Promoting Your Restaurant to Maximize Profits

Restaurant marketing is both a science and an art. It requires creativity, intensive research and a lot of effort. In order to succeed in a cutthroat sales environment, owners and managers need to know everything they can about marketing a restaurant so they can gain an edge over the competition.

Restaurant Marketing Tactics

Restaurant Promotions

Offering customers an incentive to come to your restaurant is an essential aspect of any good marketing plan. Whether you run a bar, quick-service or fine-dining establishment, you should put on the right promotions to influence your customers’ purchasing.

	Promoting the Sunday Roast in Your Restaurant The Sunday Roast is a traditional and popular British meal that could be the next great promotion in your restaurant.
	How to Promote Holiday Treats in Your Restaurant Promote your restaurant's homemade treats and sweets with these promotional ideas for every season.
	8 Ways to Sell More Soup and Chili in Your Restaurant When the weather gets cold, soup is a hot menu item and can be a real profit driver. But are you doing enough to entice customers to buy it?
	How to Set Up a Customer Service Promotional Deal What better way to say "we appreciate your business" like a customer service focused promotion? Learn how to set up a winning customer service promotional deal in your restaurant.
	How to Use Sports-Related Marketing for Your Restaurant Sports can be a lucrative way to attract customers to your restaurant or bar. Use these strategies to attract all sorts of fans.
	Oktoberfest Promotion Ideas Oktoberfest is a time when the money can flow as swiftly as the beer, with the right promotional ideas! Look here for ideas on how to utilize Oktoberfest for your bar or restaurant.
	Football Promo Ideas for Your Restaurant or Bar Get your hometown fans in the door and coming back for more with these great promo ideas for restaurants and bars.
	Restaurant Promotion Ideas: Reusable Take-out Bags Reusable take-out bags could be a great way to appeal to consumers' environmental consciousness and keep your business in the forefront of their minds. Learn more!
	How to Promote a Successful Limited Time Offer (LTO) Limited time offers are exciting ways to promote seasonal or specialty items in your restaurant or bar.
	Inverted Deals Could Provide Better Return on Investment than Daily Deals Many business owners use daily deal sites to attract new customers, and some find that these promotions do not provide sufficient return on investment. Could inverted deals be the solution to the daily deal problem?
	5 Promotional Ideas for Fried Appetizers Tempt your customers with these tasty tips for increasing fried appetizer sales.
	5 Ways to Effectively Market Restaurant Coupons With couponing beoming a bigger trend than ever, learn how you can effectively entice customers with a deal.
	How to Increase Bar Profits With Weekly Trivia Night Slow weekday nights can be a frustration or even a financial disaster for bar owners. Learn how to draw in a crowd by hosting a weekly Trivia Night.
	Marketing with Cooking Classes Bring the kitchen to the front of the house and connect with your customers with a fun and interactive cooking class event.
	How to Run a Successful Baseball Promotion at Your Bar Baseball season is long, eventful, and can be a great opportunity for bar operators. Learn everything you need to know to run a successful baseball promotion.
	The Power of the Mobile Device For The Restaurant Smart phones have changed nearly every aspect of the world we live in, including the restaurant industry. Learn how you can use smart phones to drive in customers.
	Bounceback Programs in the Restaurant Getting people through the door a second time is one of the most difficult steps in creating a loyal customer base. Find out how bouncebacks can turn new customers into repeat customers.
	Happy Hour Marketing Promotions Whether or not your restaurant has a bar, you can use a happy hour promotion to increase customer satisfaction and improve sales during slow hours.
	Restaurant Contests and Giveaways Giving your customers the chance to participate in a contest or giveaway is a great way to keep them coming to your restaurant. Find out how your establishment can host one.
	Restaurant Loyalty Programs Loyal customers will bring their friends and spread the word about your restaurant. Learn how to encourage customer loyalty by rewarding repeat patronage.
	Viral Restaurant Marketing By making use of pre-existing social and professional networks, you can market your restaurant without spending a penny. Learn how to create marketing messages that will spread on their own.

Key Strategies

There are many tactics you can incorporate into your restaurant marketing plan. Implement a range of both traditional and modern techniques to create a well-rounded marketing strategy.

