A key factor in the struggle for existence can be brought out from Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest. Just like every other industry out there, the restaurant industry can breed cut-throat competition, proving ruthless to the passive and timid players.
Restaurants not only have to keep up with the luxury of fine-dining but have to keep up with the comfort of providing the same taste at home as a home delivery requirement. Hence, restaurateurs need to continuously keep on rebranding themselves to keep up with the changing times and customer preferences.
Rebranding a restaurant is one of the best ways to give your restaurant a new look (keeping the brand identity intact) and bring back the excitement to keep your baby lively forever!
Here are a few tips to keep you upbeat:
1. Take feedback seriously
It is crucial to let your customers know that they are being heard in real-time & then act upon their grievances immediately. It is essential to take feedback in a manner that reassures your customers & builds trust among them. This can only be achieved by acting upon their suggestions or complaints at the earliest.
This is made possible by inresto’s feedback app which notifies the restaurant manager instantly when a feedback is given. The restaurant manager can then give personalized treatment to his/her customers.
2. Check on competitors
It’s crucial to analyze how your restaurant branding stacks up in comparison to your competitors. Here’s what you should focus on:
- Recognize the areas where your restaurant performs best, whether it’s food, cocktails, service, specialties, ambiance, or any other element. While growth is all about improving, you need to acknowledge where your business excels. If your bartenders are top-notch, you may want to focus on that in your marketing and branding. If customers love certain aspects of your decor, consider incorporating it in the new design.
- Identifying where your restaurant is weakest will help you focus on where you can make the most significant improvements. For example, if you know your servers struggle with table layouts or the current seating system is hurting service, you can create a better floor plan. Your staff and customers should benefit from the changes.
- A rebrand is a perfect time to take advantage of open opportunities. Look for ways you can expand physically or through delivery services, change the menus, or do something out of the box that makes people talk. Additionally, you can look at how your competition has been modernizing, then get ahead by adding your spin to it.
- You want to be aware of what your competition is doing in order to be aware of the trends and market conditions. The restaurants in your area are vying for the same customers you are — especially if they have a similar theme or menu. Also, pay attention to the rising prices of regional foods. If a particular ingredient is getting too pricey, you may want to consider replacing it in your new menu.
These little details will help you achieve your goals. You’ll have a better restaurant individually as well as in comparison to others.
3. Involve your staff
Staff feedback and recommendation is equally relevant in running a restaurant. Staff have the most interaction with the customers hence their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns matter significantly. They are the frontliners – from serving to taking feedback and suggestions, it’s important that they are comfortable with the changes as well.
Hence, ideas of the bartenders – in terms of of styling the bar area and the chefs – for styling new dishes are the most important to be taken into consideration while rebranding a restaurant.
4. Revising the menu
It’s okay to change the décor but the menu of the restaurant changes the entire taste and vibe of the place!
The biggest attraction for customers is the food and drinks a restaurant serves. While the new look may be great at attracting more customers, the food and drinks is what is going to finally have them coming back.
The limited the number of dishes the classier the restaurant looks. This is because you establish a signature and speciality in a limited number of options and your audience craves to come back for more.
Hence, think simple but effective!
5. Focus on marketing and branding
Advertising is the only way to reach out after a rebranding!
- Make a plan: When planning your rebranding as a whole, include a marketing strategy. Think about the types of advertisements you want to use, how you are going to design them, and how much you want to reveal. Sometimes, leaving a little mystery is a great attention-grabber.
- Use social media: Whether your restaurant already has an established social media presence or is just beginning, a rebrand is a perfect time to use it to your benefit. You can engage with customers, get them excited for the reveal before your launch, and get feedback after. It’s also a great way to get in some free advertising by releasing dates and times, posting pictures or videos of menu items, and creating a teaser for the reopening party.
When you’re considering digital marketing solutions, some of the top options include Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business. Creating an active Facebook page will give you access to a large consumer base and allow you to interact with and reward customers. Instagram is the best site to take advantage of the food photography trend to boost your visibility and show guests what they can expect from your chefs and bartenders. inresto’s marketing solutions can help simplify the execution of virtually everything we have just mentioned, along with a multitude of other marketing solutions!
Finally, you can confidently implement these rebranding strategies to create a social media buzz and up the impact of your marketing efforts. Rebranding can also enable to better implement your business plans and improve your ROI in both, short and the long run.
