Whether you’re new to the industry or a mom-and-pop store hoping to hit it big, the restaurant industry is competitive and getting more so by the day. Growing restaurant sales is difficult, especially if you don’t have the industry know-how.
The addition of social media, SEO, Google business profiles, and other internet marketing options has further complicated an already overwhelming process.
Fortunately, not all is lost. There are ways to take advantage of old-school and new-age marketing to grow your restaurant naturally. Use these tips to draw in new customers, grow restaurant sales, and retain the ones that visit.
8 Tips To Grow Restaurant Sales
These tips are guaranteed to improve how you manage your restaurant, how you collect, update, and transform data, and how you implement these strategies to gain partners and customers for long-term success.
1. Create A Google Business Listing
The first thing you need to do is create a Google business listing.
When someone searches for “restaurants near me”, they are given a list of restaurants in the area. These listings will provide users with reviews, ratings, menus, prices, etc., all of which have a big impact on which restaurant people choose to visit.
If you don’t have a Google listing, you are losing out on hundreds of potential customers. Not only because people aren’t seeing your business, but also because most people only visit a restaurant if there are reviews.
So, create a Google business listing for your restaurant. Fill in as much information as you can, add a few pretty pictures, and link to your website.
If you’re done with Google, create a listing for your restaurant on other popular review sites like Yelp.
2. Encourage Reviews
The next step is to create an attractive online reputation with reviews. While many clients probably enjoy your food, only a few will leave a positive review. So, even if you are getting a decent amount of foot traffic, it means nothing if you don’t turn that foot traffic into reviews.
There are a few ways to get customers to leave a review. You can ask them at checkout to leave a review. You can also add a review request to your receipt or send follow-up emails. Both options will yield rewards.
However, one surefire way to get reviews and grow restaurant sales is to offer rewards. Let customers know that if they leave a review, you’ll offer them a small discount or a free item.
Finally, you need to respond to reviews. This will help you establish a good relationship with customers and keep track of negative reviews.
Don’t delete or ignore negative reviews. Always respond civilly and check up on any negative service claims. If they aren’t true, dispute them politely. If they are, make note of it and resolve the issue internally.
3. Create A Delicious Signature Dish
Nothing draws as many customers as a creative and delicious signature dish. If you already have a signature dish or drink, market the dish on your storefront, on your website, and social media.
If you don’t have one, work with your kitchen staff and marketing team to create one.
Create a dish that suits your restaurant menu and aesthetic, and make sure it’s unique and eye-catching enough to stand out from the crowd.
4. Maximize SEO
A solid website with local SEO is a powerful way to introduce your food to new customers. You can maximize restaurant SEO by establishing connections with your Google business listing and social media platforms and by prioritizing reviews.
Doing these optimizations will increase your ranking on Google’s SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) and promote your content to locals and visitors looking for a delicious local jaunt to visit.
5. Use Delivery Apps
Food delivery services continue to grow and are projected to continue growing indefinitely. To grow restaurant sales and stay ahead of the curve, it’s essential that you make yourself available on food delivery apps.
You can use popular food delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc. Here people can review your products and view ongoing promotions.
Or you can offer delivery options by integrating with restaurant delivery software. The features will help you open and control your own food deliveries from a local device.
Either way, offering delivery is guaranteed to increase your revenue.
6. Use Restaurant Software
Technology in restaurants has evolved tremendously. They provide users with a multitude of benefits, all of which will increase sales.
First, restaurant software encourages automation. This will improve the front-of-house and back-of-house operations, save money, free up resources and staff, and reduce errors.
Next, restaurant software like CRM software and restaurant marketing software will increase your reach and streamline many customer-facing operations. This will naturally improve customer service.
7. Mix Things Up
Whether it be changing your lunch menu or adding more topping choices for a dessert, changing up your menu is an effective way to inject new life into a stale business model.
Of course, changes need to be implemented strategically. If you suddenly change your entire menu, you could lose a lot of loyal customers.
Instead, mix things up by swapping out underperforming food options with new, innovative recipes. Add menu items that match seasonal events, like a spooky black-dyed dish for Halloween or a fresh and fruity one for summer.
8. Take Advantage Of Social Media
Finally, take advantage of social media. We know advertising your restaurant on social media might feel a little unnatural. Most people aren’t too interested in food on their Instagram or Twitter feeds, right? Wrong.
Food content is very popular on social media. It’s especially effective if you have a signature dish, a unique restaurant theme, or fun, photo-worthy seasonal promotions.
Create drool-worthy food videos or film some behind-the-scenes content. You can also add photos that showcase your most popular dishes and ask people to join restaurant promotions.
Lastly, you can collaborate with micro-influencers. These are small, local influencers that are more accessible and affordable for smaller businesses. Even though they have smaller followings, partnering with micro food influencers in your region can offer a necessary sales boost.
Conclusion
Growing your restaurant might feel like a daunting task, especially in the 21st century. Technology has completely changed what it means to be successful and how to get there.
Fortunately, these tips will help you find your footing and grow your restaurant business. Utilize both online platforms and optimize your restaurant and your food options.
To improve your restaurant operations even more, get in touch with Perfect Venue and try our event management software with a free trial. Perfect Venue will streamline your events calendar, save you time, and increase your revenue.
