23 Marketing Strategies for Increasing Customers in your Restaurant
23 Marketing Strategies for Increasing Customers in your Restaurant

There is a distinct market that your restaurant seeks to capture. Using innovative marketing tactics will help your restaurant create a niche for itself. Here are a few marketing tips that will prove advantageous:

1)      Creating Facebook page: You can place ads on Facebook to reach people who work at specific companies or students at the local university. Facebook is very effective as you can target a wide range of audience.

2)      Branding yourself: Your restaurant can become a powerful brand when you deliver your promise to customers. It is only then that they begin to expect high standards that are associated with their brand. Also consistency is critical for brand sustenance.

3)      Employing signage: Creating Pamphlets, Booklets, hoardings at crowded places can make an impact on customers and ensure success.

4)      Using flyers: Make sure that customers know about the opening of your restaurant. Then give customers 10%-15% discounts when they try your restaurant cuisines.

5)      SMS: You should sms your existing customers on a daily or weekly basis to get them in.

6)      Creating best website design: You can design a simple website that will show your menu, the kind of payment you accept, the operating hours, your restaurant concept, discount coupons and posts containing important information for the customers. For example, restaurants like Punjabi By nature have a fully designed website where they provide all the information regarding their restaurant.

7)      Involving web and email alerts:  Web and emails are the cheapest and effective marketing strategy to reach the target market easily. You can bring out new promotions and discount coupons, newsletters and posts containing articles and content that can be informative for the readers. Domino’s started message and email alert policy for the promotion of their restaurant.

8)      Innovating sales blitzkrieg: Make your staff go out to local businesses and hand out a flyer, business card or free appetizer card to secretaries, clerks or anyone else they can talk to. You should buy your employees lunch, give them money for mileage and put a prize for the best sales calls and offer prizes. You will be amazed at the success this new business will generate.

9)      Bringing out loyalty programs: Give customers some discounts when they buy more than 9 items from your restaurant.

10)  Giving promotions to diners: You can offer special themed dinners, guided wine and cheese tastings and other fun events. This will give people a reason to come to the restaurant on a usually slow night.

11)  Inventing contests: You can bring out innovative ideas by collecting visiting cards or their address for conducting lucky draws. This way you will have a database of customers.

12)  Recruiting customers for a street team: This is another cheaper way to promote your restaurant. You can recruit customers to write blog, reviews, etc. on your website. This can also act as affective word-of-mouth.

13)  Sending out creative press releases: You can use the release to announce information to the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors about you and your activities. Try building contact with the public relation agencies and groups as they are the one who will advertise about you through different Newspapers, Magazines, etc. Restaurant like, MC Donald’s, KFC, and other national and international brand advertise themselves through paid articles in media.

14)  Knowing the customer: Getting along with your customer will give you a clear picture of their wants and needs –  their food habits, the trends they are most attracted to, the times they prefer to visit the restaurant in a week or two. MC Donald’s launched their restaurant according to the Indian palate; they provide burgers with Indian masala, like aaloo-tikki burger, etc.

15)  Remembering customer's birthdays: You can ask your customer to fill out forms which details their birthdays and anniversaries. You can then send them freebies on these special occasions to make them feel special and get them into your business. When several people celebrate the event, start collecting information about your customers, e.g. their email address to begin an online relationship.

16)  Stressing on hygiene: This is one of the first things that customers will observe in your restaurant. So your marketing message must include hygiene and freshness as top priority.

17)  Extending great customer service: Ask your employees to treat each customer with warmth and graciousness. This in itself promotes your restaurant through word-of-mouth.

18)  Organising programs in your restaurant: Try to arrange parties in your restaurant to bring to public notice. Organise parties like birthday parties, kitty parties, and business seminars and functions. It will advertise your restaurant as much as possible. Many restaurants have started working on it to gain public interest.

19)  Working on takeout and delivery systems: Takeout and delivery system would also help as an effective marketing tips. Giving brochures, pamphlets and leaflets with the order would give detailed information about your restaurant.

20)  Taking the green initiative: You must install flow restrictor on the faucets, get rid of the items which are not bio degradable and also purchase sustainable food for your restaurant.

21)  Starting novel affinity programs: You should go for affinity marketing programs that would help to tie the restaurant with other leading brands for combined promotions. With so many restaurants coming up, trying such simple means to attract customers would yield positive results.

22)  Having a nose for the competitors: Follow your competitors: what marketing strategies are they offering; how are they branding their products; what special offers are they providing to advertise about their foods, to name a few. This inquisitiveness will give you a direction. The best example is the competitive nature between Pizza Hut and Domino’s. No sooner does one change some menu style the other gives an equal tweak to the menu.

23)  Never sit back: All your marketing efforts will not achieve results if after the initial steps, no follow-up strategies are implemented. You need to ensure that every few months a revision in the menu is done and invites are sent out to everyone you meet to try new additions for free or at 50% off the menu, etc. This will help to keep up the restaurant’s popularity intact.

Successful restaurant marketing will reflect in higher sales and bring in a loyal clientele of customers (new or repeat). This will help in making your restaurant successful.

 
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8 Innovative Restaurant Marketing Strategies for 2024
8 Innovative Restaurant Marketing Strategies for 2024
 

In the dynamic landscape of the culinary world, where flavors tantalize taste buds and ambiance sets the mood, restaurants must navigate the realm of marketing to thrive. In 2024, restaurants must harness a diverse array of strategies to captivate audiences and secure their place in the hearts and minds of diners. From digital prowes to community engagement, here are eight groundbreaking restaurant marketing strategies to elevate your establishment's presence in the dining scene.

1. Craft Compelling Email Campaigns

In the digital age, the power of email marketing remains unparalleled. With automation features, restaurants can forge direct connections with customers, fostering positive engagement and influencing dining decisions. By striking the delicate balance between frequency and relevance, restaurants can leverage email campaigns to cultivate a loyal customer base.

2. Unlock the Potential of SMS Marketing

Harnessing the immediacy of SMS marketing, restaurants can capture attention with enticing messages. While the click-through rate may be modest, the high open rate presents an invaluable opportunity. From exclusive discounts to event tie-ins, SMS marketing offers a direct line to diners, inviting them to indulge in culinary delights.

3. Seize Control of Online Listings

In an era dominated by digital discovery, the importance of curated online listings cannot be overstated. By claiming and updating listings on platforms like Facebook, Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, restaurants assert their online presence and attract new customers. Empowered with control over their digital narrative, restaurants can strategically position themselves for visibility and acclaim.

4. Leverage Influencer Partnerships

Influencers wield considerable sway in shaping consumer preferences, making them valuable allies in the restaurant marketing landscape. By collaborating with local influencers and leveraging their expansive social media reach, restaurants can amplify their brand presence and cultivate a devoted following. From renowned foodies to hometown heroes, influencers offer a powerful platform for showcasing culinary excellence.

5. Cultivate Community Connections

Beyond the confines of the dining room, restaurants have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in their local communities. Whether through charitable partnerships or philanthropic initiatives, restaurants can embody values of compassion. 

6. Embrace the Return of Physical Menus

While digital menus have their place, the menu beckons diners with its tangible appeal. By offering physical menus alongside digital alternatives, restaurants cater to diverse preferences and enhance the dining experience. With clear, visually appealing menus, restaurants set the stage for culinary exploration and elevate the art of dining.

7. Spotlight Stellar Staff

Behind every exceptional dining experience are the dedicated individuals who bring it to life. By showcasing the personalities and talents of their staff, restaurants humanize their brand and foster a sense of familiarity. From kitchen maestros to charismatic servers, highlighting the individuals behind the scenes adds depth to the dining narrative and strengthens customer connections.

8. Cultivate Organic Advocacy

In the realm of restaurant marketing, there is no substitute for genuine word-of-mouth endorsement. By delivering exceptional culinary experiences and service, restaurants cultivate a loyal base of advocates who eagerly spread the word. From tastings at local establishments to collaborations with business organizations, restaurants can organically expand their reach and solidify their status as culinary destinations.

In the dynamic landscape of restaurant marketing, innovation is the key to success. By embracing these strategies, restaurants can navigate the complexities of the digital age while forging authentic connections with patrons, ensuring a seat at the table of culinary distinction in 2024 and beyond.

 

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How Chefs Can Benefit From the Digital Food Pairing Technology
How Chefs Can Benefit From the Digital Food Pairing Technology
 

Ganesh Bagler, a scientist at IIIT Delhi, is working on the data analytics of food, which is grown into a new area called computational gastronomy. Ganesh Bagler has been trained in Physics and Computer Science. He did a PhD in Computational Biology, an interdisciplinary training. Presently, he is working on various themes also called complex systems at IIIT Delhi.

