Changing Your Restaurant From Lunch To Dinner
Patricia Farnham
Many restaurants that offer both lunch and dinner want to create a nicer atmosphere for the dinner crowd. It is common to offer a wider menu selection as well as to charge more for meals in the evening time. You want your guests to feel that coming in for dinner is worth it. That means you need to make some changes that are effective yet affordable. You also want them to be something that can be done quickly.
Many restaurants use paper place mats on their tables. This is acceptable but you can kick it up a notch for dinner. Those paper place mats can remain in place through the lunch hour. Then you can add cloths to them in colors that compliment the atmosphere you want to create. You can also change from paper napkins to cloth napkins for the evening meal.
While you want to give your customers as much room at their table as possible, it is common to have some type of decoration on it. You can easily switch from something basic to something better when you go from serving lunch to dinner. Candles work well as do vases with nicer flowers.
Come up with a creative way to accent the table by placing pretty flowers, candles, or other decorations on them. You want there to be something more personal and appealing for dinner than lunch. Swapping them out when they table clothes are put out for dinner time is very simple though. It will definitely create a unique look that goes over well with your guests.
Don't forget how a change in lighting can affect the atmosphere as well. You will want softer lighting for dinner than for lunch. This may require a small investment but most electricians can give you a good price. Keep in mind you will save money each month on your electric bill too. Put some effort into offering different music to enjoy at night as well.
Casual seating is common for the lunch crowd but you want it to be more guided for dinner. A hostess should seat the guests based on their preference of seating in the evening. If you expect the place to be quite busy you may allow people to call ahead to place a reservation as well.
You can easily implement these tips as well as others that may be a good move for your specific type of restaurant. If you are careful in your planning stages you will find this transformation doesn't have to be expensive. You should view it as an investment in the longevity of your restaurant. You want this to be something that works quite well for you and that staff can accomplish in a short span of time.
It doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming to accomplish this. Make sure your staff understands the transition and can effectively set it up. There is no reason why you can't offer a dramatic change between your lunch time and dinner time atmosphere. It all depends on how much effort you are willing to put into it. Explore your options and be creative so you can offer something amazing.
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