\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
A campaign targeting nearby residents brought 50 diners to a restaurant in Manhattan\u2019s Meatpacking District on a rainy Monday night, says.<\/p>\n
For Sam Bakhshandehpour<\/a>, president of local merchants at Bilt<\/a>, the evening illustrated an opportunity for restaurants facing rising costs and pressure to fill seats.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one\u2019s traveling on a Monday night to go grab a meal,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Rather than trying to attract diners from across the city, Bilt targeted residents in nearby apartment buildings who wouldn\u2019t have to travel far for dinner. The restaurant\u2019s chef-founder was pleased with the results.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got 50 covers locally, came on a Monday night where it would\u2019ve been a disaster of a night,\u201d Bakhshandehpour recalls the founder saying.<\/p>\n The guests also spent more, on average, and joined the restaurant\u2019s loyalty program, Bakhshandehpour says.<\/p>\n Bakhshandehpour spent six years helping lead Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s Group, most recently as CEO, before moving to Bilt. Years of running hospitality businesses had given him plenty of problems he wanted to solve.<\/p>\n \u201cThe costs are going higher, and our margins are getting squeezed every single day,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n When Bilt founder Ankur Jain<\/a> asked what restaurateurs needed help with, Bakhshandehpour answered, \u201cHow much time do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n Bilt began by allowing residents to earn rewards on rent payments. That housing network created an opportunity to connect local businesses with the people moving into nearby homes. Bakhshandehpour says residents make important decisions within their first 30 days in a neighborhood.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my dry cleaner. This is my pharmacy. This is my restaurant, my bar,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd they\u2019re loyal to their local neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n Restaurants once sought those introductions through flyers and menus slipped under apartment doors.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s been digitized,\u201d Bakhshandehpour says. \u201cAnd that has been localized and personalized to you.\u201d<\/p>\n On that rainy Monday, the campaign gave nearby residents a reason to try the restaurant. Their first visit gave the team a chance to earn the next one.<\/p>\n A restaurant sends something to a table as a complimentary gesture. Then the guest finds it on the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t order this, and now you charged me for it,\u201d Bakhshandehpour says.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for that level of hospitality,\u201d he adds sarcastically.<\/p>\n The restaurant intended to do something thoughtful. A missed instruction turned it into an awkward conversation.<\/p>\n Bakhshandehpour knows how many details restaurant teams have to carry from one person to another. A reservation request arrives by text. Someone needs to respond, pass it along and make sure the team is ready when the guest walks in.<\/p>\n Technology should help those details reach the people responsible for them.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re able to focus on what you do best, and that\u2019s deliver hospitality to your guests, not worry about the reservation book,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n But every new tool can create another responsibility. As Bilt developed its use of AI agents, Jain set an expectation that Bakhshandehpour remembers clearly.<\/p>\n \u201cThis can\u2019t be more work for the teams.\u201d<\/p>\n An operator should be able to ask, \u201cWho\u2019s coming to my restaurant tonight?\u201d in everyday language. Getting an answer shouldn\u2019t require learning how the technology behind it works.<\/p>\n Bakhshandehpour sees that simplicity in a device his father already uses.<\/p>\n \u201cMy 84-year-old father sets up his iPhone in a matter of minutes,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s effortless.\u201d<\/p>\n Restaurants also have existing systems they depend on. When I asked whether operators using Toast could connect to Bilt without replacing their point-of-sale platform, Bakhshandehpour said they could.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can integrate, you keep Toast,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n To hear where the experience needs work, Bilt sends executives to different cities each quarter for gatherings called Close Friends. Members are invited to give candid feedback.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re the ones who challenge us, they give us the straight talk,\u201d Bakhshandehpour says.<\/p>\n For restaurant teams, the value comes through in the follow-through. The reservation is ready. The instructions reach the right employee. A dish sent as a gift arrives without a charge.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. Toast \u2014 Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about\u00a0Toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders. Check out PepsiCo Foodservice<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nHospitality made easier<\/strong><\/h2>\n
About\u00a0Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/h2>\n