Survival of the Fittest (F&B)

Was eating at Carl's Jr outlet at East Coast Park & observed a few new F&B outlets opening at the Big Splash. F&B outlets are springing up everywhere in Singapore. So what qualities will differentiate the good from the bad & the ugly? What determines who survives and who doesn't? Good food alone isn't enough. Good food plus bad/ambivalent frontline staff means losing customers to the next restaurant that has similar food and enthusiastic staff passionate about what they are doing. (which brings me to the issue of many Singaporeans not being passionate about what they do, but that will be another discourse)

1. The whole "good service" experience will include staff who:
• are pleasant & attentive to the needs of customers.
• can speak good English. Especially in locations where customers are from diverse linguistic backgrounds. English is often the common language. Staff who can speak multiple languages will be an asset to the company. I have been to restaurants overseas where staff proudly display languages they can speak on their name tags.
• are quick in "service recovery" when unpleasant situations arise.
• smile!! sour servers are a real turn off.
  
2. Good quality food
• made with fresh ingredients from the market instead of frozen foodstuff.
• why should one spend good money on something that I can cook at home?
  
• good value for money.
3. Location
   
   • is it important? Yes but only to a certain extend because Singaporeans are willing to travel far to eat really good value for money food.
4. Ambience
• a balance between muted "mood" lighting and enough light so that I can see what I am eating, read the menu and converse with my friends!
5. In touch with tech
   
   • customers can make reservations online.
   • online order for takeaway and customers can determine pick-up time.
     
   • is free wifi necessary? It depends on the type of outlet. I cannot imagine surfing in peace in a popular fish head curry restaurant along Race Course Road.

My two cents' worth...