Reviews can make or break a restaurant. Good reviews are worth their weight in gold; but bad reviews can sink you - no matter if you’re long established or a new kid on the block. And it’s not just Zomato you need to think about. There’s Eatability, tripadvisor, goodfood and more...
The eating out experience is more important than ever before. Discussing good food and sharing great places to eat has become a national pastime.
In the ‘google first’ age your potential customers are looking online for new places to eat, and they’ll read food review websites before committing to eating at your restaurant. They aren’t likely to spend their money if reviews aren’t great.
As a restaurateur, you need to know how to create the conditions that will get a great restaurant review.
So, how do you get your customers to rave about you?
The Food
This is the obvious front runner for you to get a great restaurant review. Delicious, fresh, and consistently prepared food wins every time. Your chef is key to achieving this.
If the food is outstanding, people will come back again and again. They’ll tell their friends, review you online and Instagram it (so make sure your food looks great too!).
If your chef has excellent culinary skills, they’ll be able to create a menu that’s irresistible to food lovers.
As a restaurateur, you need to keep a close watch on what is popular and what isn’t. Moving with the customer palate is really important.
Make sure you ask the customers how they have enjoyed their meal or if there were any issues. This feedback is vital. If you have an experienced and flexible chef, they will be able to take this information and fine tune the menu to suit the tastes of today’s diner.
If you have a dish that is very popular, ensure that the recipe is perfectly replicated each time. Kitchen staff should know how to recreate this dish so it’s always available to the customers exactly as the chef would make it. A skilled head chef will be able to manage and teach his staff to handle multiple orders of a popular dish.
A brilliant chef is the cornerstone to your success. Not only will the food be sensational, but your kitchen will be managed smoothly.
How you cope under pressure will define you, and employing a skilled chef is what will bring home those rave reviews.
The Atmosphere
Enjoying a meal out needs to be about the whole experience. Customers want to feel comfortable, welcome, and entertained. This can be created by a range of different factors, which will not even be noticeable unless they’re done incorrectly.
Restaurant concept and design is the backdrop to creating a great atmosphere. You need to set the scene for your customers and you do this by having a good restaurant concept and carrying it through in the decor, staff uniforms, furniture, art and menu design.
Lighting is really important as it affects our emotions and moods. Different lighting may be needed at different times of the day - eg a good amount of light in the morning for a quick breakfastover the morning news, and lower more intimate lighting in the evening for relaxing and unwinding. Watch out for those new LEDs and all Fluorescent globes. They might save money on your power bill but they can kill a mood in moments.
Music will also help to create an enjoyable experience. Make sure you consider the time of day, the atmosphere you’re aiming to create and the tastes of the clientele. Adjust the volume of any entertainment to suit the size of the room. Customers want to be able to have a conversation over their meal without having to shout. Also, consider having live music, it could be a real draw for customers.
Make sure the temperature of the dining room is not too hot or cold. You will not get a great restaurant review from an uncomfortable customer.
It’s important for the restaurateur or manager or to be out on the floor as much as possible speaking with customers. Find out what they do and don’t like about the restaurant vibe.
YOur Staff
Customers always remember the staff.
Staff are your salespeople, they should be friendly and approachable, and knowledgeable about your menu. They also need to be able to communicate customer requests to the chef clearly.
While customers might not be concerned with your staffing issues, they will notice if there are problems. If your staff are run off their feet trying to meet demand, this will affect the customer experience.
Ensure you have enough staff on to cover the shift. And well-trained staff. Without good staff it can result in a number of issues that customers may review you on:
- They’ve had to wait too long for their food as the chef has insufficient support to produce meals on time.
- The food was not the right temperature as it was left too long on the pass.
- Mistakes such as missed orders and abrupt unfriendly service because the staff are stressed, untrained or not working as a team.
These problems can be avoided by having the appropriate staff levels, the right people and providing adequate training and procedures. You need to have stability in your kitchen and at your font of house.
A superior head chef will be able to manage peak traffic times by utilising the staff to cover the extra workload, and focus on maintaining the quality of the food.
