Bonji Foods Aficionado Smart Brief: Volume 26
How To Prepare For The Summer Rush
Hi all, welcome back to the Bonji Food Aficionado Smart Brief! We hope the weekend treated you well and you are ready for a new week full of new opportunities! It finally seems like we may be in store for, at least, a fairly “normal” summer. People are ready to get out, enjoy the longer daylight hours, and basically enjoy the weather. It's been a few years since we've seen a summer in full effect, and because of that, we may forget how hectic it can be for a restaurant during this time of the year. Summer is often the moment we've all been waiting for, so here are a few tips to help you prepare for an amazing few-month stretch.
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Three Tips to Help Prepare For The Summer: 1. Spring Cleaning! Yes, we know, nobody wants to spend hours doing a deep clean, especially when the weather is starting to take a beautiful turn. However, a big spring cleaning session has so many amazing benefits for your restaurant. To start, you want your restaurant in its absolute best shape when customers start really rolling in. Of course, you always want to give off a good impression, but the summer holds far too much opportunity to let dirty dishes or something of the sort get in the way. This is also a perfect chance to get organized and refresh the processes that are in place. Not only is it sanitary and good for impressions, but it will also save you valuable time when you have a packed restaurant. Be sure to keep your stock filled, as more customers come in, the more you are going to be rolling through product. Time is your most valuable asset, thus anything you can do to shave downtime of a process, it is well worth completing. Finally, re-training your staff is an excellent idea to lead into the summer months. Obviously, not everyone will need to hear small details, but providing a refresher to your staff will ensure they are ready to handle a large influx of customers.
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2. Get Back To Marketing When people want to try something new, are traveling, or simply just want a bite to eat, they head directly online. Whether its Instagram, Facebook, Google, Yelp, or any other site that your business appears on, you should take some time to re-vitalize your pages. The summer often leads people to exploring and finding hidden gems that they don't usually visit. They want an experience, or at least something new compared to their usual routine food shops. Therefore, make sure you are marketing and marketing what you want to showcase for the summer. Think about what you can bring to the metaphorical and physical table for these new and excited customers. Even if you don't have plans to add anything special for the summer, still promote your amazing restaurant the way it deserves!
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3. Make The Move Outdoors & Make it Special We've all been accustomed to eating outdoors recently; however, the summer definitely makes it a whole lot easier to accomplish. Not only do customers love being able to dine outside, but also 60% of restaurants have created some form of outdoor seating. In order to compete in the summer, outdoor seating is an absolute must-have. Now, if you have the capabilities to add some flair to your outdoor setup, you will blow the competition out of the water. Customers love having something special added to their experience, so think about how you may be able to elevate their meal. This could be a special “patio-only" menu, dish, or drink. This could be a live band playing outside. This could be letting dogs sit outside with the family. Anything you can do to make your customers' experience better, go for it! Lastly, if you don't have the infrastructure to move outdoors, maybe add a small “to-go” or “pick-up” station right outside. Customers will appreciate the effort you are putting in to make their time easier; at the end of the day, they just want your food!
