Restaurants are a big part of the American economy, that much is clear. Total sales from food and drink purchases at U.S. restaurants total an incredible $709 billion — and that number continues to grow. About 14 million people in the U.S. are employed by restaurants.
While restaurants represent a lucrative industry, they also represent — not surprisingly — a highly competitive one, and restaurants experience some of the highest business closing rates among any type of small business.
If you?re looking to pump more sales into your restaurant, there are a few different things you can do! Here are three key suggestions.
Start Taking Advantage of Review Sites
Everyone loves to hate on Yelp, that?s for sure. You may have gotten incensed by a few reviews in the past, and usually for good reason — customers will complain about the duck you served, because what they ordered was chicken. What you should be doing, though, is looking for ways to take advantage of these free services — rather than looking for ways to bring them down. Consider giving out business cards to all your customers with your Yelp profile information. Encourage them to rate their servers. You?d be surprised how many people are happy to write a positive review, once prompted!
Invest in a New Sign for Your Business
A commercial sign company can set you up with a new, great sign for your business. When your company?s outdoor business signs begin to look faded and old, even if your actual restaurant is beautiful and modern on the inside, this isn?t the initial impression passerby are going to have. Investing in better signs will ultimately create a draw for your business — the average local will see your sign 60 times in a single month!
Consider Custom Vehicle Wraps
Vehicle wraps are great for the restaurant industry. You already need cars to transport your food and possibly your take-away options anyway; so why not use this as a free advertisement space for your business? People who never even realized there was a sushi-Mexican fusion restaurant in their city are going to think of your restaurant the next time they have a particular craving. A commercial sign company can help you with this as well.
Whether it’s a car wrap, new sign, or Yelp review, one thing’s for sure: there are ways to get customers interested in your business! Just think outside the box.