Keys to Unlocking Your Restaurant's Hidden Potential: Why Change? Part II

In the last post the benefits of non-complacency were examined. Inertia can be a powerful force, indeed. This post will address another powerful force, this one a catalyst for change - a roller coaster economy. Although things appear to be taking a turn for the better, most people are still tightening their purse strings. Unfortunately, dining out is often high on the list when it comes down to trimming the family budget.
Many restaurants are using clever promotions and offers to make eating out a more value-driven family experience. Prix fixe menus, portion options, early bird menus, and hyped-up happy hours are springing up in all sorts of establishments from coast to coast. Anyway you look at it, consumers are looking for more bang for their buck.
One owner at a four-star restaurant I recently consulted for told me that he had trepidations launching any such promotions for fears that it would too drastically change the establishment's "upscale identity" in the eyes of guests. I replied that being forced to close shop due to lack of traffic would mean there may no longer be an identity to lose! It's not necessary to reinvent the wheel when you adapt to market changes, it just means that you need to explore ways in which to be more accessible to your desired audience. If you can feasibly maintain costs, selling 200 hamburgers at $5.00 apiece is better than selling 0 for $10.00 apiece. The bottom line is getting people in the door and coming back for more, and in this economy owners and managers may need to consider short-term sacrrifices for long-term gains. As one chef I had the pleasure of working with used to say, "its not rocket surgery, kids."

----------------
Now playing: The Beatles - Blue Jay Way
via FoxyTunes