My group and I conducted an operational and marketing analysis focused on helping Royal Siam, a family-owned Thai restaurant, address declining customer traffic and post-pandemic business challenges. My group worked directly with the restaurant owner and employees to better understand operational pain points involving low dine-in traffic, limited marketing presence, menu stagnation, pricing pressures, and reduced customer retention following Covid-related declines.

Using customer behavior analysis and operational research, we identified several root causes contributing to decreased foot traffic, including overreliance on word-of-mouth marketing, limited digital visibility, and lack of online customer engagement. The project focused on developing realistic, low-cost growth strategies designed specifically for a small local business operating within a competitive restaurant environment.

Our recommendations included targeted Facebook advertising campaigns, loyalty programs, improved online ordering systems, local community engagement through farmers’ markets, and long-term delivery platform expansion strategies involving DoorDash and Uber Eats. We also developed budget-focused advertising projections estimating monthly customer reach, engagement growth, and potential traffic increases based on localized digital marketing efforts. The project strengthened my understanding of how marketing strategy, operations, customer experience, and financial limitations all intersect within small business growth and restaurant management.