Category: Restaurant Management

It’s not unusual for a restaurant franchisee to start small. While investing in a franchise can be a smart move, it isn’t risk-free, and it generally requires a hefty investment of time and capital. Jumping straight into multi-unit franchise ownership doesn’t make sense for everyone, especially if you’re new to the restaurant franchising game.

Multi-unit franchising can be a fast-track to growth and success, but it comes with a few “ifs” — if you’ve got the operating experience; if you’re working with an established, proven brand; if you’ve got the resources to do it right. And keep in mind: Transitioning from one unit to two (or three, or 10) typically requires big changes to your management team and staff, your operations and processes, and your role as the franchise owner.

If you’re thinking about amplifying your success through multi-unit franchising, here’s everything you need to know.

What is a multi-unit franchise?

A multi-unit franchise model allows franchisees to operate more than one restaurant unit in a given territory.

A franchisee may own the right to operate multiple units of the same brand or operate restaurants for several different franchisors. Guillermo Perales, CEO of Dallas-based Sun Holdings, operates more than 1,000 stores, including 293 Burger Kings, 150 Popeyes, 94 Arby’s, and 18 Krispy Kremes.

Multi-unit doesn’t necessarily mean thousands of restaurants like Perales. Today, 54% of franchises are multi-unit operations, compared to single-unit owners (46%). Breaking that down further, 30% own between two restaurants and 30. Only 5.3% of owners make it past the 100-unit mark.

As long as a franchisee is running more than one store, they qualify as a multi-unit franchisee.

How does a multi-unit franchise work?

Multi-unit franchises scale up operations from one restaurant to two (or many). Typically, this means a multi-unit franchise owner steps into a business development or strategic role rather than a hands-on manager of each restaurant unit.

This also means the multi-unit franchise owner is responsible for developing and running each unit themselves. While they may visit each location to meet with staff or check on operations, more likely they hire an experienced management team to run each location or several locations at a time.

What are the benefits of being a multi-unit franchisee?

Multi-unit franchises exploded in popularity in recent years for restaurant owners — from 2010 to 2018, businesses saw a 23% increase in entry-level multi-unit operators. It’s no surprise why, once you consider the benefits:

• More income. More locations mean access to more revenue streams, especially when expanding into multiple brands.
• Lower operating costs. The more locations you open, the more you can leverage economies of scale, sharing back-end staff like accounting, marketing, and operations across multiple locations and decreasing your overhead.
• Diversified income. Separate locations in a given territory allows you to diversify your income streams and spread risk across multiple investments. If there’s construction in front of one location that decreases traffic, for example, your other units can pick up the slack.
• Relationship-building: Without franchisees, major restaurant chains wouldn’t function. The more locations you open, the stronger relationship you build with a brand — so everyone wins the more profitable you are.

What is a multi-unit franchise agreement?

Franchisees expand in two different ways: starting with one unit and opening more franchise locations over time or signing a multi-unit franchise agreement at the outset. The multi-unit franchise agreement details the rights and obligations of each party (in this case, the franchisor and the franchisee.)

When you sign a multi-unit franchise agreement, you determine:

• How you will open additional units. Are you taking over existing locations or building new ones in your territory, and if so, where? This is part of your area development agreement, which determines guidelines for choosing new sites and franchisor approval.
• The timeline for opening additional units. Most multi-unit franchise agreements outline a prescribed schedule for opening subsequent units, often on an annual basis. How long will you be managing these units, and at which points will you open new ones?
• Your territory. Franchisors grant a specific geographic area for your business to operate in. Some grant more than one territory, if that’s what you’re looking for, but most franchisees operate in one area at a time.
  Intellectual property. This includes training, menus, branding colors, guidelines for marketing and other materials, and what rights franchisees have to make changes. In many QSR agreements, the franchisor retains all rights to recipes and menu items offered and changes are not allowed.
• Profit, fees, and insurance: The revenue-sharing model you agree to, what fees the franchisee must pay each year to the franchisor for the right to operate, pricing for menu items, and of course, insurance and other costs of operating a business in partnership together.

Franchisors legally have to give you 14 days to review any multi-unit franchise agreement, so read through it carefully with your legal team before making a commitment.

Types of multi-unit franchise agreements

There are two kinds of multi-unit franchise agreements:

• Area development agreements: The more common of the two, this gives franchisees the right to open a certain number of franchise units in your territory over time
• Area representative agreements: This creates a sub-franchisor relationship, which allows the franchisee to open and operate locations but also sell those franchises to others within that territory.

With multi-unit franchises, it’s less about the day-to-day restaurant operations and more about your overall business strategy. As you consider how you plan to expand your restaurant business, think about how many units you want to acquire, which brands you want to partner with, and what types of agreements make the most sense for you.

Opening a multi-unit franchise?

Whether you have one unit or 50, restaurant franchisees can use instant tip payment technology to minimize the risk, hassle, and hidden costs of paying out cash tips. If you’re not already using Kickfin, get in touch with us today for a free demo!

Meet Ken and Shane of Fabio Viviani Hospitality.

You’ve probably heard of Fabio Viviani — Top Chef winner, New York Times bestseller, restaurateur extraordinaire (oh, and Kickfin customer!). Since 2005, Fabio has launched dozens restaurants across the country through Fabio Viviani Hospitality.

FVH owes a good deal of its success to Ken McGarrie and Shane Farzad. Ken, who founded the consulting firm Korgen Hospitality, has launched dozens of restaurants — both alongside Fabio and on his own — and Shane serves as Head of Operations for FVH.

When it comes to restaurant management, Ken and Shane are about as knowledgeable as you can get. They’re experts on how to be a great manager, and how to manage a manager. (Ken actually wrote a whole book on it.) Whether you employ managers, or you’re a manager yourself — read on for actionable tips and insights you can put into practice right now.

OK, we all know recruiting is a complete nightmare these days — but hiring the wrong manager can be worse than having no manager at all. What are some of the mistakes that employers make when bringing on new managers or GMs?

Ken: One of the things that often gets overlooked is that managing a new venue is much different than stepping into a manager role at an existing venue. For a restaurant that’s about to launch, or that’s recently launched, you can expect the first six months to be complete chaos. You have to be willing to handle whatever gets thrown at you and to get creative.

Some people do really well in that environment. But if you’re the type of person who wants to have mis in place — you need all of the kinks worked out, operations down to a science — you’re probably not going to make a great opening staff member.

Shane: There’s also this temptation to pull your star server and turn them into a manager. But those are two entirely different roles.

Which isn’t to say a server can’t be an amazing manager. A lot of managers started out as servers (or hosts, bussers, etc.) and they do a great job. But it takes a different skill set, so your experience as a server isn’t always going to translate.

So part of it’s finding the right fit — but isn’t training just as important?

Shane: For sure. One restaurant group I was with gave me a solid four weeks of training. I spent a week in the corporate office, a week in the flagship restaurant…they even put me in the kitchen for a week. The meals that guests were ordering — I had cooked those myself. I understood everything that went into every process.

