how can i bring in more customers to my restaurant?

Question

there are to many big chain restaurants opening in my town. i did not go to college. i own a restaurant. i need help to figure out how to bring in customers.

Answer 1

you really need to go out and promote your restaurant. if you have to, cook samples and bring them out to the public for free. you may have to drag them off the street.

chain stores have way too much advertising dollars compared to you so you have to resort to different tactics.

try to get a plug on a radio show. give them free food in return for a 30 sec plug for your restaurant.

Answer 2

The main thing: Give your customers a great product!! Chain restaurants are just that.....chains. They offer the same boring food usually at blow out of proportion cost. Offer them superior customer service, and make sure you have a some specials each and everyday. Most good restaurants are good because they treat their customers right, and make sure they are happy and full on the way out.

Answer 3

Hi Johnny, One thing I did when I had my restaurant is I offered a punch card. There were 10 punches on it, when they filled up their card the 11th meal was free. It brought me new customers as those that used the card told their friends, but I had loyal customers because of them. You could offer something through the school that if the kids bring in their report card with a certain gpa they get a free meal if they come in with their family and the family eats. You could offer free birthday meals. Just sit and think awhile. Different ideas will come to you. Good luck with your business, I know how hard you are working and stressing! Terri T.

Answer 4

Know your demographic! Just a fancy way of saying you need to know the neighborhood your restaurant is in like the back of your hand. Get in your car some night or morning, or better yet walk around a three mile radius of your place. Bring a tape recorder or notebook. Note the ages of the majority of folks, note traffic patterns. What are the dead times, when are the busy times? Who is your competion? Stake out your peers, independents like yourself who are succeeding. Why are they doing well? What's their secret? Lastly, take a look at your Menu. Is your food really good? Does it match up to the demographic of your neighborhood? It's a tough business! Some folks I know who have had success had to put in 14 hr. days and 7-day weeks for months or years before realizing the fruits of their labor. Good Luck!

Answer 5

you can go to your local newspaper to see if they have any food critics to try your food. if you get good ratings place it on the door. search online for your resturant and see if anybody says anything on your restaurant. good luck

also i think it would be nice to serve something small that is worth more than what you sell it for. like sell an appitizer that's cost you maybe $3 to make but you sell it for $2. then raise your meals about a dime or a nickel to cover your cost. this way people think they are getting a deal while you cover it up anyway with the main course. good luck

Answer 6

BOOZE! seriously. i do have experience here so not being comical. sometimes pride and love of a menu can hinder you. offer another reason for customers to try you, aside from the food. discounts if youre not worried about sounding cheap. add some "pizaz"-lighting, paint, tout that bar dude! they wil come to drink and might get hungry. alcohol usually commands the most money on any bill even at the nicest of restaurants. you gain a bit of a following, music is next. after some time your menu might have to play catch-up to your place of entertainment. as restauranteurs we are here to entertain. but with so many tastebuds and so many options on our block we must appeal to the unedible senses (how disgraceful of such a seasoned culinary artiste)-sound! sight! good luck my friend! bon natale!...(every night)

Answer 7

You can start by sending emails to local newspapers, Internet sites and TV stations and let them know about your restaurant. (Try to send your email to the food critics section, if you don't know it just send it to the editor and they will forward to the right department. The hopefully you'll get the food critics of the media you contacted to come and try your restaurant. (you will not know of their visit) If they like what you've got they will write articles about the restaurant. readers will know about it and there you go your restaurant will be busy. From there focus on your product because you will need to rely on your customers word of mouth (AKA the most powerful marketing tool)
Good Luck

Answer 8

Special offers - 2 meals for a reduced price, oap/student discounts on certain days, buy two main Courses get a third free. Initiative - good luck.

Answer 9

Try to be more special than others. What about giving out some flyers and having a website.
You can have a website and say on your flyers that you have a special discount for online reservations or something like that. What do you think?

Answer 10

you ought to examine the guidelines for eating places on your city, usa, and/or state. It relies upon on the place your small business is. you may desire to touch the interior sight government. you may first prefer to speak to different eating place vendors/managers in the area. you will have the potential to ascertain some counsel before, by a google seek, precise here on the internet. in basic terms as an occasion, I submit to in concepts that throughout New Jersey, it became confusing for eating places to get liquor licenses to serve alcohol, maximum of eating places have been, extremely, authorized to permit shoppers to hold their very own wine. yet that isn't the guideline everywhere. you in basic terms ought to make your concepts up the guidelines to your area.