How to Create and Maintain a Positive First Impression of Your Restaurant

This month's cover feature reviews various "touchpoints" that influence the guest experience. Among the key points of the article is that the perceptions formed by guests begin the moment they arrive. But in fact, that moment begins before they show up in your parking lot.

In this article, we dive into the elements of a successful first impression. These touchpoints include your website and social media promotion.

They also include other elements of your concept to which you might not give much thought, such as your parking lot, outdoor lighting, and that inexperienced staff mem- ber you just hired as host. While you might dismiss them as minor, compared to the quality of your food, they can make a great deal of difference to your guest, even if not consciously.

Hospitality Begins at Home (at the Office, on the Phone…)

Today, engagement with prospective and existing guests begins online. Guest perception of your hospitality can be elevated and destroyed before they leave their homes, their offfices, or before they set down their mobile devices.

First impressions last. Your guests' experience with your restaurant begins well before they taste your food.

Your website and social media presence should be an ongoing invitation to visit and return. Simply posting images of your food is not enough to attract guests. Include images of your staff that send the message "We are looking forward to serving you." So says Marilyn Schlossbach, a chef and owner of a number of New Jersey concepts, including Mahalo, Pop's Garage, Asbury Park Yacht Club's Surf Bar, and Frog's and Fishes as well as Marilyn Schlossbach Catering and Events in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She recommends that your website and social media presence be a virtual or photo journey "that creates an atmosphere, not just a photo", which can welcome guests at a distance.

Ashley Rosenfeld of A la Carte Food Service Consulting Group in Houston, Texas, finds that social media of some type is where guests are first introduced to a new restaurant. This is particularly true with younger guests, who are the largest dining consumer group, many of which are so-called "digital natives".

This is not lost on many operators, who outsource social media responsibilities to a public relations or marketing firms to assure experience and expertise. However, the operator should exercise plenty of say in what is posted, or risk that the consulting firm doesn't 'get' your concept and its message. A disconnect between the message online and the experience in the restaurant can be a turnoff to guests.

"Having a partner with social media expertise can be critical to ensuring that the 'voice' of the enterprise is consistent and also aligns with mission and vision," says Kirsten Tripodi, director of the Hospitality, Resort & Tourism Management program at Sacred Heart University's Jack Welch College of Business in Fairfield, Connecticut, "This is critical, especially with younger guests. There are partners you can work with in this space who can provide the expertise. This is a sound investment in your business."

During the course of service servers should act as tour guides, and make suggestions throughout the meal, says Spiegel. Food and wine knowledge is a key to developing confidence and trust between guests and servers.

Involvement in your social media includes timely and thoughtful response to reviews of your concept, both positive and negative. "It is your responsibility to respond to every one of those reviews, whether good or bad," says Jerry Maddox, who owns and operates Fazoli's in Pharr, Texas. "Never offer an excuse for poor performance, and always thank them for their feedback."

Monica Downen and her husband Mark own and operate Monica's Waterfront Bakery & Café in Silverdale, Washington. She believes "every restaurant should be current, consistent and creative with its social media. Pictures of food, staff, customers, events, décor, menus and everything else, throughout each day and from different staff perspectives, are vital to a positive image."

Again, authenticity and control are critical. "We control who gets to follow us, and if anyone solicits anything on our sites without our consent they are immediately blocked. Our customers want to know what we're doing and are not looking for the hard sell; that is a bygone era."

Outside Influence

Rosenfeld feels restaurateurs should pay as much, if not more, attention to the exterior of the restaurant as they do to the upkeep and cleanliness of their kitchen and dining room. For restaurants on a thoroughfare or a mixed-use development surrounded by other dining options, the exterior of a restaurant is just as much of a marketing tool as any other. "Eye catching signage, attractive, well-maintained landscaping, a clean parking lot and sidewalk free of debris, smudge free windows, a lively patio environment with music - these are all key components that potential guests pay close attention to."

Getting guests excited about the restaurant "starts from the moment they drive into the parking lot," says Kevin Moll, president of Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc. in Denver. "Is it clean, litter and snow-free, well maintained, fresh striping, and no holes in the pavement? Are lot lights turned on and functional?"

