How to Make a Small Town Restaurant Successful

Make your small town restaurant successful with these 7 tips:

1. Be smart with your marketing

There are two groups that you need to be mindful of when marketing your small town restaurant: locals and tourists.

For locals, think of where they congregate both physically and digitally.

Physically, it might be the town square or church.

Digitally, it might be a local Facebook group or similar online community.

Tell everyone about the latest discounts and deals. Post updates about new dishes and other exciting changes.

In addition, is there a type of media that the locals keep up with? For example, does a lot of people read the newspaper or watch a specific TV station?

If so, then you can place an advertisement within these media channels.

Communication is easy when you know where people are and what they see.

The same concept applies to tourists.

Is there a place where every car passes through when entering town? It might be a road or a check-in point. If so, be strategic by installing a sign or a billboard.

Let visitors know about your restaurant. They’re probably hungry anyway, especially after a long road trip. Your billboard will point them in the right direction.

2. Have conversations with your customers

In a small town, everybody knows each other. Get to know your customers, especially if you see a new face.

Start with some small talk.

Ask customers how they are doing that day.

Observe their body language. If they are open to conversation, that’s great.

If not, then that’s also okay since some people like to keep a low-profile.

Once customers come back a few times, you’ll be able to move beyond the superficial small talk.

You’ll be able to get to know people’s names, their hobbies, and generally more about their lives.

This is how you transition from simply serving food to customers to serving food to friends.

3. Surprise your regulars

If it’s someone’s birthday, serve a free appetizer on the house.

If a student finishes the semester with high marks, give him/her a free dessert.

Giving out freebies from time to time should not be considered as an expense. Instead, it should be considered as an investment. It makes customers happy and the dining experience more special.

Happy customers come back. In fact, the effect of giving out freebies and surprising customers can be multi-generational. Customers come back and bring their children. One day, they will also bring their grandchildren.

4. Have a signature dish

What is your restaurant most famous for?

Scrumptious blueberry pie?

Crispy fried chicken with a secret sauce?

Something else?

When you have a famous dish, people come from all over just to try it.

The locals love it and tell their friends. Their friends, in turn, tell their own friends. It’s a positive feedback loop.

Even though your restaurant is in a small town, it will attract a big city crowd.

Your signature dish becomes a tourist attraction.

Visitors will come from miles away.

Public officials will stop by on their campaign trail and bring the press.

Even celebrities will visit, followed by paparazzi.

Therefore, if you have a famous dish, the marketing will take care of itself. Your restaurant will continue to be relevant.

5. Let customers take their time

Slow walkers are frowned upon in the city. In a small town, taking it slow is synonymous with peaceful living.

Let customers enjoy their meal at a pace that feels right for them. Give them the bill only when they finish or when they ask for it. This way, customers feel relaxed and not rushed.

They might just leave bigger tips as a result.

6. Become a high-end venue

Small town restaurants are not just places to eat.

They are meeting places for life events and fun activities such as birthday parties, family gatherings, and anniversaries.

Therefore, make sure you have everything you need to become a high-end venue.

Regularly update your technology.

Get comfortable chairs.

Premium tablecloths.

A good ventilation system.

Lighting equipment.

Microphones and speakers for speeches, open mic nights, and spontaneous karaoke events.

Small town restaurants are important pillars within the neighborhood.

Be prepared for all the events that you may possibly host.

Become the go-to place that people visit when they want to celebrate or have fun.

7. Be active within the community

People look out for each other in small towns. It’s a close-knit community.

Therefore, get involved outside the restaurant when you can.

Contribute to community fundraisers.

Donate your time when someone needs a helping hand.

If applicable, talk to your neighbors at church and in passing.

In addition to genuinely trying to make friends, you can treat this as casual networking and marketing.

Someone might ask, “What do you do?”

You can then mention how you run a restaurant in the area and suggest they stop by sometime.

When communicating with locals, always remember that you are representing your restaurant’s brand (in addition to your personal brand).

Be conscious of how you carry yourself because people support restaurants with good values.