How often do you take a 2 hour lunch break on a work day?
Would you be more inclined to take 2 hours for lunch if the food were unique and tasty?
Most people will answer: “No . . . because I need to get back to work.
We expect FAST and TASTY lunch options and most restaurants know this and build their kitchens and train their chefs for SPEED.
A reasonable speed expectation is for food to hit the table 15 minutes or less after ordering . . . thereby making it possible for the diner to to be in and out in 40 minutes or less.
If you’re a restaurateur, and you want to build a great lunch crowd, my advice to you is to FOCUS on SPEED rather than catering to the niche of the 2 hour fine dining experience.
Sure, you might have to tame your fancy menu a tad for the lunch crowd . . . and then build the dinner menu for more casual (and lengthy) dining.
Pace and timing are critical in every business.
There’s a time and a customer for SPEED . . . and there’s another “animal” yearning for leisure.
Don’t forget that your customers vote with their wallets.
If you’re not hitting the “right” stride at the “right” time for the “right” people, you’re business is gonna fizzle.
PS – that restaurant I visited yesterday? . . . It’s gonna fizzle!