A memorable experience at your restaurant begins long before the customer dines on their favorite dish. Proper marketing and advertising entices and tantalizes your potential guests, but will your facility and staff measure up to your guests’ expectations?
What image are you conveying to your guests? Are you sharp, clean and up for the task? Are your patrons looking forward to their experience, or, are they turning away because of a poorly kept facility or a lack of proper execution?
Dine Company – The Restaurant Store can help you with all the opportunities you have in the front of the House to really WOW your guests and keep them coming back time and again.
Remember, “You never get a second chance to make a lasting first impression.” Let Dine Company help you do it right the first time, every time.
Top 10 Tips for FOH Impressions:
10. Parking Area: Have you ever decided to stop somewhere and before you get out of the vehicle you change your mind because of the condition of the parking area? Guess what, YOUR potential guests do that too!
9. Lobby and Entrance Area: A spotless, fresh-smelling entrance is just the thing your business needs to keep your guests thinking of the menu.
Be sure to keep the glass on the entrance doors and windows clean. Keep a small trashcan at the hostess stand. A bottle of metal polish is great to have on hand for your fixtures and kick plates. Keep your lobby area shining like a new penny!
8. Bathrooms: In the eyes of your guests, the cleanliness of this area in your restaurant is as important as the cleanliness of your kitchen. Make sure you cover all the little steps involved in presenting a clean, fresh-smelling restroom area.
If your public restrooms are also used by your employees, you must have a sign above the hand sink instructing employees to wash their hands before returning to work.
Replace any broken paper towel and toilet paper holders as well as soap dispensers and hand dryers.
Think about using automatic deodorizers to always maintain a good smelling restroom.
7. Floor Surfaces: Whatever the surface of your floor; wood, tile or carpet, be sure to maintain it and keep it in tip-top shape.
Be sure to use the “Caution: Wet Floor” signs to keep your guests and your crew safe during clean up time.
6. Chairs and Table Bases: Oh my, what is more, irritating than a crying baby in a quiet restaurant? A WOBBLY table, that’s what! All it takes is a set of table levelers and you’re good to go. This is a great contribution to overall impression and experience.
5. Table Appointments: Dine stocks everything you need to present a stunning tabletop. We can show you the newest designs for candles and table lighting from Hollowick as well as an exciting option for using candle oil. We have it all. A shiny, clean, clutter-free tabletop sends a message to your guests that you care about their dining needs. This will leave a lasting impression on your guests.
4. Beverage Ware: Consistent, crack and chip-free, that is the way your glassware needs to be!
Dine stocks many different styles of glassware, from everyday wear to spectacular special occasion and crystal stemware. We also stock plastic tumblers in every size and in several different colors.
3. China and Table Ware: What a difference a beautiful plate can make. Whether china, glass or melamine, the carefully chosen plate is as much a part of your presentation as the food itself.
Once the plate selection is made, keep your plates chip-free and in pristine condition with new dishwashing racks. Broken racks lead to broken dishes.
2. Silverware and Eating Utensils: Perhaps you do not notice a salad fork instead of an entrée fork being used in your restaurant, but your guests do. You can choose from a wide variety of beautiful, affordable and durable silverware patterns at Dine Company.
1. NUMERO UNO!!! Staff Appearance: Your entire image and the interpretation of that image rest squarely on the shoulders of the people your guests see and interact with. What message are you conveying? This directly impacts the customer experience and leaves a lasting impression.
Give your staff the tools they need to perform their tasks with skill and efficiency. Wine openers, bottle openers, table crumbers, check presenters, tip trays, serving trays and tray jacks are just some of the tools of the trade.
Keep their hands clean and presentable with nail scrubbers and hand sanitizer. Choose from a wide variety of food serving gloves, hairnets and beard covers.
We have everything you need to present a cohesive, clean, concerned, committed and caring environment for your guests AND your staff.
Did we miss anything? We would love to see some comments with your tips!
