How many kosher restaurants are there in the New York area? Probably too many to count, and we all know that the restaurant industry is a precarious one. Experts offer analysis – and guidance – as to why so many fail in their initial couple years, or even close up shop after a seemingly successful run. If you’ve wondered what it might take to increase the chances of success, in the kosher market and in general, here’s a short list of ideas that touch on physical space, menus, pricing, and promotion, and reference some of the photo and video solutions and creative marketing programs that I offer to food establishments and boutique hotels. – JSH
Choose the best available location
The restaurant industry has always stressed the need for food places to be located where their customers are, or somewhere they can easily get to. If there’s limited parking in a commercial district, higher-end establishments can offer valet service (some supermarkets have tried the same). But what happens when there are no adequate “Main Street” spots available, or rental prices are just too high for the business model? Options include securing a smaller space in a prime location, or choosing something more ample in a less-trafficked area, and then kicking up the concept and marketing to become a destination. Be honest with yourself, however: If foot traffic is a must for your niche, this won’t be the right solution.
How to utilize your space
When apportioning and designing the interior space, food establishments focus on both functionality and aesthetic. The manner in which people move through the restaurant, total seat count, and elements of visual interest should closely match the general concept or motif of the eatery. A party room will offer more dining versatility, but it should feel like a room, not a closet. Consider partial openings (e.g., a half wall) and displayed art or floral arrangements resting on furniture to enhance separated spaces. Pay attention to what customers are seeing from their seats when they look around. Go out to the sidewalk and street and look at what others will see through the windows. A dark abyss sends a wrong message (or no message), as opposed to views of diners seated having an enjoyable time, or food and food-prep activity that touts the wares and abilities of the restaurant.
Ambiance
If your restaurant is noisy, great. If it’s on the quieter side (and a full crowd is seated), it’s also fine. The right ambiance depends on the restaurant, the clientele, and even the time of day. Your place can be neat, classic, or funky – and you can even decide to do away with traditional menus (you’ll still need food). Is your lighting set right? Where does it direct the viewer? Can you add or remove some fixtures to improve things? Do you differentiate the illumination for daytime and evening? Pay attention to music choice and sound levels. If you’re already numbed to the audible sounds in the restaurant, a place where you spend most of your day, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and listen. Take a look at your tables. Salt and pepper, and maybe a sauce or condiment, are expected, but think of one item you can add to give the set table a signature look. Add a marketing card or tent to the table and vary it periodically. If a baby cries and it’s disturbing other diners, bring a smaller soft new toy to the table. Ask the parents if you can give it to the child, or if they can. You paid a lot for your display case, but remember that it’s not a refrigerator. If you’re storing supply items there, make sure they are hardly visible. Merchandise displayed items properly to increase sales and the visual interest of your space.
Serving it right
Your wait staff members are professionals – they take the orders, bring the food, and should function as personal advisers to the diners – recommending dishes and answering questions. Afford them a chance to taste many of the dishes (or at least hear about them), so that they can speak from experience and with more authority. Help them polish their language. If a server says “no problem” five times during one meal, it might just be a problem for some of the guests. Help them find alternative forms of speech. Instead of a perfunctory swing by the table with an almost rhetorical “Is everything okay?” ask “Can I get you something else?” or “How is the…” – and name the entree that was ordered. If young kids are seated at the table, ask the diners if they need another couple of napkins. Be specific in communication with the diners and it will come across as more personal and caring service.
Menu and pricing considerations
If you’re a family restaurant, try moving the “kids menu” page to the front, before the “adult” menu listings. Add a fun headline or tagline such as “Chester’s Fish House loves kids!” to reinforce your family-friendly message, where children don’t come last. Rethink some of your dishes. People like traditional or familiar items, but might expect a restaurant to do it a bit differently. Adding one additional ingredient can change a staple dish into something novel. Think roasted corn, sliced fresh pears, cubed beets, even peanut butter (always list potential allergens). If ingredients are listed as part of the dish – for instance, basil or mint – makes sure that customers can find them – that they don’t get lost in the cooked food or fresh salad. Slice them differently; sprinkle some more on top to be sure they’re noticed. Your guests might have chosen an item because of the pine nuts. Adding another teaspoon will make someone happy. If you use a special oil or sauce, attach a small card with a paperclip to the menu to explain it and tell the lore. If you serve vegetables sourced from local farmers – butternut squash picked a day ago, 20 minutes away – tell people (and if you’re not yet doing it, see if you can from time to time). They’ll be as proud as you are and will spend money in your restaurant more easily. Monitor leftovers – any reasons why? Is there a common dish, time of day, type of customer… that shows a pattern? Test new menu items. Invite a small group of diners to a tasters’ event featuring four or five new dishes. What the super majority likes can go on the menu. At the end of a meal, desserts can be tough to sell. Offer some of what they can’t get at home. Price lower to make the sale. Bundle three together to incentivize a group of diners. Pricing, in general, defines your niche. Price low enough to avoid resistance, but high enough to allow room for discounts or other forms of added value. Cut your prices when high cost is the probable reason items are not selling. Raise them when you need to, but if it’s across the board let the consumers know why. When you justify your pricing you earn respect.
