1. Quick service - Do you have a clientele that requires fast service?
Perhaps it is a morning rush hour, a lunchtime crowd, or a dinner segment that needs to finish a meal before the theater. Quick service does not
have to mean a burger and fries. (Although, MILLIONS of dollars have been made serving burgers to fast-food customers. By the way, don’t forget to ask, "Would you like fries with that?") A specialty in quick service is required whenever there is a time constraint. Your
restaurant, if it becomes known for dependability and consistency, can attract LOTS of customers who simply need to be finished dining by a certain time. Don’t miss your curtain call!
2. Themes - A theme can be extravagant, or relatively subdued. Victoria Station Restaurants really got the theme syndrome going in the sixties. Since then, a wide variety of themes have proliferated. But, don’t stop with the décor
when you plan your theme. Match up specialty food and beverage items and SELL them. Give the guest the full experience, and let them pay you for it.
3. Portion size - How about making a name for yourself by WOWING people with the food you give them. As the food and beverage director at a ski area near Lake Tahoe, I started "Colonel Quain’s Poultry Palace". We gave our
patrons paper plates, and sent them down a line of charcoal grills to pick up their food. The last thing that went on the plate was a half chicken. It was a huge portion and, very often, the plate would dip as the tasty fowl was laid on. We got the same reaction each time - "WOW"!
4. Food items - What is the one thing you do better than anyone else's restaurant? I hope there is something! You should choose one or two items and stake your reputation on them. Put everything you can into the quality of these
dishes, starting with the selection of the very best raw ingredients, and ending with a flourish as the item is served. Perhaps it is a prime rib that is served tableside, or a salad bar that goes on forever. Why not consider a Sunday brunch, or a hard to prepare menu item that is simply
outstanding. Give them something they cannot get at home.
5. The Big Secret - When all else fails, use a secret sauce. Make it something special. This works for all kinds of restaurants. And, in today’s market, customers want a variety of tastes. A Mexican restaurant in Orlando has a
selection of twenty hot sauces available from a "sauce bar". My favorite is a real stomach burner called "Slap My Ass And Call Me Sally". No kidding!
6. Off the menu - Why not create a series of specials that can be offered to guests, even though they are not on the menu. Wouldn’t you like to take friends to a place where the waiter says "Well, this isn’t on the menu, but I
know the chef just got in some great duck. I am sure I could get him to make a special dish for you tonight." Everyone wants to feel special.
7. Service - Is there something truly special about your service? Do your customers recognize you for the difference you create every time they sit down? Consider table-side preparation, nicknames, costumes, shows - something that
makes your staff special. It may simply be that they know how each dish is prepared. If that is the case, tell the guest. Let the staff show their talents. No matter what type of restaurant you have, there should be SOMETHING about your service that is unique and memorable - and, most
importantly, that adds to the satisfaction of the guest.
