According to one Research, average London restaurant was making £18,000/week in year 2014. Average Annual Revenue Growth in Restaurant Business is somewhere around 2% – 2.5%. So, let’s just assume that the Average London Restaurant’s weekly sales are somewhere around £20,000. It is not a lot of Money. And how much of it comes from On-site activities? 2.5% Growth is pretty slow growth. Think about how many new Restaurants are opened every year and how many of them survive? I will quickly mention few important things happening on the industry concerning Local SEO, Restaurant Marketing, Restaurant Owner and How to bring more customers to your Restaurant, How to increase sales.
Here is the thing though. Even though the Growth in Sales are slow, the entire Food Service Industry is changing rapidly. This is one of the biggest and probably one of the most dynamic industries. Technology is changing the Industry rapidly. Every year new Trend or more technology-driven services are being introduced. Look, how many Food Delivery Companies like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat and etc., are out there. There are so many Meal Prep Companies, Fresh Food, Cooking ingredients companies, Fresh/Organic/Local Food Delivery Companies.
Diners don’t have to go to Restaurants anymore. They increasingly prefer to stay at home, whatever the reason, and order their favourite dish from their mobile phones and get delivered when they want eat. Convenience. As a result of all these changes, Restaurants get less on-site customers. Competition for a on-site customer is getting tougher. Use of technology brings a lot of changes to the entire Food Service Industry. This is a negative thing, in one hand, but it is also an opportunity for those Restaurant owners who are watching the Trend, the ones who are aware of the change.
So, if you are a struggling Restaurant Owner, this is a time you stop a second and look around and see what is happening around you. Seize the opportunity, make some changes. Adopt a technology-driven business approach. What does it mean? Start using those apps. Make a deal with all the major Food Delivery Companies like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat and etc,. Choose your Restaurant Management Software wisely. There are so many of them out there. Choose the ones where they offer Custom Customer Relationship solutions (customer name, what they eat, how much they spend per year, allergy info and etc). One example : Sevenrooms.
Another thing, you should have a look is your “Google My Business“ Profile. Local SEO is still the easiest and cheapest way of attracting new customers. Most potential customers who never visited your Restaurant still will be searching your Restaurant or local Restaurants, certain type of food they like. So, it is critically important to use all the features in offer. It is completely FREE. By the way, any of the suggestions I made above are all either completely FREE, or almost FREE. It only takes time to set these things up.
These are just a few things you can do to bring more customers to your Restaurant. If you would like to learn more about how to increase sales, how to get more customers, please contact me.
