| In the day-to-day management of a restaurant | | | | appeal to customers in warm or cool weather. |
| you will encounter numerous challenges. While | | | | Maximizing Seating Space |
| some are general problems that will be unique to | | | | If you are challenged due to limited floor space |
| your business, other problems are more general | | | | but still want to maximize your seating capacity |
| and are faced by everyone in the industry. To be | | | | you will undoubtedly have tables in areas that are |
| successful you have to look at ways of turning | | | | not so desirable such as close to bathrooms, near |
| every problem into a new opportunity. Let's look | | | | the entrance or close to the kitchen. Rather than |
| at four examples. | | | | risk one of your customers having a bad |
| Downtime | | | | experience at one of these tables you can offer |
| It is a fact that the restaurant trade has busy | | | | people sitting at those tables a free item off your |
| periods during typical mealtimes where you will be | | | | menu or some other kind of special deal. Soon |
| rushed off your feet and quiet times like | | | | you will have people requesting to be seated at |
| mid-afternoon when your tables are all empty. To | | | | your worst tables, leaving your best tables |
| increase your chances of success in this business | | | | available for other more discerning guests. |
| you should look at ways of getting diners in during | | | | Selling out of a Menu Item |
| off-peak periods. One solution is to offer a special | | | | Have you ever sat down at a restaurant table |
| menu for these quiet times with discounts, smaller | | | | and had the waiter or waitress tell you that |
| meal sizes and free items such as coffee. | | | | certain menu items have sold out? It can be |
| Another way is to promote your establishment as | | | | enough to make some customers walk out or |
| being a great place for brunch or afternoon tea. | | | | not want to return. If this happens you should |
| Weather | | | | apologize to the diner and take some time to |
| When the weather is too hot or too cold | | | | highlight your other menu items that are available. |
| restaurants will often notice a reduction in diners. | | | | Thank them for their patience and offer them a |
| Creative restaurant owners will come up with | | | | voucher to get the menu item that they wanted |
| promotions that tie in with the weather. In some | | | | for free next time. |
| of the hotter US states restaurants offer a | | | | You will encounter numerous problems as you |
| discount when the weather reaches a certain | | | | start-up and run a restaurant. Look for ways to |
| temperature and they increase the discount by | | | | make these lemons into lemonade and set your |
| 1% for every degree after that point. Some | | | | business on a path to success. |
| choose to promote certain menu items that | | | | |