7 opportunities a lot of restaurants are leaving on the table
Working with New York restaurants since 2009, we have watched the same opportunities come up again and again.
1. Your menu can sell more than it does today
A menu is not just a list of dishes with prices next to them. It is a sales tool. Dishes with a photo get ordered far more than the ones that are only a name and a number. The customer's eye goes to the top right corner first — is your highest-margin dish sitting there?
2. Your Google profile can work harder for you
People pull up the map when they are already hungry and about to decide within minutes. If your hours are wrong, if your photos are old, or if there is a mistake in your address, you are losing customers every single day.
3. Your delivery platforms can present you better
Blurry photos, empty descriptions, prices that do not match across UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub. Every gap in your setup is a customer ordering from the place down the block instead.
4. Replying to reviews says a lot about your business
People read how the owner responds before they decide, especially when there is a complaint. A well-written reply to a bad review can turn it into your best advertising.
5. Your sign can pull more attention
Before digital, there is physical. A sign that cannot be read, has no lighting, or does not make clear what kind of food you serve is lost traffic every day.
6. You can stay in touch with the people who already came in
Do you have a WhatsApp button? Any way for a customer to reach you after their visit? Without a system, every customer is a one-time sale instead of a regular.
7. Your website can look better on a phone
Almost everyone looks for somewhere to eat on their phone, often while walking down the street. If your site looks bad on mobile, the customer is at your competitor's in seconds.