Attractive promotions can help restaurants increase food and beverage sales.
There are many excellent restaurant promotion ideas for eateries of all different styles and food tastes. Some work better than others, but gift certificates, frequent diner cards, referral vouchers and promotional signs are all proven winners. Restauranteurs have successfully used one of all of them to attract new diners and keep established customers coming back by rewarding them for their continued patronage.
Gift Certificates
Offering gift certificates is an excellent way to encourage your regulars to help you gain new customers. Suggest that they purchase them as gifts for teachers, neighbors and anyone who lives in area and goes out to eat. You can offer free entrees, desserts or entire meals; buy-one, get-one-free specials; or certificates in certain dollar amounts. You may also offer gift certificates that are redeemable only at certain times, to increase sales during slow times.
Frequent Guest Buffet/Brunch Cards
Frequent guest cards will be a real hit with your regular customers and can encourage new diners to come back. Your only cost is printing business card-sized cards and deciding what reward to offer. You may offer a free drink after someone has purchased 10 drinks and can show his punched card to prove it...or perhaps you choose to "punch" for meals or brunch, and offer freebies after the purchase of five or 10 meals. These cards can quickly add up to rewards for your best customers, building loyalty and increasing your business.
Employee Marketing Compensation Vouchers
This fabulous technique begins by you and your team handing out vouchers to as many potential customers as you can find, including neighbors, local businessmen, and social acquaintances. When someone patronizes the restaurant based on receiving a voucher, not only does the customer save up to 20 percent on his meal, but the person who referred the new diner also gets a small bonus...creating a situation when everyone wins, the diner, referrer and restaurant.
Window Promotional Signs
A more basic promotional technique is to post weekly specials on the front door, so customers see them as they enter the restaurant. These should be large in size and have very colorful and readable text and graphics, fully describing the tempting house special. This is a chance for you to be creative and offer items geared to specific times of the year or even a certain community, i.e., an Aztec burger that celebrates San Diego State University.
Tags: gift certificates, offer free