Restaurant owners would love to find some relief for their business under the tree this Christmas. COVID-19 has caused upheaval in every industry, but restaurants took it on the chin. Many restaurants either had to reduce indoor seating by 50% or operate delivery and pickup only.
While there was an uptick in restaurant shifts scheduled by the summer, by then, many businesses had closed. Running a restaurant has always been challenging, but the obstacles they face now are of another magnitude altogether.
Here are a few ways your restaurant can get a boost from digital tools this Christmas.
Employee Scheduling Software
Cut labor costs by up to 3% and streamline the aggravating and time-consuming process of creating work schedules with this new software. Employee scheduling software produces better and more responsive schedules for every employee in your restaurant, and it does so in up to 80% less time.
It also has a modern time clock that prevents unauthorized sign-ins, a manager-facing dashboard with crucial economic indicators updated live in real-time, and efficient communication tools that effortlessly keep teams connected.
Executives will have the data they need to make critical objective decisions, and they’ll run a more cost-effective day-to-day operation. Employee scheduling software also gives employees more control over their work-life balance, boosting employee engagement and company morale — especially during the Christmas holidays.
Optimize Google
It’s essential to meet your customers on their terms. Before people go out to eat, they do a little research online to confirm that the food will be tasty and good value.
The best thing you can do is add your restaurant to Google Maps as soon as you can, so it appears more prominently in a Google search for local restaurants. You want potential customers to see your restaurant appear in the search as prominently as possible.
Google’s search crawlers will pick up on your restaurant sooner if you add a business account to Google Maps, an app with over one billion users.
Social Media for Promotion and Branding
It’s not a secret anymore that social media platforms can make or break a restaurant. Posting messages or campaigns is a quick way to speak directly to customers, which takes on additional importance when restaurants need to operate in constantly changing conditions.
Sometimes customers aren’t sure of a business’s social distancing protocols. Social media gives you a powerful platform to sort out any potential confusion in advance.
Let customers know about the latest promotions or new special, but you can also use the platforms to build your brand. There’s a significant difference between informing potential customers about new menu items and creating an identity for your business — use social media to advance both these purposes while spreading some holiday cheer.
The modern world is powered by dazzling technology that can improve day to day processes and expand your reach. This Christmas, leverage digital tools like employee scheduling software and Google Maps, and take care to execute a social media strategy that complements your business. Serving great food in a warm and convivial atmosphere is a time-tested way to make a restaurant popular, but you should also implement these digital boosts to your bottom line, especially not during the holidays.
