Valentine’s Day is the second-most popular day to dine out in America, with around 70 million people heading to a restaurant on February 14 and Americans spending over 18 billion dollars for the holiday. With these statistics, Valentine’s Day offers plenty of rewards for restaurateurs. To grab a chunk of the billions being spent this Valentine’s Day, try one of these Valentine’s Day ideas for your restaurant.
- Come Up With a Theme
Most restaurants will stick with an expected “Love” theme for Valentine’s Day. This can be great if you step outside the box. Try and do something more unique! Design your food to promote love, make them Instagram worthy or present items in a way that your customers will remember. Some ideas can include using red or pastel colors, creating heart shaped entrees or adding aphrodisiacs like oysters or chocolate covered strawberries to your menu.
- Advertise Your Specials Online via Social Media
When it comes to holidays, your online presence could help you stay one step ahead of your competition. Holidays like Valentine’s Day are the perfect way to raise awareness for your restaurants’ social media accounts, offers and website. Regardless if you’re marketing to your normal customers or trying to attract new ones, providing something trendy and romantic to get the word out about your Valentine’s Day specials is a great way to attract buzz. Since Valentine’s Day is such a popular night for dining out, many potential customers will want to see what’s going on at your restaurant and get a feel for what the evening may be like. This is your chance to showcase what you plan to have going on, and attract all those potential customers.
- Create a Romantic Atmosphere
Valentine’s Day is one of those holiday’s where you should put your A game forward. If this night is memorable for your customers, they will come back, tell their friends and spread the word about your business. Encourage your employees to show some extra love to your customers and make them feel especially welcome. Create an ambience with the right music selection, soft lighting, or flowers. Another idea to consider, is to offer the couple celebrating a little gift, like a rose, heart shaped chocolate or a free glass of Champagne.
- Consider a Prix Fixe Menu
The last thing you want on Valentine’s Day is your kitchen to be overwhelmed with a variety of orders. Operators may want to consider setting up a prix fixe aka fixed price menu. This prix fixe system gives the restaurant owner a much clearer forecast of the price per head, the preparations needed ahead of time and the amounts of food to order.
Valentine’s Day is just two weeks away! Start preparing for the special day and sign up for our newsletter for more restaurant tips.
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