Attract More Customers – Enhance the Vibe of Your Restaurant

Bring diners in through their senses – all contributing to the overall vibe of your restaurant.

How does your restaurant make people feel? If you don’t know the answer to that question, consider stepping out your front door for a moment.

Then, come back in – not as the owner, but as a new customer. What do you see, feel, smell? Were you greeted well? Does the staff seem happy to see you, or are they hurried and rushed?

The feeling you had when you walked in is the vibe that your diners get each time they walk through your doors.

It has to do with the culture that you create in your restaurant, and in this article, we’re going to take an in-depth look at it as we discuss how to attract more customers and enhance the vibe of your restaurant.

Let’s look at how you can attract more customers by enhancing the vibe of your restaurant through the five senses – sight, smell, sound, touch and taste.

The Sense of Sight

What do your customers see when they walk in the door? Are they met with smiles, nice décor and a clean, tidy space?

What are their thoughts regarding your décor? Can they tell what you’re all about by how your restaurant looks on the inside?

If not, it’s time to rethink the vibe customers get from the visual aspects of your restaurant. This means what they see from the minute they drive into your parking lot, all the way to their trip to the restroom.

There are a few steps you can take to fine tune the visual vibe you give off.

First, you need a vision. Know what you want your restaurant to “feel” like and let that define how it looks.

For example, are you a sports-themed restaurant, a modern café, a farm-to-table fast casual place or a warm, cozy spot?

Whatever vision you choose, you want to ensure that the theme and vibe carry through from your exterior to your interior. (tweet this)

Don’t leave anything to chance and make sure it all gels for one cohesive look.

Pay special attention to:

• Wall and floor coverings
• Lighting
• Art
• Color scheme
• Furniture style (high tables, low tables, bar stools, banquets – the options are many)
• Table décor (vases, candles, glassware, linens, etc.)
• Staff uniforms
• Hardware
• Dishes and utensils

Lighting adds ambiance and a particular vibe.

The Sense of Smell

Your food plays an enormous part in creating the vibe of your restaurant. It’s what draws customers in. (tweet this)

But did you know the way your restaurant smells also contributes to the vibe?

Consider again the Greek restaurant on the corner, or the classic Italian pizza joint. The aroma emanating from the kitchen is another big part of the vibe of the restaurant, helping to create the culture.

The Sense of Sound

The vibe of your restaurant also includes the sense of sound. What are your customers met with when they walk in the door?

Is your restaurant busy and loud or soft and quiet? Is your kitchen making a lot of noise? Are staff members huddled together in private conversations?

Do you have music playing?

All of these noise makers play in to the vibe of your restaurant. Decide what you’d like it to be and concentrate on making it happen.

When it comes to your music, you can bet what your customers listen to while they eat matters. Today’s diners want the whole experience, and music is part of it.

As with the sights in your restaurant, decide on your music sounds.

This is easy for a restaurant where the vibe is a 50s diner or an authentic Greek restaurant.

But, if your restaurant concept doesn’t lend itself to a musical theme, what should you do?

Consider your restaurant at different times of the day. For example, your lunch crowd may be looking for something to listen to that is unlike what your dinner crowd wants to listen to.

Perhaps your dinner crowd is young professionals who just got off work, but your lunch crowd is retirees. You’ll find the playlist should rotate with the crowd.

If you don’t know right off what music you should play, you can ask your diners. Let them set the tone.

You may know that music evokes emotion and helps people remember things. So, it seems if you have the right music playing, your customers will remember the experience they had in your restaurant.

Your customers will equate your playlist with the enjoyment of eating in your restaurant as part of the total overall vibe. Music enhances the atmosphere, making diners feel comfortable.

You’ll find that if your customers like your music selection, it’s just another reason for them to revisit your restaurant again.

The Sense of Touch

Yes, the sense of touch plays a part in the vibe of your restaurant. It’s actually the texture that contributes.

Think of the texture as the surface area. This could be your table tops, your bar counter and your wall décor.

Think marble tops, granite slabs, rustic wood, carpet, tile, wood floors, linens, draperies and more. It all works to create your vibe.

The Sense of Taste

Your restaurant menu is the catalyst for the vibe of your restaurant.

