1. Know thy customer. Take the time to get to know what makes yours customers tick. The best restaurateurs can recall first and last names, spouse’s name, where they live, work, play, what car they drive and most importantly, what they like to eat and drink. Knowing your guests personal favourites also allows you the ability to “up-sell” (restaurant-speak for suggestive selling of higher priced and additional items) to them. Update your local demographic information periodically as the type of person you marketed to five years ago may have changed dramatically. As a result, you need to stay current about who your potential customers may be. Many restaurants also use reservation databases to track preference information to enhance their knowledge of how and what you like to eat and drink, when customers were last at the restaurant and what they ordered, etc.