Marketing is an essential part of managing and promoting your restaurant – after all, no one will take notice if you do not put yourself out there.
After marketing to Millennials and Boomers, promoting your loyalty program, and touting the benefits of your takeaway service, you may be at a loss as to what to do next.
Find Out How A Cloud-Based POS System Can Streamline Your Restaurant
However, there’s one critical aspect of your restaurant you have probably overlooked as a marketing tool that has been in your hands since day one: Your menu!
Words have power, especially when it comes to tantalizing the senses and tempting guests with juicy, succulent seared steaks and crisp, summery salads. When creating your menu do not phone it in when it comes to descriptions – even for the most basic of dishes.
Guests are more likely to order a dish with a vibrant description like “Smooth New York Style Cheesecake topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups on a traditional graham cracker crust”. If you have items that are made in-house or can be modified to accommodate special diets, be sure to mention that fact as well.
If your restaurant has a social media account (and let us be honest, it should), you need to be utilizing it to show off pictures of your plates.
“Food porn” is an extremely popular social media trend consisting of both staged and candid shots of beautiful dishes prepared by restaurants. By using photos of your incredible dishes, you can make your followers drool with envy and entice them in by posting regular pics of your dishes.
Take Advantage Of Brands, Both National & Local
Certified Black Angus Beef. Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses. Billy Goat Chips. Red Hot Riplets.
Name brands have power, and showing them off at your restaurant is a good way to market your menu’s quality.
When creating descriptions for your menu items, take advantage of mentioning brands to inspire confidence in guests that they are getting the best quality ingredients. If there are famous local brands, consider adding them to the menu, budget permitting, and showing off your support of the local community.
After all, your guests deserve the best.
Put Your Menu Online
More often than not, potential and even returning customers will look at your menu online before they visit to see what you offer and help them make an order decision. If your menu cannot be found online for guests to browse, many may decide to dine elsewhere simply based on the fact that your menu isn’t readily available.
Put your menu online on your website, Google Business account and other platforms like Yelp where it can be easily found and viewed. If you have a takeout menu, ensure it is accurate and easy to read and order from.
Cloud POS Can Help Market & Manage Your Menu
Cloud POS systems like Toast and MobileBytes can help you market and manage your menu by consolidating data like food costs and popular items to help you present the best menu possible. After all, why spend time promoting the fried pickles when no one bats an eye at them?
With information from your cloud POS system, you can nix these non-selling items and focus on more profitable dishes.
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