Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of the summer season. It’s the first holiday of the season that quite a few people get off from work, and schools either take the day off or they are out for the summer. It’s a federal holiday for people to remember individuals who have served in the U.S armed forces. Most people turn their Memorial Day into a Memorial Day weekend, where they will put themselves in holiday mode for the whole weekend. This holiday is a great time for restaurant owners to promote their business and bring in more foot traffic. It’s also a great time to show your customers that your business will be around for the summertime. Read our eight promotion ideas that are sure to add flavor to your restaurant this Memorial Day.
1. Specials for Veterans
This is what the holiday is all about. What better way to honor these individuals and their families than to offer a promotion strictly for these individuals. It’s another way of saying thank you to these brave individuals for their service. You can offer a free meal, percentage off, or even a drink on the house. You don’t want to deny anyone who asks to participate in this promotion either. If you make the process hard, then you will get a lesser amount of people who participate and thereby creating a negative image for your restaurant.
2. Kid Attractions
Kids can bring in a lot of business to your restaurant on Memorial Day. You should consider implementing incentives likes video games including gaming boosts, art shows, clowns, or coloring contests. Remember most kids are out of school for summer, and parents want a place they can take their children. Especially during Memorial Day, parents are looking to take their children to a place that has a light feel.
3. Hold an Outdoor Event
It’s the beginning of summer, and if the weather is nice, people want to be outside for Memorial Day. You can do things like a cooking contest, fireworks, or even live music. If you decide to hold an outdoor event during evening hours, you will want to make sure you invest in the right lighting. No one likes eating in the dark, and with the right lighting, you can even enhance your customer’s experiences.
4. Change the Menu
It’s the start of summer, and people want to see summer inspired dishes. That means anything on the grill or things that are picnic inspired. Don’t be afraid to use Memorial Day as a way to introduce new dishes either. If your restaurant gets busy, it’s a perfect time to see if you should feature the dish for a longer period. For the adult customer, you can create a Memorial Day-themed drink menu. You can find many red, white, and blue drink recipes that your customers are sure to enjoy.
5. Decorate
It’s important you decorate for any holiday at your restaurant. People want to feel patriotic on Memorial Day. You can hang American flags around the restaurant, or even pictures of local veterans you are honoring. You can give your customers flags or flag pins at a very minimal cost. So you don’t overdo the patriotism, you will also want to add some summer decorations to your restaurant. If you have a nice outdoor space, you should add some plants and some string lights to give your guests a nice summer feel.
6. Social Media
Whether you decide to host an event or just offer discounts, you will want to blast whatever you’re doing on social media. You can make an event on Facebook for people to RSVP too and post pictures of menu specials to be featured. Twitter is a great platform for using a special code in your posts for customers to share to receive Memorial Day discounts. You can also have people post a veteran’s picture, and have a drawing to get people involved with you on different platforms.
7. Giveaways
Who doesn’t love a good giveaway? If you give something away that is Memorial Day themed, it will create a memorable experience for the customer. Your giveaway doesn’t have to be anything extravagant either. Glasses, t-shirts, or key chains are great examples you can use. As long as it’s useful and in good quality, your customers will appreciate it. However, you will want to make sure your branding information is located on it somewhere.
8. Charity Donations
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans in 2016 was 4.3 percent. Being a veteran is not easy, and many people need assistance. Everyone likes an opportunity to give back to society. Memorial Day is a great way to get your customers to donate to their favorite local veteran charity. If you expect it to be a day with high foot traffic, you can also promote you will be donating a certain percentage or amount of sales.
Conclusion
Start your summer season right with having the right promotion at your restaurant. It’s important you pick something that specifically fits your restaurant and that your customers will enjoy.