When it comes to building a successful restaurant franchise, consistency is always the main driving force. From the moment customers step through the door, to the moment they take their last bite of the most delicious item on the menu, every aspect of the dining experience should reflect the brand’s values, mission, and overall aesthetic.
St. Louis Bar & Grill has always been big on brand consistency, but how do we actually achieve this level of consistency across multiple locations? In this article, we’ll pull back the curtain and invite you into our world, so you understand the strategies and practices that help our brand succeed both for head office, and our many franchisee partners.
1. Clear Brand Guidelines
The first step we take in maintaining branding consistency is to establish clear brand guidelines. This includes defining our own distinctive visual identity, tone and terms. Franchises should always create a comprehensive brand style guide that outlines the use of logos, colour schemes, typography and imagery. We share this guide with all franchisees and employees to ensure everyone is on the same page, for maximum consistency across the board.
2. Standardized Menu and Operations
A standardized menu and operations process are crucial keys when it comes to maintaining consistency across our many locations. To this end, we develop menus that are consistent, with minimal variations to ensure that customers know exactly what to expect. Similarly, operations processes are always standardized to ensure that every location is serving food and drinks in the same way, with the same quality of interaction.
3. Training and Support
We make it a rule to provide ongoing training and support to employees so that we can ensure they understand the brand’s values, mission and standards. This includes customer service training, food preparation and store operations, among other things. Regular check-ins and evaluations also help us identify areas for improvement, while ensuring that employees are delivering a consistently high-quality experience.
4. Quality Control
Quality control is absolutely essential when it comes to maintaining consistency, which is why we have established a system for monitoring and evaluating the performance of each location. Things we watch out for are food quality, customer service, and store appearance. This is typically achieved through regular inspections, customer feedback, and other methods.
5. Technology and Systems
The implementation of technology and specific systems plays a significant role in our push for consistency. Franchise locations use software and apps to streamline operations, track inventory, and monitor customer feedback, all of which can help identify areas for improvement, and ensure that every location is operating at the same level.
6. Marketing and Advertising
Marketing and advertising is a very specific operation that we take seriously. To that end, we have developed a marketing strategy that is tailored to our target audience, while reinforcing our distinct values and mission. Our overarching marketing and advertising is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Our franchisees can accelerate their success by leveraging social media, local events and advertising avenues in order to attract their clientele, and build a customer base.
7. Employee Engagement
We always prioritize employee training, development and recognition to ensure that employees are motivated and empowered to deliver an enthusiastic level of service. This can include employee recognition programs, incentives, and opportunities for advancement.
8. Customer Feedback
We have a system already in place to collect and respond to customer feedback, including online reviews, surveys and comment cards. As with any restaurant franchise, this is invaluable, and can help identify areas for improvement. The more we hear from our diners, the more we can refine our operations and level of service.
CONCLUSION
Maintaining branding consistency across multiple locations might be difficult, but certainly not impossible. We merely adhere to the tactics that work, such as establishing clear brand guidelines, standardizing menu and operations, providing excellent training and support, and maintaining quality control. It’s a recipe that has garnered much success for St. Louis Bar & Grill, which continues to grow from one end of the country to the other.
Joining our franchise family means taking advantage of our excellent business model, which puts consistency at the front of the line. If you’re looking to get into the restaurant franchising business, now’s the time to act! Contact us today, and let’s hear your proposal.
