A New Restaurant

I have mentioned a number of times the restaurant that I recently worked for.  It was a start up by an owner that didn’t really know or understand the restaurant business.  He had some success in other businesses, but he faced a steep learning curve when he started the restaurant.  It’s a great case study in how not to get started in this business.

One of the things that was lacking in his operation was adequate signage.  we were approaching the restaurant.  You are nearly passed it before you even realize it was there.  He was told by several people that he needed new sign, but he was slow to finally get one up.  Money was getting tight, and he was getting overly cautious on how he spent it.  That’s understandable, but there were some places that you really need to spend his money.  Making sure potential customers could see his restaurant was one of those areas.

He finally did break down and buy a new sign, and that’s made all the difference in his business.  Every time I go by his parking lot nowadays there are cars in the lot.  He doesn’t run nearly as many specials, and he’s not discounting his menu the way he used to.  Still, the customers are coming in.

When thinking about how you can make your presence known you need to make sure your customers know you are there before they reach your parking lot.  Leave them enough time to slow down and turn into your lot.  Once they get past your entrance, they may decide that it’s too much trouble to turn around and come back.  The more time you give them, the better the chance that they’ll stop.  And getting them to stop is what it’s all about.

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