This is where you’ll start when building out your overall vibe and atmosphere. Your food is the instigator.

For example, you might serve Italian, Greek, American, Chinese, Thai or something else altogether. But, whatever drives your menu also drives the vibe.

So, when organizing the vibe of your restaurant, don’t forget to factor in the taste.

Final Thoughts

To attract more customers, you want to enhance the vibe of your restaurant.

This means that your culture, atmosphere and vibe is unique to your restaurant. To do this, know what your restaurant stands for.

Are you the Italian restaurant where everyone feels like they just walked into their favorite grandmother’s house? Or, are you the hip, modern sandwich shop where diners can feel comfortable eating on their own and escaping all conversation?

Know the vibe you want to give off and focus on achieving it through your ambiance, food, décor and your customer service.

Work with your staff to help them create this culture each time they work. Teach them that this is what defines your restaurant and sets you apart from the competition.

When they buy into your goals of creating the perfect vibe for your customers, everyone wins – you, your staff and your customers.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but we’ll integrate your social media accounts on your website. Ready to take the plunge and create a website with an online menu, blog and beautiful photos? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Eaters Collective and Lisheng Chang

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There are many Thai spices and ingredients in Thai cuisine actually have health and feel-great benefits. Like Thai ginger is great for digestion, turmeric has anti-inflammatory benefits, and lemongrass help treat colds and stomach problems. These are just some of the many healthy Thai spices used in Thai cuisine.

World’s Best Superfoods

Can a soup fight cancer? If it’s a Thai favorite called Tom Yung Gung, the answer just might be yes. Made with shrimp, coriander, lemongrass, ginger, and other herbs and spices used in Thai cooking, the soup was found to possess properties 100 times more effective than other antioxidants in inhibiting cancerous-tumor growth. Researchers at Thailand’s… Read more at Health.com

Authentic traditional Thai cooking methods like steaming and sauteing to avoid overcooking and destroy the freshness and potency of ingredients. Traditional and authentic Thai food is definitely one of the cleanest and healthiest national cuisines that you can try.

Traditional Thai Food: The First ‘Superfood’?

In many ways, traditional Thai food has been ahead of the curb in terms of food trends, specifically the superfood craze that has taken the Western food-world by storm. Thai food’s unsparing use of nutrient dense ingredients like ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, coconut, sesame and chilli makes it perfect for anyone looking to improve or maintain their diet… Read more at PataraLondon.com

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Pros And Cons Of Al Fresco Dining

Attract passers-by with sidewalk seating.

Everyone likes a party, and that’s what they get with Al fresco dining.

In this article, we look at the pros and cons of Al Fresco dining, and why it might be good for your restaurant.

First, let’s define it.

Al Fresco Dining

The term Al Fresco comes from the Italian and loosely means “in the cool air.”

We use the term to mean dining outdoors.

Interestingly, the Italians don’t use the term for dining outside. In Italian, the expression Al Fresco actually means “spending time in the cooler” or jail.

Al Fresco dining is popular in temperate climates and in the spring, summer and fall months. People enjoy dining Al Fresco when the weather is beautiful. The style is casual, yet festive, with a party-like atmosphere.

If your restaurant has an outdoor patio or outdoor seating, you offer Al Fresco dining.

In hot climates, you might have covered patios or misters to keep people cool. In chilly climates, you might have fire pits or outdoor fireplaces to keep diners comfortable.

Now let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros of Al Fresco Dining

It’s Trendy:

First, Al Fresco dining is trendy. Today’s diner wants an experience, and they definitely enjoy eating outdoors in a more festive atmosphere. (tweet this)

Increase Revenue:

You’ll attract more diners to your restaurant with outdoor seating.

This is because diners are often more comfortable eating outside. It affects the senses and seems to make the food taste fresher and therefore, better.

Some diners enjoy the view and the fun that occurs when eating outside with friends and family.

Basically, when the weather is nice, you’re adding a whole other restaurant, and with that comes added revenue.

Extra Seating:

By offering additional seating outside, you increase the number of meals you serve each night, thus improving your bottom line.

Enhanced Atmosphere:

Mother nature provides its own ambiance and great views. Plus, when the weather is beautiful, your diners feel more festive.

This merry feeling often leads to them ordering more and higher ticket prices.

