Restaurant Consulting NYC | Fresh Flowers In your Restaurant – Yes You Can Afford Flowers! | 4Q Consulting, LLC

Fresh Flowers In your Restaurant – Yes You Can Afford Flowers!

Our clients often ask us if they should have fresh flowers in their restaurants and cited their budget as a reason to forgo them.  Fresh flowers that complement your restaurant’s décor and color scheme will instill a warm, welcoming, and hospitable environment. Placing a small, artistically-made arrangement of fresh flowers on each table can raise your diners’ spirits and make them feel welcome, which in turn can help drive repeat business, especially for your local clientele.

The expense of fresh flowers can be mitigated if they are if managed and handled correctly to extend their use.  Here are some tips to manage the cost of your floral arrangements:

Choose Wisely – Choosing hearty flowers that last relatively long will be most cost effective. For example when watered regularly, flowers such as hydrangeas and chrysanthemums can last five to seven days. While other flowers might look pretty, replacing them every two or three days can get costly. Work with your florist to select bunches that will bloom, as these can live for up to two weeks if cared for.

Keep Arrangements Simple and in Line with your Overall Décor – Choosing a suitable vase and flower arrangement will depend on your restaurant’s design and theme. If your budget is limited keep it simple:  a single stem can go a long way.  For instance Cymbidium Orchids come in a variety of colors and can compliment your color palette.

Maintenance – Simple maintenance will help to extend usability. Remove any wilting or discolored flowers as the buds start to blossom.  Add water to the vases every day to ensure a fresh supply of nutrients. When not in use, store the flower arrangements in the fridge.  Work with your florist on how to make your flowers last even longer.  Some florists suggest using a flower preservative or placing two drops of bleach into the water to preserve the petals and to prevent bacteria growth; check with your florist as methods depend on flower type.

Build a Relationship with your Local Florist – Build a rapport with your florist.  When you have a strong working relationship with a vendor they are more likely to work with you on price, advise you of new stock or product and perhaps offer services not normally available (i.e. on-site servicing of arrangements, changing out vases, etc.).  When you have a friendly rapport with your florist, you will receive a higher level of service.  Once this relationship is established, the local florist is much more likely to work with you on payment terms, recommend your restaurant to their clients, and be open to cross marketing and promotions.

Fresh Flowers in your restaurant need not be expensive if done properly and can even help drive business.  Cut fresh flowers can set you apart from your competition, drive repeat business and give you opportunity establish a beneficial vendor partner.

We work with some of the top florists in New York.  Starbright Floral has a business model conducive to our restaurant clients' needs for weekly flowers in NYC.

Don’t know where to begin?  Ask yourself, do you have the proper written procedures and operational guidelines in place so your manager can help you be as profitable as possible?  4Q Consulting can develop customized operational guidelines and training programs to meet your needs.  Email us today for a free business consultation!

All original content copyright Noelle E. Ifshin, 2012-2013.