Restaurant Online Ordering Systems : 15 Quick Tips to Navigate Your Way With Online Ordering

In today’s time, the Restaurant Online Ordering System has become one of the strongest foundations of the Food and Restaurant Industry. Prior to this pandemic, there’s already a steady rise of demand for online ordering systems and delivery platforms. If your Restaurant Business is still not doing an online food ordering system, you’re missing a huge number of profit.

Before, online ordering systems were utilized mainly for convenience but now restaurateurs employ these systems in order to support and pick up their sales plus to comply with the new safety protocols. Restaurants are now adapting to the transition being made by the whole Food Industry, and if you want to continue in operating your Restaurant Business, it is time for you to gain a good knowledge about online ordering systems.

Here, you’ll see some quick tips that’ll help you to get back on your feet and improve your Restaurant Online Ordering System.

Online Ordering System

Online ordering systems allow restaurants to receive orders from customers’ computers and smartphones. There are three main options for adding online ordering to your restaurant operation. 

• create a branded online ordering website,
• use a Point of Sale (POS) with online ordering functions
• partner with a third-party delivery platform. 

Most restaurants use a combination of these options to create the most cost-effective online ordering system for their business.

(Source : Fit Small Business)

1. Orient your Staff

Running a Restaurant Business is surely demanding and fast-paced, but if you decide to integrate an online ordering system for your business your staff should be able to support the added pressure and demand for your service. 

A good training on food handling and food preparation is needed for your staff to provide an effective and efficient service for your business.

2. Research for the right POS System

Listed as one of the main options for adding an online ordering system to your restaurant, POS Systems is a technology that’ll act as your back-up in managing your restaurant.

Getting the right POS System could help you capture customer information, tailor your delivery options, and operate your online ordering.

3. Check out for Delivery Service Options

With the sudden increase of demand with online ordering, there are many options to support this demand. There are a number of 3rd-party apps such as Just Eat, Deliveroo, Food Hub, and Uber Eats. You can make a good research on what would work the best for you. For example, some people have experienced problems with Uber restaurant hub and Deliveroo sign in.

One thing to keep in mind though, these 3rd-party apps may come out cheaper at first but they take a huge cut with your profit and they have the control of your marketing, menu, and customer information while if you choose to have your own delivery service, it will be costly at first but the freedom of creative marketing will be yours and ROI will be high as well.

4. Delivery Transportation

There are things to factor in order to decide what delivery transportation you should employ with your Restaurant Business. You can decide if you’ll buy your own or hire people who have their own vehicles. 

You can also choose to hire employees part-time or full-time to do the delivery service for you. Weigh out these factors and options. If you decide to hire and buy your own vehicle, you have a choice for your own branding but this means you have to pay additional for their insurance.

5. Mobile-friendly Website

One thing that you must have if you want to capture customers online is to have a user-friendly website that contains everything vital information about your Restaurant Business. Having a website is one thing, but optimizing it to be viewed on a smartphone is another. 

Take advantage of the fact that people spend a huge amount of their time everyday with their smartphones. Make it easy for them to navigate through your website on their mobile phones.

6. Update your Menu

Not every food item on your menu would be delivery-friendly. You have to simplify your menu in order to cater the needs of your customer while upholding the quality of your food service. 

Simplifying doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut out the options you’ll offer to your customers, you can provide them family meals, food bundles, and DIY kits for them to enjoy.

And when you place this menu on your website, make sure it’s accessible and easy to locate.

7. Utilize your Supplies

What did we say about offering your customers options? With online ordering, you can also offer items straight from your suppliers. This tip is really helpful especially with the effect of this pandemic, you can check your inventory, mark up your ingredients, and sell it to your customers.

People are not so fond of going out right now and having grocery items being delivered to them is one of the things they never knew they wanted until they got it.

8. Clear out your Liquor Supply

Why let your booze just sit inside your storage room? Make that additional sale through an online ordering system by offering them to your customers. With the restrictions on outdoor drinking being implemented here and there, it is advisable to give your customers the convenience of having their sealed drinks delivered to them. 

9. Use a Packaging with an Outstanding Design

With online ordering, you need to step up your packaging game. This is one of your representatives to your customers. Your packaging should speak your branding well and meet the needs for an online ordering and delivery system.

Make sure it is insulated, spill-proof, and maintains the quality of your food item. At the end of the day, no matter how good your delivery service is, if your food item is not delivered the way it should be, it still leaves a bad impression for your Restaurant Business. No one pays for soggy fries.

Here’s one platform that helps restaurateurs with their packaging. 

10. Brand Brand Brand

Since there’s less to zero human interaction with online ordering, it is up to you on how you’ll make your customers not forget about your Restaurant brand. You have to provide them with branding that is so good that your customers would be able to associate your Restaurant business from your menu or even your website design.

Customers should have a good familiarization with your Restaurant brand in order to gain repeat customers.

11. Market your Brand

Even with a good branding, if you don’t do proper marketing, it’ll all come down to drain. A good brand needs a well thought of marketing plan. And since you’re already using an online ordering system for your Restaurant Business, take this time to do online or digital marketing as well.