	The Benefits of Using Humor in Your Marketing Campaign Everyone likes to laugh, especially restaurant patrons! Find out more about the pros and cons of using humor in your marketing campaign.
	How to Compete With Chain Restaurants When a chain restaurant moves in next door, independents naturally get a little nervous. With the right strategy though, there is no reason the two can't co-exist side by side.
	Marketing Ideas for Juice Bars: Third Place is the New First Place Juice bars have been cropping up all over the place, and companies like Jamba Juice can attest to the enormous potential for success they carry with them. Learn more about how to keep a leg up on the competition!
	3 Key Strategies for Improving Word of Mouth Marketing in the Restaurant Word of mouth marketing is a loyal marketing technique that can reach countless potential customers. Find out how you can improve your word of mouth marketing efforts here.
	Smart Restaurant Design and Branding Use consumer psychology, visual displays and creative packaging to reinforce your customer's positive association with your restaurant's brand.
	10 Low-Cost Restaurant Marketing Strategies Restaurant marketing can be expensive. Luckily, there are marketing strategies that are less-expensive and just as effective.
	7 Ways to Increase Your Lunch Crowd Incorporate these easy tips to increase your customer base during the lunch hour.
	Direct Marketing Campaigns for Restaurants To circumvent the newspaper, billboards and other marketing mediums, you can implement a direct marketing campaign and get your promotions straight to the customers.
	Green Restaurant Marketing Going green can get you a lot of business if you know how to promote your eco-friendly qualities. Learn the best way to market yourself as a green leader in your community.
	Local Store Marketing for Restaurants Most of your good customers live within a five mile radius. Implement some personal marketing and PR strategies to become an integral member of the community, and they will thank you with their patronage.
	Merchandising, POP Displays and Advertising Within the Restaurant Learn how to increase your sales and strengthen your restaurant’s brand awareness with merchandising, POP displays and advertising inside the doors of your restaurant.
	Paid Restaurant Advertising Restaurants who want to attract tourists or new customers may have a good reason to buy an ad. Learn whether advertising is right for you, as well as how and when to advertise.
	Restaurant Merchandise Selling non-food items is a great way to improve your restaurant’s profits. Find out why you should start selling merchandise, and learn how to begin.
	Take Out and Delivery Marketing Customers appreciate the convenience of takeout and delivery services at a restaurant. Learn how to market these operations to ensure that your takeout and delivery business thrives.

Quick Tips

Use discounting in moderation. When you discount, customers perceive your product as a lower value. If you offer too many discounts, they will no longer be willing to pay full price.

Contribute to the community. If your restaurant gives, it will receive customer loyalty in return. In fact, 52% of adults say they are more likely to patronize a restaurant that supports charities and helps the local community, according to the National Restaurant Association

The Art of Upselling

Upselling encourages existing customers to purchase more items from your restaurant. Training your staff to upsell is the quickest way to increase your profits without spending a cent on advertising.

	Restaurant Upselling Upselling is one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve profits without making a single investment. Learn the best suggestive selling techniques, so you can train servers and cashiers to help increase your sales.
	Top 10 Tips for Successful Restaurant Upselling Increasing the average customer check size through upselling can always help profits. Find out how you can implement a successful upselling strategy in your restaurant.
	Upselling Wine in Your Restaurant Upselling wine is more than just a quick way to improve profits. It is an essential aspect of quality customer service in an up-scale restaurant. Learn how to successfully sell wine to customers.

Target Marketing

Reach your target audience with key demographic marketing strategies.

	Marketing to Senior Citizens in Your Restaurant Marketing to senior citizens makes good business sense. Learn a few tips for effectively marketing to senior citizens in your restaurant.
	5 Tips for Marketing to Teens in the Restaurant Marketing your restaurant is never simple, and marketing to teens adds a new element entirely. Learn a few tips for marketing and appealing to young people in your restaurant.
	Marketing to College Students Close to 20 million adults are enrolled at colleges and universities within the nation. Tap into this market by incorporating these easy tips.
	Marketing Your Restaurant to Parents Attract families to your restaurant by marketing directly to busy parents.
	Target Marketing for Restaurants Different consumers have different tastes, and you cannot market to everyone. Learn how to best develop your marketing strategies to target a specific segment of the population.
	Attracting Tourists to a Restaurant The travel and food service industries are closely related. If you are near a tourism hub or hope to attract out-of-towners to your restaurant, discover the best ways to market yourself to tourists.
	Bringing Families to Your Restaurant Restaurants that hope to attract families should gear their marketing to both parents and children. Learn how to promote family-friendly concepts while keeping everyone happy.
	How to Market Your Restaurant to Health Conscious Consumers Health-conscious eating is on the rise and restaurants across the nation are adapting to the trend. Is your restaurant ready?
	Marketing Your Restaurant to the Millennial Generation The Millennial generation is the largest generation America has seen since the boomers, and they harness a great spending power. Learn some tips and tricks to entice them into your restaurant.

Internet Marketing

Technology is advancing every day. Use strategic internet marketing to ensure that your restaurant’s sales will keep up with the times.

