Italy’s food culture is universally loved, not just for its delicious, fresh products, but also for the way that restaurants are run in the country. The way that a restaurant is managed can greatly impact guests’ experiences and the likelihood of guaranteeing return business.
Let’s look at a few ways we can implement Italian restaurant management techniques to maximize guest experiences.
Fresh as a Daisy
If you take a morning walk by any restaurant in Italy, it’s common to see fruit, vegetable, and fish vendors dropping off fresh products. This lends Italian eateries an air of local passion. Here in the U.S., it’s important to build strong relationships with your foodservice distributors to ensure you’re getting the freshest food available for guests.
It may not be feasible to rely on resources like farmer’s markets to pick the freshest, premium items, so understanding how vendors source farm - to truck - to your table goods is crucial. With quality sourced brands like Peak® Fresh Produce, Bay Winds® Seafood, and Braveheart® Black Angus Beef, you know you’re getting the best ingredients from family farms and growers in the prime regions of the country — right to your back door.
Seasonal Touch
In many restaurants in Italy, you’ll find that menus rotate based on seasonal availability. Overall, it’s a good practice to know what kinds of fruits and veggies are in season wherever you’re located. This way, you can offer guests thoughtfully prepared meals that balance trends, health-conscious diets, and overall tastes that relate to the time of year.
If you do consider adopting seasonal menus, don’t shy away from marketing them digitally and on social. Check out The Dish to explore seasonal menu inspiration and recipes that can help take your kitchen to the next level.
On The House
Depending on the restaurant and the region, it's standard in Italy to offer guests a small drink while waiting for their table or after bringing the bill. In my hometown of Rome for example, certain restaurants will offer guests a small glass of bubbles if they need to wait longer than 20 minutes for their table.
To combat wait times, Yelp Waitlist, a One Source partner, is one resource for streamlining traffic. Guests can seamlessly join your restaurant’s waitlist from the Yelp app and receive accurate wait times and notifications via text message — all while sipping on a drink offered by the house, if you choose to go that route.
In many restaurants on the Amalfi Coast, it’s not uncommon for guests to be offered a chilled shot glass of limoncello after dinner. Consider adopting these small but thoughtful gestures into your service, as they can go a long way toward fostering quality hospitality while helping entice return business.
No Rush
Dining out for Italians is a leisurely activity that can often take hours. In the U.S., some operators may rely on quickly flipping tables to reach profit margins, though this can limit the potential for optimal guest experiences.
One way to allow guests to enjoy their meal without feeling rushed, while still having tables flipped at a moderate speed, is to bring the bill over only when it’s asked for. If, by chance, your guests are outstaying their welcome, then bring the bill over (after a reasonable amount of time) and sweeten the “rush” with a bite-sized dessert or a small sip on the house.