Of course, that kind of program is hard to execute, and it’s expensive. It’s just not feasible for every restaurant. What’s important to keep in mind is that in order to be effective, training doesn’t have to be intense. It just has to be focused.

How should the approach to training managers differ from training hourly workers? Is there some overlap?

Ken: Restaurants do a much better job of hiring and training hourly staff than management, by far. At the hourly level, it’s a lot more straightforward. With managers, it’s like: Hey, surprise! You find yourself counting drawers, running reports, tipping out. No one taught you how to manage and coach staff. A month ago you were a bartender — now you have all these brand-new manager responsibilities.

Shane: You can’t just assume that managers know how to do it all; you’ve got to take the time to align on the key responsibilities, train them up on processes, and communicate frequently.

And in addition to regular training, you can incorporate wine training, do field trips, hold weekly education and menu tastings that keep people engaged and connected — both managers and hourly workers.

Why do you think turnover is so high for restaurant managers?

Ken: We put them to the grind. We add on more paperwork than necessary. We ask for things constantly that take them off the floor. They’re running reports at 2 a.m. It’s psychological warfare — and especially with the lack of staff, they’re having to fill in gaps everywhere.

What happens is that managers who are stuck in this grind will find other restaurants with better systems, more automation, easier solutions. Or they’ll just completely burn our and move away from the industry altogether.

Shane: We’ve seen much more of a revolving door of the management team especially during Covid. They had all this downtime, and now they’re coming back to this job that just wears them down. They really feel it now. So they’re questioning their whole career after they had this luxury of time and flexibility.

Ken: It’s a bummer because these people move into management actually looking for longevity. If we, as owners and operators, aren’t giving them a vision for how they can better themselves and move up, then they’re just going to leave.

And at the same time, managers also need to be advocating for themselves.

Talk a little bit more about that. What’s your best piece of advice for managers who want to succeed but are feeling the burn out?

Ken: Figure out why you did it. You probably moved into a job where you’re making half as much money for twice as many hours — so be honest with yourself. What do you want out of it? Do you want to be a GM? Do you want to run your own restaurant? Do you want to move into other leadership roles?

Being a manager is essentially a bootcamp. It’s skill development, and it’s a test of your capabilities. You probably don’t want to be there forever — the idea is that you will ultimately move on to something else. What is that for you?

How can managers “move up” quickly, if that’s their end game?

Ken: If you’re waiting for someone to recognize your talent and move you up, it’s never going to happen. Your boss doesn’t have the bandwidth or the time to focus on that. So a big chapter in the book I wrote is about being your own PR agent. It’s really the only way it’s going to happen.

Look for ways to develop yourself professionally. Learn new skills. Be an entirely different kind of manager, and then lobby for the role you want. Be vocal about it. Flood their inbox. Find ways to get on their radar over and over again.

That really goes for anyone on a restaurant team. Case in point: We had a busser who was so exceptional. He was the perfect busser. And to be honest, we didn’t need or want to move him because he was so great in that particular position. But he really wanted to be a server. If he hadn’t been lobbying for himself, we never would have made that change. Now he’s a great server, and he’s happy as hell.

Bottom line: Be your own advocate. It may not come naturally at first, but if you want to succeed in this industry and really turn it into a career, that’s what you’ve got to do.

Want more manager insights? Check out Ken’s book, The Surprise Restaurant Manager, for easy-to-execute strategies and real-life examples that will lead up your management game!

If you don’t know Fred LeFranc, you should.

A true restaurant industry veteran, Fred has spent his entire career in hospitality. He’s earned a reputation as a passionate advocate, a change agent, and a trusted advisor to countless executive leadership teams and CEOs across the country.

Fred co-founded Results Thru Strategy in 2006 and currently serves as managing partner. RTS works with clients to identify their competitive edge, evaluate their operations, and develop strategies that achieve consistent, meaningful growth. Recently, Fred also became CEO of Engleman’s Bakery, a wholesale bakery operation based in Atlanta.

He and his colleague Briana Brenson, Chaos Coordinator at RTS, sat down with Kickfin to discuss the current state of the supply chain — an ongoing Covid-era problem with no end in sight. Here’s their take on the situation and some tactical advice for restaurants struggling with supply chain headaches.

How did we arrive at this massive supply chain disruption?

As we all know, when Covid first hit, everything shut down. Production slowed or even ceased for some goods. (Remember the toilet paper shortage?)

But pretty soon, we started seeing this surge in demand when everything began to reopen. The supply chain simply couldn’t keep up — and it still can’t.

It’s happening across every industry. Things overseas are a mess. We’ve got gigantic ships, full of containers, just waiting offshore to be unloaded. Part of the problem is that even when there are people to work (the longshoremen are there) these two-week quarantines are sidelining a lot of the manpower.

Food and beverage has been hit hard. It’s having a huge impact on restaurants.  Even major players like Chipotle and Starbucks are saying they can’t get their product.

What are you telling RTS clients who are in the thick of this mess?

It’s a nightmare. Too much business, plus supply chain problems and a worker shortage — it’s truly a perfect storm.

Fortunately, it’s not going to last forever. And to help them make it through the storm, we’ve been repeating this mantra to restaurants: “Less is more. More with less.”

Unpack that for us. What do you mean by “less is more?”

Less is more is about adjusting the menu to items that have appeal, profit and ease of production.

Menu creep always happens. Menus get bloated because we’re afraid to take anything off. Even the slowest selling item is someone’s favorite. People complain when menus change.

But if you’re intelligent about it, less really is more. Moving toward a smaller menu is going to allow you to be more efficient.

As an example: most restaurants have four stations. During a pandemic with a supply chain problem and a worker shortage, maybe try to revamp your menu so that you can move to three or even two stations.

The mono-concepts that focus on one product are already benefiting from this. Think about it — you don’t get a chicken wing at In-N-Out. Those concepts make even more sense now. As much as you can focus on a single product or concept, that’s going to help you reduce variables on the supply chain side, and it’s going to help you make it through this tough period of time.

Even when we’re not in the midst of a pandemic, the restaurant business is one of the tougher ones. Competition is tight, and margins are too. Trends, technology and regulations are constantly changing. These days, it’s all a restaurant operator can do to keep things running smoothly and maintain status quo — much less increase restaurant sales. 

And for some restaurants, that’s just fine. But if your goal is growth: read on for 10 ways you can increase restaurant sales in 2021 and beyond.

1. Evaluate your technology

Hospitality innovation didn’t slow down in 2020; if anything, it picked up speed as everyone was forced to come up with creative solutions to keep diners and employees safe and satisfied. 

Many restaurants have tapped into tech that supports the major shift we’ve seen toward off-premise sales due to Covid. Think: online ordering, delivery, contactless payments, etc.

Assuming we return to (some semblance of) normalcy later in 2021: start thinking ahead as to how you’ll continue to leverage that new technology. Maybe you considered some of those investments interim solutions, but it’s likely that consumer expectations have changed for good. Patrons will continue to demand a more seamless and automated experience, whether they’re dining in or carrying out. 

