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Given the pervasiveness of social media, can a restaurant open without getting annihilated on the first day? —Hailey L, St. Louis
It’s no secret that restaurant owners have a love-hate relationship with social media. In the good ol' days, news of a restaurant opening was disseminated by word of mouth (and maybe a grand opening ad once the kinks had been worked out).
With the advent of social media, however, the public receives the word one second after the first Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram post—and usually long before that. Consequently, opening day is usually bedlam. (Years ago, I remember reminding an already-exhausted restaurant owner on opening day that he was "one tweet away from a full house"—then watching the color leave his face.)
Compounding the problem is the fear of mediocre-to-bad Yelp reviews early on (and, for my money, the chances of a stellar first review in the inaugural days are 50/50 at best). Yelp also awards a “first to review” accolade to the first diner to weigh in, which I’ve long-contended is a bad idea. The review often starts out, “I know it was only their second day, but…blah, blah, blah.” Eh, two stars.
So what can a restaurant owner do to avert chaos on Day One? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Schedule private pre-opening shifts with friends, family members, and for charity. A restaurant should begin the opening process with invited guests (who either dine free or at a discount). “That way, at least you know who’s coming and when they’re coming,” says OG Hospitality’s Brant Baldanza. The result is a more controllable scenario than a soft opening.
2. Schedule a soft opening. Ideally, an unannounced soft opening (or several) should follow, in which guests arrive at will (and who might dine at a discount in exchange for providing feedback). The ideal number of practice days is always “as many as possible,” whether at a chain or independent restaurant. The benefits to staff and early customers is immeasurable. Restaurateurs simply must plan for them, both on the calendar and in their business plan.
3. Train staff thoroughly. Almost without fail, opening-day staff is not prepared to answer basic questions about the concept, owners, decor, and especially the food. Chains are known for their extensive employee testing prior to opening; independents fall short.
4. Open early. Announce to the public and the press that the opening is on, say, a particular Friday, and open the doors unannounced several days before. Word will leak out regardless, but early-week crowds are smaller than on weekends. By the time the real “opening day” rolls around, the restaurant has several shifts under its belt.
While following some or all of the above steps doesn't guarantee smooth sailing on opening day, I’ve never met a restaurateur who said advance planning was a waste of time and money, especially when launching a new concept.
Restaurateur Brant Baldanza recalled that prior to opening the company's first location of The Shack, "We trained and anticipated and hosted several pre-opening parties—and on the first day, we still ran out of eggs."
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