Restaurant Management Tips:
See You Later (Or Earlier)
You are undoubtedly already using some parts of this technique. But many restaurants miss a golden opportunity here as well. I am talking about spreading demand over the entire time you property is open. This usually takes the form of an
"early bird" special. Yet, there are some other ways to utilize your existing facility and resources that are not so common.
I live in south Florida, so early birds are well known here. I think the average age of the patrons is about 709. During the winter season especially, these oldsters start lining up outside some of the great restaurants down here, looking for
the terrific deals, and getting home in time to watch the early news on television.
Of course, almost all restaurants can use this technique, even if you are not catering to the geriatric set. The object is to spread demand out so that the capital investment in seating and the building, along with the labor you need to have
in order to meet the later dinner rush, will all be utilized to their fullest. It makes sense.
But, what about the other end of the evening? There are great opportunities to offer a "late owl" special, that will keep your staff busy while the restaurant gets ready to close. I suggest a limited menu - or maybe even a
completely DIFFERENT menu for this crowd. It can be difficult to serve a full menu right up until closing. So why not create an easy-to-serve, yet unique and highly profitable menu for the late owls.
Is there a theater near your restaurant? Are people getting off work from a late shift? Are there Europeans or other tourists who might be in the habit of eating later? Each of these segments can make a great clientele. And, the late owl menu
could be a unique positioning tool for you as you create your "special" attractions.
Some restaurants have a side room or other area that can be turned into a café for this purpose. The café room, or club room, can feature specialty coffee drinks, desserts and lighter foods. Music, cigars or even large screen televisions
with appropriate videos, will all lend to a great atmosphere.
Whether you use an early bird, a night owl, or both, these time slots present another great opportunity to help out with the seating dilemma. If you are full during the rush hour, or if you simply want to move a group whose size does not fit
into your seating plan, use the early and late experience as an alternative. Here is an example:
A group of eight wants to make a reservation for 7:30 p.m. You do not want to put a large party into the seating arrangement at that time. You could say, "I am sorry, we do not have a table open at that time", or you could use an
incentive to MOVE that party into a better time slot.
Why not ask the guest a few questions to determine their willingness to move? For example:
"We are unable to seat you at that time. Is there some reason why your group needs to dine then? I am asking because we really would love to have you join us for dinner on Friday. If you would be willing to wait just one more hour, we
can seat you at 8:30, and our manger would be pleased to serve you a bottle of complimentary champagne.
How much does a bottle of champagne cost? Not much compared to the profit from a party of eight. Will all groups switch to meet YOUR needs? No, but you can develop a program that will entice SOME of them to do it. And, don’t forget to track
the results, and reward the staff members who participate.
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