Dining tourism is at a fever pitch right now thanks to the dining industry’s much sponsored and hyped awards and the social media idolization of visually engaging restaurants.
Though restaurants clamor for virality, staff frequently lament the often-disruptive content creation that occurs in their restaurants. Trendy vibe dining means there’s a hyper focus on a restaurant’s aesthetic, sometimes prioritizing environment and gimmicks over the food itself. The dine, click, post, and dash (DCPD) crowd drives a certain amount of business. But regulars drive more.
The opposite of the DCPD diner is the “regular,” the person who returns to a restaurant repeatedly because it’s familiar. A study by the Harvard Business Review revealed that increasing your customer retention by as little as 5% can increase a restaurant’s profit by 25%. Converting visitors to regulars is valuable, both for the restaurant and for the diner.
Social scientists refer to a “third place” as a spot, often a bar, restaurant, or coffee shop, where people desire to spend time outside of home and work. A third place is a haven for predictability and retreat from trend chasing; think Friends’ Central Perk, television’s most famous coffee shop.
Restaurateur Jon Alexis is a second-generation seafood shop owner who owns and operates a lineup of restaurants that happen to be a third place for many.
Paul Bassman, a regular at Alexis’ TJ’s and Ramble Room restaurants, says he and his wife dine several times a month at those spots.
“We love the comfort and consistency,” of dining frequently at the same restaurants, he explained. “We have our regular server, Bri, who we’ve known for years and just love.”
Alexis said hospitality is a vital part of his company’s training protocol; yet despite that, he knows he can’t simply declare his restaurants the place for regulars. No one can. They evolve organically.
Bassman had always enjoyed TJ’s, but when a milestone birthday occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic and a public celebration was impossible, he contacted TJ’s and its staff catered a celebratory dinner at Bassman’s home. “They went above and beyond for me. I’ve been a regular at Jon’s restaurants ever since” he said.
In many ways, the digital and social age has created a society of people who are alone in a crowd. Being a regular in a restaurant “makes me feel seen and appreciated,” Bassman said. Alexis says he’s deeply grateful for the regular diners who connect with his restaurants and consistently support his staff.
Almost everyone has “their” Tex-Mex spot or pizza place, the default decision when you crave comfort, familiarity, and consistency. When you walk in, do the hospitality staff recognize you? Do they welcome you back or stare blankly at you with no recognition? Do you know your regular server’s name?
If not, consider making more of an effort to connect with your favorite places and the people that make them work. The DCPD crowd tends to see restaurants and staff as extras in their own movies. Regulars like Paul Bassman and his wife believe the real stars are the restaurants and staff that welcome them home every time they walk through the door.
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