Scientist Ganesh Bagler tells Restaurant India how chefs at restaurants can make the best use of the data using computational gastronomy.

Data Analytics in Food

When I use the word computational gastronomy, it encompasses analysis and investigation of data pertaining to food, flavours and health - that’s the thematic area.

After collecting the recipes and food data we did the food pairing for all the regional cuisines from across the world. It was published in the International Conference on Data Engineering; it was honoured with the best paper award.

Scientist Ganesh Bagler

Data Science of Food, Flavours and Health

We have been looking at patterns in terms of what kind of flavour molecules are combined in the traditional recipes from across the world. Previously, I was working on various other topics like ethel code of the discovery and brain network, etc. While teaching a class on IIIT group tour on complex networks, I picked up this paper which was looking at the flavour network in western cuisines, largely the European and American.

This paper was investigating a specific hypothesis given by Chef Heston Blumenthal from the UK – ingredients that are similar to each other in terms of their taste, flavours and odour tend to go with each other in a recipe. If there’s a bunch of ingredients like a basket of vegetables or dairy products, etc, Chef Blumenthal suggested any of these ingredients which have similarity among themselves in terms of taste, flavour and odour have a higher chance of being selected or being used in a traditional recipe.

The paper which I picked up and was teaching about it was investigating this hypothesis and confirmed that indeed the recipes of Western cuisines, American and European, tend to combine with those ingredients that are similar in terms of their flavour molecules.

I, then, started investigating on Indian recipes. At that time, I, along with my team, took 2,543 recipes from Tarla Dalal’s website and found that these recipes are composed of around 192 unique ingredients for which we could find the flavour molecules. We also gathered that flavour data was not available for certain ingredients, for example, hing or asafoetida. We investigated the pairing pattern during which, to our surprise, we found the Indian cuisines have dissimilar ingredients in their recipes. This means a typical Western recipe has a uniform blend of ingredients whereas a typical Indian recipe has a contrasting blend of ingredients. There is a diversity of ingredients present in the Indian recipes. It’s kind of a potpourri of flavours.

This ended up being a discovery in the novel food pairing phenomenon in Indian cuisine. It was highlighted as an emerging technology in the famous MIT tech review.

We finished it in 2015.

What I ended up doing after that:

Other than completing my other investigations, I continued working on this point knowing this particular area has a lot of potential both for asking fundamental questions such as why we eat, what we eat, can we design new recipes, as well as some applied questions.

The Highlights of the Discovery

We first compiled recipes from across the world, including India. And the number of recipes which we have now are approx 1,60,000 and these are themselves made up of a large number of ingredients - to the tune of around 5,000 unique ingredients. It’s a structured data; we have mentioned what kind of ingredients is used, from what source it comes from, are there some synonyms connected. We have data from 24 world regions, 71 countries.

The second was the work on the world’s first comprehensive repository of flavour molecules for natural ingredients. These ingredients which are used in the recipes be it tomato, chilly, mango, banana, etc., you’ll find all kind of ingredients.

Obviously, flavour molecules are not extracted and reported by food chemistry people for all ingredients, but whatever we could get, which are 1000 approximately, we created a huge repository of the flavour molecules of the ingredients. Earlier, they were scattered around; not only flavour but also an individual molecule. Let’s say what kind of odour and taste it is associated with, for example, one could be bitter and other could be sweet. We call these as flavour percepts and have recorded them all together. This was published in a well-known bio-medical journal called .

This will bring far more value to the chefs for looking into what kind of a property a particular ingredient might have, and also about food pairing. We also did an in-built food pairing.

Flavour and Taste Information for Chefs

A couple of months back, we made an Android app known as Flavour DB. I made it because chefs can get help from the app. I am associated with Indian Federation of Culinary Association (IFCA); Chef Manjeet Gill who is the president of IFCA has been an admirer of our work.

The information of different molecules, in natural ingredients as well as synthetic ones, is present. We have been asking a couple of questions which are linked to it like - is it possible for us to build an artificial intelligence algorithm for classification of a molecule in a computer. We have already put up this paper for review called bio archive, and we are making code and data for the same which was not available until date.

Predicting Sweetness

India is facing an epidemic of diabetes. In general, lifestyle and the dietary practice that people have been following has triggered the Type 2 diabetes at an early age. Therefore, a large population in India, potentially, can become diabetic, given the number of the patient reported so far and the anticipated reports by public health experts. Because sugar happens to be one of the critical factors in the diet we have in India, the question would be can we find out natural or natural-like molecule which is sweet but at the same time not adding calorie to the food we consume.

Referring To Health Indication

We, inevitably, consume food which, somehow, interacts with our body to give rise to desirable and, sometimes, undesirable effects. Because of over-consuming or taking it in a proportion which is not prescribed, we may end up having disorders. That’s where the question of what to eat and what not to eat lies when it comes to health and nutrition. The food itself is fairly complex in terms of what it constitutes micro or macronutrients; on top of it, body mechanism is vastly complicated.

Therefore, many researchers are studying the effects of red wine on health and more food ingredients. Often, people are coming up with contradictory conclusions on the effects of Red wine on health; they might be referring to a generic health indication or a specific disease.

Given this premise, within the purview of computational gastronomy, we wanted to compile all these scientifically published evidence in Medline. Doing it manually would not have been possible. We applied artificial Intelligence tools and created text-mining protocol - a protocol which will make sense of human-readable sentences.

This aggregates and will tell if the ingredient used is having a positive or negative impact on health.

We created Diet Rx – the idea was to create a repository of all the researches. It has 2,222 ingredients and effects on health, positive and negative, altogether.

Food Pairings of Indian Cuisines

Yes, we did food pairing of 2500 Indian cuisines as well. We picked up the cuisines from eight regions of India. These regions were decided on the basis of the geography as well as culture. We studied on the cuisines from South India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jain, Punjabi, Mughlai, Rajasthani and Bangla.

The food pairing can help you in designing Mughlai recipes. I am not claiming that we have an algorithm or technique but if you take an existing recipe and want to tweak it then food pairing data, through its analysis, can help you come up with the possible alternatives. It won’t tell you the existing recipe is good or it should change. We have taken it as a standard – the ground truth; we have assumed that it’s been cooked from centuries and the population, at large, likes it.

How it will help the industry? The chefs can think of tweaking the recipes, or even they can come up with a recipe from ground zero (starting from the scratch). One can think of food beverage pairing; given a recipe what kind of beverage can go with it, whether it is alcoholic or non-alcoholic; the industry has been interested in knowing this.

Culinary fingerprints

We look at the recipe, ingredients and flavour molecules and try to come up with various patterns which define them. You can call them quintessential features of a cuisine. That’s useful for the marketers in the food industry.

Negative Food Pairing

Given a certain bunch of ingredients, say a basket of tomatoes, onions, etc. if you randomly put them all together, even such recipe will have some food pairing. Ingredients have some similarity in terms of their flavour molecules. So, compared to such a randomized version, the real recipe of Western cuisine, tend to have a uniform positive pairing.

On the contrary, below zero or below the random cuisine, Indian recipes have lesser similarity when compared to the randomized bunch. That’s why we call it negative pairing. There’s nothing negative in terms of bad.

 

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10-Step Checklist To Run a Successful Floating Restaurant Business in Mumbai
10-Step Checklist To Run a Successful Floating Restaurant Business in Mumbai
 

Running a floating restaurant business in Mumbai is not an easy task. A lot of hurdles come to the way of the owners of such businesses. Here is a 10-step checklist to run a successful floating restaurant business in Mumbai.

- To start with such businesses, it is very important to acquire a new vessel which suits the waters of the area and has been cleared in all functional tests.

- The first step towards building the business is to acquire all mandatory licenses, permissions and concerned NOCs. For Celestial, we acquired 108 licenses over three years to make sure our business was approved by all government and maritime committees. The process has been laid out now as there are more businesses coming up in the same industry, but this stands out to be the most exhaustive and challenging process in setting up a floating restaurant in Mumbai.

- Another important point here would be to understand the scalability of the business, and if there’s scope to scale the business ahead since the vessel itself is a huge investment adding up to the time taken for the business to breakeven.  

- The entrance which helps in boarding the vessel should have a gangway (a narrow passage that joins the quarterdeck to the forecastle of the boat). This part is important for safe embarkation and debarkation of passengers. For eg: AB Celestial is permanently anchored alongside the Jetty with a breasting barge, therefore, it is comfortable to board at any time without using a boat to go to and fro. 

- The yacht strictly needs to be serviced every year. There are inspection and service checklists that need to be taken into high consideration for a good life span and optimal functioning of the boat. From inspection of the hull, keel and rudder to applying essential paints, oils and antifoul for vessel’s durability and performance; even the smallest of issues need to be taken care of every year.

