Spring Brings Five Ways to Clean Up Your Restaurant Business

For most people, Mother’s Day is a chance to give thanks by taking Mom out for a memorable dinner with her family at a nice restaurant. But for restaurateurs, that time-honored tradition is just the tip of the iceberg.

Mother’s Day weekend is the second most important holiday on the calendar for the restaurant industry. Plus, it’s also the entry point to ramping up your business for a busy summer season, which typically, will have peaks all the way until Labor Day. And that means sprucing up your business and making a few key adjustments that can help you boost your image and ride the service wave through this critically important revenue-generating season.

Check Uniform Inventory. Many quality restaurants anticipate the ramp-up in summer business by boosting staffing levels. That means, now is the time to make sure your uniform inventory levels are accurate and reflect your seasonal staffing needs. Make sure you take all areas into account, including the kitchen, front end and bar areas.
Review Uniform Sizes. While you’re checking uniform inventory levels, also remember to adjust uniform sizes to your new summertime reality. Augmenting staff may require increases or decreases in various sizes to accurately fit your new wait staff or kitchen crew. Since it’s usually “all hands on deck” for Mother’s Day and into the summer season, now is the time to make adjustments.

Adjust For Outdoor Seating. All it takes is the first warm weekend to think about opening up the patio for outdoor seating. Determining whether your linen levels reflect your restaurant’s increased capacity is essential. Will the restaurant be using the same layout inside and out that it has used in the past? Will the outdoor seating be opened up daily or only on weekends? Will it be used during both lunch and dinner? All these questions should be addressed to make sure the restaurant is fully equipped for expanded service.

Rationalize Mat Program. Now is also the time to make any adjustments in a restaurant’s mat program. Reducing mats now can help reduce costs, freeing up dollars best spent elsewhere. Also, consider adding mats with the restaurant’s logo. Spring season makes everyone more image-conscious, and adding a logo mat program can help a restaurant take advantage of the boost in customer awareness after winter’s thaw.

Spruce Up The Ambiance. Every restaurant is a multi-sensory experience. During the first blush of spring, customer’s senses go into overdrive! This means it’s an opportune time to take a good look at all your service and janitorial products, including new products being offered. Consider switching to new air fresheners with a spring-like scent.

Ask if your textile service provider is living up to the demands of the season that is upon us.