How To Improve Restaurant Operations In 2023

Improve restaurant operations

The new year is here, and so is the restaurant rush. Brimming with resolutions, your customers will now be back with renewed vigour to your establishments. The ongoing pandemic has changed existing business models, and it is imperative for restaurant owners in the US to adapt to them and streamline their restaurant operations.

If you’re looking to run your restaurant operations in 2023 efficiently, we have created a comprehensive list of 5  tips to improve your restaurant operations. 

5 Tips To Improve Restaurant Operations

Improving your restaurant operations can have a significant impact on not only your profits but also how your restaurant functions. Listed below are a few ways to improve your restaurant operations in 2023.

1. Your Menu Is Your Star 

What you serve will always be the #1 factor that will attract new customers to your restaurant. And if you consistently serve good food and exceptional service, you will have more returning customers to your restaurant. 

Streamlining your menu will help you maintain consistency in producing great food. A clear, concise menu will always highlight that your establishment values quality over quantity, which is honestly the most crucial thing while running your restaurant. Having multiple pages can confuse your customers instead of catering to everyone’s taste buds. It will exponentially increase your food costs which will be hard to sustain. 

One of the best practices that most industry experts recommend is crafting a one-page menu and then breaking down the items into categories for your customer’s ease and to help your staff serve them faster.

With the pandemic, dine-in cannot be the only option anymore. Take-away and delivery are must-haves if you want to keep your restaurant running and cater to a larger group of customers. And that calls for menu optimization. Not every order can be delivered. Stay on top of your takeaways and deliveries with an optimized menu. 

2. Train Your Employees For A Top-Notch Customer Service

Your food is excellent. But if it fails to reach your target customers or any untoward incident hinders your customer’s restaurant experience, it will be tough to run your business. 

Excellent customer service is a must-have for every restaurant, and the owners/managers are responsible for ensuring proper training of the existing staff. Below are a few quick tips for better training – 

  • Create a positive atmosphere by providing your employees with the rightful benefits and perks. Ensure that there is an open line of communication for them to share suggestions, give and receive feedback. This will lead to less employee turnover (which is a huge concern for the restaurant industry) and make your employees feel good about their workplace. 
  • Track the performance of your employees and give them due credit. This will encourage them to perform better. 
  • Create a handbook or training manual to put down on paper about the type of service you want your staff to deliver. This will create more clarity and help your staff deliver to your expectations more efficiently. 
  • Your hiring and training process should also focus on EQ. You can use this space to reinforce your company culture, etiquettes, protocols they are expected to follow, and deal with crises. 
Improve restaurant operations
Source: Localogy

3. Dealing With Complaints And Feedback 

Customers of the present day are not always keen on sharing their feedback verbally. In the age of social media, customer complaints, concerns, and feedback can be seen posted on social media platforms. Irrespective of the medium, the customer is always right, and any concern that they might have should be taken care of on priority. 

Here are some tips on better dealing with your customer complaints and concerns in 2023. 

  • Acknowledge any feedback or complaints: You must allow your unsatisfied customers to voice their concerns freely and be attentive to what they have to say. 
  • Immediate response: In the age of digital media, gone are the days of getting back to your customer after days. If you receive a complaint, ensure that you respond immediately on any platform. 
  • Responding online: If any customer posts their complaints online, make sure that your management is responsive and doing so politely and with courtesy.
  • Offer compensation: Wavering off an item on their bill that they did not like or offering a free dessert always creates a good impression of your business for your customer
  • Ask for verbal feedback when you serve them: This avoids the possibility of bad customer reviews online if you ask them and encourage feedback right after the service upfront. You can also encourage your customer to share feedback using any restaurant POS system that you might have. 

4. Invest In The Right Restaurant Technology

If you have the right technology, restaurant management will be easier. The restaurant industry’s constant changes make it essential to upgrade your old technology to keep up with the digital age. 

Most restaurants invest in an efficient POS system for their daily operations, tracking inventory, managing the employees, and so much more. 

We have listed some benefits of why having a POS system will suit your establishment and should be a fundamental change in your restaurant operations in 2023. 

  • Easier management of the restaurant staff and other employees
  • Helping to process all forms of payments such as cash, credit cards, NFC, etc
  • Keep track of all sales, inventory, and customer feedback which can be a tough task to manage manually. 
  • Contactless ordering and payments are a must-have in this post-pandemic era where it is best to minimize contacts as much as possible. QR code payment is also a viable alternative to this method.

Inventory management is more than a one-person task that a POS system can easily handle. It will help you stay on top of your entire inventory to help with menu planning, order low-stock items, and reduce food wastage. With this, you can also analyze which items are your best sellers and get you more profits. 

5. Remember Your Restaurant Visitors 

A loyal customer base is a sign of your restaurant’s success. If you want more people to come to your establishment, you would also want more returning visitors because returning visitors prove that your food quality and service are good. 

Remember your loyal customers because welcoming behaviour, a smile on your face, and maybe remembering somebody’s name always gets the restaurant invisible brownie points. Running a restaurant in the US is no easy business, but with these tips that can be easily implemented, you can effectively improve your restaurant operations in 2023.

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Daniel McCarthy is a seasoned restaurant consultant and serves as the Communication Manager at Restroworks, a prominent F&B SaaS company. Drawing from his vast knowledge of leveraging innovative technological solutions, Daniel excels at enhancing restaurant operations and revenue, thereby contributing to the ongoing transformation of the industry.

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