- Safety equipment should be up to date. At no point should the boat have lesser safety, security and lifesaving equipment than its capacity for passengers, especially in the case of life jackets.

- There are daily, monthly checks involved in a yacht too depending on the usage in water. Since Celestial doesn’t sail, it mostly requires monthly checks to prevent corrosion, straining of water and operating temperature. A dedicated team of safety and security helps us maintain the vessel over the working season.

- With respect to safety, since I handle daily operations too, I’m always on duty to check fire safety measures, smoke alarms, heat detectors, etc. This is a daily process involved in my tasks. Our head chef ensures kitchen safety which comes under the restaurant and boat maintenance.

- For a floating restaurant business, it is important to have a dedicated trained, professional crew who stay 24X7 aboard on the vessel.

- Marine furniture and furnishings are integral to the design, comfort and functionality of each of the spaces on board. It’s important to look for durability, weight, compactness and adaptability of the interiors and exteriors. Building and maintaining interiors majorly depends on the usage as well as the added exposure to changeable temperatures and added moisture at sea.

Also Read: Three Years And 108 Licenses – Know How India's First Floatel Opened Doors For Other Water Businesses


Aishwarya Bhende is the Director at AB Celestial, Mumbai’s first Luxury Floating Restaurant. The floating restaurant was launched in 2017. 


 

 

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Approach Investors With A Clear Business Plan: Michelin-Star Chef Garima Arora's Advice to Restaurant Startups
Approach Investors With A Clear Business Plan: Michelin-Star Chef Garima Arora's Advice to Restaurant Startups
 

Garima Arora's Gaa cooked up a storm, recently, when the restaurant was awarded the Michelin star within two years of its opening. This made the 32-year-old the first Indian woman to get a Michelin! She has also been named in the Entrepreneur India's 35 Under 35 list.

"I kept doing what I believed in, what was right for my restaurant and my team," says Garima Arora.

Garima Arora started her career as a pharma journalist. She left for Le Cordon Bleu Paris, in 2008, to pursue her passion, cooking. Garima has worked with several renowned chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Gaggan Anand. She had also done an internship at Noma in Copenhagen, where she worked with Chef René Redzepi for three months. "I've always known I would want to have my restaurant one day. After some research into the profession, I decided to do it right then, as cooking is very demanding, physically and mentally," says Garima.

The food she serves at Gaa, in Bangkok, is phenomenal. So far, her restaurant has received no external funding, and she doesn't intend to go that way in the future, too. The restaurant has five partners where Garima owns a 20% stake of the company. Speaking about the unique concept of her restaurant, she says, "We're striving to create something unique from age-old and modern techniques. What the guests experience at Gaa is food that doesn't exist outside of my restaurant." Going ahead on the road of profitability, Garima Arora confirms that her restaurant business broke even in January 2019.

Gaa has cooked for around 24,000 guests since its launch on April 1, 2017, including the Indian celebrity guests - Suneil Shetty, Kabir Bedi, Kishore Bajaj, Ashutosh Garg and the Zaveri family.

Also Read: Michelin-Star Chef Vineet Bhatia Says Restaurants Should Focus On Technicality And Flavours

Being in the restaurant business has its own highs and lows. Speaking about her entrepreneurial journey, Garima Arora says, "The low is the long hours and missing all-time with family and friends, but running your own business is one of the most rewarding feelings. You work alongside your team day in and day out and you grow together."

In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Michelin-Star Chef Garima Arora speaks about her entrepreneurial journey with Gaa. 

One take away from your early career which you want the young chefs to know

Keep your head down and work hard. There is never ever a shortcut for hard work. 

Your experiences while working with Gordon Ramsay and at Noma

Gordon Ramsay's kitchen taught me humility; my experience at Verre humbled me. Noma changed me not only as a cook but also as a person. There I learned that cooking can be a cerebral exercise, it is way beyond just physical work. 

The idea behind serving modern eclectic cuisine at Gaa.

We strive to create a modern tasting menu which is completely unique to our restaurant. The ultimate goal is for our guests to leave Gaa feeling the joy of having tasted something new for the very first time. 

Your strategy on menu planning at Gaa

There are two approaches to our process: produce and technique. Either we start with an interesting ingredient or a very fascinating technique. Somewhere down the line, the two meet. 

May we expect your restaurant in India any time soon?  

Right now Gaa and Bangkok is my main focus. 

As a chef, what is your approach towards zero wastage food policy? 

The kitchen is generally run to make sure that you have the least food wastage. This is to keep your food cost low and this factor alone naturally leans towards sustainability. It makes sense to not waste food, especially from a business standpoint. 

Gaa has four investors. Please share key strategies on how a restaurant start-up should approach investors?

- It's better that you have a previous working relationship with them.

- Have to be transparent about your end goal.

- Have a clear business plan.

- Have a timeline in mind where the return of investment is concerned.

- Believe in what you do.

 

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Five Strategies that Restaurant Startups Must Adopt to Grow
Five Strategies that Restaurant Startups Must Adopt to Grow
 

A fast-casual restaurant startup could require mid-to-high six figures as the initial investment, whereas the fine-dining or a casual-dining restaurant in India needs a huge amount for efficient functioning. India is the second largest startup ecosystem in the world and is expected to witness a growth of 10-12% per year. A question on how to increase the profit margins always remains on top of the mind of the restaurateurs. If you are putting up the restaurant business, you definitely want to see more and more customers walk-in through the doors, besides, maintaining a loyal clientele.

Below are the tried-and-tested ways for the growth of the profit margins of your restaurant startup.

From renting your venue out for private events to offering a seasonal menu, there are multiple research-backed strategies you can use to run a successful restaurant. Here are five growth strategies that your restaurant startup must follow to boost the growth curve. 

Good Social Media Presence 

Representational picture | Photo Credits Pixabay.com

Social media presence has, in recent times, become an essential part for a restaurant existence in the market. What we really keep in mind is that our Facebook and Instagram presence is so strong that it actually attracts the audience to come and stay at the place. For example, in our most recent campaign, we collaborated with a bunch of social media fashion influencers and came up with a concept "food meets fashion". We did a couple of videos photo shoots that actually revolved around our food meeting these fashion divas. This involved a lot of cross promotions, etc. Also, a very active social media presence helps the viewers to become potential customers.

Must Read: Know Your Clientele: Varun Puri Suggests Restaurateurs

Strong Conceptualization

Representational picture | Photo Credits Pixabay.com

The restaurant industry in India works on a strong conceptualisation, which essentially means a concept that your restaurant business is made or built upon. All our outlets for Imly have an individual and important concept behind. For instance, our first-ever Imly (Rajendra Place) was built as a train-like looking ambience from inside and outside. Depicting the true nature of the concept which was getting food from several states of India under one roof, and mostly street food which uses a lot of sweet and sour flavours with tamarind - Imly and, hence, the name.

Good Food

Representational picture | Photo Credits Pixabay.com

Good food is the essence of a good restaurant. It’s actually the Hero. You can give your guests everything but he'd just end up coming back for how good your food was/is. The signature dishes in our outlets like - Palak Patta at Imly, Nalli Nihari, Lamb Chops at Too Indian, etc have been loved by our patrons and we've actually included them in our new restaurant chain's menu. 

Welcoming Service Staff Presence

Representational picture | Photo Credits Pixabay.com

First impressions are very important and most of you would agree to the fact that apart from how the restaurant looks the first impression also comes from how your team greets the guests. Like escorting the guests to their respective tables for starters and then greeting them with a smile and being polite. All these things count in making a good effort for your guests to make them come back. There should always be something for the guests to look/come up to.

Click To Read: The Best Way To Advertise Your Restaurant

Good Offline Marketing Strategies

Online marketing is really the new-age marketing technique being followed by anyone and everyone. But the good old offline marketing strategies never go out of style. Few things we've been implementing regularly - hosting a lot of events at regular intervals, advertising in media and a strong PR is really an integral part of your visibility. 


Varun Puri is the Founder of Duty Free Bar in Gurugram.


 

 

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Food Displays and Good Menu Are The Best Ways To Advertise Your Restaurant, Says Chef Vivek Kalia
Food Displays and Good Menu Are The Best Ways To Advertise Your Restaurant, Says Chef Vivek Kalia
 

The Executive Chef of Indore Marriott Hotel, Vivek Kalia, puts his heart and soul into the kitchen focusing on quality, attention to detail and consistency. His knowledge of food, its preparations, flavour and presentation make him a coveted name in the hospitality world. His firm belief on the quality ingredients, the right skill set and consistency throughout his career has given him an accolade of an excellent facility benefactor.

