Providing excellent service and quality products are only half the battle when it comes to keeping patrons loyal to your establishment. Here are tips to bring customers in to your restaurant, bar, or lounge, and keep them coming back for more.
Happy Hour
Having happy hour offers is a sure-fire way to grab a potential customer’s attention.
To mix it up, create a special for each day of the week. Feature certain liquors at discounted prices or offer buy-one-get-one-free specials. Half-price is another way to go as well as including specials on your appetizer menu.
Mix the two with a combo, offering food and drink combinations at special rates. Keep happy hour time slots consistent to stave off confusion.
Utilize social media to share happy hour offers along with user-generated photos. Aqua Lounge in Newport Beach, CA does a great job of this.
Competitive Bar Fun
What can be better than a group of friends vying for bragging rights over the right answers to … well, anything?
Whether you host bar trivia or one of the many other trendy restaurant games populating the hospitality scene, get your patrons to take a personal interest in a competition to keep them in their seats — and possibly jumping out of them — until the last point has been scored.
Consider offering a prize or to consecutive winners and a drawing for a discount to other participants. For example, Geeks Who Drink is one pub trivia company who partners with the bars in which they participate to offer prizes to patrons.
Social Media Check-Ins
Social media offers numerous benefits, one of which is providing various ways for people to check into establishments.
Utilize a variety of social media platforms and offer rewards for a certain number of check-ins to your bar or lounge.
Keep patrons on their toes with a drawing on specific dates for those who have checked in during their visits throughout the week or month prior.
Incentives like complimentary appetizers or 10% off the total bill are a great way to keep people invested in checking in through social media.
Pub Events
Create specialty events that can bring potential first-timers to your establishment.
If you have plenty of big screens, host a college game day event. Offers specials based on the teams playing.
If there is an upcoming local event or holiday, piggy-back off of it with your own in-house theme party or celebratory offer.
Loyalty Counts
Create a loyalty program using social media where customers can “like” or “follow” your social media pages.
Add reward points for messages and offers that are shared. Send loyal patrons coupons, preferred statuses, and other deals for being part of your community.
Provide a punch card system, whether digital or with a physical card, that allows patrons to receive rewards after purchasing a certain number of entrees, drinks, or specialized items.
Use creative marketing to bring customers through your door. Then, provide a fun, happening environment, coupled with quality food, drinks, and service to keep them there all evening long.
Author Bio: Danita Horn is a Digital Marketing Analyst. In her free timem she enjoys reading, writing, yoga and DIY projects.