At the end of the day, both reservations and walk-ins generate revenue at a restaurant. But for some restaurants leaning heavily toward one may be the catalyst that gets your flow going.  In this article we will identify which client traffic base to lean toward, and most importantly establishing balance between the two.

Tables are like real estate.  The fuller they are, the better.  And sometimes the longer they sit, the higher the check ends up being. 

The front of house refers to anything that the customer sees and interacts with during their visit to your restaurant.  This in turn means many moving parts during service, and you need these many parts to function as a well-oiled machine.  As always, the best way to manage many moving parts is to look at the numbers.

Your menu helps you to present your food in an appealing way. As part of the overall dining experience, the information in your menu should be easy to digest and the quality, look and feel should be in line with your restaurant’s branding and reflect positively on the quality of food that you serve.

How much time do you spend on your menu card design? Your menu isn’t just there to make your food look appealing, it needs to align with your brand, reassure your guests they’re in the right place and set expectations for the type of dining experience they’re about to enjoy.  Color, typography, imagery and layout are all important.

A great floor plan makes your restaurant look inviting to diners, helps keep your service running smoothly and takes account of all the important logistics and regulations. All things considered, your floor plan has a huge impact on the dining experience and can also be a significant component in determining your set up, and running costs.

Many restaurants keep email running in the background but perhaps don’t afford it as much time and consideration as they should.

Review websites can produce mixed feelings in restaurant owners. Sites such as Tripadvisor, Yelp and Zomato give consumers a platform to express feedback, which they don’t always mention while they’re in a restaurant. And in some cases, you may feel you come unfairly under fire.  

If a potential customer went looking for your restaurant on the Internet, how easy would it be for them to find you? Search engine optimization is an incredibly important part of restaurant marketing. It helps to channel customers to information about your business and will hopefully play a part in helping them to make a booking with you or walk through your doors.

Restaurant branding is something you need to consider before opening your doors or launching any marketing to promote your restaurant. Get it right and all elements of your marketing campaigns and even how you run your restaurant and train your staff will become far more intuitive.