Restaurant Owners: Do THIS to Increase Sales on Slow Days

Summary

This video reveals seven powerful strategies for boosting restaurant sales on traditionally slow days like Mondays and Tuesdays. The key tactics include promoting direct catering services to corporate clients, offering special discounts like Taco Tuesday or Wine Wednesday, and automating email and push notifications for timely promotions. Additionally, text message marketing, live music nights, and game events like Bingo can engage customers and drive traffic. The video showcases real examples of restaurants successfully implementing these strategies to increase sales and build customer loyalty during slow periods.

Takeaways

• 😀 Direct catering business can be a powerful sales driver, especially on slow days like Mondays and Tuesdays, with higher profit margins and lower labor costs compared to individual orders.
• 😀 Promoting your own catering business via a strong online ordering system and offering incentives (e.g., loyalty points, free samples) can help drive direct sales instead of relying on third-party platforms.
• 😀 Offering special deals on slow days (e.g., Taco Tuesday) increases customer engagement and boosts sales by making your restaurant's offerings feel relevant and timely.
• 😀 Slow-day specials, like Taco Tuesday, can raise sales by up to $1,500 per day, especially when the chosen dish has a high margin and low food cost.
• 😀 Automating email campaigns to promote slow-day specials ensures timely and relevant communication without requiring constant manual effort, making it easier to drive sales.
• 😀 Push notifications are more effective than emails, with 50% of messages seen within 10 minutes, driving higher engagement for promotions like Taco Tuesday.
• 😀 Text message marketing, offering special deals like free delivery on slower days, can increase sales and strengthen customer loyalty, particularly when targeting repeat customers.
• 😀 Live music events, such as hosting a mariachi band on Mondays, can create a unique and lively dining experience, attracting customers and building social media buzz.
• 😀 Partnering with local musicians for live music events can provide entertainment at no cost, benefiting both the restaurant and the artists, especially in cities with a vibrant local music scene.
• 😀 Hosting game nights (e.g., Bingo) can turn slow days into social events, building community engagement and attracting a crowd looking for fun activities to enjoy with food.
• 😀 Incorporating creative promotions like game nights or live music into slow days creates memorable experiences, improving customer retention and turning off-peak times into profitable periods.

Q & A

Why are Mondays and Tuesdays typically the slowest days for restaurants?

Mondays and Tuesdays are slow because many customers are recovering from the weekend or are focused on work and other commitments. These days also coincide with corporate catering orders, which makes the restaurant business less busy on the restaurant floor.

What makes catering orders more profitable for restaurants compared to individual orders?

Catering orders are twice as profitable because they save on labor costs—preparing bulk orders is less time-intensive and requires less effort than making individual orders.

What strategy does Mike Klock use to promote his catering business?

Mike Klock promotes his catering business by creating a strong online ordering system that allows customers to place catering orders directly on his website. He also promotes to local corporations by offering incentives like free sample orders, gift cards, and loyalty points for administrators who order through his system.

How does Mike Klock's catering website rank highly in Google searches?

Mike’s website is optimized for search engines, ranking highly for relevant catering keywords like 'large tray of salad in Manhattan Beach'. This SEO optimization drives more catering orders directly to his website.

How does Omar from Talk and Tacos use Taco Tuesday to boost sales?

Omar promotes Taco Tuesday with a 20% discount on taco dishes, which he advertises through social media and email marketing. This promotion increases sales by $1,500 each Tuesday, and tacos are a high-margin, low-food-cost item, making the discount still profitable.

Why is email automation important for restaurant marketing?

Email automation allows restaurants to remind customers of specials and promotions without having to manually send emails each time. This helps keep customers engaged and ensures they don't forget about deals like Taco Tuesday, which increases sales efficiently.

What is the advantage of using push notifications for restaurant marketing?

Push notifications have a higher engagement rate than emails. They are seen within 10 minutes of being sent and have a 5 times higher click-through rate. This makes them an effective way to remind customers of promotions, like Taco Tuesday, and drive sales.

How did Tim Marshibl from Doah Diner use text message marketing to increase sales?

Tim Marshibl used text message marketing to offer a limited-time free delivery promotion to regular customers. This simple and direct approach drove an additional $1,000 in online sales each week.

What is the benefit of hosting live music events like Mariachi Mondays?

Live music events, like Mariachi Mondays, create a unique atmosphere that attracts customers even on slow days. The music also generates buzz on social media and can draw in new customers, especially when local musicians perform for tips.

How do game nights, such as bingo, help restaurants fill up slow days?

Game nights encourage social interaction and provide entertainment for customers. Events like bingo can attract community members looking for engaging activities on slow nights. These events help increase foot traffic and sales while fostering a sense of community.