There are over 600,000 restaurants in the U.S. In such a large pool, how do you make your restaurant stand out?
There are a number of unique, slightly odd restaurants that are killing it, drawing people in from all over the country and all over the world. While you can’t exactly move your restaurant location five meters underwater or to a grotto in Thailand, we’ve put together a few broad takeaways from these unique restaurants to help you make your place feel a little more special.
1. The view matters
Pay attention to what your guests are looking at. If you have an establishment with a view, great! Consider incorporating some outdoor seating or installing more windows so that every seat comes with a view.
If what’s outside your restaurant doesn’t look so good, create visual interest inside your dining room. Check out the steampunk interior of this coffee shop in Cape Town, or this ultra-modern Finnish restaurant. Chances are, you serve food that can be found in other restaurants nearby. Besides your delicious food and Yelp reviews, what’s the best way to draw in new guests? It’s all about the atmosphere.
2. Serve unique and inventive foods
These days, lots of restaurants are getting noticed by serving unique and Instagram-worthy foods. Even if you’re not quite ready to start selling avocado toast or rainbow-colored bagels, consider how you can put a cool twist on your restaurant’s menu. Do you serve Italian food? This pizzeria in New York tops their pies with foods like macaroni, tortilla chips, avocado and even tiny pizza slices. Are you running a burger joint? One burger place in Boston serves burgers stuffed with foods like peanut butter, fried bananas, mango salsa and grilled pineapple.
Drawing inspiration from your location, cultural heritage, or your own imagination, don’t be afraid to reinvent some of your old dishes.
3. Enhance the performative aspects of your restaurant
When it comes to your restaurant, something a little extra goes a long way. Some restaurants take the performative elements to the extreme, like this restaurant that serves food completely in the dark to get guests to focus on using their other senses when eating. Check out this Japanese restaurant where you’re served by sneaky ninjas!
In the spirit of these establishments, consider ways that you could make your restaurant feel more like an experience and less like just a place to eat. There are ways to do this without putting on an all-out theater production – the waiters at this Disney restaurant are hilariously rude to their customers. Try making changes to your server uniforms and the way your staff interacts with your guests.
4. Pay attention to details
The best unique restaurants are really just a collection of carefully thought-out details. From the garnishes on your pasta to the stitching of your tablecloths, nothing is too small to make a difference. At Superior Linen Service, we specialize in the details, just like unique restaurants do. To learn more about how we can improve your restaurant, contact us today! We have a wide variety of restaurant linens and uniforms.