	The New Rules for Restaurant Social Media Marketing Are you using your social media marketing efforts to their fullest? Check out these creative ways to keep your restaurant at the top of what's trending.
	Restaurant Website Development Every restaurant should have a website. Discover the best ways to develop the content for your restaurant’s webpage.
	Getting the Most from Your Restaurant's Website Your restaurant’s website should not go unnoticed. Find out about the best ways to design, market and promote your website.
	Email Marketing for Restaurants Email is the most effective media for direct marketing. Learn how to write and design a promotional email and develop a successful email marketing campaign.
	5 Essential Reasons Your Restaurant Needs to be on Facebook Learn the most important reasons for your restaurant to get on Facebook, from expanding your customer base to building a brand.

Restaurant Marketing Basics

Getting Started

If you want your marketing campaigns to succeed, first make sure you have educated yourself on the basics of successful restaurant marketing. Then you will be ready to select, implement and assess the best marketing techniques to promote your restaurant.

	Restaurant Branding: How to Develop a Brand for Your Restaurant Learn how to develop your restaurant's brand with these strategic steps.
	Environmental Analysis: Making the Most of Your Restaurant's Location In order to successfully market your restaurant, you should always be looking around. By analyzing the local market in which you do business, you can determine the best ways to attract customers and beat your direct competition.
	Restaurant Marketing 101 The hardest part about restaurant marketing is knowing where to begin. Start by educating yourself and developing an actionable plan. Learn the proper steps to develop a truly successful marketing strategy.
	8 Marketing Technologies that Affect Customer Restaurant Choices Consumers are relying on modern technology more and more when selecting places to eat out. Learn about the hot technologies and how restaurants can leverage those technologies to bring customer through the door.
	Creating Repeat Customers at Your Restaurant Repeat customers are your restaurant’s best resource. If you spend the majority of your marketing budget trying to attract new patrons, learn why you should switch tactics to attract the regulars.
	Demographics for Restaurants The people who live and work around your restaurant likely share certain characteristics. By analyzing their age, income level, size of household and other factors that influence purchasing decisions, you can best decide how to market yourself to them.
	Gauging Your Restaurant's Competition A successful restaurant must always know what the competition is doing in order to survive in the market. Learn how to analyze your competitors and gain an edge over them.
	Restaurant Branding and Design A consistent and unique design concept will increase brand awareness and recognition of your restaurant while highlighting your selling points. Learn the best ways to develop branding for your restaurant.
	Restaurant Marketing Assessments Do not waste your time or money on marketing that does not work. Learn how to assess the success or failure of your promotions and marketing strategies.

Restaurant Marketing Glossary

Worried that viral marketing might give you some kind of disease? Learn the meaning of key marketing terms in our easy-to-use

Restaurant Marketing Glossary

Top Ten Lists

Gain inspiration on a variety of marketing topics and put successful marketing strategies to work.

	Top 10 Personal Selling Tips for Restaurants Connect with customers using personal interaction and create interest in your restaurant.
	Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Ideas Get the word out about your restaurant with these tried and true techniques.
	Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Tips for Holidays and Special Occasions Capture audiences looking to celebrate with these targeted advertising tips.
	Top 10 Tips for Marketing a Restaurant in a Downturn Economy Improve or maintain profits through any economic climate with these quick tips.
	Top 10 Tips for Marketing a Restaurant to Generation Y Discover tips on how to market to the generation that eats and drinks outside of the home more often than any other age group.
	Top 10 Tips for Recovering a Restaurant from a PR Crisis Turn a damaging moment around with these tips for managing a public relations crisis.
	Top 10 Tips for Restaurant Event Marketing Learn about ways to advertise your restaurant's events to a larger audience.

Menu Marketing

Your menu is the most influential marketing tool for your restaurant. Make sure that it is optimally designed to market your menu items and support your restaurant's concept.

	Tapping into Digital Technology on Restaurant Menus A restaurant menu can take many forms. Learn how you can maximize sales from your restaurant menu using digital technology.
	How to Make Your Menu Design More Profitable Inside your restaurant's walls, your menu is the greatest marketing tool you have. Are you using it to its full advantage? Find out how!
	Menu Design Your menu is one of your most important marketing tools. Learn how to develop, write and design a menu that customers will remember for the right reasons.
	Creating a Kids' Menu Developing a menu for children is not as easy as it sounds. Learn how to design a menu that is fun, practical and appeals to a child's picky palette.
	Marketing a Healthy Menu More than 75% of adults look for healthy menu items when they eat out. Learn practical tips for marketing to this segment.

PR Marketing

Public Relations

	Getting Good Press for a Restaurant
	How to Impress a Food Critic
	Restaurant Publicity Stunts

Did you Know?

27% of adults say that they are paying more attention to coupons and value specials than they were two years ago, according to the National Restaurant Association.

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