5 Things What Diners Look Out For

Understanding Your Diners

The first step to understanding your diners is to know what they’re looking for. Here, we look at some of their 5 key preferences and how you can cater to them.

1. Atmosphere

Is your restaurant a formal, fine dining restaurant, or a casual, fun eatery? The atmosphere of a restaurant sets the tone for the whole dining experience.

2. Menu

Diners also decide where to eat based on what they feel like having that day, or a suitable cuisine for a special occasion. Find the type of cuisine or food you would like to serve that caters to a specific diner group, which in turn establishes your restaurant’s identity.

3. Dining room arrangement

From the arrangement of the furniture to the placement of cutlery, linen, glasses and flowers, all these little things contribute to the dining room layout and creating a great overall experience for your diners. Here are a couple of dining room arrangement examples from different types of restaurants:

• High-end restaurant – Showcases the cutlery and has ample space between tables, bringing across a sophisticated atmosphere.
• Casual restaurant – Booth seats, communal tables and bright lights create a homey, casual environment.
• Café – Tables and chairs that can easily be moved around to accommodate different group sizes makes for a fun atmosphere.
• Local eatery – Open air spaces, plastic chairs and tables, as well as simple tablecloths create a no-frills atmosphere.

4. Service

Good service is widely expected by diners. Delivering service that goes beyond their expectations pleases and encourages them to spread the word about your restaurant to their family and friends. Get more ideas on how to provide better service for your diners.

5. Drinks

Beverage selection has become a major consideration in deciding where to eat – especially for certain diners – so a beverage menu can be a highly profitable tool for your restaurant. Tailoring drink menus to special occasions, purposes or diner types helps your restaurant satisfy diners and make profits.