As various states begin to discuss lifting shelter-in-place orders, it’s imperative for restaurant owners to be prepared to open their doors in the near future. Prior to when restaurants reopen and patrons arrive for dine-in services, it’s a good idea to understand the industry landscape, revenue opportunities, and how to set your restaurant apart from
Coronavirus era: how to adapt your restaurant business model
At Rewards Network, nothing matters more to us than our customers. We’re in constant contact with the thousands of restaurants in our network—absorbing their challenges, offering insight, and celebrating their innovations. We’re also closely following their successes so we can gain a better understanding of what strategies are working today. In a time where business
Navigating food delivery & third-party apps during COVID-19
Blog, COVID-19 resources, Industry trends, Restaurant operations
As the coronavirus continues to force people to stay in their homes, many businesses are taking a hard economic hit—especially restaurants. The coronavirus has closed the doors of restaurants across the U.S., at least for dine-in. As restaurants scramble to navigate the process of transitioning to 100-percent takeout and delivery orders, we’re here to help
Party On: Increase Restaurant Profits with Private Events
Attracting customers during times that are traditionally slow can be a challenge for any restaurant owner. One way to combat these times when sales take a dip is by focusing on hosting private events. The process of prepping (or constructing) private rooms, developing special dishes, and planning promotions takes time. This is why it’s important
How to Respond to Any Kind of Restaurant Customer Review
Responding to every verified dining review your restaurant receives is a great way to engage with your guests, and shows potential diners that you care about their experience. Not only that, replying to reviews allows you to gain deeper insight into how your customers think. Ready to engage with your customers? Here are a few
The 411 on the 911: Dealing with Restaurant Guest Allergies
Allergies. They can be as mild as the hay fever many of us experience in spring, or severe enough to cause fatal anaphylaxis. And they are only becoming more prevalent in our society. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that approximately 50 million Americans are affected by allergies. And between 1997 and 2011,
Customer Service: It’s a Team Effort
A few weeks ago, I went to a restaurant with a group of friends. It was a busy Saturday night, and there were lots of servers — all dressed in the same black uniform — running around. After a while, we were ready to order drinks and, to save time, just asked the first server whose
How to Write About Your Restaurant Online
You’ve followed our tips from prior blog posts. You’ve strategized, designed your website, and set up your social media accounts. In short, you have decided to take advantage of the nearly unlimited marketing potential of the Internet. But now comes the really hard part: actually writing about your restaurant. We get it. Staring at a
5 Smart Email Marketing Tips
Over 100 billion emails circulate around the world every day. Yes, you read that correctly — that number is on a daily basis. The average consumer is continuously bombarded with emails, so how do you break through the clutter? In 2014 alone, Rewards Network sent over 155 million* promotional emails, yet our open rates ranged
Menu Trend: The Perfect Pair
I’ve been to enough wine tastings, winery tours, and wine pairing events that I think I could pair my own wine with the meals I cook at home (or the meals I grab on my way home from work!). The operative word in that last sentence was “think.” While I think I could pair my
