Restaurant

How Your Restaurant Or Bar Can Manage The Slow Periods

Whether you are nestled in a small town or big city, slow seasons and busy weeks are normal for every business. That’s why succeeding as a restaurant or bar means being ready for these common shifts.

What are the vital costs in the food service industry? How can you steer the ups and downs of foot traffic and sales? To help answer those questions, here’s a look at a few tips to consider during slower periods of growth.

  1. Expand your service methods. Unfortunately, certain times of the year will naturally discourage customers from purchasing at your restaurant. Whether it is cold weather, widespread illness, economic recession, or another circumstance that slows down sales, you can make the most of it by offering an expansion of services methods. Consider adding carry out, delivery, or even curbside pickup. Promote these services so consumers and customers will know about your convenient offerings. For example, customers can order on a cold weekend. Offering expanded services can encourage sales and keep the money flowing.
  2. Produce promotions. Sometimes running specials can encourage new customers and even returning patrons to come purchase from your restaurant. It doesn’t have to be discounts, either. Popular methods include happy hour or karaoke night. Using social events to promote people to come out to your restaurant is a great way to draw in more visitors. People enjoy the opportunity to socialize with their friends and family in a fun way.
  3. Think lean. Lowering expenses is another way to thrive during the slow period. Ask yourself where you can cut costs for the off-season. This might include reducing labor hours, automating sales and labor reports, shrinking your menu offerings, and doing research on all food and materials providers to lower overhead. The less expenses you have, the larger the profit margins for your restaurant.

To learn more tips for making it through slower seasons, take a look at the resource below. It offers even more information and tips to help your restaurant during slow months, presented in an easy-to-follow format.

Infographic created by TouchBistro, a restaurant data analytics provider

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