Developing a lunch crowd can increase profits and help build your brand.
Do you serve lunch at your restaurant? If not? Why not? Almost 50% of America’s workforce buy their lunch, spending an average of $47 a week. Lunch can be a great way to drive revenue – and profits!!!
In 2015, American’s spent an average of $2,746.00 a year, lunching out. According to the same data, men spent 60% more than women on lunch, with males going out more and spending more.
With people eager to get out for almost any occasion, making lunch special at your establishment can give your customers one more reason to eat out. Ready to turn your restaurant into a lunchtime hotspot? Let’s get started building a lunch crowd for your restaurant.
Create a Fun Promotion Around Your Brand
Are you a bar that does a great weekend and dinner crowd? Why not offer a midday drink special? If alcohol isn’t an option, do the same thing with a food item. Like the classic Lunch Combo, where customers pick two items from the menu. Whatever you do, make it fun, make it affordable and inviting.
Tell People It’s Lunchtime
Once you develop a lunchtime promotion, you’ll need to market it. Visit your local printer and get promotional flyers printed with the details – “Bring in This Flyer for 10% Off Lunch.” Now staple the flyer (don’t place it in the bag, as it’s likely to be thrown away) to every takeout or delivery order that leaves your store.
One of the best and cheapest ways to market your restaurant is to market it yourself. Make promo cards or flyers and distribute them with your orders.
Launch a Reward or Loyalty Plan
Make it rewarding to visit your establishment. Rewarding customers is easy to do and can go a long way to incentivize diners to return. Don’t have a loyalty app? You can use something as simple and basic as a punch card to get a program going.
Reward customers with a free one after the purchase of 10. Give a free meal or side to a customer on their birthday. Show you care and appreciate customer loyalty!
Prix Fixe Pickups & Speedy Specials
Creating a prix fixe meal can help attract a more higher income crowd. Plus a streamlined option gives the kitchen the ability to focus on quality and timing, instead of juggling an entire menu of items.
Customers who visit on their lunch break are often on a set schedule and need to be serviced and fed quickly. The prix fixe gives diners a quick in and out option – and when you add a mobile payment or pay-at-table POS to the mix, customers don’t have to spend the meal watching the clock.
The Coupon Crowd
80% of diners pick a restaurant based on what discounts they have for it. If you have a customer mailing list, use it to send coupons to customers for a lunch discount! Offer a free appetizer or desert. You’d be amazed at the amount of customers a coupon can help bring in!
If you’re looking to turn new customers into regulars, a good lunch promotion can help. Focus on keeping your promotion simple and straightforward. Get out the message and commit to the promotion for at least a month.
Need help creating a lunch promotion that turns your establishment into a noontime dining destination? EyeSpy can help with restaurant operational development. And count us in for two lunch combos – hold the pickles.
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