October 2020 - inresto

Cloud Kitchen: Pros and Cons of the Concept

Posted on 29/10/202029/01/2021 by inresto

Lately, the concept of a cloud kitchen has gained momentum, considering the change in diner behaviour where people are more inclined towards food delivery than dining out, due to COVID-19. For people with a dream of running their own restaurant but being held back due to lack of resources, a dark kitchen is an ideal solution.

Statistics also suggest that 67% of restaurant owners would prefer a cloud kitchen as their next investment.

What’s a cloud kitchen, you ask? Here’s a simple explanation of what a cloud kitchen really is.

A cloud kitchen is a restaurant that has no storefront as well as no dining area and exists only online. This type of kitchen runs through online orders and delivery and can have several outlets functioning from a single kitchen. In fact, one can even serve multiple cuisines under a single brand and kitchen.

Cloud kitchens come with their own benefits and limitations. So, here’s all you need to know about the pros and cons of the cloud kitchen concept.

Why the Cloud Kitchen Concept is a More Ideal?

As simple as starting a dark kitchen and managing it is, there is absolutely no question as to why this is more ideal than a conventional restaurant. Here’s a list of its most common benefits:

1. No Real Estate Cost

The greatest boon of the cloud kitchen concept is the elimination of expenses like restaurant space, ambiance, dining tables, chairs, expensive cutlery, electrical fixtures, etc. All of these are eliminated, with the only expense incurred being a bare minimum on cooking staff, cooking ingredients, kitchen equipment, and a minimal maintenance expense such as electricity bills.

2. Increased Expansion Opportunities

Starting your cloud kitchen would hardly cost you a fortune compared to starting a conventional restaurant. And once you have your virtual kitchen established, expanding would be even easier. You can start catering to new localities without being limited by a lack of space or need for high capital.

3. No Overhead Costs

Unlike a conventional restaurant, you need not worry about restaurant decor, purchasing additional space for parking, serving staff, etc. These overhead costs are eliminated in a cloud kitchen, reducing your overall cost significantly.

The Challenges of Running a New Cloud Kitchen

Yes, cloud kitchens are perfect for those with limited capital and unlimited skills. However, if you think they come with no setbacks, think again. Everything has its own pros and cons, and here are the most common challenges to the cloud kitchen concept:

1. Higher Competition

While there is no doubt about the ease of operating a cloud kitchen and the many benefits it offers, this very aspect also makes the competition for anyone starting their own cloud kitchen pretty high.

2. Lack of Customer Interaction

One of the reasons why people are more attached to a restaurant they frequently dine in is the ambiance and their interaction with the restaurant staff. This particular factor is completely absent in a cloud kitchen concept.

3. Dependency On, & Competition with, Food Aggregators

The greatest challenge in operating a dark kitchen is the dependency on food aggregator platforms for delivery. However, with the aid of inresto order, you can have your own platform to take diner orders in real-time and cater to them effectively.

Who Can Open a Cloud Kitchen?

With how easy it is to open a cloud kitchen, there is nothing stopping anyone with the passion to open their own cloud kitchen. From someone operating a tiffin service from their home to someone running a poplar small-sized restaurant, anyone can open a dark kitchen to work from and cater to their customers.

If you are still wondering if you can, here’s a list to help you figure out if you have the ability to:

1. Entrepreneurs

If you love food and have a great idea for a cloud kitchen that has never been done before, or is done by very few, you can offer a lot to the people you cater to. A cloud kitchen would not only require the least bit of capital to start out but also keep your expenses at a minimum throughout.

2. Home-cooked Food Providers

Home-cooked food is often opted for by those living on their own and those who are not skilled at cooking. Even a small tiffing service that is popular among its patrons can work its magic through a cloud kitchen. You can increase your reach and serve people in a larger radius by setting up a dark kitchen to serve home-cooked food to your customers.

3. Quick-Service Restaurants

Quick-service restaurants are often frequented by people, making it popular with the crowd already. By setting up a dark kitchen, reaching out to the customers is more convenient as well as profitable.

4. Food Truck Operators

Owning a food truck in itself is a huge achievement. The best part of being a food truck operator is the ease of delivering food to your customers. You have the food, you have the wheels. What more do you need?

5. Conventional Restaurants

Just because you are a conventional restaurant does not mean you cannot opt for a cloud kitchen. With more people opting to dine at home by ordering in, you set up your own cloud kitchen at a new location to increase your customer range.

The Takeaway

Although there are a few challenges that restaurateurs may have to adhere to, while operating a cloud kitchen, the benefits far outweigh the cons. Further, building your own order management system using inresto Order will aid in long term brand loyalty from your diners and make up for lost value from lack of physical eating space and ambience. Irrespective of the competition one would face, there is no doubt as to the success of managing a virtual kitchen within reasonable means.

