A novice entrepreneur who is considering the question of how to open a restaurant, counts on the mandatory success of his business project. But, unfortunately, not all expectations and plans are destined to come true. This is due to the fact that the process of creating such a service company is not entirely simple, in addition, there is an urgent issue of attracting customers, which will require special attention.
The basis of the restaurant business is the ability to satisfy consumer demand. That is why, before opening a new event, an entrepreneur will need to conduct a number of marketing research. However, it often happens that, even after receiving the necessary information, the organizers have no idea what to do next and how to attract the public to their institution. For this, there is such a management function as PR. It helps not only in creating fame (“publicity”), but also in maintaining relationships between potential customers and the institution that will benefit both parties.
Where to begin?
How to open a restaurant? In order to organize the normal operation of the food service outlet, a novice businessman will have to make a lot of efforts. This is a rather troublesome business, and there are many nuances in it that should not be overlooked.
You need to start by choosing the direction of the restaurant. It is necessary to consider its pricing policy. So, if you want to open an exquisite and expensive institution with a diverse menu and individual style, you should set the high cost of dishes. When opening a cafe for children, fast foods or coffee houses, the entrepreneur will need to draw up a completely different business plan and take into account the specifics of these outlets. The prices for the offered dishes in such establishments will not be as high as in the first case.
This question is worth paying special attention to. After all, with the right ratio of price and quality of dishes from people who want to visit your restaurant, there will simply be no end.
You will also need to find reliable suppliers who supply inexpensive, but at the same time fresh and tasty products. An important step when opening a restaurant will be the selection of staff. Employees of the institution must be true professionals in their field, have high qualifications and experience. The consideration of candidates for selected positions will need to be taken with all seriousness. Indeed, the work of the institution will directly depend on these workers. In order for experienced and qualified specialists to agree to cooperation, they will need to be provided with a decent salary.
The mandatory system of accounting and control of the restaurant should be thought out. In addition, you will need to decide on the staff motivation system. All this will allow the restaurant to work efficiently and generate significant income.
Do not forget about such an important point as marketing research. They are needed in order to carry out further promotion of the restaurant.
Restaurant Marketing Concept
What does this term mean? Restaurant marketing is nothing more than a plan for the process of promoting an institution. It includes various elements that are subsequently able to organize further actions of the entrepreneur. With such a plan, you can easily adapt to those circumstances that unexpectedly arise during its implementation. One of the marketing functions is PR, advertising, as well as various methods of restaurant promotion. All these areas are governed by a plan. It can be compared with a specific route along which the entrepreneur will move from the starting point to the destination. That is why a similar plan should contain all the turns and landmarks that may arise during the implementation of the plan.
Its main details are:
- schedule calendar;
- timing, or planning in time;
- budget.
In addition, in the marketing plan, it is necessary to describe in detail those technologies and methods that will be used during the opening and further work of the restaurant.
Everything should be described as detailed as possible. If the goals set are too large, then their implementation is divided into small stages.
What is advertising for?
After all the preparatory work has been completed, the marketing plan is to be implemented. If it was composed well enough, then the effective promotion of the restaurant will not take long. It should only be done step by step, putting down the appropriate marks in the developed time calendar, and also not exceed the budget provided for marketing expenses.
Promotion of the restaurant can not do without advertising. After all, this is one of the functions of marketing, which is carried out on the basis of the existing plan.
Advertising is organized using free or paid services offered by the media. At the same time, radio and television, magazines and newspapers, carriers located on the roads or on the streets of the city can be used.
The primary goal of any advertising campaign is to draw attention to the institution, which gives information about yourself and about your service. Moreover, this should be done as efficiently as possible, carefully and unobtrusively. Restaurant promotion will be as successful as possible if the entrepreneur trusts specialists in this matter.
Only professionals will be able to correctly convey to people the information that will draw their attention to the institution. A well-designed advertising company is half the success of any event. All this takes place in cases where the development of the restaurant business is carried out.
Targeted advertising
This method, which allows for the promotion of the restaurant, is the simplest and most understandable, but at the same time the most expensive. Targeted advertising includes all kinds of banners and billboards, radio ads, magazines and newspapers, as well as posting information on their own websites that are designed for a specific consumer. Which method is the most effective? The answer to this question will directly depend on the target audience of the institution. After all, even before submitting an advertisement, for example, to a radio station, you will need to make sure how popular it is with potential restaurant customers. If this is not done, the money spent will not bring any benefit.
