Building your Restaurant community

I have summarized the blog for you. Of course, you are invited to read the story and share your feedback. 

Summary

The blog elaborates on a seamless way to build your Restaurant community and list out some ways such as rewarding loyalty, organizing events, building partnerships, etc. And it discusses the two ways not to do. 

The Blog

One of the best ways you can ensure long-term success for your restaurant is to make it an important part of the community.

It is not enough to be just a place to stop for a meal, become more and delight your customers. There are primarily two ways to go about - build a Community around your Restaurant or have an impressive Loyalty program.

With increasing number of restaurants establishing around your business; if they are not and you are the lone tiger in the woods that's a bigger problem. Coming back, with more crowd it becomes far more complex to increase traffic to your place and then retain them too. It is not just about some random posts or a few reels; they might be able to draw a few but then they fizzle soon.

To build relationships, boost your business, and retain a loyal customer base, you need to create a Restaurant Community.

Your focus has to be to not just create amazing and delicious food but to take on a much more broader look at your operations and your guests. It has to determine the basis of your community, about what you want to convey, and who you want to visit your restaurant. Not everyone is or can be your customer.

Building a community around your Restaurant is based on a three step process:

Step 1 - Listen to Customers

Step 2 - Know what people around you (your Community) are looking for

Step 3 - Connect your Brand seamlessly to that part of the community

Here are some ways that would help you build your community.

• Host events that bring the community together. From karaoke to dancing parties, quiz nights, or costume parties, people love spaces where they can come together to enjoy good food and tasty drinks in the company of their loved ones. Don’t forget to capitalize on local events that people are dying to celebrate. For example, organize a viewing party for a deciding football or cricket match or inviting people to your restaurant after a major event for a free cup of steaming coffee.

• Offer your space for community groups. The importance of restaurants in the community cannot be understated. Restaurants should be a place where people can gather to engage in activities they enjoy, while also enjoying delicious dishes. Are there any groups or clubs in your community, such as a book club, yoga club, or even the neighborhood association group? They may be struggling to find a place to meet. Offer your restaurant as a free option. You don’t have to worry about charging them because the food and drink sales will more than make up for it.

• Reward loyalty and celebrate your regulars. Perhaps the easiest way to keep your regulars close is to show them you appreciate their loyalty. You can do that with rewards such as exclusive discounts, promotions, and special offers.

• Strive to learn your regulars’ names and birthdays so you can greet them with a personal touch and surprise them with a free bottle of champagne or a dessert on the house on their birthday. The effort won’t go unappreciated, trust me.

• Partner with a local club or group. Restaurant association is an important part of community outreach. Whether you partner with a association of some sort to host their event at your restaurant or a club as a place for them to communicate, the advantage would be all yours.

• Participate in food and music festivals

  Festivals bring people together for days of good music, fun events, and delicious food. You could be one of the food suppliers as a way to attract a larger audience and be seen as a representative local brand. Say for example, you can hire a food truck for a few days and take your food on the road. Don’t forget to print promotional materials like flyers and business cards to hand out to customers. To motivate them to come back, include a small discount for an offline or online order. This is an excellent way to let people know you also deliver and encourage them to place their first order.

• Partner with other businesses in the area. Other local businesses are also probably looking for community outreach ideas that can help them attract a new crowd. Those businesses are your friends, and you can forge a mutually beneficial relationship that lasts long term. Whether that is hotels that want to recommend a good local restaurant to their customers or cafés that want to also sell appetizers but don’t have a kitchen, there are multiple ways in which you can approach these partnerships, from mutual promotion to selling each other’s products.

• Reach out to local food influencers and bloggers. People do appreciate genuine local influencers’ opinions and trust their choices. If you get good bloggers and social media influencers to give their stamp of approval on your food, their followers will follow. To hold them and bring them back again is your job. Reach out to these figures in the community and invite them to visit your restaurant for a surprise taste test of a new menu item or an exclusive press and influencers event.

The Pitfalls

Now the trick is to avoid the mistake of putting your Restaurant at the core of that communication. This one mistake that’s most commonly made that, from the very beginning, nullifies the impact of all efforts.

Often when communicating with guests, a restaurant takes a self centered approach, talking only about itself, listing its value, describing the cuisine, singing the praises of the team, outlining the ambience… 

But this type of communication leaves out the most important part of the equation – the customer!

Another mistake made is not relating to your audience. Whether it is through social media posts, website content, or advertising campaigns; every piece of communication should be tailored to convey a sense of personal relevance. Instead of bombarding guests with self-praise, focus on highlighting the benefits and experiences specifically designed to cater to the desires of your audience.

A potential customer should read a post and think, “Yes, this is about me. They offer exactly what I’m looking for.” This personalized approach helps show how much you value your clientele and how important they are to your business.

Is building a Restaurant community for everyone ?

Well, may be not. The type of business model you have, has a major impact on whether you need a Restaurant Community program or just a well drafted Loyalty program shall suffice.

In conclusion, when you show the community that you know them and appreciate them, they will flock to your business and your Restaurant will always be busy.

Go ahead, build a Community around your Brand.