Food is key to a customer's heart

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The following article is brought to you by McCain."I know the perfect place for the perfect Thai fish cakes - with chips"What sort of food do your...

The following article is brought to you by McCain.

"I know the perfect place for the perfect Thai fish cakes - with chips"

What sort of food do your customers know you for? Nothing makes a more lasting impression on them - or your sales. Your menu speaks volumes about the pub you are. So it pays to understand what customers want, why they want it - and where else they get it from. Publicans in the know, reap the rewards. But how do you make your food fit the bill - and boost the bill? The answers are all around you:

Get to know your regulars

Ok, so you know your regulars. But how well? Even the same customer has different needs at different times. The more you understand about what makes everybody tick, the more your menu can meet their needs - and capture more of their business. A little market segmentation works wonders here. Split customers into groups based on the lifestyles they have. What and when do they eat with you? Are they're young, old, married? Who eats early? Who makes a night of it?

Now ask yourself, do you offer something for all your different customers, at different times?

The more you know, the better. And there are loads of ways to learn more. Try handing out ratings card with every bill to find out what customers would like to see on the menu. Ask them to provide information about themselves with a prize draw as an incentive. Entice a few customers with a free meal to group sessions where they tell you what they want. Have a few key questions planned, then just listen.

TIP: Why not contact a local business college to see if a student would consider a project to determine your potential customer base?

Take a look at the big picture

Even if you know about your existing customers, you know less about the customers you don't yet have. What do they want that you don't offer? Come to think of it, where do they satisfy their appetite? Could you grab some of that business?

Increasingly, eating out is a necessary part of a busy, hectic life for many people. More often than not, they're looking for a quick, hot bite - with the emphasis on speed. If you're not meeting this need, business might be passing you by.

Everybody has more sophisticated tastes nowadays. And things are always changing. Let's face it, who'd heard of mexican flat bread 10 years ago? Or smoothies? How can you keep up with it all? Check out the cutting edge retailers and food innovators for a start. They lead consumer tastes. If something's happening, they know about it. Look around the high street to see what the "cool" brands are doing - what's "niche" now will be mass market soon.

And, don't underestimate pester power. Children exert an ever-greater say about where they eat. Keep the kids happy and you've got the parents. But it's a fashion conscious business, so make sure you regularly review children's options.

At the other end of the spectrum, the ageing population means more retired people with plenty of spare leisure time and money. Early bird offers, price deals and loyalty clubs all work well for this market.

TIP: Ring your local newspaper and tap into information about the readers in your catchment area.

Think about your real competitors

Your location will influence the customers you attract - and the competition you face. And it's not just the Dog and Duck down the road. Your competition surrounds you - in a variety of disguises. Every outlet that serves food is a potential threat - from sandwich shops to staff restaurants to department store cafés.

By identifying your competitors you are also identifying potential customers. Discovering what your rivals do well (and not so well) will help define your point of difference. Don't be afraid to "steal" a successful idea. Just make sure you do it better! Don't forget the "hidden" competitors. Ring local offices to check whether they have a staff canteen.

To establish the quality of the competition, trust in your taste buds. Eating out at rival restaurants is the easiest - and most enjoyable - form of industrial espionage!

A picture will soon emerge - but make sure you repeat the exercise often as markets change continually.

TIP: Contact your local Chamber of Commerce for a list of competitors, then plot them on a map. If you see a sea of sandwich shops, maybe you should be in the market - but think how you can add value.

It's a tough job. But somebody's got to do it

Remember, if you don't ask the questions, you won't get the answers. If you don't satisfy customers, they won't tell you. They'll just go elsewhere. But the more you understand, the easier it becomes to meet the needs of your market.

Virtual victuals

It's easy to put sound theory into good practice. Our virtual pub illustrates what you can do.

The background story

Think stone flags, antique tables and lots of rugs. Ours is a destination country gastro-pub, serving good food with a sophisticated edge - a spot of Notting Hill somewhere in Notts.
It's a fashionable area with steeply rising house prices, plenty of professionals - and a high-tech new business park on the doorstep.

The regulars

Saturday night...
- Comfortable Couples - two cars, two kids, two salaries
- Thirty, forty and fifty somethings
...and Sunday lunchtime
- Extended family affair

Our homework

We plotted all the pubs and restaurants in the customers' catchment (ie within 20 miles of the furthest customer in each direction)
Benchmarked menus and prices
We held group discussions with the regulars - evenings and Sunday lunch
We looked around for the hidden opportunities - including a call to the property managers for the low down on the business park.

What we learned

Local, organic beef is big news - and a big selling point.
Sunday lunchtime can start with brunch - and stretch until 9pm.
Saturday-nighters would drop in for lunch - if we had a lighter menu.
There are 23 professional firms on the business park - none with on site catering.

The changes we made