Guest Expectations Are Changing. Are You?

If You Only Focus on the Four Walls, You’re Missing the Point

Great hospitality is no longer limited to smiles and warm plates. It’s about consistency across every touchpoint, from how you answer an email to how your to-go orders are sealed.

And in a world where attention spans are short and choices are endless, the experience you don’t control might be the one that costs you repeat business.

Here’s how to stay ahead of it.

Your Website Is Your First Impression

Guests expect:

⦁ Accurate hours

⦁ A mobile-friendly menu

⦁ Easy navigation

⦁ Online ordering that works

If your site is clunky or outdated, you’re already falling behind. Start with this: ask someone who’s never visited your site to find tonight’s specials and make a reservation. If it takes more than 30 seconds, you’ve got work to do.

Delivery and Takeaway Are Extensions of Your Brand

Your guest might never meet your team. Their entire experience could be a plastic bag with your logo and a lukewarm container.

So think:

⦁ Is the packaging clean and branded?

⦁ Is there a thank you note or touch of personality?

⦁ Did the driver look like they belonged in your orbit?

If the driver is the only “face” your guest sees, make sure it reflects your standard.

Make Tech Feel Human

Hospitality is not just about efficiency. It’s about emotion.

⦁ Text them when the order is ready.

⦁ Let guests respond to confirmation emails.

⦁ Follow up if they had an issue.

Empathy delivered through technology still counts as hospitality.

Start Thinking Like an E-Commerce Brand

Every time someone orders from you, they’re leaving data. Use it. Don’t waste it.

Segment your email list:

⦁ Guests who order lunch delivery

⦁ Guests who haven’t returned in 3 months

⦁ Guests who visit only on weekends

Now write to each of them like a human, not a promotion engine. Tailor your message, your offer, your timing.

Automation without personality is just noise.

Bring That Energy Back Into the Dining Room

All of this digital attention is great. But it doesn’t matter if your dine-in experience is underwhelming. Get back to the basics:

⦁ Anticipate needs

⦁ Train the eye for detail

⦁ Create moments guests remember

Hospitality is a feeling, not a checklist. Your team needs to know that greeting a returning guest by name is worth more than upselling a bottle of wine.

The Takeaway

Today’s guest experience isn’t linear. It’s scattered across screens, couriers, receipts, inboxes, and finally, a table. You can’t afford to treat these moments like silos. They’re the sum total of your brand.

If your digital presence is clunky, your follow-up is absent, and your delivery packaging feels like an afterthought, you’re silently telling guests that you don’t care. And in hospitality, silence is loud.

“Customer service is the minimum. Hospitality is the memory.” - Danny Meyer