6 Tips to Boost Restaurant Sales This Summer
While many businesses see sales start to decrease when warm weather hits, summer is typically the busiest time of year for restaurants. Quick Servant is here to make sure your commercial restaurant equipment is up to snuff and operating at peak performance no matter the time of year.
However, there are also a number of simple and effective ways to increase your sales this summer—whether it’s offering online ordering or launching a summer sale or promotion. Check out the following six ways you can be sure to boost sales and keep customers coming back through the start, height and end of summer.
#1 Update Your Decor With Summer TLC
A summer remodel is an important draw for customers to feel they have a nice sunny space to dine at this season. And it doesn’t have to break the bank. Calculate a budget for your decor tune-up and do what fits within that.
If you have an outdoor seating space, you may want to add plants, flowers or colorful umbrellas. Your update can be as simple as hiring a chalk artist to redo the outdoor sign, reorganizing your table settings to a uniform white or creating a tabletop brochure with summer’s new drink offerings.
#2 Offer Online Ordering
In this day and age of immediate access and online ordering, offering take-out or delivery options can make or break your restaurant’s bottom line. If you offer online ordering rather than having customers calling in, your not only saving valuable staff members from becoming hung up on phone calls, you’re also ensuring the lines of communication and entire order process go as smoothly as possible.
Not only will you and customers enjoy no mistakes and no missed orders, you’ll also see increased customer loyalty. Studies show that more than 30 percent of diners use their favorite restaurants’ websites to gather information and place orders. Studies also show the average online ticket order is as much as 23 percent larger than when customers place orders by phone.
#3 Start Blogging
A featured restaurant blog is a great (and free!) way to share with customers any menu updates or overall news. It’s also a wonderful option to create a lasting customer loyalty, and keep patrons coming back for tips, tricks and interesting topics. You may want to try to use the blogosphere as a platform to increase engagement by having customers share pictures or take surveys.
Another option is to invite journalists or bloggers to enjoy your new summer menu, and get the word of mouth out that way.
Check out this article, 10 Examples of Restaurant Blogging Done Right.
#4 Up Your Social Media Game
In the same vein as blogging, if you don’t have an active social media presence already, summer is the perfect time to start. Post pictures of colorful, refreshing drinks on Facebook and Instagram, or your latest recipe to keep patrons cool through the heat. If you’re hosting and specials or promotions, be sure to share these across all platforms.
With summer also comes an enormous number of National Food Holidays. There are over 50 food holidays in the month of June alone. Pick and choose which ones will appeal most to your customer base and get creative sharing these across your social media accounts.
#5 Freshen Up Your Menu With Summer Foods
Summer is the perfect time to reimagine your menu. Try adding some cool, refreshing dishes and drink recipes. Avoid the heavy, hearty menu options designed for winter and move toward salads, fish and chicken. Summer diners often seek healthier choices, so this is something to keep in mind. Yet everyone loves a cold frozen margarita or ice cream on a hot summer day.
Restaurant wine and beer tastings are a popular dining offering over summer months. Host a tasting to attract new customers and partner with existing local wineries or breweries.
#6 Launch a Summer Sale or Promotion
If you have the means and tools to launch a summer season sale or promotion, this is a great way to get new customers in the door. If sales have stagnated or dwindled, get creative and dream up an exciting summer sale. This is something everyone loves, and has the capacity to dramatically and quickly boost your restaurant’s revenues.
Call Quick Servant for Commercial Kitchen Equipment Repair
This summer, try one or all of the above-mentioned tips and tricks to maintain and increase your revenues. But none of this will work if your kitchen equipment is malfunctioning. Luckily, residents across Maryland, Virginia and the D.C. area can contact the commercial experts at Quick Servant for fast and reliable repairs.
Call us today at (888) 238-4133, or visit us online to schedule service right away. As always, we’ll be there when you need us!