of samples, free sample caterings, fishbowl winners, and incentives. Remember, this is about gaining market share - not counting pennies. Plus, if you're partnering with local organizations to be present at their events, they'll help keep your frequency of message high while promoting the event.

Ask for referrals, ask for the sale. Every salesperson knows this: Always ask satisfied customers if they would recommend you to a friend. "Was it good enough to tell a friend?" Heck, give them coupons to come back with friends (your objective would be party size, not a straight discount).

Review your offers. Instead of general discounts (bad - addict customers to coupons) or attaching too many strings (buy one get one with purchase of two drinks) consider bundling your items to show value. Local Atlanta restaurants are having success with promotions such as two apps, two entrees, and a bottle of wine for $49. Try soup, salad, and drink for $6.99 (or $7.99, or whatever) instead of $1 off. Try app, entree, and dessert for $9.99 (don't mention the drink). Just don't put restrictions on your offers - you're trying to gain customers, not haggle with them.

Lastly, have a plan. Kids are out of school, office workers are taking vacations, church attendance is low. If you don't have a plan you'll spin your wheels and devolve into the shotgun approach. Butts in seats is the goal. If you put your mind to it, and remove some self-imposed notions, we'll bet you can get more customers to visit. Worry about how to get them to come back next.