And don’t forget about your employees — the backbone of your business. During the pandemic, prioritizing the health and financial security of your people has been imperative. That shouldn’t change, no matter what happens in 2021. Take advantage of tech that makes their experience better — e.g., team communication tools, scheduling platforms, and digital tipping software. 

2. Formalize your marketing plan (and your contingency plans, too)

Maybe you’ve never had a marketing plan before, or maybe you “waved the white flag” after getting blindsided by a pandemic and battling shutdowns throughout 2020. 

Repeat after us: the past is in the past. It’s a new year, which is a great time to put together a fresh marketing plan and budget that’s specifically designed to increase sales in your restaurant. 

While no one has a crystal ball, we’ve all got a much better idea of how Covid can impact our businesses, which makes it easier to put contingency marketing plans in place. That means if your city gets hit with another shutdown, you won’t have to hit the pause button on your efforts; instead, you’ll be prepared to change gears and pull the levers that will support your growth goals until things open back up.

Not sure where to start? Check out our post on building a marketing plan for your restaurant. As you’re mapping it out, think through how your messaging and channels might shift if circumstances change (again) due to Covid.

3. Strengthen your digital presence

Another by-product of 2020: your customers are more internet-savvy than ever before. If you don’t have a website yet, it’s time! You can set up your own (no coding skills required!) with a platform like Squarespace, or you can hire a freelancer or development team to create one for you. You’ll want to make it incredibly easy to find your menu, hours of operation, location, contact information for reservations or questions, etc.

Before you build all your functionality from scratch (like online ordering or payments), take a look at your existing technology; there may be out-of-the-box digital offerings or add-ons you can use to save time and money.

Of course, your website is just one piece of the digital puzzle. Evaluate your social media presence (particularly Facebook and Instagram) to showcase your food, location, and additional offerings, like take-out, delivery or catering. You’ll also want to use these platforms to share news and promotions. Photography is key: if you’re not great with your iPhone, find a team member who is. In fact, it’s a good idea to have a social media point-person who can lead the charge on sharing consistent, on-brand content with your digital audience.

4. Optimize your off-premise/delivery channel

If you currently offer delivery, make sure you’re making it as easy as possible for your customers to order, pay and have their food delivered to them. While third-party delivery apps are an option, fees are high, so it’s important to evaluate if this model is truly feasible for your business. Whatever direction you choose to go, make sure all of your processes — from customer service to staffing to food preparation — are as streamlined as possible to ensure a smooth, transparent experience for your patrons. (Not sure if you should use a third-party service or DIY? Download our free guide!)

5. Refine your recruiting processes 

Your people affect every aspect of your business: day-to-day operations, the customer experience, your company culture, and ultimately, your bottom line.

Even if you think things are hunky-dory with your team structure, take a look at:

• Your org chart: Do you have the right people in the right places? Where do you foresee changes happening in 2021? When will you need extra support? Are there new roles you need to add to the team? (For example: maybe college-aged employees are planning to head back to campus when schools reopen, whenever that happens. Maybe tourist season won’t be quite as touristy this year, and you’ll need fewer hands. Maybe you’re ready to up your marketing game and you want to bring on someone to lead the charge.)
• Your recruiting process: Once you have an idea of upcoming or potential needs, go ahead and optimize your recruiting processes. Identify and codify your ideal employee profile: what qualities does every person on your team need to have? What specific experience do you require for each role? It’s also important to consider how you’ll “sell” the job to candidates, especially in a tough labor market. Do you offer benefits? Is scheduling flexible? Do your employees get instant access to their earnings? Even small perks like free food are worth mentioning. (Check out our interview template for more tips!)

6. Reduce your turnover 

Once you’ve got the right people in place, how do you encourage them to stick around? Recruiting and training new candidates take time and ultimately cost you money, so it’s worth investing in the employee experience. 

Ultimately, that means making them feel cared for and respected, especially during a pretty intense time for hospitality workers. What can you do to keep them healthy and financially secure during a pandemic and the aftermath? Here are a few ideas:

• Most importantly: keep the lines of communication open, so employees feel comfortable sharing any issues before they become major problems.
• Be as flexible as possible when health or family/childcare needs arise.
• Prioritize employee safety by enforcing sanitation procedures, social distancing regulations, etc. (that goes for customers, too!).
• Give them financial security by providing instant access to tips and earnings.
• If you’re in a position to do so, consider offering some level of benefits to your people
• Help them stay in the know when it comes to government support for workers. 

7. Improve employee training

Excellent, ongoing employee training is an often-overlooked way to increase restaurant sales. Aside from keeping operations running smoothly and efficiently, having properly trained employees improves the customer experience and ensures your people are confident in their roles (which contributes to employee satisfaction and retention).

Set up a training program for each new employee type, and try to make it templated so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. Consider investing a bit of your time to develop an employee handbook that covers things like:

• General expectations and company values
• Dress code
• Technologies in place
• Daily operations and workflows
• Cleaning checklists
• Safety protocols 
• Beginning- and end-of-shift processes (e.g., clocking in and out)
• Payment and tip-out policies

Training shouldn’t just be a one-time deal. Consider setting up monthly or quarterly team sessions focused on areas where your people may need a refresher, or where you can introduce new tools or policies. Solicit feedback on the training so you can continuously improve your training program.

8. Launch a loyalty program

This tactic might be part of your broader marketing plan, but we felt it was worth calling out. We know, we know — everyone’s sick of talking about how “unprecedented,” “challenging,” and “uncertain” these times are…but suffice it to say, there’s no shame in going after low-hanging fruit to increase restaurant sales.

So while a big chunk of your marketing efforts may seek to draw in new customers, don’t neglect the captive audience you’ve already got. Loyalty programs are a great way to incentive patrons to return to your establishment over and over again. Typically, loyalty programs are based on a points system that tracks how many times customers frequent your restaurant, rewarding them with discounts on food and merchandise, buy-one-get-one-free coupons, and even free appetizers and desserts. (Here’s a little inspiration to get your own loyalty program started.)

9. Freshen up your menu

Perform a menu audit to determine which items are working and which aren’t, and rotate in some new options. It’s a great opportunity to experiment with flavors and capitalize on food trends that could help your restaurant bring in a broader audience. 

It’s also a good opportunity to communicate with current and potential customers. Consider surveying your VIP patrons about their favorite (and least favorite items). If/when you make changes, make a splash about it. Share photos of your new dishes to share on social, invite local reporters, influencers or food writers to stop by, and promote everything through your tried-and-true channels.

10. Think through your pricing

Now may not be the time to jack up prices, but it’s never a bad idea to take a look at your margins, your clientele, your competitors, etc. and see if it makes sense to shift your pricing around.

You certainly don’t want to upset loyal customers or catch them off guard. But it may be possible to increase pricing on certain items enough to significantly impact your bottom line without significantly impacting your patrons. If you do make changes, ensure you’ve updated your menu everywhere — not just in your restaurant, but also wherever it exists online. Communicate price changes with your employees, and train them on how to respond to any questions or concerns from customers. 

(If pricing makes your head spin, here are a few basic calculations that can help!)

