If you’re a restaurant owner asking yourself the question, ‘How to get more customers in my restaurant?’ you’re in the right place!
Attracting new customers is vital for your business, and this blog post will explore over 21 proven ways to attract new diners to your restaurant.
Key Takeaways
- Online Ordering: Embrace online ordering through your website and/or app for customer convenience.
- User-Friendly Design: Invest in a visually appealing, easy-to-navigate, and mobile-responsive website and app to attract and retain customers.
- Promotions: Well-planned promotions can capture potential customers’ interest and encourage them to try your restaurant.
- Loyalty Programs: Implement a restaurant loyalty program to retain existing customers and entice new ones to return.
- Social Media Marketing: Leverage social media to showcase your restaurant, engage a broader audience, and increase brand awareness.
- Comprehensive Strategy: Combine various effective strategies to create a holistic customer attraction and retention plan for maximizing restaurant success.
Opening a restaurant is tough, and making it thrive is even tougher.
Writing a restaurant business plan, finding a suitable restaurant’s location, and obtaining all the necessary permits and licenses takes time.
How to reach new restaurant customers?
Once you start a restaurant and make a buzz about it, everyday restaurant life begins and you need to make efforts towards constantly attracting new customers as well as ensuring that existing customers return.
Don’t want to do it alone? Check our restaurant marketing agency services!
Here are 22 effective restaurant strategies to attract customers.
1. Design a welcoming and attractive exterior
Making your restaurant look welcoming and attractive on the outside is very important. When people walk by, they should feel like coming in.
Start by having a clear and well-lit sign with your restaurant’s name and maybe a cool logo. Use nice colors and decorations on the outside to match your restaurant branding.
Well-maintained landscaping and outdoor restaurant seating areas can also enhance the visual appeal and create an inviting atmosphere, enticing passersby to step inside and experience what your restaurant has to offer.
2. Create a restaurant website
Having a professional website for your restaurant is a must. It helps restaurant owners connect with a larger audience, establish an online presence, and share essential information with potential customers.
You can use an intuitive restaurant website builder to create a restaurant website. Select a restaurant website template, add your logo, menu, and content, and choose colors that reflect your brand.
Here you can check how to create a restaurant website.
If you don’t want to build a website on your own, check our restaurant website development services.
3. Offer online ordering
While building your restaurant website, don’t forget about allowing your customers to order online. Many restaurant customers prefer to order menu items to their homes, so make sure you give them that option too.
Online ordering provides a convenient and efficient way for diners to browse a restaurant menu, place orders, and make payments.
Moreover, it can help increase restaurant sales by reaching a broader customer base and providing options for delivery or easy pick-up, catering to different preferences and lifestyles.
4. Build a mobile app
Developing a mobile app for your restaurant can be a game-changer when offering convenient ordering options.
It simplifies the ordering process, increases customer engagement, and can be a powerful tool to grow your restaurant business.
Check out this article to learn how to create a food delivery app.
If you want to check the pros and cons of food delivery apps, check out this article on the 10 best food delivery apps.
5. Run promotions
Promotions are a great way to make customers feel important and happy. This can encourage them to buy more from you.
The examples of promotions you could run in your restaurant as a part of your dine-in, delivery and takeaway sales strategy are:
- Discount on the second, identical product
- A large product for the price of a small one
- Discount on the specific delivery zone
- Two products for the price of one
- Discount on a menu item
Here you can find other examples of restaurant promotion ideas.
6. Use email marketing
Consider using restaurant email marketing to attract customers.
Send emails with offers for free food to get people excited. Show off your restaurant’s food through pictures and menu descriptions.
Make customers feel special with personalized messages, and tell them about your latest food special offers and events.
Remember to tailor your emails to your restaurant target audience with compelling subject lines and personalized content to boost open rates.
7. Take advantage of social media platforms
Social media sites are a great way to build a strong online presence besides creating a restaurant website.
Create social media accounts (like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for restaurants) and post on them regularly to engage with potential customers.
Add attractive photos and videos of your delicious food to your social media and talk with your customers.
8. Implement a loyalty program
Loyalty programs are another good way to attract customers.
A loyalty program is a customer retention strategy that rewards frequent diners with discounts, freebies, or exclusive perks.
Your target audience collects points or stamps, and, in return, a restaurant can offer restaurant discounts, special promotions, or free menu items to encourage repeat visits and build brand loyalty.
Check out these restaurant loyalty programs to discover effective ways to reward your customers and encourage repeat visits.
9. Offer free WiFi
Offering free WiFi in a restaurant is not just a convenience but a strategic move that can significantly attract and retain customers.
Restaurant WiFi marketing increases dwell time, encourages social media engagement, and can lead to positive online reviews.
Additionally, it provides promotions and data collection opportunities while staying competitive in today’s digital age.
10. Offer live music
If you are wondering how to make your restaurant popular, you could think of live music, whether musicians, bands, or solo performers, that can make the atmosphere more enjoyable.
It encourages customers to stay longer, enjoy their food, and come back again.
It also makes your restaurant a fun place to hang out with friends and have a good time, not just for eating.
11. Host themed nights
A restaurant hosting themed nights or special events makes dining more interesting and fun.
These events can be about food-themed cuisine nights like “Taco Tuesdays” and special occasions like celebrating birthdays or holidays.
By doing this, the restaurant gives people a reason to come in, have a good time, and want to come back for more events or regular meals.
