How can you increase your restaurant's occupancy rate?
July 22, 2024
When you're running a restaurant, you feel like you're in the middle of everything: you have to guarantee the quality of your welcome and service, offer top-quality cuisine, manage reservations, take care of logistics... So when you've got so much to think about, you'd like to have a restaurant that's always full.
What restaurateur doesn't dream of seeing all his tables occupied and his reservation book full?
Obviously, a restaurant's fill rate depends on many factors, such as :
- Restaurant location
- Competition in the vicinity
- The quality of the dishes
- Atmosphere and décor
- Quality of service and welcome
- Word of mouth
- The restaurant's reputation...
You can't act on all these factors: it's hard to move your restaurant or get rid of your competitors.
But there are many tips and tricks to easily improve your restaurant's fill rate.
In this article, we'll let you discover our tips for increasing your restaurant's traffic without getting in over your head.
What is a restaurant's fill rate?
The fill rate is a key performance indicator used to measure restaurant occupancy. For a hotel, the term "occupancy rate" is used. This index is used to evaluate theattractiveness of an establishmentt and thus estimate the margin for improvement in profitability.
It's an excellent indicator of restaurant activity over a given period: it can be compared from day to day, week to week or even year to year. If you own several restaurants or manage a network of franchises, this KPI (Key Performance Indicator) enables you to compare performance between your different outlets.
How do you calculate a restaurant's fill rate?
A restaurant's fill rate is calculated by dividing the number of tables occupied by the total number of tables in the establishment. It is expressed as a percentage.
The calculation formula is as follows:
Fill rate = (number of tables occupied / total number of tables) x 100
For example, if your restaurant has 30 tables and 15 are served, your fill rate is 50% (15/30 x 100).
Obviously, if you're able to organize several services per period, you'll naturally increase the fill rate.
Tip: the success of some restaurants and restaurant chains is based on their ability to increase table rotation while refusing reservations. No time is wasted between tables, the number of customers per service is increased and the fill rate is improved.
You can also calculate a room's occupancy rate to compare different areas in your restaurant: for example, you can compare the occupancy rate of your terrace with that of the restaurant's interior.
What's the right ratio for a restaurant?
The higher the rate, the better. If your fill rate reaches 100%, it means your restaurant is always full. This is good news for your bottom line, but it also means that demand outstrips supply. You might want to consider expanding or offering additional services such as take-away. click & collect - or the home food delivery.
How to increase restaurant traffic?
Play the loyalty card
Having loyal customers is the key to success for any restaurateur. And for that, nothing beats a loyalty program that keeps your customers coming back for more. You can now create a dematerialized loyalty card to reward customers for every visit to your establishment.
This solution lets you create special offers to improve customer loyalty: you can, for example, offer a special price on the customer's favorite product, a limited-time promotion or reward loyal customers with gifts. Depending on the amount spent, you can offer additional benefits.
If you have a restaurant chainThe multi-brand loyalty card boosts footfall in all your outlets, benefiting your entire network.
Rely on marketing campaigns
To increase the number of visitors to your establishment, it's sometimes just a matter of reminding your customers. Sending emails or text messages is a good way of keeping in touch with your customers and pushing special offers. For example, offer a special promotion or menu for Valentine's Day.
If you're organizing an event in your establishment, let your customers know! Of course, if you want to send marketing campaignsTo do this, you'll need to collect data on your customers, at the very least their e-mail address or telephone number. The best way is to set up a customer database, connected to your POS software and your digital loyalty program. This will enable you to send more targeted, tailor-made messages.
If you're looking for ideas for messages to send, take a look at our 10 examples of email catering to inspire you.
Offer prepaid cards
As a complement to your customer loyalty strategy, you can offer a prepaid card. By loading an amount onto a smartphone wallet or a card via a cashless solution, you benefit from a fast, flexible means of payment. This system also increases your restaurant's profitability. In effect, you benefit from a cash advance that boosts your cash flow.
This innovative experience is a good way of attracting regular customers. Some providers, such as Obypay, allow prepaid cards to be topped up online, at the checkout or even at a kiosk.
Collect opinions
Consulting notices on the Internet has become the first choice criterion for restaurant reservations. Internet users have become accustomed to seeing the overall rating and reading reviews on the establishment's Google My Business page. They also consult recognized review platforms such as TripAdvisor or TheFork. So it's essential to encourage your customers to leave a review when they visit your establishment - especially if they're satisfied!
If you have a database of your most loyal customers, you can ask them by SMS or email to give their opinion on Google. You can also place a message on the table or use the bill to ask for their opinion. Another possibility: certain digital solutions enable you to leave a comment when you pay your bill online.
Improve your online visibility
Boost your online presence and make yourself known in your town.
Make sure your Google My Business page is up to date, with beautiful photos of your restaurant and up-to-date opening days and times.
Social networks have become a must-have for restaurateurs: more and more Internet users are consulting the Instagram or Facebook pages restaurants before you book. Regularly post photos of your dishes, kitchens, events, etc. to attract new customers and retain existing ones. Interact with your subscribers by replying to their comments and private messages.
LinkedIn is a network less suited to the restaurant sector, but it can be adapted if you have a restaurant chain. TikTok, on the other hand, is a platform that allows you to conduct searches. This social network is therefore widely used to find restaurants and quickly see your menu, but also the atmosphere of the place.
If you have the means, you can also opt forinvest in online advertisingWe'll help you do just that, with Google Ads and social networks. Target your ads according to the location, interests and consumption habits of your potential customers. It's a great way to increase your online visibility.
Another important point: the influencers and food bloggers. Depending on your restaurant's location, type of cuisine or atmosphere, you can create partnerships to create buzz and reach their followers in exchange for free food, for example.
Offer online booking
More and more people are making the reflex to book their table online. Whether it's on your website, your social networks, your Google My Business page or specialized platforms, offer online reservations to make the process easier for your customers and reduce last-minute cancellations.
In addition, some systems allow you to send an SMS or email reminder just before the booked time to limit "no-shows". A real plus for maximizing your fill rate and saving your team time.
Streamline order-taking and payment processing
To optimize the customer experience in your restaurant, you can set up a digital 100% ordering and payment system. Via a QR Code displayed on the tables or even via control terminalsYour customers can consult the menu and prices, order and pay the bill, without having to wait for a waiter. This solution speeds up order-taking and increases customer satisfaction. It's a real time-saver for your staff: service is faster and tables turn more quickly.
Another advantage of digital ordering is the automatic translation of the menu into several languages. A menu available only in French can reduce your chances of attracting foreign customers.
Expand your business and your restaurant's profitability by boosting your fill rate
There are quick and easy ways to improve your restaurant's occupancy rate and make full use of your establishment's capacity.
Increasing the occupancy rate of your restaurant requires multidimensional approachWe're here to help you, by combining an exceptional experience, effective marketing strategies, attractive offers, local partnerships, optimized management and innovation. By implementing these strategies, you can not only attract more customers, but also build their loyalty. This is the key to ensuring your restaurant's success and increasing your sales.
So where do we start?
Ask one of our experts for advice restaurant digitization: together, you can calculate and analyze your occupancy rate, and opt for the best action plan to increase your restaurant's patronage.