With a career span of about 18 years in the hospitality industry, Chef Vivek Kalia has risen through various ranks in an extent of time. With a forte in Italian Cuisine, the executive chef also specializes in French, European and Spanish and Indian cuisine.  His strong suit of comfort food brings the exclusivity to his art of cooking. Prior to joining Marriott Indore, Vivek worked with Preopening CY Agra and Goa Marriott Resort and Spa, Hotel Renaissance, Mumbai and Hotel Radisson MBD, Noida, The Udaivilas Udaipur and Jai Mahal Palace Jaipur. He closely worked with renowned chefs from France, Europe, America and Australia that took him to the roots of international food. His major learning comes from his time and exposure with Marriott. Vivek has travelled across the country to cognize the varied palates in India.

In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Indore Marriott Hotel's Executive Chef Vivek Kalia speaks about his idea of menu designing and the best ways to advertise a restaurant.

Staying Focused Right From the Beginning

I was born in a middle-class family where family values were the key and the most important thing and valuing food during every celebration were taught to us from childhood. I was a tough child to feed and I remember my mother and grandma preparing innovative dishes to get me to eat and also get interested in food. Nutrition came to me by having wraps, of parathas and sandwiches.

Those early morning preparations by my mother for every festivity interested me from the very beginning. I always wanted to do something creative from the start of my childhood, but being a chef was always considered a taboo in the suburbs of India in the late nineties'. I definitely thank my parents for inspiring me to pursue my passion of becoming a chef.

Right from the start of my career, my parents guided me to follow my passion. I remember my father was suffering from peripheral damage of his backbone and was bedridden for almost a year, but he always motivated me to stay sharp and focused on my career.

Creating Food Stories on Plate

Facilitated by some of the best chefs of India and other parts of the world, I have gained and picked the best of the traits required for being an expert chef and developed my own style of comfort cooking.

My philosophy of food is that by using the right ingredients and having the right fundamentals of cooking techniques, one can create a beautiful food story that is depicted appropriately in a plate.

Must Read: Restaurants Must Have Proper Structure And Design, Else They Will Collapse

Remember, Your Dish is Key Highlight on the Menu!

A personalized tailor-made dish with a well-balanced approach to a customer's desire, an intense eye for detail and of course it is the 'dish' and not the price that is the highlight. These are what I believe is the key to good menu design. I also am of the opinion that menu designing and restaurant food displays are the best advertisers for restaurants. Local, fresh and seasonal descriptors are something that I keep in mind during the initial framework for a menu.

Also Read: Also Read: Menu Hacks For Your Online Food Delivery Business In Mumbai

The Secret to Delivering a Great Service at the Restaurants

Great presentation and prompt service make a memorable experience for the customers.

The secret to the delivery of great service is to anticipate the guests’ needs and demands, setting the expectations right, prompt delivery of the innovative and creative special dish and staying in close touch with the customer makes up for great service delivery.

Maintaining Customers' Loyalty by Organising Authentic Food Festivals at Restaurants

I believe that food festivals play a crucial role in maintaining the popularity and customer loyalty of a restaurant. Authentic food festivals should be organized when the chef is able to bring innovation to the table and also change the flavour of the dish according to the guests' request. This will eventually help with incremental sales and serve as a boon for assistant chefs to learn new aspects of cooking. In other words, it's a win-win for both - increasing footfalls at the restaurant and training and motivating staff.

Must Read: How Authentic Food Festivals Affect Restaurant Business?

Five Restaurant Customer Engagement Mistakes

- Not understanding the customer needs and demand.

- The inconsistency of both - food on the plate and prompt service.

- Not giving the guest a reason to return.

- Poor marketing.

- No personal connection.

An Advice to a Chef who is Just Starting Out

Remember you are not going to be a celebrity TV chef in two years. Find the right culinary school and gain the best practical experience with professional chefs, the rest is your passion and patience which will be the driving force for your career. The opportunities in India and abroad are immense so be assured there is a job out there for you.

Fine-dining Trends in India in 2019

The fine-dining trends in 2019 start with the chef's determination that is his creativity and strength keeping best of the ingredients in mind, lacto-vegetarian focused, organic and farm fresh products will be on a high-rise in the Indian Fine-Dining Sector in 2019. The focus will be on reducing food wastage and introduce more locally inspired cuisines that will create an emphasis on direct farm sourcing to maintain the fresh tag and give the maximum to the source who is the farmer.

Food Trends in India

And of course, there are new food trends such as:

Organic food: This is the trend and a key to leading a healthy life.

Farm fresh: where the supply is direct to the users and does not sit in cold storages. The next level to it would be setting up a table in a farm where fresh ingredients are plucked from the garden and cooked live in front of the guests.

Health-oriented: The calories are kept in check and exciting dishes are made for the guests keeping his diet in mind. These diet plan sync into a fitness program being designed in collaboration with the fitness trainer present at the Indore Marriott Hotel.

Less are more: Generally, a plate has fewer carbs and is more inclined to the presentation.

 

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A Win-Win Deal for Restaurants and Consumers! How To Snag Profits With This 100% Vegan Debit Card
A Win-Win Deal for Restaurants and Consumers! How To Snag Profits With This 100% Vegan Debit Card
 

Vegannection created a rage as soon as it was launched; it's the world's first 100% vegan prepaid cash card. Vegannection is created and run by an international group of humble vegans who set out to do what they can to contribute to making this world a better place.

"We are very grateful to have extremely talented and dedicated professionals on our team committed to making Vegannection as great as possible."
~JP McCormack

JP McCormack, Vegannection Partner, the UK and Ireland, tells Restaurant India about the world’s first 100% vegan debit card and its scope in the Indian market.


Read the News: World's First 100% Vegan Debit Card Launched


The Idea Behind Vegannection

Having experience in running a vegan business, we have felt, first hand, how difficult it is to compete with non-vegan businesses and already established big brands. On the other hand, we had this idea about creating something that would entice people to buy vegan products even more. Joining forces with other vegan professionals and having conducted extensive market research, we have developed this tool that would support 100% vegan economy and give people a better shopping experience while rewarding them for buying 100% vegan.

Response from the Restaurant Partners Worldwide

Given how Vegannection is not limited to just restaurants, we have been getting an amazing response from all types of vegan businesses from around the world. The things that our partners point out is how easy and practical it is to work with Vegannection card and how the consumer benefits Vegannection offers bring them more clients.

Vegannection in Indian Market

With vegan restaurants, catering and home delivery becoming available in almost all the cities, veganism is definitely on the rise in India. What we at Vegannection will be looking to accomplish will be to help vegan restaurants and food establishments grow even more by rewarding the conscious consumers for choosing them, thus, bringing them more clients, and loyal ones.

Vegan Food in India

It is widely known that, when it comes to Vegan food, India has one of the friendliest cuisines around. Flamboyant use of spices and sauces charms new life into the likes of potatoes, cauliflower, peas, and eggplant which makes us all the more excited to partner with Indian vegan food establishments.

Must Read: These Restaurants Are Breaking The Mental Block With Vegan Diet

Promotional Strategy with Vegannection

Our promotional strategy is based on constant research, development and upgrading of our service and the referral aspect of Vegannection where our clients enjoy the benefits of vegannecting with other people.

We believe that the best possible marketing is the excellence of the product, the better it is, and the more people talk about it.

As a result, Vegannection has already been featured on radio shows, major internet vegan media brands and despite being focused only on London, the UK, we now have cardholders in 37 different countries worldwide.

We obviously maintain a very active presence on social media, but for the most part, we just let Vegannection speak for itself.

Also Read: How This Blogger Turned Her Passion For Vegan Food Into A Restaurant

Vegannection Expansion Plans

Our current plan is to focus January on London area, followed by other cities in the UK come February, then other countries in Europe such as, Spain, France and Ireland in March after which we will turn to other continents looking to expand to Asia, US, South America, etc.

 

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Be Experimental, Add Regional Cuisines on Menu: Maneesh Baheti's Advice to Restaurants
Be Experimental, Add Regional Cuisines on Menu: Maneesh Baheti's Advice to Restaurants
 

South Asian Association for Gastronomy is one-of-a-kind initiative, by Maneesh Baheti, that focuses on connecting the culinary heritage and history of various regions from across the world. South Asian Association for Gastronomy or S.A.A.G. believes in the authoritative representation of gastronomy at the regional level. It’s the love for various unexplored cuisines which Maneesh Baheti discovered during his travels at the SAARC region of Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, that he came up with S.A.A.G.

In tête-à-tête with Restaurant India, Founder of S.A.A.G. Maneesh Baheti speaks about the importance of global regional cuisines and the long-term benefits of introducing them at restaurants in India.

