Bring previous visitors back again, get new customers, and watch profits increase. Your restaurant promotion ideas make a big difference in your business success. Promotions help market your restaurant to your target audience, so unleash your imagination.
Why Is It Important to Promote Your Restaurant?
Promotions are important because they help you achieve your goals. Some of these goals might be:
- Increasing brand awareness
- Boosting sales
- Promoting certain menu items
- Getting more traffic during slow times
- Informing people of an upcoming event
- Anything you can think of can be promoted.
First Thing’s First
Before you start marketing, make sure you know who your customers are. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you see similarities in the customer base you currently have?
- Are you reaching your target market?
- Who is your ideal customer?
Get details like where your customers reside, what age range your customers are, what kind of food your customers like, and how much your customers tend to spend. Knowing this information helps generate ideas and ways to promote your business, targeting a particular market.
Start Promoting
So, how do you promote your restaurant?
1. Word of Mouth – Combine word of mouth with a digital presence by creating social media posts that get your name recognized. With most people using social channels like Instagram and Facebook, you can harness this popularity. Posting images of your food and writing fun captions to go with it entices people to try what you are offering. One great image is often shared multiple times and the hashtags you choose can increase visibility.
2. Vendor – Register to set up a booth during a local event. When you promote your products at a different location you are allowing yourself the opportunity to expand your customer base. There is plenty of opportunity to make extra profit at events like carnivals and festivals where people often look for something to put in their stomachs during an all-day event. Make sure to bring business cards with you or take-out menus to give to your customers with their orders. This restaurant promotion idea is sure to get new customers ordering from you again.
3. Online Food Ordering System – Some people prefer to order in so grab their attention as well. Setting up an online ordering system is a great way to reach this client base. Use a company offering a one-time fee for a website or web page set-up to avoid ongoing fees that can eat away at your profits. This cost-efficient way to promote your food service business is user-friendly and easy to update when necessary.
4. Collaborate – Connect with other businesses to help each other grow. Being part of the community shows you care. Why not take part in combining your food offers with beer from a local brewery to go with your delicious meals? Customers will love the collaboration, especially if you take this opportunity to create a dish that incorporates the beer. This unique pairing will excite people to come and check it out.
5. Specials – Do you find you are really slow during a particular time of the day? Use this to your advantage and offer half off all food and drink during this period. Everyone loves a good deal so this restaurant promotion idea will encourage business to pick up at these times. Keeping a steady cash flow helps to manage your finances and keep the doors open.
6. Samples – Sometimes people are hard sells, but you can encourage people to come into your restaurant by offering samples. Complimentary mini bites can encourage even the pickiest eaters to try your food. Sometimes one bite is just not enough… 😉
7. Events – Do something you have never done before like host a paint night or Christmas party at your restaurant. Offer a special menu during the event to get people to visit. Customers who have already been to your venue will appreciate the change and newcomers will be delighted with a unique activity.
8. Catering – Add to your business features by offering catering services. Businesses are always seeking a food service company that will cater office parties throughout the year. This allows you to present your restaurant dishes to new clients. Large groups of people often want to host individual gatherings for special events, weddings, and backyard barbeques. They will need a caterer to take care of the food. Not every restaurant caters so this is a wonderful way to stand out from your competitors.
Celebrate
It’s time to celebrate your restaurant like never before! Start achieving your business goals by contacting us at 247 Waiter where we will design a website for you to catch those online consumers. These restaurant promotion ideas are sure to get your restaurant talked about and visited more often.