Read more about: inresto’s cloud kitchen here

Congratulations on winning the inresto Superstar, October 2020

Posted on 29/10/202030/10/2020 by inresto

After months of uncertainty and limbo, our favourite restaurants are back with a bang. As your long-standing restaurant technology partner, we couldn’t resist but rejoice.

To make things bigger and better we have come to you with the inresto Superstar initiative!

What is ‘inresto Superstar’?

A monthly initiative to identify and recognise the phenomenal dining experience provided by restaurants using inresto’s product suite. It is an effort to celebrate the marvellous spirit of restaurants across the country!

The pandemic has taught us to appreciate the little joys of life like dining out with our friends and family. Now that life seems to regain some sense of normalcy, It’s time to celebrate, cherish what we have, & most importantly acknowledge the efforts of our restaurant partners.

We are thrilled to announce the winners of October 2020! Have a look

Berco’s Sec 12, Noida | Delhi NCR

This Casual Dining restaurant is winning the hearts of its diners with its authentic Chinese, Thai and Asian cuisine. Known for its Hygienic environment & great hospitality, Berco’s has been a trusted inresto partner who never stays behind when it comes to the restaurant technology game.

Using inresto products Berco’s increased their feedback intake by 65% which ultimately led to a positive NPS score.

Red Rhino, Bangalore

Red Rhino, located in Whitefield is known for its beautiful ambience with a sprawling rooftop and picturesque outdoor seating. The well-stocked bar with a signature collection of wine has been able to cater to a huge diner base and successfully operates with inresto’s product suite.

They effectively used inresto products and increased diner reservation by 40%.

AB’s – Jubilee Hills Hyderabad

Another one to make it to the Superstar list is the AB’s Hyderabad. The place takes the joy of BARBECUING to an all-new height. Managing a wide range of operations including an elaborate buffet & a bar menu that houses a wide range of cocktails has been smooth for AB’s with the inresto’s product suite.

They were able to increase diner feedback intake by 60% which led to a positive NPS score of 4.7. We could say it is as smooth as their kebabs and hence they are Hyderabad’s inresto Superstar!

Kouzina Mining Co. Kolkata

Our Superstar from Kolkata is this amazing casual dining restaurant located in Sector 1 of Salt Lake, Kolkata. The extensive menu is in line with the varied tastes and preferences of the diners. Every dish is of the finest taste and is a testament of its finest chefs.

They successfully satisfied the taste buds of local diners and also increased diner visits by 48%.

The Irish House, Mumbai

The Irish House is a chain of casual dining resto-pubs which offers a rustic wooden ambiance along with an extensive variety of brews. The exclusive food menu is in line with the assorted tastes and preferences of the people and the additional feature of Live music performances and the DJ Nights hosted there which makes everyone groove to the music.

Apart from winning the hearts of its diners with its charm, this chain has managed to be the inresto Superstar of Mumbai. They effectively captured diner data, increased feedback intake by 41% which led to a positive NPS score.

Coal Barbecues, Chennai

With a peppy and vibrant ambiance, this Casual Dining restaurant with tabletop cooking serves a variety of cuisines. This inresto Superstar is famous for their Arabian food, and mouth-watering barbecue and grilled dishes. Using inresto product suite, coal barbecues witnessed a jump in diners visits by 45%.

You could learn a thing or two from these path-breaking restaurants which are changing the game of the restaurant industry with technology and winning the hearts of their diners.

A big congratulations to all the winners! We are happy to have helped you raise your revenue, increase productivity and improve efficiency. We wish you continued success and a year full of happy diners 🙂

Bakery Management System Guide: All You Need to Know

Posted on 27/10/202031/05/2021 by inresto

Bakery management comes with its own set of challenges. Whether it’s retaining customers, navigating custom cake requirements, or hiring hardworking and trustworthy employees, it’s certainly not a piece of cake! (pun intended)

You need the right information, the right people, and the right equipment to manage your bakery.

Effective bakery management is not an easy feat to accomplish and we are here to help by bringing you this bakery management system guide. With this, you will never lose track of your sales, orders, and deliveries. The industry has been witnessing extraordinary growth in the past few years thereby intensifying the competition. Therefore, investing in a bakery management system is imperative whether you have an established brand or are just starting out.

1. Managing Your Online Orders Using inresto POS

There are a plethora of online food delivery services that have flourished in recent years. Through a bakery management system, you gain full control over your online orders. It’s best to have your own mobile app and a website for your bakery easily, using inresto Online Order. This way you would not have to pay a hefty commission to any third-party food delivery services. Your brand can better adopt this strategy using inresto POS and achieve the desired results.

2. Sales & Accounting Management

Inventory management and stock purchase are critical components of a bakery management system. You can easily track your bakery’s expenses and sales by utilizing the finance and accounting management feature of the system. Eventually, better insights will lead to increased profits, figure out best-selling items, and attain profitable sales! inresto’s SCM and POS system can aid you in not only building your business but also facilitate faster expansion.

