Restaurants that Make the Most Profit

Whether you are a prospective restaurant owner or an investor, it's important to know what types of restaurants are typically the most profitable. While the “magic formula” that works for your restaurant may be unique, your goal is to stay in business and be consistently busy. See what other restaurants in your niche are doing right. What qualities help them stand out from other establishments?

Typically, good restaurants maintain a sleek, professional image by keeping their staff in custom professional business attire. They also strive to offer the best customer experience to all their guests. Here are the kinds of restaurants that make the most profit.

They Have Good Food

You can talk about other features that make a restaurant great, but if the quality of food doesn’t come up, then you're missing the big picture. People mainly come to restaurants to eat and drink. So, first and foremost, successful restaurants serve great food. Now, the type of food that you specialize in is up to you, whether it be small plates, BBQ, Tex Mex, or new American. Making a good first impression is crucial, but serving consistently great food that people can count on is also important to keep regular customers. A good menu has some classic staples as running favorites, but the chef is also not afraid to make specials and change the menu according to existing sales patterns.

They Don’t Try to "Do It All"

There has been a marked shift away from trying to do every style of food on a massive menu. Instead, people are looking for more focused experiences. They want to see one-page menus that list every course. A smaller availability allows the chef to focus on perfecting these dishes instead of having a big kitchen store massive amounts of food that may not be used. In fact, this wise usage of ingredients allows business owners to only order what they need and not waste food. In this way, customers who specifically want your style of cuisine will come directly to you with confidence. Take hold of your niche, and you will gain a great reputation in your area.

They Focus on the Details that Matter

A profitable restaurant also uses its budget wisely to create a welcoming and unified environment. These businesses spend money on detailed touches such as custom cups that can be used throughout the store and custom logo pens that servers can use and distribute to customers.

Promotional products like these also create opportunities to spread the word about your business. For example, a logo pen that is used to sign a check can accidentally be taken out of the restaurant and into a person’s workplace. Your restaurant’s pen has just become free advertising in unexpected places!

They Have Repeat Customers

For restaurants, having repeat clientele is key to having consistent profits. It is one thing to be a well-known chain breakfast place that serves people coming off the highway, but if your restaurant is not a big brand, you need to gain local loyalty by consistently doing a great job. One common element in any strategy is to delight and thrill your customers every time. For example, maybe you have a lot of young families that struggle to keep energetic children in their chairs. If you install a fenced play area with some nearby seating, you can effectively serve these customers.

They Make It Fun

Depending on your customers, delightful elements in your restaurant can include live music, trivia nights, charity events, raffles, and space for private parties. Check to see what events are popular near you. Maybe another restaurant nearby brings in people from around town every weekend through live music. Find out what kinds of bands are popular in the area and see if you can try this tactic yourself.

You can also try to fill a need that hasn't been met, like hiring a DJ for a dance party that isn't available for miles around you. Or make a fun trivia night and offer drawings for promotional gifts that incentivize participation. The key is to provide something that you know people enjoy, and that’s indispensable and unique. You can be the only trivia night restaurant in your area, and that will get people coming and in choosing you over other places.

What would you like to try to make your restaurant more profitable? If you are using any of these methods, how can you make them better?