What comes to mind when you think of Fall? Is it the leaves changing color or the need for a sweater as the weather turns colder? For many, Fall brings to mind the smell of a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. That signature smell triggers an emotional response that signifies the start of Fall and the holiday season.

Most of us have emotional responses to our favorite foods that go beyond taste. According to research by the Harvard Business Review, the primary driver of the consumer experience is emotion. As a result, emotional drivers are often a better gauge of a customer's future value to a business over any other metric, including brand awareness and customer satisfaction. Emotional drivers can be a significant source of growth and profitability for a business.

How to help your restaurant prosper? Connect to your customers' emotions. When restaurant owners understand the consumers' emotional drivers and design their menu to satisfy those needs, they can be sure their customers will return for more positive experiences.

Expectation guides many consumers' restaurant and menu decisions. If a restaurant can't create consistent experiences or meet consumers' expectations, the consumer's experience will negatively affect any previous positive experience. Consistency can increase consumers' trust and loyalty and guarantee return visits.

How can you highlight your brand and tie your customers' emotional responses to your business?

Taste, consistency, ingredients, seasonality, packaging, and marketing all work together to mold consumers' emotional restaurant experiences characterized by memories and associations that customers want to repeat or avoid. 

Understanding how all these factors impact your customer's journey on a more nuanced level rather than, "Do they like or dislike the product?" can ensure your restaurant always delights your regular customers and transforms casual diners into brand loyalists. 

Since 2005, Quikstone Capital Solutions has helped thousands of merchants with easy, fast, and flexible working capital for all their business needs. Quikstone has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and over 80% of our merchants are repeat customers. Providing merchants with a consistent experience is a significant factor in that renewal statistic. Contact us today to speak with one of our representatives if you'd like to learn more about the Quikstone difference.