25 replies to this topic

[VerbenaNYC]

As restaurant owners and chefs we are always curious about what makes a guest become a regular.
Everyone has an opinion. We want to know what makes people think "I have got to come back here- and soon"
As a chef I would love to think that it is the food first but I believe that this is an illusion. When you are treated as a special person in a professional and comfortable environment - no matter how much $ you are spending, I believe that mistakes with food, drink and service can be overlooked.
I think that this brings people back more than great food. We always think of dinner hours as a performance in which most people are not very forgiving of errors. However, it depends on a restaurants commitment to service and how well one can turn around a negative occurence and surprise and exceed a guests expectation. This does not always involve buying the world for a table if there is a mistake. Sometimes it can be as simple as letting a table know that the manager is involved with making things right.
What are your thoughts?
Michael and Diane

[Toby]

I return to a restaurant because of the food. Sometimes the philosophy behind the food is so agreeable to me that I'll keep on returning to a place even if the food is sometimes uneven because when it's good, it's exactly what I want to eat (and probably it tastes good to me because of the philosophy behind the cooking); also, I'll go back to that place, even though sometimes uneven, because I want to support it.

[Bux]

Location, location and location. Seriously, a neighborhood restaurant is always going to get an edge. I don't know a New Yorker who doesn't value convenience. I think most restaurants understand this and most will make an extra effort to please someone from the neighborhood--if they can spot that person--just because he's likely to return often when he finds a local place he likes. Nevertheless, it's the food that will attract me and it's the food that will keep me coming back. I often think of my father who liked good food, but I wouldn't call him a connoisseur. He liked places where he was known by the owner or waiter and treated with some special attention. Sadly, we didn't enjoy most of each other's favorite places, but I understand that I am not the typical NY diner.

Verbena is not the typical NY restaurant either, but I also understand that few restaurants in NY would survive on my business and maybe there aren't enough connoisseurs in NYC to support all of the gastronomic restaurants. In this category I include not only the major luxurious restaurantsm, but the unique bistros as well. A chef in a very expensive restaurant once remarked that he knew the diners in his restaurant that day, might well be eating elswhere tomorrow and happily paying the same price for mediocre to dreadful food. Obviously, one needs to feed a group of diners larger than an ideal core of connoisseurs. For me it will be interesting to see how many answers you get here than do not stress the food and the service necessary to enjoy that food. As an example of necessary service, I hate to see my wine glass empty, but I have no problem pouring my own wine if the bottle is left within reach.

Let me also say this is not how it's supposed to work. We're supposed to ask the questions.
Let me thank you for breaking the mold and adding to the interest of this Q&A session.

[kitchenbabe]

As someone who has cooked, served, hosted and managed in restaurants, I also would like to believe it's the food as well as service and atmosphere.
For me personally, it's a combination of all three...
I walk in the door the first time for the food...if it's good and the service is courteous and professional, and the atmosphere is clean, I'll come back.
I have different expectations of different restaurants...if they advertise a seafood menu in an elegant atmosphere with an extensive award winning wine list, that's what I'm looking for. If I walk in the door and there's boat oars on walls with fishnets and the kids are wearing sailor hats and the wine list is 5 or 6 brands I can find at my grocery store, I won't be back.
It's a combination of several factors, but I think you two nailed it...it's about being treated like someone special. If the governor is seated at the table next to me, I expect the same service he's getting. When I work, I try to treat all my guests as if my sole purpose for clocking in that day is to come in and take care OF THEM. Every guest, every time. I expect the same treatment. Everyone likes to have their ego stroked, even by a total stranger.
Treat me like I'm someone who matters to your establishment, and I will be...I'll be back time and again.
I know how the math works...I'd rather serve a cheeseburger to a regular guest 4 times a week than Prime Rib to someone once a month...come in and I'll make sure that you are treated with courtesy and respect whether you have a Cheeseburger or Prime Rib.

[swissmiss]

A combination of food, service, and location, definitely. I like a place where I can be pleased by the same dish over and over again, but where at the same time I can find new and intriguing dishes that I just have to try. The service must be friendly and attentive, while unobtrusive. And the place must be convenient enough that I can just go in at the spur of the moment (that excludes the places that require reservations a month ahead of my dinner).

A fantastic chocolate dessert is also a definite plus.

Thank you so much for your participation to egullet.

[wingding]

Consistency;food that uses high quality ingredients,and is prepared and served with skill and presented with pride by the kitchen and waitstaff.Service that is professional,with a little friendliness that seems genuine,not phony.An attractive,comfortable room with some style-simple,not gaudy.The thing that I look for in food is clear,clean flavors[even though what it may take to bring them out may be complicated],and as the price level climbs,cooking that I can't or won't do myself at home.

[Liza]

I'll echo everyone's thoughts above. My husband and I have a favorite 'go to' place and it's more than just the consistancy of the food - it's the consistancy of the service, although we're not in any way regulars there. This has been mentioned on other threads before, but briefly, we look young (although we dress appropriately, etc.) and often I think we get the 'they're not going to spend any money' once-over. At our 'go to' place, this has never happened.