When it comes to restaurant survival, the numbers are rather grim: 60 percent fail in their first year, and 80 percent don’t make it past the 5-year mark, according to FSR Magazine. (And of course, in 2020, Covid-19 isn’t doing anyone any favors.)

Those stats won’t come as a shock to most people in the restaurant business. Restaurateurs understand the odds aren’t necessarily in their favor, but they forge ahead because they’re passionate about their work, and often they’ve got the talent, experience and resources to make a go of it. 

But even the sagest restaurateur can benefit from the help of a restaurant or hospitality consultant. Whether you’re opening up a new restaurant or looking to revamp your current concept, restaurant consulting services can provide valuable insights and guidance that can help you stand out from the competition, delight your customers and avoid costly mistakes.

If you’re interested in engaging a restaurant consultant, here are four things to know about their services so you can decide whether it’s the right move for you. 

1. What does a restaurant consultant do?

A restaurant consultant is a professional advisor you can engage to help you run your establishment more smoothly and profitably. They may operate independently or as part of a firm. They may be hired to identify and address specific issues or challenges with your business. Or they can provide general guidance around your operations, employees, financials and more, with the goal of making your business achieve sustainable growth and success.

Restaurant consulting services may include any of the following: 

• Brand and concept design 
• Financial planning and accounting services
• Menu development and pricing
• Establishing efficiency in staff hiring and training
• Location and property selection for your restaurant
• Assistance with franchising

2. Who needs a restaurant consultant?

Restaurant newbies, veterans and everyone in between can find a restaurant consultant’s services useful. 

For those who are launching a new restaurant (especially owners who haven’t ever opened a restaurant before), a consultant can guide them through the necessary steps and processes to ensure their launch is as smooth as possible. That could include developing a concept, building out your brand, staffing, selecting technology, and more.

For restaurateurs who are currently running a restaurant, a consultant can help them pinpoint areas that can be optimized or to resolve problems that could be hurting their business. For example: some restaurateurs struggle with high turnover; a consultant could help them to evaluate hiring processes and workplace culture to ensure they’re attracting and retaining the best talent (and staying competitive with your peers). A consultant can also help you identify ways to automate operations, cut costs, run more effective marketing campaigns and more.

3. What can you expect when working with a restaurant consultant?

If you’re already operating an established restaurant, the first thing a restaurant consultant will do is spend time observing your restaurant’s daily operations, both in the front and back of the house. Other ways the restaurant consultant will get a feel of how you are currently running your establishment is by sampling your menu and interacting with your customers, hosts, servers, bartenders, and staff.

Then the consultant will offer suggestions, depending on your area of need, from changes to the menu, interior design, brand and concept, spending, kitchen operations, customer service, among other aspects of your business. You’ll work with the restaurant consultant to establish and implement a plan of action. That could mean making big shifts — like rebranding or moving/adding locations — or less drastic changes, like retraining staff, implementing new technology, cleaning up financials, etc. Depending on the structure of your engagement, a consultant may simply deliver recommendations and hand them off to your team, or they may execute on those recommendations and ensure they’re successful.

If you’re launching a new restaurant and you’re planning to use a consultant, it’s wise to bring them on early in the process — i.e., well before the grand opening, so you’ll have time to lean on their expertise and act on their advice. Expect your restaurant consultant to talk to you about the ideas you have for your business, brainstorm ways to implement them, establish a plan, and check in with you periodically while you work to open your establishment. Your consultant will most likely check in after you’ve opened to ensure everything is running smoothly. 

4. How much does a restaurant consultant cost?

How much a restaurant consultant costs depends on their fee scale. There are a few options you can typically choose from.

Hourly, daily, or monthly retainer

While it depends on experience and what region of the country you live in, restaurant consulting fees generally range from $250 to $1,000 a day, or $40 to $120 per hour, if done on-site.  You can always negotiate the option of a monthly retainer fee if that’s easier. 

Project- or goal-based 

Restaurant consultants can also charge per project, or according to the goal you want to accomplish. You can ask the restaurant consultant to include in the proposal the estimated amount of time it will take to complete the project, and the hourly rate to be charged. Then an option will be included stating that if the project goes beyond the estimated time, the restaurant consultant will be paid hourly or per day for the remainder of the project. 

Many times, out-of-pocket and travel expenses are billed separately and should be included in the proposal. 

Be efficient with your restaurant consultant’s time

Remember that you’re paying for your consultant’s time. Make sure you give as much information about your needs as you can from the beginning so you won’t waste time having to redo missed steps necessary to achieve your desired end result.

You’ve spent months crafting your restaurant brand, renovating your new space, installing kitchen equipment and dining room fixtures, hiring the perfect staff, and going through the process of getting your permits and licenses. You’ve ordered all of your food and bar supplies, and now, you’re officially ready to open.

But have you figured out how you’re going to open?

In the restaurant world, hosting a traditional grand opening is not just a way to announce to the public that you’re officially in business; it’s an important marketing opportunity that can create momentum from day one and set the tone for success. 

How “grand” should your opening be? Read on…

Restaurant grand opening objectives 

Before you start planning your restaurant grand opening event, think about your objective. What do you ultimately want to accomplish?

Some restaurateurs want a grand opening in every sense of the term. Their goal is to start their business off with a bang, which means generating a lot of buzz and fanfare — and getting as many people through the doors as possible. 

And that’s not a bad idea: the launch of a restaurant often is a newsworthy event in and of itself. That means it can be relatively easy to get (free) media coverage, which can be incredibly valuable for any new brand.

If your goal is to work out kinks and make sure you’re 100% ready to serve and delight customers, a traditional grand opening may not be for you. Instead, a soft opening allows you to launch quietly and optimize your operations before you start vying for customers’ attention. 

Some restaurants will simply open their doors to the public and give customers time to find their way in. Others may host a “friends and family” type gathering, where you can create a little buzz and a feeling of exclusivity without the pressure of full-fledged celebration. (Bonus: you can also solicit valuable feedback from trusted guests.)

All of that to say: before you start planning, know your goals!

Restaurant grand opening ideas and inspiration 

If you’ve determined that a true grand opening is right for you, you’ll need a strategy to attract your first patrons. Sure, you may get some people who drop in out of sheer curiosity, or passersby who are in the right place at the right time. But to get a meaningful crowd, give them a reason to come in. 

Here are a few restaurant grand opening ideas to hook your audience and draw them in: 

• Special pricing: A great way to bring in new customers is to run a promotion. Whether it’s a “buy one, get one free,” “free appetizer or dessert with purchase of meal,” or a discount off the entire bill, the bottom line is that people like free stuff. 

• Bring-a-friend deals: Fill up your tables faster by incentivizing your guests to bring friends and family with them and offering deals based on the size of the party. 

• Make it exclusive: Consider making your grand opening VIP-style. Why? Exclusivity makes people feel important (and it can create some intrigue among people who may not have made the list). Plus: if you’re intentional about your invitees, they can actually do your marketing for you. Members of the local media, influencers, community leaders and well-connected family and friends could all become valuable brand ambassadors, assuming they have an excellent experience in your restaurant. 

