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shopping for the bargain. That is what they are loyal to. When the
restaurant down the street has a better discount than you, that is
where you’ll find them.

Discounting also conditions your customers to think that you are
willing to devalue your products. Why would guests want to pay
$9.00 for calamari when they can get the exact same dish at $4.00
for happy hour? If you really want to drive traffic at different meal
periods, design menu items that are a lower price point and are
signatures for that time.

Half-price on all appetizers during happy hour devalues your regular
menu. A specially designed small plate menu during happy hour with
creative items not normally found on your menu will drive business
to your door.

4. Tell a story… a really

good story.

People love a good brand story. Great brands embrace and tell
their story to everyone! Who doesn’t know that Apple started in
Steve Jobs’ garage? Is your meatloaf recipe handed down from your
great great grandmother? Do you only use Spanish olive oil to finish
you pasta with because of a trip you remember to Europe? Stories are rules he needs to live by to embrace the culture of excellence,
provide the human element of a brand. that combat pilots need to be the best of the best. He develops a
saying that he repeats over and over to himself, “I am not leaving my
5. Don’t expect to be an wingman!” You need to develop a similar mantra, “I am not leaving
my brand!”
overnight

success. “Why would guests want 6. Stand for
something.

to pay $9.00 for calamari
It takes a while to build a brand, and
this is where many owners fail. They when they can get the exact Brands that have a cause find a
expect everyone to fall in love with same dish at $4.00 for happy niche that connects customers
their brand as fast as they did. Truth hour?” quickly. Basic human psychology
is, very few brands are overnight tells us that people like people who
successes. are like themselves. Consider the
restaurant that has an outdoor patio
You need to have faith and confidence in your brand even when and allows dogs. They provide water bowls and housemade “dog
times get tough. Now trust me on this, you will question your brand. biscuits” for patrons. They connect with a group that has shown if
Not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Now here is you love my dog, I’ll love your brand.
where many restaurant owners go astray. When the going gets
tough, they wander away from the brand they created. They start to 7. Be consistent.
take advice from others (many have no restaurant experience) and
the brand becomes “diluted.”
Inconsistency is the slow death of any business. So where does
Here is the one question you need to remember: If you don’t know consistency start? It starts with your culture. If you allow an attitude
what your brand is, how do you expect your customers to know? of indifference to grow in your service team, don’t be shocked when
they treat your customers with the same nonchalant behavior. If you
In the movie “Top Gun,” Tom Cruise’s character loses faith in who allow your cooks to take shortcuts and compromise the standards,
he is is. He is overconfident and, when thrown in with pilots who then do not be surprised when your customers go online to write
are world-class, he starts to doubt himself. He soon learns there reviews on the inconsistent food.

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