At the start of the New Year, weight loss resolutions are in full swing. Gyms are filled to capacity and practically everyone has Weight Watchers on speed dial. But that means the business you reveled in a few months ago – complete with large, over indulging holiday meals – is out. And a more health-conscious way of thinking is “in.”
Perhaps your restaurant’s New Year’s resolution should be to add new, healthier menu items. Here are some stats to back this up:
• 70% of consumers say they are attempting to eat healthier at restaurants.
• 75% of consumers state that healthy menu options have become more important when selecting a restaurant
• 86% of consumers believe that restaurants are offering more nutritious options than they were two years ago
*Stats from The National Restaurant Association’s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast
If you start providing healthy alternatives (especially at this time of the year), customers will appreciate your efforts and keep coming back. Below are five ways to use POS to heighten sales and capitalize on your consumers’ health kick:
Service the health-conscious patron
A restaurant POS system should enable you to simply adjust your menu. Many POS software systems can be customized, managed and easily accessed. For instance, you can choose to modify your existing menu to include the new items or create a separate healthy menu altogether. For example, Applebee’s has an “under 550 calories” menu list that has been endorsed by Weight Watchers. By clearly identifying healthier alternatives on the menu, it makes it easier for customers to place orders, while sticking to their weight loss goals.
Provide nutrition information
POS technology has made it possible to easily adapt and change menus to changing business trends. You’ll see this in many fast food restaurants today. They use digital menu boards to update their menus and provide calorie and fat content. Sure, customers may know in theory that a triple burger with all the fixings isn’t really heart healthy. But seeing the facts up front might guide them to make a more health-conscious ordering decision.
If you don’t have digital displays, you might consider including calorie and fat information on your physical menus or note that it is available upon request.
Use Mobility
Do you use your restaurant POS for mobile or online ordering? These elements can enhance your in-store menu. Future customers can visit your website and see the nutrition information ahead of time, so they know what healthy dishes are available, along with each item’s nutrition data or Weight Watchers’ points.
Let customers know
A restaurant can add all the healthy menu items it wants, but if nobody knows, then it’s all for not. Utilize the restaurant POS database to send out an email to all of your current customers to let them know about your new venture.
Another tip is to run a special promotion to kick off your healthy menu and reap benefits from your customers’ healthier frame of mind. Offer a coupon to entice people to order from your new menu, then use the POS to track the success of the campaign.
Track your campaign
As with any new promotion, you want to see the fruits of your labor. A restaurant POS can track whether or not the campaign generated sales. POS reporting features are vital to accurately measure the results. POS software can allow you to track data for a customized date range as well as by menu items.
Especially at this time of the year, your potential customers are thinking healthy. So, if you are planning to adapt your restaurant’s menu to cater to those needs, a restaurant POS provides all the essential tools to help you achieve your business goals –not to mention endear your customers by helping them achieve their weight loss goals, too.
