Keys to a Successful Eatery: View from a Regular Eater

More often than not, restaurants in my lovely Eden of Westchase, Florida (often referred to as “the bubble”) , a massive master-planned community right at the Northern end of Tampa Bay, don’t survive too long…  Is it because there aren’t enough customers?  Absolutely not! Our ‘hood is home to thousands of households.  In fact, there are said to be over 9,000 households here in this neighborhood.    We’ve lived here for over 15 years and have seen our fair share of restaurants open and then shut their doors only months after giving it a shot, yet other staple eateries keep on chugging.  So, what is it that keeps a house of food and beverage thriving in our neck of the woods?  After really thinking about the characteristics of a good restaurant here I determined it’s not too different that the keys to success for any dining establishment in any part of the country, or for that matter, the world.

So, I am going to attempt to break it down to the core keys to longevity from the point of a simple guy in a family of four here in Westchase, Florida, but I hope you’ll find these consistent with the things you believe make a restaurant last…

1. Food:  It obviously has to start with good food.  It doesn’t have to be great food.  It just has to be good enough for me to remember it and to have a mildly good memory of it.  There are a ton of choices out here/there.  Greek, Italian, pizza joints, wings and beer joints, Burger places, Mexican, Cali-Mex, seafood, Thai, Chinese, coffee houses (where would we be if we didn’t have our coveted Starbucks?), breakfast places, bakeries…you get the point.   For the places that have lasted, there are at least 1-2 items on the menu at each of them that people remember, and remember to be pretty darn good, and in some cases, great.  So, yes, you have to have good food, but if you didn’t know that before reading this article, ummm…
2. Consistency:  One of the reasons big chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chilis, Outback, etc are successful is because they have a consistent guest experience that transcends just the food and drink that they serve.  You see, when you are considering a place to dine you often start conjuring up memories of your last experience there and that is both a combination of the meal you had, but also the experience you had.  The consistency of the food, service, decor, menu, drinks, etc are all things that are important in whether a place will last.
3. Service:  Another obvious one, but so, so often skimped on.  I can tell when a restaurant has a culture of high-end service by little things like whether or not the servers are helping each other with their sections.  If I have to wait for my “assigned” server to refill my drink or bring me my meal versus having those tasks picked up by their peers, I know that they just don’t get it.  The most successful places here and everywhere train their entire staff that everyone is responsible for the experience of every customer.  Here are the things that are sure signs of great service and great service that I will never ever forget.  Quickly greeting me at the door, immediately taking our drink order (ideally bringing water for the entire table before I even ask), a short stopover by the manager/owner, asking if we’ve dined here before, telling us about the specials, repeating back my order, at least acting like you’re writing it down (even if you have a Watson like memory), bringing my check when it looks like I am near done (I am cognizant that this varies by culture, but I am writing this blog, ok?), and finally checking on my table at least 4-5 times during my meal.  This one is NOT rocket science, but so many places (especially those that haven’t survived) got lazy in this department.
4. Cleanliness:  Do I even need to write anything here?  Spend the time & effort to keep your place spotless.  Your commitment to cleanliness shows whether or not you care…about everything.
5. Focus:  There are very few establishments that can survive trying to cater to too many tastes.  Menus that have too much diversity scream that they don’t do anything really well.  Global chains like The Cheesecake Factory can do it because they have huge kitchens and a TON of turnover of food because there is never an empty seat in the house.  Smaller places in neighborhoods have kitchens slightly bigger than ours at home.  In order to convince me that you can meet my expectations for the quality of your food you need to show me that you do a few things and do them very well.  Those places that have survived have focused on those “core competencies” and never strayed.
6. Kid Friendly:  I don’t care how Chichi you think your place is, you have to accommodate the occasional child.  If you don’t we’re not coming back – even if we visited without our kids we’ll be looking for how “kid-friendly” you are for our next visit when we do have the buckaroos with us.  This does not mean you need the crayons and coloring book paper menus it means that you at least have a few child forward options on your menu.  For the unfamiliar, here goes:  Mac and Cheese, Chicken Fingers or Grilled Chicken, Burgers or Sliders, Fish and Chips, PB&J, Spaghetti and Meatballs, etc.  Again, nothing tremendously difficult here. Proprietors that don’t believe in this one have a TON of potential customers that don’t believe in them and won’t be back.
7. Specials:  I can tell you, from memory, all of the nightly specials from everyplace here in “the bubble.”  From the cheap burger night to Taco Tuesdays to “Kids Eat Free” these kinds nightly specials give people an additional reason to consider hanging up their apron for the night and heading out to eat on your establishment.  Sometimes that is all it takes… We’re always teetering, so just find that simple and cheap way to push us off the edge and head over to your special night.
8. Speed:  Even when I am at a nicer place and I want to relax and chill I am still thinking about efficiency.  Perhaps it’s just my 20 years in the consulting business where I am always thinking about ways to improve the process, but I generally believe people care about this stuff.  I know this because I talk to my friends all the time when we’re out to eat and they pick up on these things too.  I am not saying that I want to be rushed through lunch or dinner, but I do want a certain well-oiled approach from initial refreshments all the way to signing the check.  The latter part of the process is the one that always could use more room for improvement.  It still amazes me that more places haven’t gone completely automated with this – placing a credit card reader/machine on the table, but even if you’re old-school with the vinyl card folder, make it snappy to both drop it and take it.  Don’t slack off at the end of the workflow, that’s the part I remember the most.
9. Healthy Options:  Sometimes I have a hankering for a big, juicy burger.  It’s not too often, but when I do I have plenty of good options, and some even great options.  But, as I near middle age even more, I am more keenly aware of what I am putting into my body and that includes when I am out at a restaurant. I have to say that eating healthy has progressively (yet slowly) gotten easier to do at most places these days, but all it takes is a bit more work to add a healthy set of options on your menu to notch up my chances of coming back.  And those chances increase exponentially if you make a couple of those choices very memorable.
10. Happiness:  Any customer experience that ends in a smile, whether it’s on yours, your servers’ or the manager’s, is a great experience.  I can think about a bunch of failed eateries here and many of them didn’t provide my family and I an overall pleasant experience.  And because I can get pleasant anywhere, I actually want my  dining locale to leave me with a Happy experience.  Little things go a long way here.  The wait staff talking to you about your day, a smiley face on your check, more rolls before you ask, a free drink on the house (ok, I know I am pushing it, but I would really smile for that one), these are all little steps to make us remember being there and that’s enough for us to remember to come back.

As you have probably seen, these are all common sense – these are all things that past/potential restaurant owners all knew to be true.  The difference is, these are all things that the successful proprietors not only know, but they actually intentionally think about every single hour of every single day.  It’s the difference between knowing and doing and that difference determines whether or not I will ever be back…..