This weekend I took my wife to her favorite restaurant, Maggiano’s. Maggiano’s serves incredible Italian food, but the highlight of the evening is always their Chocolate Zuccoto Cake. Each slice is 5 inches tall, 4 inches wide, and weighs just short of a pound. This cake is a sight to behold, not to mention it tastes incredible.

Here’s five things this cake has that your church needs.

• It draws attention – I was talking to my friend Will about our chocolate cake experience, and he brought up a great point. He said, “The thing is, they parade that cake around the restaurant so everyone sees it, and after seeing it, you have to order it.”

Are you doing things to bring positive attention to your church? Are you actively involved in serving the community? If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would the community notice?

• Presentation – I’ve watched enough Chopped and MasterChef to know that presentation is a huge deal in the food world. No matter how good the food tastes, if it’s just thrown on a plate haphazardly, it creates a negative first impression.

So, what do guests experience when they drive onto your property? Is the landscaping nice? Are they being greeted in the parking lot? What about when they walk through your doors, are they greeted with a smile? Does your building smell nice and fresh, or does it smell old and out of date?

• More than they expected – I’m guessing most people in the United States have experienced chocolate cake in some form or fashion. So, when you order a chocolate cake from a restaurant, you already have an expectation of what it’s going to be like. Maggiano’s chocolate cake blows that expectation out of the water. It’s unlike any chocolate cake I’ve ever seen.

Church is no different. Most people in the United States have an expectation of what church is going to be like. In many circumstances that expectation is going to be less than positive. So, what can you put in place to change that? First Impressions is an easy place to start, but Kid’s Ministry may be your most important area. By creating a great first impression and then providing a great kids environment, you will already surpass most people’s expectations of church.

• It’s meant to be shared – No ordinary human can eat the Chocolate Zuccotto Cake in one sitting. It’s meant to be shared with others. Your church should be the same way.

So, what are you doing to foster community within your church? Are you offering groups throughout the week? Are friendships being formed? Are people doing life together? If not, it’s time to rethink your strategy for getting people connected.

• People will drive a long distance to experience it – The closest Maggiano’s to my house is in Nashville, TN, just over an hour away. There are plenty of Italian restaurants closer to my house, but none of them can come close to the experience you get there.

If you want to get guests to show up to your church, give them an experience that they can’t get anywhere else. Ask yourself, what can we do better than anyone else is doing, and then go do it.

I’d love to hear about your favorite restaurants and what keeps drawing you back to them. Post it in the comments section below.