Make a good social media presence, provide your customers online promos and delivery gift cards, make noise with email as well. You can also discount popular delivery items to add to your promos.

With this tip, the increase with your customers online will be surefire.

12. Extend your Delivery Hours

By extending your delivery hours, you’re also extending the time of your customers to avail your service meaning it leads to more sales for your Restaurant Business. Cater the needs of the millennials who usually stay up late, or those who just have late-night cravings.

Restaurants are already opening and adapting to the new normal, service hours may still be altered but you can refer here to check the restaurants that offer late-night deliveries and try to observe their ways of operating. 

13. Offer Curbside Pick-up as an Option

Yes, online ordering mostly focuses on delivery options but Curbside Service has their own market as well. Give your customers the chance to enjoy your food while they drive without the hassle of them waiting for their food. 

They could just schedule a pick-up time and have minimal contact with your staff, and this also gives you an advantage as you’re sure of the quality of the food you’ll be serving. 

14. Manage the ‘New’ Tipping Policy

Going online means there’s a less chance for your staff to collect tips from your customers. Tips are given because they provided an exemplary service, but with delivery options or curbside service, they can’t justify why they’re worthy of this tip. 

It is your responsibility as a restaurateur to check the ways on how your staff can claim this additional source of income. You can set a minimum delivery or charge delivery fee – these are just some of the ways you can secure ‘tips’ for your staff.

15. Transparency is the Key

Don’t belittle the effect of being transparent to your customers. Your honesty with them will decide if they’ll remain loyal to your Restaurant Business. Provide a breakdown for your customers every time they’ll check-out for them to be updated with what they’re paying for.

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/tips-about-restaurant-online-ordering-system/

Contactless Payment : 7 Best Things About It

Contactless Payment is widely celebrated today. Though it’s been used some years ago, businesses and customers have shown much interest nowadays as a way to comply with the safety protocols for the Coronavirus outbreak.

In fact, while cash remains the second most frequently used payment method, usage continues to fall, with one in ten adults choosing to live a largely cashless life. Consumers are taking a ‘pick n mix’ approach to how they make payments, with mobile banking, mobile payments and contactless all becoming increasingly popular. (UK Finance, 2019) 

CONTACTLESS PAYMENT

Contactless payment refers to a secure method for consumers to purchase products or services using a debit, credit, smartcard, or another payment device by using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and near-field communication (NFC). This payment method works by tapping a payment card or other device near a point-of-sale terminal equipped with contactless payment technology. Contactless payment is also referred to as tap-and-go or tap by some banks and retailers.

(Investopedia)

Contactless Payment can be done through the following :

• Smartphones (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay)
• Debit Card 
• Credit Card
• Smart gadgets (Smart watch)
• iPad and Tablets

Aside from the fact that it’s one way to contain and stop the spread of the virus, we gathered other main points on why you should start joining the dominance of Contactless Payment.

CONTACTLESS MEANS LESS-CONTACT

Since April 2020, the spending limit for contactless card payments has increased from £30 to £45. This action from the government just shows support on how Contactless Payment helps with the fight against the Coronavirus outbreak.

 Sure, you still have to touch the device to the payment terminal, or your card against it but leaning towards Contactless Payment means there’ll be less contact of your staff and equipment to your customers and your customers to other surfaces. WHO has stated before that the virus can linger longer to surfaces for hours to days. That’s why it is advantageous for a restaurateur and customers because there’s no need to sanitize the whole place over and over again.

It is no hiding that with the assistance of Contactless Payment, businesses and establishments are getting back on track with less worry.

EASY TO SET-UP

With the right device that’s compatible for your business concept, Contactless Payment requires less effort to be set up. Digital wallets can now be just downloaded through phone apps, and as soon as you purchase a payment device you’re good to go.

Here are some of the top devices that could help you to set up your business for Contactless Payment.

GREATER EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH CUSTOMERS AND BUSINESS-OWNERS

Modern customers now crave for convenience with every transaction they make, be it through food delivery to payment, it is no surprise that there’s a huge increase of better customer experience when opting for contactless payment. You don’t have to sign anything, you just need to tap then your purchase is already complete. 

Contactless Payment also means there’ll be no need for your customers to line up to queues for payment. Seeing no queues inside your establishment leaves a good impression on your customers and they’ll be more enticed to do business with you, especially using your restaurant and takeaway ordering app.

As for business owners, Contactless Payment enhances their experience because it helps in reducing costs. There are merchants that charge lower fees with every transaction, cash handling for staff is substantially lowered, and there’s no need for you to print a receipt unless your customers asked for it. 

Imagine the great feeling of just tapping your way out of the train rush hour.

GENERATES PRODUCTIVITY

Convenient and fast transactions leads to the increase of efficiency and productivity of the business. Customers are not required to input their PIN or sign anything, meaning there’ll be no typing error and less concerns to mind about. 

This procedure encourages your staff to use their time more effectively at work, and it gives them the opportunity to serve more customers while they’re at it. Keep in mind that customers who use contactless payment tend to spend more than those who use cash. And to be able to keep up with the growing demand from customers, your staff needs a device that could help them function efficiently. There’s a correlation between your staff and the device you’ll use for contactless payment. One can operate just fine, but having them work side by side is better for your business.