3. Loyalty Management Greatly Simplified

It’s only fair to reward your loyal customers with special offers and discounts. A loyalty program will allow you to draw new customers to your bakery and give you a chance to swoon them with your magic! Using inresto Loyalty, you can effortlessly identify loyal customers and offer rewards that keep them coming for more. It also offers different loyalty program building options, allowing you to target a smaller group of customers and provide better results!

4. Cloud-based Bakery POS System by inresto

There are numerous benefits offered by a cloud-based bakery POS system such as one offered by inresto, compared to its conventional counterpart. For instance, through a cloud-based system, you can access the required information remotely, at any point in time. There is no need for you to be physically present at the bakery all the time to handle day-to-day operations. Moreover, it’s relatively inexpensive as opposed to an on-premise POS system. The updates would automatically be installed and you would never have to be nervous about losing your data with cloud backup!

5. Integrated Payment System

Based on your business requirements, you can opt for an annual or monthly payment of the cloud-based bakery POS system. Another important factor to consider is the integrated payment system. Customers usually don’t have all the payment apps installed on their phone. Don’t limit yourself to cash transactions and ensure that your system offers all the payment methods. The integrated payment system is thus crucial for today’s increasingly cashless society.

6. Facilitate Bulk Orders

For bakeries, large orders are pretty common. Therefore, you must choose a bakery management system which can handle mass orders. The complete restaurant management software offered by inresto is ideal for such large orders. Furthermore, it allows you to launch CRM-powered personalized email and SMS campaigns and manage orders from your website, mobile app, and delivery partners. You can also leverage the visit based and spend based inresto loyalty program services.

7. Make Informed Decisions through Data Reports

Your bakery management system will offer critical insights such as delivery repost, customer, account, staff, and sales data. Moreover, you will be able to perform data comparisons, another important feature provided by bakery POS developers. Such organized information will eliminate any scope of confusion. So, don’t be afraid to launch a new dessert as you will have accurate data to back your decision.

Your customers will be able to send their valuable feedback through digital receipts generated by the system. Their ratings would also help you identify the areas of improvement within your bakery.

Check out restaurant business strategies for home chefs here.

Restaurant Marketing Strategies | Festive season edition

Posted on 26/10/2020 by inresto

With festivals around the corner, we have all the more reason to celebrate and end this year on a positive note. It is the best time for restaurants to bounce back in full glory and leverage the fact that people are now cautiously stepping out of their homes to celebrate.

Everyone is eagerly looking forward to enjoying the festivities this year and are likely to revenge splurge. Restaurants can re-strategize their marketing plan and grab this opportunity to increase the footfall.

1. Step Up Your Social Media Game

With the technology renaissance, it is essential to have a digital presence. Create your social media identity on platforms like Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. Use content marketing through the perfect amalgamation of videos, regular & topical posts, blogs and right hashtags. A strong social media game can help you engage with your diners. With technology growing each day, you can also generate orders through WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook through a single click.

2. Run Digital Contests

Festivals are the best time to run some engaging contests. Offering discount coupons and vouchers are the best way to grab your diners’ attention. With paid marketing, restaurants can do the right targeting and reach a broad set of audiences. You can easily track the amount spent on a paid ad. Running some exciting contests and offers on social media will eventually boost the engagement and number of orders.

3. Chart-Up A Customised Marketing Calendar

Celebrations are incomplete without food in India. So why have the regular menu for the festive season? Reengineer your menu with dishes from your local regions, experiment, add your spin to it and make it extra special. In the north, Navratri special thali is a rage. However, in the east, Dussehra is the time to feast on non-veg items. A customized proposition reaching out to the various sets of target audiences on social media platforms will give you the extra mileage.

4. Organize Virtual Events

With hardly any prospects of any on-ground event happening this year, restaurants can utilize this opportunity to host some virtual events like live band performances, folk dance shows, or special days like the Diwali party. Alongside you can run offers on your festival special menu or items. Restaurants can even host some events on the premises with proper hygiene & social distancing measures. It can be a great way to boost footfall.

5. Run Special Offers & Deals

One of the most desirable things to do is look for special offers and deals. So if your diners are already looking for it, why not give them that incentive and get more business? You can promote such offers using SMS and Email marketing. inresto campaign has done wonders for its 15,000 restaurant partners, helping them boost their revenue.

6. Build Long-Term Relationships

What withstands the test of times withstands it all. Investing in the right tools that help you forge a close connection with your diners will be the most profitable. To do that, you can incentivize them using loyalty programs. It can be made possible by cutting edge CRM tools and POS systems that help you run and track these programs. This is the best way to make them feel special and a part of your exclusive club of diners.

Click here to know how to run a digital marketing campaign for your restaurant.

