Case Study #3
Client: Hotel Restaurant
An urban hotel with a thriving bar crowd could not seem to attract diners to its well-reviewed restaurant. The owner brought in The Mithra Group to assess the situation and devise solutions.
Problems That Mithra Identified And Mithra Solutions:
- The layout of the restaurant path through the hotel proved to be the first problem. Diners had to walk through the inviting bar area to arrive at the restaurant, where the hostess stand was positioned in the distance at the end of a narrow hallway. Mithra discovered restaurant patrons did not like waiting in this hallway area to be seated, so Mithra suggested moving the hostess stand with restaurant signage to the front of the bar area, which allowed guests to wait and sit in the more alluring bar area.
- The restaurant surroundings were beautiful and the servers were well-trained, but it seemed diners preferred the bar, with its comfortable seating and lively ambience. Mithra worked with the restaurant’s chef to design a less formal-looking menu and revamp its menu selections by adding attention-grabbing entrees and a wider selection of haute hors d’oeuvre. A public relations firm was hired to parlay press coverage for the restaurant and its re-invented menu. Restaurant reservations increased following these adjustments.
- Additionally, Mithra implemented cross-training of employees to work in both the bar and restaurant. A single uniform was chosen for both the bar and restaurant staff, so servers could easily float between the areas and reduce the scheduled staff needed.
- Finally, Mithra shifted the hotel’s focus to what was succeeding: the bar. Because guests enjoyed the comfortable social atmosphere of the bar so much, they didn’t want to get up and move into the restaurant for dining. Mithra instituted a plan that allowed them to extend their stay and thereby increase per-guest expenditures. Staff and funds were channeled into bar service, then additional seating and larger tables were added to the bar area, so guests would have the option of dining in the bar area. By offering much of the menu selection in both the bar and the restaurant, a smaller kitchen staff was required and food costs were reduced.
Mithra Overall Results: The restaurant remained opened, but hours of service were reduced, cutting the operational budget. The combined revised menu resulted in a more efficient kitchen operation and a reduced food budget. Guest traffic and per check spending increased as the bar/restaurant became a gathering place for small meetings and casual dining.