The processing of payment is also faster, Contactless Payment usually deposits your money within 1-3 banking days. This benefits you as a business owner. 

SECURED TRANSACTIONS

Since there’s no need for you to access the customer’s information, it’ll put your customers at ease knowing that the transaction they made is secured. There’s also less cases of fraud transactions as the devices use updated technology and data-encryption to protect all the transactions being made.

Contactless Payment also makes tracking the payment easier as it usually shows right away to the customer’s mobile app or sent to their email. 

Another thing to check, your staff will have less to zero contact with the cash or card information meaning there’ll be a lower chance of inside or employee theft to occur.

INCREASES REPEAT CUSTOMERS

The competition for every business is always uptight, so taking every measure that could give you an advantage is a must. With Contactless Payment, you’re delivering a swift, secured, and convenient service. This helps you garner loyalty from your customers. 

This upgrade for your business shows that you’re innovating with your business. You’re not afraid to try what’s best for your customers, and with the increasing numbers of patrons of Contactless Payment, this could help you position your business better – especially to the modern market.

ACCEPTED INTERNATIONALLY

As it is treated now as a necessity, Contactless Payment is surely taking up the world by storm. It is accepted with bars, restaurants, supermarkets, shops, and you can even use it to complete a transaction with your transportation – worldwide. All it takes is just one tap!

Just be mindful of the foreign transaction charges. Make sure to check with your retailer before using it for a shopping spree somewhere across the globe.

Day by day, we’re moving towards an era with less human interaction. And with this recent outbreak, it surely made it more difficult to connect with each other. Now that we’ve been given a technology which takes some load off from our shoulders, may we use it to our advantage and take this opportunity to make more organic connections with each other. 

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/things-to-know-about-contactless-payment/

Card Machines for Restaurants : 6 Best Available in UK Market

Compact and easy – these are some of the descriptions for the newly introduced card machines in the market. As the technology continues to set trends to make our life less complicated, one of the most used machines would be a credit card machine.

It is hard to imagine living today without using a credit card. This observation should be carried with a plan especially those who are in businesses. 

There are two main reasons why having the best card machine is important :

1. People tend to spend more if they’re doing it with a credit card rather than cash.
2. It increases the capacity of the business to cope with the customers, especially during peak season.

Competition is tough for the best card machines, but with this article you’ll be able to distinguish what’s best for your business. Before that, we have to see the features to consider when picking the best for your business. Here are some to consider :

• Battery life
• Cost
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi)
• Fixed rate (per transaction)
• App-based 
• Customer-support
• Money back Guarantee
• Warranty

Types of Card Machines :

• Mobile Card Readers are battery-powered, directed to your merchant via GPRS or Wi-Fi. Businesses like market traders usually use this type of machine.
• Portable Card Readers are battery-powered that communicate with a base station via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Businesses like restaurants, cafes, and so on use this machine as this often has a built-in receipt printer.
• Countertop Card Readers, as the name implies, are physically located to countertops and usually powered via Ethernet or linked by USB. This type is best used by traditional working environment businesses such as supermarkets.

We’ve gathered the top 6 most used card machines and conducted a fair study to check what’s best suited for a restaurant business :

1. iZettle Reader is considered the safest choice for a card machine. It’s stylish, comes in black or white, tamper-proof and no set-up or shipping fee. Also has the widest range of accepted cards. Deposits money within 1-2 banking days. They’re also taking part with the community support for Covid-19, as they are now charging reduced fees for online payments.

• Battery life – lasts 30% longer than others (roughly 8 hours of active use from a single charge).
• Cost – £19 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Bluetooth
• Fixed Rate – 1.75%
• App-based – Yes (Key-in charge for iZettle app to send invoices to clients is 2.5%)
• Customer-support – 9am – 5pm (Mon-Fri)
• Money back Guarantee – None found
• Warranty – 12 months

2. SumUp Air is known to be the most economical card machine that is app based. It offers a friendly-user interface that is good for small businesses that want to start accepting card payments. It accepts major credit cards and it deposits money within 2-3 banking days. As part of their support for the campaign against Covid-19, they have published general guidance and resources to their hub.

• Battery life – built-in Li-ion battery for longer operating hours
• Cost  – £29 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Bluetooth
• Fixed rate (per transaction) – 1.69%
• App-based – Yes
• Customer-support – 9am – 5pm (Mon-Fri)
• Money back Guarantee – 30 days
• Warranty – 12 months

3. Square Reader is the most compact card machine on the list. Accepts Visa, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Contactless. Deposits the money within 3-5 banking days but takes only 20 minutes if upgraded. They have offered to cancel subscriptions to those who have existing businesses who are not using the machine, they also have reduced fee for online payment features as their campaign against Covid-19.  

