The holy month of Ramadan is a significant time for Muslims worldwide, marked by fasting, prayer, and acts of charity. For restaurants, however, this month brings unique challenges as they strive to cater to the changes in their customers’ habits.
Some of the significant challenges that F&B outlets face during this time of the year are:
Communicating effectively with potential customers and promoting special offers
Providing a unique experience for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery customers
Efficiently managing staff shifts and inventory operations
Analyzing customer behavior and utilizing accumulated data for future improvement
This blog will explore how Foodics Marketplace, which boasts 80+ apps that integrate seamlessly with Foodics’ cloud-based POS, can help businesses overcome these challenges.
Ramadan Restaurant Challenge 1: Communicating Effectively with Potential Customers
When it comes to searching for business-related information such as reviews, menus, ambiance, food pictures, or direction assistance, 85% of customers – according to TripAdvisor – turn to search engines and social platforms like Google, Instagram, and map apps. So if you use outdated photographs or don’t have dedicated staff to publish your news regularly on all social media platforms, you risk losing many potential customers.
There’s a way out, though, with an app called Partoo. With Partoo, you can update and sync your business information across all social media and Google accounts from a single platform, keeping customers engaged with your latest updates, and delivering better search results and organic ranking.
Moreover, to expand your customer base and reach wider audiences, uploading your menu to popular food aggregator platforms may be one of the most effective strategies. With Foodics Marketplace, businesses can integrate seamlessly with renowned food aggregators in the region such as Mrsool, Jahez, and n.go. By doing so, businesses can also avoid manual entry errors and delays resulting from multiple app orders, especially during periods of high demand.
Ramadan Restaurant Challenge 2: Providing Exceptional Customer Experience
According to a report by Wego in 2019, restaurant table reservations increased by 30% during Ramadan in Saudi Arabia. To manage the influx of customers and ensure a smooth dining experience, it’s important for restaurants to have the right tools in place. One such tool is serVme, which integrates with your restaurant’s Foodics POS. By using serVme, your staff can manage reservations, waitlists, and priority attendance seamlessly, ensuring that customers are seated promptly and efficiently. In addition, you will be able to view the guest’s profiles and personalize the dining experience based on their preferences, spending habits, and previous visits, ultimately driving repeat business.
Moreover, while the Iftar menu may be somehow fixed or limited, there is often more room for options on the dessert and Suhour menus. Placing a QR code on each table to allow guests to access your dessert and Suhour menus instantly would enhance your guests’ experience greatly. With FineDine from Foodics Marketplace, restaurants can create multiple menus, upload images and videos, and even other details such as portion sizes, prices, ingredients, and allergen warnings to help their guests make informed decisions. Plus, FineDine supports multiple languages, ensuring all visitors can enjoy their meals without language barriers.
No discussion of customer experience during Ramadan would be complete without mentioning the importance of delivery services. Your customers will be hungrier and more sensitive to delays and quality issues, which may negatively affect your business if not managed appropriately. The good news is that Foodics has partnered with reliable platforms like Tookan and GetSwift to automate order processing, track drivers, and issue detailed performance reports per branch and driver. Alternatively, if you prefer to work with delivery service providers, Yallow and Cervo are excellent options that can service all your branches while committing to high-quality service.
Ramadan Restaurant Challenge 3: Managing Staff Shifts & Inventory Operations
Managing staff shifts and other HR responsibilities during Ramadan can be daunting. However, you can get the desired results quickly and with the highest quality with automation. Jisr and Unisync, from Foodics Marketplace, are two of the best HR automation apps that can help you easily schedule shifts, track attendance, evaluate staff performance, and do many other tasks.
On the other hand, sourcing components from different suppliers can be annoying and time-consuming. Additionally, the concentrated demand for particular ingredients during the holy month can affect their availability and pricing in many countries to different degrees, necessitating access to all market prices to compare and make right and timely decisions. With Supy and Kaso, you can easily browse supplier catalogs, view prices transparently, and communicate with suppliers in one place, thus saving you much time and ensuring you secure the best deals.
Ramadan Restaurant Challenge 4: Analyzing Customer Behavior for Future Improvements
Ramadan is a crucial time for businesses, and analyzing data from previous years can be incredibly valuable. If you depend on human resources alone, you may miss many important insights and opportunities. A study by McKinsey found that companies that use data analytics tools for decision-making are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, 6 times as likely to retain those customers, and 19 times as likely to be profitable.
To enable you to leverage available data effectively, Foodics has partnered with ShopBrain and Fruits360 to offer robust solutions for forecasting sales, managing inventory, and understanding customer behavior through an integrated dashboard with clear and colorful charts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ramadan is an excellent opportunity for restaurants and cafes to discover advanced tools and complementary solutions that can benefit them during this period and throughout the year. With a comprehensive collection of apps across 15 categories, Foodics Marketplace provides businesses with the tools they need to overcome operational challenges and achieve financial growth, all with the added crucial advantage of being seamlessly integrated with Foodics POS.
Happy app shopping! 🙂
