Love - that mysterious thing that consists of a mix of emotions. In Croatia we have a saying that goes: "Ljubav ide kroz želudac" - which translates to - love goes through the stomach.And if you put it like that, for some it really does, and for some, well, maybe less than others.
We all know that for Valentine's Day, couples go to restaurants for lunch or dinner - a romantic meal, let’s put it that way.Most of the restaurants are already booked, and there is a rare occasion when you stumble upon walk-in restaurants for that day. But, we will cover that on another blog. A week ago I started seeing ads on social media from restaurants. Every single one was the same. Two to three options of menus with prices. Vegan, vegetarian, and meat.
I started to think about the approach everyone had, and was the same for every restaurant. Each one provides various menus and prices. And I thought to myself: Congratulations you provide what every other restaurant provides. Quality food, and quality service in nice interior. But what is that something extra special that you do for your guests this Valentine's Day? What is the added value you provide for them?
We are very well aware that women want romance and men, well, they are not that creative. So you can use that to your advantage and give them something both will benefit from.
That may be the option of having your own private area that is divided by curtains in a crowded restaurant so they can enjoy each other's company more, and go that extra mile - maybe after dessert give a man a fortune cookie with love messages on their way out just for the two of them - let her think it was his idea - you will help him be more romantic, and give her a surprise of romantic gesture.
Maybe you have a themed menu that is served along with cards and questions for conversation that will walk them down the memory lane of their relationship. Like pre-meal is a question regarding their first date, or the way they met, and the dessert - well, maybe engagement if that is on the agenda for the day of a certain couple. Actually, I want to talk about that a bit more.
Even if we have a couple fresh out of the oven, or one that is old enough to have mold on them, by questioning them about their first acquaintance we will evoke emotions they had at that moment, and maybe it will not be love at first sight, but it will be excitement, curiosity, butterflies, or just some warm feeling of content. With that, you already made their dinner better. However be careful with the questions - you don’t want to dig up some dirt or make uncomfortable situations with the question like how do you see your future for us as the dessert is served because, well, maybe she wants kids, and he doesn't. They will blame you for their ending.
So the questions should be something that reminds them of all the happy times they had together and all the good emotions that go along with it. Some of them might sound like this:
How did you two meet, what did you think about one another?
What was your first date like? Were you nervous?
What is the best memory you have from the two of you?
What date would you repeat and why?
How do you feel when you think of me?
What was the silliest thing I did that made you laugh?
What do you like the most about your partner?
What do you like to do the most with your partner?
What would you like for your partner to know, that you maybe didn't say, or just want to say more often?
If I was a dessert what would I be?
The list goes on… What I am saying, is you can have that something little extra for them, provide an experience they will never forget, and make them a regular customer just by giving them experience they will not forget.
With that in mind, what do you think, would you grab their attention if your sponsored ad was something along the lines of - The experience of walking down the memory lane of your relationship through food? Or maybe - Are you also not going out for Valentine's Day because it’s too crowded but would love to enjoy delicious food? We got you covered - enjoy your private area in a romantic setting. I can guarantee you, that you would stand out - people would click and make a reservation.
How is all of this connected to design? Very simple - let’s talk about these two examples. For the one with questions - maybe you can print it yourself, but if you want your questions to be on quality cards with your logo, maybe it will be also served on a golden plate with a tablecloth that reveals the card - you will need a graphic designer. If you want to somehow divide your tables in your existing restaurants to provide intimacy and a private area you will need an interior designer, and probably more time on your hands as opposed to the first example.
All in all, as a designer, and a human myself I believe that providing added value, not just for this Valentine's Day, or any other regular day, or going the extra mile for your customers starts with a desire to elevate your business and give to your costumers something other restaurants can’t.
Speaking of that, one subject that is extra important is customer service. Last week I was talking with a colleague of mine and she ranted about a restaurant that is, by saying, one of the best in town. They had run some errands in town before that, wearing jeans and sneakers, and walked in a restaurant. The treatment the waitress gave them was not rude. It was polite, but you could feel she looked at them differently, just because they were not wearing a suit or heels like some other people at the restaurant. That made them uncomfortable and the food, well it was ok, but it didn’t taste that good and did not justify the price which was pricey.
The conclusion was that they would not return because although the waitress did not do anything rude or inappropriate, her energy screamed that they did not belong - because of that that, restaurant lost a good customer. She said a sentence that went like this: “I was feeling like my 200 euros was less worthy than the people sitting beside us wearing suits. And maybe we had more to spend than them, we both have two master's degrees and good jobs, and yet I was left feeling not good enough to be sitting there and eating food.”
With that in mind, talk with your employees, give them stimulation, and motivate them to treat every customer with the same respect and attitude. You never know who is sitting at your table. Today it may be students struggling to pay for the meal, but in two, or three years they will be regulars with high-spending budgets and generous tips, just because you were once nice to them.