Restaurant Marketing Ideas: Turn Valentine's Reservations into Repeat Customers

Meet Today’s Presenters

Cory Bronson Hospitality Marketing Professional

John Valentine Director of National Sales, Swipely

Christopher Hickey NYC Regional Director, NYSRA

Chat us using the Q+A panel to your right

Questions?

The average ticket size on Valentine’s Day in 2014 was over $116 per table nationwide. $116

Over one third of Americans go out to eat to celebrate. That’s over 110 million people!1/3Consumers spent over $13.1 billion dollars on Valentine’s Day in 2014$13.1

Valentine’s Day by the #s

Brands crushing Valentine’s promotionsAppealing to the Broken Hearts Club

• One of the best brunch spots in Chicago,hosts an "Anti-Valentine's Party" which has come to be a can't miss annual event.

Brands crushing Valentine’s promotions

• offered a free entree to people whopucker up with their loved one onValentine's Day

Fast Casual Brands Got Involved

The Start of a Beautiful Relationship

Ditch the “one & done” approach focus on building long-term

relationships.

Your event promotion should target customers based on a

“best-customer” profile.

Plan a better Menuthat focuses on the items

customers love and return for.

Coach your staff to create memorable experiences that

drive repeat visits.

Event Promotion 101

Plan a Better Menu

=A Winning Menu

What brings customers back+What’s most

popularWhat you do best +

Plan a Better Menu

Do: • KISS (Keep It Super Simple) • signature dishes• cook what your kitchen knows• streamline execution• use highest quality ingredients

Don’t: • try something new • over complicate preparation • take risks

Get the full story behind your menu

Dishes that people love and come back for. Build your V-Day menu from these.

Dishes that people like and return for - consider giving one of these a spot on your V-Day menu.

These are off limits on V-Day and should probably be 86’d

Understand what guests want before they arrive

• what are they’re preferences?• when were they last in?• who was their server?

Don’t: Get too personal

Creating Better Service Experiences

“Quiet Intensity”

“La Touché Finale”

• What kind of restaurant are you?• Stick to your image• READ YOUR GUEST• Obtrusiveness?

• Now is not a time to sell• Detailing your section• Owner or a renter?• UNIFORM!!!!!

Open Service = GOOD Closed Service = BAAAAD

The Basics of Table Service

Who to staff on Valentine’s Day?

• What strengths are mostimportant to success?

• Who has the best performance

record on big event days?• How can you incentivize top

performers to do even better?

Who to staff on Valentine’s Day?

5 things you can do to make V Day a winIt’s not too late…

Create a targeted Facebook ad campaign to boost a popular event post to people matching your best customer profile.

Offer your highest retaining app as a complimentary bite to all guests before the meal.

Have your top wine selling server give tips to the rest of your staff on pairings to sell more wine on V-Day.

Capture more customer contact details on Feb 14 with an entry to win a complimentary dinner for two.

Plan ahead and invite all reservation holders back for another special event or offering a complimentary item on their next visit.

Start Making Better Decisions for your Business