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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE CRITICAL

02 Tuesday Dec 2014

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Painted in Waterlogue

Running a restaurant is hard, but it is not difficult. This may seem to be a contradiction, but I can assure you, it is not. Many restaurateurs will struggle with trying to develop that perfect formula for success while it is staring them in the face. Yes, working in any area of a restaurant is hard. Standing for 10-12 hours on your feet, in a 100 degree kitchen, lifting, bending, stressing over the number of orders flying off the POS, burning and cutting yourself in the process, is hard work. Dealing with customers who seem to be intent on making your life miserable, feeling the friction that occasionally crops up between front and back of the house, handling multiple tables at a time and carrying heavy trays filled with entrees is hard work. But, it is not difficult to be successful in the restaurant business. The formula for success is right in front of every chef and restaurateur, it has always been there, yet many fail to see the recipe or simply fail to understand how important the basics are.

Now, forgive me for over-simplifying the process that leads to success. There are, to be fair, numerous other factors that lead to success or failure, but the intent of this article is to point out the basics that every restaurant professional must know, pay attention to, and live – every day. The most fundamental realization in any business, but particularly in restaurants is that “First Impressions are Lasting Impressions.” People do judge a book by looking at the cover, and in this case, the cover tells most of the story. It is truly amazing to see how many operators fail miserably with these foundations.

  1. Let’s start with the exterior visuals: drive up to your restaurant: what do you see? Does the façade look clean, manicured, fresh, and inviting? Is the parking lot swept? Are the lawn cut and the bushes trimmed? Do the exterior lights work? Is the sign in great condition and reflective of the concept within? Are the windows clean and is the exterior door polished and inviting? Who is assigned to take care of these essential components each and every day? Someone must be responsible and held accountable for these first impressions.
  2. When you enter the restaurant, what is the lighting like? Is there transition lighting so that you are not shocked by the difference between outside and in?
  3. Are guest greeted warmly as soon as they enter the restaurant? Is every guest who enters your restaurant made to feel like the staff really wants them to be there? “The handshake of the host determines the flavor of the roast.” Ben Franklin
  4. Are the bathrooms immaculate? Are they well appointed, attractive, clean and clean smelling?
  5. Is the décor of the restaurant appropriate for the menu concept? Is signage in place that clearly defines how a guest should proceed?
  6. Is the staff in a comfortable, consistent, and easily identifiable uniform? Do all employees wear name tags? Is the uniform well maintained: clean, ironed, and crisp? Are all cooks and chefs in professional uniforms that reflect the restaurant’s commitment to serious cooking and cleanliness? This includes shoes, pants, chef coats, and head cover.
  7. Are guest tables clean, steady, properly covered, and well maintained? Is the tabletop complete with appropriate glassware, flatware, china, and centerpiece and is everything impeccably clean and spot free?
  8. If you use tablecloths and linen napkins are they spotless and neatly pressed?
  9. Are your menus in excellent physical condition? Are they free of bends, tears, and stains? Is everything on the menu SPELLED CORRECTLY?
  10. Are your menus designed with ample white space, succinct and enticing descriptions, easy to read, and understand?
  11. Is table service in your restaurant attentive, but not overbearing?
  12. Is the choice of menu items broad enough for most tastes, but not so large as to be overwhelming for guests.
  13. Is your service staff well-versed and comfortable with the menu: descriptions, methods of cooking, ingredients, flavor profile, complementary wines or other beverages, source of ingredients, etc.?
  14. Is hot food served hot and cold food served cold?
  15. Does the service staff ensure that the appropriate eating utensils are served with the appropriate dish?
  16. Does dining room management check in with tables to make sure they are satisfied with their meal and service? Do they exhibit real interest in guest satisfaction?
  17. Is the temperature in the room comfortable for the length of a meal?
  18. Is your furniture comfortable as well?
  19. Is your coffee service up to the same level of excellence that is offered throughout the rest of the meal? Do you keep the coffee cups or mugs warm before service?
  20. Does management make every attempt to satisfactorily correct any problems prior to guest departure? Is someone empowered to make it right?
  21. Does the chef, whenever possible walk through the dining room and interact with guests?
  22. Is the check presented in a timely fashion and is it checked for accuracy before being presented to the guest?
  23. Does someone thank the guest for their business before they depart and do you make an attempt to collect contact information from the guest for future communication?
  24. Do the chef and the dining room manager take a few moments at the end of each shift to review service, identify areas of concern, and make corrections before the next meal period?
  25. Does someone monitor social media to identify any positive and negative comments regarding food and service? If so, do they share this information with front and back of the house employees and establish corrective action as a team?

Painted in Waterlogue

The list could, certainly, go on, but the primary point is that all of these tasks are common sense. There is nothing difficult under the heading of the foundations. It may be hard work to ensure that everything is addressed, every day, but it can be done. Before addressing the marketing strategy, before looking at increasing selling prices or decreasing costs to improve the bottom line, every restaurateur must spend time with these foundations. Do the homework first, without attention to these details, success will always be difficult to achieve.