Lu Schildmeyer, principal of LUS Design Associates in Tacoma, Washington, has designed more than 700 restaurants, 400 bars, and 1,500 foodservice facilities in his 30-year career. He sees lighting as critical to this stage of the dining experience, which begins out in the street. "Outdoor lighting is a must," says Schildmeyer. "A well-lit and safe-looking parking lot at a restaurant at night can increase your traffic just by looking more inviting than the restaurant across the street or next door." Excellent lighting at night means the guest "is made to feel like family, and they have always come there even if this is there first time."

Schildmeyer also emphasizes the importance of a clean parking lot, grounds and restaurant entry, with special care to make sure there is no trash or stains on walkways. "If there are, use muriatic acid to get the stains out of a concrete walkway." Joie Schoonover, principal of Rippe Associates in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has found that the state of the outdoor trash area may form the basis of a patron's first impression. "If guests see the trash is overflowing, they will wonder about the inside of the restaurant and the cleanliness of the kitchen."

Welcome Reception

Concepts will often station brand-new front-of-the-house employees at the host or hostess stand to gain experience. While the technical skills necessary to receive guests are not as demanding as working the tables, do not underestimate the importance of the host. You should rigorously vet and train for this position.

"How a guest is greeted, or not greeted, quite literally sets the table for how their overall dining experience will be," says Rosenfeld. Here is where you can set your independent operation apart from the chains. A positive first impression at the door "starts a guest's dining experience with a positive mentality. A lackluster or nonexistent greeting leads to an uneasy guest who is now left wondering if they have made the right choice on where to dine."

When guests arrive they should be warmly greeted and acknowledged by name, if it is known. Coats and packages should be checked, if appropriate for the concept, and guests should be shown to their table as quickly as possible. If guests need to wait, they should be directed to the bar or have a comfortable waiting area to sit.

Rosenfeld feels the number-one error restaurants typically make is offering a lackluster greeting or even none at all. "Perhaps there is only one host or hostess on duty, and he or she did not ask someone to cover the front door while she walked the guests to their table. In this scenario, guests walk inside and typically stand around for a few minutes, looking around, hungry, wondering if someone is going to approach them."

In a counter-service restaurant, during a slow period a guest may walk in "and instead of being greeted by a friendly cashier, it is a silent cashier staring at their phone or (looking at) the TV on the wall," Rosenfeld adds. "The guest now feels uncomfortable, almost as if the restaurant is closed, or that the staff would prefer that they had not walked in. These are all feelings a restaurant should strive to avoid at all costs."

During the course of service servers should act as tour guides, and make suggestions throughout the meal, says Spiegel. "Food and wine knowledge is a key to developing confidence and trust between guests and servers." The tabletop should also be in alignment with the brand. "White tablecloths imply a fine-dining, expensive experience. Placemats and mason jars imply a more casual and whimsical experience."

Easily overlooked is the role that the sense of smell can play. "Many operators do not understand that smell of the food can be an indication of the cleanliness of the restaurant, as well as a marketing tool," says Professor Mahmood A. Khan, a professor of hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech. The restaurant should smell like delicious food, echoes Downen "not cleaners, chemicals, booze, bathrooms, or old fryer oil."

Training

Success in the restaurant business hinges on the performance of your staff. Staff performance hinges on training, without which you are prone to service errors and inconsistencies, even with the best hiring practices.

As noted, the host position is critical; however, you need to send the message that everyone on the floor has a responsibility to welcome guests when they arrive. There is nothing your staff is doing at any time that would keep them from providing a smile and hello as the guest moves through the restaurant, whether to be seated or to make his or her way to the restroom. Rosenfeld recommends training staff to truly understand the importance of welcoming guests into the restaurant.

"Have staff members talk about a memorable greeting they received at a hospitality establishment, and likewise a situation where they were not greeted, or greeted in a lackluster manner. How did that affect their experience and their overall image of the establishment?"

Consider that the host is the first person your guests will encounter. Is he or she the person you wish to be the face of your concept?

Systems and procedures provide constant reminders. First and foremost, notes Rosenfeld, employees must see these policies clearly written in their training manuals. They should be bullet-pointed on easy-to-reference opening, shift change and closing checklists that are laminated and stationed invisible employee work areas. Lastly, a crucial step that can often be overlooked is that staff must then be consistently held accountable.

