Restaurant promotion is a great way to boost customer loyalty, increase brand awareness, and drive restaurant revenue. Whether your restaurant is struggling or not, it’s always a good idea to keep a couple of fun restaurant promotion ideas at hand.
In this article, we’ll share key tips for planning successful promotional events, along with 20 proven restaurant promotion ideas to help you stand out and attract more customers.
Key Takeaways
- Engagement: Restaurant promotions are a great way to entertain loyal customers and attract new traffic to your restaurant.
- Approachability: The best promotions engage your audience in a fun and approachable manner.
- Relevance: You should always keep your restaurant and your target customers in mind when picking a restaurant promotion.
- Consistency: Regular promotions help maintain customer engagement over time.
- Online Presence: A strong online presence is key to a successful online restaurant promotion campaign.
- Planning: Creating a schedule can help you remain consistent with your restaurant promotion campaigns.
- Innovative Strategies: Leverage Facebook for restaurants and explore restaurant guerrilla marketing techniques to creatively promote your business.
What Makes a Great Restaurant Promotion?
For restaurant promotion ideas to be effective, you’re going to have to follow a couple of rules. Some promotions that other restaurants are using to a great effect may be counterproductive in your case.
So, in order for your restaurant promotion ideas to make sense, you’re going to have to check a couple of boxes first.
Here are a couple of things you should keep in mind before launching a promotional campaign:
- Know Your Customers: Understand your audience to tailor promotions that attract new customers and encourage repeat visits.
- Understand and Match Your Brand: Ensure promotions match your restaurant’s style and identity to avoid mismatched offerings.
- Define a Budget: Plan within your financial limits to avoid overspending on elaborate promotions.
- Offline vs. Online Restaurant Promotions: Decide between offline or online promotions based on your audience’s preferences.
- Team Communication: Ensure your staff can handle the promotion without being overburdened.
- Evaluate the ROI: Analyze the return on investment (ROI) of your promotion to determine if it is worth continuing. If it’s successful, consider expanding your offerings or offering them more frequently. Be data-driven!
20 Promotion Ideas for Restaurants
Below you’re going to find 20 promotion strategies that will make sure your customers spend a little bit extra the next time they’re visiting your restaurant.
Remember that in order to drive restaurant sales, you have to offer customers what they need. Be picky and choose the ones that will keep both you and your customers happy.
Struggling with marketing? Check our restaurant marketing agency services.
1. Celebrate Birthdays with Exclusive Specials to Strengthen Customer Loyalty
Provide a special offer for customers on their birthday, such as a free dessert or discounted meal.
Organizing birthday specials can provide you and your restaurant with some juicy benefits, like increased revenue, enhanced customer loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
To maximize the value of birthday specials, you might want to consider personalizing the offers and promoting them through various marketing channels. See what works for your clients. There’s probably no need to go all out with signature dishes.
If you pull it off, this can have a great effect on your customer retention and can encourage repeat business through a restaurant loyalty program if you have one set up. If you don’t, you really should consider it.
- Encourage repeat visits: Offering birthday specials shows appreciation, fosters loyalty, and ensures memorable experiences that keep customers coming back.
- Increase revenue: Birthday celebrations often bring larger groups, leading to higher sales from premium menu items, desserts, or drinks.
- Boost social media presence: Happy birthday guests may share their experiences online, tagging your restaurant and posting photos. Explore restaurant social media post ideas to inspire creative content.
- Strengthen customer relationships: Personal touches like birthday specials make customers feel valued, enhancing their loyalty.
- Generate word-of-mouth marketing: Satisfied guests may recommend your restaurant to friends and family, attracting new customers.
- Collect valuable data: Encourage sign-ups for birthday specials or loyalty programs to gather useful data like email addresses and birthdays for future marketing.
2. Organize Social Media Contests to Boost Engagement
Restaurant social media contests are a great way to quickly create some online buzz and bring in new customers.
By offering discounts, gift cards, free desserts, and drinks, you can entice people to share your special offer with their peers. This, again, is a great way to win new customers and convert them into loyal customers through your restaurant loyalty program.
There really are endless ways to create a good social media contest. Just remember that the end idea is to make a fair offer.
- Increased visibility: Digital strategies like restaurant SEO, social media, and food advertisements help customers find your restaurant online.
- Improved customer engagement: Tools like restaurant email marketing and social media enable real-time interactions, boosting loyalty.
- Cost-effective marketing: Digital marketing reaches a wider audience with a smaller restaurant marketing budget than traditional methods.
