Top 3 mistakes restaurants make

In this article we take a brief look at three mistakes too many restaurants make, issues which are easily rectified.

1. They don’t list the opening times.

Crazy right? Well you would not believe the number of restaurant websites which do not list their opening times! Displaying opening times is a must, is it open for lunch? Does it stay open late?

I spotted one such website recently, they also offered online ordering with a collection or delivery service. I was pretty amazed at being able to select meals and add them to my basket and still at no point were any opening times displayed, not during the checkout process, or anywhere else on the website and believe me I looked everywhere including reading through the t's and c's.

I'm wondering what would happen if I placed an order at 3am on a Monday morning, would they refund me at some point as they were unable to deliver my pre-breakfast Duck Bhuna, or would they simply deliver my order at lunchtime, or in the evening (if in fact they do open on Monday at all, I still don’t know). I might just try ordering with them and let you know, stay posted…

2. They don’t have a website.

There are many restaurants that do not have a website, instead relying on platforms such as Facebook, Trip Advisor and other directory websites to provide an online presence.

The issue here is that the restaurant is missing out on a huge opportunity to promote themselves in a way they see fit, to appear within searches displaying their own descriptive terms of the restaurant.

Fundamentally, whilst restaurant owners without a site may feel that a profile on a platform is good enough, their listing on a directory website appears next to a whole bunch of neighbouring competitors. This alone carries the risk of losing potential customers who may find themselves clicking to view another restaurant, perhaps one that is listed higher, or has more reviews.

3. They don’t provide details about nut allergies or important consumer information

Ok, so we could just call the restaurant and ask about allergies (if I know when they are open to be able to call) but that's not good enough, this is not 2005, this information should be available on the website, even if it is simply that 'we cannot guarantee that nuts won't be in our food.'

If you are a restaurant owner, take a look through our B2C website section or book a free consultation with a Site Sharp specialist.