The New World of Hospitality
While the uncertainties of what the future will hold run ramped, there is a couple of things we do know for sure. Things are not going to magically go back to the way they were, and it’s a whole new ball game for the hospos out there as dining in opens back up to society. But this isn’t a time for discouragement and ‘sticking our heads in the sand’, this is a time for adaptation and enthusiasm! Hey, if you have survived this far, you’ve got what it takes to thrive in a post pandemic world!
In short, goodbye normal, hello opportunities.
Here are our top three strategies to help you seize the moment and boost your venues success in 2021 and beyond!
NEW NORM, NEW LOOK, NEW DINE IN EXPERIENCE
We’ve loved watching the world re-emerging into society with a flurry of new and re-vamped venues opening up. These venues have realised that during this ‘re-launching’ time, people are going to be talking about the new and exciting places, and like you’d expect, these are the places selling out.
Our simple advice is that you follow suit and fast!
Here are some key areas to look at:
01 You dine in space – Does it promote safe social distancing? People will feel more comfortable removing their masks and eating if they are not crammed in next to strangers. Are larger (more profit bearing) group seating options available for pre-booking? Tip: Promote large bookings like crazy with small discounts for larger groups, to make better use of your precious space.
02 Your menu – Digital menus are everywhere right now, but there’s nothing like holding a well-designed, quality feeling menu and browsing through the deliciously described meals. Our advice is to give your customers the best of both worlds. Because simply, not everyone is the same, there will be different levels of caution and there will be people who just love holding a physical menu because it feels like the old ‘normal’.
03 Your Branding – More and more customers are looking not only at your menu but also the ‘ambience’ of your venue. The power of branding and visual surroundings must be acknowledged and used to your advantage. Every time a potential customer sees your branding or logo it needs to remind them of the joys of a dine-in experience and help them subconsciously explore excuses to book that table. To do this we suggest combining your logo with images of friends hanging out, smiling, having a great time. Inject your branding and marketing efforts with visual cues as to the feeling people have lacked for so long during lockdown: company and connectedness!
GET YOUR WEBSITE WORKING LIKE A WEAPON!
It’s frightening how many cafés still don’t have a website. Websites are your chance to throw a bit of your flare and branding online, not to mention give prospective diners that all important sense of credibility and the assurance that this is going to be a good experience for them. In order to drive online sales and boost your awesome new menu ideas, you'll need to ensure online ordering is the first thing your customers find when visiting your website. Use deals and discounts to encourage online ordering through your website. This way you avoid the fees that come with using third party delivery providers, (UberEats, Menulog etc.) Turn your menu into a marketing tool by making it searchable. According to bizjournals.com, 49% of people begin searching for food online without a specific business name in mind. So, when someone types in 'best almond latte in Melbourne', you want your menu of unique milk options to be the first to pop up on that search. Make sure to keep it current and fresh in order to attract return customers with fun new menu additions. Finally make sure your menu (and website) are mobile friendly.
Use every interaction to remind your customers that you and your team have embraced a new level of cleanliness and are sympathetic with their situation. Customise your receipt and website messages to speak directly to your customers’ current concerns, update your phone answering machine message and hold message.
PUT YOUR CAFE’S WORD-OF-MOUTH ON STEROIDS
There is nothing like increasing your customer base to put your profits back on the rise. To fight back those lost profits, it’s time to think seriously about your online presence, in particular social media. We’re not just talking about cute daily posts about ‘rising and shining’, by all means do this, but to truly grow you need to start working with the ‘kings and queens’ of social media: influencers. Think of them as word-of-mouth on steroids. A quick ‘foodies Melbourne’ search into Instagram will put you directly in touch with the people you need to sing your praises.
Some great advice from the book ‘Count More Beans’ by Nadi Elias included looking for someone with 50,000+ followers, scanning a couple of their posts, checking how many likes and comments they are getting. 2000 likes a post for someone with this kind of following is a good sign. Many of these influencers are putting a lot of energy into hunting down their next topic, so make their life easy by approaching them and inviting into your café. Some influencers will charge a small fee of $300-$500 per post, while others will post in exchange for a free meal. Now there’s no set amount of IG likes that will guarantee you a sale, but in an age where attention is the scarcest currency, this is exactly what you want.
We are the first to appreciate that every hospitality venue is unique and the meaning of success will vary for each, and our hope is that you will extract some value from at least one of our suggestions and inject it into your venue. As keen foodies and coffee drinkers we love to analyze what separates a good experience from a great one. If you find that branding or venue interiors is something that you could possibly improve on, we would love to explore some ideas with you and ensure you stand out and thrive amongst the competition. Contact us to chat!
Cant wait to hear from you!
