10+ Spring holiday promotional ideas to help your restaurant business flourish

Here are a few holidays this season you can consider for a special celebration. Just remember the golden rule of any promotion: focus it on achieving a business goal. What are you trying to achieve, and how will you track it?

National Employee Appreciation Day (March 1)

We covered this in our other article, but it merits inclusion here as well. Did you know it costs companies 33% of a person’s salary to replace them? That’s why so many organizations celebrate Employee Appreciation Day—finding and retaining the right people can be expensive.

Help local companies think past free pizza in the break room. Employee appreciation can be a fantastic way for organizations to really shine, and for you to get in front of new customers.

• Coffee on us. Are you a quick-serve around the corner? Offer employees free coffee for the day, or better yet, breakfast! Offer to send out an email promotion using Clover’s Promos app.
• In-office catering. More and more companies are providing food for their employees. Be sure to explore special catering specials to provide healthy, interesting cuisine that will make the day special.
• Host a party. Have you considered renting out your space for special events? Encourage businesses to use your space to throw a cocktail or even a dinner party for their teams.

And while you’re at it… don’t forget to show appreciation for your own employees, especially after a busy rush period. Turnover can be one of your worst enemies and really eat away at profits. Take a task your employees like the least or that typically takes a long time, and do it for them. This might be things like cleaning out the grease traps or staying late to close up. Offer to do some of these things for them on occasion and give them a break. Here are some other suggestions for rewarding employees after the holiday rush.

National Pi Day (March 14)

Pi day is not just for mathematics fans and bakeries! (Although, if you are a bakery, offering pies at a discount is totally on point.)

Here are a few ways to celebrate pi day for all:

• Sponsor a social media contest. Look for customers who submit the best pi day story. Winner gets a freebie or deep discount.
• Host a taste-test. Have a taste test event and have customers vote on their favorite pi-inspired dish.
• Bring a few friends. Offer a special discount on larger dishes meant to be shared. Groups should be in a party of three or more to be eligible. After all, pi is 3.1415…
• Get creative with pricing. Offer a popular drink special with the price $3.14.
• Reward the nerds. Have servers quiz patrons on pi trivia and reward winners with free desert or an upgrade of services.

National Get to Know Your Customers Day (April 18)

Want to improve customer loyalty this year? Learn how to engage your customers by finding out what makes them tick. Clover apps like Feedback help you gather customer insights discreetly.

But don’t just ask your guests how you’re doing. Start a conversation. Whether using the app or chatting with customers ask open-ended questions like:

• What would make your mornings even better?
• What was your favorite desert as a kid?
• What’s your best memory in our restaurant?
• What are your favorite dishes to cook at home?
• If you could learn to make one thing from our menu, what would it be?
• Do you have friends you think would enjoy our cuisine?

Once you know what your guests like and want, you can offer them targeted promotions using Clover’s Promos app to inspire loyalty and repeat business. Here are more ideas on getting to know your customers.

Above All…

Don’t get overwhelmed by the possibilities. Choose one holiday, one promotion that sounds like it could work for your restaurant. Take the time to advertise it in advance and set up promotion tracking so you know how well you did. (Psst… here’s more advice on How to Run a Successful Promotion.)

Editorial Team

Full Service Restaurants (FSR), Holiday, Marketing, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

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