• Invite influencers: Even if you don’t do a VIP event, it’s still not a bad idea to invite any local influencers to your opening. That goes beyond reporters or journalists. Depending on where you live, there could be bloggers or social media influencers with large followings who can review your restaurant in exchange for a meal.  

• Swag: Again, everyone likes free stuff. Get your logo stamped on hats, T-shirts, koozies or cups and make sure no customer leaves empty handed. That way, everyone becomes a walking billboard for your brand.

• Live entertainment: There’s nothing like live music to really bring an event to life. If your venue allows it (and depending on the vibe of your restaurant), hire a popular local band, acoustic guitarist or even a DJ to enhance the mood of your restaurant grand opening. And if there’s room, set up a dance floor to make your event feel even more like a celebration. 

• COVID-friendly ideas: If you’re opening a restaurant in 2020 (or possibly 2021), Covid-19 is likely throwing you a curveball. It’s still possible to successfully celebrate the launch a restaurant, even during a pandemic. Of course, safety is a priority. If at all possible, utilize outdoor space. Encourage social distancing between different parties, and provide masks and sanitation stations. If you’re hoping to draw a big crowd but your space can’t safely support it, consider setting up a temporary take-out area — or even renting a food truck — that will allow you to serve larger numbers of people and expose them to your brand without exposing them to Covid.

Restaurant grand opening marketing: ways to get the word out 

So you’ve got a grand opening plan in place, and you’ve got an event that your guests can get excited about. Now, you need to make sure they know it’s happening.

If you’re running with a VIP event, then you can approach this like any other private event and send out personal invitations. (This may be worth doing for select guests, e.g. reporters and influencers, even if you’re doing something that’s open to the public.)

Your budget may dictate what kind of promotion you can do. Whether or not you can afford a big spend, take advantage of free social media platforms. Create profiles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, make connections, and start posting. (You can find some marketing best practices in one of our previous blog posts.) 

While Instagram and Twitter are great for cross promotion, Facebook has event-specific tools that you can take advantage of. Create an event page through your restaurant’s Facebook page where you provide all the details, then invite locals. You can keep track of how many people are interested are planning to attend, and you can also sponsor event posts to increase your visibility in people’s Facebook feeds. (Learn how to set up an event page via this Facebook tutorial.)

Another low-budget tactic: run a small PR campaign. Create a press release and distribute it to local media. If you’ve never done it before, HubSpot offers a great tutorial on how to write a release. Here’s a basic template:

1. Headline – A short, punchy, attention-grabbing title consisting of no more than 8-10 words describing your event. This is the first thing your readers will see so it’s important that it draws them in so they will want to read more. 
2. Lead – This is your first paragraph that summarizes what your event will be. Make sure to answer the five W’s – Who, What, Where, When, and Why. 
3. Body – Here you’ll further elaborate on your event by specifying more about the details such as what kind of food will be served, if there will be any live performances, games or other fun activities. If there are any deals you’re offering that night, include those here as well. Be sure to include background on your restaurant and why you started it, and what your menu will be like. 
4. Publish date – Include the date you’d like your release to publish.
5. Boilerplate – This is a short description, usually a paragraph in length, that describes your restaurant, which makes it easier for the reporter to write about it. 
6. Contact information – Include your name, phone number and email, website address, and your restaurant name so it’s easy for the reporter to contact you for more information. 

(For more tips on writing a press release, and a free downloadable template, FirstSmallBusiness.com has you covered.) Once you have your release written, you’ll need to send it out to local media, including TV stations, newspapers, and radio. 

Another free promotional tactic:  create flyers and post them anywhere you can around town. Believe it or not, they can still be highly effective in our continually-evolving digital world. Here’s a little inspiration. 

If you’ve got a marketing budget, consider running sponsored posts and ads on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google Ads. More traditional channels — like TV, radio, print and billboards — can also be highly effective for restaurants. (The downside is the time and costs required to produce those ads, and unlike digital ads, it’s hard to track and measure effectiveness.)

Keep your eye on the prize

Planning a restaurant grand opening is a lot of hard work. But if it’s well-executed, you’ll see swift ROI in the form of a packed house, plenty of positive publicity, and a lot of happy customers who can’t wait to return again soon. 

If you’re starting up your own restaurant, bar, brewery, or event space and you plan on serving alcohol, you’re going to need a liquor license. It doesn’t matter the state where your business will be located: it’s always illegal to serve alcohol without a proper license. 

But getting a liquor license can be difficult and time-consuming. And once you have one, you can lose it if you violate state guidelines, whether it’s over-serving your customers, serving minors, selling alcohol during restricted time frames, or disorderly conduct in your establishment. And now with Covid-19 in the picture, state liquor authorities are temporarily revoking liquor licenses from restaurants and bars violating mandated health and safety protocols related to the pandemic.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting a liquor license in 2020: what it is, how much it costs, and what to expect from the process. 

What is a liquor license?

A liquor license makes it legal for your establishment to sell alcohol. Liquor licenses are issued by the state in which your business operates, as different states have different regulations relating to alcohol sales. Requiring restaurants and bars to obtain a liquor license makes it possible for the state and municipal government to enforce their alcohol policies.

What kind of liquor license do I need?

The type of license you need depends on how you sell or serve alcohol. The two primary “categories” are on-license and off-license.

• On-license: This is for businesses that are selling or serving alcohol to be consumed on-premises. (Also called on-premise or on-sale licenses.) This is the type of license that a restaurant or bar needs to obtain.
• Off-license: Specifically for businesses selling alcohol to be consumed elsewhere. Liquor stores, wine shops, and grocery and convenience stores are all examples of businesses that sell alcohol for “carry-out,” requiring an off-license.

There are several types of on-licenses that restaurants and bars may need to apply for, depending on the type of alcohol you’re serving and the manner in which you’re serving it. A few common examples:

• Restaurant liquor license: This is generally known as the “all liquor license” because it allows a business to serve all types of alcohol
• Beer and wine liquor license: Unlike the “all liquor license,” a beer and wine liquor license doesn’t permit you to sell stronger spirits.
• Tavern liquor license: This is commonly used for restaurants that serve both food and alcohol but have at least 50% of sales generated solely from liquor. 
• Server license: Some jurisdictions require individual servers to apply for a server license in addition to a liquor license. Any staff serving alcohol of any kind must take a liquor class prior to getting this license, which educates them on the kinds of alcohol there is, the legal amounts in which to serve it according to the state, and DUI and DWI laws. 

How much does a liquor license cost?

How much a liquor license costs depends on the state you’re operating in and the type of license you’re applying for. The range can be anywhere from $50 to more than $300,000. The average, however, is around $1,400. 

Keep in mind that you might be expected to pay additional processing fees depending on your local regulations. Some states have Liquor License Quotas, which means that only a certain number of licenses can be in use at the same time, depending on the population of the area. If that’s the case, then a new liquor license can be more expensive due to limited supplies. 

How do I apply for a liquor license? 

Applying for and obtaining a liquor license is a bit of process. There are a number of steps you have to take (and hoops you have to jump through) not only to get your license, but to maintain it.

