Smart Marketing can help Restaurant operators

Restaurant operators are being forced to pass rising costs onto guests – but some smart marketing can make sure they still visit 

With restaurant operators being forced to raise menu prices by 8% on average, Access Hospitality decided to look at the potential impact on consumer behaviour and how businesses can still attract customers who are facing increasingly worrying rising living costs. 

Generating repeat custom from existing customers remains one of the most cost-effective ways to get more visitors through the doors. Afterall, it costs around five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one. 

Customers will be looking for more dining opportunities that feel like they offer value – and this is where getting to know your customer base will be very helpful. Kids eat free offers work well for family restaurants and allow businesses to offer a cost-effective limited menu to the kids, while the adults pay full price for their more substantial meals. Promoting this to families in the summer holidays is a great way to keep customers coming in the doors. A mid-week offer can help drive sales on your tougher days while making sure you keep costs to the business low with another limited option menu – think, ‘Taco Tuesdays’ or a regular curry night. A voucher offer to entice lapsed customers who haven’t visited for a while may seem counter-intuitive – but often getting the guests through the door is the tough part and a 10% off or free starter voucher may be the key to doing just that and encouraging additional sales once their in your venue. 

Access Hospitality’s guide ‘The biggest challenges facing restaurants in 2022…and how to tackle them’ explores all the ways technology is helping restaurant operators protect profit this summer and beyond.