5 Ways To Make Your Bar or Restaurant Stand Out from the Crowd

Bar or Restaurant

In the sea of bars and restaurants, how can you make your business stand out from the crowd? Creating a bar or a restaurant that is completely different from the others may seem almost impossible as more and more businesses with similar concepts keep opening every day.

However, you should probably be flattered if restaurants and bars like your own are opening in the area. It means that you’re doing something right. 

Having competition is a good thing because they make you want to be better at what you do. But how can you be better than your competition and how can you make your business stand out?

If you’re looking for the answer to these questions, you’re in the right spot. Let’s find out how you can make your bar or restaurant noticeable.

1. Take full advantage of social media and online reviews

Social media offers you an opportunity to advertise your restaurant or bar for free. Having a constant presence on one or several social media networks can be a great advantage over your competitors. 

With so many people on social media, you can increase awareness by posting great photos of food, interacting with customers, promoting your restaurant and bar, offering discounts, and many more things.

Creating a unique and interesting online presence can attract many new customers and retain old ones. Having an online presence can help you get feedback about your business and services. The impact of reviews on your restaurant and bar can be huge.

Online rating systems and sites have become crucial since at least 90% of the customers will choose your restaurant based on online reviews. 

So, don’t forget that the online reputation of a restaurant is very important these days. Be careful how you manage your online social media, app, and website.

2. Create new meal options and one-of-a-kind specials

Do you know what’s a sure recipe for disaster? Becoming boring to your customers. To stay relevant and to stand out from the crowd, you need to keep things interesting and be innovative.

Create new, fun meal options and get creative with promotions. A good idea is to engage your customers in the creation of either a new meal or a completely new menu. Create online polls, host online competitions, or something similar. 

Also, for those who participated in the competition or poll, offer them one-of-a-kind specials, free meals, and so on. 

It’s these unique and interesting promotions that will make your restaurant or bar stand out from the crowd. 

3. Cleanliness of the restaurant or bar

Without a doubt, the essential part of every bar and restaurant’s customer service is the cleanliness of it, and especially the cleanliness of the bathrooms. Customers value the cleanliness of the restaurant or bar as much as they value its food. 

Apart from showing that you care about your customers, maintaining a clean restaurant or bar also shows that the food they’ll be eating is safe. A dirty restaurant or bar is automatically associated with a dirty kitchen, and no one wants to eat food from a dirty kitchen.

In addition to the clean restaurant ambiance, a clean bathroom will also be extremely appreciated by your clientele. What’s the point of a clean dining room if your bathroom is a complete disaster. 

So, invest in the cleanliness of your bathrooms. Invest in nice and quality bathroom furniture, sanitary ware such as toilet bowls and washbasins, and other bathroom accessories such as a quality hand dryer, an automatic soap dispenser, and many more. 

However, don’t forget that all the fancy bathroom accessories are nothing if that bathroom isn’t regularly cleaned.

4. Participate in community events

It’s said that if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to get involved in the community. And the best way to do that is by participating in community events. It’s definitely a good marketing strategy. Participating in community events makes your business known and recognized, and it makes you stand out.

So, next time there is a food fair or any other similar event, make sure you set up a booth and offer samples of your dishes or drinks. 

5. Host live events in your restaurant or bar

If you think about it, standing out shouldn’t be a problem if you have good ideas. If you’re in the market for good ideas, here are some. Host live events in your bar or restaurant. There is no better way to attract customers than by hosting live weekly events.

You can organize staple open mic nights or you can host charity meetups. When it comes to live events, the ideas are endless. For example, in your bar, every Wednesday can be a booze club where customers will come to try wine or whiskey, maybe even craft beer. 

Book clubs are very popular these days as well and they can attract all kinds of customers from young adults to seniors. Similarly, game nights for trivia lovers or bar games for those who prefer pool or darts (getting a pool table or a dartboard would be a good idea).

Additionally, you can organize dance parties or offer dance classes, host theme parties and so much more. 

With these live events, your bar or restaurant will never be boring, and entertainment, apart from good food and drinks, is what customers are looking for.

If you give it some thought, all of these things factor in the success of your business. If you update your menu regularly and keep your restaurant or bar clean, you’ll have great reviews online. Positive online reviews and your presence online can bring you in more customers. 

Being involved in your community and offering exceptional entertainment in your establishments will also make you stand out from the crowd.