What if Restaurants had Zodiac?

Posted on 23/10/202026/10/2020 by inresto

Ever wondered which zodiac your restaurant belongs to? inresto dons the hat of an astrologer and brings to you a unique take on the restaurant personality based on the various zodiac signs. Trust us you do not want to miss this:

Aquarius

Jan 22- Feb 19

A restaurant that is a go-to place for people who are in need of some lip-smacking, quality and fulfilling comfort food which helps uplift their mood. This type of restaurant makes its diners feel comfortable & cosy and they cannot resist to revisit you.

Pisces

Feb 20 – March 20

A restaurant that offers a premium dining experience while making someone’s dining fantasy a reality. The diners are on a journey to experience the food & ambience only imaginable in their dreams.

Aries

March 21 – April 20

A restaurant type that offers a unique variety of food and joins the food trends bandwagon with vigour. This kind of restaurant thrives in the most challenging situations with its steadfast approach.

Taurus

April 21 – May 20

A restaurant that takes its diners on a sensory journey and offers the most satiating meals which connect them with the universe. The diners enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with food that can stir the soul.

Gemini

May 21 – Jun 21

A restaurant that is the best for both- open-air fun with the gang & close indoors intimate date. The diners of this type of restaurant get the best of both worlds making it their favourite place to hang out.

Cancer

Jun 22 – July 22

A restaurant that offers an edgy vibe and serves the finest cuisine with a side of panache. This restaurant knows its diners taste and expectations and is on top of its feedback game.

Leo

July 23 – Aug 23

A restaurant that has been in the business since ages and is well known for serving the diners throughout. This type of restaurant holds the passion for serving the diners royally which gives it an edge over the others.

Virgo

Aug 24 – Sep 23

A restaurant that is worth recognition. This type of restaurant is extremely particular about the details and is committed to providing the highest standards of service to all the patrons. A Virgo restaurant is constantly evolving and improving to give its diners the best dining experience.

Libra

Sep 24 – Oc 23

A kind of restaurant that sets the right balance between the restaurant ambience and the quality of food served. This is also a type of restaurant that may surprise the diners with an amalgamation of world cuisines with an Indian twist, balancing global with local.

Scorpio

Oct 24 – Nov 22

A restaurant that has a long legacy and draws its power from everything vintage & nostalgic. In a Scorpio restaurant, diners experience a hint of heritage and authenticity in their servings.

Sagittarius

Nov 23 – Dec 21

A restaurant with some exquisite dishes from across the globe. This type of restaurant is always experimenting and serving the diners with the finest. The diners are in for an adventure every time they visit a Sagittarius restaurant as they are always experimenting with their cuisines.

Capricorn

Dec 22 – Jan 21

A restaurant with the customer first approach. A Capricorn restaurant takes diner’s feedback very seriously and implements it on time. The dishes of this type of restaurant are always on-point and meet diner expectations.

Whatever your zodiac sign is, a restaurant is a place where memories are created, the soul is satiated, and food is worshipped. Ultimately, your stars need to be aligned with the diners.

Click here to read the types of restaurants in India.

Restaurant Remodeling Tips for a Boost in Sales

Posted on 22/10/202022/10/2020 by inresto

Renovating a restaurant is a costly affair and requires a great deal of thought. Most restaurants go on for decades without giving their establishment’s decor and functioning a second thought, not realizing the impact it can have on their business.

If you are looking for ideas to boost your sales, start with renovating your restaurant. Diners can go to any restaurant they fancy. They prefer eating at a restaurant that offers an unforgettable dining experience with an unparalleled ambiance.

If you want to up your restaurant’s charm, here are a few tips to help you with your restaurant renovation.

How to go about Restaurant Remodeling

How your restaurant looks can very well determine how it will run. The first impression your establishment can also extend to the kind of food they would expect as well as the service. So, here’s a guide to start working on your restaurant’s renovation:

1. Start With A Plan

Before you start any renovation, draw a plan of action. Start with the things that are indispensable for your restaurant revamp. Then, find the things that are negotiable for the remodeling. Step out for a market survey, consider your target audience, analyze your competitors, and draft a plan to enhance your brand image.

2. Know Your Budget

Once your plan is ready, move to the finances. Fix a budget that matches your remodelling plan. As the actual expense always oversteps the planned budget, keep a buffer amount ready. Start with the changes you outlined as indispensable before moving to the others. This way, even if you overstep the budget, the critical areas would be covered.

3. Set Up A Goal

A restaurant renovation can have several impacts, some of which you could do without. Setting a goal, therefore, is crucial. Identify your reason for renovating the restaurant, ask yourself if the reason is a valid one, and if it is, plan the remodeling keeping the reason in focus.

