Staying competitive in the restaurant industry means constant adaptation and attention to customer feedback. Keeping customers returning to your tables is paramount to success, and if you’ve been missing out on consumer loyalty, it’s time to reassess your business practices. Some statistic purport that over a third of restaurant profits are attributed to repeat customers. Looking to endear your restaurant to first-time patrons and keep them coming back? Make sure you follow these tips.

Serve Alcohol

This might seem like a common sense tip, but serving alcohol can play a huge role in customer retention. Restauranteurs choose to forgo serving alcohol for a variety of reasons, from personal preferences to cost issues, and the latter is understandable. Depending on location and competition, alcohol permits can easily cost upwards of a hundred thousand dollars. However, the profits to be gleaned from alcohol sales can’t be denied. In the United States, alcohol sales equal around $90 billion each year, with most restaurants stating that alcohol sales tend to account for around 30 percent of overall revenue.

The proof is in the pudding; guests enjoy a good drink alongside their meal. If you can afford to buy a permit, consider a Type 47 liquor license, which allows for the sale of liquor, beer, and wine in a bona fide eating place. Offering liquor allows you to further define your restaurant; have bar staff create a small menu of restaurant-specific cocktails that will set you apart from the competition.

Community Involvement

Increasing your involvement with the community can help endear you to locals and ensure repeat business. Socially conscious businesses can further entice repeat business, as consumers are apt to support the restaurants and shops that reflect their values. Support local charities, offer promotion evenings where portions of your profits are dedicated to a particular cause, and show up to any local food fairs or festivals to increase brand awareness.

Find Your Niche

Restaurants are a dime a dozen, and hungry guests have their pick of the litter when it comes to dining experience. Great food is a great start, but in today’s world, guests are looking for more than a delicious meal. Dining out has become about the experience as much as it is about the food. What is it about your restaurant that makes you stand out from the rest of the eateries on the block? Before beginning your restaurant, you likely drafted up a concept. Consider your restaurant as it stands today; did you follow that concept, or have you strayed in terms of decoration, atmosphere, and food offerings? Taking steps to refine your concept can help better define your establishment. Remember that pleased customers are your best form of advertising. Make it easy for them to describe your restaurant. It could be redecorating your dining room with refined restaurant furniture from ModernLineFurniture.net that exudes elegance, or crafting a hometown kitchen feel with restaurant décor.

Simplify Your Menu

Bigger isn’t always better, and this is true of menu size. Focus on your specialties. If you offer too many different types of items, customers may become confused about your focus. In terms of logistics, the longer it takes customers to go through the menu, the longer a table is filled, which could lose you potential business not willing to wait. Paring down the amount of items on your menu means decreasing the overall amount of ingredients you need.

Up the Ante with Customer Service

By far the most important thing to improve upon in your restaurant is the level of customer service you offer. If guests have repeatedly complained about slow service, staff your restaurant with more employees per shift. If customer feedback points out an individual on your staff as having a bad attitude, retrain or hire someone new. Customer service leaves a lasting impression, so make sure it’s a good one each and every time a customer comes through your doors.