A restaurant opening requires attention to many aspects, and to make sure everything is perfect to open the doors and welcome your first customers, a good strategy is the soft opening.
It works as a pre-opening, a chance to test the operation running in practice, from service all the way to the kitchen. That way, you can identify areas for improvement and refine the service before opening to the general public.
In this article, understand what a soft opening is, the advantages of this strategy and a complete step-by-step guide to running yours. Follow along!
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What is a soft opening?
The term “soft opening” means exactly what it says — a gentle opening — and is used to refer to a pre-opening of restaurants, bars and hotels, for example.
Since the operation of these businesses is quite complex and there are many details that need to be watched to guarantee service quality, the soft opening is a strategy used to test everything before the official opening.
It works as a preview, where a select group of guests – usually family, friends and business partners – is invited to try out the atmosphere, the service and, of course, the food.
After the experience, people leave feedback that helps the owner understand what needs adjusting.
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What is a pre-opening for?
As we've seen, a restaurant soft opening is there to test the entire operation in practice, from customer service all the way to production in the kitchen.
This matters so the team can experience the operation running with a full house, but in a safe and controlled environment. In other words: this is the time to make mistakes! That way, you can see how the processes flow and identify what needs improving.
Running a pre-opening is essential to make the final adjustments, prepare the team and gain more confidence to welcome your first customers.
After all, delivering excellent service from the start is strategic for a new venture. Since you're still winning over your customer base, you need to go the extra mile on service to earn credibility.
5 advantages of the soft opening for restaurants
Now that you understand what a restaurant soft opening is and what it's for, let's look at the advantages of using this strategy in your business. Check out the main ones below.
1 – Validate the menu
At the soft opening your guests can taste the different items on your menu and assess the quality. That's the best way to validate whether the menu is really appealing, whether the prices are right and whether the dining experience meets expectations.
What's more, your chef and team can practice preparing the dishes and make the necessary adjustments to the processes, organizing the kitchen better for more efficiency.
2 – Train the team
O restaurant team training is essential for delivering excellent service. It can be done in various ways, but the pre-opening is a great opportunity for the team to learn and improve.
Since they'll be in a kind of “rehearsal”, you can observe the service, identify each person's strengths, give specific guidance and optimize the processes. That way, your team will be better prepared for opening day.
3 – Get feedback
Another major advantage of the restaurant soft opening is the feedback you get from the people there.
You can even request feedback in a more structured way, asking your guests about the quality of different aspects, such as the atmosphere, the service, the menu, cleanliness and hygiene, among others.
All this information will serve as input to make improvements and get everything perfect. Without this feedback, many points could go unnoticed and affect the customer experience down the road.
4 – Refine processes
The biggest benefit is being able to refine the processes before the restaurant's official opening. As we saw earlier, this helps avoid mistakes that could end up hurting the customer experience right at the start, creating dissatisfaction.
With the soft opening, you can make the necessary improvements and, right from the start, offer high-quality service. This is crucial for earning credibility, building customer loyalty, having a good reputation and standing out from the competition.
5 – Anticipation
Finally, the soft opening is also a way to build anticipation, creating positive expectations among your future customers.
You can, for example, invite local influencers, journalists and other people from the community, building a solid support network early on and counting on their help to spread the word about your new venture and attract an audience.
Step by step: how to run a restaurant soft opening
Already decided to run your restaurant's soft opening? Organization is essential to get the most out of this strategy. Check out the step-by-step guide we've prepared below.
1 – Set a date and duration
First, choose a date that allows for full preparation: physical setup, menu, system, team, purchasing and everything needed for the operation to run at full speed.
Also define how long the pre-opening will last. For example: some businesses hold just one event, others operate in soft opening for a few days or weeks. That will depend on your business model and the complexity of your operation.
Another point to watch is the date set for the opening. Set aside a period of at least one week so you can make the necessary adjustments after the soft opening.
2 – Choose your guests
Make the guest list for the pre-opening. It usually includes family, friends and other people the restaurant owner and the team trust.
But, if it makes sense, it's also worth inviting influencers, journalists and specialists in the food industry. That way you use the occasion to build a network and start partnerships that can boost your business.
3 – Spread the word
Even if it's a pre-opening restricted to guests, it's important to let people know your restaurant is getting ready to open its doors.
Use social media to build anticipation and start attracting your customers right away.
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4 – Train your team
Run a training session with your team for pre-opening day, aligning the processes and giving guidance so the operation flows as smoothly as possible.
Also make it clear that this is the time to “rehearse” and that it's okay to make mistakes, but that they also need to stay alert to identify the aspects that need improving.
5 – Get ready for the feedback
There are several ways to collect feedback and, the more prepared you are, the more responses you'll get.
Think about which aspects you'd like your guests' opinion on and put together a form, online or printed, for your guests to fill out.
Also talk to them during the event, asking what they think of the experience, and record anything relevant in a document.
6 – Organize the operation
Finally, organize the entire operation and make sure everything is ready to welcome your guests and deliver an incredible experience, as if it were the real opening.
Besides checking that all the equipment and systems are working, also check the decor, hygiene and cleanliness of your restaurant. All of it must be perfect for soft opening day.
What to do after the pre-opening?
After running the pre-opening, it's time to analyze the results and your guests' feedback to implement the improvements. At this point, three things are essential:
- Examine the operational data and your guests' opinions to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
- Adjust the menu, if needed, based on the feedback about the most popular dishes and those that may need refining. On top of that, assess the service processes and improve whatever is necessary.
- Use the lessons learned at the soft opening to improve the official opening. That can include adjustments to the team, the processes, the system, the way you serve, the menu, the atmosphere.
This way, you'll be ready to offer the best experience to your new customers.
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A restaurant's success depends on several factors, and relying on technology and the best way to achieve operational efficiency and deliver excellent service to your customers.
EPOC is a platform designed for restaurants that want to grow. Schedule a free demonstration now and discover our solutions for restaurant service and management.