4. Take Feedback From The Diners

The entire restaurant remodeling idea is to bring more diners. Talk to them, take their opinion, and know their choices. Getting their preference would help you in planning the renovation in a better way. You’ll know which wall colour would be appreciated by your diners and what kind of upholstery they would like. You could even make changes in the layout to match their likings.

5. Highlight the Key Areas

In the remodeling plan, you would have included a feature wall, new upholstery, changing the landscape, and deep cleaning. Among all these changes, make sure to undertake the renovations that are essential for the restaurant functioning. For instance, if there is a pipe leakage, cramped seating arrangement, limited parking space, or a faulty smoke outlet, note it down. These issues must be attended on priority and not overshadowed by the aesthetics.

6. Identify The Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is essential to plan a remodel based on their preferences. If your restaurant caters to families’ eatery options, go for a casual, warm interior. If your restaurant audience comprises young students and professionals, opt for a savvy contemporary look. Studying the surrounding area would give you additional input regarding the target audience.

7. Keep Track Of The Trends

Trends keep changing every single day. For a restaurant that hasn’t been renovated for quite some time, revamping is a necessity. Check out the latest trends in restaurant decor and themes. Make a list and analyze what sits well with your location, audience, and competition. Add the necessary technology and implement trends that are suited to your restaurant theme and target audience.

8. Hire the Best Person for the Job

Once the groundwork is done, hire the best person for the renovation. You would need to consider factors such as lighting, air conditioning, wiring, ventilation system, wall painting, furniture, parking, etc. Check for reviews and visit the places of previous work. You could even take references to pick the best professional to do your restaurant renovation.

9. Share your New Look

Renovations are all part of your goal to increase sales. Once your restaurant is ready with its new look, don’t miss sharing the look with your audience. You could use your social media handles to share the look and see the rise in sales. Highlight the decor that is sure to catch the eye of patrons and focus on these aspects to get them intrigued.

Key Considerations to Remodel your Restaurant

While we have given you a list of things to focus on to start with the restaurant renovations, here are some key considerations you must keep in mind:

Decide on the right time to renovate. It is best to consider renovations when your restaurant is at the peak of popularity.
Make additions that are sure to bring the right returns. Avoid investing in a plan that is trendy but offers no benefit to you or the patrons favouring your establishment.
Allow yourself to focus on areas that are more in demand or are more used by the customers. If your dining area serves more customers than the in-house bar, attend to the dining area remodeling first.
Check the efficiency of every segment within the restaurant and note down possible areas of progress that can be helped through the renovations.
Use the renovation as an opportunity to win more customers through improved technology, aesthetics, and service.
Reset the prices on your menu to fit with the renewed look, if the location and your audience permit.
Choose decor that is classy and can charm patrons through the years that come.

All of these steps and considerations can help you move in the right direction when it comes to revamping your restaurant. Make sure the renovations are impactful, in line with the end-goal, and helpful in boosting your business significantly.

Check out 5 unique ideas for restaurant menu cards here.

Types of Restaurants in India

Posted on 21/10/2020 by inresto

Across the globe, we often see that different opinions may clash and create a bittersweet air for people. However, through the ages, the one thing that has united people successfully, even for a short while, has been food! It’s quite similar in India too! With a rich heritage and culture, the food market in India is unimaginably vast.

If you wish to enter this market, it might be a little challenging, unless you are sure of exactly the type of restaurant to launch and the kind of food you want to serve. Let’s look at a few successful restaurant categories. You can either choose from the following or get creative and start a new category altogether!

1. Fine Dining

In a Fine Dining restaurant, the ambience is soothing, calm and serene. The focus is on high-end hospitality and to provide the finest service, enabling diner retention. The curated menus have a large array of cuisines to offer and along with that, comes the alcoholic beverages’ menu to accompany finely crafted meals.

2. Pubs, Bars & Cafes

Pubs, bars, and cafes are usually associated with youth and outgoing people who like to meet new and like-minded people. Dominantly associated with western culture, these types of restaurants in India work well with the young generation, looking to spend leisure time in one place. These formats of the restaurant have a beautiful ambience, live music and an extensive menu for food, cocktails, mocktails and other beverages. Such restaurants offer liveliness to match the enthusiasm of youth!

3. Quick Service Restaurants

Format of Quick Service Restaurants is pretty simple and easy to manage. As the name suggests, they serve fast food, and they mainly focus on high-quality food in the fastest time. Contrary to popular belief, these restaurants perform well, because they serve people from every demographic- families, working professionals, kids, elderly, etc. QSRs are a viable option if you’re looking to make long-term, loyal diners.

4. Casual Dining Restaurants

With the foodie culture on the rise, in addition to a fast-paced lifestyle, casual dining restaurants are picking up popularity. You can use this format of restaurants to invite younger generation crowd such as college students, interns, and newly employed men and women. Casual Dining restaurants offer quality-centric services at reasonable pricing and hence, their target audience is most likely to visit on a regular basis.

