When you are new to the restaurant business, it’s not always possible to spend a lot of money on an advertising budget to bring in new restaurant customers. At the beginning most of your time will be occupied working out how to run a restaurant.
Rather than paying for print or other types of media advertising, here are a couple of ideas to help you generate the new clients you need to start out.
-Local Charity Donations
Charities are often having some sort of fundraiser for their group, and you can offer a gift certificate good for a set amount good at your establishment. Confirm with your accountant or lawyer what amount may be tax deductible.
The mere word-of-mouth publicity alone will be worth your donation will be worth the effort. In addition to gaining the reputation for being actively concerned and active in the community, your restaurant might be listed on the donor’s list for the event you have given gift certificates for.
Note that in order to get the listing, you might have to donate a set amount like at least $100. But you CAN set limitations as to how long the certificates are good for (say a year or two years) or exclude them from use on certain holidays like Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve when you can reasonably expect to be closed or extremely busy.
Once you have decided on the amounts/limitations, you can easily have the certificates printed up on your business computer and signed by you to be delivered to the charity.
-Sponsor Your Local Sports Team
You can help cover the cost of uniforms or other necessary equipment for a local baseball, football or cricket team or any such organisation.
If this option is still too rich for what you can afford to spend, sponsor one or two runners in a local marathon or charity race and show up on the day of the race to cheer for your sponsored runner(s).
-Specialty Conventions
Look into any coming up specialty conventions (i.e. science fiction/fantasy or comic book) going on in your city were a lot of fans or vendors are going to be attending.
Usually conventions, especially science fiction and comic book ones, have tables set up in the front of the convention on the way in or out known as “freebie tables”. Various businesses, fan groups, etc. may place flyers here to advertise. At the bottom of the flyer, you can offer something like a coupon for a 15% discount to be used by any of the convention goers if they bring it when they patronize your establishment.
If you offer delivery, you might consider offering a set amount off delivery charges and/or total order if they present the coupon when the delivery person shows up.
People who attend or work at this type of event, especially if they’re not from the area might be more likely to try out your restaurant if there is some kind of discount offered through a flyer. It’s also more likely to garner you more word-of-mouth recommendations if your patrons like what they find.
Long term patronage will largely consist of repeat customers. Most who return in subsequent years are historically known to be loyal repeats likely to spread the fame of your business to friends which helps tremendously in running a restaurant.
