Is Your New Restaurant Really Different From Established Restaurants?
Lighting, ambiance and decor can set your restaurant apart from the competition.
What’s your unique selling proposition? What exactly sets your new restaurant apart from the competition?
Is your new restaurant really different from established restaurants?
When we ask this question, we hear a wide variety of answers. In order to know what sets you apart from other area restaurants, you have to know your unique selling proposition (USP) – or unique selling point.
According to entrepreneur.com, the USP is the factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.
In layman’s terms, your USP is what your restaurant stands for. Instead of being known for everything, your USP should stand for something specific. It’s what makes people remember you.
To be successful, your new restaurant needs to be different and so appealing that people want to visit again and again. (tweet this)
Whether it’s your menu items, your marketing, your staff or your processes, it’s worth your while to define your unique selling proposition.
When honing your USP, try to keep it simple, because when you try to be known for everything, you aren’t known for anything.
Consider This Example
Restaurant number one offers a little bit of everything: tacos, pasta, burgers and egg rolls. Restaurant number two offers only Mexican food.
Let’s think about the customer who’s looking for a great place to eat. He knows about both restaurants, but his wife is craving Mexican food.
When he thinks about restaurant number one, he likes their burgers so much he’s never even tried their tacos. When he considers restaurant number two, he knows they’re famous for the best tacos in town. So, which does he choose?
He chooses restaurant number two because he knows exactly what they stand for and are good at.
Starbucks: A Case Study
We all know what Starbucks’ unique value proposition is, right? They stand for premium coffee drinks. How’d they go from a small Washington coffee shop to one of the most recognizable brands in the United States?
They stand for premium coffee. It’s not premium coffee and low prices, or premium coffee and breakfast or smoothies.
While they do offer smoothies and breakfast, that is not at all what they stand for. They aren’t trying to compete with a gas station or breakfast spot, they are the place for premium coffee that also happens to offer some other items just in case you’d like something additional.
We can safely say most people know what Starbucks stands for, so they are indeed different from other restaurants.
So, how can you ensure your new restaurant is really different from established restaurants? Here are some tips on how you can differentiate your restaurant in tandem with your unique value proposition:
Learn About Your Competition
Get to know your competition. What are they doing poorly? What do they excel at? Connect with them on social media, visit the restaurant and subscribe to their email list.
Customers flock to a restaurant that has set itself apart with an open air concept.
Learn About Your Customers
Don’t wonder what your customers want, just ask them. How? Managers can visit the table and see how diners are doing. You can conduct surveys discussing different areas such as the menu, the service and the atmosphere.
Market to Customers
It’s so easy to say, “I’ll get to that tomorrow,” when it comes to marketing. Except, for busy restaurateurs, tomorrow never comes.
Make marketing a priority. It’s a great way to promote what makes you different. Leverage email marketing and social media as they are relatively inexpensive marketing channels.
Take Care of Your Customers
You want your customers to return, so give them a reason to. Make each visit unique and memorable. This is the perfect area to highlight your delicious food and your ambiance. Even better, make sure your staff is thoroughly trained on the art of customer service. This is one of the most important areas in which you set your restaurant apart.
Use a Customer Loyalty Program
Reward your loyal customers by providing them an incentive to return. Use a loyalty program and promote it in your restaurant, on your website, through email and social media.
Analyze Your Menu
Your menu is the perfect area for your restaurant to be really different from established restaurants. Analyze your menu. Keep track of which high profit items are selling the best and which items aren’t. Ask your customers what they think and what they love on your menu.
Consider simplifying your menu to only include your best items.
Leverage Technology
Technology is another way you can be different from established restaurants. Incorporate guest-facing technology that allows customers to interact digitally. Here are some ways to let customers:
- Order food and drink right from their tables or online before they even get to the restaurant
- Play games while they’re waiting – a plus for families
- Pay with their smartphones
- Be notified when their order is ready, and meet the waiter at the table
- See wine lists on apps
Be Consistent
Once you’ve settled on what sets you apart, be consistent. If you’re known for your great ribeye, make sure it tastes the same every time. If you’re known for your great service, make sure your staff is trained to provide it.
The Take Away
What do you stand for? Is your new restaurant really different from established restaurants?
Decide what you’ll be known for. Take a stand and make your restaurant unique.
One final thought – as you ponder your unique value proposition, cast a wide net when thinking about what sets you apart from other restaurants.
If you’re a Mexican restaurant, you aren’t only competing with other Mexican restaurants. Your competition includes all of the restaurants in your area as well as caterers, people who cook at home instead of go out, and people who host lunch/dinner parties.
Take the time to figure out what makes you different. Stand for it, promote it and build your restaurant around it. (tweet this) It is okay to offer other items, just be sure you have something that makes you stand out in a crowd.
One way to stand out in the crowd and promote your unique value proposition is with a dynamic, responsive, customer-friendly website. Contact us today for a free website consultation. We’d love to help you fine-tune your unique selling proposition and promote it on your new restaurant website.
Images: Hotel de la Paix Genève and Rodrigo Soldon
10 Most Important Questions To Ask in A Restaurant Survey 
8 Things You Can Do To Help Manage Food Costs 
5 Things Startup Restaurants Typically Overspend On 
5 Ways to Deliver Excellent Customer Service at Your Restaurant 
7 Surprisingly Common Problems That Restaurants Face
I found many of your ideas very useful.I think the restaurant industry is very much dependent on keeping the site up-to-date about users wants and needs. This means it is necessary to add as many details as possible, such as foodie photos,location,menu,price range,Wi-Fi,outdoor seating,parking,etc.I recommend checking out http://bistroservices.com/ as they provide customers accurate information about the restaurant and its menu,charges and offers.
Incredible article, This is Very Good. And congratulations For the excellent content.
Best Restaurant in Udaipur