Even with all the troubling headlines, your café or restaurant can be a source of good vibes and happy smiles. By focusing on the positives, you can gain more loyal customers and stand out from the larger chains. Let’s work on an action list…
Introduce your team
Staff are the centre of the action, so let customers get to know them. Create ‘meet the team’ posts on your website or social media platforms. Mention their interests and let them occasionally take over your social channels for a week. If they achieve something noteworthy, like winning a competition or completing a course, mention it.
Highlight your menu
Showcase your best dishes and local connections. Feature a dish of the week on social media and explain its origins and inspiration. For example: “We use bream in our fish and chips from the South Coast that’s caught on local boats every morning.” You could also consider sharing recipes or even spotlighting a local grower who supplies your venue.
Promote your local area
Share interesting facts about the neighbourhood you operate in. Mention local history, upcoming events, and interesting places only locals know about. If the sunsets are a standout, make sure to share photos. This helps position your venue as part of the community, and with some careful use of hashtags and posts on your Google Business Profile, you will attract visitors.
Share customer stories
Once you have received their permission, talk about regular customers such as a couple celebrating their anniversary or a cycling group that meets at your venue regularly.
Mention local partnerships
Talk about connections with other local businesses. For example: “We use honey from the community apiary in our desserts and local hospitality students run two barista shifts each week.” Share both news and photos.
Good news board
Set up a board where customers can share positive local stories or achievements. Some items can be photographed and shared on your Instagram or Facebook.
Celebrate milestones
Talk about key business dates such as anniversaries or celebratory events such as serving 10,000 coffees and offer customers a freebie.
Host community events
This could be a fundraising event for a local charity or sporting group, or something as simple as opening early for a community group to meet.
Support local causes
Get involved with local charities or community projects and provide updates. ’We’ve raised $1,000 for the local animal shelter this quarter‘, or ’our team helped plant 10 trees in the community garden‘. Again, words plus photos!
Use customer feedback
Share positive reviews and feedback. A screenshot or simple graphic is more than fine to post. You could even ask a customer to go on video to share a little about their experience at your venue — people these days are much more relaxed about this.
Use social media effectively
Post photos of your dishes and dining area and repost customer content. Make sure customers tag you when they post. Too busy for socials? A couple of your team members can handle it -if you give them content guidelines.
Regularly sharing positive news about your food, team, local area, and customers creates a welcoming atmosphere that encourages people to return. Focusing on good news and positive experiences in the hospitality industry is a great way to build a group of loyal fans.
Ken Burgin
