The key to having a successful diner is getting return customers or regulars that can help supply business on a consistent basis. While the quality of food is typically the top way to impress guests, you can take things a step further with some simple store upgrades. By implementing some of the following four suggestions, you can improve the dining experience at your restaurant and help create an impact on every customer that comes to eat.

Recipe Selection Survey

Expanding the menu in your restaurant typically involves a lot of research and food order planning. If you want to add a special to the menu, then there's no better way to get an opinion than asking the customer directly. There are multiple ways to present the new options to customers. This includes a survey on the recipe, a postcard at the table, or verbal questions from the waiting staff.

Along with getting customer opinions, it will help you choose what types of Garland stove parts and equipment to invest in. For example, if a majority of your customers would want to try out a new chili recipe, then you can invest in many types of slow cookers. The surveys will also you expand to international options for both entrées and desserts.

Custom Placemats

Keep customers talking with custom paper placemats that you use at every table. Instead of ordering the standard placemat, you can enhance the ways that customers use them and create a variety of custom designs.

• Local Photography: Hold a contest or open up your placemat designs to local photography submissions. Then you can choose the pictures and select their placement on the mat. This is a great way to showcase the local area and the talent of your residents.
• Menus: Instead of having a separate restaurant menu, you can place them directly on the placemat. Even if you don't use the placemat for a complete menu, it's a great way to showcase specials and desserts at your diner.
• Artist of the Quarter: Every four months, award a placemat child artist with the prize of seeing their lunch or dinner art printed directly on placemats. It's very common for children to use crayons to draw on placemats. That drawing can be scanned and printed as a placemat of its own. For a cheaper option, you can laminate the placemat and keep it as a special mat for the child each time.

Stove Cooking Upgrades

Apply some of these oven parts and stove upgrades to your diner. This will help enable quicker service and more food options.

• Food Warmers: Serve up appetizers as quick as possible by having them made earlier and kept fresh with food warmers. A professional kitchen food warmer is ideal for French fries, onion rings, and chicken fingers.
• Range Extension: Order a range extension for your Garland stove. This type of extension gives you space to heat things up like soups while still keeping burners open for additional items like burgers. It can help reduce cooking times.
• Rice Cookers: Use rice cookers and pans to make a variety of pastas and rice. This will help you cook faster and create the quality rice or pasta each time.

Countertop Cooking Upgrades

Instead of leaving everything to the cooks in the back, the wait staff can easily access quick meals and snacks from the front counters of a diner. A variety of upgrades make it easy to serve fresh meals.

• Nacho Server: Prepare fresh chips, salsa, and cheese in one machine. A small section of fresh toppings can help add things to the nachos like olives, peppers, or dice tomatoes.
• Slushy Machine: Serve up tasty and colorful drinks with a slushy machine. As an alternative, a milk shake mixer can provide you will additional drink options.
• Soup Kettles: Keep soup fresh and ready at a moment's notice with a soup kettle. Soup kettles are easy to set up and will keep the soup at an ideal temperature during serving hours.
• Pizza Machines: A fresh pizza machine allows customers to order slices and see what's available. It will save oven space and cut down on the customer wait time.

Many of these upgrades are easy to implement. It's important to budget and plan ahead for any changes you make to your diner. Click here to investigate more.