The coronavirus pandemic had caused tremendous damage to businesses. Some businesses temporarily closed, and unfortunately, few were permanently forced to shut down their doors.
Now that things are starting to go back to normal, restaurant operators should have a clear strategy in place to drive diners back now that establishments are finally reopening and could even accommodate dine-ins. Moreover, reopening is an excellent time for them to flex their marketing muscles.
Still unsure how to proceed? We’ve compiled a list of six brilliant tips for reopening your restaurant and achieving an increase in your sales.
Update Your Website to Include New Hours, Operations, Menus, and Other Information
Because handing out posters and brochures is a rather old-fashioned marketing method these days, especially when the pandemic is still causing people to fear, you’ll be able to reach numerous prospective customers in your neighborhood by going online. Start by providing a reopening announcement. The announcement could include a link to your new seasonal menus, revised hours of operation, how to make reservations, or a direct link to placing an order online for either pickup or delivery. Don’t forget as well, to ensure that you’ll be able to give information about your restaurant’s new dine-in regulations that they must follow.
Utilize Google My Business by Adding The Latest Information About Your Restaurant
If you run a restaurant and do not yet have a website, you can utilize Google My Business. Because you can access Google via mobile phones, potential customers may quickly discover your restaurant’s address, phone number, hours of operation, and other information on a tap. If you give all the necessary information, your customers will find it effortless to place orders with you. For those business owners who already have a Google My Business account, make sure it is up to date since you don’t want customers
Use Social Media as a Reopening Strategy
Social media is essential for maximizing and generating sales in the reopening of your restaurant. Managers should come up with a well-thought-out approach that will market all great eating experiences and menu options in an authentic, attention-grabbing manner. Of course, you should emphasize the health and safety protocols followed by the restaurant and crew. As well as what the establishment has done to protect its diners.
The known approach is to gather followers on your social media account and convert them into paying clients.
Invest for Professional Food Visuals
Customers can now view your menus while sitting in their very own homes; one should make sure that the pictures you share on your website or social media account are enticing enough. Potential clients of a pizza restaurant, for example, are enticed by photos of pizza with melting cheese and a perfectly cooked crust.
A post with photographs on your Facebook Page receives far more attention than a text-only one. Using Google images isn’t enough; you don’t want to disappoint customers with meals that fall short of their expectations. Hire expert photographers to assist you in creating excellent realistic images of your menus.
Create a Digital Rewards Program
Plastic punch cards do not work with the millennial generation today. Restaurant owners should create a digital rewards program for loyal clients that allows them to check in at each visit, collect prizes, and redeem prizes in a straightforward way. Apart from eliminating the need for clients to carry the cards physically, it is also cost advantageous for the business because it eliminates costly plastic printing expenses and upkeep.
It’s a win-win situation for the company and its clients. Your very own custom digital rewards program will allow you to use your clients’ information and remarket it in the future, unlike 3rd party marketplace programs that have limited access to clients’ information and are costly.
Sync Your Operations and Your Marketing
For your marketing plan to be effective, operations and marketing must work in tandem. It would be best to guarantee that the order-taking and order-fulfillment procedures correctly meet or exceed client expectations. At the same time, if your restaurants cater to phone orders, internet orders, and mobile orders, see to it that they are all operating correctly to guarantee order accuracy for carryout and delivery. It would help if you created a mechanism to handle many requests.
Your kitchen crew and front desk must communicate effectively. Your kitchen must be able to process orders while still delivering consistently excellent meals efficiently.
One thing is certain, though it may not be clear when this pandemic will end. It’s important to prepare your business for either partial or full reopening. Even with health and safety restrictions, it’s best to ensure that everything is ready so your tenants can come back as quickly as possible.
