Buyers' Guide for Restaurant Tables and Chairs

A guest information folder is essential for staying in any restaurant, hotel, or holiday cottage. It allows the management to relay valuable and vital information relevant to improving the guests' overall experience, not only on the establishment grounds but around the available local amenities.

A guest directory, whether an analogue or a digital guest directory, has always been an ideal medium of communication for the restaurant industry -- just like how hotel guest directories do wonders in the hospitality field.

Aside from informing future guests about the menu, you could also promote the edge of the restaurant against its competitors, other services you're offering, local area adventures, and the likes in your folder.

The neatness and completeness of the guest information folder make all the difference!

7 Must-Haves in your Restaurant Guest Information Folder

Transform your guest information folder to a more attractive and comprehensive restaurant directory with these top essential inclusions!

1. A stellar welcome page

Indeed, first impressions count! Place a stunning and suitable image on the welcome page that fits the restaurant's identity. The initial page of your guest information folder should ignite the guests' curiosity to continue further and discover the folder's full content.

Writing a welcome message is also a good idea to express warm greetings to your guests. It may contain a brief background of the restaurant, a brief mention of business goals, and a quick rundown of your best-sellers.

2. Alluring and mouth-watering photos

Make sure to include appetising visuals on your guest information folder to entice your guests into ordering a sizable number of cuisines. Convince your customers that your menu is worth trying by showing off well-angled and high-quality pictures of each one!

Furthermore, to avoid misrepresentation and customer dissatisfaction, it is essential to put a concise but accurate description of each menu, such as the ingredients, price point, and serving size. Remember that one of the crucial factors of effective advertising is truthfulness!

3. Clear technical instructions

Inquiries about technical concerns (especially from first-time visitors), including the WiFi password, local car parks, designated parking space, property address, and contact details of immediate personnel, should be adequately addressed in the initial pages of the restaurant's comprehensive guest information folder.

Indoor dining restaurants typically have in-house rules that guests must follow. Details regarding these ground rules, especially recycling and waste collection, should be well-explained in guest information folders to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding.

4. Local tourism attraction map

If your restaurant is situated near popular tourist sites, it is worth mapping these places in your guest information folder to attract more customers. The side adventures before or after dining are one of the crucial factors people consider in picking a restaurant!

Cite nearby art galleries, amusement parks, local farm shops that offer delicious local goods, and other non-competitor businesses. You can even make recommendations of hotels or holiday homes which they can consider for a staycation. Don't forget to note the public transport instructions for those without a personal vehicle, or mention local car parks for those who are travelling on wheels.

5. Emergency contact information

Emergencies are inevitable. If anything goes sideways, guests should have access to various emergency services. Including emergency contacts in your guest directory (local doctors, veterinary services, taxi companies, and the likes) would make your customers feel safe and secure.

Also, your restaurant should always have a first aid kit to provide initial primary care to guests who might suffer serious injuries. Always be prepared!

6. Discount vouchers and other special offers

Money-saving promos and offers play a vital role in customer attraction. Discount vouchers and other special dining offers are established as an effective strategy to encourage guests to eat in restaurants and their dining outlets. I mean, who can resist a pound worth of burger, right?

Mentioning your restaurant's strategic offers in your guest information folder would surely boost public engagement through word of mouth from previous guests, which in turn increases your sales on a whole new level!

7. Guest books

Adding a guest book to the folder is a perfect way to reaffirm the customer's dining experience in your restaurant. Handwritten guestbooks are more personal compared to the information presented on online review platforms like TripAdvisor; thus, they are more likely to receive preferable feedback.

In line with this, getting feedback while your customers are still in the restaurant can really make a difference, considering that there are guests who prefer to express hate reviews or complaints digitally rather than bringing it up face-to-face.

In this way, you can still have the opportunity to intervene and fix the situation in time instead of receiving a negative review on your online website weeks later!

Essential Reminders in Maintaining your Restaurant Guest Directory

Ensure that your guest information folders in the restaurant are up to date. Outdated details are useless to your customers, just like missing restaurant information.
Observe the identicality of your guest directory to the depiction of your restaurant. These folders represent your hotel, so it's proper to incorporate the restaurant's colour palette, text styles, and graphic layout into the guest directories' overall look.
Always check if your guest information folders contain relevant information. Eliminate unnecessary details and add missing vital information about the restaurant.
Regularly monitor the condition of the restaurant's guest information folders. Scratch, stains, or other types of dirt and damage to your directories do not represent quality service and might lead to initial negative impressions.
You can also consider creating digital guest directories for your restaurant, applying a much more modern approach to introducing your business to future guests. Plus, it demands cheaper maintenance costs than analogue information folders.

Conclusion

Guest information folders are proven crucial in improving restaurants' star ratings. Providing your customers with the necessary information they would need is one of the minimum requirements that most professional inspectors recognise. Making sure that you apply the essentials mentioned above in your guest information folder will guarantee a boost in your restaurant's performance and positive customer outlook.