fA detailed communication strategy is a must for any business. It’s the easiest way to connect with your audience and develop a unique brand identity.

In the article below, we’ll teach you how to create a restaurant communication strategy, present it to your staff, and implement it successfully. We’ll also provide tips and tricks on developing a restaurant communication strategy during a pandemic.

What Is a Restaurant Communication Strategy?

Your communication strategy will help you navigate your brand presence worldwide and improve customer experience. By putting together a restaurant communication plan, you will clear up the message you want to put forth, whom you want to communicate it to, and what channels you’ll be using. This strategy will contain your goals and a step-by-step process to achieve them.

When creating your plan, it’s essential to think about communicating with your customers but also with your staff. Keeping your team in the loop at all times is the only way you can implement a successful restaurant communication strategy.

How to Develop a Restaurant Communication Strategy

1. Outline your goals and objectives

Every restaurant needs a business plan where they write down their core values, mission statement, and short and long-term goals. You can find through right interview questions for restaurant someone who will help you to do this. This will be the foundation for your restaurant communication strategy.

Zero in on specific communication goals such as increasing awareness of your 3S POS online ordering system. With this example in mind, think about how realistic and achievable the goal is, the time frame, and how you can measure its success.

2. Define your audience

You should already be halfway there because you need to think of your target audience before opening a restaurant. Take this process even further by deepening your analysis of your audience’s likes and dislikes, how they communicate, what their background is, and so on.

This is a vital step because it will help you decide on your main communication channels. If your target audience is millennials, you need to approach them on social media and apps. Don’t skip channels like email and flyers if you're targeting baby boomers.

More often than not, a holistic approach to your restaurant team communication strategy is preferable. Build a restaurant website and create social media profiles to communicate on, but don’t forget about traditional means of communication either.

3. Work on your messaging

Perhaps the most important part of your restaurant communication strategy is the messaging. This shows the world who you are. Preserving consistency in communicating with your customers is how you make a name for your brand.

Famous brands like Chipotle or Starbucks are easy to recognize anywhere due to their branding and way of addressing their customers. This is what you should aim for as a restaurant owner.

Your messaging should also be clear and support your goals. Suppose your goal is to increase delivery orders. In that case, you can add a call-to-action like “Place Order Now” or “Place Online Order” on your website, social media posts, and in email newsletters.

This CTA will redirect customers to your restaurant menu, where they can place an order for delivery. That will help you boost delivery sales and get you one step closer to the goal you formulated at the beginning of this process.

4. Choose your communication channel

As we mentioned above, your primary channels of communication are dependent on your target audience. However, in this day and age, it’s crucial to have a constant mix of all of them, both offline and online. Simply focus more on those that bring you more engagement and traffic.

You will soon realize that the main restaurant communication channels also differ from message to message. Some messages are better suited for social media, while others are worthy of a place on your website or blog. Consider leveraging a rewording tool to craft varied messages (social, web) that stay on brand.

You can’t identify the most successful channels without testing them and comparing the return on investment. This will take some time, but it will help you learn more about your target audience and their behavior.

5. Communicate with your staff and delegate tasks

Involve your staff in communication strategy meetings so that they learn the ins and outs of your plan. Instead of just giving them a to-do list, help them understand why you’re taking these measures and how they can help you all. Office communication is a must for a cohesive, successful team.

Once they have a solid background, you can distribute tasks, responsibilities, and completion dates. It’s generally a good idea to have one person dedicated to the same types of communication because they’ll maintain a consistent voice while interacting with your customers.

For instance, learning how to respond to negative restaurant reviews is a skill in itself. Train someone on this and allow them to monitor and reply to reviews on all platforms.

6. Track your progress and optimize your strategy

Your restaurant communication strategy won’t be complete with a process for evaluating its results. Don’t expect everything to run smoothly from the beginning. You will have to tweak and optimize your strategy until you get the desired results.

Each of the goals you outline in the beginning needs metrics so you can track them. In the example we provided before, this would be a specific number of delivery orders. The number is dependent on the channels you’ll be using to promote that message and how much you’re willing to invest in the effort (if at all).

To increase the effectiveness of your online ordering message, consider creating some targeted restaurant promotions like a 10% discount or free delivery. That will motivate customers to click that CTA button.

How to Develop a Restaurant Communication Strategy for Pandemics

1. Communicate with your staff

Restaurant staff has gone through a lot during the recent Coronavirus pandemic, and you can't write off the possibility of at least a few more lockdowns. When this happens, ensure you support your team practically and mentally and do your best to maintain productivity and a positive environment.

2. Be honest and open with your customers

Open communication is now more important than ever. Customers want to feel safe when they visit or order from their favorite restaurants. Use your website and social media profiles as billboards for your cleaning and disinfecting policies.

Provide alternatives to dine-in such as takeout or delivery, and zero contact delivery and payment options. Make sure both new customers and regulars are aware that they can still enjoy your food in the comfort of their homes.

Conclusion

Developing a restaurant communication strategy is one of the main steps you should take after opening an eatery. It will lay the ground for a fruitful relationship between you, your customers, and your staff. Use the tips above as a blueprint to start your own communication strategy and optimize it to perfection.