Today, I’m going to show you how we helped stop the bleeding for this restaurant’s dining room traffic and How to Increase Traffic in Your Restaurant. I’m going to talk about a lot of things in this video, but the one main takeaway that I’m hoping you get from this is consistency.
The Challenge
This restaurant came to us last summer with a problem: their dining room traffic was starting to decline. They had rebounded pretty well from the pandemic and for two years after that, they didn’t really have to do much. However, as they raised their prices and everything started getting more expensive, they noticed consumers stopped frequenting their restaurant as often.
How to Increase Traffic in Your Restaurant – Initial Steps
We started working with them in July. They already had an email list of maybe 5,000 or 6,000 people. However, they weren’t using it consistently, so it was stale. For those of you who have an email list, if you’re not using it, you need to start. Email service providers have sophisticated algorithms, and your domain’s sending reputation is crucial. Consistency is key for maintaining good open rates.
Re-engaging the Email List
This restaurant was using MailChimp and getting only 20 percent open rates, which isn’t good. We set them up with a new email to send from because their old one wasn’t working effectively. Re-engaging the list meant sending out offers to the most engaged contacts to bring the customer list back to life. Long story short, if you’ve got an email list, make sure you’re using it.
Expanding Communication Channels
This customer also had zero phone numbers to text their customers and zero permissions to send Facebook direct messages. We started running ads in August and September. They got busy during football season with catering and paused their efforts. However, they decided to get serious about correcting the traffic problem in January.
Consistency in Advertising and Messaging
Since January, we’ve been consistently running ads and growing their database. We run Facebook ads with an offer attached, resulting in about 35% of subscribers visiting the store. Those who don’t visit still receive emails, text messages, and Facebook messages from the restaurant. Consistency in sending messages is crucial.
Tracking Progress and Results
We use a simple yet effective tracking sheet to help our clients monitor their progress. We track sales, transactions, food costs, and labor costs. Transaction data is particularly useful as it shows how many people are walking in your door. It’s essential to look at transactions in addition to sales because if sales are up but transactions are down, it might indicate that prices are too high or there’s been a large catering order.
The Results
In January, the restaurant was consistently down 7-10% in transactions week after week. After three to four months of consistent ad spend and messaging, the decline slowed. By April, they were down only 1-4% and even saw some positive weeks. Towards the end of May, they were actually turning positive.
Key Takeaway: Consistency
Consistency is what I want you to take away from this. Many restaurant owners have thousands of emails sitting in their POS system but aren’t using them. Communicating with your customers is the most effective way to get them back in the door. These people have already paid you money, tried your food, and given you their email. Invite them back with offers, special events, or even just to say you miss them.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t have time to manage this yourself, consider delegating it to a staff member. And if you like the spreadsheet I’m showing you, click on the chat bubble, and subscribe to our newsletters. Let us know you want the budget worksheet, and we’ll send it over to you.
By maintaining consistency in your communication and advertising efforts, you can effectively increase traffic and boost sales in your restaurant.
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