Dhruv Kumar and Siddharth Aggarwal belong to a business class family but wanted to do something different and on their own. They have this undying love for food which made them try their hands in the food space. This realization is what made them come up with a brand that today is famous as Unlimited- The Break Free Bar. Dhruv and Siddharth wanted the name of their brand to be simple yet catchy, a name that justifies the brand concept. Unlimited is known for its packages (unlimited alcohol) applicable per person for 3 hours counted from the first drink that is served on the table and for people who like to dine in for few drinks.
In Conversation With Dhruv Kumar And Siddharth Aggarwal Of Unlimited
Located in Connaught Place, Central Delhi, the café is known for its unlimited alcohol packages. The decor is minimal but chic – wall decors, writings, yellow lights, bar lights, etc. In an exclusive conversation with The Restaurant Times, Dhruv and Siddharth Aggarwal talk about the importance of restaurant customer service, the operational and management challenges and all that it took to make Unlimited a success.
Operational Hurdles
The restaurant industry is a place where entrepreneurs always explore business opportunities, but by understanding common challenges, owners may be able to develop unique strategies to increase their chances of success. The Unlimited duo, talk about their most initial challenge of dealing with the statutory dues since a massive amount of licensing fees is required to run a business in Connaught Place.
Unlimited is known for its unique concept of serving indefinite food and drinks. So maintaining the quantity of both becomes a challenge to avoid going out of stock.
The Unlimited duo emphasizes on how restaurant owners should understand the importance of having the right employees. An organization must be sure to have a good team in place during all seasons, but specifically during times of the year where customer volume increases, like the summer time. Placing greater emphasis on finding and training staff can reduce costs over time and enhance customer service.
Restaurant Customer Service Techniques To Keep Your Guests Happy
The restaurant industry is not an easy place to survive. Keeping customers happy with the food, the ambiance or the staff so that they return over and over again is not easy as it may sound. For many restaurants, making customers consistently happy is a tricky task.
Aggarwal and Kumar also place great importance on staff discipline. There’s a fine line that stands between being diligent and oppressive. People are dining out to enjoy great food and the company of each other. The staff shouldn’t become a part of the party, but instead, be vigilant and aware of guests’ needs and assist them when required.
‘It is unacceptable and displeasing to make false promises to customers. This means that one should never set an expectation that they cannot meet. Clearly explain what they should expect from a particular dish, an event or the discounts and offers discoursed by a restaurant. Although one can engage new customers, by hosting events or offering catchy discounts, you will hardly be able to retain them and get them to revisit your restaurant unless you live up to your promises’, says the duo.
Customer Management
When managing a restaurant, customer complaints are inevitable. According to the duo, consumers are very particular when dining out. Mistakes happen, and problems will come up. How one deals with a problem is important and prominent, whether it involves food, staff, or the ambiance. Dealing with complaints is just as important an aspect in the customer service plan as working on getting the service right the first time.
‘One should take steps to resolve the problem of the customers as quickly as possible. This means that attendants should either be entitled to taking action to address a situation or a manager should be on duty at all times who is properly trained to handle these types of cases’, say the Unlimited duo.
Restaurant Menu Engineering Tips
According to Kumar and Aggarwal, change is the law of nature and small modifications in the menu bring a lot of difference in how the guests feel about the brand. Adding a few items in the menu on customer demand is always a good idea. The first and the most important thing about formulating a menu is to know how to cost the items in the list efficiently. This will help in calculating the food cost percentage and contribution margin later, arguably two of the most essential restaurant metrics.
Visuals are crucial for attracting consumers to order any item. It is then essential to include food pictures along with the name and a short description especially to capture the attention of the customers, who are rushing, or are less likely to read long descriptions.
Unique Bar Promotion Ideas
With excessive competition, ever-changing classifications and shifting trends, the trick to gaining and keeping valuable customers is smart bar promotion and customer engagement.
According to the Unlimited duo, it is difficult to generate promotions aimed at getting more repeat business. However, a wine tasting offer is one suitable method. Wine tastings not only brings out your expertise and product range, but it can be also used to pair each wine with some food for the extra value. ‘One Plus One’ works as the best offer. Who wouldn’t want to avail this kind of offer where you are paying for one? And this works very well for Unlimited. Packages with unlimited drinks can shoot up sales by running a good marketing campaign. In this way, people participate and win deals which acts as a promotional strategy too.
The Unlimited duo concludes by sharing their plans which include opening multiple restro bars in Delhi by the end of 2019. ‘To run the business successfully, we focus on customer satisfaction while promoting our motto Good Food, Good Drinks, and Good Music’, adds the duo.
