We are a quarter of the way through 2024 and the restaurant industry as a whole has had a decent first quarter. People are eating out, but are still feeling the pinch and looking for the best value, while restaurants are still looking for ways to serve up an experience, quality food and prices that don’t drive customers away. It’s a lot to juggle, and finding the line between giving the customers what they want and doing what is best for your business can seem trying at times. So how can restaurants move forward in a way that is healthy for business and also raise the bottom line? Many restaurants are looking for ways to have the best of both, so we have a few options that might resonate with you.
LTO’s and Seasonal Items
Limited time offers or LTO’s are promotional items that you run for a limited time. These can be based on the season or special events happening. Football season, Valentine’s Day, Fall, Summer, and basically anytime during the year is a great opportunity to run a special! These items should be in season so they are cheaper to purchase and should also be somewhat unique. When people see the exclusive offer at a great price, it makes it more appealing. Snacks are also popular right now, so running a seasonal milkshake or dessert item can be a great way to get people spending more, but feeling like they are spending less.
Menu Engineering
Instead of solely raising your menu prices to combat inflation, try optimizing menu placement. This strategy is going to be more likely for customers to get on board with and will also help you make an informed decision about how you want your menu to look and what you want there. Take a look at what your best and worst selling items are, update the descriptions to make them more appealing and decide where they should be placed on the menu. If you have a high profit item, make sure your menu draws extra attention to it by having it listed under favorites or highlighting it in some special way. Customers want to know what is good at your restaurant, so let them know. Be sure to show how customers can customize and make it their own with special add-ons for a certain price.
Loyalty Programs
We have mentioned loyalty programs before as a way to keep customers coming back, but it is also a way to help your restaurant increase sales. When people spend a certain amount and are then rewarded with a free drink, cookie, or even a meal that entices them to go. If someone is going to go out to eat anyway, they might as well go to the place where they can earn points and get something free later down the road. It is also likely that when they go for their free item, they will also order something else.
We can never stress enough the importance of back-office software that allows you to make smart business decisions that allow you to save time and money. When you have access to food cost reports, you can easily see what menu items are doing well, what LTO’s should make another appearance and which menu items should be removed from the menu. Having a successful restaurant in a tough economy does not always mean bumping prices, but instead, holistically looking at your business and doing what is best for you AND your customers. It might seem like you are only saving nickels and dimes, but over time it will compound into dollars that actually make a difference and leave you with customers that want to return!
