We are witnessing the new age of the dining experience, where the experience can even be more important than the food! Let's look at why.
With the hype around celebrity chefs, cookery programmes and food bloggers, being a ‘foodie’ is hitting revolutionary heights. – Especially for the restaurant industry.
But it’s not just about delicious tasting food or having impressive customer service. People want the full dining experience.
So what does that mean?
Consider the fact that 75% of people will pay more for a unique dining experience.
This tells us that restaurants are in demand to create a full-bodied experience, and not just focus on that glorious food.
With the availability of website reviews and social media at our fingertips, restaurants are under the mercy of being rated online by potentially every customer.
And while we live in the age of instant information and strong peer influence, most millennials make their restaurant choices around trip advisor reviews and Instagram posts.
To compete with these new forces in the market, restaurants are now under pressure to create memorable and unique experiences.
With their slogan being, “More than a restaurant, a true human & sensory experience!”, Dans Le Noir? wholeheartedly take the dining experience to a whole new level.
If you haven’t heard of it, you’ll be amazed to learn that this is a full dining experience completely in the dark.
Admirably, the experience aims to broaden knowledge and insight into the world of blindness and disability. While at the same time enjoying a surprising meal and engaging in conversation with new people, served by visually impaired waiters.
Imagine heading out to enjoy fine dining and tasting incredible food, prepared and served by inmates in a prison. This popular dining experience offers a uniqueness that is certainly one to remember.
The Clink is a sophisticated dining experience, with a charitable goal in mind. With the prisoners going under a full NVQ training programme in food preparation, food service and customer service, working towards gaining employment in the UK hospitality industry upon release.
And with over 50 recognised awards by the hospitality industry, the food and dining experience at The Clink makes diners feel they are in a first-class restaurant.
Georgian House offers a revolutionary dining experience for the conscientious diner. Check out their eco-friendly Up-cycled Afternoon Tea.
Through clever waste management, Georgian House reduces the amount of wasted food, by ‘up-cycling’ unused pieces from their kitchens, into the delightful and tasty afternoon tea treats.
Japan is infamous for its wonderful food, and amazing dining experiences. And this unique experience is certainly living up to expectations.
With cascading waterfalls flowing through the centre of the restaurant, the scenery at Hirobun is enough to take your breath away.
But it gets better.
Using the flowing elements of nature, Hirobun sends your nagashi somen (noodles) through the bamboo shoots for you to catch with chopsticks and enjoy in a broth of soy sauce.
The Hirobun restaurant in Kyoto has ques of visitors at their door each day, desperate to take part.
How can your restaurant capitalise on the dining experience? When it comes to dining out, it’s obvious that people are searching for experiences that are unique and exciting to talk about.
With 80% of people preferring to buy tickets in advance for food events, there is a clear opportunity for restaurants to cash in on this trend.
And what’s the best way to capture a wonderful experience?
One of the biggest benefits of using gift experience vouchers is the extra revenue they’ll bring you. Fascinatingly, many purchased gift vouchers never get used. So, you get to pocket the full cost of the voucher and not payout on the service cost.
Your vouchers will be bought as thoughtful gifts to someone special. Sometimes the receiver will book right away and become loyal visitors of yours, and sometimes they may forget to use the voucher altogether. This is where you still win- as the sale is done, and you save on the service cost of that voucher.
Offering gift experience vouchers couldn’t come at a more opportune moment for restaurants than now. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to attract new customers and generate more sales. For more information on gift vouchers check out a past article of ours here. And contact us at enjovia.com.
