On a typical consulting project, I rise and shine early within the morning. I hook up with my shopper and we normally journey to their location. I can get loads of work finished earlier than the telephones begin ringing and the lunch shift arrives. Think about my awe after I arrived at a retailer at 8:30 a.m. and eight cooks are cranking out meals for supply. They’ve a big order for a enterprise that wants 40 big pizzas by 11:30 a.m. One other order is for 100 field lunches. The eating room tables have been re-arranged in an meeting line because the orders are constructed. I’ve by no means seen something so spectacular.
Simply earlier than the official opening time of 11 o’clock, the proprietor does a gross sales studying on the POS system. Nearly $4,000 in gross sales. I used to be impressed and curious.
I requested my shopper to clarify to me how the phenomenon occurs. Off-premises lunch catering gross sales like this are very uncommon, however he informed me at this time wasn’t that extraordinary for his enterprise. His restaurant performs like this two or three days every week. After they opened and the tables had been put again into their locations, they jammed laborious for 2 extra hours.
He defined the secrets and techniques to his success within the subsequent jiffy. When he first opened, his lunch gross sales barely held their very own. Gross sales had been dismal and sometimes had been lower than labor bills. At this level they determined to go for broke. The proprietor’s spouse determined to take off her apron and get out into the group. She began knocking on doorways and alluring dozens and dozens of workplace folks to hitch her for lunch. She additionally pulled out her 4 strongest weapons:
1. Quick, on time supply. You possibly can by no means ever be late.
2. Nice worth for the value.
3. Free samples of her hottest entrees.
4. A line of communication on to her.
Calling a couple of companies every week and offering the workplace workers with a sampling of your great things will reap you enormous rewards and goodwill. The rub is that this: you’ve got get out of your restaurant and troll your neighborhood to get the gross sales. They received’t simply present up. For a lot lower than every other type of advertising and marketing, this tactic will supply an enormous return on funding. ?
Large Dave Ostrander owned a extremely profitable unbiased pizzeria earlier than turning into a advisor, speaker and internationally sought-after coach. He’s a month-to-month contributor to Pizza Right now and leads seminars on operational subjects for the household of Pizza Expo tradeshows.
