Marketing For a Restaurant

MrPillowTalk

I have a new restaurant opening and have very little marketing experience, I have plenty of ideas but would be interested in hearing what generally is the most effective methods to use.

rediguana

Query is a bit broad...

Not to discourage you, but it's a bit an exceptionally-difficult time in the restaurant trade right now. Witness the number of outlets shutting their doors, closing for lunch / on Mondays, offering "deals"...

Is your restaurant going to be different enough to buck the trend?

Oisinjm

I'd try anything really just to get the name out. Advertising obviously is one, and special deals and such. Even try setting up account on facebook and the likes. Ive seen captain americans on there etc. Theres a new website aswell called IGOpeople.com and its kind of like the business version of facebook. Leaflets with specials deals are good aswell, just leave a stack of them in shops and newsagents.

MrLuke

MrPillowTalk wrote: »

I have a new restaurant opening and have very little marketing experience, I have plenty of ideas but would be interested in hearing what generally is the most effective methods to use.

It depends on what kind of restaurant its going to be and what kind of market you are after. A pizza place and an upmarket restaraunt are going to have to be marketed differently. Maybe if you post your ideas and what kind of market your after people could give their advice or help with ideas.

Sonnenblumen

Advertising is potentially useful but marketing would probably be more valuable? Undoubtedly Positive reviews from professional critics/Restaurant reviewers would certainly be very influential?

Can you organise a 'reviewers' or a special fundraising night for special causes (and invite media/reviewers along) ahead of official opening help?

MILF

Why dont you call James Scott Lennon? I'm sure he'd help out old staff, aint that right MrPillowTalk??? :D

chahop

You could pay paolo Tullio to review your restaurant. Check his website there is a number on there. Its not that expensive. They cant guarantee when it will be in the Sat Indo but it will.

MrPillowTalk

MILF wrote: »

Why dont you call James Scott Lennon? I'm sure he'd help out old staff, aint that right MrPillowTalk??? :D

lol thats a blast from the past, whos this?

MILF

Heehee!!

D.W

Have you considered a website? If not I would advise building one and get ranking quickly for your restaurants name online as a starting point. More and more people are searching for specifics online so that would be a good start. Also see what sites are ranking out there for your niche eg restaurants in.... or whatever and see can you get listed on those.

Consider inviting as many people as you can that potentially could put business your way to a lauch-local owners of Bed and Breakfasts, Guesthouses, Visitor Attraction, newspapers etc... Of course this depends a lot on your location but may assist. Word of mouth is always best form of advertising so if you have lots of people happy to recommend your restaurant its half the battle-other half is getting people in of course so thats down to the food, service, pricing etc..

Where is the restaurant actually located-as in county/town?

DRoche

Hi Guys.

I would have to agree with D.W. A website is definitely the way to go considering the new and improved methods of technology. Take the iPhones new app...that restaraunt finder thing.

Do something different that makes you stand out, have special nights, theres enough occasions to promote...Mothers Day, Patricks Day,etc. Do special menus, offers, change the layout of the table. Theres a restaurant in Manchester, you enter and choose your own table setting, colour, glass type etc.

Be Different.

Regards.

Danny

autograph

Flyers in the locality. Try doing an Early Bird Menu or lunch time specials. I suppose it all depends on where you are located and what your target market is.

Cordner

I worked in two different restaurants that did the following, and it really worked to 'spread the word' with new/local clients:

Now- I cant remember the company names that do this, but I am sure you could search on internet. Basically, this company organise professional looking packs for your restaurant that include some free vouchers.

One voucher is 'buy one main course, get one free', one is for free bottle wine, one is for 50% discount (max 4 people) etc etc.
Some of the vouchers are one off (eg €20 off meal for 2 or more)- and some are unlimited use that month, or even that year (eg free bottle wine with 2 or more main courses ).

The marketing company go door to door in your catchement area, selling these discount packs to your potential customers. They sell the packs for maybe €30 each (guess) and they keep the revenue. But you get the customers coming in and using your restaurant. You can chose the type of offers that you include.

So sorry I cant remember the name of the marketing company that we used in both restaurants, but I know that the packs sold well, and it brought huge amount of local business into the restaurants. I think the company name started with V... sorry i cant be of more help than that. Sure if you cant find a company that provides this service- do up the packs yourself and get some 'bubbly' people to go door to door for you....

Hope this helps.

bbernardo

If you're looking for Advertising Help for your business you should check this site out.

http://www.prova.fm/advertising/technique/

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If you have any questions let me know. It's a new concept, so we're offering the service for FREE to the 1st 50 businesses.

-Barbara

Businesses can save time advertising, & designers can earn money with crowdsourcing at prova.fm

dclare

I would set up a website first - these days it can be done really cheaply & quickly.

Register your domain name, get a hosting package for about €10 a month, use Wordpress.org as your content management system & buy a "premium" Wordpress theme for about €50.

All in, about €100 - €200 and you can have it up and running with a day or so.

Then promote the website by getting a free Google local listing, buy advertising on Google Adwords, and consider the restaurant listing sites like adlib.ie & menupages.ie

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

dclare wrote: »

I would set up a website first - these days it can be done really cheaply & quickly.

Register your domain name, get a hosting package for about €10 a month, use Wordpress.org as your content management system & buy a "premium" Wordpress theme for about €50.

All in, about €100 - €200 and you can have it up and running with a day or so.

Then promote the website by getting a free Google local listing, buy advertising on Google Adwords, and consider the restaurant listing sites like adlib.ie & menupages.ie

I wouldn't agree with that at all, there's very few people that will search the web to find a restaurant they don't know about. It'd good to have a website, but if thats the main marketing strategy you might not be around in 6 months.

I would suggest strategically working out who are your target market, what the back end value of recruiting a customer is (as in how many times will the return in the next 12 months, then multiply this by total spend less food cost and overheads).

Once you've identified your target market and their value i'd send personalized invitations out offering them a too good to not take up offer. As in if your a five start gourmet restaurant offer a free main course meal for two (once they pay for wine and starters you break even and have the chance to impress and win a customer).