As the vaccines are being rolled out and things are looking bright again, many of us are ready to get back to work. If you have to close your restaurant or limit your business to take-out only, then you are probably chomping at the bit to get things opened and business flowing with some new and exciting Restaurant Marketing tactics. You probably let some of your staff go, depleted your back stock of food and products, and even let the dust build up in the unused areas. Let’s take a breath, and get excited about your big reopening.
Your Location
Did you sell your location or lost it during the shut down? You are not allow. Do not let the big obstacle slow your dream. First, you need to consider the location. Was your location ideal? You may have had thoughts that having your business on the other side of town, another street or even another town would increase traffic and revenue. If you need to search out a new location be sure to choose a real estate firm that know how to help a business like yours, the staff at https://truvizo.com/ can guide you in making the right financial choices. If you still have your old location, they this is great, you have one less step in reopening.
If you feel that you need to jazz up the location look into new chairs, a few new piece of artwork and print some fresh menus. These small and non expensive upgrades can really make you stand out. Your faithful customers will notice right away and will grin at the nice fresh feel. They know you didn’t give up and are doing your best to keep them a loyal customer.
Staffing
If you stayed open during the shutdown, you may have laid off your entire staff. Others kept a limited few for help at the door and in the kitchen. Reflect back on when your business first started, when it was at its peak, and the seasons when it was slow. What did your staff look like then? You don’t want to over-extend yourself as you do a slow opening. Try to reach out to your best staff. They will think about you and how they were treated. So be sure to call those who you trust and the ones who trust you. If you are unable to get those rock star staff members back, you may need to put out an advertisement. During the pandemic, many industry-experienced people will have lost their jobs, and because they want to get back into the workplace as soon as possible, they may have decided to get in touch with a professional resume writing service like https://www.arcresumes.com/ to help them spice up their career resume in order to get noticed by employers. Reaching out to these people through advertisements is definitely something you should consider if you want to hire the best people for the job. With limited funds in your pocket, use social media to your advantage. List the positions on your Facebook and Instagram pages. Join a few local Facebook groups that members of your community are part of. List the openings there so the people in your town can see the post, and tag their friends and family who are looking for a new job.
Kitchen Upgrades
We know that the budget is tight, or even non existent for some. While you have little to no staff, and more time on your hands, you should really consider making so real upgrades to the kitchen. When you are busy, cooking and cleaning daily, you don’t have time to shut the kitchen down to uninstall an old appliance and get the new one put in. Then you need to test it for safety. Look at what your peers are doing, and how to do it with safety in mind – so remember to check https://www.fhcp.ca/ for peace of mind.
Also, if you are reopening your old restaurant, take a day or two to fully clean it. You might be reopening it after a long gap, which obviously would have led to the infestation of cobwebs, dust, moisture, grease, and other particles inside the exhaust system, vent hood, and other places. It’s best to clean your entire kitchen area along with your staff or hire any professional cleaning services locally to do the work for you. For instance, those looking for Commercial Hood Cleaning in Beaumont or nearby places, could rely on companies like HOODZ or fall back on your local search. After all, a clean kitchen and good food are the keys to attract more customers!
Next, coming to the appliances, what appliances are the oldest? Which are the most used? Those are the two main focuses on buying new equipment. If you need more storage for refrigeration look into a large cooler, if you don’t have the room, then consider how you can reorganize and use shelving in the unit for a more effective was to store. If you need a new stove, be sure to also upgrade the hood from a reliable brand like Expresshoods.com
Food Safety
Following on nicely from the last topic, reopening a restaurant that has impeccable food safety levels is essential. Though close attention will have been placed on this before, now, it has never been more important. Whilst you think that you are already doing everything in your power to ensure that your food safety is at the highest quality, there are always other things that you can do. For example, recommending that your employees attend and complete something like this haacp certification in australia will allow your staff to be able to increase the quality of food, and delivering what diners expect from you at all times. Do this, and you are guaranteed to establish a good reputation going forward, which is perfect timing, especially if your restaurant reopening is imminent.
Whenever you reopen just remember, this is your business. This is your choice and you know you are strong enough to make it through all this.