Quick & easy discount promotions for restaurants

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Countdown promotion

Another winner with groups

Quick & Easy Discount Promotions

40%

30%

20%

10%

Off your

food bill

tonight!

Tonight’s

Special

offer

If you track your weekly spend patterns and notice a lull in sales at the beginning of the week, try this countdown promotion, particularly popular with local groups who eat out, such as chambers of commerce, ladies’ dining clubs and local businesses.

Try opening on your quietest night e.g. Monday, with a discount offer of, say, 30% on menu prices (food only). Then on Tuesday reduce it to 20% and Wednesday 10%. You could even start on Sunday with 50% discount, running down to 10% on Thursdays if your restaurant is typically a weekend venue. The increase in trade on those normally-quiet nights will pay for itself in extra revenue. It’s also a chance for you run down stock and keep your restaurant in the spotlight at the beginning of the week.

Business lunch for £5.95

Tempt the workers with an offer they can’t refuse.

This promotion is aimed at winning over those on a tight budget who usually bring their own sandwiches to work. Price and speed of service are the key requirements here, so aim to serve meals within ten minutes of arrival. Offer a selection of simple but substantial lunches that can either be prepared beforehand or made and served quickly on the spot . A menu with five choices should be sufficient. Include a salad, a baguette with chips, a small meat/fish dish with vegetables and a vegetarian option. Put bread and water on the table as soon as customers are seated and offer a glass of house wine, soft drink or half a pint of draft beer to keep them happy during the short wait.

The lunch hour is supposed to be a relaxing break so serve the meal promptly without creating a feeling of being rushed and seat business customers away from noisy groups or tables with children.

Anything off the menu for £5

A classic way to clear out the fridge on a Sunday

The idea of of this promotion is to get customers into your restaurant whilst dramatically reducing food wastage. An ideal offer to run at the end of a busy period when the lull is about to set in. Let customers choose anything from the menu for £5 per item. Few will be able to manage two main courses, but many could eat two starters. When you run out of something, you run out, so customers after bargains like monkfish or prawns will have to come in earlier.

The average spend with this promo is about £15 a head. The cost of the most items on the average menu is less than £5, especially starters and desserts, so you’ll still make a small profit - better than having to throw food away and it gets people into your venue.

Free Meal for the Organiser (parties of 8+)

A great incentive to attract groups to your venue

Small clubs, associations & societies as well as extended families are often on the look-out for a friendly restaurant where they can meet for a meal. An offer where the organiser eats free provides an attractive incentive for them to choose your venue. Contact captains, treasurers, secretaries of clubs and societies and mention that if 8 or more of their group dine on specified nights, the organiser can eat free. It’s a good way of getting at least eight new customers into your restaurant, each of whom might come back with their partner or family at a later date (for more ideas about marketing to groups see our feature on Local Interest Groups.

*** 3 courses for the price of 2 ***

An old favourite that brings results

Buy a starter and a main course
and get dessert
FREE !

Customise as you wish but we recommend that diners are required to at least buy a main course when taking advantage of this special. Those who usually order only a main course are usually attracted by this offer as it gives them an excuse to try something new. Not only does it increase spend per head, it also encourage customers to stay longer and maybe have another drink or coffee.