Richard continued: “So to help customers save and to maintain our tight margins we have adopted the American ‘ticket-system’ of booking. It is simple, much like booking an airline ticket or theatre, the earlier you book, the better chance you have of dining on your chosen time.
“Diners can pre-book by visiting our special ‘Turners Ticket’ website page direct, and if they choose to pre-pay they save over 20% on our Simply Turners a la carte menu, normally costing £55 for five dishes it would be just £45 per person on a Thursday night, however unlike lots of online offers they will receive the full Turners Restaurant experience and menu.”
The system was first trialed in Chicago at renowned three Michelin star restaurant where no shows were reduced and customer value increased and has now become a popular option amongst diners in the US.
Richard said: "UK diners have a different approach, so I thought we would trial it for a few weeks until the end of May - I guess you could say its a 'pop-up' trial offer. We may upset a few people with this Thursday pre-pay system, but I’ve never been one to make decision lightly and at Turners its all about the food, but to make the perfect omelette you have to crack a few eggs.”
The trial is to see how the Midlands diners would take-up the pre-payment system, and early feedback has been positive, Richard said: "It was a slow start with many customers ringing up to check how it worked and asking what the catch was but once they understood the concept they were keen to book.
“We have certainly seen a positive uptake, so we are looking at how to maybe introduce it into our schedule moving forward - If you don't try these things you never know, and if nothing else, being a Michelin restaurant means you need to push boundaries at all levels.”
Noma, in Denmark, also has it's own way to deal with restaurant no-shows. They turn to social media to shame the customers who stand-up reservations but when they only serve 12 tables costing up to $500 each for a meal it's no surprise that no shows aren't taken to kindly; as Peter Kreiner, managing director of Noma sas 'It's quite a large percentage of the sales that we miss out on'.
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
