If Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares has taught us anything, it’s that even the best restaurants are susceptible to tiny mistakes. Sure, some restaurants make far more errors than others (which does make for great TV), but it stands to reason that you’re only fooling yourself if you believe that your own restaurant is immune to faults.
Hundreds of restaurants are forced to close down every year, with even major chains like McDonald’s and Subway shutting down many locations across the US. It’s a cold, stark reality that those tiny mistakes over time are likely to cost you money, your customers, and potentially your business. However, the good news is that these faults are so easily fixed, to the point that it remains a mystery why anyone wouldn’t implement these changes straight away. Here are three common mistakes that are made in restaurants all over the world.
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Gordon Ramsay shouting abuse at restaurant owners for overstocking their fridges and having off produce is an all-too-common sight on Kitchen Nightmares. But every season, year after year, it keeps happening, so much so that it’s practically expected on every episode. Conversely, waiting-on staff bear the brunt of unhappy customers when they are forced to admit they’ve run out of this meal, that meal, and three other meals on the menu. It’s embarrassing for everyone when a restaurant is severely understocked and not prepared for a busy weekend full of hungry customers.
The antidote to this problem? Digital stock control. Understanding how reordering formulas work and what services to use is paramount to having that Goldilocks-level of stock: not too much, not too little, but just right. This way, you’ll be able to serve every meal on your menu, and avoid Gordon Ramsay’s outburst (although he’ll probably shout for another reason).
Menu problems
If you’ve already annoyed a customer before they’ve eaten at your restaurant, then you’re off to a very bad start. A good-looking, simple to read, and sturdy menu is all someone could ever want when they browse your dishes, so why make it so hard for them? Menus with so many dishes it makes your head spin; menus that look so old and worn that you’re afraid of breaking them; menus with unreadable fonts and incoherent descriptions… we’ve seen them all. And don’t get us started on restaurants who don’t include a menu behind glass on their outside wall.
It’s easy enough to fix this particular issue. Keep your dish selection minimal – if something hasn’t been ordered in months by a customer, then consider ditching it. And speaking of ditching, same goes for any menu that is full of rips, stains, and crinkles. A nicely presented and comprehensible menu can work wonders for you, and ordering new ones online should definitely be considered, as the amount of formats and paper types, not to mention designs, may well have increased since the last time you created menus.
Loud music
For whatever reason, a recent trend has been developing that sees restaurants blasting loud music as if their lives depend on it. Don’t get us wrong, a bit of background music adds a nice ambiance and is much preferred than the sounds of cutlery on plates or nearby conversations. However, we must stress a bit of background music, not turned up so loud that customers are shouting to each other and many others choosing to sit outside just to get some peace.
This is not just a minor inconvenience, but a serious issue that results in customers never, ever coming back to that restaurant again. The New Statesman went in-depth with this noise dilemma, finding that many establishments had nice décor, but absolutely no thought of acoustics. Plus, a recent survey discovered that “nearly 80 per cent of respondents had left a restaurant early because of noise.” Astonishingly, a lot of restaurants know all too well that the music is loud, but hope that people shouting and getting dry throats will actually result in them buying more drinks to sooth their voice. Unless you’re operating a club and people expect loud music, let people enjoy their experience without deafening volumes.
There are so many techniques to attract customers to your restaurant, that you’re only shooting yourself in the foot if your business is committing any of the above mistakes. If you’re going to start making positive changes, start now.
