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Robert Bylett
Before you start up a business in the restaurant industry you need a restaurant marketing plan.
Having a marketing plan is one of the keys to owning a successful business. Of course, you will
need to update and modify the marketing plan as circumstances surrounding your restaurant
changes.
To begin a restaurant marketing plan you need to have some vital information up front such as, how
much money to put aside for marketing. Normally, this figure would be between 3 to 6 percent of the
estimated sales. However, you do need to set aside the largest percentage of this money for your
busiest months.
Main Principles of a Restaurant Marketing Plan
Some of the main principles of a restaurant marketing plan include the products to be sold, the
location of the establishment, the prices of each item and the promotional aspect of the business
but that is not all. To be effective the marketing plan needs to be based on knowledge about the
restaurant business in general and on actual facts.
The financial and marketing history will need to be considered along with what type of competition
you will encounter. Do you have similar businesses nearby with lots of competition or will you
provide a different type of restaurant for the residence in the immediate area.
You must take into consideration the type of customers you will be receiving and how often they
return. For example, do most of your guests dine alone, as couples, as a family or in large groups?
Do a lot of elderly couples visit your restaurant? These questions are important because you need
to make sure you have the right accommodations suitable to make your customers comfortable and that
you have a good diverse menu to suit the needs of everyone.
The first time a customer dines at your restaurant they will form an opinion of the service they
received and the quality of the food provided. By knowing how many customers are repeat visitors
you will be able to judge your performance and learn what areas need to be improved. Customers
return to a restaurant when they are treated with respect, courtesy and great food. If they are not
returning, then you know there is a problem somewhere.
It is a good idea to provide promotional items to encourage your customers to invite friends to
dine with them. You can start up refer-a friend programs that offer your regular customers a
discounted meal or provide accommodations for birthday parties and so forth. You can increase the
frequency of your customer visits by increasing their loyalty with the best service possible. The
only exception to this would be if you were in a location near an interstate where your customers
were mainly travellers and not residence located near the area.
The cheque average that your restaurant receives is also a very important part of your marketing
plan. Increasing your prices is not the only way to make these averages higher so the marketing
plan that you put together should include specific methods for increasing the cheque average in
your restaurant.
Some of these methods can include suggestive selling programmes, offering the customer the chance
to upgrade the order to larger portions or by allowing separate dishes to be added to meals.
Anytime the cheque average drops or climbs you should be aware of this and determine what factors
are affecting the change.
There are also other outside forces that will make an impact on your business. This would include
any road repairs or construction planned for the area surrounding your business. Many times
extensive road repairs can isolate your business and make it hard for customers to reach you. Plans
for the construction of a housing development nearby will most likely increase your business as it
gets underway and more families move into the area.
How to Design Your Marketing Plan
Design your restaurant marketing plan to match the behavior of the potential customers instead of
trying to change their routine to meet you plans. It is impossible to change the habits people
already have in place but a good marketing plan will help to influence their existing behavior by
capturing their attention and making them interested in what you have to offer.
A good restaurant marketing plan will put more attention on ways to increase the number of
returning customers instead of ways to bring in new ones. It is more effective and better for
business while being less expensive than targeting new customers. For the best results, design ways
to reach potential customers mainly through public relations instead of mostly advertising.
When you keep track of all the information above along with your overhead and income you will be
able to improve and update your restaurant marketing plan as your business grows. By having a good
marketing plan you are setting yourself up for success.
About the Author:
Robert Bylett provides individualised and affordable solutions that
are practical, and accelerate the profitability, enjoyment and results you get from your business.
Find out more at http://www.justconsultancy.co.uk
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