Marketing – it never stops
The goal of your marketing effort is to achieve high levels of name recognition (100 percent is real nice!) to make sure customers have heard of you, and foster an accurate perception of what you offer. We add to that the “desirability factor,” which measures when and to what degree people think they need you. Together, these variables result in a level of demand for your product. You’ll want to use a handful of marketing (and promotional) tools to steadily increase the levels in an upwards direction. Your logo, layout of ads and brochures, and menu design are part of your marketing activity and should remain consistent, for the most part. Your primary goal is to bring people into the restaurant (and for many food businesses, to also secure catering jobs), but in order to do that you have to first bring the restaurant directly to them. A website functions in that capacity and richer content will help to pre-sell the food, as well as the overall experience. Utilize strong photography and well-crafted videos such as cooking demos to gain more minutes of attention and influence customers. Consider very short audio clips of customer testimonials or the chef commenting on a newly introduced dish. Once you have presentation-quality media, you can promote it in email blasts, on social networking sites, and in print ads or mailings. Invite people to come look and watch the experience you’re offering. In your ongoing marketing, stress a general message about your restaurant, but then add scheduled special messages to inspire a visit, change perceptions, or share timely news. Study who is coming to the restaurant and market to that audience to win more market share. Note who’s missing, but probably shouldn’t be, and market to that demographic too. Social media facilitates a conversation with your customers and allows it to happen immediately. Use Facebook to offer unique content that can influence customers and that they can share with their connections (realize that some of your customer base will need to be met outside of Facebook). Use social media to tell more of your story. Show behind the scenes, poll customers, present facts and statistics (12 types of hamburgers? New lower-sodium dishes?), and announce events and promotions that no one should miss. Research Facebook and Google advertising options and, for Facebook, pick campaign objectives that rise above the accumulation of “likes.” Solicit feedback online and in the restaurant. Use carefully worded surveys to brand yourself, gain valuable information, and converse with your customer base. Have the chef or manager visit tables with larger groups to get reaction on a new dish. Give away recipes and cooking tips and, if possible, have the chef speak at venues or events (look up “Thought Leadership” and see how you can do it for your area of expertise). Participate in food fairs and event planning boutiques to get out there, be seen, and have one-on-one conversations. If you’re more of a lunch destination, schedule an evening or even a “late night.” Rearrange the tables, adjust the menu, and invite the crowd. Try it a few times and see if it catches on and can build business for your regular operational hours, or suggest possibilities of your becoming an after-work spot.
Promotion
Think in terms of regular sales and occasional “extreme” sales. Use discounted daily deal programs selectively to build brand awareness and increase traffic. Don’t run them continuously. Promote your own flash sales a few times a year to your marketing list, but give a reason (justification) for the sale – a holiday, extreme weather, renovated space, etc. Participate in community coupon books for charitable and promotional purposes. Choose non-traditional discount amounts (e.g., 12%) to get more attention and alter perceived value. Offer free and half-price product. Choose offers appropriately, as customers can and will do the math. For non-millennial-generation audience engagement, don’t abandon trusted advertising mediums that existed long before the birth of the smartphone. Continue promotional activity in-house. For instance, place a promotional card on the table and, at times, include a printed attention-getting marketing piece with the check. Create promotions that acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries, and other special days, including Jewish holidays. Consider when to comp a table if it’s a larger group or loyal regulars. Cross-promotion can benefit you and others. Collaborate with local businesses: a dry cleaner in town or the ice cream shop next door (a logical after-dinner destination), an organization that is hosting a lecture or performance in two weeks, or a local attraction that would appeal to your customer base.
Judah S, Harris is a photographer, filmmaker, speaker, writer – and advocate for strong visual marketing. He’s been involved in the craft of visual storytelling for more than two decades and provides visual and social marketing consulting to small business, retail shops, boutique hotels and local restaurants, and nonprofit organizations. Visit www.judahsharris.com/visual-marketing.
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