Piecing It All together: 5 Factors That Contribute to a Comfortable Restaurant Experience

Restaurants have one chance to attract and keep a customer. That chance starts with getting them in the door with a good marketing plan like those you read on the Portland Growler Company blog (visit site here). Then, when customers come through the door, they need to be impressed with the general look and feel of the restaurant. Next, they need to be seated promptly and treated very well. That seating and table have to be comfortable. The food and drinks must be unforgettable so they want to come back again and again.

Setting Up the Restaurant for Success

Before the first customer walks through the door, the restaurant needs to be planned, adequately financed, decorated, and furnished to impress. You will want to look for fresh and new ideas for everything, from curb appeal and signage on arrival to the decor and lighting inside. The menu must be unique, yet give customers food they are comfortable with. The serving staff must be well-chosen and properly trained. The chef or cook and their assistants must be the best and also well-trained to meet high expectations; if you are planning to offer what you believe to be the Best Sunday Lunch in County Durham, for example, you should make sure that it has that extra-special element to it that will make it stand out in amongst your competition.

The restaurant’s furniture, from the tables and chairs to the bar and bar stools, must be sturdy, attractive, and, above all, comfortable. Don’t skimp on commercial bar stools. Buying cheap bar stools as they break or wear out prematurely costs more than buying a good-quality bar stool that will last much longer. Good-quality bar stools come in many styles and finishes. They have an extensive choice of seat upholstery. And, they are comfortable for customers to sit on.

The bar stools can be chosen to coordinate with any restaurant theme or decor. It is a good idea to coordinate the style and color of the table seating with the bar stools. The bar stools and the chairs should be the correct height for the counter or the tables. And, everything should be level and balanced, so there is no wobbling or tipping to worry about. In addition to the chairs and bar stools, there should be comfortable, safe seating for babies and small children.

5 Ways to Ensure Happier Customers Who Come Back

There are ways to improve restaurants that can make a difference in customer experience and satisfaction.

1. The seating plan is more than just fitting the maximum number of people into a dining space with the new need for social distancing and health safety. The seating plan needs to be easy for the wait staff to follow and to maneuver with trays of drinks or food. Restaurant owners should do a little research into table placement. People do not like table placement near draughts or too near doorways, windows, or kitchens. In addition to table placement, the lighting above each table should be at a safe height with a comfortable amount of light. The tables should be the right size for different dining groups.

2. The temperature of the dining room can make customers comfortable while they eat or cause them to not come back. People do not want to be too cold or too hot while eating. Invest in a good heating and cooling system. This is, of course, applicable to outdoor eating areas too. Good patio heaters can help to keep guests warm on cold days and nights, so they will be more than happy to come and dine with you again.

3. The curb appeal and interior decor of a restaurant should be pleasant and inviting. Customers like restaurants with personality and ambiance. The restaurant should stand out from its competition. There are so many ways that this can be achieved, from signage and the design of the building’s exterior, to what customers see as they walk up to the door. For example, having a couple of commercial flagpoles flying flags can be a great display of pride in your business, as well as a way to advertise and a way for people to easily find you when they come to dine at your restaurant, so it could be well worth considering.

4. After the food quality is perfected, train the waitstaff to give customers a good experience from the moment they walk in the door. This involves greeting people at the door, being respectful, not interrupting conversations, listening intently to get orders right, and knowing the menu well. It also involves knowing serving etiquette, serving food properly, and knowing when to clear the table.

5. Finally, deal with customer problems and complaints politely and quickly. The goal is happy customers who will come back.

Designing and building the perfect restaurant, having great food, and treating customers right will go a long way in helping you succeed with a restaurant.

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