• Battery life – has a heavy-duty battery inside that enables it to last a day but always charge upon closing the shop.
• Cost  – £19 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Bluetooth
• Fixed rate (per transaction) – 1.75%
• App-based – Yes (2.5% charge for transactions done over the phone)
• Customer-support – 9am – 5pm (Mon-Fri)
• Money back Guarantee – 30 days
• Warranty – 12 months

4. Worldpay Zinc reader is available in sleek black style. A card machine that accepts all major debit and credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, China Union Pay, Diners Club International and Discover. American Express can be added on request. Settlements take up to three days.

• Battery life – Not published
• Cost  – £69 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Connects both with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Fixed rate (per transaction) – Transaction fees varies.
• App-based – Yes 
• Customer-support – 24/7
• Money back Guarantee – Not published
• Warranty – Not published

5. Shopify is best suited for businesses running online. This card machine offers a mobile payment solution for Shopify owners who want to do a face-to-face transaction. It accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Apple Pay, Android Pay.

•  Battery life – Not published
• Cost  – £59 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Bluetooth, not compatible with Android devices.
• Fixed rate (per transaction) – 1.7% per transaction for Basic Shopify users, 1.6% per transaction for Shopify users, 1.5% per transaction for Advanced Shopify users.
• App-based – Yes 
• Customer-support – 24/7
• Money back Guarantee – Not published
• Warranty – 12 months

6. MyPOS is a cheap yet sturdy card machine that accepts Visa, Vpay, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, Google Pay, Apple Pay. Commercial cards issued within the EEA attract a fee of 2%. Non-EEA cards, American Express, Union Pay, and JCB carry a charge of 2.85%. 

• Battery life – Long battery life
• Cost  – £29 + VAT
• Connection (Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) – Connects both with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
• Fixed rate (per transaction) – 1.75% (sometimes set us 0.99% for promotion) For online and over the phone transactions, 2.25% fee charged for consumer cards issued within the EEA and 3.25% on commercial cards issued with the EEA. Non-EEA cards attract a fee of 3.35% while transactions on American Express and JCB costs will cost you 3.5%.
• App-based – No
• Customer-support – 24/7
• Money back Guarantee – 30 days
• Warranty – 12 months

Knowing which card machine to use is not easy. There are different factors to consider, and the competition to the market is still increasing. This is an investment which will likely give a good grow to the numbers of your  customer and their average spend. Think about how the machine will work in conjunction with your takeaway food delivery app.

There are different selling points to each machine and it is best to choose the one that suits the business, the management, the people, and the environment more – meaning would add productivity and value.

Hope the card you’ll choose will make your life (and business) easier!

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/best-card-machines-in-uk/

Ghost Kitchens – 7 Modern Rules to Know to Operate a Ghost Kitchen

Ghost Kitchens are seen as the future of the Restaurant Industry. While it is already gaining popularity, recently it’s the new found way of restaurateurs to continue with their Restaurant business. Its principles both support the idea to comply with the newly implemented health and safety protocols, and to recommence with the operation of their business.

Prior Covid-19, demands of the market for quality service and convenience have grown and  restaurants have come up with a business model that’ll help them increase their meal and delivery production without the need of building or adding up another kitchen or storefront. Thus, the concept of Ghost Kitchen was born. 

What is a Ghost Kitchen?

Also known as Virtual Kitchens or Cloud Kitchens, these are stripped-down commercial cooking co-working spaces with no dine-in option. Functioning as hubs for online delivery and catering orders, they circumvent the need for costly build outs in premium locations. (QSR Magazine)

This business model is good for those who are trying to start a new business concept, and to those who are trying to continue to operate their existing restaurant business. It is one of the most cost efficient business models where the operations are more focused with production, and there’s less need for management check. Restaurateurs also don’t have to mind about the location as Ghost Kitchens can and usually operate in areas with low to no foot traffic. 

Staffing will also not be a problem as Ghost Kitchens only requires you to hire staff that’s needed to produce your food item. Low risk and low rent, these are good points for a business especially these days.

Modern dining experience is not just composed of food taste and quality. Convenience is now always demanded by customers, experience aside. As a restaurateur, you should come up on how to remodel your business to take this type of demand and deliver to your customers what they crave for, and exactly when they want it.

With all the restrictions given to outdoor socializing, Traditional restaurants are already looking for ways to get back on their feet with the help of Online Ordering, Curbside Service, Takeaway, and Deliveries. They are also checking the profitability of Ghost Kitchen as they see that one of the effects of Covid-19 is that customers are willing to shift with them online just to try out their food and service again. 

Here are the modern rules for Ghost Kitchens, should you decide to try and check your concept with this business model :

TRANSFORM YOUR CONCEPT TO CAPTURE BROADER MARKET

Customer base is important in every business, and within the Restaurant Industry, it is no hiding that there’s a huge competition in attracting a larger group of customers. For Ghost Kitchens, this challenge is doubled. Since there’s low foot traffic in the area, Ghost Kitchens have low to zero exposure to customers. And with the increase of Online Ordering demands, restaurants also started transitioning online leading to a much more divided market. 

