Many people seem to think that marketing is a pushover. After all you just have to let people know you are there and that you sell a certain kind of food and they will come, right? Not only is this far from the truth, but you often have to analyze and dissect any new restaurant ideas and work out for yourself why they won't work before you decide to proceed.
If you have a vivid imagination then you should have no problem coming up with new restaurant ideas, but don't get too carried away before you look at the fundamentals. What is it behind your idea that you think would be a great draw? Do people have a clear incentive to visit? Don't forget that visitors may have only a limited amount of time to devote to their social and culinary expectations. If you get confused or cannot adequately see the big picture, don't be afraid to ask a friend or business associate for input.
Once you have your new restaurant ideas and associated marketing concepts in place, now is the time to get everyone in your organization on the same page. Don't underestimate this phase, as without a motivated staff behind you, you have no chance. A comprehensive training and education program is essential to pass your vision on to those who will make it happen.
Don't just provide a place to work for your staff, make sure that you inspire them as well. You will find that the majority of your employees will be very productive and loyal but if you fully engage them with your new restaurant ideas they will be excited and enthusiastic as well. Set up a question and answer session to enable you to fully spell out your vision as early as you can.
As a prize is a great motivator, brainstorm a little and come up with an incentive or two to really get your staff behind your new restaurant ideas. For example, you could reward them in some way for introducing a group and encourage them to go away and network within their own family and friend environments to see if they can come up with some regular business this way.
As your restaurant will likely be open seven days a week and almost every day of the year, maybe except Christmas Day, you should refer to the calendar for some novel ideas. Do a little bit of research and you will see that there are a huge variety of public, religious and social holidays scattered throughout the year. As these are often linked to special dishes, menus or variations you will surely be able to come up with a number of new restaurant ideas surrounding themed events.
Did you know, if you are trying to think of new restaurant ideas and something to inspire your client base, staff and even yourself, why not visit a website devoted to each individual day in history. If you are creative and realistic you can come up with a hook to tie in a special event to any given date.
Reward your regular visitors by creating a VIP club and offering them meaningful discounts or bonuses for future visits. If you are proactive in promoting the club you should be able to gain contact details, e-mail addresses of many of your visitors. When you have a regular basic communication with them you can help to build a loyal database and really boost your sales down the road.
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