Question:
Dear Advice Guy,
We already closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are a struggle. We are busy Thursday night through Sunday brunch, but it doesn’t make up for the other days. Any ideas for getting people in on Wednesdays besides discounting?
– Owner, independent fine dining
Answer:
Early week is challenging for many operations. I agree with you that solving the problem with a discount-oriented promotion is not a good answer! With a discount, you would still likely serve fewer covers than you would on a weekend, and the problem will be exacerbated by a lower check average. I’ve seen a number of restaurants be creative in trying to turn around early-week sales not by discounting, but rather by going the other way—making them premium, unique and desirable through special events. Here are a few locally in my area that I love:
Tastings: Blackfish BYOB does a Tuesday through Thursday tasting menu not available at other times. This week features spring lamb where previous weeks have featured special, peak-season items like Hokkaido scallops and Maine lobster across multiple courses and preps. This approach keeps chefs and cooks engaged, creative and learning, and entices guests with a menu they may never see again.
Collaboration Dishes: Less-intensive than a full menu, a mid-week special collaboration dish can benefit not only from your marketing, but your collaborator’s. I recently attended a Poi Dog/Oyster House collab, also Tuesday through Thursday, where Chef Kiki Aranita developed a Huli lobster roll featuring Poi Dog Huli, miso mayo, water chestnuts and nori. Aranita says, “I went into the experience knowing that one of Philadelphia’s legacy restaurants was letting its hair down and changing things up, even if just for a few days. My former restaurant was five blocks away from the Oyster House, so it was significant for me to partner with them in this fundraiser for a charity of my choice—Broad Street Ministry.”
Classes: Classes can add a unique offering on off-days. Vy To, owner of Ogawa Sushi and Kappo has been experimenting with classes that enhance guests’ loyalty and knowledge of their product. For example, given that they are butchering large tuna anyway, To turned it into a premium class and tasting to teach guests about the differences among the various cuts. Similarly, she partnered with chef and sake aficionado Jacob Trinh for a sake tasting that merges the educational with the fun. To says, “In preparation for these classes, we motivate and encourage our staff to learn more about the different characteristics of sake and propose which bottle they would like to explore with the guests. They take ownership of their learning and teach the team before providing that information to the guests.”
Finally, look at who is busy and dining early in the week: corporate events and community organizations; conventioneers and business travelers; or school fundraisers to name a few. See what partnerships you can create there.
More on the challenges of early-week operations here.
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