The 3 S’s Of Restaurant Success

How would it feel to not “have” to be at your restaurant every day?

What if you didn’t worry about what was happening when you weren’t there, knowing everything would run exactly as you would like?

What if your sales steadily grew, with no peaks, valleys, or slow times?

What if you could plan regular vacations and leave the restaurant in the hands of capable team members?

Many of the hundreds of restaurant owners we have worked with over the years are so immersed in their restaurant, feeling like they need to watch every aspect of the business, rarely taking time off, that they are tired, overworked, and burnt out. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You own your restaurant; it shouldn’t own you.

For that to happen, you need three key elements in place. I call these the Three S’s of Restaurant Success

1. Systems (training, financial, operations, staffing, marketing, etc.)
2. Staff (well-trained people you can count on.)
3. Sales (a steady stream of customers coming in the door.)

Today, we’ll talk about the first of these three, having reliable, repeatable systems.

Do you Want A Life Outside Your Restaurant? Start Here…

As a restaurant owner, you know how important it is to deliver the best dining experience possible. Many elements make up a successful restaurant, from providing great quality food and drinks to creating an atmosphere your customers will love.

However, having systems in place is one of the most underappreciated “behind the scenes” components for success that often gets overlooked in small businesses. Having excellent customer service and great food can take your business far. Still, building reliable and efficient systems in place enhances every part of what you do. It provides you the freedom to do what you want when you want.

“All real wealth in this world can be traced back to effective, trainable, replicable systems.” ~Michael Thibault

What is a system?

A system is a set of processes and procedures that help manage day-to-day operations in your restaurant. These systems are designed to make it easier for you (and your staff) to handle the various tasks necessary to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Examples of common systems that you MUST have to be successful include:

• Ordering and inventory systems
• Accounting/finance systems
• Payroll and employee management systems
• Marketing and advertising systems
• Reporting and feedback systems

Creating a system for each area of your business will save time, money, and effort. It also allows you to be more efficient in how you operate so that you can trust your staff members with more responsibility, assigning specific tasks with clear instructions and outcomes.

With solid and repeatable systems, you don’t have to be the one micromanaging everything. This not only gives you peace of mind but frees up your time & energy so that you can focus on the growth of your business and enjoy more time for yourself to do what you want.

Better Organization and Planning with Systems

Having easily repeatable processes ensures the efficient execution of daily tasks, eliminating wasted time and resources. It’s also essential for tracking performance over time, and you can more easily identify areas where efficiency could be improved. Above all else, implementing business systems helps foster consistency across your team, leading to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, and sales.

One important area that this is highly evident in is your marketing. Many restaurant owners only think about marketing once they have a lull in sales and start scrambling to find ways to get people through the door.

But marketing requires advanced planning and preparation. It takes time to create a promotion, and it takes time to have a marketing message circulate and generate action. Even with digital marketing, you need to plan to make it effective. With a marketing system in place, you can plan to generate sales when you anticipate slow times and turn your marketing on and off as required.

FREE OFFER ($297 Value)

To eliminate stress, worry, and panic with your marketing, you need a system that works while you sleep, generating new customers for your restaurant. Click the button below to sign up for a FREE New Customer Strategy Session with a DFY Marketing Expert to discuss the most effective ways to “customize” a plan for your restaurant to find, attract, and drive in new customers.

A good system allows you to schedule in advance and make the most of your resources. If we consider your marketing system, you should be able to look ahead in three-month chunks, pinpointing opportunities, community events, holidays, and current events that you can use to create unique and intriguing, relevant restaurant marketing strategies.

When you have a system in place for your marketing, you aren’t shelling out money in a panic, HOPING it will result in more business at the last minute.

I call this “Panic Marketing,” and it rarely works. Just ends up costing you a bunch of money.

Both new and loyal customers want you to deliver what you promise. Every restaurant marketing strategy you deploy must also include a system to communicate it to your staff, so they are prepared. Planning ahead will give you the time to properly train all employees so they can achieve the results you expect.

Planning ahead ensures that every decision is geared toward delivering the best short-term and long-term results. Investing time in a well-thought-out plan will save you from costly mistakes down the road, ultimately leading to a healthier bottom line.

A Marketing System Creates A Constant Flow Of Customers

All your systems are for nothing if you have no customers to serve. Creating a marketing system creates a conveyor belt to deliver a consistent flow of customers and sales. When implementing a marketing plan, I suggest at least 3 months out. This way, you can ensure that your restaurant is constantly creating and nurturing relationships with existing customers AND attracting new customers.

You need a system for both attracting New Customers and getting your Existing Customers back quicker, spending more.

Your existing customers are the lifeblood of your restaurant; repeat visits are where the money is. But you always need new customers as, over time, your existing ones will trickle away – they move, they divorce, and they die.

Words To Live By

We all need a flow of new customers, and without a system to attract them, you are relying on hope to bring them in. “If you build it, they will come” is only a great movie line, not an effective marketing strategy.

It’s essential to make the most of every marketing opportunity and avoid any sales dips throughout the year. But where do you start? Advertising sales reps may want to sell you space, but they don’t always guarantee results.

Online marketing can be overwhelming and ever-changing, making it difficult to know what to do – and relying solely on word of mouth limits your reach to only those who already know about you.

Planning ahead with what you know about your business, sales, community, and customers can help you create unique, memorable marketing, and experiences that will attract new customers.

Maintaining your online reputation and monitoring your online reviews will ensure new customers choose you over all their other options. Plus, it will relieve some stress since sales won’t be as sporadic, and you won’t panic over last-minute marketing!

This will ensure that you constantly reach out to potential customers, no matter the time of year or season. With a marketing plan in place, you can create a consistent sales flow for your restaurant and generate the kind of revenue necessary for long-term success.

Marketing Is The Lifeblood Of Your Restaurant

Ultimately, business systems are essential for ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently, especially in marketing. All wealth can be tracked back to systems. They help with organization and planning so that every task runs smoothly. Your business systems can help cut costs by being more judicious with resources without sacrificing quality. Finally, customers end up more satisfied with the results of all these efforts.

Now that we have covered systems, next time, we will discuss the importance of having excellent staff and how to grow sales to ensure that your restaurant has a steady stream of customers coming in the door.

FREE OFFER ($297 Value)

To eliminate stress, worry, and panic with your marketing, you need a system that works while you sleep, generating new customers for your restaurant. Click the button below to sign up for a FREE New Customer Strategy Session with a DFY Marketing Expert to discuss the most effective ways to “customize” a plan for your restaurant to find, attract, and drive in new customers.