5. Dhabas

Dhabas is a type of restaurant-specific to Indian rural culture. These are formats picked up from the countryside of India, where people cook food with not so sophisticated equipment, having the real taste of India. There are a lot of restaurants which specifically represent certain cultures of India, for example, The Village, represents the Rajasthani culture, where you experience a little of the state without actually going to that state! Eating at a Dhaba is an experience in itself!

Each restaurant has its own individual persona, making the experience unique on its own. With a vast demographic to cater to, India is one of the few countries offering the largest variety of cuisines with its own distinctive format, making it on top of every foodie’s bucket list!

Special Ingredients to Run A QSR Successfully

Posted on 21/10/202031/05/2021 by inresto

With hustle-centric lifestyles and no time to sit around waiting for food to arrive, quick service restaurants have picked up business-pace in India as well as the globe. For instance, McDonald’s was the first to enter India in 1996 and disrupted the segment with its Happy Meals. The market is projected to reach ~INR 25,000 Crore by 2021 and grow at 20% CAGR according to leading market research reports.

Their biggest competitors are the street food vendors. Yes, as much as we like to binge on our burgers, pizzas and donuts, we Indians also crave for that special chaat from Khau Galli in Mumbai, the dosas from Anna’s stall, the Chinese and momos from Connaught Place in Delhi and this list is endless.

What makes these roadside eateries so successful?

1. The food served is hands down mouth-watering.

2. Price- Every dish is very economical and great value for money.

3. Convenience- Every street has one stall that serves either chaat or sandwich or momos, which is a perfect snack for mid-day hunger pangs.

Many QSRs have made their place in this segment and have managed to survive the competition, not only from their peers but also from these street food vendors.

What has helped them sustain themselves?

1. Target Audience

They have carefully chosen their target audience and curated a menu to cater to them. For instance, KFC has focused on its non-vegetarian audience since its competitor didn’t bring enough variety for this segment of the population; and we all know how popular KFC chicken wings have become.

2. Focus

Each of these quick service restaurants have a focused menu. Dominos focuses on Pizzas, McDonalds focuses on Burgers and Fries, while Mad Over Donuts has focused on donuts and coffee. Choose your domain and go all out on it.

3. Innovation

One needs to constantly innovate to stay in the game and sustain their business. The most important thing to innovate here is the menu. Using inresto DineIn, you can curate the menu while adhering to Covid-19 norms as it allows you to not only provide digital menus but it also helps you save miscellaneous expenses such as cost for printing new disposable menus.

4. Sales Channel

Popular sales channel options are dine-in and home delivery/online delivery. One needs to decide the objective and feasibility. If the overhead costs are too high, running cloud kitchens is the way to go and with online food delivery gaining momentum, it’s the icing on the cake! Opting for inresto order will allow you to not only develop your very own order receiving and management platform but also enable various other features such as campaign management and menu management.

5. Consistency

It is necessary to maintain consistency in terms of taste, diner service, and portion sizes across all branches if you want your franchise to gain long-term brand loyalty from its diners.

6. Online Marketing

In an increasingly digitized world, we cannot undermine the significance of online marketing for running the QSR successfully. Social media has evolved as one of the most inexpensive forms of online marketing channels. A strong online presence of your brand will bole well for your sales. Instagram is the best platform for promoting a quick service restaurant., especially if you are catering to a niche.

Online marketing comprises both social media marketing and website optimization.

7. Create Your Own Website Using inresto Online Order

The first step is to develop an attractive website for your QSR. You should then optimize it for the right keywords, preferably long-tail keywords. On-page SEO tactics will help your brand’s website to rank organically on Google. If budget permits, you can opt for paid Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as well. Uploading blog posts regularly and submitting guest articles for authority websites in your niche will garner significant revenue for your quick service restaurant.

A great option is to outsource the website development and SEO blogging services.

8. Mobile App Marketing and Loyalty Rewards Using inresto Loyalty

Online orders cover more ground when it comes to reaching more customers. Launching your mobile app will help you capitalize on those untapped customers who can’t necessarily opt for dine-in experience every single day. A successful QSR advertising campaign should be combined with mobile app marketing. The mobile app can have a loyalty program built into it. For best results, integrate the customer resource management (CRM) with the point-of-sale (POS) system of your quick-service restaurant.

You can opt for inresto’s loyalty management tool for tracking reward points, effective consumer interaction, and easy redemption. The product offers a spend based loyalty program and visit based loyalty program. You can choose what works best for your QSR. Having complete control over the nature and amount of rewards you want to offer is a cherry on the cake!

9. Superior In-Store Experience to Revamp Sales

Having a remarkable in-store experience of your QSR is essential for enhancing brand affinity and awareness. A superior on-site experience increases the chances of customer retention. Such a great in-store experience is also imperative for word-of-mouth marketing. Such a strategy is what made McDonald’s a highly successful brand.

