Are you planning on opening a restaurant, or would you like to increase the turnover in your existing restaurant?
Every restaurant has its own unique way of success. Many factors go into play like customer service, the taste of the served dishes, and the interior design. Let’s not forget about the music and even the smell inside the restaurant. All these elements are building blocks of the success of a restaurant and determine whether the customers will want to come back.
The tasty cuisine and excellent service are the best adverts for a restaurant. If you already have that, then you are halfway there! Word of mouth will be carried around about your restaurant!
However, sometimes it is not enough. What can we do about it, and what tools do we use?
Although there is no one sure way to build a great advertisement for a restaurant, there are ways that bring positive, noticeable effects. Based on our clients’ experiences, we have collected a list of marketing actions that are worth investing in. Remember to analyze a few issues before deciding to go with a specific strategy. Think about your target audience, what are the characteristics of your city, what effect you want to achieve. If you know the answer to these questions, you are on your way!
We have split the proposed list of actions into two groups; one to be taken before and one after the opening of your restaurant.
A new restaurant will be open soon – action to take before the grand opening:
Social Media
Your social media should flourish! Be active there before the grand opening of your restaurant. Stay close to your potential customers, build and maintain relationships with them! They will become loyal! If you decide to serve the newest super crunchy fries, don’t hesitate to tell them about it! Maybe the fried chicken breading mix you will have is the crunchiest in town? Make sure everyone knows about it. Are you going to make your own sauces? Go ahead; brag about it- your customers will appreciate it!
The sooner you become active in social media before the opening, the more time you give yourself to build your first customer base! Begin to build suspense on your fan page, do not tell them everything from the get-go. Show a few photos of your restaurant getting ready, of the dish tasting or training. Later you can slowly reveal the dishes that are coming soon. Your fan page should be full of delicious and realistic pictures of the dishes! Think about a paid ad campaign around one week before the grand opening!
Advertisement/renovation veneer
You have chosen a restaurant, and you are beginning to renovate it. This is the time to inform the locals of the fact that a new restaurant is going to be open soon. Having the right veneer will spread the information and reach your potential clients who happen to be passing by and see your advertisement.
Signboard
Have you chosen the name and logo? Make sure to hang it over your building quickly. Let your logo be seen, so the image gets more attention!
Fliers
It is time to reach more than just those that live and work nearby your future restaurant. It is time to take your ads further. Leaflets will be the best option! It is a good idea to take them around larger neighborhoods, hand them out where there are a lot of people like shopping malls, schools, etc. Don’t forget about the potential of the neighboring towns where people come to your city for work or shopping. What should appear on the fliers? Pictures of tasty dishes, of course, the logo, address, and phone number to your restaurant. It is a good idea to list the menu, the opening date, and a link to your fan page.
Billboard and web billboard
Billboards should be placed when entering the city, near the schools and train stations. Choose a location that is usually heavy in traffic so the ad will reach the highest number of people possible. If there is a local Internet portal of your city, try to put your ad there! Provide pictures of your dishes on the billboard, the name of the restaurant, and the date of opening.
Website
A website that is consistent with the image created in social media and beyond will raise the authenticity level of your restaurant! Do include your restaurant information there, the full menu, and plenty of pictures!
If you already know how to raise people’s curiosity and make them wait for the opening day of your restaurant, think about how to keep their level of interest after the opening! We have a few tips for you here as well!
The best food in town – invite them to your restaurant!
Fliers
Don’t let them forget about you! Invest regularly in leaflets. It is an old and still one of the most effective ways to advertise!
Barter agreement
It is an exchange of goods and services, and it involves no cash. Both sides agree and decide to work together. How can this be used in your business? There’s nothing easier! Think about where your future clients are spending their time. For instance, a movie theater is an excellent place to place your ad. Try to come to an agreement with a theatre that benefits both sides. What can you do there? Hang posters of your restaurant, show the audience a short advertisement before the movie, and organize a contest!
Internet activities
Keep working on the website and the fan page. Regularly check the opinions about your restaurant and reply to them! Order Google business cards; start working with B2C culinary sites. Remember about Internet advertising! If they proved useful before the opening, try them once again.
Sale events, contests, club membership, loyalty schemes
Remember that people today get bored quickly; they need constant stimuli that you can provide them with regular advertisements, contests, or special events! Remember to appreciate loyalty! Make sure your guests feel that you appreciate them and have a loyalty scheme available in the form of a frequent customer card, for example.
Now, do you know how to advertise your restaurant? It is a never-ending work, with the right ideas and in every possible way. See how your competition does it. You can learn from them as well. Best of luck!
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