Restaurateurs have to find ways on how to get ahead of the competition. With Ghost Kitchen, you’re given a freedom of control with your concept. You may try to check out different cuisines and concepts that are trending within the local community you’re catering. Monitor and learn to listen to the demand of your demographic. This should help you to conceptualize a much more diverse and broader market.

You may also look into the growing demand for food products such as organic and plant-based products, local-grown products, and the like.

Tip : Remember the trend around food halls and food parks? They’ve offered a well-diverse menu and captured a large market. Take this concept for your restaurant business and offer the same experience to your customer within the principles of Ghost Kitchens.

STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

If you’re a restaurateur who just shifted to Ghost Kitchen in order to adapt to the present situation, it is expected for you to be creative and think outside your comfort zone. In Ghost Kitchen, your concept will work only if it’s something that’s worth trying for. You have no ambiance and friendly staff to back you up this time, your food item will be the core of your restaurant business. 

You have to make sure it’ll meet a demand that’s existing. Check the current market and observe the changes that happened. With the pandemic happening, there’s a big change with the demand and spending habits of customers. This gives you the chance to innovate your menu, modernize and revolutionize your dishes.

MAKE YOUR MENU DELIVERY-FRIENDLY

Since your food items will take its time before it ends up to the customers, you have to make sure that you’re offering food items that’ll still serve quality. This may be a challenge for traditional restaurants that adapted their operations with Ghost Kitchens. 

Start by checking your ingredients and inventory and look at what you can offer. You should also analyze the inventory cost and how you can increase the profit margin. Maximize the potential of profitability being offered by Ghost Kitchens.

Don’t compromise quality just to meet the demand from your customers, because in the long run, there’ll be no demand for you if you’ll continue to serve them cold soup and stale bread.

Tip : While upgrading your menu, make sure you have a packaging that’ll handle these food items well.

DON’T COMPLICATE YOUR STAFFING METHOD

One of the selling points of Ghost Kitchen is it doesn’t require restaurateurs to gather a big team. Some of the most productive brands working with Ghost Kitchens usually only hire two chefs and one staff that packs the food item to be delivered. 

Use of this advantage and make sure you’ve trained these staff well. Teach them to innovate and focus with the production of your food item. Make sure that they’re being efficient and effective as a support for your Restaurant business. 

And if you’re just starting out, you may also opt to reach out to some of the restaurant staff that were laid off from their position, due to the effect of Covid-19 forcing restaurants to close down. They already have a substantial experience that will surely benefit you.

CONSIDER CUSTOMER SERVICE AS A GAME RUNNER

It may contradict the contactless service Ghost Kitchens are aiming for, but delivering customer service today doesn’t necessarily ask you to check your customers personally. You have to find a way on how your customers will still feel valued even though there’s no physical interaction.

Finding ways to humanize your Restaurant Business is quite a task but it is still doable. You can still continue to connect and engage with them by including personalized notes to their orders, answering reviews and utilizing UGC. 

MAKE AN ONLINE PRESENCE

Online is your main platform to capture customers. Make sure your website is updated and user-friendly. That it can be accessed and understood easily by a wide-range of demographics. Build your brand online and connect to your existing and potential customers. 

Don’t let the restrictions of Ghost Kitchens with customer-access affect your relationship with your customers. Utilize social media and other platforms for you to build a strong presence online. 

Consider formulating a loyalty and reward program in order to increase interest for your Restaurant brand.

STEP UP YOUR DELIVERY-GAME

It is given that if you’re running a business with Ghost Kitchens, you already have a good knowledge about food delivery. But with the sudden growth in demand for delivery services, you should research platforms and technologies that could improve your service.

There are 3rd party apps available for you to check out. Look into their requirements for partnership and weigh if it’ll benefit you as a restaurateur. Monitoring and routing technologies are also given the spotlight. It allows your customers to track their deliveries. Make the right choices, though. For example, there have been problems with Deliveroo sign in.

Tip : Take advantage of the Gig Economy, should you find it much useful for your business.

This pandemic has caused the whole world to adjust to its ways, and with the Restaurant Industry trying to cope with these changes, they have used Ghost Kitchens as a fundamental operator to act as support to keep the industry going.

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/rules-to-know-to-operate-a-ghost-kitchen/

Restaurant Marketing – Easy Guide to Create An Effective Marketing Plan

Restaurateurs have been working for their Restaurant Marketing Plans, Forecasts, and Budgets Plans months before entering 2020, and with the start of the pandemic outbreak, all of those plans are disregarded and dropped. Though it has taken the whole world by surprise and somehow forced everyone to take a pause and re-evaluate operations, restaurant businesses are trying to work their way back on track.

As a pillar of the economy, the Restaurant Industry expects restaurateurs to continue with their operations. It is now time to devise a Restaurant Marketing Plan that would help you to adjust with the new normal giving consideration to all the restrictions. 

With all the uncertainty going, we want to lend a hand that’s why we’ve come up with this easy guide that should help you adapt with this transition smoothly.

RESTAURANT MARKETING

Restaurant Marketing is the marketing efforts you’ve implemented to your restaurant business. It helps your business to gain market visibility, increase in profitability, and continuously attract repeat and new customers.

