Curb appeal is everything in the food service industry. You want people to be attracted to your establishment before taking a step inside. Getting people through the door is half the challenge of maintaining lots of customers. For this, you’re going to need quite a bit of curb appeal, as competitors are trying their best to outdo yours.
The good news is that there are a lot of different things you can do to improve your business’s curb appeal without much effort. Very few businesses apply all the methods that they should, which can give clever and proactive owners an advantage. Here are a few examples that are worth taking into consideration.
Keep the outside presentable
As clean as you keep your interior, you need to show the outside just as much love. First impressions are everything, and this is especially true for restaurants and food chains. You want people to trust that your business is clean and well-maintained. This requires a neat and presentable exterior.
Make sure your patio and sidewalks are as clean as can be. They probably see a lot of foot traffic, which is why they’ll need regular sweeping. Power wash them from time to time so that any dirt and grime are removed. This will keep your exterior nice on the eyes and attract more guests.
Add a touch of nature
Plants are an integral part of any establishment’s design. People are naturally attracted to nature and greenery, so why not introduce a little bit of it to your business? A few plants here and there will make for a very attractive sight and it will attract customers.
Which plants you introduce depends on a couple of factors. If you have enough space outside for a plant bed, you can pretty much go all out with your choices. Plant trees and shrubs to create a cozier and more private experience. This can go a long way for your outdoor area. Plants create a cleaner atmosphere and help regulate temperatures around them. Summers will require less cooling this way.
Make sure that the plants you choose are non-toxic. Young and overcurious hands might get a hold of them, and you don’t want any harm to come to them.
Hold food tasting events
There’s nothing quite like a food tasting event to draw a crowd. People love free samples, but what they love more is seeing other people waiting in line for a food establishment. This says that the location provides good quality food that brings in a crowd. If that isn’t a sight worth checking out, nothing is.
It can be a great promotional event for your business. Showcase some bite-sized versions of your food to show off your business’s cooking. People will hardly decline such an offer and it won’t be costly at all to organize.
Provide convenient parking
Having the right conditions for parking is important when you go out. People will be looking for a comfortable spot to park their car before they decide that they want to stay in your establishment. If it’s especially sunny outside, they might think twice before leaving their car in anything that isn’t well-shaded.
Luckily, there are ways to make lots of shade available. You can’t have trees on every corner of your parking space, but standard car canopies can fit snuggly just about anywhere. A couple of well-placed canopies near your food business will attract people that want a meal, but don’t want to return to a scorching vehicle. It’s a pretty convenient solution to a common summer issue.
Make the venue dog-friendly
People like to take advantage of nice weather to walk their dogs and spend quality time in a restaurant. However, they can rarely do both at the same time. Very few venues are pet-friendly, which is why they often avoid sitting down when taking their dogs out. This doesn’t have to be the case for your business.
Create a welcoming environment for pet owners in the outdoor part of your venue. Set up a few bowls and a shaded area where people can tie their dogs. They’ll be able to have a seat and enjoy a good meal while their pets relax here. You can be sure that they’ll know where to go next time they go for another walk with their pet.
Conclusion
Increasing curb appeal can be a good way to boost your number of visitors while improving your business’s reputation. It only requires that you make a few small changes that will drastically alter how people perceive the venue. If you’re short on ideas, the above list can act as a handy guide for starting this process. Consider incorporating a few other ideas and you’ll end up with a business with perfect curb appeal.