What led you to start S.A.A.G.?

I am a hotelier by profession. My work depends on that. When I travelled around South Asia, I realized there is a huge curiosity about Indian food and culture among the people there. Likewise, in India, bigger chefs are popular but people know little about the bigger chefs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. And I felt the gap has to be bridged. That’s how I came up with the concept for South Asian Association for Gastronomy or S.A.A.G.

I collaborated with noted chefs, leading hoteliers, restaurateurs and luminaries from the hospitality industry. At various events organised by S.A.A.G., Md Azharuddin, Bishan Singh Bedi, Virender Sehwag had talked about fitness and their diet regime. People want to know what celebrities are eating, what are their favourite stars’ diet regimes.

Through S.A.A.G., we brought royalty out of their palaces to share the knowledge of their culinary heritage with people. For example, at the recent Food For Thought Fest 2018 we celebrated the India-Indonesia friendship; a 16-member troupe from Indonesia came at the fest for cultural performance and the presence of Masterchef Iswarni MZ from West Sumatra gave us tremendous encouragement.

How Do You See Indonesian Food in India?

The Indonesian cuisines are regionally driven like West Sumatra has its own rich culinary culture. We just know typical Indonesian cuisines like Nasi Goreng and Gado Gado. There is much more to explore.

Expert Advice on How To Boost Sales at a Restaurant

If decisions are commercially driven, you could not experiment. My advice to the restaurants and the hospitality industry is to become experimental. Initially, to include regional cuisines may not be commercially viable but —

(a) The move will help the brand position well. Consumers will identify them as the brands which bring new cuisines and culinary trends to the forefront.

(b)If the positioning is right, it will help them commercially. My advice is - don’t see at the short-term gains in introducing the regional cuisines on the menu, look at the long-term benefits of positioning yourself as the pioneer brand that introduces new cuisines to people.

Must Read: Three Proven Ways To Retain Your Restaurant Staff

Gastronomy Trends in India

When I started my career in 1990, there were no social media. The internet boom has created a foodie in everybody. That trend will become even better.

Another trend is that of home chefs, which will be massive in the next few years.

The third is the global regional cuisines undiscovered in India yet. For example, we showcased Indonesian cuisine; we invited Masterchef Iswarni MZ from West Sumatra. Foodies want to know the authentic cuisines beyond the ones they already know. People want to know what is authentic whether it is an Afghani cuisine or from any other particular region of the globe.

 

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Nestle India Rolls Out a New Scheme to Curb Plastic Waste
Nestle India Rolls Out a New Scheme to Curb Plastic Waste
 

To curb plastic waste, Nestle India, one of the largest food companies in the country, has rolled out a new scheme that would certainly become a hit among consumers. Nestle India wants to make 100 per cent of packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025. Bring 10 empty Maggi packets and get one noodles' packet free is all that the brand wants its consumers to do through Maggi Wrappers Return Scheme.

Switching to Simpler Packaging

Nestle India eyes switching to mono-materials for packaging instead of multi-layer plastic packaging. By 2025, the brand wants to use 25% rPET or recycled PET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) in its plastic bottles across Europe.  In addition, it will be collaborating with other industry players who will help the food and beverages brand develop better packaging waste management systems including effective recycling processes.

Through the Scheme, the food and beverages brand focusses on  - encouraging the use of plastics that allow for better recycling rates, eliminating non-recyclable plastics and working to remove or change complicated combinations of packaging materials such as laminates, paper/plastics, etc.

Nestlé India Spokesperson said, "Nestlé India as part of its various plastic waste management initiatives has also launched a Maggi Wrappers return scheme as a pilot project in Dehradun and Mussoorie for consumers, by working with around 250 retailers in the region, who shall collect Maggi Wrappers. Consumers are given a packet of Maggi Noodles for every 10 Maggi noodle wrappers they return. We are hopeful that this will bring about a behaviour change in consumers and help create awareness for responsibly disposing of plastic waste and prevent littering."

Why Nestle uses Plastics?

Nestle observes that food packaging plays an important role in protecting food and preventing food waste without compromising the safety and quality of its products; plastics are durable, safe, hygienic, lightweight and strong. It is also inexpensive. With new technology and innovations, there is a wider choice. Therefore, Nestle is turning toward more eco-friendly formats.

Tackling Plastic Pollution with the New Scheme

Nestle India, initially, will work with 250 retailers in and near Dehradun and Mussoorie on the Maggi Wrappers Return Scheme. Reports say that upon successful completion of the collection of the empty packets, the brand will hand over the plastics to the Indian Pollution Control Association so that it could be disposed of properly.

Earlier, in a joint research by Gati Foundation and Uttarakhand Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board, had reported Nestle’s Maggi, Parle’s Frooti and PepsiCo’s Lay’s were among the food and beverage brand names causing high plastic pollution. The research cited the reason that since the consumers were not properly disposing of the empty packets, there was a rise in plastic pollution, especially in and near the hill stations.

 

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Digital Marketing is Changing the Way Restaurants Do Business
Digital Marketing is Changing the Way Restaurants Do Business
 

Virtual Reality can change the food experience; today food industry is on the forefront of innovation generating $700 billion annually. Also, it is the industry providing employment to one out of ten people according to the National Restaurant Association. Hospitality sector builds confidence, leadership skills, and excellent problem solving skills. Food service management is a job where about 40% of those working in a management capacity are self-employed. But the success of this business depends upon how well the marketing part is played. We can witness the competition in this industry and digitalization has made it even more competitive. An excellent customer review could do wonders and a single critic could impact the restaurant business.

As we are never tired of saying, food service experience starts from dining to satiate the palates giving the customers an alluring ambience as well. It is a work of team to build a business not a one man thing and that is why digitalization also affects food sector in a tremendous way. A study from Brick Meets Clicks showed that e-commerce is important for grocery retailers now and will grow into the future. About 4 percent of U.S. grocery sales, or $27 billion, was through e-commerce in 2014. By 2023, e-commerce could account for up to 17 percent of grocery sales, according to the researchers which speaks the volume in itself.

Here are few ways how digital marketing could help growing the business.

Knowledge Opens the Door

Do your homework properly; do research about the market, trend, industry, competitors and consumers. You would be ready to take it on face if you’re prepared to the fullest. Just keep your eyes and ears open and hunt the opportunity down. History has proved that there are numerous owners who have started their careers from stacking or washing dishes; they made their way from an entry level position because in food service sector totally depends up on the knowledge and skills of the business. But who would have known about their struggle without media or digitalization? Therefore it is important to know where they should market or publicize to get their product in consumers’ knowledge. Tattooing their brand in people’s mind would take a little time but it’s worth it because digitalization could even do wonders in a single night. They just need to have the knowledge of industry, management and how to sell their product and obviously their passion and love for the industry would play the foremost role.

Experiment is the key to success

As food industry is up for innovations and experiments these days; building new theories and new trends are the new words for this industry. And, the work has not finished yet, now they need to post their experiment every where possible, to make it digital and in people’s knowledge. Once, something is on net it’s everywhere then. Key is to find the niche and experiment with that. Give customers something to relate i.e.’ cuisine, service, quality or ambience and make strategy according to that.

Keep the crowd coming back

Engaging your crowd is one of the hardest deeds in the hospitality sector. Keep pitching your products, interact with them, and do offer those discounts or schemes like that. Make videos, take reviews, freebies- interaction and engagement is there for the taking.

Post your food

Blogging and posting about food has become the new trend. It creates traffic which led to an imprint in people’s mind. It is a stupendous way to engage customers and that would also help you to feed the social media content. This will also keep your crowd coming back and also could connect you to the other foodies, food bloggers and vloggers to you; they are the ones keep posting about food. They could be a great medium to promote your food among people.

Invest at right place

You must look out where you’re investing. Investing in good food satiate the palates same as investing in the right direction satiates the business. Therefore, financing is an important part. Restaurateurs could also hire someone to watch over all the marketing part.

Hospitality business seems glorious but at the same time is difficult to handle. It requires hard work, a lot of responsibilities and passion for the industry to keep working. Just enjoying the work and then following right direction is enough.

 

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Learn How to Build & Sustain the Bond with Regular Customers
Learn How to Build & Sustain the Bond with Regular Customers
 

Serving the best food in the world doesn’t always mean a full restaurant every night if no one knows just how good your food is. Sometimes you need to do a little extra promotion to attract more customers to your restaurant. Once they’re inside and trying your food, they’ll keep coming back time and time again.

According to a report published by Food Service Warehouse (FSW), frequent guests typically account for about 15% of a business’s customer base, providing at least one-third of the revenue. Building new customer is difficult; however, making regular customers permanent is even more difficult. You need to use certain techniques other than advertising to create a regular customer.

