Summer is in full swing. It’s time to take advantage of the warm weather and increase your restaurant’s sales. To help you out, here’s a list of six ways to make your business more profitable over the summer months.
#1 Start With the Basics
When it comes to good restaurant management, there’s no better place to start than the basics. If you can’t keep your restaurant clean and well-maintained, everything else will go downhill. So, ensure you have a good maintenance plan in place that covers all aspects of running your business – from repairs to renovations and everything in between.
Then ensure you have a good cleaning plan too. Customers don’t want to see dirt or grime on their plates or tables. So, if there’s an issue with food safety standards, this could lead directly back to you. That’s why managers or restaurant owners like yourself need to make sure employees are trained properly in these matters.
#2 Think about Ventilation and Air Conditioning
You can’t have a restaurant without ventilation and air conditioning. It’s the most important part of your restaurant. Without it, you’ll be in trouble fast, especially this summer when temperatures are absurdly high.
Air conditioning is especially important in the summer months because it helps keep the temperature down to keep patrons happy and comfortable while they’re dining at your place. If they’re not happy or comfortable at your restaurant, chances are good that they won’t be coming back very often.
In addition to keeping people cool during hot days, air conditioning also keeps them warm during cold springs and falls when temperatures start dropping.
#3 Get a New Ice Cream Machine
If you have an ice cream machine in your restaurant, it’s time to reevaluate its efficiency and invest in a new one. Here’s why.
- New models are more efficient. Older machines can use up to 1,500 gallons of water for every 100 gallons made. Newer models get it down to less than 400 gallons per 100 gallons. That’s almost half as much water wasted each year. Plus, you’ll save on electricity costs too.
- Your business benefits from being environmentally friendly. Customers love supporting businesses that are doing things the right way. They’ll be more likely to come back if they know they’re eating at a place that cares about its impact on the environment.
#4 Invest in a Slushy Machine
Investing in a slush maker can help you keep your guests cool during the summer months. Slushy makers are easy to use, clean, and maintain, unlike ice cream machines, making them a great addition to your restaurant. You can use them for other frozen beverages besides just slushies. They work well with smoothies, shakes, and more. Plus, having slushies on the menu means you can get more creative with the drinks, especially when it comes to their colors.
#5 Chill Your Food Faster
To chill your food faster, you can use a walk-in cooler. A walk-in cooler is the most common method of chilling food. It uses dry ice to lower the temperature of its contents to around -35°F (-37°C). This process takes about four hours per pound (454g) of meat, but it provides better results than other methods such as refrigerators at home or in restaurants.
A blast chiller uses liquid nitrogen to quickly cool down food items and reduce their temperature by up to 80%. The blast freezer will keep your food frozen for up to 10 years. So, if you don’t have room for all your frozen meals at once, this would be an ideal option for storing them until you’re ready for them again.
Blast chillers are expensive. So, you have to plan early and do a lot of calculations if you want to invest in one. If you’re too late for that planning stage for this summer, start calculating the purchase and maintenance costs now. You can then buy the blast chiller next season.
#6 Make Marketing a Priority
Marketing is a long-term investment. So, it can be hard to justify putting money into marketing. Restaurants need to stay afloat before they can hire someone dedicated to doing just that, so there’s no time for idle marketing.
There are plenty of different ways to market your restaurant – but first and foremost, you need a plan. You need goals that align with your brand identity and can help you achieve them in a way that makes sense for both your business and customers.
Since it’s summer, target the warm weather. Promote your cold and chilled drinks, slushies, and ice cream more. Target teenagers who will be on their summer breaks from their schools. For that, you can opt for Instagram as your primary marketing platform.
Summer is the perfect time to invest in your restaurant. You’ll be able to stay open longer, keep up with demand for summer drinks and food, and make sure that customers have a great experience. Investing in these six things will allow you to do just that.
