Having slow days at your restaurant? Worrying much? We want to tell you something, then. It happens, and you’ve nothing to worry about. Some days, you’ll see your establishment packed with people coming in and going out. The other days? Well, they can get slower. Monday can be dead. Tuesday can drag, too. Seeing only a few people occupying tables at your restaurant mustn’t get you worried. In fact, there are tricks that you can follow to keep up with this undesired pace.

And what’s that trick? You might be thinking of some kind of technical setup. Or some approach that’s too complex for you to follow. But actually, it’s really simple: Keep your eyes on the days that you think seem to be “less busy” than usual. Don’t shy away from writing down this routine for a few weeks. It’ll really give you something to get started with. Then, there’s something about staffing that you can do, too. Do you really need five servers standing around on slow Mondays? It’s called “burning money for no reason”.

This guide will explain how you can manage low traffic days at your restaurant.

5 Ways to Manage Low Traffic Days at Your Restaurant

You see, it’s challenging to bring people on days that are usually slow. We used the word “challenging”, not “impossible”. Because it’s something that you can achieve by moving a few things here and there. Say, you can run some “specials” on these low-profit days. A Tuesday deal? People would love it. Then, you have those loyal customers who come back to you no matter what. What you need to do is shift your focus to them instead of running behind new ones.

Below are the top five ways that can help you manage low traffic days in your establishment:

1.     Identify Quiet Periods

Fixing a problem that you don’t really understand? That’s not the “right way” to do things when you’re facing some issues while running a restaurant. This is why you’re going to have to “track” your restaurant’s traffic. It’s actually more important than you might think. Here’s where everything starts to come together.

There are some owners who just make “wild guesses” based on their emotions. This is another wrong thing to do when tracking everything. The thing is, your memory can really play tricks on you. You might think, “The last Tuesday was slow”. But you might forget to question yourself, “Was it actually slower than the Tuesday before?”.

2.     Adjust Staff Shifts

Saving some “serious cash” on days that are slow? You may think it’s “impossible”. That’s because you’re not trying to give a thought to the ways that can make it possible. Want to hear about one? You can “adjust your staff shift” to reach the goal. You have a Tuesday lunch that brings only ten customers. Then, why have five servers?

Another question might pop into your mind here, “What will I do if the day suddenly gets busy?”. You’re actually overlooking the fact that you’re not “locked” into anything. You’ll always find servers who would be happy to get work on an extra shift.

3.     Promote Daily Specials

You always have a “trump card” to play when nothing seems to be working for slow days. We’re talking about offering “daily specials” and promoting them on different platforms. You see, there’s no one who doesn’t love a good deal. It’ll offer the following advantages:

·         Increases foot traffic

·         Boosts sales volume

·         Creates customer excitement

·         Uses excess inventory

·         Generates social buzz

You don’t really need to overthink your specials. Your offers can be kept simple and easy to execute. One thing that you should keep in mind is that the “best promotions” are the ones that work for everyone.

4.     Engage Loyal Customers

Who would you prefer running behind when it’s a low-traffic day? A new guest? Or a customer who visits you regularly? The latter is the one you can term “pure gold” for your eatery. When you engage them on such days, it offers the following benefits:

·         Builds stronger relationships

·         Increases visit frequency

·         Generates reliable revenue

·         Creates brand ambassadors

·         Fills slow periods

The thing is, when you make your “regulars” feel special, they’ll keep showing up no matter what day it is. You can engage them by offering “loyalty programs” or starting a “VIP text list”.

5.     Work With a Restaurant Consultant

They say, “When everything stops working, bring in an expert”. This is one hundred percent true when you talk about the hospitality industry. A professional restaurant consultant can assist you with slow days in the following ways:

·         Fresh expert perspective

·         Proven strategy solutions

·         Industry best practices

·         Cost reduction tips

·         Menu optimization advice

But here’s another thing you need to be careful about: Don’t just opt for the next consultant. You’ve to find the “best” one if you’re really serious about this issue. You can get in touch with professionals at Finisya to achieve this milestone.

Seek Help to Cope with Slow Days at Your Restaurant

The one thing that you’ll see many restaurant owners afraid of is those slow days. The days that don’t offer much profit. This is where you need assistance from experts. An experienced individual who can steer you towards the right pathway. Contact a reliable hospitality consultant now to seek help to cope with slow days at your restaurant.