MARKETING PLAN

A marketing plan is an operational document that outlines an advertising strategy that an organization will implement to generate leads and reach its target market. A marketing plan details the outreach and PR campaigns to be undertaken over a period, including how the company will measure the effect of these initiatives. The functions and components of a marketing plan include the following:

• Market research to support pricing decisions and new market entries
• Tailored messaging that targets certain demographics and geographic areas
• Platform selection for product and service promotion—digital, radio, Internet, trade magazines, and the mix of those platforms for each campaign
• Metrics that measure the results of marketing efforts and their reporting timelines 

(Investopedia)

It can be constructed for monthly, quarterly, or yearly forecasts.

It serves as your blueprint for success. Your plan should focus on how to deliver customer delight. A Marketing Plan should be customer-centric as food quality and outstanding service still remain as your foundation for your restaurant success. With the Restaurant Industry, satisfied customers are still the best ambassadors for your restaurant business.

A Restaurant Marketing Plan gives you access to the restaurant’s operation and workflow. You’ll be able to observe the statistics and analytics behind your restaurant business and this leads you to do better with the management of your restaurant business.

MARKETING RESEARCH

Before you work with your Restaurant Marketing and making a plan for your restaurant, it is important to do a thorough Marketing Research. A restaurateur should have a substantial amount of data and information about their business and the current market. 

Know which audience to target. Restaurant Marketing Plan will be in its highest potential if it reaches the right customers. Look into your POS and check on to which demographic you’re most appealing, what time is the busiest, and what dish is the most ordered. 

And since there are changes now within the market and the habits of your customers, you may opt to create customer or buyer personas. You should have a good understanding and knowledge about your previous customers in order to formulate the best customer persona that will benefit your Restaurant Marketing Plan.

Another crucial step on a Marketing Research is doing a Competitor check. If you have an analysis and study about the competitors that’s present in the market, you can position your Restaurant Marketing Plan ahead of the game as you already have knowledge about their process and strategies. This could lead you to anticipate what could be their future step and you can draw up a plan that’ll beat that.

Make sure you also look into their digital presence. Remember that the competition was already brought into the social media channels and other online platforms. Observe on how they’re doing with their Digital Marketing, and work on something better for your restaurant.

BRANDING

In order to formulate an effective Restaurant Marketing Plan, it is important to know what you’re working on. Identify how you want your restaurant to be known and what concept you want to associate with your brand. 

To support your branding, it is wise to share your restaurant’s story, mission and values. You should communicate with your customers, staff, suppliers, and vendors what your business intends to achieve and what path it’ll take. This will give them a better understanding of what your business stands for. 

Tip : Make it short and genuine. Customers tend to engage more with brands that they can connect to. Let your statement and story help you build a connection, it should not appear too pushy or pretentious.

Restaurant Marketing also requires you to work your branding with the concept of your restaurant. The placement of every visual aspect should be aligned, starting from your logo, color palette, furniture, ambiance, wall art, to your utensils, staff’s uniform, and packaging.

All customer touch points should be treated as critical interactions, maximize it by making sure you’ve worked well enough for every touch point  to represent your brand accordingly. It should help your customers to familiarize with your brand.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Without proper Restaurant Marketing, you don’t have a good insight inside your restaurant business. And no good insight means you have no enough information about the status of your restaurant business in the Restaurant Industry and you don’t know what you should work on in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Unique Selling Proposition or USP is what makes you different. If you want to stay ahead of the game, it is not enough to just offer the usual and casual. Make use of the data that you’ve collected from your Marketing Research and come up with a USP. 

As if winning a customer’s attention is not hard enough these days, you also have to make sure that you’ll retain their interest with your restaurant. That’s why it is crucial for every restaurateur to have a USP.

Your USP can be in a form of a distinct dish, your concept, or the customer experience you’re delivering. Be creative and step right into your customer’s shoes to know what could keep them excited.

DIGITAL MARKETING

A branch of Restaurant Marketing that’s taking the whole industry by storm. In order for your Restaurant Marketing Plan to work, you also have to set measures on how you’ll build and intensify your online presence.

If your website is not updated, or you have no social media accounts for your restaurant, you have to make things up and work on it right away! This is pivotal as modern consumers are now mostly relying on what they see online.

Here are some of the factors you also have to check for your Restaurant Marketing to prosper digitally :

• SEO Optimization 
• Producing the appropriate content 
• Social Media Presence
• Loyalty and Reward Programs

Make sure you have a good online presence on all the main social media channels namely Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There are also online platforms where you can reach out to other niche markets, such as TripAdvisor, Yelp, Zomato, and OpenTable.

Keep in mind that before you start with your Restaurant Marketing Plan, you have to conduct a business check-up first and find out what’s working and not working for your restaurant. From cutting the unnecessary, you can now formulate a plan that will drive your restaurant business to success.

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/guide-to-an-effective-restaurant-marketing-plan/

Restaurant Advertising – 7 Practical Tips for Restaurant Advertisement

In the Restaurant Industry, Restaurant Advertising is like a battleground. It witnesses the aggressive competition that’s present between the restaurant businesses that want to put their brand at the top of  the game. 

