It’s an unfortunate reality that many restaurants don’t go the distance. It’s a competitive industry and nowadays, it seems even more difficult to succeed. From monitoring metrics to keeping team members in alignment, hitting company objectives can often seem overwhelming. Luckily, there are some best practices and insights that can either make or break your burgeoning restaurant business.
Between monitoring key results to integrating an online order platform, giving your business a fighting chance is ultimately up to the tools that you use.
1. Streamline online ordering.
These days, too many online order platforms have poor POS integrations. They require multiple tablets, they have issues integrating in real-time, and many lack the ability to measure results and KPIs. If you want to improve restaurant visibility, one of your company goals should be to rethink how you approach online orders. Luckily, there are services like Cuboh that can help. Cuboh makes it easier to handle pickup and delivery orders, send tickets to your POS or printer, and ditch the multiple tablets for a single, streamlined ordering account. Plus, it can make 86ing and adding upcharges a snap. Cuboh is a great tool for startups and veteran businesses alike and integrating Cuboh into your business strategy can yield amazing results.
2. Set smarter goals.
When it comes to goal-setting, many restaurants fall short. Too many CEOs are focused on fiscal KPIs and only look at goals that benefit the entire organization. That’s where OKRs come in. OKRs are objectives and key results. They help track individual goals, set performance review benchmarks, and ensure the performance management runs more smoothly. When you set goals for each staff member, you’re able to measure progress more effectively and improve teamwork. Incorporating an OKR management tool into the mix can put your head and shoulders above the competition. The OKR framework is perfect for company-level OKRs, team alignment, and employee engagement. Plus, many OKR tools and OKR software platforms have intuitive, easy-to-use dashboards that take online project management software and measurable key results to the next level.
It is also always helpful to learn about the tips and tricks from the pros like Profitboss founder Adam Guild.
3. Hone in on the menu.
Many restaurants lose their identity in the shuffle and it can cause some distinct performance issues. This is most visible when it comes to the menu. A menu should be tight, cohesive, and harmonious. It shouldn’t try to emulate chain restaurants that attempt to do a little bit of everything. Instead, cut yourself some slack and focus on developing one great product instead of constantly adding new features.
4. The location still matters.
Especially these days when many businesses are working with remote teams and relying on services like Uber Eats, the dependency on a good location has never been more apparent. Your location needs to be a reasonable distance from vendors and customers alike. You can look at local performance analytics to determine which locations produce the best expense to profit ratios and try to find a reasonable spot around that area. Of course, if you’re an established restaurant, this may be more difficult than it would be for a startup.
5. Improve your team management.
The restaurant industry sees high levels of turnover. A new hire from last week may already be on LinkedIn rethinking their resume. While the aforementioned goal management software is a piece of the puzzle, it can’t do everything. Staff members need to feel empowered at their jobs. Even though restaurants are high-stress environments, you should never let employees get too bogged down or overwhelmed. You can spot a good restaurant by how long certain team members have stuck around.
Whether you’re tracking key performance indicators or are setting a template for stronger performance management, several key factors can make or break a restaurant. By looking at the competition and pivoting your own internal processes, you can give your business that much-needed push.
