Brunch: that magical time on Saturday and Sunday between breakfast and lunch where patrons are either stumbling in from a hard night out on the town, strolling in from the church or grabbing a bite with friends. It’s a time where all walks of life throughout all generations meet. Or, as The New York Daily News labeled it, the “ritual that is corroding the soul of America.”
Easy there, Tiger. It’s just omelets, mimosas, pancakes and avocado toast. Chill.
But it is our goal to help you bring in that extra business into your restaurant!
That’s why we ask: to brunch or not to brunch? If you do not have a specific brunch service, should you?
Our answer: Yes.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s food expenditure data from 2014, Millennials spend roughly 44% or roughly $2,921 eating out, which is 10.7% more than they did in 2010. Compared to Baby boomers, who spent around 40 percent, or $2,629, dining in 2014.
Granted, this is not spent all on brunch. But, due to the rising popularity of brunching (yes, I made it into a verb), this is something as an owner, you cannot ignore. The interest in brunch has been on a steady increase since 2004! And let me tell you, that train is not stopping any time soon. Just type in ‘brunch’ into your google search. Look at the results but also look at the ‘Suggested’ search terms. You will see terms like ‘deals,’ ‘near me,’ in X city.’ Without even looking at this through an SEO lenses, this tells me, as a consumer, that people want brunch and are actively searching for it.
What are you going to do to fill that demand?
Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Make the Environment Comfortable and Welcoming – There will be people of all ages coming in. Make everyone feel at home. You want your customers to make it a ritual. Plus you will get good reviews on social media and review sites, like Yelp.
- Be Prepared. – Brunch service can be intense. There are a lot of people and you need to turn tables quickly. But you cannot rush anyone. You must strike a delicate balance. That is why we suggest putting your best people on brunch service. The better and seasoned the staff, the smoother brunch service will go.
- Increase Staff Numbers – This goes hand-in-hand with the tip above. Brunch service can get intense. You need to bolster the numbers to keep glasses full, run plates back and forth and clean tables to turn them. It will keep the customers happy, the staff happy and in turn, increase revenue.
- Have a POS That Can Take the Heat – Just like having competent people, you need a POS system that is fast, efficient and handle a heavy workload. That’s where the NorthStar POS system can make your life so much easier. Update menus, prices, images observe kitchen ticket timing, employee time tracking and create reports to learn about your brunch service to be more efficient and profitable.
- Be Reasonable on Price – Brunch should be priced fairly to be appropriate and approachable. Too expensive, and you will cut off your business at the ankles. The sweet spot is where quality meets affordability.
- If You Can, Get a Little Boozy – When it comes to the younger crowd, they will often look for the ‘best drink specials.’ Think about offering bottomless mimosas (yum!), Bloody Marys or cocktail that goes well with what you are serving. As we stated above, hit the sweet spot where quality meets affordability.