Moreover, customers are more inclined to make impulsive, last-minute purchases owing to a pleasurable in-store experience. As a quick service restaurant owner, you always want positive customer reviews. Offering them memorable experiences will increase the probability of them leaving five-star ratings for your brand!

10. Offline Marketing Strategies

Offline marketing strategies will always be relevant since local customers are the primary target of any quick-service restaurant. You should conduct organizational events from time to time apart from creating festival themes. As part of offline marketing strategies, you can also put up hoardings across the city. Newspaper advertisement and pamphlets distribution are also great ideas. As a brand owner, active involvement in various food festivals is also necessary.

Above all, never forget the basics of doing business- knowing your market and appropriate strategy. All these ingredients make the special sauce to running a successful quick-service restaurant, in any business environment using an inresto Campaign.

5 Restaurant Promotion Ideas to Bring In More Diners

Posted on 19/10/202020/10/2020 by inresto

Your restaurant was doing great but lately, there has been a dip in the sales. Diners are no longer stepping into your restaurant, and takeaways have dropped. You have tried all possible ideas to bring the restaurant back to its original glory. But sales are not growing.

Does this situation sound familiar? Have you been wondering how to promote your restaurant? Are you looking for ideas to push your business and bring maximum diners? If that’s the case, you are on the right page.

Here, we talk about 5 popular restaurant promotion ideas to give a push to your restaurant business.

1. Passing References & Offering Discounts

We all love to receive a freebie. And when the freebie is in the form of a restaurant referral discount, we jump at the offer. As a diner, we use the referral code to savour the meal while the restaurant gets new diners. We use the referral offer to take away orders with an extra item for every reference or get an off on the total bill amount.

Offering discounts to the existing diners is yet another idea you could try. The perpetual favorite of all diners is the discount offers. You can use discount coupons in various ways. While a percentage discount could offer 10%, or 20% discount on the food bill, a time discount could be for a specific number of hours from 4-6 pm or 11 am to 4 pm. Considering the wide reach of social media, you must leverage the platform to advertise the discounts and lure maximum diners.

In both cases, your restaurant gets new diners.

2. Use inresto Loyalty to Introduce Different Programs

Past restaurant trends are an indication of the success of loyalty programs. Once you enrol your diners in the loyalty program, they form a relationship with the restaurant. For every visit to your restaurant, they earn some loyalty points. The logic behind the loyalty points or reward points is simple. The diners try to accumulate maximum reward points by visiting your restaurant frequently and redeem them later to earn some gift or discount, while you get to build a loyal list of diners.

You can also introduce guest chefs to those part of the loyalty program to make them feel special. Guest chefs, if well-known, can catch the attention of patrons. Further, those who know and admire the chef are sure to turn up and taste the delicacies cooked by the chef. Choose holidays or the weekends to have a guest chef over. Inviting one every month will be sure to increase your customer base even more.

3. Celebrations or Theme Based Events

Chef special or theme-based celebrations are quite popular among diners. You can highlight the chef’s speciality, celebrate a festival by offering popular dishes, or run exclusive offers on your restaurant anniversary. As a restaurant promotion idea, these events are successful in attracting a large number of diners, and you benefit from a huge boost in the footfall. Diners throng these events for the tantalizing cuisine available on-demand giving a much-needed push to sales.

Holidays are also what gets people out of their homes to dine out with friends and family. Harp on these by celebrating these major festivals that the crowd around you looks forward to. A little festive decor and switching up the menu a bit to add a fancy dinner deal will attract customers in droves.

You can also host dress-up Wednesdays or have people dress up on holidays such as Holloween for a little freebie or a huge discount if you own a small establishment! Certainly a restaurant promotion idea you should consider.

4. Happy Hours and Community Events

Happy hour is a term we have seen too often across restaurants. Restaurants use certain hours of the day to offer special discounts to their diners. This offer could buy one get one free, complimentary dish on the purchase of a specific item, a percentage discount on the bill amount, etc.

Data collected in the past has revealed restaurants to receive a 50% hike in their sales during the happy hours. The simple logic of playing with people’s psychology helps them get more business.

Further, you can merge happy hours by hosting community events where the attendees can indulge and dine at leisure. Local communities are almost always scouting for a place to host their events.

If you know of one that is, perhaps, looking to host a poetry session every week, interested in carrying out an open mic session or wishes to host a charity event to help out an organisation, you can play host by inviting them over. Customers are always up for unusual events such as these. Add in a discount for these community events and you have loyal customers for life.

5. Establish a Social Media Presence

Every restaurant today needs a strong online presence. Customers are likely to check out a restaurant’s reviews and social media pages than word of mouth promotions.

Upload pictures of your restaurant’s decor and the drool-worthy food served at the establishment on your social media to garner the right attention. Help people know the kind of ambience they can expect to get them intrigued.

While these may seem like simple ideas, the answer to how to promote your restaurant is truly simple. And it is often the simplest ones that work like a charm. Taking these initiatives are sure to double the footfall at your restaurant, without costing you a fortune. In fact, the right restaurant promotion ideas can help you see a difference from the very beginning.

So, give these ideas a try and come up with your own promotion ideas! After all, there is always room for more.

For more tips & tricks to make your cafe stand out Click Here

Five Unique Ideas for Restaurant Menu Cards

Posted on 15/10/202015/10/2020 by inresto

The first impression is usually the most important, and if you run a restaurant or café, it is absolutely so! When a new diner walks into your establishment the primary aspect that will formulate their first impression is not the food itself or the décor, but rather, the menu card.

When a new diner picks up the menu card at a restaurant they are not simply going through the list of dishes. They are looking at the entire presentation of it if any specials are available, and other such additional aspects. The menu card builds an idea of the food in one’s psyche, and it is your job as the restaurateur to ensure this idea is built to perfection.

This is why restaurants often take to unique ideas while designing their menu. If you are having a hard time figuring out how to revamp your menu card or create a unique one, here are 5 amazing ideas for creating restaurant menu cards that you can try.

This can be easily achieved using the inresto DineIn. With its digital menu option, you not only enable every customer to safely access your menu but also allows you to change the menu design without incurring a huge cost.

1. A Separate Specials Section

Usually, it is the first page of the menu card that holds the ‘special’ dishes served by your establishment. While this does the job perfectly, a better idea is to have this section separately printed for everyone to look at even before they open the menu. This increases the attraction towards the specials section, and also creates a unique impression of your restaurant. After all, the special dishes served by your restaurant creates its unique identity, so it is common that you would like more diners to order out of the specials menu.

How and where you present the specials menu is also important. You can have it on multiple walls, on the table, and even on a standee outside. If the number of items in your specials menu are less, then you can opt for the wall or the standee as your medium; but if you are serving various special dishes then use a separate table menu. Many restaurants also use a chalkboard to depict their special menu as it is easy to update. You can also opt to present any interesting offers as part of your special menu as well.

2. Culture-centric

If your establishment serves exclusive cuisines such as Chinese or Indian, you can have the whole menu themed to match the cultural aspects of these cuisines. On the other hand, a multi-cuisine restaurant can divide their menu into parts, and design each section based on its corresponding cultural themes. If a diner has walked into a restaurant that serves a particular type of cuisine, it is best to allow them to understand and visualize what their food will look and taste like. This is best done through presenting the theme of the cuisine in the menu card.

This boosts the cultural aspect of the establishment as well and allows the diner to feel more welcome towards ordering out of their comfort zone. You can also include small excerpts that describe said culture, as it can be a fun read while waiting for the food.

3. A Picturesque Menu

A restaurant menu card does not have to be a few black and white pages with food items and corresponding prices on it. The menu is something that diners look at for a lengthy period of time, thus it should be as engaging as possible.

An easy way to achieve this is by including graphics in your menu that suit the nature of your establishment and cuisine. But always make sure that the menu does not look cluttered. Hire a professional graphics designer to get this job done and you should have a perfect menu card in no time.

4. Pick A Theme

A theme-based menu, although seen quite often, can be a great idea if you make it unique. The current world has shown us that a restaurant can be themed around anything, from the animal kingdom to Harry Potter. So, design your menu to match the theme of your restaurant, or pick a separate theme for your menu only.

Keep in mind that the theme should connect with your primary diner base. So, if you are a diner then you probably should not pick a Disney or Harry Potter theme. A sunset boulevard theme might do wonders for a diner. Make sure that your theme is as original as possible.

5. The Old School

Sometimes a diner visits a restaurant because they associate with the feel of the place, and an overdone menu can throw them off. If you are a regular restaurant you can always stick to the old school style of creating a menu card. An old school menu with properly arranged sections in multiple pages is a welcoming notion to a diner. And they will also be able to find exactly what they are looking for with ease.

But this does not mean it has to be boring, from the font to the arrangement and description of the dishes, every aspect can be made engaging while keeping the old school feel intact.

Use Your Menu to Create an Identity

If your restaurant serves a unique identity before it serves the food then the diner is highly likely to remember your establishment. And if the food is great, you already have a returning diner! People revisit restaurants not simply because they had liked the food, but also because they remember a certain aspect of it clearly.

Use these 5 menu ideas to create something unique for your restaurant menu card, and engage the diner to create the best first impression possible. This will not only boost your business, but also create a unique business persona that serves as a competitive edge. You can also choose to mix these ideas and create something completely new that fits the vibe of your restaurant.

The key factor here is to make the process welcoming to your diner. If a menu is overdone it can easily throw someone off, so keep that in mind!