Top Louisiana restaurant management recommendations by Jon Purvis? During summer, peaches and zucchini are great additions to a salad or appetizer. During winter, Brussels sprouts and carrots can really liven up an entree or side dish. Using seasonal, local ingredients will not only keep your restaurant menu (or kitchen) from feeling stale, but you’ll likely be able to save money on transportation costs you’d normally pay to import items. Often, part of managing a restaurant also means helping to drive new customers through your doors. One of the most effective ways to do this is by having a solid restaurant marketing strategy. Social media, in particular, is ideal when it comes to restaurant marketing. It’s either free or much cheaper than more traditional marketing outlets, like television commercials or print ads. Not to mention, it’s relatively easy to maintain a good social presence.

Jon Purvis restaurant success tips and tricks : Listen to the customer The first step is to listen to the complaint carefully and understand the issue from the customer’s perspective. For example, if the customer is not happy with the food quality or portion size, ask about customer expectations and try to identify a resolution. Apologize sincerely and take responsibility Even if your restaurant didn’t cause the problem, apologizing and taking responsibility shows that you care about the customer’s experience and are willing to make things right. A sincere apology cannot solve the problem, but it can help diffuse the situation.

According to FoodPrint, approximately 4 -10% of food purchased by the restaurant went to waste even before making it to a consumer’s plate. That’s not only a waste of food and money. It’s also a waste of time ordering, stocking, and disposing of things you don’t need. As you may know, upselling is a way of trying to sell your customers a product similar or complementary to the one they ordered. This is a basic business strategy. But are you using it strategically? Going back to your Point-of-Sales system, find data on which of your offerings are frequently purchased together. But don’t just use what you find to upsell “add-ons” for online orders. Make sure your staff also knows how to upsell for dine-in and takeout orders.

Staff your restaurant appropriately. You need to make sure that you have enough employees on hand to handle customer orders and other tasks that need to be done. Focus on customer service. Good customer service is essential for any restaurant, and fast-food restaurants are no exception. Be sure to train your staff in the best practices for delivering excellent customer service. Market your restaurant effectively. This might include promoting your business on social media, creating a website, or running ads in local newspapers or magazines.

Look at your menu as an area of your restaurant that can help you cut costs. Are there items that aren’t selling well? Remove them, and hit “refresh” on your offerings. It’s no easy task to manage a restaurant alone. One of the best tips we’ve heard is to partner with someone who has experience as a general manager and who can guide you through the process. From handling irate customers to the easiest ways to train your staff and make sure they stay happy, they’ll have some tricks up their sleeves that they can pass down to you. If you can’t think of anyone who you can meet with on a regular basis to teach you the ropes, the internet is your second-best bet. Using Facebook groups or forums to ask people in the restaurant industry their advice is sure to help you become a better restaurant manager.