Restaurants exist in a notoriously competitive industry. A steady stream of creative, targeted promotions can help attract new guests, fill tables during slow times, and build loyalty with your regulars. This list of proven strategies is a great place to start. As you read through it, keep in mind your niche, target audience, and where that audience gets their information.
Enact Restaurant Limited-Time Offers (LTOs)
Creating urgency is one of the oldest promotional tricks in the book because it works. A limited-time restaurant offer activates a person’s fear of missing out. It hooks them with an exciting event or experience they may never have the chance to try again. This could be a chef’s special, seasonal dish, themed cocktail, pop-up event, prix fixe offering, etc. Offers like these encourage diners to act fast. Promote your LTOs over social media, with in-store signage, and adding a countdown to your website or ordering page to drive conversions.
Host Restaurant Themed Nights
A restaurant theme night can include promotional ideas like Taco Tuesdays, No Corkage Wednesdays, Buy One, Get One (BOGO) nights, etc. They’re fun, hit different target audiences, and give guests a reason to choose your spot over competitors. They also bring people back every week; for example, a group of friends may meet on Wednesdays with their bottles of wine to take advantage of the no-corkage special. A family may come in every Tuesday to save money on dinner during Taco Tuesdays.
Consider cross-promoting with a local musician, trivia host, or community group to tap into new audiences.
Launch a Restaurant Loyalty Program
A well-designed restaurant loyalty program can keep customers coming back. Use punch cards, point-based apps, or digital rewards systems that integrate with your POS. Offers can include free menu items, discounts, or exclusive access to events.
Don’t leave this one for later—retaining a customer is easier (and cheaper) than finding a new one.
Partner with Local Businesses
Cross-promotion builds community while introducing your brand to new customers. Team up with nearby gyms, boutiques, breweries, or salons for bundled deals or mutual shoutouts. These can look like “buy a meal, get a discount at a local yoga studio,” and vice versa.
Create partnerships with local nonprofits as well. When locals know you’re giving back to the community, they feel more incentivized to support you as well.
Offer Happy Hour Specials
Don’t underestimate the power of a well-timed discount. Happy hour deals draw in early diners during a restaurant’s slow time, boost midweek sales, and increase bar tabs. Promote your happy hour across social media, your website, and your Google Business Profile to catch that “restaurants near me” crowd. Use location-based keywords like “best happy hour in North Tahoe” in your website copy and blog posts.
Celebrate ‘National Days’
National Pizza Day, National Margarita Day, National Cheeseburger Day—we promise, if it exists, there’s probably a day for it! Use these fun food holidays as low-cost promo opportunities. From a marketing perspective, you can create a special, host a giveaway, or launch a social media contest with a fun hashtag.
Leverage User-Generated Content
Potential customers love to know what current customers think! Encourage your guests to post about their meals, tag your restaurant, and leave reviews. Highlight their posts on your own social media to build trust and showcase real experiences. Incentivize it by offering a free appetizer or discount when customers show they posted or left a review.
Run Email-Exclusive Promotions
Your email list is gold! People signed up for it because they want to know what’s happening and when. Give them what they’re looking for—send out exclusive deals or early access offers to your subscribers, like first dibs on a new menu, invite-only tasting events, or birthday discounts. This makes people feel special and like they have a relationship with your restaurant.
Try Pop-Ups or Offsite Events
Take your restaurant on the road. A food stall at a local market, a collab dinner at another venue, or a pop-up bar can stir a buzz, reach new diners, and create content worth sharing. Yes, it does come with some extra work, but it’s a great way to get new customers.
Effective restaurant promotions are about creativity, consistency, and knowing your audience. Not every idea will work for every restaurant or every potential customer. Test new approaches and track the results; you’ll find what moves the needle for your business.
Need help managing promotions on your website or integrating your online ordering system with new campaigns? Let’s chat. We specialize in custom websites and marketing solutions built just for restaurants.
