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When I go out to lunch or dinner with family/friends, one of the things I've noticed is more people are ordering water. Sometimes it is for health reasons and for some, it's a matter of money. Me? I feel a bit chintzy ordering water (except at breakfast and then I’m ordering coffee and lots of it) and so I most often order tea.
Regardless of the reason, restaurants are more than likely feeling a hit to their bottom-line with the water request. In an article by Tracy Turner for the Columbus Dispatch, water orders by consumers in restaurants are up, making it one of the fastest-growing beverage choice.
So what's a restaurant to do? Can a customer be moved from a water order to a more profitable choice? It's probably a matter giving customers healthier choices, and making those choices known at the table, in the menu and through the wait staff. For example, if a customer orders water, the wait staff could ask if the customer would like bottled or carbonated water. Even if the customer goes ahead and orders tap water, the suggestion for bottled or carbonated water increases the chances that the customer will pay for their water.
Does it matter what kind of restaurant it is before suggesting water options becomes an option? Does offering a filtered water help with the local/sustainability issue? Is it possible to offer healthy drink choices and move the needle from tap water orders to specialty drink orders? Probably so. But like everything else, it's more than likely a matter of focus...knowing where you are with your water orders and where you want to be.
We would love to hear your comments.
Talk to you soon,
Scott
United Linen Marketing Dept.
p.s. United Linen can help mop up spills regardless of whether or not it’s water. If you are interested in our FOH/BOH wet mop program, send an email to scott@unitedlinen.com or call us at 800-259-6808
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