A restaurant is a hospitality business; it’s not just about food. If restaurants focus only on food, then they would be similar to gas stations who focus only on gas. To differentiate your restaurant from the competition, as well as, those gas stations; you must offer a holistic dining experience to your customers.
What makes a great guest experience in a restaurant?
Food is undoubtedly a big part of a guest’s experience in a restaurant. However, restaurants offer so much more including comfortable atmosphere, hospitable staff, serene ambience, amazing views, clean environment, and more:
- Memorable hospitality – A truly unique dining experience happens when you can anticipate your guests’ needs and their needs are met before they even ask. The experience is great not just for the guest but also for who your guests are dining with. Small things matter in creating that sense of belonging with your guest. As an example, referring to your customers by their first name is extremely powerful in enhancing customers’ dining experiences.
- Flexible menu – Your menu should meet and exceed the needs of your customers who have food intolerances (like gluten or lactose) or are allergic to shellfish. Your menu options must have something for vegan customers as well. The more you know your customers the more inclusive your menu will be to satisfy all your customers.
- Giving your guests a good waiting experience – There will be guests who arrive at peak hours without a reservation. Be honest about the waiting time so they can decide whether they want to wait for a table. You should also have a comfortable and spacious waiting area for your customers rather than having them stand in an unhospitable atmosphere. Offering your customers, a drink or snack while waiting for their table would further add to their dining experience and keep them coming back and increase positive referrals.
- Allowance for splitting cheque – Sometimes, a large group of friends comes together to split the cheque. It becomes a big hassle at many restaurants, and guests need to wait a long time to sort out the cheque. If you have a procedure in place that allows for the smooth splitting of cheques, your guests can visit you more often without worrying about payment issues. Your Point-Of-Sale (POS) system can automatically split the bill. Some restaurants even have a system that itemizes the bill for each guest to know the total for each guest separately.
You must strive to create that “Wow” factor in your restaurant; those factors your customers rave about to their friends, post on social media, and keep coming back to you. The key to great service is the execution of each step of your service. Small things like checking back on a table a couple of minutes after food is served to confirm everything is fine or refilling drinks every few minutes goes a long way to enhancing the dining experience. This in-turn will grow your customer base and increase brand loyalty.