4 New Year’s Resolutions Every Restaurant Should Make, and How to Nail Them
The holiday season flies by fast, especially for those in the food and hospitality world! When you’re focusing all of your attention and energy on the welcome boost that this season brings, it’s difficult to carve out time for planning ahead, much less creating and sticking to New Year’s resolutions for your business.
With this in mind, we’ve boiled down the 4 best resolutions to increase your bottom line in the new year, along with the specific how-to’s. Your job is simply to choose one, some, or all and then – take action.
Resolution #1: Improve your digital presence
How: Snap fresh, new food photos
Ever heard the phrase “content is king?” This could not ring truer for restaurants. ChowNow restaurants can make their menus shine by signing up for a professional menu photoshoot for their online ordering. You can also be your own food photographer and opt to do it yourself. Don’t forget to share your mouthwatering pics on your website, Instagram and Facebook! Check out our Social Media best practices for pro-tips on how to post your new pics.
How: Give your website a makeover
Your website has never been more important, now that 77% of guests visit a restaurant’s website before visiting or ordering. Take a look at current visuals to see if they still pop, and of course, make sure that your online ordering is front and center so that hungry diners can take immediate action!
In addition to considering new photos, audit your website to see what else might be due for an update. It may even mean decluttering your landing page so that diners can find what they need faster. Check out our 5 tips for what makes a restaurant website successful.
Resolution #2: Get a head start on marketing
How: Stock up early on print materials
It’s easy to forget yearly preparation after the holidays. Instead, use the first few weeks of the new year by stocking up early on marketing materials. Get creative with door hangers, re-order flyers to pop into every takeout bag, and schedule reminders on your calendar to reorder quarterly if needed. If you’re a current ChowNow client, you can order print materials easily online through the ChowNow Marketing Store. Future you will thank present you.
How: Plan your promos
Running a promo is one of the best ways to get diners hooked, so make a quarterly or seasonal plan for your restaurant’s offers. It can be as simple as changing between a 10% or 15% promo every other month, or scheduling a reminder to yourself to start advertising your Valentine’s Day offers at the end of January. On ChowNow, you can schedule, start, and end your online ordering promos at any time, so you can set it and forget it.
Resolution #3: Improve your internal operations
How: Solve staffing headaches with tech
Online ordering can streamline your operations and give your employees a helping hand. How much time would your staff get back if diners could order ahead without calling the restaurant? Plus, giving diners an online ordering option has been proven to drive higher ticket sizes (and tips) compared to phone orders.
Once you sign up for online ordering, you can convert your regular customers to your new option by running a first-time online promo, setting aside an “online orders pickup” counter, and even updating your voicemail to encourage callers to view your menu and checkout online. Soon enough, your staff will be accepting orders online with ease!
How: Expand your reach with on-demand delivery
Today, customers want everything on-demand, especially their food. Now restaurants don’t need their own delivery drivers or a third party in order to get their food from point A to point B. ChowNow partners with a nationwide network of flat-fee delivery providers so you can plug into delivery when you need it, and turn it off when you don’t.
Resolution #4: Help your customers achieve their resolutions, too!
How: Roll out healthy menu items
Many people will take a look at their food habits around the new year, and perhaps decide to make changes in what they’re consuming, whether that’s eating healthier, more sustainably, or for other fitness goals. If food trends like these are in your wheelhouse, make sure your customers know it with a dedicated menu category or updated menu descriptions! Here’s a refresher on how to update your menu in the ChowNow Dashboard.
How: Join forces with local gyms and wellness businesses
Have a gym or yoga studio near you? Partner with them by swapping marketing, so that you can both target new customers. You can trade promo cards to keep at your front desks, send out a co-branded email blast to your customers, or even run an event together. Your customers literally “eat up” the encouragement to maintain a healthy lifestyle!
There you have it — there are so many ways to boost your brand and sales in the new year. Our suggestion? Get creative, and get going! Your staff (and your wallet) will thank you.
