Start Preparing Your Restaurant for Summer!
June 9, 2017As a restaurant owner, you may have noticed that weather has affects the number of customers that walk through your door.
It is widely understood, for example, that rain drives customers indoors as they seek shelter from the storm. Snowstorms, of course, discourage people from venturing out of their homes. But what about the hot weather of summer? Keep reading and you’ll find out how the weather impacts restaurants and how you can start preparing your restaurant for summer.
Increased Business
For the most part, restaurants get increased business during the summer season. As more travelers and tourists visit over the summer, restaurants see a spike in traffic. This places a demand on preparing your restaurant for summer adequately. That means making sure there is enough staff, with considerable urgency, throughout the summer months. Restaurant owners should be ready to deliver an excellent level of service to all their guests, despite the increased demand.
High Pressure Preparing Your Restaurant for Summer
Although the spike in sales during the summer is surely welcome, this temporary increase in traffic can put a lot of pressure on restaurant owners. Perhaps the greatest concern is the need to have well-trained, customer-oriented staff in place and ready to work. This means that preparing your restaurant for summer in pre-season recruiting, hiring and developing efforts in order to ensure that their business is ready for the additional influx of customers.
A shortcoming in this area during the hot weather months can have a particularly dramatic negative effect on the next summer’s business, so getting it right here is an absolute must.
A Game Plan for Preparing Your Restaurant for Summer Success
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to get serious about hiring more staff. Hire as soon as you can so that you will have enough time to train your new team members before you get swamped with customers. It’s hard to train new employees when you’re struggling to keep up with your customers’ needs in a packed restaurant, so do it now when it’s at bit slower.
It is also a good idea to review all policies and best practices with your full team when preparing your restaurant for summer. Even seasoned veterans sometimes need coaching and (occasionally) redirection.
Start advertising so you can take advantage of the coming influx of customers. After you have properly staffed and trained your team for the busy summer season, you will want to ensure that you support your efforts and your team with sufficient advertising. Having a great team ready for summer business is good, but not enough. You need to make certain that your advertising is positioned to make the most of this busy time of year.
The Bottom Line
Preparing your Restaurant for Summer time can be great for your business. Don’t let your restaurant get overwhelmed with all the new customers. Preparing your team will help you give your guests great service and ensure you have a profitable season!
Why Your Restaurant Needs an App
We know, you’re a restaurant owner, not a developer or programmer. Let other people worry about apps, you just want to run your restaurant! The truth is if you want to have a successful establishment, you have to take advantage of the technology that brings people in....
Choosing the Right Sink for Your Restaurant
There are many, many pieces of kitchen equipment that are vital but often taken for granted. The kitchen sink is one of them. This workhorse of the back of the house handles a lot of jobs. Sinks give you running water as well as a place to wash either food or dishes....
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Add Delivery
Delivery services are becoming more and more popular, and that’s generally good news for restaurants. The ability to order online and receive food in the comfort of home drives up sales and that’s good for revenue. And when these sales don’t require additional tables,...
Should You Add a Salad Bar to Your Restaurant?
New Year’s is a prime time for resolutions – and one of the most common is to eat healthier and lose weight. In fact, for 2018 45% of Americans said they wanted to lose weight or get in shape for the new year. The new year might have you eyeing new options for your...
How to Overcome the Seasonal Rollercoaster
Are you tired of having huge swings in your business throughout the year? Do you wish you could just have consistent, easy-to-predict income? If so, it’s time for you to get off of the seasonal rollercoaster. You might think there’s nothing you can do to overcome the...
The Restaurant Supplies and Strategies You Need in 2019
Are you ready for the new year? If you’re like many restaurant owners, you’re thinking about how to get through the holiday rush – both in your restaurant and in your own life. However, you can’t overlook planning for the future. It’s vital to make sure you have the...
2018 Cooking Equipment Holiday Gift Guide
Do you know someone who loves to cook? Or are you looking for a new, special piece of cooking equipment for yourself? Whether you’re interested in home cooking or you run a restaurant, you can benefit from these gift ideas. These great cooking items will thrill...
Accommodating the Keto Diet at Your Restaurant
The keto diet – a low-carb, high-fat combination – has been gaining a lot of traction in the last couple of years. As a restaurant, it’s vital that you are able to accommodate your diners’ needs. More than that, having popular options on the menu can help bring people...
Restaurant Supplies You Need to Prepare for a Power Outage
It happens to all of us. You’re going on, doing just fine, and suddenly…Dark. The power is out. And of course, you have no idea how long it will last. Fortunately, you have the restaurant supplies and process in place to weather the storm without losing your...
Considerations when Converting a Food Truck to a Restaurant
Your food truck has been successful, and you have a loyal following. So loyal, in fact, that you struggle to serve them all each day. Customers have started to ask you when you’re going to open a restaurant. It started as a teasing suggestion, but it’s become more...
How to Incorporate Curbside Service in Your Restaurant
Are you looking for creative ways to grow your business without also growing your expenses? Are you interested in strategies that can start making a difference today, not just a year from now? If so, then
Tips for Great Plating & Why it Matters
You may have heard that we “eat with our eyes” before we physically eat food. That’s why pictures are so important – on menus, in cookbooks, online, and more. It isn’t just a gimmick – the truth is that the way food looks and smells actually changes our experience of...
Be Proactive: Assess and Address Risks in Your Restaurant
As a restaurant owner or manager, you have a lot on your mind. You want employees to show up on time and ready to give great service. You want your food to be well-stocked, high quality, and ready to use. You need cooks to be attentive and customers to be clear in...
How to Reduce Noise From Restaurant Equipment and More
Having a popular restaurant is wonderful. You have a lot of guests, tables turn over quickly, and you and your employees make a lot of good money every night. However, sometimes popular spots can get low ratings for a simple reason – they’re too loud! It’s not an...
Foodservice Equipment Gone Wrong: When the POS Crashes
The point of sale (POS) system that you have helps you keep your restaurant running smoothly. It helps you track inventory, sales, and revenue. It allows your staff to create checks, swipe cards, and keep tables turning. The POS is a lifesaver – until it isn’t. Maybe...