For a restaurateur, it is a given that you’ll want to stay ahead of the competition and being a one trick pony is not one of your options. With all the restaurant advertising choices available, it is not surprising if you’re having a hard time choosing what’s best for your restaurant business. We’re featuring these practical advertising plans that will benefit you without hurting your cash flow and not taking a huge part out of your profits.

Restaurant Advertising Practical Tips

WORK ON YOUR VISUAL ASPECTS

Again, people feast first with their eyes. If you’re still not working out the visual aspects of your brand, then you’re not making the most out of your Restaurant Advertising expenses. In order to start attracting great numbers of customers, it is important for you to work out everything that’s being seen by your customers.

Provide them high-quality photos that’ll satisfy their eyes, and will persuade them to try out your food service. Hiring a professional photographer may have cost you a bit upfront, but it’ll provide you one of the best ROI services. You’ll be able to use those photos to different platforms, channels, and in many ways you can. That’s why it is advisable to work with a professional in order to achieve these timeless photographs.

Lastly, integrating the effective use of colors will surely help you with your Restaurant Advertising. Make a good observation to the different ads out there and know the psychology behind it. It can serve you and your restaurant business good if you can utilize colors and its promise.

COME UP WITH A GOOD MESSAGE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Customers are always going for a good story or message. Through Restaurant Advertising, you have the means to communicate to your customers enthralling stories and messages which could capture and retain the attention of customers to your brand. 

It is important to share relevant and rational stories and messages in order to create an impact on your customers. Make sure that you’ve given thought to what message you want to relay to your customers and what do you want them to think about your restaurant business. Make a stand and statement for your restaurant brand and let it reflect your vision and mission for your business.

CHECK OUT THE TRENDS

The demands of the customers are fluctuating constantly, and the same goes with their taste. That’s why for your Restaurant Advertising to be effective, it should capture the trends of the modern market as well. Your restaurant business should be able to ride with the waves of demands from your customers. 

It is crucial to a restaurateur to be updated with the current events and trends as it’s a huge help to marketing and advertising. Being updated means you can tailor significant promotions, contests, and specials around a certain event, campaign, or trend. 

You also have to watch out the different Food Trends that’s currently taking the Food and Restaurant Industry by storm. Try to be part of the market that offers menu for vegans, gluten-free, pescatarians, and plant-based food items.

Here a great article about the current food trends that’s affected by this pandemic season.

ALWAYS BE TRANSPARENT

Restaurant Advertising is a dangerous game to play. There are times that you may go overboard in order to gain the customer’s attention, while there’s nothing wrong with things going overboard, you should still be truthful on how you do things. 

Don’t ever claim something that you can’t provide or that doesn’t represent your restaurant business. For example, if you claim that your ingredients are from a local-grown supplier but then your customers find out otherwise, it will compromise your relationship with your customers and your local community.

Don’t play the loyalty your customers have given you.

KNOW WHICH PLATFORM TO USE

As the competition is already taken out to a different level and to different platforms, it is important to identify which platform will be the most beneficial for your restaurant business. Restaurant Advertising is not just doing ads to every platform and channel there is, but it is letting your customers know about your restaurant business with precise retargeting and marketing. 

Prevent spending huge amounts of money in marketing and make a good research on what’s the best platform for your brand. Take a look with the demographics you’re catering and check out to what platform they usually hangout. From there, you can grow your customer base and start to market to other platforms.

It is also useful to have a user-friendly and functional website. Make sure that it’s well optimized and contains the basic information about your restaurant business. And to contribute to your Restaurant Advertising, you can use the photos from your professional photographer and make your website look more appealing. You can also use the testimonials and reviews from your customers and make it visible on your website. This shows your customers and potential customers the legitimacy of your business and adds support to your brand.

KEEP YOUR MENU UPDATED

Working on your menu is also one way to step up your Restaurant Advertising. You may wonder how, but monitoring and updating your menu could help your restaurant business. By doing so, you can see what items are not appealing to your customers, and what items are working with your restaurant business. From there, you can workout a well-constructed menu that can be maximized in its highest potential.

INCITE ACTION TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

Don’t underestimate the capacity of Restaurant Advertising to influence your customers’ decision making. A wise move for every restaurateur is to include a call-to-action statement. One of the most used is the “Click Here” campaign. This should be part of your takeaway website design.

If you have a new special to offer or opening a new brand, you can use “Be the first to try” and if you’re trying to attract more sales, you may opt to use “You deserve a treat”. There are plenty of statements out there to use, or even better, you can formulate your own statement to success.

Being able to operate during these trying times could be treated as a privilege. And practicing the right strategies, you’ll be able to operate with your highest potential and not having to spend a great amount of money. It is important to stay practical, especially as we’re still uncertain of what’s coming next.

But as you’ve seen with above, being practical doesn’t mean low quality outcome, given the tips, you can still achieve great things by sensible.

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/tips-for-restaurant-advertising/

Ghost Kitchens and It’s Benefits to New and Existing Restaurant Owners

Ghost Kitchens had proven their potential even before the pandemic outbreak, and with the execution of the new safety and health protocols, it appears to be beneficial to all restaurateurs and to those aspiring to be one as well.

