Local Restaurant Owners Should Be Doing These 5 Things Daily

If you own a local restaurant or maybe you know someone who does, then you understand there is always more to do! Sadly, there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all of our tasks, so we need to focus on a few that continually push us closer and closer to our goals and dreams. For those reasons, we have constructed a list of daily things for restaurants to do in order to push closer to those dreams.

We understand, you are busy. Not only that, you have a life of your own on top of running an impeccable business. Although, there is always room for improvement. Here is our list of 5 things you restaurant pioneers can do daily to better your independent business:

Get to Know Your Guests

Step one of the mission to build the best local restaurant is to constantly get to know your guests!

Yes we know it can get tiring having to always go out into the dining room, speaking with people, and expending your free time, but this is your business we are talking about! You have to care for your guests and treat them like family, especially as a local business. If you treat your customers like family, then trust me they will treat you and your business the same way.

The easiest way to get to know your guests is while they are dining at your restaurant! That means while you are trying to run things effectively around your business, you will also have to try and make pleasant conversations with your guests! Typically once per hour you should make your way into the dining room and quickly greet all of the tables. It is even better once you start to get to know your regulars and can greet them by name! People love it when you can remember their name, so make a point to.

Another great way to get to know your customers is to reach out to them over social media! You see social media is the best means to reach out to your customers organically by responding to posts and reviews! Usually these posts or reviews will be on your business page, so they shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Post On Social Media

Speaking of posts, they will come from social media which is the innovation of the century for local businesses. With social media anyone can post about any restaurant and be heard by everyone!

The internet is a tool that everyone gets to use, the customers and the owners. Therefore you need to be active in responding to posts about your establishment. That means posts on Facebook, Tweets on Twitter, or possibly even photos on Instagram. Make sure to at least get some of the more popular platforms to maximize your exposure to people. These three platforms are the most used but there is a plethora of other platforms you can work on as well to get even more exposure. Here are a few to consider including the main three people use:

Respond On Review Platforms

Other than the social media channels there are more platforms on the internet you need to be taking seriously – review sites.

These are platforms where people leave reviews about their dining experience like Yelp and Trip Advisor. Both are extremely important site because of how well they rank. More often than not if anyone Googles your restaurant, these pages will come up along with your website and any online ordering app you use.

New guests are automatically curious to see your ratings, reviews, and some of the more common dishes ordered. Therefore, you need to also be on these platforms responds to critics, and thanking people for compliments! It really will make the world of difference if you show the community you not only care, but you listen. Now, understand there will be trolls, and you are more than welcome to call those people out as well, especially if they are lying. Don’t put up with it, and stand your ground.

Your community will defend you if you are in the right, as long as your have evidence or proof of your defense. In reality though, every business has to deal with this. This is just apart of owning your own business that sadly comes with it. Never take the trolls personally or let them bug you. If the claims are too outrageous, a lot of times you can request that the posts are taken down and the user banned. Just reach out to the review platform with the link, proof, and user account. They should take care of the rest.

Use A To-Go Marketplace

Another great platform for local restaurants to use are To-Go Marketplaces!

Now, there are plenty for people to use, but I have two in particular that are growing faster then anything else on the market. The first is a website and app development group that builds an online ordering systems specifically for your business! That means with their services, your customers can go online and place orders, or download your personal app to place orders as well. They also have partnered with Doordash to provide delivery for your customers as well. This platform is Chownow!

Chownow is a great solution for those restaurants already making it big, just looking to accommodate to their guest’s needs and wants.

Another great option for local businesses is the new and up-in-coming AppyMeal App! This is a To-Go marketplace which offers online and app ordering services to all the local businesses likely in your area. The difference between AppyMeal and Chownow is that Appymeal creates an incentivized marketplace for all of the restaurants to benefit together by increasing their exposure to new users, and to other areas. Chownow will only offer online ordering or app services for your restaurant alone. that means you do not increase your exposure to new consumers, but you still offer your existing ones an online solution!

AppyMeal is more for bringing more exposure to your business, and offering online and app ordering solutions all in one. If you are looking to grow your revenue and increase your exposure to new customers, then Appymeal is the service for you.

Take Time For Yourself

The last tip I have for the hard working business owners is to remember to take time for yourself.

This might sound counter intuitive, but if you are not mentally, emotionally, and physically stable, then you will not be constantly motivated to push your business to the next level. If you do not take care of yourself, then your restaurant will suffer. You need to be actively weighing the benefits of doing certain daily tasks compared to your personal health and well being. Always put those two first before marketing or expending yourself, but understand it is a balance.

Some days might be harder than others, but if you have accomplished all your work for the day, make sure to reward yourself!

Daily Things For Restaurants To Do

Thanks for reading our post on Daily Things For Restaurants To Do! These are mostly simple tasks, but they could really take your business to the next level! Never stop learning and never stop progressing you pioneers.