Restaurant Doctor UK

Restaurant Quick Tips.

We firmly believe in the following hints and tips, and stand by them as a set of rules for running a successful restaurant, pub or hotel.

It is entirely up to you if you take them on board or not, but our advice is to read them and see which ones will be most of use to you.

Do you rely on some members of your team for specific knowledge? Is it possible and plausible for you to learn this yourself? If you are reliant on somebody else for certain knowledge then you could be at a distinct disadvantage if they leave.

Do you know exactly what you are spending each week? Can you save any of this money or use it for something more cost effective?

Be specific with your advertising efforts, direct all your material towards the relevant people. Don't waste time and effort and money on general advertising, identify your target market first for best results. Your advert should give information about your business, name and contact number, the offer or product you want to promote and it should be easy to read and eye-catching.

Try to create a menu that uses similar ingredients for the dishes, the less items you buy the less wastage you will have.

Train your staff to the maximum! The more they know the better they become, along with your service standards and customer care.

Don't fill your freezer or fridges with stock, this is dead money.

Take every opportunity to improve your business, whether it is the product or service, the image, your own knowledge and your staff.

Try and create a brand image for your business so that customers can easily recognise you and learn to have loyalty for your brand.

Try to lead by example, you will gain a lot of respect from your team this way.

Remember that your staff are very important, treat them right and keep them informed of changes or developments and communicate with them on a regular basis.

Don't give up when times are hard, take a step back and evaluate your business's direction Investigate possible changes you can make and promotions you can run.

Don't be afraid to ask for help, there are organisations who can and will help. Visit our useful links section for some of them.

Money Problems.

Let's face it everyone encounters money problems in some shape or form at some time. It must be the single most stressful thing managers and operators have to deal with, but there are ways to ease the stress from financial matters arising in your business.

Can you get a better deal from a different bank?

Can you increase your turnover by lowering your prices?

If you charge £20 for a meal and get 10 customers you've made £200 turnover - right! If you charge £15 for the same meal more customers are likely to come because it is a better deal for them, so let us say you double the number of customers you get through your deal, that would generate £300 turnover. Obviously your profit margins will be reduced but if you are in need of a boost and want people through the door then this is a good option to choose.

Can you get a better deal from your suppliers?

Shop around, compare the prices of the products you buy from other suppliers. Say you spend £1000 on meat each week, you are a good customer as your account would make the supplier £52,000 a year. Contact different suppliers and tell them what you require each week and what deals they can offer you, or if you prefer to stick with your present supplier inform them that you can get a better deal elsewhere and see if they are prepared to match it. Let's say you managed to reduce your weekly meat bill to £900, you would save £5,200 a year! If you could save £100 off 5 of your suppliers each week it would save you a massive £26,500 a year!

Staff Problems.

There are various headaches associated with employing people, for a detailed look at this go to our human resources section.

Image Problems.

Does the restaurant or pub you have just taken over have a bad reputation? Is it dirty, tacky or run down? Don't worry this can be fixed. You won't attract the right customers if you don't have the right image, our industry is very competitive and our customers demand the best, so below are some things to consider about the image of your business:

What is the exterior of your restaurant, pub or hotel like? Is it clean? Is it welcoming? Is it well maintained? Is it tastefully decorated?

What is the interior of your restaurant, hotel or pub like? Is it well laid out? Is it tidy and clean?

How good is your customer care?

Do you offer value for money?

How do you treat your staff?