- Targeted marketing: Focus on specific audiences by location, interests, or behavior for more effective campaigns.
- Increased revenue: Attract new customers, retain current ones, and encourage repeat visits through loyalty programs.
- Real-time analytics: Use restaurant analytics to track campaign success and make data-driven improvements.
Remember to clarify all the rules so there’s no doubt about how everything works. It’s a good idea to explain the basics, such as how to tag people.
Remember, many of your customers may not always be tech-savvy. You’d be surprised how many customers are lost to technological difficulties!
3. Offer Gift Cards to Encourage Repeat Business
Offer restaurant gift cards for purchase and provide incentives for customers to buy them, such as a bonus gift card for a certain amount purchased.
Offering gift cards boosts revenue, attracts new customers, and encourages repeat visits. They enhance brand awareness, drive sales during slow periods, and integrate with point-of-sale systems for easy management and valuable customer data collection.
Brands like Starbucks offer a whole range of gift cards for almost any occasion. That way, customers have an easy way of preparing appealing gifts, whatever the celebration might be.
All in all, adding restaurant gift cards to your offer can be a simple way to drive more business and build customer loyalty.
4. Run a Review Contest to Earn Five-Star Ratings
Ask customers to leave a review of your restaurant on social media or restaurant review sites such as Yelp or Google Reviews for a chance to win a prize.
- Set clear objectives: Determine the goals of your contest, such as increasing the number of reviews, improving your online reputation, or boosting customer engagement.
- Choose a platform: Select the review platform(s) where you want to encourage customers to leave reviews, such as Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, or your restaurant’s Facebook page.
- Create contest rules: Establish clear and simple contest rules, including eligibility criteria, entry methods, review guidelines, contest duration, and the criteria for selecting winners.
- Determine the prize(s): Offer attractive and relevant prizes to incentivize customers to participate in the contest. This could include gift cards, free meals, restaurant discounts, or even branded restaurant merchandise.
- Promote the contest: Use various marketing channels to promote the contest, such as social media, email marketing, in-store signage, and your restaurant’s website.
- Monitor and respond to reviews: Keep track of the reviews coming in during the contest period and respond to them promptly and professionally. Thank customers for their feedback and address any bad restaurant reviews constructively.
- Choose and announce the winner(s): After the contest period ends, select the winner(s) based on the criteria you established in the contest rules. Announce the winner(s) on your social media channels, website, and through email marketing.
- Evaluate the contest’s success: Analyze the contest results to determine its effectiveness. Look at the number of reviews generated, the overall sentiment of the reviews, and any changes in customer engagement or online reputation.
- Follow up: Send a follow-up email to all participants, thanking them for their participation and feedback. This can help strengthen your relationship with customers and encourage them to return to your restaurant.
5. Offer Interactive Experiences to Boost Customer Interest
Offer interactive experiences like ‘build your own pizza’ or salad stations, where customers can customize their dishes using interactive tableside ordering. This adds an element of fun and creativity to the dining experience.
An interactive tableside ordering system can also encourage your customers to order extra toppings for their pizzas or patties for their burgers.
It’s a simple way to influence the amount your customers spend while also giving them extra control over the food they eat.
6. Boost Takeout Sales with Exclusive Specials
Offer special deals or discounts for customers who order takeout or delivery. You can quickly reach your customers and advertise takeout specials through restaurant SMS marketing.
You can also boost your takeout specials sales and create even more buzz around your restaurant by encouraging customers to take photos and share their reviews on social media.
Be open to new restaurant promotion ideas and mix them up for the best results.
7. Create a Pay It Forward Campaign to Build a Positive Restaurant Image
Launch a Pay It Forward campaign where customers can buy an extra meal or drink for someone in need, like a homeless person or first responder.
A very cool way of collecting funds for the campaign is by adding a QR code to the original post, like in the example below.
This initiative fosters community impact, enhances the restaurant’s image, and generates social media buzz. Promote it via your website, social media, or restaurant email marketing to attract customers who are interested in socially responsible dining.
8. Establish a Happy Hour to Boost Your Sales in Off-peak Hours
A happy hour for a restaurant is a promotional event that typically takes place during off-peak hours. The goal of happy hour is to drive traffic during a slower time of day and increase sales while also providing a fun and social atmosphere for customers to enjoy.
Restaurant owners typically choose menus that offer simple and delicious foods and promote them with appealing photos.
During happy hour, restaurants typically offer specials on selected food items and drinks, such as half-price appetizers, discounted beer or wine, or signature cocktails at reduced prices.
