Tis the season!

New year, new me!

You’ve probably heard and said this expression almost every time a new year is around the corner.

Not only individuals can use a new resolution, restaurateurs as well have their own lists of resolutions that they wish to follow. 

New year's resolutions are expected to have a positive impact on the performance of your business especially when you stick to them. 

Many restaurant owners fail their resolutions anywhere between February and March either because of lack of planning or because of inefficient execution.

After the holidays’ excitement and gatherings, customers usually become fewer in dry January especially in the cold weather and after the large spending during the holidays so it’s the best time for you to bring in some changes and experiment with new business models. 

What are the resolutions that you might try?

Organize your reservations

As subtle as it may sound, it’s not this easy to get organized.

Organizing yourself means and affects all aspects of your operations on different levels.

Start by organizing your reservations through the use of a reservation system integrated with your POS.

Usually this feature is ignored when acquiring a new POS system, although it’s very important. 

Benefiting from a digital reservation system decreases the clutter, the wait times and enhances the overall service. 

You can also have easier and more efficient data on your customers profiles to access anytime you want.

Improve your guests loyalty

While some restaurants work hard to gain new customers, you may want to retain your existing ones. 

Focus on retaining customers through the development of a loyalty program or even different loyalty programs.

Get personal with your customers. Send them questionnaires for feedback, get to know their favorite dishes and what they love the most about your restaurant. 

Compensate them for this relationship whether through free meals on special occasions like their birthdays or through collecting points for rewards. 

Always send them messages of new offers you have or new changes at your restaurant. 

You can find interesting tips for rewarding your loyal customers in this blog. 

Reward your employees 

It’s time to sit down and evaluate the performance of your people to see who deserves a promotion, a bonus or a salary increase.

This matter should be a top priority for you and your business.

You rely on your employees so it’s essential to show this appreciation through a periodic evaluation and compensation plan. 

You may consider getting life insurance for them, you may increase their hourly wages or simply reward them with a bonus.

Set your expectations about scheduling, staffing and tasks and encourage an open and transparent communication with them to monitor employee engagement and contribution to the success of your business. 

Increase and enhance your online presence

Most of the restaurants have online presence through different pages like Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest. 

But, how often you update your pages is what matters here.

You need to update your content on a weekly basis even when you don’t have any new events.

Post quality pictures of your tasty dishes, customers enjoying food, your menu, your employees on duty. 

Keep your pages interesting and the content intriguing through periodic contests and giveaways. 

Update the website content, especially information such as your location, hours of operation or any new menu.

Replace your software 

You’re probably looking for new features to manage your overall operations and you need a new software to keep up to your objectives.

When you look for a new software you have to choose the one that is user friendly so your employees can get used to it quickly while enjoying enhancements and customer service that no one else can offer like BIM POS does. 

Don’t ignore your customers’ resolutions 

Your customers have their own resolutions too that you can’t ignore. 

One of the most common resolutions is to become fit and healthy which directly impacts your business.

Do their healthy meals fit into your menu? If not, then it’s time to make appropriate changes.

Is the market heading towards more vegan choices? If yes, then it’s time to make space for vegan options in your menu. 

Promote your healthy additions and advertise them on your social media and even in gyms. 

Look for expansions options

This is the most critical resolution among all the rest. 

It’s a crucial decision that affects the continuity and growth of your business. 

Do you think that your restaurant is sustainable enough for expansion? 

Review your performance throughout the last 3 years in addition to the existing challenges such as the supplies’ costs, rental expenses, the market demand and the demographics. 

All this market analysis and financial planning allow you to identify your needs when you open a new location. 

You might consider franchising as well again depending on the findings of your analysis.

It’s a new year and definitely a chance for a new beginning and new opportunities. 

Don’t miss out on the chance to bring up more success into your business.