How to Take Action and Power to Boost Guest Count

In this episode of The Restaurant Success Podcast, we dive deep into the most critical metric for restaurant success: guest count. While many restaurant entrepreneurs focus on profit margins and revenue, Matthew reveals why tracking and improving guest count should be your primary business objective. Learn how successful restaurants are differentiating themselves in today's competitive market by creating memorable experiences that keep customers coming back. This episode explores practical strategies for restaurant owners looking to boost guest count through exceptional hospitality, food quality, effective marketing, and positive culture-building. Whether you're running a single location or managing multiple restaurant units, these actionable insights will help you increase profitability by focusing on what truly drives sustainable growth in the restaurant business.

Key Topics Covered

• Why guest count matters more than anything on your P&L
• How successful restaurants maintain positive comparative guest counts
• The four key questions to boost your restaurant's guest count
• Creating memorable experiences that motivate guests to visit more frequently
• Taking action despite industry-wide challenges

Links Mentioned

• How to Build Back Guest Count in 2022 by Focusing on Uniqueness
• Make Sure Restaurant Employees and Guests Love Your Culture in 2023

Resources Mentioned

• Website: www.surrender.biz
• Free initial consultation available

Connect with Matthew Mabel

Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve:

• Profit growth
• Sales optimization
• Guest count increase
• Unit expansion
• Employee engagement
• Brand loyalty

How to Support the Show

• Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and Newsletter
• Rate and review the show
• Visit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Restaurant Success Podcast. I'm Matthew Mabel, veteran restaurant advisor, coach, consultant, and speaker devoted to multi-unit independent restaurant unit, profit and revenue growth, internal harmony and ownership freedom and flexibility.

Today we're going to talk about how to take action and the power to boost guest count - arguably the most important metric for your restaurant's success.

We'll explore why guest count matters more than almost anything on your P&L, examine what successful restaurants are doing differently, and I'll share my four key questions that can help you increase your guest count, starting today.

You know, when I look at restaurant performance across the industry, I keep coming back to one critical insight: The most important number for your restaurants - the one to look at every shift, day, week, and accounting period - isn't on your P&L. That number? Guest count.

I have clients who show up with positive comp guest counts. Those brands offer great experiences to guests who are willing to pay for unique and memorable meals along with a thirty - sixty - or ninety minute vacation.

Guests see value at the time spent in these restaurants, or just ordering from them.

For everyone else, guest counts are lagging, with sales increases being related to menu-price inflation.

That's representative of a trend in the industry. Guests have made a clear choice in response to managing their household budgets.

They don't trade down - They are just not motivated.

They want something memorable. Guests simply go to restaurants less often.

Now - let's talk about making guests spend more with you. What would the rest of your numbers look like if the guest count deficit began to close? They would look even more beautiful. The act of looking at guest count erosion every shift, day, week, and period can either serve as a reminder for you to keep working to truly increase revenue, or just make you feel frustrated, victimized, and helpless.

I vote for the former. The happier you make your guests, the more frequently they will make your restaurants part of their personal rotation.

So how do we actually increase guest count? Over my years of consulting, I've developed four key questions that every restaurant operator should be asking themselves regularly.

First, do your restaurants exude hospitality, service, and something unique that is valuable?

This is foundational - guests need to feel that special something when they walk through your doors.

Second, does your brand lead your segment with food quality, presentation, flavor, and the look and feel of your dining rooms? You've got to stand out from the competition in ways that matter to your target customers.

Third, does a honed marketing message communicate to diners that you have what they want? It's not enough to be great if nobody knows about it.

And finally, do you look around your restaurant and experience a culture that creates smiling, happy guests and employees? The energy in your space is contagious - make sure it's positive.

I've written blog posts before about how to lead your segment and the importance of a culture in your restaurant. I've put links to those articles in our show notes. 

Have you ever caught yourself reading the business section of your online news source and mentally throwing your hands up in the air or just feeling grateful that you have what you have? You sell yourself short on creativity, innovation, observation, and power. Don't ever tell yourself that you can't close the guest count gap "because that is just how things are."

Instead, answer those four questions I just shared, create initiatives, and spring into action. Somebody will do it. Somebody will win. It may as well be you.

My best clients constantly re-examine their assumptions about their brands and businesses and never allow outside forces to dictate their action or level of success. You can educate people effectively, inspire them strongly, upgrade menu items, learn from your competition, and build an effective culture that guests and employees buy into. This outlines the work I do with the leaders I coach and advise as well as the companies that rely on me to help them with strategy.

Over to you. What initiatives are attached to each of the four questions I mentioned? If you don't have a clear path, create one.

Let me tell you about how we might work together. I work with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to grow their profit, sales, guest count, and unit count. My unique approach bonds employees and guests to restaurant brands and allows owners to enjoy the freedom and flexibility they have earned.

To schedule a call with me to discuss how to achieve your biggest goals, follow the link in the show notes. The initial consultation is complimentary, and we can discuss which big moves might be right for your operation.

Thanks for listening. If you haven't already subscribed to the Restaurant Success Podcast and Newsletter podcast, please do so, and rate and review the show. Find more information in the show notes at Restaurant Success Podcast dot com.

Also find tons of information you can use in print, audio and video form at my website, www dot surrender dot biz. Thanks again and see you next time.