Restaurant businesses that succeed without changing often and changing well are few. Even so, every year opportunities, profits and businesses are lost over changing the wrong product offering or even a menu change not being done correctly.
Research, planning, consulting with an expert, and planning for project contingencies are good insurance that a restaurant's marketing and capital investments will pay off. So your campaign of changes provides the results you expect and desire, make sure your plan also includes wide coordination, including project management best practices; consideration of impact on the almighty menu at every point; and the marketing goals at each stage.
Best practices for restaurant product changes include everything from the timing, communications, customer service and business operations. Research has shown that any packaging improvements on the business's radar should be done at the same time as the brand or product change. Notify large/VIP clients, advertisers, the marketing team, and advertising vendors personally and well in advance. Time the notification of each strategically. This helps minimize risk of damaging the restaurant's brand or a current driver of profits.
Remember key to success and your brand are the consistency of experience, so don't go back and forth on a change, change without good reason, or change your menu too often. More than every 3 months is too often for most restaurant business models.
Prepare your BOH operations and supply chain, and adjust as needed for the change. Make sure to look for any new opportunities for improvement. Can you use any of the same ingredients for more than one recipe?
Restaurateurs and management teams hear it said again and again, and restaurant industry research continually shows: The Menu's importance still dominates. It communicates both the food and beverages offered, as well as the restaurant's image itself, concluded recent food research. And of course the menu can be used to direct customers' attention to whichever products best support the bottom line of the restaurant. A through menu analysis needs to be done in preparation for the change, and do a menu matrix analysis as well. This will help ensure your current equipment and supply chain can handle new demands. A leaner menu is better for most businesses. Small menus are usually more profitable and efficient, but consult with an expert regarding your restaurant's specific products and goals.
To promote or not to promote your restaurant's change, that is the question. This depends on the reason for the change and how your target consumer will respond. You may also have customers who will sorely miss a changed item; plan for this. Your Marketing team should work even more closely than typical with your Product, Operations, and Service teams for campaigns and branding surrounding the changes. Consider how the Service and Operations teams' needs will change based on Marketing efforts and consumer demand changes.
The type and level of the change to your restaurant often dictate the appropriate format of communication or notice. Is this going to be a silent service change known only to employees or even only management? An intentionally bland Facebook post mention at 4:45pm on a Friday? A highly advertised and social media-laden re-branding roll out, complete with a restaurant remodel, brand color change, and target market change? Or are you just changing your french fries to garlic fries?
Insure the reliability of your project forecasting and profits by utilizing the benefits of any change and minimizing risk. Have thorough research done, consult with experienced restaurant industry experts, and always be looking for a better way. Encouraging a healthy environment of embracing change in the restaurant management, BOH and FOH teams helps make planned and unplanned changes go more smoothly, and it allows for quicker, more coordinated responses to the inevitable surprises. Like many of us in the hospitality and restaurant consulting industry know, it's often really about having the right people on the team.
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