10 good resolutions for your restaurant in 2025

With the new year comes new resolutions. Here are 10 ideas to take you restaurant to the next level!

Resolution no. 1: take stock!"To work out your strategy for the following year, you first need to understand where you stand," explains Louiza Hacène, CEO at Malou. "The most important thing: take stock of your restaurants!" To do this, scan your establishments via our Malou diagnostic below! 100% free, it generates your current visibility score and tailor-made advice on how to increase it.

Restaurant owners: why you should make new resolutions for 2025

Needless to say competition in food is fierce. After a busy winter season, it's time to reflect. What's next for your business? How to stand out from the crowd? How can you attract more customers? How can you maximize your online presence? To succeed, you need the right tools. You also need to develop good habits.

Here's our top 10 resolutions we think every restaurant owners should adopt to ensure a successful year.

1. Respond to all customer reviews and recontact dissatisfied customers.

First thing first, you need to respond to all Google reviews left by your restaurant's customers. This time-consuming task is nonetheless essential, for a number of reasons:

• First and foremost, this helps build loyalty among people who have left a positive review. By responding, you strengthen your relationship with the customer, and maximize the chances of him coming back.
• This also helps convince unsatisfied customers and give your restaurant a second chance. Negative reviews should be your priority. First, because they provide an opportunity to engage in dialogue and understand where improvements can be made - especially when these points recur from one customer to the next. When a customer is dissatisfied, don't hesitate to invite him over again. To succeed, it's important to understand whether the customer's dissatisfaction is due to an exceptional error (busy day, common mistake, etc.) or whether you need to be improve quickly. 
• Second, answering customer reviews is excellent for SEO. Even when they're bad! Answering each reviews will drastically improve your overall Google ratings. This signal to the algorithm that you are a professional. You can include keywords to improve local SEO.

2. Be present on all the main platforms

To maximize your chances of converting Internet users into customers, it's crucial to be present on all referencing platforms !

Nowadays,7 out of 10 clients pick a restaurant online. They have a number of tools at their disposal to do so: Yelp, Google, TripAdvisor...Being present on all these platforms maximizes your chances of attracting customers. Moreover, it is excellent for local SEO. This will help improve your online visibility tremendously. 

It's also important to think about international tourists, who don't use the same SEO platforms as other customers, but are a significant source of revenue for restaurateurs.

Think Yandex for the Russians, Dianping for the Chinese or Yelp for the Americans.

3. Update menus and schedules on all platforms.

Being present on these platforms isn't enough! For this to be useful, it's imperative you regularly update your info.

• Schedule change?
• New adress?
• A missing ingredient or a cancelled dish?
• An exceptional closure?

All these changes must be made on all platforms your restaurant is referenced.

These updates also boost your local SEO by sending positive signals to Google (you are active).

4. Pay attention to design

Back-to-school is the perfect time to look your best! On the Internet, your photos are your shop window! Make sure your visuals are attractive and, above all, representative of your dishes, decor and ambiance. Attractive visuals will convince Internet users who are looking for you on the web!

‍5. Post regularly on social media

Use you photos and videos on social media. The two advantages of being present on Instagram and Facebook: acquisition and loyalty. Constant publishing will reinforce natural referencing for your brand. Finally, Facebook and Instagram are key to find a good address! A good community management strategy will help you gain notoriety and clients.

6. Pay attention to your DMs

Instagram and Facebook are just as powerful as TripAdvisor. Customers often ask questions or send booking requests in your DMs. To avoid any issue due to lack of response, find a slot in your day to check your messages and respond to any requests. If you're short of time, install a direct link to your reservation platform.

7. Share authentic story content

If you want to stand out from the crowd on social media, there's no magic bullet: you're going to have to start using Reals &stories! 500 million people use them on Instagram daily. They also have a high engagement rate.   Authenticity is the name of the game with this format, so feel free to share behind-the-scenes stories about your team, new menus and dishes of the day, all of which will strengthen the bonds with your community. Keeping your community informed on a daily basis will increase their loyalty. Last but not least, you'll be more active, and therefore, more visible.

8. Gather more reviews

You've done your job: your customer just ate and is all smiles. Don't hesitate to ask him to leave you a review! He'll be delighted to share his successful experience. Reviews are key for SEO and online reputation.

9. Target your approach 

Technical mastery of Instagram or Facebook won't be enough to set you apart, if your publications are aimed at a target far removed from your usual clientele. If the tone isn't right, you run the risk of disappointing your regulars and potential customers. While a gourmet restaurant may be formal and formal in tone, a more casual brand may be lighter and more informal. Before visiting social media , ask yourself two questions: who is my target audience? And how should I address them?  

10. Seek guidance!

Are you motivated to put these good resolutions into practice, but lack the time and expertise? That's what we do at Malou! We help restaurateurs raise their profile, win over new customers and keep them. Contact us at contact@malou.io and we'll be delighted to help!