Restaurants are facing unprecedented challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic, but new technologies and the resilient spirit that’s always been at the industry’s core will help it bounce back, The National Restaurant Association’s Tom BenĂ© said during a virtual conference session last week. Indonesia’s restaurant and food franchise sector is still undergoing robust expansion despite economic slowdown due to the sluggish household spending in the first semester of 2017 (See Indonesia’s Second Semester Economic Outlook: Focusing on Investments ). Head of Creative Economy Agency Mr Triawan Munaf revealed that the culinary sector remains the largest contributor to Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) among all the creative economy sectors. Technology advancement, especially social media and online-based food delivery services, has helped drive the growth of this sector by increasing consumer demand and expanding its reach as well as customer base (See Indonesia’s FMCG Sector; Marred by Low Confidence but Boosted by Modern Retail ).
But the modern day restaurants probably started mushrooming with the spread of colonialism, especially with the growth of the Indian Railways and Civil Services. As people started to travel far and wide across the country, there was a spurt in eateries that could serve them freshly cooked food.
Advertise and market your restaurant in an aggressive manner until you capture your target market. Offer a discount at certain times, or a free salad initially to get people to solicit your establishment. If you offer good, nutritious foods that are tastily cooked and well presented, a return clientele is guaranteed.
What makes a great restaurant? Is it a flashy exterior and linen napkins? Is it a wall plastered with a collage of license plates and taxidermy artwork? Or is it great food, reasonable prices, and excellent service? Well, if you want the best pizza or hamburger in town, what’s hanging on the wall or how your carrots are arranged will make little difference. There is more to a meal than cloth napkins or loud music. If you want the best the next time you’re traveling or simply seeking something new local, here are some types of places you might like to avoid.
Recognition also lends itself to the psychology behind why restaurant franchises tend to succeed more so than independent ownership. A franchise becomes linked with an already established brand, and customers then associate this brand with a certain level of quality that they come to know and expect. Customers don’t care who owns the business, but what they do care about is that they will continue to get the same great product each time they come back. Customers thrive on consistency and knowing they can get the exact same product or service from any franchise location, and take comfort that they are less at risk when spending money since they already know what to anticipate. Restaurant franchise owners will be providing customers the same menu, operating hours, design, layout, policies, prices, and services that customers would be able to find in the same franchise hundreds of miles away.