'Mums eat free' restaurant promotion

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Mums eat free

The objective of this promotion is to get families into your restaurant and make them want to come back. So, although there may be only a modest profit on the promotion itself, it’s an opportunity to show off your restaurant and what you have to offer.

Mums love the idea of a day off from the cooking and cleaning and the chance to relax with a glass of wine and a good meal prepared and served by somebody else. Make your venue a firm family favourite by recognising this.

Offer a limited menu featuring good home-cooked food. Include healthy options like fish and vegetarian dishes as mums are often watching their figures but don’t go too far - leave in a few decadent desserts - even Mums have their weaknesses! Make sure you offer a children’s menu.

You can choose whether or not to include a free drink for mum on top of the food and you’ll need to stipulate any restrictions, for example ‘applies to four or more adults dining’, ‘excludes beverages’ or ‘only one mum per table!’

This is one promotion where a little pampering goes a long way. Mums are usually too busy caring for everyone else to think of themselves so this is a chance to make them feel special. No need to go overboard, just a few subtle touches will do the trick - a decorative place name saying ‘mum’, a chocolate with coffee after the meal, a souvenir menu for mum to take home. Fresh flowers are always a winner too and don’t have to cost much. A couple of bunches of whatever’s in season from the local market or nearest garage, divided into small individual arrangements will do.

Make sure front of house staff ask which guest is ‘mum’ so that they can give her a warm welcome. Being attentive throughout the meal and making a point of saying goodbye and ‘come back soon’ costs nothing except a bit of effort and is a sure way to make mum feel appreciated.

Remember, the aim is to get people back so make sure guests know what else you’re offering. Show them your normal menu for future reference, point out your signature dish and how popular it is, tell them if you do an all-you-can-eat offer on Wednesday nights or a ‘parents night off’ on Fridays.

Run a prize draw for a box of chocolates and offer mum a free ticket in exchange for a contact e-mail or postal address so you can let the family know about future promotions.

Offer - the mother of the family eats free

Team up with local beauticians, nail parlours, fashion outlets, hairdressers, florists or health clubs and invite them to display a few of their brochures on a table in your dining room. Ask if they’d offer a small discount for a limited time to ladies presenting the souvenir menu or your restaurant business card. If this goes well, consider following this up with a joint marketing venture with one or more of them.

Instead of waiting for mum’s birthday or Mother’s Day, try this as a regular promotion