- Pick the right time: Figure out when is the slow time and choose accordingly. Typically, happy hour runs during non-peak hours, such as weekdays from 4 pm to 6 pm.
- Choose the drinks and food specials: Offer discounted prices on selected food items and drinks. Consider having a rotating selection of specials to keep things interesting for your customers.
- Promote your happy hour: Let your customers know about your happy hour specials through social media, email marketing, and in-store signage.
- Train your staff: Make sure your staff is trained on the happy hour specials, pricing, and any restrictions. You might want to encourage them to upsell customers during happy hour by suggesting additional items or upgrades.
- Create a happy hour atmosphere: Consider playing upbeat music, dimming the lights, or offering special restaurant seating arrangements to create a fun and festive atmosphere for your customers.
- Monitor the success of your happy hour: Keep track of your sales during happy hour and adjust your specials and promotions as needed. Solicit customer feedback to make sure they are enjoying the specials and the atmosphere.
9. Offer Catering Discounts to Expand B2B Opportunities
Offering catering discounts for large parties or events can be a great way to increase your B2B sales. By providing special pricing for catering orders, you can encourage businesses to choose your services over competitors.
This approach can be particularly effective for businesses that frequently host events or meetings with food service. To make this strategy work for you, consider offering tiered discounts based on the order size.
For instance, you could offer a 10% discount for orders over $500, a 15% discount for orders over $1000, and so on.
Promote your catering discounts through targeted advertising and outreach to local businesses to ensure your message reaches your intended audience.
10. Arrange Charity Events to Foster a Positive Brand Image
Hosting charity events at your restaurant offers numerous benefits, including enhancing your brand’s reputation and showcasing your commitment to supporting local causes.
It’s a great opportunity to attract new customers while strengthening relationships with the existing ones.
Additionally, such events foster a sense of community and goodwill (particularly during the holiday season!), helping you build a network of local supporters who may become regular customers or generate positive word-of-mouth marketing.
- Positive brand image: Charity events enhance your reputation and show support for local causes.
- Community engagement: Supporting local charities fosters goodwill and builds a loyal network of supporters.
- Increased publicity: Events can generate media coverage and social media buzz, raising your profile and attracting new customers.
- Networking opportunities: Connect with influential community members and potential business partners for your restaurant business in the future.
- Memorable experiences: Charity events offer guests a unique dining experience tied to a meaningful cause.
To maximize the advantages of organizing charity events, choose a relevant cause, plan the event carefully, and promote it effectively through various marketing channels.
Engaging your staff, community, and local media can help ensure the event’s success and generate lasting benefits for your restaurant.
11. Organize Themed Nights to Boost Customer Loyalty
- Choose a theme: Some popular theme ideas include cultural nights (Italian, Mexican, etc.), decade-themed parties (the 80s, the 90s, etc.), or special occasions (Valentine’s Day, Halloween, etc.). Choose wisely and make sure not to offend your customer base!
- Plan your menu: Develop a special menu that fits the theme, incorporating new dishes and drinks or modifying existing ones to suit the occasion.
- Decorate the venue and dress the staff: Transform your restaurant space with themed decorations, table settings, and lighting to create an immersive atmosphere that aligns with the chosen theme. Encourage your staff to dress according to the theme.
- Entertainment and activities: Incorporate themed entertainment or activities into the event, such as live music, dance performances, trivia, or games.
- Gather feedback: After the themed night, collect feedback from your customers to understand what worked well and what could be improved. Use this information to refine and enhance future themed nights at your restaurant.
Themed nights can become a regular experience that entices your loyal customers to keep coming back and new local customers to try out your offer.
You can organize community events, host restaurant anniversary parties, and offer different menu specials to make your event really special.
12. Reward Your Customers for Bringing a Friend to Boost Sales
Offer a special deal for customers who bring a friend to dine with them.
By offering a special deal for customers who bring a friend, you can encourage them to invite others to try your restaurant or business.
This is also a great opportunity to retain your new customer through your restaurant loyalty program.
You can offer extra on-site stamps to both the customer and the friend they brought. That way, you can entice both of them to get started on your restaurant loyalty program!
13. Put Together Contests and Giveaways to Boost Brand Awareness
Host consistent contests and giveaways on social media or in-store for a chance to win a free meal or gift card.
Contests and giveaways can offer significant advantages for restaurants, including increased brand awareness, attracting new customers, and fostering customer engagement.
