Restaurants have been a staple for many couples celebrating Valentine’s Day together. According to researchers, Valentine’s Day is the second busiest holiday for restaurants, with about 25% of Americans dining out.1 Valentine’s Day is the best time to create promotions to help increase your restaurant’s profit.
However, many couples have been reported to want to stay in for Valentine’s Day, knowing that restaurants will most likely be crowded. A 2022 poll provided by Morning Consult says that 77% of couples want to spend time at home for Valentine’s Day, and 43% have reported wanting to go out to dinner.2
Therefore, we have provided you with some promotion ideas, including delivery and takeout trends to follow for next month to help boost sales in your restaurant.
Update your drinks for the holiday
When couples go out for their dinner date, they might want to relax and enjoy a couple of drinks with each other. Therefore, offer Valentine’s Day specials for certain beverages, or create a new Valentine’s Day-themed cocktail menu that includes the typical colors and tastes familiar with the holiday, such as rose water, strawberries, chocolate, crème-based alcohol, and espresso. There have also been a few restaurants offering to-go alcohol and alcohol delivery depending on state laws, which can be used as another advantage.
Promote gift-cards
The National Restaurant Association stated that nearly one-third of Americans would like to receive a restaurant gift card as a Valentine’s Day gift, which means that although they might not be able to go to the restaurant physically on the holiday, they can still use the gift card for future date nights, anniversaries, or birthdays.
Events and experiences
Some couples enjoy learning something new with each other or doing a fun activity together rather than sitting and eating. Engaging activities are increasingly popular, and you can choose whether or not you would like it to be a family-friendly event or limit it to an adult-only event depending on who your guests are.
That being said, cooking classes, wine-pairing activities, trivia nights, and creating their meal kit are just a few that will make a fun and engaging experience for couples and families when they come to your restaurant. Cooking classes can also be offered virtually for those couples that prefer to cook in the comfort of their kitchen.
Social media
Social media contests are great ways to increase brand awareness and sales. Social media is a powerful tool to get the word out about promotions and events in your restaurant. Popular social media hashtags will help bring new users to your account to check out your page or website.
Cater to the singles
Don’t leave out the singles! Singles have created their day to celebrate the relationships they have with close friends instead, like Galentine’s Day, which falls on February 13th. Creating fun activities, experiences, and promotions around Galentine’s Day will boost your sales. Many are willing to splurge more when they’re out with friends.
Let’s Talk
Goliath Consulting Group is a restaurant consultancy group based in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about menu development, digital training, and restaurant operations, contact us to find out more to help grow your restaurant: http://www.goliathconsulting.com or email us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com
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