The fun atmosphere also encourages more wine, beer and liquor to be consumed which again means more money for your restaurant.

Finally, because the outdoors is the attraction, you don’t have to spend as much money on décor and table decoration.

Cons of Al Fresco Dining

The Weather:

What makes eating outside so enjoyable can be its biggest con.

If the weather is bad, you lose business because you can’t fill your outdoor seating. Your wait times will be longer, and customers may get impatient.

Restrooms:

If you don’t have an outdoor restroom, you increase the load on your indoor restrooms which can increase wait times.

You also have people constantly moving from outside to inside which can be distracting to your indoor customers.

Staff Needs:

This can be tricky. For example, if you staff for a busy weekend night, but the weather suddenly turns stormy, you have too many employees, and you have to let some go for the evening.

Conversely, if you think the forecast is bad, and you don’t staff heavy enough, but it turns out just fine, you can’t meet the needs of your dining traffic.

Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space

If you’ve decided to take the plunge and add an outdoor space to your restaurant, here are a few tips.

• Situate your space to take advantage of the outdoor scenery – think mountains, gardens or other beautiful views.
• Create a beer garden on the patio.
• Have outdoor-only specials to encourage people to eat outside.
• Make sure your kitchen can handle the extra demand.
• Have enough wait staff to take care of the crowd.
• Provide heat and cool when needed.
• Add products to control insects.
• Keep the space clean.

Add plants to make your Al Fresco dining fresh and inviting.

Different Al Fresco Scenarios

You have several options when creating an Al Fresco dining space.

1. Sidewalk Seating – This is one of the easiest ways to take the dining outside. Your customers will enjoy sitting outside in comfortable chairs. Add some umbrellas for shade. You’ll find that sidewalk seating attracts people walking by and encourages them to visit your restaurant. During the evening, add some candles for ambiance.

2. Rooftop Dining – If you don’t have a sidewalk area or a patio, try expanding your space to the roof. Many big city restaurants have rooftop dining. This allows diners the view of skylines or open spaces. Consider adding potted plants or rooftop gardens. Hang lights and add candles for ambiance. Pergolas and attractive awnings add to the décor and protect diners during the day and the evening.

3. Patio Dining – This is the traditional form of Al Fresco dining. Your customers can enjoy the patio at your restaurant where you’ve set up tables and chairs. You might also add a cozy seating area with a sofa and club chairs. Fire pits are nice additions as well. Candles, lights, pergolas and plants also add to the festive vibe.

4. Garden Dining – Dining farm-to-table is very trendy, and diners like to see where their food comes from. This could be in any of the above spaces, or in a large garden behind your restaurant. What is important is that you landscape your outdoor dining area with the fruits and vegetables you’re serving to your customers. Consider raised beds if you don’t have the land. Grow lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and more. Landscape them attractively so they are part of the décor.

Add Ambiance

Whichever route you choose, consider adding a firepit or outdoor fireplace to add considerable ambiance and feelings of comfort. (tweet this)

Lighting is important, so consider candles, lanterns, hanging lights and torches.

You also want to look at adding a water feature such as a fountain or reflecting pool. It could also be as simple as a vase on the table with floating candles or flowers.

Fire and water work well together in a space. They increase the festive feeling and make your guests feel welcome.

Fire communicates warmth, and it’s inviting. Water communicates freshness and cleanliness.

Together, they make dining Al Fresco something fun, festive and exciting for your diners.

Final Thoughts

Adding an Al Fresco dining space to your restaurant enriches the overall customer experience.

You’ll find it adds revenue while increasing your customers’ happiness.

Do take the cons into consideration and make plans to handle them.

In the end, you’ll find an Al Fresco dining space is just what your customers want.

Be sure to add some shade and atmosphere for the total experience. Add some music, and on special nights, bring in live music.

Consider your customers’ needs and make sure they are warm or cool and bug-free to ensure their overall enjoyment.

You’ll soon be reaping the rewards of your Al Fresco space.

At Restaurant Engine, not only do we create great, responsive websites, but we’ll integrate your outdoor menu into your website. Ready to take the plunge and create a website with an online menu, blog and beautiful photos? Get your free website consultation today!

Images: Xochi Romero and Alex Holyoake

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