How to Build a Following for Your Restaurant

Opening a restaurant or other food-related business is hard work; and you didn’t come this far to be met with crickets. So how can you create a brand that customers crave? These are the ingredients.

Ingredient #1: Appeal to Hearts, Minds & Bellies

Your food speaks to the belly, but the brand is what speaks to the hearts and minds of your customers. To turn a satisfied customer an enthusiast:

• Make a Personal Connection
  For example: are your recipes handed down from generations of family? Is your fusion concept the result of your travels? Create opportunities to share your story by weaving it into key touchpoints like your website, logo, and packaging.
• Show You Care: Get involved in the community. Whether it’s volunteering, donating time or goods, or mentoring, pick something you’re passionate about and don’t be afraid to share your commitment. When customers see you’re invested in their community, they’ll be invested in you.

Not sure where to begin? When you rent at Partake Collective, you become part of a network of local chefs and foodies who are passionate about where they live and what they do; giving you a wealth of opportunities to build community and broaden your impact.

Ingredient #2: Focus on Quality of Concept

As restaurant mega-chains increasingly create their own spin-off virtual brands, consumers are becoming savvier about sniffing out the mass-produced options. To stand out in an increasingly crowded field:

• Be Authentic: Make your menu discernably different by highlighting what makes each offering special. Call out ingredients unique to the cuisine, or a special twist that makes a dish all your own.
• Spark Curiosity: Introduce customers to something new. For example, share a social media post about the Morita chile and why it makes your signature dish special. When customers feel they’re privy to a special discovery, they won’t want to miss out. In fact, at Partake, we regularly feature tenants in our email and social media marketing to help spread the word!

Ingredient #3: Stay in Touch & Stay Top of Mind

Sending an email every week is simple, but deciding what to write? Not so much. To ensure your content entices engagement:

• Create New Experiences: Do you have a beloved sauce you could bottle and sell for customers to enjoy at home? Or what about offering limited or recurring events – like meal kits, seasonal or themed menus, cooking classes, or pre-orders for a special delicacy? These all create excitement and keep customers anticipating what’s next.
  
  Bonus: The hourly and chefs kitchens at Partake Collective are the perfect spot to prep for a special offering or host an event. Plus our market is an excellent place to sell any packaged goods you create.
• Heed the Principle of Scarcity: Limiting availability to what you can accommodate isn’t just a way to manage staffing and resources; it’s also a way to create scarcity. And scarcity builds buzz. Only 50 spots available? Quick, sign me up! Pre-orders drop at noon? I’ll be on the website at 11:58!

Full of Ideas, But Hungry for More?

Opportunity awaits! We have the professional kitchen space and resources to help you take your big idea to the next level. Schedule a tour and see what’s possible.