urant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are train

Due to more demanding schedules at work and home, an increasing number of Americans are ordering carry-out from casual restaurants instead of eating inside. Restaurateurs who execute carry-out properly will stand out from the competition.

Americans are in a hurry. From balancing deadlines in the office with raising a family at home, men and women alike have schedules that are more frenzied than ever. With less time for relaxation and a declining interest in cooking homemade meals, a rapidly increasing number of Americans are using the carry-out option rather than eating dinner inside a restaurant.

Consumers are demanding this convenience, and many restaurants are responding. However, a high percentage of these restaurants have implemented service measures specifically designed to create an ideal carry-out experience for their customers.

Customers want convenience, and it is easier for many people to phone in a carry-out order at a casual restaurant. We don't want fast food and pizza all the time – there are days when we are craving dinner from a place like Chili's or Outback - but at the same time we often don't have the time or don't feel like going inside to eat.

Recognizing the revenue stream potential, many restaurants have refurbished their restaurants to accommodate carry-out business. Yet the customer service for carry out in casual restaurants is typically less polished than in-house.

Carry-out should be an experience for guests just as eating in-house is. Casual restaurants that offer carry-out are competing with quick-service restaurants and pizza delivery chains. Customers have a growing number of choices, so casual restaurant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are traine

me for relaxation and a declining interest in cooking homemade meals, a rapidly increasing number of Americans are using the carry-out option rather than eating dinner inside a restaurant.

Consumers are demanding this convenience, and many restaurants are responding. However, a high percentage of these restaurants have implemented service measures specifically designed to create an ideal carry-out experience for their customers.

Customers want convenience, and it is easier for many people to phone in a carry-out order at a casual restaurant. We don't want fast food and pizza all the time – there are days when we are craving dinner from a place like Chili's or Outback - but at the same time we often don't have the time or don't feel like going inside to eat.

Recognizing the revenue stream potential, many restaurants have refurbished their restaurants to accommodate carry-out business. Yet the customer service for carry out in casual restaurants is typically less polished than in-house.

Carry-out should be an experience for guests just as eating in-house is. Casual restaurants that offer carry-out are competing with quick-service restaurants and pizza delivery chains. Customers have a growing number of choices, so casual restaurant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are train

heir customers.

Customers want convenience, and it is easier for many people to phone in a carry-out order at a casual restaurant. We don't want fast food and pizza all the time – there are days when we are craving dinner from a place like Chili's or Outback - but at the same time we often don't have the time or don't feel like going inside to eat.

Recognizing the revenue stream potential, many restaurants have refurbished their restaurants to accommodate carry-out business. Yet the customer service for carry out in casual restaurants is typically less polished than in-house.

Carry-out should be an experience for guests just as eating in-house is. Casual restaurants that offer carry-out are competing with quick-service restaurants and pizza delivery chains. Customers have a growing number of choices, so casual restaurant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are train

have refurbished their restaurants to accommodate carry-out business. Yet the customer service for carry out in casual restaurants is typically less polished than in-house.

Carry-out should be an experience for guests just as eating in-house is. Casual restaurants that offer carry-out are competing with quick-service restaurants and pizza delivery chains. Customers have a growing number of choices, so casual restaurant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are train

urant operators need to incorporate techniques that give their guests a favorable experience – one that will make them want to return.

Staffing and training are the essential ingredients to effective carry-out service, Schier says. This starts with having employees whose sole role is serving carry-out guests.

It's important that the phone is appropriately staffed during peak hours by employees who are trained on proper etiquette, menu knowledge and how to clearly communicate with customers. It's better to have staff members whose job is to service carry-out guests than have a bartender trying to answer the phone on a busy Friday night in addition to serving the bar guests and running the service bar.

Hosts are the employees most often assigned to carry-out since servers focus on in-house guests since they depend on tips. Yet, in many restaurants, hosts are not given menu training.

Obviously, it's not a good idea to have employees without in-depth menu knowledge answering the phones. Your carry-out team members should be prepared to answer questions, especially when guests don't have a menu in front of them.

A side entrance for carry-out with its own POS terminal and an employee behind the counter is the ideal set up. Restaurants that still require guests to navigate their way to the bar for carry-out pickup make the experience inconvenient. It is also important to include utensils, napkins, condiments and a carry-out menu with the order, which adds to the convenience factor.

Twenty years ago, nobody would have imagined that the drive-thru would represent more than 60 percent of a fast-food restaurant's business. Today, the carry-out element is gradually composing a higher percentage of a casual restaurant's sales. Carry-out may only be a fraction of a restaurant's business today, but it will continue to grow if it is executed properly. And this is one more way that a restaurant operator can stand out from the competition.