Seizing the Summer: Great Ways Restaurants Can Attract Customers

 

Summer is the season where the days are long, the sun shines, and the heat has people throughout the city wanting to dine with as much comfort and safety as possible. This is the season where everyone from wide-eyed tourists to seasoned New Yorkers are walking about and enjoying what the Big Apple has to offer. It is also one of the busiest times of the year for restaurants. Restaurants with even the most stellar reputation for food and service can still end up not drawing in diners because of the influx of competition. It’s the season for dining out and there are countless strategies restaurants can employ to increase the traffic to their establishments. Luckily, we’ve gathered some great advice and brainstormed simple ways for your restaurant attract new diners this summer, and all year round.

 

Offer Outdoor Dining Experiences

One of the most popular strategies utilized by restaurants during the summer months is outdoor seating. Be it on the sidewalk, in the back courtyard, or even up on the roof, something about eating outside in the Summer holds a massive appear. According to foodnewsfeed.com, “By leveraging skyline views, waterfront vistas, sunsets, people watching, and more, outdoor dining can offer a sense of time, place, and wonder that even the most intriguing indoor spaces cannot. By bringing socialization outside and drawing positive attention to the establishment, outdoor spots can also add value to a restaurant by increasing the seating capacity and boosting revenue potential.” Something as simple as offering outdoor seating options can instantly attract diners that are looking for more than just a delicious meal, but a dining and social experience complimented by an outdoor ambiance. 

Summer is the time when everyone wants to hang out and dine out and barring the occasional rapid thunderstorm, outdoor seating is a great way for restaurants to showcase their summer menus, provide a social ambiance, and keep customers for much longer. You can even benefit from extending outdoor seating into the beginning of the crisp fall season for an extra attraction of diners who are seeking that outdoor dining experience all while enjoying the refreshing change of season.

 

Having a Social Media Presence 

These days, everything good or bad about a restaurant ends up disseminated into social media, so it would be wise for restaurants to cultivate their own social media presence. It’s a great way to catch the attention of potential diners who are pouring through their phones to find that perfect place to stop and eat. Social Media has become one of the primary tools that Millenials and others use to figure out which restaurants they should visit. 

As explained on pourmybeer.com, “Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow restaurants to engage with their customer base and build loyalty for free. Millennials spend six to seven hours a week checking in on social media, and 44% of generation Z check their feeds at least once every hour”. What does this mean for you? Having a lack of social media presence could potentially cost you when it comes to attracting new diners and steady traffic. If your restaurant has no social media presence, you’re leaving a crucial marketing tool off the table.” It’s all about making the right connection with customers, and using social media is one of the best ways to increase traffic this summer. 

 

Having the Right Ambiance is Key

Is your restaurant photo ready? From vibrant wall patterns and colors, complimenting music, exciting decor, tiled floors with eye-catching patterns, and photo-worthy tabletop, diners are attracted to more than just an enticing menu. Tying into the social media presence, one of the best ways restaurants can make a lasting impression of diners is by having an ambiance that not only puts people at ease when they are dining, but makes them want to take tons of pictures to share with everyone else and spread the word. According to pourmybeer.com “An astonishing 69% of Millennials take a photo or video of their food before they chow down, and many of those end up on Instagram. If you’re not giving your younger customers an “Instagrammable” experience, they’re likely to go elsewhere in search of a more aesthetically appealing experience.” 

Ambiance has always mattered, but in this age of camera phones and things going viral in the blink of an eye, restaurants would benefit greatly in busy seasons like summer by making sure that everything feels good and inviting, not just what is served on a plate. The restaurants with the best overall dining experiences come out on top. 

 

Taking Full Advantage of the Summer Weather with Seasonal Drinks 

 

Just like in winter where restaurants come out with drinks like hot apple cider, cinnamon infused hot chocolate, and a near endless variety of winter themed coffee creations, summer comes with countless opportunities to create a drink menu to pair perfectly with fresh dishes. One of the top trending drinks that is making a splash this summer is sorbet tea. According to theforkmanager.com, iced teas are already a staple of July and August, but they have been elevated to pique summer perfection by having a generous scoop of luxurious and velvety sorbet plopped right in. Now instead of plain old ice, diners can get spoonfuls of sorbet along-side each heavenly sip of iced tea on those hot summer days, and even hotter nights.

Another summer drink that is really versatile is the summer sangria. According to theforkmanager.com “Sangria is a summer classic containing the perfect combination of wine, fruit and ice for a refreshing summer drink. In 2018, sangria has been given a fresh twist with new fruits, liquors, herbs and other ingredients, giving sangria lovers something new to think about.” This summer restaurants can have an added edge with new and exciting summer sangria’s, like mixing watermelon with sparkling rose, or having a medley of mango and rum, or a sangria with cinnamon, strawberry, and the deepest red wine. The mixing and matching might never end.  

 

Promotions and Offers 

Before there was social media, there were things like the yellow pages, handing out physical menus and ads, TV commercials, and word of mouth that restaurants used to promote themselves to the general. Now with the advent of social media, restaurants now have the added advantage of tools like Facebook, yelp, and Instagram, the opportunities have increased exponentially. Even if a restaurant has great outdoor seating, a wonderful ambiance, and a delicious food and drink menu, that alone may not be enough to get people into seats.

While social media presence and offers may seem like an extremely obvious way to boost traffic, it’s effectiveness is not to be overlooked. As described by upserve.com, “Seems basic, right? But you’ve got to let people know about your outdoor seating if you want them to come give it a try. Mentioning it specifically on your restaurant social media profiles such as Facebook, Yelp, or OpenTable pages is a good place to start. You can also include it in your newsletter, your latest ad (online or off), or with signage in and around your restaurant.” Promotion and exposure matters just as much today as it did back then, and with the world growing more and more tech-savvy, restaurant owners would do well to take advantage with Facebook alerts, Instagram updates, and emails. The HungerPass app is also a great tool to use for restaurants to gain additional exposure, all while offering a deal that works as an incentive to drive new diners into their establishment. 

 

The HungerPass Dining Club

Whether you’re looking to boost traffic for the remainder of the Summer, or all year round, restaurants have many options for how to increase the flow of diner traffic into their establishments. With competing restaurants, rent costs on the rise, and effectively understanding how to reach your target audience through marketing, attracting exisiting and new diners to your restaurant can be a hassle.

However, restaurants can easily join the HungerPass Dining Club to enjoy it’s many features, including an increase of diners during their off peak hours, and optimized online exposure. Restaurants that participate on the HungerPass app get to enjoy all of these benefits all for free. Yes, free! There is no cost for restaurants to be a part of the HungerPass Dining Club.  

When a restaurant becomes a member of the HungerPass’ dining club, the restaurant can predetermine a completely customizable and flexible discount schedule that can be adjusted to fit any restaurants needs. HungerPass promote restaurants on both it’s app and social media. With just the chime of an incoming notification, social media post, or newsletter, potential diners can know which restaurant has the best deals going on near them for the summer and beyond.

 

So what are you waiting for? Join the HungerPass Dining Club today. For frequently asked questions, please visit our FAQ page.