LET US NUDGE
Florida Restaurants Are Turning Busy Again by REHAN KHANZADA
O
ur beloved Florida restaurant industry is slowly making a comeback, and that is good news for everyone. Other states are also letting restaurants get back to full capacity as they try to recover lost revenue during the pandemic. We all enjoy dining out at restaurants for the food and drink we enjoy, and we don’t ever want to feel rushed. Time limits can work, but maybe there is something else for the long run. What if there was a way our favorite restaurant could offer us customers a secure, seamless and subtle nudge to help us help them turn their table, especially if we were finished with our meal? What if there was a way where we could help the Florida restaurant industry seat more customers, especially during busy times? What if the restaurant had an option to incentivize the seated customer finished with their meal to help turn their table? Again, it is positive to see restaurants slowly coming back to full capacity, but the need to serve more customers can really help Florida restaurant owners with their bottom line moving forward. Reservation systems are great, and they help restaurants fill seats. But sometimes they even lag when seated customers haven’t left their table. This tends to build up the bottleneck in the entrance area, which happens often in popular restaurants. Large chain restaurants get extremely busy as well, where anxious customers are waiting with pagers and devices to get seated. Research and data have shown that customers are usually satisfied by incentives such as a discount, coupon, or free food or drink item, if needed. Of course, the restaurant can offer this incentive, and it is a fine balance to not rush them or get them upset to lose them for future visits, negative social media reviews, etc. 24 FALL
2021
The opportunity to be busy, turn more tables, make profits, etc. are everything restaurant owners want, especially with the most important item being the wonderful food and drink they provide on their menu. That food and drink is the reason we as customers enjoy dining out with our family and friends. But that disheartening feeling steps in when we arrive at our favorite restaurant, and the wait line is out the door. Again, most of the customers inside have finished their meal, and are enjoying social conversations. But maybe that restaurant incentive could help them turn their table a bit quicker, so others that are waiting can enjoy it as well. The restaurant has choices regarding whatever incentive they want to give, be it a discount off of the bill, or a coupon for another visit, etc. The seated customers can accept or deny this incentive, only if they choose to. Turning tables for the Florida restaurant industry, as well as other states, can help recover revenue lost during the pandemic. This recovery can help now and for the future, as the opportunity to turn tables at Florida’s family-owned, casual-chain and fine dining restaurants will improve the dining experience for all. Please visit LetUsNudge.com for further information about how the tables can be turned — both to your benefit and the benefit of your guests. Rehan Khanzada is the founder of Let Us Nudge, a tech platform to help the restaurant industry turn tables more quickly. FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION
