Your Restaurant Does NOT Have a Sales Problem

When sales are viewed as THE real problem, restaurateurs often automatically assume the solution is more marketing.

While marketing is certainly an important part of generating sales in most restaurants, a change in marketing is not the cure for every case of insufficient sales.

If your sales have been in decline, sure, a different marketing approach might help but it's likely, the situation has more to do with what you're doing or not doing in your restaurant every day and how you're being perceived by your dinners.

We live in a cause and effect world, if your sales are too low something is causing it, so before taking any action, I believe the best place to start is to first step back and objectively look at what's going on in your restaurant and in your local market. 

 

Also before you blame the economy look at your competition and see if business has declined there as well. If their business remains constant, that means there is something wrong with the way you conduct business.

First, consider the following questions:

• How's your food quality? Is it consistent?
• Is your service staff friendly and responsive?
• Does your staff engage in meaningful conversation with the guests?
• Does your wait staff create customer loyalty?
• Do you have a superior customer service organization? 
• Are you giving your customers exactly what they want? How do you know?
• How does your restaurant's value proposition and experience proposition compare to what your customers can get at your competitors?
• What are you customers saying about you? Check comment cards, Yelp and other review websites?

Andre Plessis
AP Consulting
Restaurant/Hospitality Consultant