• Know your state’s liquor laws 

Before you can apply for a liquor license, you have to know what you’re applying for. Remember, there are different licenses available depending on what kind of establishment you’re opening: a restaurant, a tavern or bar, or a liquor store. Also be sure to brush up on any additional requirements your city or county may have in place. You can consult your local Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) board for this information, or you can check with your state’s alcohol or liquor agency.

• Get all of your business permits

Before you apply for your liquor license, check to see what kinds of permits you’ll need for your application. Here again, your local ABC board can be a great resource. Check their website to see which ones you’ll need. (Once you have them, keep all of the paperwork secure and on-hand, as you’ll most likely have to present it.)

• Apply with your local ABC board

Once you’re familiar with your local laws and know the type of license you’ll need, then it’s time to apply with ABC board in your area. You can do so in person, or in some cases, you may be able to apply online. 

• Defend your proposal 

You might need to defend your case as to why you want to sell alcohol in a public hearing if a member of your local community protests your application. 

• Renew your liquor license and permits

Applying for a liquor license isn’t just a one-time thing. Expect to renew your license and permits every one to three years. And keep in mind: if you’re found to be in violation of liquor laws, you could have your license suspended or revoked altogether. 

How long does it take to get a liquor license?

Like we said: getting your liquor license is a process. In some cases, expect to wait weeks or even months for your application to be processed and approved. The standard waiting time to hear back from your local ABC board is up to six months.  If you live in a state with quotas, it can take longer, as you’ll have to wait for another business to forfeit theirs (or you can try to buy one on the secondary market).

So if you know you want the option to sell or serve alcohol, our advice is apply for your license as soon as you can in your startup process.

Liquor licenses: worth the hassle?

Getting your liquor license requires a lot of patience and planning — and it can be a financial investment, too. Beyond obtaining the license itself, there are other costs that go into serving alcohol, like equipment, server training, building out a drink menu, etc.

For bars, obviously, getting a liquor license is a no-brainer; for other establishments, you’ve got to decide whether it’s worth the hassle on and cost on the front end as well as the effort to maintain it. Take into account your location, hours, menu, and customer base/demographic. For example, a family or kid-focused establishment may choose not to serve alcohol. The same goes for restaurants that operate only on weekdays, during regular business hours — like breakfast spots, or cafes and coffeehouses catering to working professionals.

But many customers expect alcohol as an option, especially if your restaurant operates on evenings and weekends, or if your menu lends itself to alcohol pairings. It’s also important to note that alcohol sales generally have higher margins than food sales, so financially speaking, a liquor license is often worth the up-front hassle. 

Bottom line: before pursuing a liquor license, be sure that serving alcohol in your establishment is actually going to benefit your business. If you decide to move forward, don’t be intimidated by the process. Simply do your research on the front-end: determine the licenses you need, learn about the regulations that apply, and understand the associated costs and timeline. 

(Need help staffing your bar? Read our tips for hiring a bar manager here!)

Now that restaurants have reopened and are learning to co-exist with Covid-19, there’s yet another threat looming on the horizon: cold weather. 

Many restaurants have restricted indoor seating to somewhere between 25% to 50% capacity. To make up for that reduced capacity, wherever possible, they’ve expanded outdoor seating options. That’s worked out well amid balmy spring and summer temps, and even as we head into crisp autumn days, patios mostly remain open.

But the clock is ticking. Winter will be here soon (and in some cases, it’s already arrived — we’re looking at you, Denver). And this year, it’s coming with a side of impending doom for many restaurant owners, especially in states that experience regular snowfall and freezing temperatures.

In a recent Chicago Tribune story, Michael Roper, owner of the HopLeaf Bar, says, “We’re in terror of it. The patio represents most of our business right now.”

In Massachusetts, one in five restaurants have permanently closed since the beginning of the pandemic in March, according to the Boston Herald. And though most restaurants that are still open can stretch their outdoor seating into the early fall, the state will ban that option in November due to extreme temperatures. 

Suffice it to say: for a lot of establishments across the country, everything’s about to change all over again. The good news is that you can anticipate and manage the circumstances. If you’re operating a restaurant in an area where seasonal change is going to impact your current setup: here are three things you should be doing right now.

1. Make a (new) plan

We get it: you probably feel like you’re finally getting the hang of this whole operating-a-restaurant-in-a-pandemic thing. Just when you’ve perfected your Covid-19 contingency plan, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

But if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that restaurants must be nimble to survive. By and large, the industry has risen to that challenge — quite admirably! — over the past seven months. And fortunately, seasonal change is less of a curveball because we know it’s coming, and we can prepare for it. Here are a few ways to shore up and “winterize” your current Covid-19 setup.

• Evaluate everything. Take a step back and review the policies and procedures that you’ve put in place since March. Are they still necessary? Are your employees adhering to them? How will the winter months impact their feasibility or effectiveness?
• Ask for feedback. Hopefully you’ve been in constant communication with your team all along, but now is a great time to solicit input from your team. Talk to them: ask them what they believe has been going well in terms of the changes you’ve made, and what has been challenging or confusing. (If you’re worried about putting people on the spot, you can also gather feedback through a simple survey with anonymous responses.) 
• Do your research. As we mentioned above, some states are already putting new rules in place regarding seasonal change. Be sure you’re tuned in to any upcoming regulatory shifts by following legitimate, credible news outlets and industry publications at both a local and national level. 
• Assess your physical space. Outdoor seating has been a lifesaver for restaurants, but it’s going to be a whole lot trickier if temps start to fall in your area. Be realistic about the safety and comfort level of your patrons, and plan accordingly. Your course of action depends on the climate you’re in, the layout of your restaurant, and your budget. It may make sense to invest in outdoor heaters or to explore ways to partially enclose patios and porches. If outdoor dining really isn’t an option, think through ways to maximize indoor dining capacity — like installing plexiglass dividers between booths and tables. 

Don’t get complacent with your cleaning and sanitation procedures. While it’s best to avoid over-the-top stockpiling, make sure you’ve got a “responsible” surplus of soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and other items that may be susceptible to shortages. 

2. Tighten your purse strings

Whether your bottom line is hurting or business is booming, the reality is that no one is out of the woods yet. 

When it comes to managing expenses and budgeting, savvy restaurateurs are continuing to be very discerning as we move into the colder months. In addition to the impact cold weather could have on your operations (e.g., further reducing seating capacity), it’s also more conducive to the spread of germs. Not only do we still have Covid to worry about; we’re now coming up on flu and cold season, and no one really knows how bad it could get. Unfortunately, that means we can’t rule out another shutdown. 

So for most restaurants, now isn’t the time for risk taking. Instead, it’s prudent to remove as many variables as possible. That may mean putting off scheduled expansions or renovations, or temporarily cutting back your operating hours.

Many restaurants have uncovered savings and efficiencies by streamlining their menu. For example, Boston-area HIghland Kitchen reduced its offerings and changed its focus to fried-chicken tenders and sandwiches, along with tiki cocktails — all to-go. (They also cut back on the days and hours they’re open.) Making strategic menu changes gives you the opportunity to focus on higher-margin items, reduce supply/inventory costs, and/or to make your back-of-house more efficient. 