Some of the best strategies for achieving regular customers in your restaurant are:

Loyalty programs: Loyalty program is very important to make regular customers even better customers. This can be done by offering them rewards for their repeat businesses. A loyalty program can include point systems and advanced software that analyses customers’ purchasing patterns. This program will focus on strengthening the bond with repeat customers in order to increase revenue and improve a restaurants’ reputation through word-of-mouth.

Bounce backs:  Incentives and bounce back can be offered to new customers to make them come back to your restaurant. Though first impressions are very important in gaining name and fame, it is also true that people do not become repeat customers on just a single visit. To create regular customers, you need to get people to return at least once more.

Online outlet: This is a great way to spread your wings as access for customers becomes easier.

Good Communication: Try talking to people; know what they like and dislike about your restaurant. Because your customer may transfer his thoughts to his friend and this can give you a new customer as well as a repeat customer. This will also not harm your image.

Service: Service is what people come to your restaurant; make them feel that they are on the top of the world. Generating customer is something which is in your hands; people get attracted to the food, service and ambience in your restaurant. If you have all the three combos in your restaurant, the customer will be at your door again.

 

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Your Restaurant Needs a Strong Social Media Presence
Your Restaurant Needs a Strong Social Media Presence
 

Today, businesses are highly aware of the value of social media data, and the importance of communicating with their audiences. Social media has not only proved its ability to produce tangible results but has also demonstrated the capacity to develop strong contact points between brands and their customers and improve customer experience.

Social media is everywhere and is vastly expanding - but what effect do the various social platforms have on a company's brand awareness, engagement, revenue, and sales?

Use it Wisely

You cannot ignore the power of social media within the restaurant industry. In fact, it could easily be said that if you are not online you are more or less trying to communicate with your guests with two tin cans bound with a piece of string. Now being old-school might be cool, that is just a little too out of date.

80% of the people will look at a restaurant online prior to  visiting for the first time. This means it will check out a restaurant website and browse through online reviews.

Vasudevan Cheruvulli, Owner, Pan India Foods say,” Social media is an inevitable part of running a modern business. Whether your business is active on social media or not, you can be sure that your guests are tweeting, posting, and Instagramming about your restaurant online. Billions of people use social media. This is not a fad, and it's not something that can just be used by individuals to communicate. Social media now has an immense presence in conducting business, especially for restaurants.”

Research has it that 75% of people who browse food photos say they have chosen a place to eat based on social media. That means by just simply posting a photo of your food, you could be bringing in your next customer.

From the cost-effectiveness point of view, Virat Kapoor, Owner, The Sammy Sosa says,” The concept of pay per click enables businesses or business owners to actually determine the effectiveness of a campaign which was not possible through other forms of advertisements.”

Stressing it further Vasudevan says,” Today, more people are eating in restaurants than ever before. Diners love to research their options on Google and look at their social media sites before choosing a location.”

Food Products Going Viral

The KFC Double Down is a perfect example of this effect. When chain restaurants rolled out new items in the past, they were confined to a small market and the impact of the item was only local. This meant that a new sandwich could create a local buzz, but not much more.

The Double Down was similarly released in a small market, but the presence of social media caused it to become a national topic. Even though a lot of this publicity was necessary, it still got people talking about the KFC brand. Similar effects have been seen at the chain Hardees.

Because of instances like this, analysts have predicted that companies will make even more outrageous products.

Transparency in Business

Online review sites and social media have transformed restaurant marketing from word-of-mouth to world-of-mouth. In just click of a button, we can share a photo of our favorite dessert with the world. That has power. You need to respect and harness that power in order to build your brand.

Vasudevan shares three unique ways of utilizing social media for the business.

  • Respond to Online Reviews:By addressing negative reviews and showing appreciation for positive ones, the brand can create a transparent and friendly persona online. It should not be afraid to talk about its flaws and make a public attempt to improve upon them.
  • Share Customer- Generated Content: Brands can their customers into valuable brand ambassadors by sharing their comments and photos on the same social media. By acknowledging these posts and encouraging them the Brand can create social proof for itself and hence generate a backlog of social media content.
  • Ask Questions to Engage Followers:Social media is about more than just telling your followers what's happening at your restaurant. It's also about listening to them. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are a great way to create a two-way dialogue with your customers.

Commenting on its use, Vimal Verma, Director, Andaz, says,” It totally depends on your target customer and their behaviours and once it is known then the suitable medium can be used to make it effective and relevant.”

Social media pages are a great way to establish transparency. Guests should always be encouraged to leave reviews and post pictures about their experience at your restaurant.

Social media pages are a great way to establish transparency. Guests should always be encouraged to leave reviews and post pictures about their experience at your restaurant.

Scaling Profits

Everyone likes to share experience and likes the engagement with restaurants. More engagements would lead to more return of customers and more business. All international travellers also look for recommendations from google or tripadvisior or other mediums to see the dining options.

“Correct presence and good reviews give confidence to someone who wants to try for the first time and you can acquire a new customer”, added Verma

 

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Why This Restaurant Believes In Changing Menu Fortnightly
Why This Restaurant Believes In Changing Menu Fortnightly
 

How did food happen to you?

A man is what he eats. There is nothing else in this world that stimulates all our five senses.  Given the diversity, you could go on eating new cuisines everyday yet require 12 Lives to live to taste all the varieties available. And by then I am sure we would have explored more cuisines.

What was the whole idea providing consulting to restaurant brands?

I believe managing and operating a restaurant is an art. Having an educational background along with work experience with some of the most renowned brands in the industry like the Marriott group helps other restaurant brands in their growth. Hence, we as a hospitality company started taking up management for restaurants apart from our owned ones.

How is your service unique from others in the industry?

We believe in creating a human touch in everything we do. Our company offers a complete set of services required to run a restaurant or a hotel and with a bunch of young minds and experienced teammates, thereby making us unique.

When did you think of opening your own restaurant?

Having our own restaurant was always on my mind. However; in the beginning of 2017 I worked upon my dream project which had its own unique concept which involved a good amount of research work and a well experienced team. Once everything amalgamated we opened our first restaurant in May 2017.

How much money you have put in to come with this concept?

Well, the key is that you invest only the amount you are sure to get the return of. Feasibility study has to be very important. If you ever want to calculate a rough approx just multiply your sq. ft area with INR 8000. You should get an estimated figure to begin your work with. But remember, location is the most important thing here.

You change your restaurant menu every 14 days with one international and one Indian cuisine. What is the idea?

Mondo Fine Dine being my first restaurant, I wanted to have a unique concept which would educate people about various international cuisines. Hence, we started with the concept of changing our menu every fortnight.

How much do you believe in local and sustainable eating?

Firstly both the terms are not same. We use a lot of local vegetables which are bought and sold to us directly by the agri community from the forests. Have you ever tasted a smoked bamboo or something which is called chicken spinach? I believe more than anything, the ingredient has to be sustainable, cause remember everyone will taste it in the future.

What is your favourite part of playing with flavours?

I love breaking the flavors. It takes a lot of patience to find out the complimenting flavours which help in breaking the flavor. One has to keep in mind that he cannot play with the texture of the key ingredient of the star of the dish. He could end up finding a new complimentary flavour all together. As once we mixed Kafir Lime, Curry leaves and Sugarcane to create the highest selling drink of MONDO.

What trends you see going forward that will disrupt the food biz?

Molecular, Nitrogen foaming and Fusion. These started with complimenting flavours and now the texture and state of the dish is first decided before deciding the dish. I believe that ingredients should be given respect. They go through a lot before reaching your table.

What is your expansion plans?

I believe in moving forward slow and steadily hence, we are expanding slowly and shall be announcing about the same soon.

 

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Why Street Marketing Is A Necessity For A Brand
Why Street Marketing Is A Necessity For A Brand
 

 

Street marketing provides the option of promoting your venture in an unconventional way in various public places. Going for street marketing thus can promote a brand to the maximum extent informing people about the presence of your restaurant.Street marketing includes the activities which can be done on the street in order to create brand awareness. “Restaurateurs need to understand the importance of street marketing in the current time. It is one big tool which helps in creating your brand awareness targeting maximum number of people,” says Shah Nawaz Hussain, Owner, Al Nawaz. 

Benefits

Street marketing provides the opportunity to eliminate all kinds of challenges in the way of marketing and promotion. You get to meet directly with your potential customers and are one terrific way to drive business right at the venture’s door. A huge impact can be created by opting for street marketing which works in favor of the restaurant.

