Almost all restaurants witness a summer season restaurant slowdown. In the summer seasons. As the temperature soars, people prefer to stay in their homes and order in, instead of going out to eat. However, with the right strategy, you can identify your customer base and target them. School going children and college students are on vacation at this time of the year, and you can build your summer marketing campaign keeping them in mind and increase restaurant sales during slow times. Try this complete Restaurant Marketing Manual for your restaurant marketing plan.
How To Attract Customers During A Restaurant Slowdown
Here we have compiled five easy ways through which you can attract customers during the summer season restaurant slowdown, and boost your restaurant’s profits.
1. Online Ordering
Delivery orders see a major increase in orders during the summer seasons. Now, online ordering has become extremely popular among the masses, with 60% of all delivery orders being placed online. Summers are the best time to implement Online Ordering for your restaurant. You can get your own Mobile Ordering App, through which customers can easily order their favorite dish, or put up an Online Web Ordering Widget on your restaurant’s website.
Not only does Online Ordering boost sales, but it also helps you gather the precious data of your customers which helps you increase restaurant sales during slow times.
2. Remodeling The Interior
Summer is a great time to give your restaurant a little makeover. You can paint bright, sunny colors to give a summery look to your restaurant. Add some indoor summer plants to give your restaurant a happy look. You don’t need to give a complete overhaul to your restaurant’s décor; simply putting a vase of flowers can freshen up the place.
If you have an outdoor sitting space, then you can put summer plants and flowers. Hosting events outdoors at night turn out to be major hits and attract customers. We have discussed this in the point below. Organizing events on summer nights is a great way to attract customers. If you have an outdoor space, then you can brighten up the area with some fairy lights and tall summer plants. Do not forget to set up mist fans to keep your customers cool!
3. Social Media Marketing Campaign
Social media has been known to be the most cost-effective way to engage with customers. You can run contests and campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to engage with your customers. Check-in campaigns, Upload a Selfie with a Drink, etc. are some of the ideas you can implement in your social media campaign during restaurant slowdown. Find out how to make the best use of social media marketing for your restaurant business here.
If you want to make the best out of the summer season, you need to run special summer marketing campaigns to attract customers. As the sales are usually slow in summers, you can reach out to your existing customers. Running referral programs is also a great idea to attract new customers. Such campaigns help you attract customers during slow days!
4. Special Menu
Creating a Special Menu works very well to increase sales, especially during the slow seasons. While it is a great marketing technique to attract customers, using easily available, seasonal ingredients help in controlling food costs.
As people tend to avoid heavy and rich items, try to experiment with light dishes that would keep your customers cool. You can create a range of special summer coolers drinks to attract customers. It is a great idea to attract customers during slow days.
Use the data from your POS, and analyze previous years’ reports to come up with the right kind of menu items. Your POS can generate item-wise reports to give you an insight into what kind of dishes is resonating well with the customers.
5. Hosting Events
Organizing events is a sure-shot way of attracting customers to your restaurant, even during the season of restaurant slowdown. Organize events such as Karaoke Nights, Sufi Nights, or Ladies’ Night to attract customers. You can also call a Live Band or a DJ to perform at your restaurant. In this manner, you not only attract your customers but also lure the fans and followers of the band or celebrity.
Cafes and coffee shops can also partner with a local brand or an NGO to host workshops on their premises. This would give you the necessary exposure, and you can also ask the participants to sign up for your loyalty programs.
Implement these tips in your summer campaign to combat the restaurant slow down and to increase restaurant sales during slow times. Let us know how they worked out for you in the comments below!
