Creative Restaurant Promotion Ideas For Increasing Revenue

Restaurant promotional activities are a must for any restaurant - whether it is new or already existing. Fortunately, there are several options and ideas that can be executed to bring in the diners and fill seats.

Some restaurant owners are anxious about offering specials and promotions thinking that it will affect their bottom line. But, the truth is, when executed correctly, promotional deals can increase revenue, bring in new diners and build customer loyalty.

Here is a list of the best restaurant promotional ideas that you must give a try. Although it is not a fit-for-all concept, you are sure to find a couple of ideas that can be tried out at your restaurant.

PROMOTIONS AND SPECIALS FOR A RESTAURANT

Restaurant Opening Promotion

If you are yet to open your restaurant, then its opening is the most welcoming opportunity to introduce your new business and start building a customer base. You can use either grand or soft opening ideas for your restaurant. But, also offer a promotional deal to facilitate foot traffic.

Provide discounts, free giveaways or any other special offers that will attract people in large numbers.

Loyalty Programs

Loyalty programs will encourage people to come back to a restaurant after their first visit. Ensure that loyalty programs are a perfect balance between an attractive offer for the customer and a good profit margin for the restaurant. Do not be too generous with the discount and lose money in the long run.

Example - Buy 9 products, get the 10th one free - this is suitable for items like beverages or desserts, but not the full course meal. Bars can provide loyalty points for those attending a certain amount of happy hours.

Happy Hour Specials

This is the most popular special used by restaurants these days. It can include beverage discounts, food specials or even both. Usually, happy hours are provided by restaurants or bars serving alcoholic beverages. But, non-alcoholic happy hours can turn out to be lucrative too.

Create different types of happy hour specials for each day of the week to showcase some creativity and greater choices for customers. Use a blanket discount or discounts for particular drinks or food items. Happy hours could even be restricted to weekdays as weekends are usually busier than weekdays.

Weekday Specials

As mentioned above, different specials can be offered on different days. This can also coincide with the happy hour or be a standalone special.

The names of the specials can be made catchy and easy to remember by using alliterations - for example, Mayo Monday, Taco Tuesday, etc. Use such specials only to promote days/time periods when the crowd is lean and not during busy days.

Lunch Specials

Some restaurants can fill all their seats during dinner, but struggle to be successful for lunch or breakfast. If you are looking to attract more diners during lunch hours, offer a special promotion during those specific hours. Restaurants mostly offer soup, sandwich, salad combo deals or any other light fare to fill up the restaurant during its quiet hours.

Weekend Brunch

Saturday and Sunday lunch has gained extreme popularity. So, hop on to this trend and offer bottomless mimosas or bloody Marys. Since the diners are looking at opportunities for brunch, they will buy food and a drink to keep them full. This will attract more crowds and increase the quantity of food sales. Just check the local and state laws for compliance issues before offering ‘bottomless’ drinks. If there are legal restrictions, offering a discounted brunch drink would do.

Holiday Promotions

Holiday promotions are very effective as people actively look out for the best holiday dining options. The calendar is full of holidays that can be used wisely for a restaurant holiday promotion. Examples are: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.

Offer seasonal deals during Thanksgiving and Christmas rather than day promotions. This is because people prefer spending time with their family rather than dining out. In fact, your restaurant might be closed too.

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