12. Partner with local influencers
Partnering with local influencers is an effective way to enhance your restaurant influencer marketing efforts and attract new customers.
Influencers with significant social media following can promote your restaurant to a wide audience.
Influencers sharing their positive experiences at your restaurant makes your brand seem more credible and trustworthy. Their recommendations can spark interest and excitement among their followers, motivating them to try your restaurant.
Collaborating with influencers is a contemporary restaurant marketing method to bring in new customers, generate excitement about your delicious food, and, as a result, boost revenue in your restaurant.
13. Encourage customers to leave positive online reviews
According to Small Business Trends, online reviews play a significant role in customers’ decisions, with 94% relying on them when choosing a restaurant.
That’s why it is crucial to encourage restaurant customers to share their opinions online.
Having more reviews increases the likelihood that people will trust their choice to dine at your restaurant, especially when those reviews are mostly positive.
14. Offer catering services
Offering catering services is a great way for a restaurant to attract customers.
It allows you to bring your delicious food to various events, parties, and corporate gatherings, expanding your reach and visibility.
When people enjoy your catering, they’re more likely to visit your restaurant for a dine-in experience, creating a valuable connection that can lead to repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.
15. Collaborate with nearby businesses
Look for the possibility of cooperating with local businesses. For example, you could cater to your neighborhood’s events and business meetings.
Another way of attracting customers is to run the cross-promotions. For example, a restaurant can give discounts to the customers of a nearby gym.
In return, the gym can offer discounts to the restaurant’s loyal customers, creating a beneficial exchange of customers between the two places.
You could also create discount programs exclusively for employees or customers of local businesses. This can encourage them to dine at your restaurant regularly.
Another example is obtaining ingredients from local farms and food producers nearby. Promote these local products on your menu and emphasize your collaborations with these businesses.
Customers value restaurants that contribute to and support the local community.
16. Use high-quality photos of your food
People eat with their eyes, and amazing photos are essential for a restaurant’s success, as they attract customers.
You can hire a professional photographer to take stunning photos of your meals or take pictures on your own. To improve your photography skills, check our list of food photography tips.
Once the photos are ready, you can use them on your website, social media channels, flyers, etc.
17. Offer gift cards
Offering gift cards and vouchers in a restaurant is a good idea. People like giving them as presents, and it brings in more customers.
When people use the gift cards, they may come back again, which helps many restaurants generate more revenue and grow.
18. Provide birthday gifts
Another way to attract people to your restaurant is by providing them with a gift for a special occasion like their birthday.
Consider using email marketing and sending a dedicated email with the information about the free meal, special dish, or a special discount on their birthday.
It will increase the probability that they will come to your restaurant to celebrate their holiday.
19. Provide excellent customer service
If you wonder how to attract more customers to your restaurant, think of encouraging word-of-mouth referrals. How to do this? Focus on providing excellent restaurant customer service.
This means having friendly staff who welcome guests warmly, get orders right, and ensure everyone has a good time.
When any problems come up, it’s important to handle them professionally and politely.
Doing this helps build a good reputation and keeps customers coming back.
20. Stay updated with current food trends
Changing your restaurant menu to include popular food trends is a great way to get new customers.
When you offer dishes that people are excited about, they’re more likely to come and try them. It also shows that your restaurant is creative and up-to-date, which can be appealing to potential customers.
21. Implement SEO
Implementing restaurant local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for a restaurant is crucial for improving its online visibility and attracting more customers.
By optimizing your restaurant’s website for local search with relevant keywords and location-based information, you can rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential diners to find you when searching for places to eat in your area.
To learn more about implementing SEO for your restaurant, check our guide on restaurant SEO.
22. Share your story with videos
People love watching videos, making restaurant video marketing a powerful tool for attracting customers.
Sharing videos that highlight your delicious dishes, inviting ambiance, and overall dining experience can entice potential patrons to visit.
Using the best food video services can help create high-quality content that resonates with your audience.
Additionally, showcasing customer testimonials in these videos can further build trust and excitement about your restaurant.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I get more orders for my restaurant?
To get more orders for your restaurant, consider these strategies:
- Sell directly from your website, not just through third-party services.
- Create your restaurant’s own mobile app for food orders.
- Make your online menu designed for upselling.
- Accept various payment methods for convenience.
- Offer multiple food service options.
- Retain customers with a loyalty program.
- Increase sales through special promotions and discounts.
To learn more, check out our tips on how to increase online ordering sales at a restaurant.
What role does customer feedback play in attracting new diners?
Customer feedback is essential for attracting new diners, as positive reviews enhance credibility and influence potential customers’ decisions. Restaurants can demonstrate their commitment to satisfaction, encouraging repeat visits and word-of-mouth referrals, by actively responding to feedback and making improvements based on customer preferences.
How important is location in attracting new restaurant customers?
Location is vital for attracting new restaurant customers, as a prime location increases restaurant foot traffic and visibility. Restaurants in high-traffic areas or near popular attractions are more likely to draw in patrons and develop a loyal customer base, making it essential to choose locations that align with the target audience’s preferences.
What marketing channels should I focus on for my restaurant?
To effectively market your restaurant, focus on the following channels:
- Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to engage with customers and showcase your food.
- Email Marketing: Send newsletters with promotions and updates.
- Local SEO: Optimize your website for local search to attract nearby diners.
- Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave online reviews.
- Influencer Collaborations: Partner with local influencers to reach a broader audience.
