7. Treat comfort as everything

There are many considerations to creating a comfortable atmosphere in your restaurant. The factors that most affect the comfort of your guests include:

1. Proximity to public transport spots;
2. Convenient driveways for cars;
3. Private parking zones;
4. Storage areas for outerwear;
5. Bright and soft lightning in the visitor areas;
6. Music and styling that match the restaurant’s atmosphere;
7. Comfortable temperatures year-round;
8. Effective ventilation;
9. Comfortable and secure furniture;
10. Menu folders with a quality shape and weight;
11. Legible font sizes with clear descriptions of dishes in the menus;
12. Well-mannered and well-dressed personnel;
13. Waiters with knowledge of the menu;
14. Efficient service;
15. Non-slippery floors;
16. Clean restrooms with working facilities, including everything from hooks for bags to properly functioning hand dryers.

8. Provide an adequate price range

The prices in your restaurant should account for the income of your target audience and the costs of your closest competitors. The ‘price-quality’ rule should be followed, with ‘quality’ involving well-compiled menus, the fame of your chefs, exceptional service, quality designs in your restaurant, and a satisfying ambience.

9. Be involved personally

Leading a restaurant requires your personal involvement in operations as the owner. You are responsible for controlling all the processes that will lead your business to success with customers. It is impossible to help your restaurant reach success without maintaining an active role in the business.

10. Offer consistent cleanliness

Keeping your restaurant clean is an important part of the work. It is very important to keep the visitor area of your restaurant neat as the space where visitors sit. It is also crucial to keep the kitchen clean, even if hidden from the view of customers. Keeping your kitchen clean will allow you to comply with legislative standards. These standards may regulate maintenance of the hall, kitchen, and utilities in your restaurant’s premise, in addition to the appearance of employees and personnel’s behaviour. Keeping your restaurant clean will require continued maintenance throughout all hours your business is open—from morning till the end of each work day. It is crucial to comply with cleaning standards to meet the basic hygiene needs of your customers and staff. Some tips for keeping your restaurant clean include:

1. Place primary focus on cleaning the heating equipment used for cooking, as the equipment can become dirty quickly;
2. After cooking, there may be leftover waste to dispose of, including scraps of food and packaging. The waste should be disposed of in garbage bins in a timely manner;
3. Maintain cleanliness standards for the personal hygiene of your employees;
4. Keep the visitor area clean and ensure furniture and decor in your restaurant does not collect dust;
5. Keep the bathrooms in your restaurant sanitized;
6. Wash all plates, utensils, and storage containers used for serving or storing food;
7. Establish efficient techniques for disinfecting equipment;
8. Wipe down all rooms of the restaurant frequently in accordance with a consistent schedule;
9. Record the date and details of your cleaning procedures.

Keep in mind that the efforts of one cleaner alone might be insufficient to clean all of your restaurant. For large-scale cleaning, it is better to hire a cleaning service. Cleaning services offer professional equipment and cleaning products and involve professionals who can complete cleaning tasks efficiently. Paying for quality cleaning services is a worthwhile investment. When following legal rules and standards, your restaurant will pass all sanitary requirements without difficulties.

11. Include a distinctive feature

Every institution should have a distinctive feature that people associate with your business. Nowadays, it can be difficult to impress customers with unusual menu items. More effective ways of distinguishing your restaurant include creating entertainment activities, hiring musicians to perform live music at your restaurant, or providing classes for mastering culinary skills. Restaurant owners can hire specialists to develop various promotions and special discounts and to integrate loyalty reward cards.

Other tactics include taking a unique approach to the design of your restaurant or delivery of food. For instance, a new bar may serve beverages using a conveyor belt, sending drinks down their steel strip to guests’ table. The new approach could interest and attract customers seeking a unique bar experience. It’s important to choose a distinctive feature that matches the form of your restaurant. For instance, the conveyor belt described above could work well in a bar but would not meet the needs of a fast food restaurant.

12. Use an automatization system

Your clients value efficient service. To help your staff work efficiently, you should strive to automatize the production processes in your restaurant whenever possible. You can use automatic systems that connect the work attached to your restaurant’s hall, kitchen, warehouse, and accounting, as well as your suppliers and deliveries. With an automatized system, you will increase your restaurant’s overall performance and efficiency, as well as the quality of your services and supply operations. The system can also reduce costs and increase the competitiveness of your institution in the restaurant industry. Automatization systems benefit all associated with your restaurant business, including employers, employees, and customers. Systems known as POS are widely used to automatize institutions. They include the following items:

1. Waiters’ terminals. Two terminals should be enough for a small establishment. The first one might be installed in the dining room, while the other one could go in the bar;
2. Printers. A printer is required to print pre-receipts and orders’ content. Restaurants should have at least 3 printers – ones for the hall, bar and kitchen;
3. Keyboard terminal for installation at checkout;
4. Fiscal registrar for printing checks;
5. Money box;
6. Display and keyboard for the kitchen;
7. Terminal for collecting data;
8. Barcode scanner;
9. Computers for use by managers and accounting staff;
10. Server for storing information.

All of the equipment items listed will not function without proper software. There are many software options available for purchase in the restaurant market. The price for each will vary according to the degree of advanced features they offer.