[Rachel Perlow]

Like what many others have said, location plays a major role. However, if there is a particular dish we enjoy that can only be had at a certain restaurant, we've been known to go way out of our way to get there when in the mood for it.

Regarding the handful of our regular local places, I think what keeps us coming back is the personal relationship we've developed with the hosts, owners and/or chefs. We know each other by name and the knowledge that they actually miss us if we haven't been back in a while will prompt another visit. In addition to more personal service, being a regular also tends to net us the occasional comped item or two or a taste of something special the chef is working on. In the end, these freebies are not what keep you coming back, but are a nice perk of being a friend of the house.

PS - congratulations on being the first Q&A guest to ask the membership a question!

[tommy]

so many factors are important, but for me, a friendly and comfortable visit sticks in my mind. this starts at the reservationist, and ends at the host or hostess offering a simple "good night," or "thanks for joining us."

along the same lines, i can't say enough about how important a warm greeting is at a restaurant (generally, of course, by the host/ess). it sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

[cabrales]

I may be an outlier, but, for me, it's only the cuisine. There are very few restaurants whose cuisine I subjectively adore, and, with the exception of Blue Hill, they are outside the US. I'm willing to travel to visit them. Enhanced service will follow if one does what one would do with respect to a preferred restaurant anyhow -- visit.

[Liza]

so many factors are important, but for me, a friendly and comfortable visit sticks in my mind.  this starts at the reservationist, and ends at the host or hostess offering a simple "good night," or "thanks for joining us."

along the same lines, i can't say enough about how important a warm greeting is at a restaurant (generally, of course, by the host/ess).  it sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

Excellent points, Tommy. I completely agree.

[La Niña]

Let's add tolerance of difficult diner behavior, too.

[Rail Paul]

One attraction for me is the respect a restaurant owner extends his or her constituencies.

Respect for the staff, which is displayed by people who take pride in their contributions and are viewed as critical success factors. Unhappy staff rarely enhance a good restaurant

Respect for the food elements, prepared and presented in ways which engage the guest with artful techniques

Respect for the guest, knowing the guest's time and attention will be reciprocated in delightful multi-sensory experiences.


Thanks for taking the time to participate in eGullet. I appreciated the care you provided in addressing so many questions

[Lady T]

Tommy nailed it for me pretty efficiently. A convenient, comfortable, moderately-priced place with good food and cordial, warm service is a place that's going to see a lot of me.

[LESider]

I think Tommy's right when he says a friendly hello or goodbye is important. When you get past the initial hype of restaraunt opening. how do you get them to come back? that's the million dollar question
In NYC, Service is often overlooked. People don't want to be fawned over necessarily, but they do want to feel welcome and appreciated. Its tough and sometimes thankless work. While good food is important people will return to a place because they had a memorable experience. So while you may be turning out some amazing food , if the waiter serves it with a scowl that can undo the meal for someone.

Also most people aren't as discriminating when it comes to food as we may give them credit for. Tons of people in NYC go to a restaraunt to say they've been there and eat what the critic said was the "must have" item. (I don't believe this contigency of people includes e-gulleters.)

[Ron Johnson]

A clean, well-lighted place.

(Apologies to E. Hemingway. )

with friendly staff, a welcoming atmosphere, and consistently good food.

[g.johnson]

Good food is the sine qua non. Inconvenience, poor service, high prices and an ugly room might be reasons for not returning even if the food is good. But no matter how good those other aspects are, if the food is poor, I'm not going back.

[201]

Left to my own devices, I would never become a regular anywhere unless I really enjoyed the food. The menu must be strong (ideally with daily specials to keep things interesting) and its execution must be relatively consistent. If the food quality isn't there, then neither am I.

Of course, once the quality of food is established, then the other issues come into play. Next on my list of importance would be friendly, knowledgeable service. I know it's difficult to find good help, but I really enjoy a restaurant more if the staff seems to care about what they're doing. I like to be able to elicit constructive criticism and suggestions about the menu from the waitstaff and/or chef. If they don't care about how the restaurant is perceived, that will color my own perceptions.

With food and service at a good level, the next most important trait to me would be fulfilling a niche. For instance, I have a regular Thai place, a regular Vietnamese place, a regular Mexican place, and so on. I may not be as much of a regular at all of these places (one can only eat out so often!), but they all fulfill the need for a particular craving. I tend to lump atmosphere into niches as well. For instance, there might be my regular upscale Cuban restaurant and my regular down-and-dirty Cuban restaurant.

Given all the above, location would be my next concern. If two restaurants of the same niche are equal in food and service, the closer one wins. It's that simple.

Of course, various factors can give each of the above traits more significance. When pressed for time, a closer location beats out better food quality, but those are irregular circumstances and not pertinent to a discussion about what makes customers become regulars.

[Suzanne F]

Why, thank you for asking!

