I believe that all proper restaurant establishments should serve bread (or some sort of snack/finger food). During my road trip with Philosopher this past week, I found that I would get antsy and slip into impatience as we waited for our food, if there wasn’t something to occupy my hands and mouth. It doesn’t cost much to offer, but the feel of a place improves so much when they provide me with bread!

It’s a similar thing for hotels with free wifi. I’m amazed at how many still charge for the service when it really has become more of a necessity, much like having towels and toiletries. Just because you can get away with charging for it doesn’t mean you should. In fact, by offering a connection for free, the value of your brand is elevated and consumers are much more likely to want to book with you rather than the place down the street where they charge per day or even hour.

When it comes down to it, wouldn’t you rather get that extra booking than lose it and charge a current customer for their internet? What costs more? Obviously you earn more with each room that is booked! Ah, but I digress. Back to bread.

Now while the bread won’t necessarily be a deal-breaker, it does make an impact on the perceived value of your restaurant. The higher the perceived value, the more you can charge and still have happy customers who feel their money was well-spent. So why not spend pennies to provide bread so you can earn dollars more per meal in the long run? Companies often seem so short-sighted, only caring about turning a profit, NOW. But that’s not how to build a sustainable brand!