Everyone loves going out for a meal with friends and family - whether they’re after a weekend treat, wanting to try different culinary delights, or just avoiding home cooking! And with around 33,000 restaurant businesses in the UK, there’s a lot of competition to get these people sat at your tables, so standing out from the crowd is key to your restaurant’s success.
There are a few things that influence potential customers when going out to eat, such as cuisine and venue, and you can use these to make your restaurant a popular spot. Here are our top four factors that customers look for when picking a restaurant.
Excellent food
Ultimately, people go to restaurants to eat food, so you need to make sure it’s up to scratch. The quality of the food served at your restaurant will determine any repeat business from customers – and whether new ones will be discouraged from even trying you in the first place!
Food is the biggest draw of the restaurant experience. After all, most customers could cook at home for a lot cheaper and spare themselves the travel time and expense. And it’s not only the taste but the presentation that’s important. Most of us eat with our eyes as well as our mouths, and the skill and care you put into presentation on the plate can woo customers. Just check out the judging on MasterChef or GBBO to confirm this.
The experience
Almost as important as the food you serve is the experience that your restaurant provides when picking a restaurant. Your customers could eat at any of the other 33,000 eateries, so they’re only going to visit and keep returning to your restaurant if it provides a unique experience. Décor and themes are important when curating a memorable atmosphere so going all-out on these will help you stand out.
The type of restaurant renovations you’ll need will depend on your chosen theme, whether that’s based around a famous TV show or film, a particular country, a homely family style space, or a chic bistro. This may involve some building work though, so look at enlisting professionals in the industry who are protected by the correct level of construction insurance.
Hygiene
While this should be a given, it’s worth emphasising since many restaurants have closed their doors due to poor hygiene ratings. Making sure your restaurant meets legal food hygiene requirements will keep customers healthy and coming back for more.
Location
Ideally, your restaurant will be located somewhere with a lot of footfall and passing traffic. You want to be situated where your restaurant will be seen by many people which will keep business regular, and help you compete in this competitive market when people are picking a restaurant.
A location such as a high street in a small town or city is perfect but not every business owner has this opportunity. If you’re unable to find the ideal location, make sure you market your restaurant so people know where it is and how to get there. But if the food’s good enough they will come, no matter where you are located – after all, the Good Food Guide’s ‘Most Exciting Restaurant’ in 2022 is in a village of 4,000 inhabitants in deepest Cumbria.
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