By hosting contests on social media platforms, restaurants can grow their following, collect valuable customer data, and boost sales.
Additionally, these promotions can enhance customer loyalty, generate word-of-mouth marketing, and create shareable user-generated content.
14. Offer Seasonal Dishes to Create a Festive Atmosphere
Organizing holiday specials can be an effective way for you to attract new customers and retain the existing ones. Holidays are a time when people often want to celebrate with family and friends, and dining out is a popular way to do so.
People generally love the festive atmosphere of seasonal holidays, so it’s a great way to give potential customers what they need while also capitalizing on the trend.
The truth is, the restaurant industry is overloaded with holiday promotions.
Many restaurant owners stop at decorating their restaurant, so it’s pretty easy to outshine them by offering new menu items, discounted drinks, and perhaps even organizing holiday-themed special events.
- Use fresh, seasonal ingredients: Emphasize locally sourced, in-season produce, meats, and seafood to ensure the highest quality, freshness, and flavor.
- Balance flavors and textures: Design seasonal dishes with a mix of flavors, textures, and colors that complement each other and are appropriate for the time of year.
- Offer variety: Include a diverse range of dishes that cater to different dietary preferences and restrictions, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free options.
- Update your menu regularly: Rotate your seasonal dishes to keep your menu fresh and interesting and encourage customers to return for new experiences.
- Pair dishes with seasonal beverages: Offer beverage pairings that complement your seasonal dishes, such as wines, cocktails, or craft beers that are appropriate for the season.
15. Hold Business Lunches to Create Networking Opportunities
One of the key aspects is offering a well-balanced and efficient menu tailored to the needs of business professionals.
The menu should include various options that cater to different dietary preferences and restrictions, while also considering the time constraints that business guests may have.
- Attract new clients: A successful event can lead to repeat bookings or referrals, helping to grow your client base.
- Enhanced reputation: Delivering high-quality services and experiences for business events can bolster your venue’s reputation in the corporate community, making it a preferred choice for future events and gatherings.
- Networking opportunities: Hosting business events can provide valuable networking opportunities with professionals and decision-makers from various industries.
- Showcase your venue’s capabilities: Business events allow you to demonstrate your venue’s ability to accommodate different types of gatherings, such as meetings, conferences, or workshops.
- Foster community relations: By hosting local business events, your venue can build relationships within the community and position itself as a key supporter of local enterprises
Provide exceptional restaurant customer service with staff who are attentive, professional, and well-informed about the menu and any potential allergens.
This will help ensure a smooth and enjoyable dining experience that leaves a positive impression on your business clientele, encouraging them to return for future events and recommend your restaurant to colleagues.
16. Invite Guest Chefs to Cross-promote & Win New Customers
Invite guest chefs to come and prepare special dishes or menus for a limited time. This is a great way to add variety to your menu and attract new customers.
This approach can be particularly effective for small businesses looking to expand their customer base and generate buzz around their establishment.
By collaborating with guest chefs, you can offer a fresh perspective on your restaurant’s menu and create a unique dining experience for everyone
- Exposure to new culinary techniques and ideas: Guest chefs can bring fresh perspectives, techniques, and ideas to your kitchen, which can inspire your staff, foster creativity, and potentially improve your existing dishes.
- Increased customer interest: Hosting guest chefs can create excitement among your existing clientele and attract new customers who are eager to experience a unique culinary event or sample dishes prepared by a renowned local chef.
- Networking opportunities: Collaborating with guest chefs can help you build relationships within the community and create opportunities for future partnerships, events, or even mentoring opportunities for your staff.
- Limited-time menu offerings: Guest chefs can help create exclusive, limited-time menu offerings that can generate buzz and encourage customers to visit your restaurant to experience these one-of-a-kind dishes.
- Cross-promotion and marketing: Hosting guest chefs allows for cross-promotion between your restaurant and the guest chef’s establishment, expanding your reach and visibility among each other’s clientele.
- Community engagement: Inviting local guest chefs can foster a sense of community and collaboration within the local culinary scene, showcasing your restaurant’s commitment to supporting local talent and promoting a vibrant food culture.
17. Organize Pop-Up Restaurants to Attract New Customers
Organizing pop-up restaurants is an innovative and exciting way to attract new customers to a restaurant.
Pop-up restaurants are temporary dining experiences that can take place in various locations, from warehouses to parks, and offer a unique and exclusive dining experience.
Hosting a pop-up restaurant in a different location or venue is a great way to attract new customers and generate buzz.
