How to (really) run a restaurant And the things you absolutely must keep in mind.

Let’s be honest. Starting a restaurant and running it well is not an easy task. There are numerous elements to keep in mind, from interior design to business management, and from good food and dining experience to future business planning and staff. The food business is intricate yet immensely fulfilling. Today, we are going to look at what it really takes to run a restaurant well.

1. Exceptional customer service: as a restaurant owner, you must understand that excellent customer service translates to business, whether through word of mouth or social media. Even in the case of disagreements, how you handle the situation will determine whether your customer returns for a corrective experience.
2. Advertise on the right channels: there is a long list of avenues for promoting a restaurant. Whatever method you use, make sure you have a solid marketing plan in place and look for opportunities that can help you gain exposure.
3. Monitor your cash: we know a few restaurant owners around the world whose restaurants failed simply because of bad management of financial resources. Yes, spend money where needed but be sure to monitor your accounts closely.
4. Define job roles clearly: Good manpower can be hard to find in the restaurant industry. Running a successful restaurant dramatically depends on the staff you employ. From waiters to kitchen staff, make sure you hire the right people with strong references. And a personal tip from us, establish a trial period before employing someone permanently.
5. Expand and grow sales: Restaurant management involves monitoring operational costs daily. With varying costs of ingredients, the price of food changes regularly. Design your menu well and make sure customers receive value for their money. While you want to keep costs low, you also don’t want to serve mediocre quality food to customers. Consider engineering your menu using a digital menu capability, like Spark and SparkPlus. You can read about them here.
6. Cut costs: This can be in the form of energy-efficient light bulbs, a more efficient POS system or unique software that optimise manpower. Explore your establishment and look for areas that require less investment without hurting the customer experience.
7. Digital Menu Integration: Implement a digital menu system to streamline the ordering process, enhance customer experience, and reduce physical contact. A digital menu not only offers flexibility in updating menu items but also provides an opportunity to collect valuable data on customer preferences, helping you make data-driven decisions for your restaurant.
8. Effective CRM Implementation: Utilize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to build and nurture customer relationships. A well-implemented CRM system allows you to personalize customer interactions, create loyalty programs, and gain insights into customer behavior, ultimately improving customer retention and satisfaction.

At the end of the day, opening your restaurant involves numerous elements that need to be considered and thought out well. As a restaurant startup owner, it is your responsibility to make sure operations run well, and customers have a good time.

At Devourin, we have numerous tools and applications that can help make your job much more comfortable.

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