By Pete Hill
Every Friday a colleague & myself have a working breakfast. We have done this for over 3 years now and it has become ingrained in our weekly routine. Our usual procedure is to start at one end of the CBD at the start of the year and gradually work our way to the other end, then start spreading outwards.
We reckon that over the years we have become ‘experts’ on the Dunedin breakfast caf? scene so I thought I would share some of my experiences with you.
We used to go for 7.00 am starts but over the years the number of restaurants that open this early has noticeably declined. So we shifted to 7.30 – same thing happened. You can always get a breakfast at 7.30 but your choice is fairly limited. As we try to eat at a different restaurant every Friday this becomes quite frustrating.
I should also point out here that we are mainly talking about main street caf?s and restaurants as opposed to hotel restaurants.
Lets look at the issue of opening times for a start. I can sympathise with the cafe owner who counts the customers between 7.00 am and say 8.00 am, adds up the cost and decides its not worth opening. However what is really happening is that they are giving whatever market share they had at that time to the opposition, in other words surrendering to the threat without even looking at the opportunity – ‘there are only a few of us open at this hour – how can I increase my market share?’
Well the 4 ingredients that make us want to go back anywhere are quite simple:
- Great service
- Good Coffee
- Variety in the menu
- Quality ingredients
Let me expand on these:
Great Service
It’s early in the morning. We don’t care what sort of a night you had, this is about us. Sometimes, believe it or not, we aren’t at our very best at that hour of the morning. A cheery welcome will overcome any gaffes you may make later on as you have already put us in a good mood.
Good Coffee
If you don’t know how to make a really good cup of coffee go get some training. It’s the first thing most people order. Don’t assume that your staff know how to make a good espresso either. Keep quality testing and don’t use cheap coffee beans.
Variety
Take a look at your menu. Is there anything there that is unique to your establishment? Do you update & freshen it from time to time? The ‘Big Kiwi Breakfast’ just doesn’t cut it any more. At least try and use some imagination.
Quality Ingredients
This is about bacon. There is good bacon and bad bacon. We know the difference – and here’s a revelation – so do most customers. Use quality bacon – your customers will always remember. We often describe a place in terms of the quality of their bacon and simply won’t go back to anywhere that serves poor bacon.
What all businesses should look at however is that these items are a metaphor for a much larger picture. In every business there are key points that have to be consistently monitored and nurtured, as this is what keeps the customer coming back. I am always amazed at the number of businesses that can’t identify and manage these key points.
Finally let me share with you some ‘highlights’ of our breakfast experiences:
Its 7.25 am and freezing cold. The restaurant always opens at 7.30. This morning the staff are inside, the lights are on and a workman is being let in and out to fix something in the front. ‘Can we at least come inside out of the cold?’ ‘No! and we’re not opening till 8 o’clock so you will have to wait outside’ (accompanied by a sneering self important glare when the door was pointedly locked from the inside)
‘Excuse me, we ate here a few weeks ago and had Eggs Benedict but the eggs were hard – can you please ensure they are soft poached?’
‘Excuse me, in spite of us asking the eggs are hard again!’
‘Well its not our fault – they’re microwaved!’
‘Excuse me, can we have another coffee please?’ ‘Well&&.ok but there will be a 40 minute wait as I am too busy right now’ (there were exactly 10 people in the restaurant, all had been served and no-one waiting at the counter)
‘Excuse me, we are the only people here and ordered 30 minutes ago – how long will our order be?’ ‘Sorry we’re short staffed at the moment’ A few minutes later the chef who had been sitting outside the front door smoking and reading his paper got up, slowly made his way past our table (sorry for disturbing you) and got our meals ready.
The scary bit is that each of these restaurants are reputable, well known and centrally located. We have never gone back and regularly repeat these stories when asked to recommend a good place to eat – breakfast or not.
So the message for managers is – do you really know whats going on out there and how much it could be costing you?
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