How to get customers?

[BusterBloodvessel]

I think I can summarise what's happened to you very simply;

1. Yes, you've opened with a blaze of fanfare and success because it's new, and different, and everybody wants to try it out.

2. People have got bored quickly. As they would.

3. You have tried to diversify by adding non-mallow stuff and breakfast options etc

4. You now have a cluttered, confusing, and odd business model and menu with no idea what you are and no idea where to turn.


- For a start, your menu is ridiculous (once I found it via just eat, as it doesn't appear on your website). There are 25 CATEGORIES to pick from - god knows how many dishes there are in total within all those categories! Seriously, that puts people off especially when ordering with JE etc.

- I wouldn't call yourself a restaurant. You're a dessert cafe. Embrace that. Why are you offering table reservations? Get the kids in, get them high as a kite on sugar, and get them out again. Focus on weekends (Sundays!) and after school periods, and early evenings, not booking tables for 9pm at night.

- Why do you offer a coffee subscription? Coffee isn't your speciality. And I'd imagine those sorts of subscriptions from other coffee outlets are for the commuters who grab a coffee every morning on their way into work. You don't open until 12:00....

- Why would I buy a toastie from you?

- Do you really have to shoehorn mallow into everything you do? I mean even the bloody eggs are cooked with it. I don't like marshmallow. I know yours are apparently better than commercial etc, but I don't care....I don't like it. I'm not going to set foot in the place. How about "Mallow & More" or something similar. Have a very small number of really special mallow favourites as your signature dishes, then offer other desserts and drinks outside of that. I seriously think you're limiting your market appeal.


I could go on, and sorry if any of that sounds brutal. But I think you need to take a huge step back and rethink, and refocus. I think you've lost sight of who, what, when and why your target market is...

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Aspects of your website need sorting. Put yourself in the eyes of the consumer.

Starting outside, the walk through features an empty street with closed for the day or shuttered and closed down businesses around you. Your A-Board is unreadable to anybody barring those who stop and look.

Your 'Parlour' is empty with not a single photograph of customers enjoying their food and themselves, not a member of staff in sight and to all intents and purposes looks like an image taken from Right Move or Zoopla! Shut for an evening. Invite your friends, contact the local amateur dramatic society with an invite to fill a few seats and look like they're enjoying themselves, offer them some freebies, put some music on and get some decent video footage and images showing what you are all about!

The Ceiling, I kinda like as it's original - although it looks like you need more lights up there to give it a bit more wow - or subdue the lighting? But where's the video, where's the invitation to come and see?

How about every hour you dim the lights, have a countdown and give the ceiling a 20 second blast for the kids?

Some of your copy is poor.

The UK's first and only marshmallow eatery!​

Our Parlour is a haven for those with a sweet tooth. The family's geeky, fun and creative nature is embedded into the Parlour; from movie themed wall art inspired by marshmallow to mugs with sprinkles and a smile. This is combined with our gourmet style and fine dining to create an enjoyable but sophisticated experience.
I don't understand who it's supposed to appeal to?
Gourmet style fine dining inspired by marshmallow with sprinkles, for those with a sweet tooth served by geeky fun loving family members???????? Sophisticated??????

From the ceiling to the food on the plate, marshmallow is front and centre
marshmallow is front and centre?????

A lot of hard work - love - blood, sweat and tears has gone into transforming the premises. Following months of construction and reimagining of the space - we are so excited to share our venue with you
The reimagining of the space etc., (all irrelevant now that you are open) My business works with combat sports and even we don't mention blood.

The strongest and tastiest coffee with beans from Central and Southern America, roasted and specially selected in Naples, Italy.
The coffee text is confusing. Central and Southern American beans sent halfway round the world to be roasted in Italy makes them the tastiest and strongest - 'how come?' (my missus and mother in law don't do strong coffee)

Specially roasted beans from 'Naples the 'coffee capital' of Italy means our coffee is 'really, really good'....

 

[NewTime]

I don't know if this has been suggested, apart from a menu change, but I would close for days and re-think.

Change the menu, change the decor and get some sort of influencer(s), showing the change. It doesn't even have to be someone famour, but with a decent amount of followers in Hartlepool.

 

[Greg PW Shearman]

I own a dessert brand.
The reason we do very well is because even though we are also niche but we pop up and leave creating a demand - 'oh my we have to go as they are only there for this week'

So a bit like when you opened you got hit but problem is you are in a fixed location.

If you wanted to keep your brand I would leave the shop and take it to festivals have a stretched tent low seating - hot and cold varieties of your speciality - but it really does have to be the absolute best and then your reputation will grow .

My brand is well established but I wouldn't put it in the location you have tried.

Sorry but that's the best support I can offer

 

[SillyBill]

I hope OP listens to the advice here as be a real shame to sink more cash into this without a wholesale reboot. The damning inditement is the vast majority of the customers who first came on opening haven't been back - the concept therefore has to be wrong on that basis. Even if they liked it as an "experience"/something different if you have relegated yourself to a "been there done it" for the Insta photo type business then it isn't a sustainable business model beyond 3 months. I won't be overly harsh on the menu but in reading that I am honestly getting a lot of reasons why I wouldn't go and that has to be a red flag as feedback. And I'm definitely not a difficult man to please in terms of grub so if I am perplexed reading that, the real foodies will be having none of it. The issue maybe is you aren't getting enough feedback now given a lot of people simply won't go if they're looking at your website and reading your menu. I get you wanted to be different but I think you have reduced your market size down beyond even "niche". And absolutely key thing to get across is what are you? A cafe or a restaurant? Best of luck.

 

[ekm]

Sad to see another business suffering but purely from a customer perspective if I'm eating out or ordering off just eat I'll generally look for a restaurant or takeaway with a fairly conventional even if predictable menu. I may not represent a typical customer but I pretty much know what I want when to eat our or order in, there's not much scope for adventure except as noted above, a novel one off.

If I found myself in one of these what i call 'desert restaurants' (many seem to have sprung up around here, some went as fast as they appeared) it's probably because i've been dragged there by someone, it's not a criticism of the product but it just doesn't occur to me that I'd want to order in some marshmallow or visit a venue for marshmallow (or ice cream or whatever). I don't dislike the stuff but again, it's something I'd pick up at tesco. I don't think I ever have though.

I don't want to slate your business its obvious from your site and post here your heart and soul's gone into it but I feel some of the posts above have nailed it. And it's always easier to say these things when its not your own business, but I think it'l help if taken onboard.

 

[ecommerce84]

You can get your customers to post on Instagram about their meal and automatically reward them with discounts on their next purchase, using <spam> There is a QR code generated, restaurants usually put it on a menu or on the table on a little cardboard sign. If it is a delivery, we also generate a link that your customers can follow to ensure that they get a discount once they post.

I’m reporting all these posts straight to admin, so they’ll be gone within an hour.

This is a great forum, rather than spamming it, participate - add value and you’ll see business off the back of it. Spam it and your posts will be gone before Google bots ever see it.

 

[Atom London]

I've looked at your site and menu - maybe you could consider targeting clientele like teens, non-alcohol drinkers ( more likely to go for dessert places as a place to hang out), work events, hen parties - make more of why they should consider your place over others. Or team up with another local business like a nail bar for a package deal - I haven't looked at your social media so maybe you have already. Best of luck.

 

[DazRave]

This thread has been an eye opener for me and it's not even my business, not am I in an industry similar.

Best of luck to the OP and really hope they take on board what's been said and create some real positive change. If I'm ever up that way for whatever reason I'll grab a marshmallow from you (but I'll probably order it for delivery as the décor actually offends me)