How To Go About Marketing A Restaurant
Every restaurant will have competition, and even those operating on a tight budget, will need to know something about marketing a restaurant. Marketing is essential for your restaurant to succeed. You need to keep the seats filled to make a restaurant work.
There are several ideas listed below on how to go about marketing a restaurant.
• Guerilla Marketing– This involves using more than one type of smaller advertising ideas, instead of using larger, more costly advertising such as advertising on national TV. You can find other and more unique ways of advertising that are cheaper, and sometimes free.
The Top 10 Guerilla Marketing Tactics:
1. Signs– Create the biggest, most clever, unique sign for marketing your restaurant that your local community will allow. Make your restaurant stand out from all others.
2. Use Flyers– Have a grand opening and make sure everyone knows about it. You can offer a percentage off a meal, or free drinks with any order. You can also offer a percentage off any entrée during the first week you are open. Above all be creative, and make your customers remember you and want to come back.
3. Samples– You can set up a table in front, with your most personable server handing out samples of your food. Breakfast muffins in the morning, or your best pasta dish in the afternoon will allow your customers to try a bit of your fare. You may also want to make up coupons for a dollar or so off a meal (within a certain time line). Have your friendly server tell them about the restaurant and make sure they are able to field simple questions from the public.
4. Loyalty Incentives– You can set up a system where a card is punched for each meal a customer buys. After 10 meals they will get the 11th one free, or a free dessert with their next meal. Whatever you can think of to add as an incentive to your repeat customers and keep them coming back.
5. PR Gimmicks– If you are offering a special on a certain dish, you can have your staff dress up in any way you feel will convey the mood, and hand out menus and cards or coupons. Above all be creative, remember you are not like everyone else. Make sure you compensate your employees for this.
6. The Best In Customer Service With a Smile– Make sure that all of your staff treat people with respect and make them feel as if they are special. They will tell others about the great treatment and prompt, courteous service they received at your restaurant. And your staff will get great tips.
7. Regular Promotions– Have a theme dinner special on the slower nights. “Tuesday is Italian night with a candlelit dinner for two for $20”. You can also offer wine and cheese tastings as an appetizer. I’m sure if you think about it you can think of many tactics to market a restaurant by changing the menu a bit.
8. Sponsor a Contest– Having a fishbowl and collecting business cards will allow you to collect information about your customers and will help you build a mailing list for marketing a restaurant. You may also want to have a separate bowl where customers who do not own a business can participate. Give away a free dinner once a month as a token of your appreciation. You can add them to your customer base for marketing your restaurant.
9. Customer Comment Cards– This is a great way to collect names, birthdays, and email addresses of your customers. You can email them a special coupon a few weeks before their birthday. Ask for their anniversary date as well, and send coupons for a discount on a dinner for 2. This is also a wonderful way for anyone to market a restaurant.
10. A Website– Creating a simple website that includes your menu, the hours you are open, the type of payments you accept, and a few paragraphs on what the concept of your restaurant is and what specials and incentives you offer. This is a great tool when marketing a restaurant.
Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on marketing restaurant checkout his recommended websites.
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