Also known as Virtual Kitchens and Cloud Kitchens, Ghost Kitchens is a business model born out of the need to meet the increasing demand of customers for online ordering and food delivery. This type of establishment provides the complete kitchen set-up with high-quality equipment for restaurant businesses. It focuses on production of the food item which leads on a restaurant business to cope with the demand.

There are apparent advantages and disadvantages for this type of business model, and in this feature we’ve gathered all the benefits you could enjoy should you choose to explore your concept with this business model or try to adopt this with your existing restaurant business.

Benefits of Ghost Kitchens for New Restaurateurs

1. The Opportunity to Try out a Fresh Concept to Offer 

If you’re new to the field, Ghost Kitchen would be beneficial for your restaurant business as you have the chance to prove your concept. And given how this type of business model operates, you’ll have more time to focus and think through with your concept before you offer it to the world. By doing so, you’ll have a better understanding of your concept and you’ll be able to operate it to its highest potential.

2. Lower Overhead Costs

The concept of Ghost Kitchens is to provide a functional kitchen for restaurants without worrying about the costs for additional labor, renovation costs, and other basic costs that you need to watch out if you’re building a traditional restaurant. With Ghost Kitchens, you can just center your attention on the production costs, ingredient costs, and delivery costs.

3. Reduced Labor Costs

Since its core focus is to produce delivery-orders, Ghost Kitchens helps a new restaurateur to reduce labor costs by not requiring to hire unnecessary staff. There will be no need for a front-of-the-house team because this business model is not supporting dine-in concept and focuses only with delivery or take out service only.

4. Ownership of all Customer Information and Gathered Data

Some of the Ghost Kitchens available give you the freedom if you want to operate with your own delivery service or if you want to partner up with a 3rd-party app. Just make sure you weigh the pros and cons first before you make a decision. 

Most of the third-party apps have huge cuts with your sales and their fees will surely impact your business negatively. However, you don’t have to think about marketing as they will do it for your brand.

And if you choose not to be a partner of any of these apps, you will appreciate the control you have over your business. All the creative and marketing freedom will be given over you, and you own your customers since they deal with you directly.

5. Greater Revenue 

This is no surprise, with all the unnecessary costs being cut, it only leads to you gaining a better revenue. Ghost Kitchens allows you to capitalize over the growing demand for online and delivery service. 

And even though you’re just a starting restaurateur, this concept will speed up your success in the market because you’ll be catering to a generation that exists digitally and completely rely on what is available online.

Benefits of Ghost Kitchens for Existing Restaurants 

1. Existing Functional Staff

Adopting the Ghost Kitchen principle with your existing restaurant will not be complicated because you already have an existing staff to support your new venture. And these staff are no ordinary staff, they are experienced and well-trained with restaurant operations.

Though there would be adjusting periods for them since Ghost Kitchen has a different workflow compared to traditional restaurants, having a reliable staff to back you up will benefit you as a restaurateur exploring a new business model.

2. Increase with Revenue

Seems like Ghost Kitchen is a good way to do business nowadays, whether you’re new to the Restaurant Industry or you’re converting your existing business, it always ends up to your sales having an incremental revenue. 

Restaurateurs will enjoy this growth because of all the reduced costs, and since the operation will be production-focused, the operation will be faster and more flexible which leads to meeting the demands. And meeting a high demand means you’re also converting those demands to your profit.

3. Utilize and Maximize the unused portions of your Operation

If you’ll be operating in your old kitchen instead of moving to an official Ghost Kitchen while adopting its system, you’ll be able to use your space to its highest potential.

You can employ such space as your storage room or additional preparation room. You may also convert it to a room which you can use for overnight preparation or function. All these conversions would still help you save up costs instead of doing a whole renovation of the place, and it’s one way to maximize your rent or lease of the space.

4. Freedom to Try Out New Concepts

Though you already have an established concept and menu, with Ghost Kitchens, you’re not limited to just offering one. As long as you can gain and serve the demands and  interests of your local community, you’re free to formulate new concepts and offer them different cuisines. 

It’ll be a good thing for you because you’ll be able to capture a broader customer base, boosting your confidence on your concept and the sales for your restaurant business. 

5. Learning Opportunity

Ghost Kitchens provide learning opportunities for you, as a restaurateur, and for your staff as well. For you, you’re given the chance to make new concepts, and you’ll have a better grasp of the management since you’re focused on your restaurant’s core production. 

For your staff, since the need for staff with this business model is minimal, it’ll require them to be versatile and flexible. They should be trained to fill certain roles to keep the restaurant or the kitchen functioning.

Subscription meals and meal-kits are only some of the growing food trends and concepts that only show how the demands and spending habits of the modern diners are quickly changing – especially regarding online food ordering systems. 

Be it you’re dreaming of becoming a restaurant owner or you want to continue running your restaurant business, in order to achieve your goals, you should have good knowledge with the new venture you’re entering.

source https://www.etakeawaymax.co.uk/benefits-of-ghost-kitchens/