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| - I also wrote this on your Facebook page. Your food is fantastic! I just have two suggestions. Please note while I do own a business, it is not a restaurant, however this advice applies to every business. Because I own a business, I look out for my fellow small business owners. As I explain below, I think you got something great, and rare, as your food is amazing and I want to see you succeed. I am only writing this, as after seeing your new hours after just opening a few months ago, I had to write you, and I did not see a website, so this was my only way of writing you.
First your hours.
Being that you are a new business, you got to pay your dues by being open longer. Ask any business owner and they will tell you this, in the beginning you got to put in your hours to succeed, to build relationships, to get regulars by developing relationships with them. 11am -2pm during weekdays, would be okay if you were located downtown as you would get all the lawyers, and business' eating for lunch rush hours, but you are located in a residential area, where most of us are at work, and the stay at home moms are just starting their day, being located up here, I can't see how you aren't open after 5pm. You can also loose future customers like regulars. I am saying this from past experience. In my business, I'm open 6 days a week, with long hours, but I too have emergencies, and sometimes post a letter on door saying I'm opening late, or am closed for a day, and I can't tell you how bad that pissed people off, they would write me that they wasted a drive, and how unprofessional it was, and they were right, as it can be quite annoying when you see a business closed after driving there and especially when its during business hours. At first I thought they were just being petty, but learned quickly how many people it pissed off. Eventually after growing you can cut down your hours, but for now you can't. Because your rarely open, people will just give up all together, as most don't memorize your hours, and every time they come your closed. Your food is so great, once word gets out you can also get customers from other areas in town to make the drive out to eat at your place, but you got to give it time for word to get out, and to keep getting referrals, as if they make the drive, and your closed you will loose them for good. 11am - 2pm up here is just pointless, you got to be open from noon to like 9pm, I thought closing at 5pm was bad, but 2pm is just not good.
Secondly know how expensive signs are, but one good future investment would be to get Divine Eatery letter sign next to your Cafe Sign above (or replace Cafe). I know it's on the glass window and door, but you are missing a ton of business with to go orders, because a lot of people who don't know your business name can't call info (411) and get your number, as they will just see Cafe, and no one will think about looking at the window. When you first open, I called 411 to make a to go order, and did not know your name, and there was nothing coming up for Café off Hualapai. There are a lot of people, who are like me,who would probably prefer take out as they just got off work, and don't want to cook a meal for their family, so they would place a take out order with you. One suggestion I have is, maybe get a small, clean, classy banner to put above the Cafe sign, the City allows you to file for a 6month temp sign such as a banner (I had to do this with my business), and your allowed to file this once a year the fee is $100. Now I don't know what your landlord rules are, but I'm sure if you pick a nice clean looking banner, they will have no problems. But this would give you time to save up for a new sign (I know their expensive as most simple signs start at $5,000) But your food is so good, I know if you eventually open for dinner during the week, you will get a ton of take out orders. From business experience I have learned you got to pay your dues in the beginning, there are no shortcuts, and it takes time, time for word to get out, time for referrals, but once you give that time, it could really pay off. Whatever you do, don't get frustrated and give up!. Also, don't be shy, ask some food critics, or food journalists, to try out your food, as they can write a article about your place, it doesn't hurt to ask. Sorry, I'm not trying to be overbearing but I know you have something special and I want to see you grow to your full potential, and because I have some business experience, I look out for my fellow small business owners (even when it's not my place to), and if I see some things that could help them, I offer my advice. As I know when you open a business its your dream, for most of us, we gave everthing we had, you just got to keep you dream burning, as one small mistake could close you. But you are doing a great job, and as I said above your food is delicious!
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