3. Get creative

If there was ever a time to think outside the box, now is it. Here are a few ideas to manage the “winter edition” of Covid-19.

• Offer cold-weather items (think: blankets, gloves, beanies) for guests to use while dining outside. You could tap into your marketing budget and brand these items, making them a giveaway. Or you can allow guests to borrow them — but you’ll need to ensure you’ve got proper cleaning procedures in place (and be sure you’ve communicated those to your guests).
• Invest in outdoor heaters, igloos or winterized tents. (Remember, you’ll still need to adhere to social distancing between parties, especially if you’re creating enclosed spaces.)
• Create a large outdoor fire pit surrounded by (socially distanced) seating.
• Take advantage of your parking lot by converting a portion of it into a covered/heated patio space.
• Reimagine your layout. Eating a full meal in chilly temperatures isn’t ideal, but your patrons may be open to enjoying a pre-meal cocktail outside. Consider setting up a (heated) outdoor bar area — even better if you can make it feel festive with fall or holiday decor. You’ll free up indoor dining space at your regular bar area, and you’ll provide extra (safe) space for diners to hang out while they’re waiting to be seated.

Change is here to stay

No one has a crystal ball, but we’re confident this Q4 will be unlike any other. (Let’s be honest: that’s pretty much been the theme of 2020.)

The silver lining here is that we’ve got a little time, and a lot of fresh experience, on our side. The hospitality industry has already been blindsided by a pandemic and upended by an unforeseeable shutdown; we can prepare for the worst because — well, we know what the “worst” looks like. 

So as you look ahead to the coming months, keep doing what you’ve been doing: stay nimble. Anticipate every outcome. Collaborate with your peers and, yes, your competitors.

And most importantly, continue to put the health and safety of your people and your patrons ahead of everything else. 

There are a lot of factors that can make or break a restaurant: quality of food, atmosphere and ambience, level of service. Because they’re so important, these are areas where restaurant owners spend a good deal of time, energy and resources on a daily basis. 

Now more than ever, restaurant cleanliness should be at the top of that priority list. Granted, it’s not the most fun or exciting aspect of restaurant operations; few people go into the business with a dream of opening “the cleanest restaurant, ever!”. But restaurant sanitation, or lack thereof, can have a direct impact on your restaurant’s success — especially in 2020, where we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic.

Following the initial shutdown, most restaurants have reopened in some capacity, but they’re operating with more stringent sanitation standards. Some have been put in place by their respective cities or states, while others are self-imposed by the restaurant owners themselves for the well-being of their people and patrons. 

If your own cleaning policies and procedures could use some attention, read on for ways to maintain a restaurant that puts the health of your people and patrons first. 

How Maintaining a Clean Restaurant Impacts Your Bottom Line

Even in pre-pandemic times, choosing not to adhere to the cleaning guidelines established by the CDC could cost restaurants their business.

Whether you’re not properly cleaning or maintaining your physical space, sanitizing dishes, storing food, washing hands — there are very real and even dangerous consequences that can result from ignorance or negligence.

The biggest risk you run is harming the health of your employees or customers. But even if no one gets sick, violating the health code can put you in legal hot water. And you also have your reputation at stake. In the hospitality industry, where word of mouth is a key marketing channel, you certainly don’t want to become an establishment that’s known for poor sanitation. 

Of course, the pandemic adds another layer to all of this. The general public is experiencing quarantine fatigue — many people are more than ready to get out of the house — but they’re also fearful of the potential for viral transmission. Demonstrating and communicating a commitment to sanitation and safety can go a long way in making people feel comfortable in your space once again.

It’s not just for the sake of optics, though. We’re still learning about COVID-19, but there’s no doubt that it’s fairly contagious. It behooves restaurant owners to mitigate the spread of the virus so that they can reduce the risk of an outbreak in their establishment. If your team gets sick, not only will you have to operate short-staffed, but you’ll also potentially scare away diners who don’t want to catch the virus themselves.

Your 2020 restaurant cleaning checklist 

COVID has changed the way we look at cleaning procedures. As a restaurant owner, it’s important to be explicit about your sanitation standards, so your staff understands what’s expected of them, and your customers feel safe inside your space. 

Let’s delve further into ways you can ensure proper restaurant cleaning procedures. Consider this your essential 2020 restaurant cleaning list!

Front of house cleaning checklist: pandemic edition

While making sure you’re following all restaurant cleaning procedures throughout your space, there is an added element you need to keep in mind when it comes to your restaurant front of the house cleaning checklist: reassuring your customers they are safe eating in your restaurant. 

This means it’s important for them to see your staff practicing food safety and implementing proper restaurant cleaning procedures, following all recommended best practices from the CDC, EPA, and the FDA. Be prepared to answer questions around your procedures — or consider being proactive and posting signage that helps customers understand the measures you’re taking. 

High touch areas

When it comes to your restaurant front of house cleaning checklist, staff should focus on disinfecting all high-touch areas, including:

• Door knobs, handles and push plates
• Railings
• Light and air control switches
• Faucets
• Non-food countertops
• Guest tables, chairs and benches 
• Restrooms
• Registers
• Counters and bar surface
• Pens
• Check presenters
• Guest pagers

Cleaning and disinfecting should be done as often as possible, not just one or twice a day, but every 30 minutes to an hour. For places where customers sit, this should be done in between guests. 

Keep in mind: there’s a difference between disinfecting and sanitizing. Disinfecting with one of these EPA-approved disinfectants against COVID removes more germs than sanitizing, making it more effective in killing pathogens. But disinfectants are typically not safe around food, so these spaces must be rinsed and dried after the solution has had enough time to properly disinfect, which can take up to a couple of minutes. While sanitizing is easier and faster, it’s just not as effective as disinfecting. 

And don’t neglect your outdoor spaces. Open air and sunshine aren’t quite as conducive to germs, but that doesn’t mean your patio is risk-free. Your staff should adhere to the same cleaning protocols for indoor and outdoor dining.

Low touch areas

Low-touch areas should also be cleaned and well-maintained, but may not require frequent disinfecting. 

• Dust shelves, ceiling fans, artwork, blinds, window sills and baseboards 
• Vacuum and clean upholstered furniture; spot clean or shampoo as necessary
• Sweep and mop hard-surface floors
• Vacuum carpeting, rugs and mats; spot clean stains as quickly as possible
• Clean all air vents and replace filters regularly

Restaurant Cleaning in 2020: Don’t Be Complacent

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we should double down on our restaurant cleaning procedures for the foreseeable future. 

It may require extra time, energy and attention to detail from your staff — so be sure you’re setting clear expectations and keeping your people aligned. If you haven’t already, look into contactless technology that can digitize processes and workflows, so that there are fewer physical interactions and touch points. 

