A Few Quick Tips to Attract Corporate Diners to Your Restaurant

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When I picked this topic, the first thing that came to my mind was my first job’s office dinners. We used to have a go-to restaurant in Bangalore for such occasions.

That restaurant wasn’t like any other eatery; it was mostly meant for corporate events. It could be seen how lucrative they were.

I thought I would try to get in touch with the restaurant owner to get some inputs for this blog. However, I couldn’t.

Never mind! I have gathered enough information to make this blog as valuable as possible. So, if you want to attract corporate diners to your restaurant, read on.

What is Corporate Dining?

Corporate dining is basically when a company reserves a restaurant to dine or orders food for its employees. It could be anything from breakfast, lunch, dinner, to meals for meetings.

Corporate dining, over the years, has gained tremendous momentum as it is a popular employee perk that’s great for company culture, recruiting, retention, and entertainment.

Restaurant Strategies to Attract Corporate Diners

Restaurants today have the opportunity to make the most out of corporate dining. And why not? After all, companies don’t hesitate to pay a good amount when it comes to culture and business.

However, not every restaurant knows how to go about it. That’s exactly what I am going to help with. 

Here are some of the restaurant strategies to attract corporate diners.

1. Create the Right Ambience

Corporates are sophisticated (most of them, if not all) and they look for places that give that same vibe while they dine. 

Further, it’s not always the sophisticated type, many startups prefer restaurants with an upbeat or pop culture atmosphere.

Now, there are various corporate dining concepts for restaurants. However, it’s completely upon you; do your own research and see what type of corporates are going to be lucrative for you. Then design your restaurant accordingly.

Few more things come into play when you are working on your restaurant’s ambience.

• Proper temperature: Make sure you keep the temperature moderate. Incorporate proper ventilation or a climate control system (if required).
• Adequate lighting: Lights highly impact a person’s mood and emotions, so make sure you’re not overdoing it with fancy lights. Consult an expert before installing lights.
• Music: Loud music? Nope, not always. You should be able to judge the crowd at your restaurant and play the music accordingly. For example, if corporates are there for a fine dining experience, then you can choose to play some light jazz.

2. Train Your Staff

A restaurant’s staff is like a brand ambassador as they are one of the first points of contact. The way they talk, take orders, and serve makes a significant impact.

Moreover, the restaurant staff has to be extra conscious while hosting and serving corporate guests. So make sure you are providing proper employee training in all aspects.

That’s not all. It is also important for restaurateurs to ensure that every staff member is familiar with the tasks of different departments.

Because there are times when you might run short of the workforce, and in that situation, you must have someone to offer a helping hand.

3. Make Sure the Food Quality is Great

You must be thinking, it’s obvious that food quality matters, but many restaurants still overlook the importance of quality. This might sound harsh, but it’s a reality.

Compromising the quality of the food you serve is the last thing you would want to do.

It’s not just about corporate or any other high-profile guests; the quality of food has to be top-notch. Hands down!

4. Use Tableware that Feels Premium

The dining experience should not be overlooked if you want to attract corporate dinner in your restaurant. 

Restaurants must take all the necessary steps to make it special. One of the ways to do this is by choosing the right tableware.

The right set of tableware not just elevates the experience but also presents the restaurant with opportunities to showcase their culinary creations.

Guess what, crockery and cutlery that feels premium make a great first impression.

5. Increase the Table Turn Over Rate

If you haven’t heard about table turnover rate, it is basically the average amount of times a table is occupied in a restaurant during a meal period.

Meaning, the more turns you have, the more guests you’ll be able to serve and thereby generate better revenue.

For example: There are 10 tables at your restaurant and you serve 50 parties for dinner every night. So, your turnover rate is 5 turns per table during the dinner hour.

Now, the reason you have to bring your focus to this is corporate guests don’t like to wait much for their meal because they are always on the go.

Therefore, maintain a decent table turnover rate. At the same time, allow your guests to have enough time to enjoy their meal, and also keep it ideal to ensure minimal waiting time for new parties.

In one of my blogs, I have talked about table turnover rates in-depth. Click here to read it.  

6. Offer delivery to the office

Corporate dining is just about eating in the restaurant. Many companies prefer to order food directly to their offices.

Furthermore, they even tie up with restaurants for daily lunch or any other meal, and the restaurant gets paid monthly.

This is a great opportunity for eateries to tap into. If you think you have what it takes to be a part of the corporate dining segment, then do give it a try.

7. Install High-Speed internet

When it comes to serving corporate guests, the internet is a must. Often, these folks come to a restaurant along with work. It could be for a lunch meeting or just a corporate employee who prefers to use their laptop for work while the food is getting ready.

So, to attract corporate diners to your restaurant and better serve them, make sure you have high-speed internet with Wi-Fi in your restaurant.

8. A Proper Seating Arrangement is a Must

No, you cannot simply place tables and chairs wherever you want. There’s a proper way for seating arrangements.

Corporate guests do not like restaurants with cluttered seating arrangements. They want to have a little bit of privacy, where people do not overhear what they are talking about.

So, you must ensure that you’re utilizing the restaurant space as effectively as possible. You can also take inspiration from various corporate dining setups for restaurants.

Do some basic math and see how many seats approximately you would want at your restaurant, and what should be the distance between each set. Then plan your seating arrangement accordingly.

9. Cashless Payment is Crucial

This goes without saying. If you don’t have cashless payment at your restaurant, you’re lagging big time.

Cashless payments come with ease, security, and reliability. They are very much preferred by corporate guests. And ever since COVID-19 hit the world, people are becoming extra cautious about exchanging notes.

So, do not shy away, incorporate cashless payment options ASAP.

10. Have Valet Service at the Restaurant

Like I have mentioned before, corporate guests are always on the go. To make their dining experience better, have valets in your restaurant; they are going to appreciate it.

Valet saves these guests from having to look for a parking place, prevents unnecessary walks, and allows them to get inside more quickly.

Not to mention, it would also save your restaurant from losing a guest. Because, if guests fail to find a parking spot, they might go to some other restaurant.

And guess what? Just like all of us, corporate guests also enjoy the feeling of being important.

11. Targeted Marketing is the Key

I wish I could say emphasise more on this point. Because, it is not just important; it is IMPORTANT-ER (I know this word doesn’t exist. But you’re getting it, right?)

Once you’re done setting up or preparing your restaurant, it is the marketer’s job to spread the word and attract corporate diners to your restaurant.

But how do they do it? By targeted marketing. This form of marketing helps in raising awareness for restaurants among a specific audience (for you, it is going to be corporates).

12. Incorporate a Restaurant Management System

Now that you have learned about the top strategies on how to attract corporate diners to your restaurant, it is time to talk about the most crucial aspect — a restaurant management system.

A restaurant, to operate with its full potential, needs a discrepancy free system. This is where a restaurant POS comes into the picture.

A restaurant POS or a restaurant management system allows you to streamline operations and grow your F&B business. All of it, irrespective of the type and size of your restaurant.