Fine Dining Restaurants are deeply wounded during this time of crisis. As the whole Restaurant industry tries to pivot its way within this recession, Fine Dining Restaurants find it hard for them as their selling point is the stimulating experience and ambiance of their place. And it is way too impossible, with all the safety protocols and physical distancing, to deliver and continue this type of service.
But Restaurateurs are the type of people who innovate their way to success. Here are some tips and strategies that every restaurant owner, not just fine dining restaurants, can use to be able to adapt to thrive this trying time. This article will show you that this is not the time to give up, rather this is the time to grow vigorously and see the opportunity this crisis has given the Restaurant Industry.
5 Strategies for Fine Dining Restaurants To Adopt :
- Establish a great culture with your team.
This strategy should not just be practiced by Fine Dining Restaurants but every establishment that wishes to operate during this time. Having a great team that aligns with your working principle and vision would be a huge stepping stone for your success. Not just within the crisis but it will also help you even with your regular operation.
A great culture is not created overnight, it takes good leadership and good communication to produce a team that will put their trust in you. (At the same time you can trust as well). That’s why it is important to build a culture right from the start. Connect with your team and ask them how working with your fine dining restaurant can help them to be better professionally and personally. The team should feel empowered and that they have a part in every organizational decision making.
If they know how they are helping your fine dining restaurant, they have the capability to bring out motivation that will affect the management. This will give you the opportunity, as a restaurateur, to let your team work and feel safe in the middle of a crisis.
Tip : Be a leader not a boss.
- Delivery is your new partner.
As mentioned, the new way of the whole Restaurant Industry is a contrast to what Fine Dining Restaurants are opting to deliver. The customer experience that they would like to offer can not be done during a crisis where there’s a required less to zero human interaction.
It may be a huge puzzle for the restaurateurs on how they will make delivery an option if they want to stick with their brand, but this is now the time to innovate on how you can provide a unique customer experience through delivery.
Remember that the rules of the game are changing, and adjusting your way to success is what seems reasonable to do if you want to stay in business. Make a new winning formula for your fine dining restaurant while playing with the new rules.
Tip : Drive-thru option is also a good idea, just make sure you comply with all the safety guidelines and test if your market will be willing to go out for your food.
- Reconstruct your menu for delivery.
Redesigning your menu is a must especially if you opt to deliver your service to your customer. Fine dining food is not compatible with delivery that’s why it is crucial for you to decide and see what food from your menu is good for delivery.
Don’t compromise the quality of your food and service just because you insist on using the same menu and serving the same type of food to your customers. You have to find ways on how you can deliver them the customer experience your fine dining restaurant brand has within these circumstances.
Offer and match what your customers really want. Construct a menu that meets the current needs of your core demographic. Ensure that it is easy to prepare, within the average budget, and will provide comfort to your customers. These are the top needs of the market for a restaurant.
You should also consider the margins that are favorable for delivery to make this new operation works for you and your fine dining restaurant.
- Utilize Technology.
The help of Technology has been there quite some time. Restaurant Industry, including Fine Dining Restaurants, has been using some technology in order to assist and improve their management and operations. And with this ongoing crisis, it is no question that you take advantage of this help and make it work for you and your restaurant business.
As your whole Fine Dining Restaurant and team is making a huge turn to adapt to the new normal, it is expected to see some chaos inside your establishment. That’s why you need all the help you can get.
Conduct a research and test the technology that could give a lending hand for your new operation to be more manageable and organized. There is technology that’s available for you to easily track and monitor everything, for you to provide forecasts for better staffing, inventory, and other factors that run your restaurant business.
Look into this situation as a chance to integrate these technologies with your operations as there’s no certainty that the Restaurant Industry will go back to normal. There’ll be changes with the spending habits of the customers and there’s a great chance that the market will lean more with online services as they already tested its process.
- Keep it simple and basic.
Adapting different strategies doesn’t mean you have to provide complicated schemes in order to stay ahead of the competition. As a Fine Dining Restaurant, it is normal for you to provide elegance, class, and grandness in every gesture, but you have to understand that this is not the time where customers will crave for such.
Customers will be looking for simple things and find comfort from it. Make sure to deliver a direct message to your customers through your new menu and new operation. Understand what customers want and deliver it exactly the way they want it. Let your service and food be a source of a little happiness and solace for your customers.
Express gratitude as you go along the process, if you’re given a chance or allowed to practice these strategies, it means that you’re still able to continue operating your restaurant business. Show your customers and your staff that you give value to their support.
This crisis has given the whole Restaurant Industry a challenge that seems impossible to take, but it is also in the nature of every restaurateur to face hardships and work on what they are given. These strategies could be your guide on how to take advantage of the crisis and navigate through this tough time.
Stop aiming to deliver the experience your Fine Dining Restaurant is providing before, this is now the time to look for ways to improve this experience and take it to a whole new level. Understand your fundamentals and use this as a foundation of your restaurant business to keep operating.
