There are a handful of little things that make a restaurant great. You may be surprised that they don't all have to do with the food that you serve or even the price that you charge for it. Paying attention to these details can make the difference between a person come into your establishment once and coming in again as a regular customer.



Too many restaurant owner's focus on making the decor too elaborate. As a result it can appear to be cluttered. Your guests will like a simpler look in most instances, and it will allow them to focus on the overall atmosphere. They will be more concerned with how comfortable their chairs are then what you have placed on the walls for them to look at.

Some people are larger than others so a booth may not be the most comfortable location. I can remember going to a restaurant eight months pregnant and given a small booth to squeeze into instead of a table. Since there were several tables open I asked for one but it would have been nice if the choice had been offered.

While you have probably trained your staff to keep things clean, make sure they wipe down all the seats and the tables thoroughly. Sometimes sticky substances remain that can't be seen as they blend in to the color of the table. The next customer isn't going to appreciate setting their hands on the table and finding the mess though.

The friendliness of your staff is also very important. You want to make sure you hire outgoing individuals that really seem to enjoy interacting with other people. Taking the time to smile and to meet the requests of customers is important. Regular customers will appreciate it when the staff offers them their favorite table or already knows what they want to drink.

Your staff also needs to continually check on customers and see what they need. Asking questions such as can I bring you more napkins or would you like more to drink are very well received. It allows the customer to feel like their needs are being taken into consideration the entire time they are in your restaurant. Having to ask for such items over and over again brings down the view customers have of your business.

You may not think your bathrooms are important to the success of your restaurant, but they are. The number of people that will use them in a given day may surprise you. Take the time to offer a clean bathroom with some nice decorations. Make sure someone is paying attention to the amount toilet paper, paper towels, and soap in there during their shift.

In order for people to really enjoy their experience in a restaurant, they need to be comfortable. They want to have delicious foods offered to them but that is just the tip of the iceberg for the experience. The more you take care of the little things relating to your restaurant, the more successful your business will be.