Growing Your Restaurant\’s Patronage Through The End Of Summer

Restaurant owners have had it rough in 2020. The coronavirus pandemic made it so that doors had to be shut for months on end. Now that most of the country has entered Phase 3 of the reopening plan, many restaurateurs are offering indoor dining experiences for the first time this summer. If you’re now allowing people to eat in your dining room, you may have to put a little extra effort into encouraging them to try it out.

What can you do to grow your restaurant\’s patronage through the end of summer?  

Highlight special menu items in your marketing.

Summer is a time when people love to hang out with family members and friends. Restaurants, of course, often play host to such get-togethers. People love to relax in fun atmospheres. However, they also like to enjoy tasty dishes they can’t make on their own. Special menu items that are only available during summer often draw a lot of attention. They add to the “fun” aspect of dining out. Be sure to promote the limited time, unique items on your menu.

“Summer is a great time to market local produce such as strawberries, tomatoes, arugula, salad greens, peaches, bell peppers, squash, zucchini and fresh herbs,” points out Michael Elkins on Waiterio.com, “Create fresh dishes daily based on what\’s available at the local farmer\’s market. Show your creative flair by churning out gallons of homemade ice cream in fabulous flavors using local fruit.”

Post pictures of your colourful and refreshing drinks online.

There’s nothing quite like a refreshing beverage on a hot summer day. Flood your restaurant’s social media accounts with vivid photos of all the wonderful drinks you have available. The more colourful the drinks, the better! It’s no secret that posting photos online is a popular pastime and one that often garners a lot of attention.

“Your Facebook page and website are the best places to features your summer-friendly flavoured lemonades, seasonal cocktails, iced coffee concoctions & fun kids’ drinks!” says RestaurantEngine.com, “What are the three key ingredients for irresistible summer sippers? Fruit, ice and colour.”

Offer online ordering.

If you haven’t yet begun to allow your customers to place orders online, you’re missing out on a huge revenue stream. Online food ordering was popular before the pandemic started. These days, it’s more popular than ever! Make sure your website is equipped with an online ordering tool that enables people to select whatever they wish to eat for takeout.

“Being prepared to receive take-out orders, and to execute them smoothly, can make or break a restaurant’s bottom line, especially in the busy summer months,” insists RestaurantEngine.com, “When someone calls in a large sandwich order, and your assistant manager is writing down each sandwich’s specific ingredients, not only does it take precious time and attention from the floor, there is a lot of room for error.”

Make paying for meals easy and convenient for customers.

At Canadian POS, we proudly offer Canadian restaurant owners the Poynt Smart Terminal. It’s a revolutionary wireless terminal that makes paying a restaurant bill easier than ever! For more information, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or email us at info@localhost.