Hats and T-Shirts

Printed t-shirts with the logo and restaurant’s name speak for the brand. Adding website in clear font at back side of t-shirt also contribute towards brand's advertisement. Employees should be encouraged  to wear those t-shirts while outside as it grabs attention. Giving free t-shirts to your best customers adds to your marketing idea. “Providing free t-shirts and other clothing accessories always help in elevating your business. This is an era of street marketing where you should utilize it to the fullest,” shares Arijit Dutta, Co-owner, Travelistan.

Vehicle Wrap

Using your vehicle as a marketing tool is always the best option. Get an attractive design developed for your vehicle which boldly advertises the restaurant. In the current time, almost every restaurant is having a delivery option. So make sure that the delivery boy has a vehicle wrap or some kind of sticker along with him which advertises the restaurant. Commercial vehicles  can also be used for advertising. In the current advertising era, it’s indeed very important to use this feature.

Flyers and Posters

The proper use of employees and volunteers on the streets make sure that they hand out flyers and coupons to passerby. The traditional way of advertising is the best way to make a connection with people as it allows direct communication. It instantly speaks of the message trying to be communicated. Posters are another medium to grab the attention of generally most of the people. Hang them in places where people can easily see them. You should think of places where you could find a large number of people after taking permission from the concerned authority.

When it’s about street marketing, you need to have a plan according to which you are going to act and stick to it. You could consider street marketing as an overall marketing strategy as well as advertising. Be creative and find ways to communicate your message to your customers via these mentioned ways.  

 

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How Location Plays A Key Role In Running Your Food Business
How Location Plays A Key Role In Running Your Food Business
 

Location usually plays a significant role in creating brand preference and brand equity. Usually restaurateurs focus more on their menu and ambience while coming up with their own venture. But they shouldn’t forget that location should be the most important thing when it’s about entering into the food business. One should put location at the top before thinking of any other factors.

Coming up with a right location for their restaurant is the toughest challenge one face in the current time. With so much of competitions already present in the market, it’s the single most important business decision one has to make. Good food and service is vital but having a bad location can ruin everything for you and your business. “Location plays an important role in how your business is going to run. It defines the brand’s image and also contributes to the environment,” says Anubhav Dubey, Co-owner, Chai Sutta Bar.

Looking at the population:

You should be aware about the local population where your brand is going to get establish. It’s mandatory to make sure that there are enough locals in the area who can support your restaurant. You should not only target those people who are living there, but also those who are crossing by as fast crowds on a regular basis. A site study can help you in determining this.

Availability of parking:

Parking is another prime element while finalizing your restaurant. Your restaurant can still lack in targeting your customers despite having great food followed by superb service if you are not having a proper place for parking. If customers have to walk to your restaurant because of the bad parking, they will most probably look for some other place to dine out.

Analyzing the size:

Availability of the size contributes a lot in running of your restaurant. Customers don’t expect to dine at a place which is small and crowded. You should make sure that you are having proper space for your kitchen followed by the seating area. You should make sure that you are having appropriate area for the tables, bar counter, waiting area etc so that your restaurant doesn’t look clumsy. “Location and food are the two main pillars for any restaurant business. If you keep the business in a rush area with heavy footfall, that is a success in its own way. Location helps your customer to enjoy the food with you while they dine out,” shares Phani Deepak Kakarala, Owner, Shake Studio.  

Know your neighbors:

Just like your home, your neighbors also matters at a restaurant. You should be aware who’s doing business in your neighborhood and on what concept they are running their venture. If there are restaurants which are doing well, then that could be a good sign for your venture to do well. It states that there is market for growth and you can work on it. Successful businesses often attract other successful businesses. You even can have a conversation with the neighbor competition about what kind of traffic they get and how they feel about the area.

Many restaurants fail in the current time is because of the poor location. Having a good street visibility is very essential in order to run your brand successfully. Ultimately, it’s all about location which matters at last.

 

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How Word Of Mouth Marketing Is Working For Many Restaurateurs
How Word Of Mouth Marketing Is Working For Many Restaurateurs
 

According to Toasts Restaurant Technology Research, 78 per cent of diners said that they try a new place for trying cuisines on their friend’s recommendation.

Word of mouth marketing is something which many restaurateurs are now adopting in sustaining their customers while competing in the food industry. Often referred as WOM or WOMM, this trick is working for the restaurants as the trend is flowing continuously changing the expectations of the customers too.

Restaurants now are trying to provide their customers with experience other than just food to make them talk. It is very similar to making a thing viral from one person to another. Restaurants are cashing heavily on catering unique and different experiences to their diners so that they talk for them from the moment they step outside their outlet.

“I personally believe in word of mouth after the customer satisfaction and experience. I consider them as an element which can take your brand to some other level giving you a taste of success,” says Divij Bajaj,Owner, Headphones Lounge.

Traditionally the marketing strategies revolved around the 4 Ps which were product, price, promotion, and place. But with the changing time and trend, marketing strategies are changing too. Restaurants are looking for various other ways to promote their brands and maintaining their brand image. The trend of interactive approach has hit the industry which many restaurants are welcoming with the changing time.

The 3Es of Word of Mouth Marketing

Engage

Making the customer know that their opinion matters is one important thing towards engaging your customers. Initially, the internet was never the first place where people could think of getting engaged. But with technology invading every possible sector in our society, things are no more the same. Social media for restaurants have become one such place where they are cashing in a lot for engaging their customers. It has certainly become an interactive discussion platform for both the restaurants and customers. Interaction with the individual provides a sense of feeling to the customers where they regard your venture more than just another restaurant.

Equip

 Making the brand talk worthy amongst the customers should be at the core for a restaurant. It can be any form including unique and good products followed by service, social elevation, facts and many other things. The heart of a restaurant will always be the cuisines served at your restaurant. The best way to generate buzz about your restaurant should be to deliver mouth-watering attention-grabbing food. Restaurants can hold events and offers which in some way can equip customers. People these days are playing with the theme and ambiance of their restaurants which is another way of equipping them. “Word of mouth really is a big help. In my store I also see that people come and eat and later recommend our brand to their friends and families,” shares Sanjoli Agarwal, Owner, The J Café Surat.

Empower

Restaurants should provide their customers variant ways to talk and share. It is very important for them to know that their views and opinions matter; Holding regular contest and events where the customers are asked about their opinions and ideas which could be introduced for bettering their dining experience Customers are asked to submit their recommendations so that the restaurants can go through them improving their venture.

Word of mouth marketing is certainly going to play an important role in the future considering the constant change in the dining habit of diners. The 3 Es are expected to increase adding many other factors towards enhancing the experience and brand image.

 

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आपके रेस्टोरेंट के लिए 6 विपणन विचार
आपके रेस्टोरेंट के लिए 6 विपणन विचार
 

अपने रेस्टॉरेंट के लिए 6 विपणन विचार

"शेफ आशीष मैसी, निदेशक, प्राचीन बारबेक्यू (नोएडा और गुरुग्राम) कहते हैं। "आतिथ्य उद्योग बहुत तेज दर से बढ़ रहा है, क्योंकि हर रोज एक नया रेस्टोरेंट कुछ अद्वितीय अवधारणा के साथ आता है। बाजार में बनाए रखने के लिए, अपने रेस्टोरेंट / कैफे / होटलों के लिए विपणन का चयन करना आवश्यक है। विपणन करने में बाज़ार बेहद महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाता है। एक रेस्टोरेंट को बाजार में हिट या मिस बनाने में। इन दिनों में, विपणन न केवल प्रिंट या रेडियो में विज्ञापनों तक सीमित है, बल्कि उससे भी अधिक है। "हमारे रेस्टोरेंट  में, हम हर महीने विपणन गतिविधियों को आकर्षक बनाने की योजना बनाते हैं, ताकि हम हर महीने हमारे ग्राहकों के लिए नया कुछ ऑफर कर सकें। विपणन किसी-भी ब्रांड को अपने नए प्रस्तावों, छूट, स्थान के बारे में, अपने लक्षित ग्राहकों को इवेंट्स के बारे में प्रचार करने और संवाद करने में मदद करता है। मैं डिजिटल मार्केटिंग पसंद करता हूं, क्योंकि यह किसी भी दिन पदोन्नति और दृश्यता में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाता है, ब्रांड और विज्ञापनों का सबसे अच्छा तरीका है।" 

प्रसिद्धि में रहें: फेसबुक, इंस्टाग्राम, ट्विटर, यह वह जगह है, जहां आपके सभी लक्षित दर्शक झूठ बोलते हैं। प्लेटफार्मों के माध्यम से उन तक पहुंचने के लिए सुनिश्चित करें, जो वहां मौजूद हैं। समाचार-पत्रों में विज्ञापन के पारंपरिक मीडिया चैनलों और पैम्फलेट देने से न केवल एक कदम आगे बढ़ें। विशेष दिनों पर इवेंट्स बनाएं और अपनी सर्वश्रेष्ठ फोटोग्राफी और लेखन कौशल आगे बढ़ाएं। उन्हें आकर्षित करें। सोशल मीडिया विज्ञापन आसान है, पहले से ही एक दर्शक है और लगभग मुफ्त है।

वफादार ग्राहकों को पुरस्कृत करें: जो ग्राहक आपके प्रति वफादार रहे हैं, वे एक कारण से हैं। डिस्काउंट कूपन के साथ अपनी निष्ठा को पुरस्कृत करें या अधिक निजी रूप से जोड़ने के लिए, अपने जन्मदिन ट्रैक करें और उन्हें उस दिन एक निःशुल्क पैकेज या विशेष छूट भेजें और वे आपकी तरफ से बने रहें। यह न केवल उन्हें वफादार बनाएगा, बल्कि मुंह के शब्द से आपके ब्रांड का प्रचार करेगा। हर किसी को पहचानने और देखभाल करने की इच्छा है। एक ब्रांड के रूप में काम करो !

