Dining out in restaurants is slowly being phased out of our modern culture. Not everyone eats out every day – sometimes, the funds and money just aren’t there, and casual lunches or dinner out in a restaurant may be becoming a bit of a dying tradition.
With consumers wishing to reduce spending and save money in unstable economic conditions, a lot of people have been cooking their meals at home to save costs. That’s not to count the rise of online food delivery services making it easy to have a quality meal ready-to-go back in the comforts of your home after a long day.
The increasing pressure of how quickly trends and markets change, social media and competition making restaurant marketers need to quickly come up with good solutions to get people dining out again.
Here are some quick strategies to target to get more people dining out in your restaurant again.
Provide Something Special in Your Restaurant
Good food is the main draw of your restaurant – but it shouldn’t be the only draw.
A lot of restaurants don’t provide more than what your potential customers can have at home. Especially with online delivery services, people can have great food delivered to the comfort of their homes any day, any time. So what else can you bring to the table?
One of the main things you can provide is a different dining experience. You see many new cafes and restaurants trying this out nowadays, with niche aesthetics, comfortable lighting, and something distinctive in their food, message and mission to draw passers-by off the street. Especially for the younger generation, creating a distinctive atmosphere can create an initial draw to hook more loyal customers. It’ll be a plus if your décor and ambience are relaxing and comforting – inviting your customers to stay a little longer.
Also, think about customer service. Keeping your staff happy and motivated, and making it clear that your customer service standards are high can also create a great experience for your customers. No-one wants to eat out at a restaurant and leave feeling unappreciated, cheated and stressed. Becoming known for great customer service can even be a draw for your customers in their reviews and impressions of your restaurant later on.
And why not shoot two birds with one stone, and support your business while supporting local artists as well? Entertainment during a meal is always welcome, and hosting live music is just another way to gain attention to your business. It gives you both events to promote while generating more attention as another stand-out point as to why they should choose your restaurant over all the others.
Join Your Community
Your local community is probably the biggest clientele you’ll have, and getting to know your fellow neighbours and business owners can generate unexpected clients sometimes. Why not offer to host fundraisers for a local NGO, or partner with local chambers and councils that offer support and connections with other businesses in the area?
Small things, like sponsoring the little league team in the area can let the community be aware that you exist (for one), and two, make it obvious that your restaurant is friendly and willing to be a part of other people’s lives. Once you’re connected to your community, many who step in can easily become recurring customers.
Talking of community, don’t be shy about becoming friends with your regulars. Becoming friendly with your loyal clients can allow your customers to know you care, keeping them continue to be loyal with your restaurant as the top pick of their list.
Loyalty Programs
Launch a loyalty program! Little gifts cards and deals can make people feel more inclined to visit your restaurant over others. How many times have you been debating on where to go for food, only to realise you had a gift card or deal code stashed somewhere that made you decide to cash in the deal?
You can even offer small offers like giving a deal or gift card in exchange for their details, like their email and birthday. This can help your email marketing campaigns, as you can give them special deals every week or month (be careful not to spam!), and even promise a special treat if they come to your restaurant on their birthday. Such birthday deals can even attract more birthday parties to your restaurant, exposing your food to even more people who might then be won over by your food.
Loyalty programs are great because sometimes it’s not only about increasing foot-traffic to your restaurant. Reinforcing how much you appreciate your customers is always a great move.
Want more tips on how to get more foot traffic in your restaurant? Why not call us on (02) 8774 2682 to have a chat with our experienced business consultants, or contact us via our chat on the Collappor8 page? We’re more than happy to collaboratively discuss how we can find creative solutions to boost your business the way you want it to!