Multiple Profit Centers in the Restaurant Industry

My sweetie, Eric, and I, had a wonderful brunch on Sunday in Austin, TX, on a trip to visit his parents.  We ate at the Eastside Cafe.  Not only was our meal delectable, the service was great and the atmosphere was quiet and relaxing. 

Afterwards, we went next door to Pitchforks and Tablespoons,  a cooking and gardening gift shop, and found some unusual kitchen items we couldn’t live without. Then, we looked briefly in the organic garden next to the restaurant.  This is the garden from which all the herbs and veggies used in the restaurant are grown.

Being ever in the marketing mode, I thought that the female owners of this restaurant have definitely done their business planning in terms of figuring out ways to create multiple streams of income in this business.  Here’s what I saw:

1.  restaurant
2.  catering menu for the holidays
3.  cooking/gardening gift shop
4.  to go orders of soups and sandwiches ordered through the gift shop
5.  recipe books (sold in gift shop) of the restaurant’s favorite recipes
6.  cooking, wine, and gardening classes
7.  cute Eastside t-shirts for sale (in gift shop)
8.  special events room (not sure but this can probably be rented out for special events in addition to the classes they hold here)

And, the moment you walk in door and go to the hostess station to be seated, there’s a very attractive sign and signup slips asking you to join their email list and receive "a monthly newsletter filled with recipes, wine features, tips from the kitchen, and gardening tips".  What a great idea — if I lived in Austin, I’d be on the list!

The only thing that they seem to be missing based on what they now have is selling any fruits and veggies and herbs that they don’t use in the restaurant to other restaurants or to their customer base.

What additional products/services can you offer as add-ons in your business to create multiple streams of income?