The Art Of Attracting Couples To Your Eatery On Valentine’s Day

In six short days, lovebirds all over Canada will be celebrating Valentine’s Day. In a large number of cases, couples will be visiting restaurants in order to commemorate their partnerships. Is your restaurant prepared for the rise in customer visits? It’s wise to not simply assume that your eatery will be a go-to Valentine’s Day celebration destination. What can you do to stand out in a sea of dining options?

Create exclusive Valentine’s Day menus.

Make the day extra special by designing menus that are tailored just for loving couples. They should feature indulgent dishes, aphrodisiac ingredients and themed cocktails or wines. You might want to offer a prix-fixe menu with multiple courses. They can include unique appetizers, main courses and desserts. Highlight these exclusive menus in your marketing materials to entice couples looking for special dining experiences.

“Offer ‘romantic’ foods: oysters, lobster, scallops, chocolate, specialty coffee – or anything with honey, avocado, arugula, and chili peppers (all known aphrodisiacs),” proposes Dana Krook of TouchBistro, “While these are known to warm up the love chemicals in the brain, you’ll benefit because customers will be likely to indulge in an expensive dish since it’s a ‘special occasion.’”

Hire a photographer for the evening.

Collaborating with other business professionals has many benefits. For example, if you partner up with local florists, chocolatiers or gift shops, your eatery can offer exclusive promotions or packages. For example, you could offer a dinner-and-flowers package or a dinner-and-chocolate tasting experience. Another great idea would be to hire a photographer who can take photos of the beautiful couples on the special evening.

“If you have the space, create a corner specifically for photos, with a backdrop full of hearts and many props,” suggests Andreea Dobrila on GloriaFood.com, “If you have the budget, you can even hire a professional photographer for a few hours that will surely impress your customers.”

Don’t forget singles.

Of course, Valentine’s Day is a day when people who are paired up celebrate being with each other. This doesn’t mean that single folks should be ignored. Come up with a special promotion that offers singles unique experiences. For example, you could launch a “Valentine’s Day takeout special for one”. Alternatively, you could offer offer mouth-watering cocktails with unromantic names such as ‘Love on the Rocks’ or ‘Break-up,’ suggests Dobrila.

“Valentine’s Day can feel a little exclusive if you are not in a relationship, which is why the anti-Valentine’s Day rhetoric has gained a lot of momentum in recent years,” she writes, “Put a spin on the traditional Valentine’s Day menu at your restaurant by serving the most unromantic food you can think of. Oodles of garlic, ribs, burgers, blue cheese – essentially food that you can eat guilt-free for the night and not have to worry about bad breath or making a mess.”

Could your Valentine’s Day marketing budget use some padding?

Synergy Merchants’ can get your restaurant the cash it needs within 24 hours! To learn all about our unique merchant cash advance program, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-718-2026 or email us at info@synergymerchants.com. You can also apply online for a free, no obligation quote!