Let's face it…we live in a world of convenience. With more and more Americans living in dual-income households, having to balance work, kids and life activities, and striving to find time in a busy day for those few precious moments of sanity, the last thing most of us want to think about is feeding our families. I admit it…when most people ask me what my favorite meal is to cook I usually respond, “speed dial.” The truth of the matter is that I don't mind cooking, when I have the time. But more often than not, I turn to the restaurants in my neighborhood that can provide me with a quick, healthy and convenient meal to pick up on my way home from work.



I live in a great area in Atlanta that fortunately has a wide variety of restaurants and foodservice options available to me. However, I've learned in my takeout experiences that there are some important guidelines to follow when building a successful takeout program. Here's the top 5 ways to make me a customer for life:

• Dedicate employees to your takeout business

Nothing can annoy a customer more than walking into a restaurant with a takeout business and having no idea where to go or who to talk to for placing or picking up an order. If your takeout sales bring in at least 5% of your net sales, you should have an area and employees in your restaurant dedicated to takeout. Have someone dedicated to answering your phone, bagging the meals and making sure takeout orders are correct and running the food out to your guests.

• Develop a loyalty program special to your takeout guests

Most guests order takeout on a weekly schedule. Restaurants that offer frequent diner rewards specifically for takeout orders may see an increase in repeat customers.

• Make sure the process of ordering and pickup is easy and error-free

Sometimes, you never know what you're going to get when ordering takeout. It's much easier to return an incorrect order to the kitchen when dining in a restaurant, than realize your order isn't right when sitting on your couch. Order accuracy is key when developing a successful takeout program. Make sure orders are inputted directly into the POS and fired to the kitchen to reduce the chance for errors. Also, use a takeout expediter when packaging the order.

• Add food safety labels to your takeout packaging

Many families will pickup large orders of takeout food to have leftovers for the rest of the week. Adding labels to your takeout packaging that explains how long food can be kept and the reheating procedures will ensure that food is handled properly.

• Offer items at lower price points from your regular dine-in menus

One of the great things about building a takeout business is that you don't have the overhead costs that come with dine-in business. Build creative pricing and offer meal combos or entrees at a special “takeout price” on a custom-designed takeout menu. Your guests will appreciate the transparency of not charging them regular menu prices.

According to the National Restaurant Association, takeout sales are projected to grow at seven times the rate of the sales growth of total restaurant sales. Many restaurant operators now see that it's a strategic part of the business and is a source for additional revenue in times when everyone is fighting for every dollar. What are some creative ways you've seen restaurants promoting their takeout business that keeps customers coming back for more?