Know the foundations, communicate the foundations, train to the foundations, and measure everyone in your restaurant against them.

PLAN BETTER- TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

COMING SOON: “The Event That Changed Everything”

A novel by Paul Sorgule

A story about two cooks and their adventures through professional kitchens, the relationships made along the way, and the Event that changed their lives forever. Available in early 2015 on amazon.com and iuniverse.com

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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES

31 Thursday Oct 2013

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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES

How important are the details? Make no mistake the “small stuff” does add up when building an experience for your guests. First impressions help to draw people into your business, set the tone for the experience, build guest expectations, define your concept, demonstrate your commitment and establish the measurement for value. How are your first impressions?

I remember a great story that I heard years ago about SAS airlines. The story was titled: “cattle calls and coffee stains” and referred to the way that many airlines board planes and their lack of attention to detail. In the story reference is made to the guest who once seated, pulls down the chair tray only to find coffee stain rings from a previous passenger. As small a detail as this might be, the guest immediately wondered if they could safely fly the plane if the airline couldn’t even clean their chair trays. Details do matter!

Consider some of the more remarkable retail companies and their approach. Apple Computer draws people into their stores by using simple, clean lines that highlight the product. This is accomplished with dramatic use of light and glass, minimalistic décor and attention directed to the brand and the product. As a result they own the largest dollar sales per square foot of any retail company.

Anthropologie pulls customers in by creating one of a kind window displays that tell stories and tie the product into those stories that entice and educate at the same time. This company accomplishes this through a team of artists in every one of their stores, a home office department dedicated to research and design of these windows and a decision to forego traditional advertising for the uniqueness of their first impression strategy.

Restaurants can learn a great deal from these and other effective models focused on first impressions that are visual, textural, aural and in some cases even involve olfactory senses. Restaurants can even add the sense of taste to their first impressions.

Walk through your restaurant as a customer. Be aware of first impressions: “sweat the small stuff”!

1. Begin with your curb appeal. How does the restaurant look from the vantage of a car seat? Is it sharp, clean and inviting? Does the exterior need paint, better lighting, more appropriate signage or better landscaping? Is your parking lot clean, well lit, freshly paved and free of views of dumpsters and discarded equipment?
2. When you approach the entrance, is it inviting? Are the windows clean and does the entrance subliminally say: “welcome”?
3. As you enter the restaurant are you immediately greeted? Is the transition lighting such that your eyes adjust immediately from being outside?
4. What are the visuals? Are they related to the restaurant concept? Is the restaurant décor interesting, warm and free of unnecessary clutter?
5. Are the colors conducive to a great food experience (warm earth tones are best)?
6. Pay attention to the distinction between pleasant sounds and noise. What is the noise level (a comfortable level of customer chatter is a positive, acoustics that do not allow the sound to dissipate can be very unpleasant and will oftentimes ruin an otherwise positive experience for guests)? If you pipe in music of some type is it appropriate for the concept of the restaurant and it’s menu? Are there kitchen sounds drifting into the dining area? Are these sounds adding or detracting from the experience?
7. Look at your tabletop. Is the table covering, glassware and china, silverware a match for the value experience you are trying to create? Do you have flowers on the table? If so, are they fresh and vibrant?
8. Is the table lighting sufficient for reading the menu and viewing other people around your table? If not, this can dampen conversation and make menu decisions frustrating.
9. Are your service staff members professionally dressed and does the uniform (formal or informal) match the concept and the value experience? How about the staff members grooming (hair contained, body tattoos, jewelry and make-up) – is it appropriate for the concept?
10. Are your bathrooms attractive, well lit and most importantly spotlessly clean and free of offensive odors?
11. What are the smells in your dining room? Some food aromas are appropriate and may even add to the experience (the smoky smell of barbeque in a restaurant that features that product, the smell of fresh bread in a bakery, the aroma from a char-grill in a feature steak house), while others may turn people off (old oil in a deep fryer, too much garlic, burnt toast in a diner, etc.).
12. Look at your menu document. Is it clean, free of stains, torn corners, etc.? If not, replace them.
13. Finally, the restaurant has a unique opportunity to continue building positive expectations for a great meal and increase sales through the sense of taste. Consider the use of an amuse bouche (1-2 bite complimentary morsel from the kitchen) to encourage people to stand at attention for the flavors to come and even become more receptive to upselling. Make sure that your drinks, appetizers and soups help to build a positive picture for the overall experience.

First impressions are lasting impressions. Your goal should always be to create memories. Memories that are positive will bring customers back – the customers that allow your business to thrive are the ones who return on their own accord.

**NOTE: The picture in this post is of Alfred Portales Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City. This has consistently been one of my favorite restaurants in the country and one that truly understands how important first impressions are to their success.

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