One of the main advantages of organizing a pop-up restaurant is that it provides an opportunity for a restaurant to showcase its creativity and culinary expertise and to experiment with new menu items and concepts.
- Define your concept: Develop a unique and engaging concept that sets your pop-up apart from the competition. Consider factors such as the cuisine, theme, and ambiance you want to create, as well as the target audience you aim to attract.
- Showcase your best dishes: Craft a concise and focused menu that complements your concept, making sure to consider dietary preferences and restrictions. Keep in mind that a smaller menu is often easier to manage in a temporary setup.
- Choose the best location: Select a suitable location for your pop-up restaurant, considering factors like accessibility, visibility, restaurant foot traffic, and proximity to your restaurant target audience. Possible venues include empty retail spaces, art galleries, rooftops, parks, or even partnering with an existing restaurant or bar during off-hours.
- Secure necessary permits and licenses: Research and obtain any required permits or licenses, such as food service permits, liquor licenses, or temporary event permits, depending on your location and the nature of your pop-up.
- Plan your logistics: Coordinate the necessary equipment, furnishings, and supplies needed for your pop-ups, such as tables, chairs, cooking equipment, and tableware. You may need to rent or borrow items depending on the chosen venue and its existing facilities.
18. Embrace Sustainable Practices to Improve Your Brand Reputation
You can improve your restaurant’s reputation and drive new business by demonstrating your commitment to social responsibility.
Sustainable practices involve minimizing negative impacts on the environment and society while maintaining economic viability.
Introducing restaurant sustainability practices, such as sourcing local ingredients, using recyclable utensils, and efforts to reduce food waste, can lower your environmental footprint and attract eco-conscious customers.
These practices not only build loyalty and a positive community reputation but also help cut costs by reducing waste and improving efficiency.
19. Launch a Restaurant Photo Contest for Extra Engagement
Few restaurant promotions go as viral as a good, old photo contest!
Launching a restaurant photo contest can be an effective way to engage customers and increase brand awareness on social media. The aim of a photo contest is to encourage your customers to take pictures of their food, drinks, and dining experiences and share them on social media using specific restaurant hashtags or by tagging the restaurant’s account.
This will lead to increased social media engagement and provide your restaurant with user-generated content you can use in your marketing efforts. Make sure you set a fair prize!
20. Consider Live Music Events to Diversify Your Customer Base
Host live music events or hire musicians to play during peak hours. Introducing live music events can be a great way to diversify your customer base and create a unique dining experience.
Live music can enhance the ambiance of a restaurant and attract a new group of customers, such as music enthusiasts or those looking for a fun night out.
Keep in mind that organizing live music events can be rather tricky. You might drive some of your customers away by choosing the wrong band.
If you do decide to go with a live music event, make sure you know what you’re doing because inviting a random post-punk band might spell you real trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are restaurant promotions?
Restaurant promotions are strategic marketing efforts designed to attract new customers, retain loyal patrons, and boost overall sales. These promotions can include discounts, free items, special events, restaurant loyalty programs, seasonal offers, or unique experiences that encourage diners to visit your establishment. Typically time-limited, they aim to provide guests with something perceived as valuable, such as a free appetizer or dessert.
How do you make a promotion for a restaurant?
Creating a promotion for a restaurant involves the following steps:
- Set Clear Goals: Decide what you want to achieve with the promotion, such as attracting new customers, increasing sales during slow periods, or boosting loyalty.
- Know Your Audience: Tailor the promotion to your target customers’ preferences and dining habits. For example, offer family-friendly deals for a family-oriented audience.
- Choose the Right Promotion Type: Select a type of promotion that aligns with your goals, such as discounts, special menu items, happy hours, loyalty programs, or limited-time offers.
- Create a Budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend on the promotion, including marketing, discounts, and additional resources needed.
- Leverage Marketing Channels: Promote your offer using online platforms like social media, restaurant newsletters, and your website, as well as offline strategies like posters or in-house signage.
- Make it Time-Sensitive: Adding a deadline creates urgency and motivates customers to act quickly.
- Engage Your Team: Train your staff to understand and promote the offer effectively to customers.
- Track Performance: Monitor the success of your promotion by measuring restaurant metrics, such as sales, customer footfall, and feedback, to determine its effectiveness and refine future efforts.
Where is the best place to promote a restaurant?
According to WordStream, the most popular social media platforms for restaurants are Facebook and Instagram, though platforms like TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and even LinkedIn can also be valuable for certain brands. Learn more about restaurant social media marketing here.
