Takeout Your Share of the Profits

Everywhere reports are indicating that the to-go category is booming for restauranteurs all over the country. As people look to dine cost consciously they are frequently turning towards takeout as a new way to save money (no tip – no beverages). Are you riding the wave of this new dimension of the food service industry?

If approached correctly, takeout dining could be a boon for those who capture the market and exploit the opportunity to make new profits through the takeout segment. No longer are people just ordering pizza or Chinese as takeout. The segment is booming to the point that grocery stores are trying to tap into the marketplace with their rotisserie chickens and fully prepared meals to go. Don’t get caught on the sideline watching your potential profits walk on by with their arms full of takeout packaging as they bring home their dinners. But remember, if you are going to get into the takeout business, you must do so with commitment and excellence in mind because it is next to impossible to fix your mistakes and insure that you will have a repeat customer.

What are the keys to a successful takeout program? To have a successful takeout program you need to focus on a few key areas. 1) Ease and accuracy of ordering (nothing worse than getting your meal home to find out that something wasn’t correctly prepared), 2) Does your food travel well? (figure it is at least a half hour from the time they leave your place and get to theirs), 3) Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? (is it a mess when it gets home, and is the cold stuff cold and the hot stuff still hot?) 4) How are you positioning takeout in your operations? (who knows what you are offering and how are you getting word out about it?) Let’s take a minute to talk about each of these aspects of your takeout program.

Ease and accuracy of ordering…..This one is so simple and obvious, but in today’s market it is increasingly overlooked. We all want to get what we ordered, just the way we ordered it. Having an English speaking person manning the phones is the first step in insuring that the order is going to be correct when they get it home. Have someone double check the orders before they are boxed and bagged for pick up. One extra step to safeguard your business can pay huge dividends down the road. Many establishments are turning towards on line ordering….customers love it because they can build their meals just the way they like it, and they have an added measure of confidence that their order will be accurate because they created it.

Does your food travel well? Tailoring your takeout menu to items that travel best is something to keep in mind as you develop a takeout menu. Tweaking your existing menu items to travel better is always an option (offering sauces on the side, separating the hot and cold ingredients). Portion size is also something to consider as you develop your menu…sometimes offering the same item in multiple sizes (individual or family size), half portions or whole portions, the combinations are limitless. There is often times much more flexibility in putting a to-go menu together than there is in menus for dining in house.

Does your packaging hold up and do what it is supposed to do? For years cost effectiveness (price) has been the leading factor in deciding how restaurants are going to send you home with your food. It can’t be anymore as you fight for these elusive profit dollars. Packaging is every bit as important as what is in the package these days. It has to look appetizing when it gets home. It has to be hot (or cold) when it gets home. We all eat with our eyes first, and you want that first look (or bite) to be as good as your diner has imagined it would be. I said earlier that if you are going to do takeout, you must do it with a commitment to excellence and trying to save a few dollars by using cheap packaging is not the commitment that is necessary to build a viable takeout segment of your sales. Every penny invested in packaging is worth the extra investment. Presentable, appetizing food is imperative to a successful takeout operation, and more often than not, it doesn’t make it home in cheap packaging. The best meals lose their curb appeal when they aren’t presented correctly in your restaurant and presentation is equally important when they get it home.

How do you position your takeout segment within your operations? Is it on your menu? Is it on your advertising? Is it on a sign within your restaurant? Are you including to-go menus with every order? Is it on your website? Is it on your outgoing phone message or hold music? Do you have a separate counter for takeout? Do you offer curbside service for takeout? Committing to takeout can reward you with infinite profits, and you need to position it properly within your establishment.

Takeout is tricky. It is next to impossible to correct any mistakes because it is usually too late when the mistakes are discovered (can’t fix it with a free appetizer or dessert because they have already left the premises). Because mistakes are so difficult to overcome, it is imperative that you have the best practices in place to make sure that people are happy with what they brought home. Taking time to check the orders and packaging them in the right containers can go a long way towards earning you repeat takeout business. Getting word out to your existing customers that takeout (as well as catering) is an option for them is instrumental in putting together a successful takeout program. So go claim your share as America brings dinner back home.