Yes, what many others have said, and a few other considerations:

• Location
  
• Respect for the (best-possible) ingredients, and knowing when to leave well enough alone
  
• Respect for the customers (e.g., asking "Who would like to look at the wine list?" if no one at the table asks for it; staff's ability to answer all questions)
  
• Staff showing respect for each other
  
• A comfortable (= low) noise level
  
• Sufficient light to read the menu and see what I'm eating
  
• Lack of sensory distractions (e.g., strong-smelling flowers, or drifting cigarette smoke)
  
• And, last but by no means least, clean restrooms.

[Jaymes]

Much of this is repetitive, but....

Obviously, if you're selling food, it has to be of consistently high quality. That's the business you're in after all, and that's the bottom line.

However, even if the food is really good but the place looks dirty, I won't go back. If the restrooms are filthy, I know that the owners/management do not take cleanliness seriously and I shudder to imagine what the kitchen looks like. If there's no soap in the Ladies', I know the staff has not properly washed their hands before leaving.

So, if the food is good and the place is clean, now I, like others, expect friendly and hospitable service. I want to be treated like I am a guest in their home. I don't want to be looked down at, or condescended to, or ignored, or stuck off at a bad table when the restaurant is obviously not full, or otherwise be made to feel bad in any way.

Now, we've got good food and a pleasant, friendly, clean atmosphere.

I think the biggest mistake new restaurants make is to try to be all things to all people. Just pick a vision, stick with it, work on making it the very best it can be. And then, when you have that down, branch out if you feel you must.

To take this example down to its most basic level, I think of places where they are just soup and sandwich, but they try hard to have the BEST soup and sandwich. Or a steak place. Fine, have the best steak. Or BBQ. Or Catfish Parlor. Or burgers. Or whatever. But, especially when starting, pick one thing, have one vision, one niche, and shine that until it positively gleams.

Limit your menu - if it's upscale French for example, then select a few things that you can do really, really well, and concentrate on that for at least the first year. Then expand and branch out if you wish.

Most restaurants that I have seen fail have done so because they started off by trying to do too much, with no vision or exact knowledge of "who" they wanted to be, and they took a scatter-gun approach and instead of being all things to all people wound up being good at nothing in particular.

Of course, it also happens from time to time that they just had the "wrong" vision, and whatever it was wouldn't work. But that was rarely the case.

Location is important, as others have said, but if you do a bang-up job, people will drive for miles and miles, and even fly halfway 'round the world, to get to you. There's a ratio there. The better you are, the less you have to depend on location. If you're mediocre, you'd better be damned convenient to a lot of people.

Edited by Jaymes, 13 December 2002 - 12:21 PM.

[MartyL]

The posts above have covered most of the important ground, but for me there is one other factor that is bound to engender my loyalty to a restaurant.

I like to bring my own wine, and I very much appreciate restaurants that have BYOB-friendly policies. I don't mind paying a reasonable corkage fee either, although to be honest it is awfully nice when that is waived. Good stemware is important too.

To echo what Rachel said, thanks for asking. At least half the battle is getting across the message that the restaurant really cares about what makes patrons happy.

[VerbenaNYC]

I am truly surprised at the number of responses to this simple question! I asked this very question to about 1200 people in our first Verbena e-letter and recieved 0 response. I guess our e-mail base thought it was rhetorical.
I know that the average eGullet participant is not the average diner. If this were the case than many below average places would have bit the dust long ago and quite a few now shuttered ventures would still be plugging along. But if you have ever been involved with the biz than you know that it is quite a bit more even than fine food, service, ambiance and beverage that gives a house longevity.

Diane and I would like to thank you all for a great week of interesting chat.

If you do get the chance to stop in make sure you say hello. You do not have to reveal your eGullet pen name. We will take care of you just the same!

Cheers

[jordyn]

Good food is generally what makes me want to go back to a restaurant.

Having said that, bad service is the thing most likely to keep me away.

[Jaymes]

Just reread the posts here and want to agree with Suzanne about the noise factor.

One of the restaurants in our town pipes in a radio station that is obviously popular with (and selected by) the waitstaff and cooks, customers be damned. And this is not a restaurant that is actually trying to cater to a younger crowd. They market themselves as a rather upscale, sophisticated "family" place. I don't go there anymore unless I absolutely HAVE to (like a meeting or something).

For goodness sake, try to have unobtrusive music, unless you're catering to an 18-year old crowd that likes being hollered at all through their meal.

And, in a full, busy and noisy restaurant, you simply don't need any more noise of any kind assaulting you from the intercom. So, I'd suggest you turn it off altogether when the restaurant is full, then back up when it is less so and music adds to the ambiance.

Edited by Jaymes, 13 December 2002 - 12:32 PM.

[stefanyb]

Good food is generally what makes me want to go back to a restaurant.

Having said that, bad service is the thing most likely to keep me away.

Absolutely the most simple and on the money response. Kudos Jordyn.

[Bond Girl]

I agree with most of the postings here. Good food and service is the key. As a self professed foodie, I've probably been to most of the "in" places in NYC. A lot of places might have really good and inventive food but the service is so awful that you never want to suffer the same abuse again. I think Union Square Cafe is a good example of a place that's got it right. Even though I personally feel that the food is nothing to write home about, the service is impeccable. Whenever friends visit from out of town, they always request to make a trip to eat there.