For more restaurant cleaning resources, check out: 

1. COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection for Human-Touch Surfaces by the Food Industry Association
2. COVID-19 Cleaning & Sanitizing Guidelines for Restaurants & Food Service
3. The FDA’s Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-up/Delivery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, if you’re not leveraging social media marketing for your restaurant, you’re missing out on an important tool to promote your business and an excellent way to open up communication with your customers. 

While traditional advertising will always have its place, restaurants that use social media marketing have access to a much less expensive and much more direct way to reach audiences. In other words, there’s no reason not to do it.

With that being said, a lot of restaurants aren’t using social media, or they’re not using it to its fullest potential. If you’re in that boat, read on for the what, why and how of leveraging social media marketing for your restaurant or bar. 

Why is social media relevant to restaurants?

According to QSR Magazine, 89 percent of U.S. diners have at least one social media account, 36 percent of them follow restaurants on social media and 39 percent of them use it to help them decide where to eat when dining out.

That means that, here in 2020, having an online presence is much more than maintaining a website. Sure, your site is a great way to enhance your discoverability, but it doesn’t provide much of an opportunity for interaction. 

And therein lies the key benefit of social media: the right platform(s) will allow people to not only discover your brand, but to engage with it — and assuming you make the experience a positive one, that can be an incredibly effective way to draw in new (loyal) customers.

Another great thing about social media is that it costs nothing to get started. Should you choose to put a spend behind your content (which isn’t a bad idea, especially as you’re trying to grow your following), it doesn’t take a big budget to launch an effective paid social campaign. Plus, targeting your key geographies and demographics is easy on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. And unlike print, television, radio and billboards, you can easily measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

6 steps to creating a social media marketing plan for your restaurant

Before you start creating social media accounts and randomly posting content, you need a restaurant social media marketing plan. Here are 6 steps to creating and executing the right social media marketing strategy for your restaurant or bar.

1. Choose the right platforms 

Trying to decide which social media platforms to use for your restaurant social media marketing can be overwhelming. There are more than 75 different social media platforms, from Tumblr and WhatsApp to LinkedIn, Snapchat and Pinterest. You don’t need to maintain an account on every single one.

When trying to choose the right platform, consider your ideal customer and where they’re likely spending their time.

Here’s a quick rundown of the top three platforms restaurants tend to use. 

Facebook: While Facebook has started skewing toward a slightly older demographic, most restaurants would be wise to maintain a company page for their restaurant, at the very least. Facebook is a great option for restaurants and bars that may not have the time or resources to get a website up and running. On your company page, you can post hours, address, contact information, links to menus, and of course regular content and updates for your followers. 

If you’ve got a budget to work with (even if it’s small), Facebook ads are a great way for restaurants to geo-target their audience. Facebook ads allow you to advertise to people in specific ZIP codes, so you won’t waste your marketing budget advertising to people who likely won’t be visiting your restaurant. You can use other criteria to target your audience, too — like age or income level. If you use Facebook, make sure you take advantage of Facebook Business, which has a whole range of advertising capabilities. 

Instagram: With more than a billion users, Instagram was created to tell stories through beautiful images. And what better way to promote your food, friendly staff, or hip dining space?

While this is subject to change, Instagram currently seems to offer some common ground in terms of demographics: Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and even Baby Boomers are all active on the platform. Here again, if you’ve got a budget, you can run paid Instagram campaigns in tandem with your Facebook ads.

Twitter: Twitter is less image-focused than Facebook and Instagram, but it’s a go-to choice when it comes to real-time interaction between users. Restaurants that leverage Twitter often use it to address questions and complaints, or to keep their audience updated on their latest specials and deals. 

2. Select a social media manager  

You may be thinking, “I don’t have the time nor the staff to manage this!” And you may be right.

That’s why a lot of restaurants designate a point person to manage their social media marketing. Not only does that ensure that it actually gets done; it also will help to maintain brand consistency and alignment.

Depending on your budget and the scale of your campaign, you may choose to have an existing employee or manager run your social media marketing. Or it may make sense to hire an in-house marketer who can handle social media along with other marketing needs. Some restaurants leverage agencies that do this work day-in and day-out — which makes sense if you’re planning to make a sizable spend or if you want to constantly be testing and optimizing your campaigns. Another lower-cost option is to look for a freelancer or even an intern; college-aged people, for example, tend to be pretty tech-savvy and are more likely to be familiar with multiple social platforms. 

When it comes to choosing the online face of your restaurant, you want the person or agency to check a few boxes:

Communication skills: Your social media point person doesn’t have to be a novelist, but they need to have solid writing skills, and they should be able to present content (text and images) in a way that’s engaging and on-brand. Which brings us to our next point…

Familiarity with your business and brand: This is more than knowing your menu, hours, and policies (although that’s important, too). They should also be able to capture the personality of your restaurant. A fine dining establishment isn’t going to be posting the same content as a dive bar.  

Experience with key platforms: The person running your social media marketing should have, at the very least, personal experience with the platforms you’re using. Ideally, they’ll also have experience running a business page or account. 

Emphasis on data: A key advantage of social media marketing for restaurants is the ability to measure effectiveness. You should expect regular reporting on metrics that show growth in followers and engagement over time.

Accountability: Whoever has the keys to your social media platforms needs to be 100% trustworthy. Make sure everyone is clear on what’s acceptable and what’s not when it comes to posting — because as we all know, what happens on the internet stays on the internet. You don’t want to go viral for the wrong reasons!

3. Create guidelines

Social media is an extension of your restaurant, which means that anything you post online will need to meet and maintain your brand guidelines and image. To ensure your point person is able to do this properly, create specific guidelines that codify the tone, voice and visual elements of your brand. It helps to provide consistency in messaging and extends the personality you want your restaurant to portray. For guidance, here are three great resources:

How to Create Social Media Brand Guidelines

Building Your Restaurant’s Social Media Presence

5 Steps to Create a Social Media Style Guide for Your Brand

4. Implement a social media calendar

Set up a social media calendar to keep you consistent in your posting and plan ahead so you can align your social media posts with upcoming specials and events. Hubspot provides 10 different calendar templates and tools to help you create a well-organized social media calendar. 

5. Leverage automation tools

Save time by taking advantage of automation tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social to schedule your posts ahead of time. But social media automation doesn’t stop there. Use chatbots to automatically reply to customers online when you’re not able to. And utilize social listening tools like Hubspot (Hootsuite and Sprout Social also offer this function) to monitor any online interactions with your social media accounts. 

6. Utilize user-generated content

User-generated content, or USG, includes photos, tweets, and other social media posts created by your followers that highlight things like the quality of service, your food and beverages, or other aspects of your restaurant. 

USG is essentially free advertising for you because your patrons are posting about their positive experiences at your establishment. You can then repost that content from your own account, as long as you credit the original author of the post. It’s a great way to connect with your audience and allow them to hear from their peers about why your place is so special. Here’s a great guide on how you can encourage your followers to create USG that you can use for your benefit. 

Bottom line: Creating a social media plan for your restaurant doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Once you’ve got a plan in place and your accounts are set up, it’s all about being consistent and authentic with your content — and, of course, letting data be your guide. If you’re not seeing the impact you hoped for, reassess and refine your plan as you go.