Harvest America CUES BLOG

Walking down the streets in the once most robust city in proximity to my home, I was deeply concerned at what I saw. This was a tradition of early holiday shopping, hoping to beat the maddening crowds that typically flood shopping districts and restaurants this time of year. The stores were empty, and restaurant service staff were staring out windows from the vantage of unfilled seats. Holiday decorations were already on full display, a touch of snow was on the ground and Christmas Carols were drifting through the air, but shoppers and diners were in very short supply.

I was reminded of a piece of prose from the English poet, John Donne who in the 16^th century wrote:

“No man is an island entirely of itself. Any man’s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind.”

Even then he was speaking of the interdependence of us all. This can easily be applied to what I experienced on this late November day. Each of these independent operations can only be successful if they understand how they can and must work as a community of businesses and patrons. A restaurant is successful if the shops, offices, coffee shops, wine stores, parks, and street vendors are also successful. The community needs to create multiple reasons to be present. Restaurants need to collaborate and celebrate the success of every other business including other restaurants.

President John F. Kennedy is credited with stating: “A rising tide lifts all boats” inferring that an overall improved economy helps all participants and thus the macroeconomics of a country, region, or community must be everyone’s focus.

One of the most difficult tasks that any restaurateur or chef faces is convincing a customer to walk through the door for the first or twentieth time. They spend boatloads of money in advertising, and countless hours of invested time in trying to accomplish this important task. Every restaurant knows that once a customer walks through the door a sale of food and beverage will likely result. It’s not so true in other retail businesses where browsing is a pastime that is far less likely to result in a purchase. An environment of excitement, intrigue, service, hospitality, and memorable experiences is required.

The look of the service staff, cooks on the back loading docks grabbing a smoke break, salesclerks with arms folded, starring out shop windows, and nervous shop owners checking their bank accounts on cellphones was disconcerting. I could feel the anxiety in the air, the frustration, and the sense of doom and gloom – it was palpable. If you are a chef who has spent time in independent restaurants, you have likely been there. Impending doom is felt deep in your bones, and all are thinking more about upgrading their resumes than servicing the rare customer who will hopefully walk through the entrance soon.

Of course, I can’t help myself after so many years in the hospitality business, so as I walked and observed, my mind was running wild with thoughts on potential solutions. These businesses can’t give up! There must be a solution!

Going out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner must be more than filling the void in our stomachs. Convincing people to travel, no matter the distance, and spend hard earned money on a meal must involve the search for some level of memorable experience. This experience requires “a village” to create and execute; the village of businesses that will thrive when the tide rises.

Here are the thoughts that swirled through my overactive mind:

[]       THINK FAMILY OF BUSINESSES

All for one and one for all must become the mantra in a community of businesses. How can you pool your resources or expertise to create that rising tide? Stop viewing your restaurant as “stand alone” and begin to think collaboratively. What can you do TOGETHER to create reasons for potential patrons to walk in front of your restaurant or shop?

[]       PUT YOURSELVES IN THE PATRONS POSITION

Take the time every day to walk the streets of your business community. Stop into retail shops to catch the feel of the business, visit other restaurants, and talk with the operators about their challenges – you know their challenges are probably the same as yours. Turn on your patron vision and see, feel, smell, and taste the experiences that they have.

[]       ASK AND YOU SHALL DISCOVER

Talk with customers, talk with your employees, talk with your neighbors, and dig into their concerns, and disappointments, and find out what is missing. Share this information with your community of businesses.

[]       THINK AND TRAIN HOSPITALITY

One thing that restaurants know is hospitality. We know how to make people feel welcome, how to greet them, when to give them space, how to promote your products and how to upsell. You must know enough to be able to talk confidently about the experience they will have. Restaurants need to share this with their community of businesses.

How often do potential patrons (yourself included) walk into a retail business – never receive a greeting, never find a clerk to help, never feel as though the operation is pleased that you are there, and subsequently walk a loop around the business and simply walk out the door? This would never happen in a restaurant. Everyone needs to be coached on hospitality and know that it sells the product or service.

[]       SHARE OUR STRENGTHS AND COUNTER OUR WEAKNESSES

Some businesses are stellar at creating attractive points of sale, others are not – SHARE what you’re good at. Some businesses are great at creating stories behind the product or service – others are not – SHARE what you’re good at. Some businesses understand how to use pricing to draw people in and then how to upsell the experience – others are not – SHARE what you’re good at. Some businesses know how to create enticing window displays that help to draw potential patrons through that door – others are not – SHARE what you’re good at. Walk past an Anthropologie Store window and experience what it means to create magnetic displays that beckon people to enter.

[]       BUILD ENERGY

We are excited that you are here! Are you? Well, let’s show it. Pump your employees up, make them part of the experience. Learn from other operators who have it down. Visit an Apple Store and take in their energy level. Watch a sporting team build energy before a game. If you are excited, then the patron will feel it and may just respond with their wallet.

[]       TAKE AWAY PATRON CHALLENGES

What gets in the way of a customer experience? Is it safety, parking, navigating a store or restaurant menu, pricing, speed of service, or lines? Watch and view the experience, again, through their eyes and then work like hell, collaboratively with other businesses in your community to address those concerns.

[]       UNDERSTAND THE VALUE FORMULA

Is it worth it? This is the over-riding question that drives customer behavior. Make sure that the experience of dining, shopping, or simply being in your business community is worth the price or effort to get there. This doesn’t infer that you should necessarily lower prices (although that might be part of the answer) – what it means is that the patron feels it was money well spent. Hospitality and the overall experience are as important to value as price.

[]       CONSOLIDATE RESOURCES

Consider pooling your advertising resources to create a rising tide. Pool your resources to address safety. Pool your resources to cover the cost of patron parking during busy times of the year. Create events that service every business. Consolidate resources to build hospitality training programs for staff in the business community. Create discount programs for community employees so that they become raving fans and ambassadors to pull full paying guests through your doors.

[]       CROSS PROMOTE

If every business promotes every other business, then everyone benefits. Make sure that every employee knows what the community has to offer and openly promote dining and shopping to help raise the tide.

Obviously, an effort like this requires “buy-in” and buy in begins with organization and leadership. Who is going to stand on a soap box and lead the effort? Why not you? Push aside the doom and gloom, stop blaming on-line shopping and meal delivery for empty stores and restaurant seats. Build experiences that can’t be replicated on-line. Don’t accept that the end is near – look for the opportunities to change the momentum. “Business was off yesterday”. Okay, so what are you going to do TODAY to turn that around? Don’t wait till the season is over and then hang your head and wonder how you will survive.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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