When you own or manage a restaurant, the last thing you have time for is going out to dinner. Between managing the staff, food inventory, taking care of customers and all the other millions of details that come with owning a restaurant, treating yourself to dinner may not even be all that appealing. But it an absolute necessary if you want to improve your restaurant. Going out to eat at other establishments not only gives you ideas for menu items, restaurant decor and promotions, it can help reinforce things you do well and areas you and your staff can improve on. It also gives you a much needed break. And, going out to eat can be considered research and development for your business, so save those receipts for next year's taxes!
Photo Credit: Alvimann
I definitely agree Lorri. Going out to eat is an invaluable tool for the restaurant owner or manager. Not only is it important to keep an eye on the competition, but you can also get an idea of where your food service operation fairs in the local market. What do you do well, and what you can improve upon. How is your overall customer service compared to competitors? Quality customer care is one of the main reasons a customer will come back to your restaurant, rather than the next eatery down the street.
You might also find some attention grabbing aesthetic ideas you hadn’t considered before. I’ve noticed on my travels some really cool tabletop supplies I hadn’t seen before. Restaurants using modern metal baskets with interesting geometric patterns to serve sandwich platters; stainless steel salt and pepper shakers shaped like puzzle pieces; even things as simple as napkin materials and patterns can really make a restaurant stand out to a customer. Going out to eat can give you some simple ideas for additions to your restaurant that can have a major affect on your customers and start a buzz about your business.