I’ve started working at a brand new restaurant but not many costumers are showing interest. The restaurant has been advertised on the local paper and we’ve done some street promotion… The food is great (Indian with live barbeque) and the prices are reasonable, the place is really funky and cosy. What do you think could improve the number of people coming in?
Categorized | India Lovers
what’s your best business advice for a new restaurant?
Posted on 27 August 2010
4 Responses to “what’s your best business advice for a new restaurant?”
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well if the food is good and it is cheap and you have advertised it then you may need to freshin it up a bit make it look cool and fun to go to and hold aspecial night for enents….and if it new it may take while
I’ve worked in restaurants for years and you really have to get a following from people in the neighborhood. Make sure everyone in the neighborhood knows your there, maybe give out flyers to some near by businesses with a discount for lunch. I’ve even heard of some people going into certain offices around the neighborhood with some food samples. Also i have an Indian restaurant a few blocks away from me that has live bellydancing on every second thursday.
There may not be many things you can do to the physical appearance to attract people. I have been in this postition before. I was part of an opening crew and it took at least 6months to get all the kinks out. This restaurant was in a great location too…around a lot of other businesses and city hall and we still had a hard time.
In good weather consider outdoor seating, if possible. Host a grand opening party. You could even offer free samples of other items when someone purchases an entree. I was the sous chef and when it wasnt busy I would prepare samples of desserts, salads and appetizers to try and get people try new things. You can hang a sign out front advertising a special of the day. Happy hour. That is all I got.
Try to get the local newspaper to do a review — though be aware that this tactic could backfire if the reviewer thinks food/service is poor.
I assume there is a relatively large Indian population in your community. Make certain they know about this restaurant; most ethnic restaurants build on their “natural” customer base.
Host an after-hours reception for local Chamber members, to get people into the restaurant.
If you have a local radio station, give prizes — a free dinner for two, for example. Work with the station’s promotional manager and deliver a tasty, well-presented meal to an on-air host. This might be an opportunity for a live interview with the chef.
Finally, talk to the local newspaper about an interview with your chef. Topic would be Indian and other non-traditional cuisines.
New restaurants are tough. Good luck