Valentine’s Day is an important day in a restaurant’s calendar since it is one of the most profitable days of the entire year. As market research shows, the Day of Love can generate for a restaurant even 100% more profit than a regular day! You just can’t miss such an opportunity, so take a look at our suggestions for marketing activities for Valentine’s Day. Attract customers in a creative way and maximize your profits at the same time!
A special menu for two
It doesn’t matter whether you run a pizza or burger place or an elegant restaurant. Your Valentine’s Day menu has to be special. You don’t have to prepare a new, extensive menu, though. Even three Valentine’s Day dishes added to your menu on an additional page inserted into your regular menu will be enough, but you have to make them glamorous and give them romantic names.
You can create brand-new dishes using popular aphrodisiac foods, such as seafood, chocolate, strawberries, ginger, or nutmeg, but you can also diversify the products from your menu by changing their shape. For example, you can serve heart-shaped pizzas or burgers.
The Elixir of Love
Many would say that champagne or red wine is obligatory on the Valentine’s Day menu, but you can surprise your guests with something less obvious and create your own red drink with a sweet and cute name. Maybe your guests will love it so much that it will be worth adding to your regular menu? It may happen! It would be a really nice experience for your guests if you gave this special drink as a gift for every couple once they are seated, or for every couple that buys the Valentine’s Day menu. Prepare the Elixir of Love in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.
Atmosphere of intimacy
Take care of the right setting for the Valentine’s Day dinner which will be perfect for making love confessions. Dimmed light, subtle music and simple romantic decorations like flowers, candles or hearts will be a perfect background for intimate conversations. Remember, however, to be moderate: too many decorations and love symbols can be overwhelming for the guests.
If most of your tables are for groups, it’s worth considering rearranging the interior to create more intimate space for two. The distance between the tables should be big enough, so the couples won’t feel uncomfortable because of the presence of other guests.
Remind your regular and potential guests in advance about the possibility of booking a table earlier because by waiting until February 14th they minimize their chances of finding a free table in your restaurant. If your restaurant still doesn’t offer table reservations, discover how can you activate this option in just a few minutes thanks to our system.
Love to go
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions may cause lower than usual attendance on the Day of Love this year, so make sure your Valentine’s Day menu is available with a home delivery option. It would be an interesting idea to make the packaging of the meal special by wrapping it with a red ribbon or adding a small gift like pralines or fortune cookies.
Valentine’s Day in reverse
The number of singles in Europe and worldwide is still growing. That’s why many restaurants don’t organize any special events on Valentine’s Day. If you decide to do the same, don’t forget to announce it on your social media profiles. This way, you will be able to reach out to people who don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day or they simply want to spend time alone or with friends.
Another idea is to make it easier for your guests to find their other half and organize speed dating. In this case, offer them your regular menu and give up on love theme decorations. After all, the point is to meet someone new, so hearts and love music can be a bit intimidating.
Advertising is the key
Even the most creative ideas will not work if they are not properly communicated and promoted. Use Facebook and Instagram ads, e-mail marketing, and even text messages to promote Valentine’s Day. Local Facebook groups and creating events on Facebook are other good promotional channels. Target your Facebook ads to, among others, people who are in a relationship. If your budget for ads is limited, you can organize a contest on your fan page. Such events usually lead to a higher organic number of shares of the post. The contest may consist in, for instance, inventing a name for the Valentine’s Day menu, and the person who wins will receive a voucher to your restaurant. All the advertising materials should be provided with appropriate graphic design — good photos are essential! After all, we eat with our eyes first!