Target Audience
The right restaurant promotion strategy is important for every budding entrepreneur. For its development, it is necessary to represent the target audience for which it is going to work. Moreover, the conversation is not only about the sociodemographic characteristics of clients, but also about their psychological portrait. Usually, when choosing an institution offering catering services, a person considers three most important factors. The first one concerns the status of the restaurant. The second - the requirements for the quality of food served in the institution and their prices. The third principle is the action that the client performs to achieve the goal, regardless of the means available to him.
When promoting a restaurant, it should be borne in mind that a person who is constrained in means is guided by the status of an institution. High quality food is necessary for a very wealthy client. Therefore, the restaurant’s advertisement should rely on one or another target audience. This will attract the maximum number of visitors.
Outdoor advertising
According to experts, this restaurant promotion method is the most effective. This is due to the fact that most potential visitors choose an institution according to the area of work or residence. The restaurant’s outdoor advertising does an excellent job of engaging the community in the establishment. Moreover, it is used in various manifestations, from signboards to billboards.
If a restaurant is being promoted that is not part of a network of catering enterprises, then advertising should be close to the establishment. To attract the audience of the premium class, as well as to convey to potential visitors information about upcoming marketing events, transparency banners are most often used. What other way can a restaurant promote? Examples of outdoor advertising are the distribution of leaflets that are dropped into the mailboxes of residential buildings located near the establishment. Such a marketing method will help acquire a restaurant with regular customers.
Internet using
Such a method of promoting a company as creating your own websites is gaining more and more popularity in the modern world. Promotion of a restaurant on the Internet is beneficial for an entrepreneur, as it is the most economical option.
The presence of corporate sites allows you to create a holistic view of the proposed facility. In addition, news and thematic systems are important for the institution to become public in the shortest possible time.
On its pages on the Internet, the restaurant can use contextual and banner advertising, as well as conduct events that allow SEO-optimize the resource.
Personal sales
This PR-promotion of the restaurant has a fairly high efficiency. The term "personal sales" means the presentation of an existing product in the process of direct contact with potential consumers. This method has proved its high efficiency not only in the restaurant business, but also in the promotion of any goods and services.
The easiest way to disseminate information in this case is the so-called word of mouth. If the restaurant’s kitchen and the services it provides are pleasant to customers, they will begin to tell their friends, relatives and acquaintances about this. Such promotion is the oldest, but at the same time the most effective way of advertising.
Personal sales can also include such a move as "going to the people." An example of this is the actions of one of the restaurateurs of the capital. At one time, he sent representatives of his company to the registry offices, where they handed young people who had just filed an application with leaflets with proposals to play a wedding in their institution.
Another way of personal sales are proposals for corporate meetings. For their submission, the maximum possible amount of information about a particular large company is collected and an addressable presentation of the restaurant is developed. After that, the businessman agrees to meet in person with a representative of the selected company, during which a corporate service agreement is concluded.
Not the least role in the restaurant promotion strategy is played by post-marketing. It involves further informing customers about the institution’s shares and its news, as well as calls for ordering various events, etc.
According to statistical studies, contact actions always receive one or another answer, since they require a certain reaction to offers. During personal conversations, people are forced to adapt to each other and exchange their opinions and thoughts. If the restaurateur’s approach to personal sales is competent, then relations with customers can become not only warm, but also friendly. That is why the owners of the most successful institutions themselves go into the hall and find out the wishes and comments that are available to visitors.
Sales promotion
One of the methods that allow for the speedy promotion of a restaurant is the adoption of incentive measures that encourage a person to purchase services. This includes the developed discount system, which is offered to regular customers. After all, each visitor will be pleased with such a sign of attention as a bonus card, with which he can significantly save his money.
For customer retention, a discount of 15 to 20% is required. This will force a person to visit the institution again and again.
For large cities, such a method of sales promotion as promotion with the help of intermediary firms is also suitable. These are special agencies that offer customers who contact them to reserve a table in certain restaurants. This method is very effective in the case of direct acquaintance with a person who owns an intermediary company.
Sales promotion activities include a compliment from a chef or presenting a souvenir to a customer. It can be a free dessert, as well as a pen or keychain with the symbols of the restaurant.
PR
This method of promoting a restaurant is carried out by establishing links with various target audiences through the formation of a positive image of the restaurant and its favorable reputation. The most important tools of this method are corporate communications, consulting, interaction with the press, meetings with visitors, etc. A distinctive feature of this direction of restaurant promotion lies in its credibility. After all, any written article in a newspaper or an essay placed in it will cause more trust than an advertisement.