Question:
Dear Advice Guy,
We are in a tourist area and have a photographer who wants to stop by every night to take photos for our guests and sell them for $20. He visits multiple restaurants along our strip. There is no cost to us and we can get our logo printed on the frame of the photos. Do you think this is a good idea?
– Owner
Answer:
Managing a restaurant is all about control: control over your costs, employee performance, menu, music, lighting and so on. Owners and managers are frustrated by the many things that they cannot easily control: guest and employee behavior, municipal policies, pests, equipment breakdowns, the weather and so much more.
With all of these uncontrollable factors, it seems odd to me that you would introduce an element into your restaurant that you cannot control: the photographer. What may seem like a good deal on its surface—no cost to you and a logo keepsake for guests—may invite more problems than benefits. If the photographer is pushy about sales, guests don’t like the photo, or guests are annoyed at having their meal interrupted, how do you manage that, knowing that this photographer is not one of your employees, or even a contractor?
My advice is to first ascertain whether your guests even want a service like this. Would it enhance their experience? Are they seeing photographers at other restaurants and requesting a similar service? If so, don’t just say “sure,” but have a firm contract in place that makes the responsibilities and liabilities clear and lets you restrict or terminate the agreement as you see fit.
There are many similar deals you can strike for tourist restaurants: musicians, face painters for kids, or sellers of souvenirs. Make sure that whatever you allow, it’s aligned with your goals and that you control the terms.
More on managing entertainment here.