Happy Valentine’s Day! As a restaurant owner, you are likely to enjoy one of your busiest days of the year today. You have a chance to show off your romantic atmosphere, delicious food and excellent service to couples who are looking for special nights out. However, a new challenge has arisen. How do you retain those customers once Valentine's Day is over?
Offer personalized experiences.
Injecting the personal touch into your customer service can go a long way in making your patrons feel valued and appreciated. This can be as simple as remembering their names, favourite dishes and even preferred seating arrangements. You can also take it a step further and offer customized menus or wine pairings.
“Personalization is crucial in the restaurant industry as it allows restaurants to create a unique and memorable experience for each customer,” writes Sona Khachatryan on Orders.co, “Customer personalization helps to ensure that customers receive a dining experience that is tailored to their specific preferences and needs. This can result in increased customer satisfaction and positive word-of-mouth recommendations.”
Cater your menu to couples.
While it’s important to have a menu that appeals to a wide range of customers, it’s also important to keep things fresh and exciting. Regularly rotating dishes and introducing new items can keep couples coming back to see what’s new. This can also be a great opportunity to showcase seasonal ingredients or special recipes.
“Put together a menu of foods said to be aphrodisiacs,” encourages the National Restaurant Association, “Topping the list are artichokes, asparagus, chocolate, figs, oysters, spicy chili peppers, strawberries, caviar, and watermelon. But even spaghetti can be the food of love (remember Lady and the Tramp?) if the ambience—and the deal—are right. It’s all about creating a little romance.”
Host special events.
We’re talking about wine tastings, cooking classes or live music nights. They can provide couples with unique experiences they won’t soon forget. Make sure to promote these events on social media as well in your eatery to reach as many potential customers as possible.
“A successful couple’s event could even become a regular event,” suggests Matt Roberts of Restaurant Ninjas, “There are a lot of exciting things that you can do to attract couples, specifically. This can include things like candle-lit dinners, special deals on romantic-themed cocktails, a love-themed menu – the possibilities are endless. You can even offer discounts specifically for couples to encourage them to join in on your couples’ night.”
Keep providing an inviting ambiance.
The atmosphere of your restaurant is a big part of the dining experience. Make sure to keep your space comfortable, well-lit and visually appealing. You can also create different areas within your restaurant that cater to different moods and preferences. For example, a cozy bar area for a casual drink or a quiet dining room for a romantic dinner will entice lovebirds to return after Valentine’s Day.
Be sure, as well, to make the pay-at-table process a quick and easy one. The sleek dual-screen smart payment terminal from Unity Payments can help you to do that! Equipped with our POS solution, your restaurant can optimize the checkout process, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and drive revenue growth. To learn all about it, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.