Restaurant guests – what do they expect? It’s a very important question that restaurants of all types and price points need to pay attention to. Sometimes perceptions are misguided, yet they are what we must deal with. Perceptions are sometimes grounded in truth and reality and sometimes not, yet they are what they are, and they drive how customers respond to our operations.

There are many perceptions that are very reasonable assumptions that your guests have even if they may not be your priority. If you ignore that perception, then guests may view it as a violation of trust and a decay of the value they expect. Here are some common perceptions shared by many, if not most guests, about full-service restaurants. The question is how do you hold up to scrutiny?

[]       EVERY SERVER IN A RESTAURANT HAS A BROAD ENOUGH UNDERSTANDING OF WINE TO MAKE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Is this true? You have a respectable wine list that required effort and substantial funds to build. How knowledgeable are your servers? Do they understand how wine is made, what environmental factors impact a wines character? What vineyards are represented on your list? What pairs well with your food menu items and why? How are the wines pronounced? Are they comfortable making a wine recommendation? Have they tasted many of the wines on your list? If you are serious about selling wine, have you created an internal wine culture to support that seriousness?

[]       THE CHEF, THE ONE WITH THE REPUTATION AND THE NAME ON THE MENU, IS PREPARING MY DISH:

We all know that unless yours is a very small operation, the chef is likely not working the line, preparing the dishes that a guest orders. The chef hires, trains, designs, tests, oversees, represents, and may observe plates as they leave the kitchen, but preparing them…probably not. How do or should you relay this to the guest and address their perceptions?

[]       EVERY MENU ITEM IS MADE FROM SCRATCH:

Is it unrealistic for a guest to assume that everything in your kitchen is made by you and your staff? Stocks, soups, sauces, butchered meats and fish, pasta, cut vegetables, dressings, etc.? To the guest who is paying for a meal, this assumption is real. How do or should you address this? Will the guest be as satisfied with that pasta bolognese if you purchased the bucatini from Barilla or Prince? How would they feel if they knew your stock was frozen glace de veau or glace du poulet? Would they think less of your operation if instead of cutting your steaks from full strip loins and tenderloins, you purchased pre-portioned items?

[]       THE RESTAURANT BAKES ITS OWN BREAD AND PREPARES EVERY DESSERT:

The sliced baguette or warm whole wheat miche in your breadbasket was purchased from a local bakery or from your major vendor in a frozen state. Will your guest think less of you for doing this? You can’t afford to hire a full-time baker or pastry chef so even your cakes, tarts and pies are outsourced. Do your guests assume that your ice cream and gelato is made in-house? What are you doing to set the record straight while winning the guests’ hearts and minds?

[]       THE FISH ON THE MENU IS DELIVERED FRESH, DAILY:

Yep, they may have read Kitchen Confidential like a few million others and wonder about ordering fish items on Monday. What is the guest assumption? Are they misguided enough to assume that you have a personal fish monger who drives to the coast every night and delivers fish that are still flapping when they deliver the next morning? How should you address this perception, or should you?

[]       THE BARTENDER IS A MIXOLOGIST:

Of course, your bartender has an encyclopedic knowledge of every mixed drink, fully understands the taste profile of every aged bourbon and single malt scotch, and can speak to the hoppiness of each IPA on your drink list. Should they? If yes, then what are you doing to invest in this knowledge? If not, how will you deal with this guest perception?

[]       THE CHEF AND COOKS HAVE A BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF NUTRITION AND ACCOMMODATING FOR SPECIAL DIETS AND ALLERGIES:

So, there are guests who assume this is the case and insist on not notifying you ahead, believing that simply telling the server that you are on a protein sparing diet and “make sure the chef knows”, assuming that your $20/hour 21-year-old line cook can pull a rabbit out of the hat. Well, this may be unreasonable for a guest to assume this, but some will. What are you doing to prepare for this assumption?

[]       IN THE CURRENT FARM TO TABLE ENVIRONMENT, EVERY RESTAURANT IS PURCHASING FRESH INGREDIENTS FROM LOCAL AND REGIONAL SOURCES:

Farm to table is no longer unique or the exception to the rule. This is an expectation that no longer requires listing your altruistic approach on menu documents. Of course, restaurants visit farms, plan with the farmer what they will plant, and spend a few hours every day brushing the dirt off their carrots, potatoes, and wild mushrooms. This is not reality, yet it has moved from a novelty to an expectation, and restaurants should know how to address this expectation.

Restaurants that are hoping to maximize sales and set a course for decades of service must focus on exceeding customer expectations. At the very least they need to understand that perceptions and expectations are real and must be addressed effectively. How do you score in this regard?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

www.harvestamericacues.com

Check out my author website at: https://paulsorgulebooks.com

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