We’re just mere days away from the start of the Victoria Day long weekend! As we pointed out in our last blog, this time of year represents the unofficial start of summer for Canadians. In that blog, we also pointed out that your restaurant should be utilizing some smart marketing strategies to lure customers over the holiday weekend. They included putting out a press-worthy story, establishing a loyalty program and reposting customers pictures and posts on social media.
What else can you do to get your restaurant’s customers excited about summer?
Place signage throughout the restaurant.
People should expect delicious meals when they visit your restaurant. However, they should also get opportunities to dine in a fun and inviting environment. With vibrant posters visible throughout your place of business, you will get to promote your most popular dishes, upcoming events, drink specials…you name it!
“Your restaurant can be adorned with large and unique posters in order to draw the attention of people passing by,” notes Mel Watson on GourmetMarketing.net, “They can also be used indoors to show off some of your latest menu items, combos, discounts, and rewards. It’s a fantastic way to attract more attention but can also be informative as well.”
Respond to all online reviews.
Whether your online reviews are positive or negative, they deserve responses. We would highly recommend that you pay special attention to the bad ones. They provide great opportunities to grow your business. Consumers care a lot about the opinions of other consumers. But they also care a great deal about how businesses interact with their customers. By reaching out to those who have posted negative reviews, you offer your business chances to make amends.
As reported by Stephanie Schalow of SevenRooms, “86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, and the highest percentage of reviews read are for restaurants. These reviews are powerful: a positive review can make a consumer 60% more likely to visit your business, while a negative review stops 40% of people from wanting to visit your business. Plus, 89% of people read the responses from the restaurant.”
Set up a food truck.
We’re hard pressed to think of a more popular summer-based eating activity than grabbing treats from a food truck. As Watson mentions, food trucks are fantastic ways for restaurant owners to show off their businesses. Naturally, they get your food to other locations to help you establish your brand in different areas.
“For example, if there are food truck opportunities near industrial or commercial locations with many office buildings, then you could bring a lot of attention to your food and show it off to more people,” Watson writes, “Those people will then recognize your brand when they go into the city and see your restaurant. It’s all about creating a consistent brand and offering your food to more people.”
Do you allow your customers to order food directly from your restaurant’s website?
Unity Payments can quickly set you up with your own online ordering system for your restaurant. It includes the creation of a website (if you don’t already have one) and an app! To get started, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