स्थानीय प्रभावकों को आमंत्रित करें: इसे एक बड़ी श्रृंखला बनाएं या सिर्फ स्टार्ट-अप करें। प्रसिद्ध ब्लॉगर्स, फोटोग्राफर, स्थानीय प्रेस और अन्य मीडिया प्रभावकों, जैसे स्थानीय प्रभावकों पर कॉल करना एक बहुत अच्छा विचार है। यह आपके ब्रांड को बहुत स्पष्ट किए बिना पीआर का सबसे अच्छा तरीका है। भोजन और उपहारों में आपके द्वारा खर्च की गई थोड़ी-सी राशि के साथ बड़े पैमाने पर अनुयायियों वाले सभी मीडिया पदों में आपका ब्रांड नाम चमक जाएगा, जिससे आपके ब्रांड में विश्वास बढ़ जाएगा। यह स्थानीय ब्रांड पर लोगों को उत्सुक बनाने के लिए आपके ब्रांड की अचानक चर्चा करेगा।

अपने ग्राहकों को शामिल करें: अपने ग्राहकों को अकेले मत छोड़ो। मजेदार इवेंट्स का आयोजन करके और उन्हें अपने इनपुट के लिए पूछकर अपने ब्रांड की याद दिलाते रहें। एक ऐसा ऐप बनाएं, जो उन्हें रेस्टोरेंट में बैठे हुए भी उनके आदेशों को ट्रैक कर सके। पेशेवर कैमरों द्वारा उनकी तस्वीरों को क्लिक करें कि वे केवल आपकी वेबसाइट या सोशल मीडिया पृष्ठों पर ही मिल सकते हैं और उन्हें आपसे मिल सकते हैं। उन्हें बिल के साथ कुछ छोड़ दें, जो वे घर ले जा सकते हैं। उनकी प्रतिक्रिया के लिए पूछें और इससे सीखें। 'एन' विज़िट की संख्या के लिए उन्हें विशेष कूपन दें। 

अपनी रेस्टोरेंट वेबसाइट बनाएं: प्रत्येक स्टार्ट-अप के लिए एक रेस्तरां वेबसाइट जरूरी है। यह विचार, शामिल लोगों, पेश किए जाने वाले व्यंजनों और शेफ नियुक्त किए जाने के बारे में विस्तृत जानकारी प्रदान करेगा। इसे इंटरैक्टिव बनाएं। उन्हें भोजन के लिए अपने पसंदीदा सामग्री चुनने के लिए कहें। यह ग्राहक के अनुभव को बढ़ाने, इसे व्यक्तिगत स्पर्श देगा।

रचनात्मक बनें:  अपने दृष्टिकोण और अपने विज्ञापन के साथ रचनात्मक बनें। लोगों से अपील करें कि वे अनदेखा नहीं कर सकते हैं। इसे स्वयं करें या एक टीम को किराए पर लें और उन्हें आपके लिए ऐसा करने दें। इसे  उंगलियों पर रखें। नवाचार और प्रयोग करते रहें। ग्राहकों की रुचि बनाये रखें। यह सब काम फलदायी होने के लिए निश्चित है।

 

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6 marketing ideas for your restaurant
6 marketing ideas for your restaurant
 

"Hospitality industry is growing at a very fast rate as everyday a new restaurant comes up with some unique concept. To sustain in the market, it's necessary to opt for marketing for your restaurant/cafe's/hotels. Marketing plays an extremely important role in making a restaurant a hit or a miss in the market. Now days’, marketing is not only limited to Advertisements in print or radio but way more than that. “At our restaurants, we plan engaging marketing activities every month so that we can offer something new to our customers every month. Marketing helps any brand to promote & communicate about their new offerings, discounts, about the place, events to their target customers. I prefer digital marketing as it plays a vital role these days in promotion and visibility of any brand and is best mode of advertisements." says chef Ashish Massey, Director, Ancient Barbeque (Noida and Gurugram).

Be in the limelight: Facebook, instagram, twitter, this is where all your target audience lies. Make sure to reach them through platforms they are present on. Do not just go through the traditional media channels of advertising in newspapers and giving out pamphlets but take a step further. Create events on special days and put forward your best photography and writing skills. Attract them. Social media advertising is easy, already has an audience and is almost free.

Reward the loyal customers: Customers that have been loyal to you have been so for a reason. Reward their loyalty with discount coupons or to add a more personal touch, track their birthdays and send them a free package or a special discount on that day and they are bound to be by your side. This will not only keep them loyal but also market your brand by word of mouth. Everyone likes to be recognised and cared for. Do that as a brand and you are good to go!

Invite local influencers over: Be it a big chain, or just a start-up. A very good idea is to call over local influencers like famous bloggers, photographers, local press and other media influencers. This is the best way to PR your brand without making it too obvious. With just little amount of money you spent in food and goodies your brand name shall shine in all the media posts of people having massive followers thus enhancing trust in your brand. This will create a sudden buzz of your brand all over the local media making people curious.

Involve your customers: Do not leave your customers alone. Keep reminding them of your brand by organising fun events and asking them for their inputs. Make an app that makes them track their orders even if they are sitting in the restaurant. Get their pictures clicked by professional cameras that they can only find on your website or social media pages and make them visit you. Leave them something with the bill they can take home. Ask for their feedback and learn from it. Give them special coupons for ‘n’ number of visits. This is bound to get the bills flowing.

Build your restaurant website: A restaurant website is a must for every start-up. It will provide detailed information about the idea, people involved, cuisines offered and chefs appointed. Make it interactive. Ask them to choose their favourite ingredients for a meal. This will give it a personal touch, enhancing the customer’s experience.

Get creative: It all boils down to one thing. Be creative with your approach and your advertising. Appeal to people in a manner they cannot ignore. Do it yourself or hire a team and let them do it for you. Keep it on the toes. Keep innovating and experimenting. Keep the customers interested. All this work is sure to be fruitful. 

 

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food-tech players targets on quick deliveries to gain customers attention
food-tech players targets on quick deliveries to gain customers attention
 

foodpanda, one of the largest online food ordering platform, introduces “Express Guarantee” service that promises to deliver food within 45 minutes or money back.

The service will commence from Delhi, and after a week of its operational execution in Delhi, will foray in Pune market.

“Customer experience is the core of our business and we constantly strive to innovate and improvise on our offerings and services. The new service is a result of our constant effort to ensure timely delivery of food at the consumer’s doorstep – for which we have streamlined our processes and introduced robust systems and matrix to ensure an efficient end to end service within a timeframe of 45 minutes,” shared Saurabh Kochhar, CEO, foodpanda India.

foodpanda has tied up with around 900 vendors in Delhi NCR and Pune including Burger King, Wendy's, Biryani Blues, Eatsome, Subway, Ammi's Biryani, Southy amongst others.

Over the next three months, foodpanda plans to take this service national through a partner base of 1500-2000 vendors. For this service, foodpanda has selectively tied up with restaurants where it uses its own delivery fleet (foodpanda delivery service) for an assured delivery within 45 minutes. This means customers will reap the benefits of piping hot food, reduced waiting time and increased convenience. In case of a delay, foodpanda assures cashback to a customer who is subjective to the delay and its cause. 

foodpanda has channelized its processes and uses proprietary technology to track deliveries from the restaurants to the customer’s door. On an operational level, foodpanda has segregated cities into smaller clusters and has deployed adequate fleet to cater to the customer demands.

The company has installed robust analytics systems that will not only ensure time management of the fleet but will also forestall and prompt the team of any delays. Currently, the company’s delivery arm fulfils around 30 per cent of vendor portfolio and was launched about a year ago.

 

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