It’s great to have a standing neighborhood “place,” somewhere you know you can get a delicious and comforting meal whenever you pop in. And it’s even nicer when the staff at the restaurant treats you like a regular, by remembering the people you dine with, knowing your drink order or surprising you with a taste from the kitchen.

Tanner Collins, general manager atRuse in St. Michaels, Maryland, describes the ideal relationship between a restaurant and a regular: “It’s a wonderful feeling for you, and if you’re a good regular, it’s a great feeling for the restaurant staff as well,” he said. “We’ll be excited to see you and ask about that recent trip to Europe we saw on Instagram, or to comfort you after a bad day.”

But if you’re new in town, new in the neighborhood, or just in need of a new place to dine, how can you establish yourself as a beloved customer? We asked restaurant pros for a few easy tips.

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