Despite the unseasonably hot weather on Saturday, I decided to take a detour on the way back home from some errands to check out the construction site for a new location of my favorite breakfast place. From what I could see through the windows, they have a long way to go before it opens. The space was pretty raw, with bare concrete floors and nothing even resembling a seating area.

What really caught my attention, though, was the signage on the windows — or the lack thereof. The only messaging I could see included the restaurant name and the phrase “Coming Soon”. This seems like a missed opportunity. If someone is reading the sign, why not use that chance to tell them what type of restaurant it is and where they can find the other nearby locations? You can even provide a map of the other sites, complete with estimated walking or driving time.

In a perfect world, there would be no need for this informational signage, since the restaurant would already be open for business. But in practice, nothing ever opens according to the original schedule. And while you can’t generate any sales from a venue that isn’t open yet, you can at least use the real estate to encourage people to visit your existing sites and pick up some extra revenue in the process.