People often think that a meal begins when you take your first bite. But really, it starts when deciding where to dine – and here’s why.
Consumers often base dining decisions off their schedules and cravings. Perhaps it’s picking up something to take home to your family after a long weekday or committing to a full sit down experience in an attractive atmosphere. Tastebuds have a way of flipping between light and eclectic, or hearty and filling. All of this plays a role in the overall meal and the full dining experience.
At Sweet Paris Creperie & Café, we believe that guests often eat with their eyes first, which is why we prioritize the full dining experience. From ambiance to plating, menu design to marketing, we know every detail matters and contributes to our guests’ overall experience. In today’s era, a meal should go far beyond providing good food. When you prioritize the full dining experience as a restaurant brand, you have the power to turn a one-time visit into a lifelong affinity towards your business and strengthen the longevity of your brand.
Cultivate a One-of-a-Kind Experience
In the highly competitive marketplace, restaurant brands have to identify ways to differentiate themselves. One way to do that is to cultivate a particular experience that a guest can only get at your locations. While this can be a tall order, there are a few tactics to implement that will help serve up success.
It all starts with your concept – and having the ability to attract a range of customer personas. While it is difficult to please every person at every mealtime, it’s important to create an experience that will appeal to many groups.
Next, you need to create a unifying experience that is consistent throughout each visit and at every location. At Sweet Paris, each location implements the same music and décor for an inviting atmosphere. When ordering, our team engages in a personable discourse, and they can see all of the fresh ingredients while their crepe is being prepared. Beautifully crafted signage resonates with each of our guests while clearly displaying our menu items.
When you think of the word ‘café’, you might think of dimly lit enclaves where digital nomads post up for hours on end. With Sweet Paris Café & Creperie, we have set out to create a bright, airy space for a fine-casual breakfast, brunch, lunch, or coffee date. While our menu resembles what you would expect in a café, part of our mission is to provide an elevated, fine-dining quality to makes a visit to Sweet Paris feel unique. A key component of our design is cultivating a comfortable setting so customers can focus on the taste of their food while enjoying the environment and overall sensory experience.
Build A Brand that Lasts
Once a business has a clear and well-defined brand identity – an essential piece of the business – it is then time to focus on building long term success. A strong brand identity helps not only communicate the business’ mission, but it also sets the tone for what customers can expect before even setting foot in the restaurant.
With Sweet Paris, for example, we took great care in crafting our business’ name and logo to give people a sense of the food and ambiance in just a few words. The tone we set with our brand’s name and core design principles helps guide how we communicate with guests. Combined with an active social media presence and strategic marketing initiatives, a restaurant can find ways to keep its brand on people’s minds between in-person visits.
Use your restaurant’s social media channels to strengthen community relationships – this can also demonstrate how you value your client base while sharing information about promotions and deals. We are constantly trying new recipes and crafting seasonal specials that we want our guests to enjoy. By regularly sharing content, we are creating a digital brand catalogue that anyone can access and experience at their convenience.
Marketing initiatives can take a brand far, but serving high-quality products and stellar service are the also key ingredients to keeping your business forefront of people’s minds when selecting a dining destination.
Connect with Customers, Even Outside of Your Restaurant
Every business is built on the foundation of its customers. Developing a deep and authentic connection with them can turn a one-time visit into a life-long connection. Those connections can be established during a visit to your restaurant, but in today’s digital age, a customer’s first interaction with your brand could take place online.
An online presence is a powerful tool to intrigue new guests and retain repeat customers. Embracing the reach of your social media channels shows guests that your brand appreciates connecting with them, both in-store and online.
One way to incentivize guests to engage with you on social media is to offer compelling giveaways and worthwhile rewards programs that show guests you appreciate their business. At Sweet Paris we’ve developed a rewards system to connect with customers and incentivize people to come in to celebrate life’s special moments. On social media, we like to highlight our loyal customers and reshare footage that our followers post from our locations. We want them to know that our platform is designed for them, much like our cafes themselves.
Don’t underestimate the power and potential each customer interaction can have – prioritize building a personal connection each chance you get. Remember that the full dining experience is something that extends beyond the walls of your restaurant.
No Matter What—Serve Good Food!
At the end of the day, providing delicious, beautiful food is the most important element of the “full dining experience.” Details about the service style, interior décor, and seasonal promotions are compelling reasons to stop in. But at the core of the full package is delivering a consistently quality meal.
People today are drawn to fresh, made-to-order food. An extensive but focused menu with a wide variety of options that span taste preferences and dietary restrictions shows guests that you want to find ways to serve them. Offer the occasional limited time menu item to excite customers, but the foundation of your restaurant will lie within the tried-and-true items guests can always expect. Certainly, your business and menu will evolve over time, but always pay attention to customer favorites and feedback.
Businesses that prioritize the full dining experience can be a meaningful part of people’s daily routines. Your restaurant can be both the site of milestone moments and where guests know they can always have a consistent meal. When the restaurant reflects thoughtful design details, harmonious brand image, and an enthusiastic team to back your mission, your restaurant can deliver consistent, top-notch experiences to every customer, every time.