According to the National Restaurant Association, sales in U.S. restaurants are expected to hit US$863 billion in 2019, a 3.6% increase over 2018. But while demand is strong, so are the choices available to potential customers.
Millennials and baby boomers are very different people. And while millennials generally think, dress and behave differently to baby boomers, when it comes to restaurants, there are enough similarities to enable you to satisfy both in the same space.
Millennials crave new and unique experiences. They love to play the one-up game… snapping pictures of the latest and greatest and sharing them on social media for all their friends to admire. It could be food, décor or entertainment. It’s the total experience they love.
And so if this is what millennials love, give it to them. Do you have an amazing, eye-popping signature dish? Is there something about your design that is so unique, they have to bring their friends to see it? If the margarita is your most popular cocktail, do you have one made with Gran Patron Platinum at US$250 a bottle, served in a hand-blown glass from Tlaquepaque, Mexico that they can take home with them?
Baby boomers are different. They’ve done it all and have a story about it even if it’s not true. New York Times Opinion Columnist Frank Bruni, writing recently about an unsatisfying restaurant visit, said of baby boomers: “Virgin sensations are less important; knowing that you’ll be able to hear and really talk with your tablemates, more.”
And so if this is what baby boomers love, give it to them. Does your menu contain a section of less complicated, simply grilled dishes? Are your chairs comfortable to sit in? Have you paid attention to your acoustics to ensure your guests can both talk, listen and enjoy music at the same time?
Despite their differences, millennials and baby boomers actually do agree on one thing: Exceptional service will bring them back time and time again. Danny Meyer, owner of Union Square Hospitality, is widely renowned as the authority on great restaurant service. In his book, “Setting the Table,” he says, “In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes for human experiences and human relationships. Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.”
6/19/2019
