3 More Ways To Draw Holiday Visitors To Your Restaurant

In our last blog, we listed a number of ways that restaurant owners can prepare themselves for the quickly-approaching holiday season. Most restaurants experience spikes in business much the same way retailers do during the Christmas shopping rush. We pointed out that a large reason for that is because of the number of holiday parties that often take place at restaurants. Our last blog outlined a few ways that restaurant owners can cater to the business holiday party.

Of course, restaurants are also popular go-to destinations for families and friends. And with so many restaurants to choose from, it’s wise to provide incentives for people to choose your restaurant over all the others. According to Elizabeth Kraus on Kabbage.com, “it’s vital for restaurants to put together a holiday marketing plan to help them make the most out of the season.” So what can you do to encourage new customers to eat at your restaurant this holiday season?

Here are three more ways:

1. Make sure your website is mobile friendly. It’s no secret that people enjoy shopping online. And it should come as no surprise that people enjoy researching restaurants before they decide on which one to visit. These days, dining experiences often begin online. Mouth-watering pictures of your most popular dishes would be excellent inclusions on your website. But it’s a must that your website can be easily viewed on smartphones.

“When you consider that about one-third of all mobile searches are for restaurants, and that about 80 percent of those searches convert – most within an hour – the importance of having a mobile-friendly restaurant website is readily apparent,” insists Kraus, “To reap the benefits of these mobile searches, make sure your restaurant is mobile friendly, offers click-to-call functionality and makes it as easy as possible for site visitors to find your phone number, address, menu and hours of operation.”

2. Create a seasonal menu. Most people really love the holiday season. So, anything with a holiday theme is bound to catch the attention of those who really enjoy getting into the spirit of the season. You don’t even necessarily have to change the items on your menu. But it would be wise to add holiday-themed names (and prices) to a new seasonal menu in order to incentivize more people to walk through your doors.

“Seasonal drinks, from pumpkin lattes to spiked hot chocolates, are a perfect add-on to any order,” suggests Cheryl Parsons on RewardsNetwork.com, “They are on trend, they look good and they smell good – be sure your servers know to mention they are only around for a limited time and there is visible signage in the restaurant.”

3. Be sure to have gift cards available for sale. Don’t forget that one of the best aspects of the holiday season is the fact that you have chances to welcome new customers long after the holidays are over. By selling gift cards, you allow for the food in your restaurant to become gifts to many a gift-recipient this holiday season. “This is the time to advertise gift cards – they make a great gift, they pull in new customers for you, and they increase spend at the time of purchase,” says Parsons.

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