| In order for a restaurant to be a success, it must | | | | information through your website, you can send |
| have a great marketing plan. Part of marketing a | | | | an email to a customer a few days before their |
| restaurant includes creating the right promotions. | | | | birthday to remind them of their free meal. |
| Restaurant promotions are a great way to | | | | 5. Create a special menu for inexpensive meals. |
| attract and retain customers. There are many | | | | Some restaurants have referred to this type of |
| different types of promotions a restaurant can | | | | menu as a 'recession' menu. You can offer one |
| use to market their restaurant. The key is to pick | | | | meal each day that is quite cheap. |
| the right promotion that reflects the quality of | | | | 6. During your slow periods, create a special |
| your restaurant. | | | | where discounts are offered on certain dishes to |
| The following are a number of tips to attracting | | | | draw in customers during off-peak times of the |
| customers with the right restaurant promotions: | | | | day. Offer coupons to give discounts on food |
| 1. Everyone loves to get free stuff. Give out such | | | | during the slow time. |
| promotional items as mugs, T-shirts, key chains, | | | | 7. Support community events. This can include |
| baseball caps, and other inexpensive products to | | | | sponsoring sporting events, youth events, and |
| give out to your customers. Make sure your | | | | charity events. This will help spread the word |
| restaurant name and logo is on each item. This will | | | | about your restaurant and that you are a strong |
| give your restaurant free publicity. | | | | supporter of the community. Make sure you have |
| 2. Create an online presence. Build a website that | | | | adequate displays of your restaurant name and |
| educates and informs people. Link your website to | | | | logo at these events. |
| social sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and | | | | 8. On a slow day, have a promotion where |
| MySpace. You can keep people up-to-date about | | | | customers pay for their bill and then have a |
| what is taking place at your restaurant such as | | | | chance to win a discount on their meal or even a |
| when you have specials and events taking place. | | | | free meal. You can have bowl where a customer |
| You can also provide discounts to people who sign | | | | pulls out a ticket which states what discount they |
| up for a newsletter. The newsletter is an | | | | receive or if they get their meal for free. You can |
| effective tool to promoting specials. | | | | have a certain number of tickets with various |
| 3. Every month hold a sampling social. You can | | | | discounts, and one ticket that states 'free meal.' |
| provide a buffet style luncheon with samples of | | | | 9. Make the most out of spreading the name of |
| the foods that you serve. You can provide this | | | | your restaurant. Advertise your restaurant's |
| free or charge a small fee to cover the costs of | | | | specials and events using text messaging, local |
| setting up the buffet. People will get to try all of | | | | newspaper, business fliers and other low cost |
| your food, find food they love, and will want to | | | | methods of marketing. |
| return for a regular meal on another day. | | | | Because the restaurant industry is becoming |
| 4. Everyone loves to dine out on their birthdays. | | | | more competitive, restaurants have to implement |
| Offer a free meal for customers on their | | | | creative and innovative promotions to attract and |
| birthday. They will bring others to dine with them. | | | | retain customers. One can promote their business |
| You can also have special birthday promotions | | | | professionally and successfully by adopting |
| where if the customer calls ahead to book their | | | | campaigns that target their customers in a way |
| birthday, you can give them a small birthday cake | | | | that differentiates the restaurant from the others |
| at the end of their meal. If you gather customer | | | | in a positive way. |