Running a business in today's modern world is not an easy task. And that holds especially true for traditional businesses, which we're talking about today. We all still go to restaurants, don't get us wrong, but there's just so much competition that it seems like it's getting more and more difficult by the minute.
Fast-food chains, for instance, have always been a massive competition for old-school restaurants of any scale. Still, with the recent skyrocketing development of delivery services (due to a particular pandemic), it's pretty hard to even get people out of their houses, let alone into a restaurant.
Don't worry; there's still hope, and the wine and dine business model isn't going anywhere soon. But you might need to update a few things to stay on top, so let's go over the most important ones!
1. Food Delivery Is A Must
Now hold on to your hats, ladies and gentleman, we know that this seems like making a deal with the enemy, but it's time to face facts. While we all still love the experience of sitting down on some high-class restaurant furniture – eating high-class food in the comfort of your own home is just too good of a deal to pass up.
And why should we pass it up? You (the restaurant owner) still rely almost entirely on the quality of your food, and it's the crucial factor for success for everybody. So giving people the opportunity to enjoy your delicious offerings without any health and safety restrictions is just a smart thing to do these days.
The food delivery industry is now worth over $150 billion worldwide, and with good reason. Creating your own food delivery system, app, and website, is an option – but partnering up with one of the now well-established services might be even better.
People can just open up an app and see which restaurant is nearest and which will deliver their meal the fastest. That's a connection to potential customers that every restaurant owner would kill for even 20 years ago!
2. Online Reservations
This might be the most obvious thing in the world, but if you haven't been keeping up with the times (and some of us have not, which is fine), people today tend to gravitate away from making a call or starting a face-to-face conversation.
They would much instead just let a well-designed app do their bidding. Making a reservation in your restaurant over the phone is an easy task, but having an online system in place with all the possible information available for your customer is just better.
With a sound reservation system, your customers can just look at what tables are free, what kind of menu you're offering, if there are any specials that night, if there is a waiting list, etc. And on top of that, they're the perfect place for advertising any events you might have coming up!
Think about it; people are already there checking out your restaurant and what tables are available – why not let them know about any and all things they shouldn't miss at your place?
Again, just like with the delivery systems, this isn't something you will have to build from the ground up. So no need to employ a team of IT specialists and graphic designers – plenty of services already exist and dominate the market, and they would be more than happy to offer their services!
3. QR And Contactless Payments Are The Way To Go
You know about QRs, you probably use them on a day-to-day basis, and you want to know how to implement them into your restaurant business. Well, don't worry, it's all straightforward.
Se, QR codes are a pretty perfect way to do multiple things – advertise yourself, represent your restaurant menu, order and then pay, the list goes on. You might have already seen this done in technologically advanced countries like China. By using apps and the QR codes that businesses offer their customers, people can make a reservation, order, and pay for everything – all before sitting down at your restaurant!
Now while you might not want to go so far right away, using this technology for all of the mentioned services just makes sense. It creates a contactless system in a time when your customers need and want it the most.
Giving people the option of scanning a QR right off the menu or a coaster to pay for their meals directly from their bank accounts makes their lives simpler. And we must not forget how much of a load it takes off your staff who need it the most!
Conclusion
Let's face facts; restaurants aren't going anywhere. No matter how much people like getting their food delivered or eating at a fast-food chain, the traditional restaurant model was, and always will be, a good idea for a business.
But with that said, you sometimes have to adapt to new times. And that's precisely what we're trying to help out with!