"A friendly greeting is key to a successful first impression," says Armand Iaia, FCSI, regional manager for Cini-Little International Inc. in Des Plaines, Illinois. "Staff members who act like they do not care are the worst. Staff members need to let the guest know that they are glad they are there and want them to have an enjoyable experience." They also need to be helpful when it looks like guests need assistance.

Casual but helpful conversation is a plus. "If the neighborhood is interesting, servers can offer suggestions about things to see after dinner," Iaia says. "If the neighborhood is dicey, they can offer suggestions about where not to go."

"Pretend every guest is the teacher who was responsible for you getting in this business, and you're about to get graded," recommends Trip Ruvane, president of the Barley Creek Brewing Company & Distillery, a restaurant and brewery in Tannersville, Pennsylvania. "Figure that they brought with them that pop quiz, and it's a checklist a lot more extensive than the one they brought with them last week."

Beyond that, Ruvane employs a secret shopper service to make sure lessons have been learned. "It's a good way to get a fresh perspective with someone who has already got the list."

Ten-four, Good Buddy

Policies and systems "should certainly be in place," says Downen, and should be flexible enough to match the changing needs of customers and staff "as long as high standards are upheld. Daily check-off lists work for us. They need to be reviewed daily at first, with leading by example and gentle reminders."

Once these practices become embedded as habit, she continues, they should still be reviewed at each staff meeting and staff check-ins by way of inquiry. For example, "How do you think we are doing in these areas? What improvements would you like to see? What are you willing to do to ensure these improvements happen?"

At her establishment, says Downen, the standard is to greet each guest within five seconds. "We have the 10-four Rule. Within 10 feet, everyone must be acknowledged with eye contact and a smile. Within four feet, there must also be a verbal acknowledgement. This applies 360 degrees around, on the phone -- smiles can be heard - and through windows, as well as within our walls."

THE PERFECT HOST

If your concept is typical of many others, your host and hostess positions are assigned to your least-experienced staff. The reasons are clear. Many operators see the position as the least demanding technically. The host greets the guest, leads them to a table, hands them menus, and leaves. It doesn't require memorization of the menu, taking orders, or turning tables. That is why the host is often the entry-level position in a table-service restaurant.

That said, a disinterested host or a host who lacks confidence dealing with the public or is otherwise unengaging can drag down the dining experience before guest is even seated. Simply a young, pretty face won't cut it.

Consider that the host is the first person your guests will encounter. Is he or she the person you wish to be the face of your concept? A table-service restaurant is what marketing academics often refer to as a "hedonic" experience. The guest is seeking a certain amount of pleasure from the environment, not simply to get a meal. Any aspect of the experience that is lackluster will make guests question whether the premium they paid for the experience is worth the price of admission.

One of the best ways to screen for the host position is to involve your best front-of-the-house staff member to be part of the process. He or she is likely to recognize personal qualities that make a good host. Your host training should include at least one shift as a "shadow", observing your top host (perhaps who is now a server) to demonstrate how the job is done well. It might seem expensive initially, since you are paying two staff for one job, and your hourly wage for the experienced host is likely to be relatively high. That said, the best operators do not leave any service touchpoint to chance. They realize the expense of their service orientation and training is very low as compared to the expense of lost repeat patronage.

Monica Downen and her husband Mark own and operate Monica's Waterfront Bakery & Café in Silverdale, Washington. "Ensure that the entry is open and accessible, and the entry is warm and inviting rather than stark and full of signs demanding attention," says Downen, who doesn't leave it to chance. She leans on an exterior checklist to ensure that everything is shipshape:

• The location itself should, if possible, be as accessible as possible from all angles, close to other activities and sites of interest, with lots of easy parking.
• The parking lot should be clean, well-marked, accessible, well-lit, with valet parking "friendly, reliable, making an effort to remember guests, prompt, and treating everyone as one would the queen."
• Signage should be clear, "out of the way yet easy to see," very easy to read and with "just enough words and pictures to relay who you are."
• Landscaping should be neat, not too dense, low maintenance, "and edible would be great."
• Outdoor lighting should be "vast, bright, on automatically at dusk, off automatically at dawn, with ambient lighting around the entry."
• Outdoor music should not be too loud or on too late, but should be widely appealing and respectful of the restaurant's neighbors as well as the diners.
• The exterior, and especially the trash area, should be clean and regularly monitored.