How to attract new customers to the restaurant

It is very important for every restaurant to have many customers. That's why you should always think over possibility of attracting new customers. They are as important for the restaurant business as the regular ones. Any business can flourish without having new customers. This is needed to balance the old customers that are no longer coming to your restaurant for some or other reasons such as relocating or changing dining habits

Unfortunately, according to statistics 60 percent of restaurants fail in the first year. So, how to survive in such a severe competitive environment? In order to success it’s necessary to use new and fresh restaurant promotion ideas that will make a future restaurant distinctive and successful and will attract customers.

Before you open a restaurant you should think about at least 3 things that will draw clients’ attention: its location, its name, its exterior and interior.

With a restaurant, location is everything. You need a spot that draws crowds, is easily accessible, and has potential for growth. Try to market your restaurant in public places such as parks, shopping centers, supermarkets.

It is very important to choose a restaurant name. A good name should be easy to remember and spell. Pay attention to a theme or menu. For example, Chinese restaurants do this perfectly. Look at these names: Jade Palace or Fortune Fountain. Very often the name of a restaurant is connected with the owner's name or someone dear to it. What ever the meaning behind your restaurant's name, be ready to share it with the public, who love a good story. Fun names that have nothing to do with food are usually easy to remember, and pass on by word of mouth. But avoid trademarked restaurant names. If your last name is McDonalds, don't call your restaurant that. You are just asking for trouble.

Here are some interesting and unexpected restaurant names - Whale Wins, The Ravenous Pig, Honey Salt, Salty Tart, The Pig and The Lady, The Violet Hour, Take Root, The Pearl Mission, The Polar Gate.

The interior design of the restaurant serves more than what the food actually does. The interior and exteriors look reveal the quality of the service, so the exterior interface must look magnificent to attract attention. Here are the most common restaurant designs :

• -    The restaurant with ancient character has features walls filled with drawings and hanging crystal chandeliers, with a wooden model to maintain the intimacy and familiarity of the place.

• -    The Oriental restaurant depends on wooden furniture and decorations, as well as arabesque chairs or Arabic seating in one of its divisions, and Persian Carpet, candlesticks and small pieces of artifacts that are used for decoration.

• -    The African restaurants offer to the visitors the atmosphere of the presence in the African forests and consist of a range of natural materials, tissues and natural colors in its design to reflect the contemporary African character.

So, when your restaurant is open and works, you shouldn’t stop at it … Here are the next steps to continue your success:

• -    Visit companies in your neighborhood, introduce your restaurant to managers and directors and leave them the leaflet about your restaurant’s offer.

• -    Design leaflets for your restaurant’s offer . Make sure that your offer lasts at least for 30 days and make the conversation with your potential customers friendly and open.

• -    In order to stimulate your potential customers, you must provide a discount of 20% or you can also try 2 for 2 deals . Giving people an extra incentive to try your restaurant for the first time is a great way to turn them into loyal

customers.

• -    For your restaurant promotion ideas we should not forget about a special 10% discount on delivery.

• -    Happy hour in your restaurant is intended to boost business during the slow hours in the late afternoon Monday through Thursday, and often takes place between 4 PM and 8 PM.

• -    Offer specials deals . It is known that people after working day are tired and don't want to cook at home. They want to relax and have a bite in other place, in one restaurant for example. Then it will be better for you to offer late hour special deals to attract potential customers. For this business you may offer cocktails, finger foods, chicken dishes, chips, and various other foods at special discounted prices for such clients. So, everything is in your arms!

• -    Use sports season for restaurant promotion ideas . For example, provide a large screen TV for your guests to watch the games. Buy team t-shirts for your staff and combine them in a new wait staff dress code.

• -    Birthday emails. Birthday customers are great because they usually travel in groups. If you offer a free drink or dessert, you’ll be getting the extra business of friends and family who are along for the celebration. The more locally-oriented and personal your restaurant, the better a birthday email strategy works.

• -    Pricing . It's always important that your pricing is reasonable, while still maintaining quality. When pricing your menu, consider the local economy and lifestyle.

Getting people through the front door is the first step. Giving them impeccable customer service and serving them your best food dishes is extremely important if you want these customers coming back again. All of your work attracting new customers will go to waste if you’re not converting them into long term loyal customers.

"Экономика и социум" №6(25) 2016