How To Fire Up Your Restaurant’s Popularity This Summer

We’re officially one month away from the start of the summer season! Right now is the perfect time for your restaurant to start spicing up its marketing strategies. Remember that the summertime brings warm weather and longer days. Throughout the season, people are eager to enjoy good food and great company. They’ll be looking for places to eat. So, what steps can you take to fire up your restaurant’s popularity this summer?

Offer exclusive sunset specials.

A sunset special is an exclusive menu that is available only during sunset hours. Ideally, it should include such items as refreshing cocktails, light bites, salads and other seasonal dishes. Be sure to take to your social media accounts to post vivid photos of your patio at dusk. It’s also a good idea to encourage your patrons to share their own sunset dining experiences using your unique hashtag. You may want to offer a small discount to anyone who posts and tags your eatery.

“Summer brings an array of in-season, fresh ingredients to work with,”  notes The UPS Store Canada, “Not only can you include some new dishes to honour the season, but your menu design can also be freshened up if you find it does not align with the season or showcase all your restaurant has to offer. Using high-quality photos, descriptive explanations for your dishes, and curating a sleeker, organized design can create a menu that attracts diners to your restaurant.”

Conduct interactive cooking classes.

Create a fun, inviting and educational experience where customers can learn to make some of your signature dishes. Consider holding both in-person and virtual classes to attract as many participants as possible. Provide your classes with recipe cards and small gifts such as spice mixes or branded aprons to take home. Cooking classes provide memorable experiences while deepening your restaurant’s connection with its customers.

“One of the best ways to retain your customers is through consistent and positive interaction,” writes Liz Barrett for Restaurant Hospitality, “A cooking class allows guests to develop a relationship with the restaurant through your chef, and you’re able to keep in touch with them more often.”

Partner with local farmers and artisans.

Have you ever considered hosting farm-to-table pop-up events at your restaurant? At these events, you could feature a menu that is crafted entirely from locally sourced ingredients. Promote these collaborative pop-ups events by emphasizing their unique and community-focused concept. By doing so, you will both highlight the quality of your ingredients and strengthen your eatery’s community ties.

The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts advocates for creating partnerships with local businesses. “For example, you might try to focus on sourcing local ingredients,” suggests their website, “This can be a unique selling point for your restaurant, giving you the opportunity to work fresh, seasonal ingredients into your cooking, while also potentially reducing your food costs and helping to support local farmers and artisans at the same time.”

Contact Synergy Merchants!

Let’s work together on firing up your restaurant’s popularity this summer! For information about how Synergy Merchants’ unique merchant cash advance program can help you, 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!