The restaurant business is very difficult to get into let alone keep successful. So, how do the restaurant chains do it?
Staying afloat during the pandemic restrictions
Offer takeout and/or delivery
The first aspect to discuss is especially important during this time during the pandemic restrictions. Currently, we are unable to go out and eat in a restaurant. Privately owned restaurants may not be able to afford to add takeout or delivery to their available services which means that they may need to close during this time. However, the restaurant chains may do very well with takeout and delivery, especially if they didn’t offer it prior to the pandemic.
There is something kind of exciting about ordering a meal for delivery or takeout that you would have had to go out for. For example, Longhorn Steakhouse is a popular restaurant chain but they didn’t offer takeout or delivery before this pandemic happened. So, it is nice that even during these uncertain times we can still order a delicious steak meal and eat it in the comfort of our home.
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Create prep kits for people to make the dishes they love at home
Some restaurants, especially those in bigger cities, may prepare meal prep kits for their customers to purchase and then cook the meal themselves at home. This is probably going to be harder to find but, you can always subscribe to a meal prep service such as Home Chef, Hello Fresh, and Freshly. You could also take this opportunity to sign up for meal prep delivery services that are geared toward weight loss such as Weight Watchers or Nutrisystem.
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Gift cards
Some restaurants (whether they are offering takeout and delivery or not) are also offering gift card sales to entice their customers to spend the money now, but use the gift card toward a future visit. This concept will help keep customers coming into their favorite establishments as well as welcome newcomers once the restrictions are lifted.
Tips for staying afloat during normal life
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Consistency and quality
Restaurant chains are sticklers for consistency. It is their goal to provide the same quality and menu from location to location to ensure that all customers are receiving the same meals. If the restaurant chain didn’t have consistency then they would likely go under.
Their consistency goes beyond the menu items, though. Restaurant chains typically have a set standard for staff uniforms, staff training techniques, atmosphere, and decor of the restaurant as well as bar items available. Of course, during the pandemic restrictions, these areas of consistency have less to do with the success of the restaurant chain as the public is not currently able to enjoy the physical establishment itself.
The quality ties in nicely here as each area of the restaurant needs to hold the same consistent quality at each of their locations. This includes the quality of their staff, cleanliness, and of course, their food.
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Community
One aspect of success for the restaurant chains may surprise you. Many restaurant chains make more money as a whole compared to the typical mom and pop restaurant. So, some of them are able to connect with local or national charities to help their community whether by donating their time, money, or even food! However, many communities make it their mission to help support their local mom and pop small businesses and this support may even come from the larger restaurant chains.
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Adaptability
This secret to success is not singularly a restaurant chain success secret. It is imperative for anyone in the restaurant business that they are adaptable. This will come about whenever a customer has a complaint. If a staff member or restaurant is not adaptable to the complaints from a customer then they will quickly go under as they would have lost the trust of their patrons. For example, if a customer dislikes their soup then it is only right that the staff remove the soup and offer reimbursement or a replacement option.
Another possible reason the restaurant needs to be adaptable is to accommodate the ever-changing world we live in. Whether it’s changing the menu items, restructuring the staff to better fit the restaurant’s needs, or even finding creative ways to serve your customers during a pandemic, restaurants and the staff need to be adaptable.
