You need a continuous flow of guests to dine, but some seasons are just slow for business. In particular, the months from January to March often observe slower foot traffic and reduced sales, disrupting the rhythm of the otherwise bustling restaurant.
It’s essential to adopt a fresh perspective regarding the slow season to turn things around. While pulling in more guests is more difficult, you can take action. You have an opportunity to experiment, optimize, and try new strategies.
Let's dive into seven tips you can use to increase restaurant sales , mitigate slow-season hurdles, and set a new standard for your restaurant's year-round success.
Why no restaurant is immune to seasonality Seasonality, an inevitable part of the restaurant industry, impacts every business. These impacts can be good and bad.
These fluctuations affect your bottom line, be it summers with vacationing customers or greater demand around the holiday season. The time following the end-of-year holiday season often denotes a slowdown for restaurants. However, these dips don't mean gloom and doom but an opportunity to reimagine and rethink your strategies.
How restaurants can overcome slow season As great as peak seasonality is for revenue, it’s hard to ignore those times when sales decrease due to lower demand during the slow season. The good news is that you can take action and find new areas of opportunity. Here are several tips to consider if you want to overcome your restaurant’s slow season.
1. Boost visits with revamped loyalty program opportunities During the slow season, your most effective arsenal to combat the downturn is your loyal customer base and offering them more reasons to visit. But restaurants have it tough when it comes to retaining customers.
Restaurants, travel, and hospitality businesses have just a 55% retention rate . That’s 22% lower than the average compared to other industries.
One way to boost retention is to implement a loyalty program. According to a study published by Paytronix, quick- and full-service active loyalty programs generate an 18-30% increase in spend and visit frequency compared to non-loyalty members.
Knowing this, we can affirm that loyalty programs are proven to improve the guest experience and increase restaurant sales. If your restaurant still needs to get a loyalty program, now would be an excellent time to kickstart one. And if you already do, consider spicing it up during these months with exclusive offers for members, such as:
Double points during February Free dessert on every third visit Complimentary wine bottle for every referral Now’s the time to either get started or let your creativity fly when attracting your repeat customers.
2. Spark interest by exciting menu updates and specials One of the engaging aspects of running a restaurant is the thrill of introducing new dishes. Use this slump as an opportunity to spice things up. Let your culinary team's creativity shine by introducing seasonal specials or experimental dishes.
Incorporate dishes designed to ward off the winter chill, like steamy soups, spiced lattes, hot pot dishes, and more. Promote these new additions relentlessly on your social media channels, restaurant website, email newsletters, and all other marketing communications. This option captivates your regulars and attracts new food adventurers who delight in culinary explorations.
3. Broaden your reach through local community partnerships Coming together and supporting each other in difficult times is what community is all about.
Extend this mindset to your restaurant and form strategic partnerships with local businesses and professionals around your area. This includes creating friendships with local breweries, wineries, bakeries, artists, and musicians. When you feel comfortable partnering with another business, brainstorm ways to benefit through collaborative promotions and events.
For example, you can offer a discount on meals or a special dessert for customers who purchase from a neighboring business and vice versa. Such partnerships can cement your restaurant’s standing in the community and expose your business to countless new customers.
Collaboration is key, so remember that you want to help your partners as much as they want to help you.
4. Attract customers with special day and holiday promotions Every month presents new opportunities to create promotions around special days. The calendar has many holidays, observances, and unique days; tying your restaurant offerings with these days can yield positive results.
Here are just a few examples for inspiration:
Dinner, drink, and dessert special for two on Valentine’s Day Acknowledge active and retired military during Presidents' Day with a special discount Winter weekday discounts to elevate regular weekdays, offering deals on meals or happy hour pricing 5. Enhance visibility with online presence optimization In this digital age, ensure your restaurant stands out online. Ensure your restaurant's website is top-notch, easy to navigate, and updated regularly with your latest promotions and offerings.
Use this time wisely by becoming more active on social media channels. Some examples for boosting your social media tactics:
Sharing customer-generated content Behind-the-scenes looks New menu item teasers Responses to customer queries Utilize an email database for newsletters showcasing seasonal specials, upcoming events, or simply engaging restaurant stories.
More importantly, ensure your restaurant is listed on all popular restaurant review and recommendation sites, and encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews.
With a solid digital presence, your restaurant remains top of mind for your audience, even during the slower months.
6. Cater to coziness with delivery and take-out services To overcome the reality of harsh winter weather, consider attracting more business with delivery and takeout promotions during these colder months. Instead of fighting the odds to encourage customers to brave the chilly weather, bring the warmth and deliciousness of your restaurant right to their doorstep.
Offer delivery or curbside pick-up for your regular menu items and promote any winter specials. Consider creating special package deals for at-home dining experiences. This strategy allows you to reach customers in their preferred environment, and they'll appreciate that your restaurant ensures they enjoy meals in the comfort of their homes.
7. Break the mold with interactive customer experiences The pursuit of engaging customers is endless. However, introducing a unique aspect, such as an interactive experience, adds a fresh dimension to it.
Consider hosting exclusive cooking classes, where your head chef teaches a small group some signature recipes from your menu. Another idea is to offer fun activities like a "Dinner in the Dark" event, where guests experience a meal in darker lighting conditions than usual. Although it sounds strange, this experience will force them to rely more on their taste and smell.
Others, like wine-tasting evenings, mixology classes, open mic nights, or even specialty food and drink pairing sessions, can also make engaging, entertaining, and interactive customer experiences.
Unlocking the potential of quieter times Slow periods open up opportunities for greater efficiency and allow for fresh experimentation. Use this time to solidify operations, streamline workflows, and remove operational roadblocks.
This period is also ideal for examining your restaurant tech stack, and exploring new software and tools to automate processes and improve efficiency. Focusing on these areas can strengthen your restaurant and make it better equipped to handle peak seasons.
Successfully navigating the slow season requires seeing opportunities in challenges, a mindset willing to experiment, and a strategic management approach. By embracing the "off-peak" seasonality with such a perspective, you can reframe it into a period of substantial growth, innovation, opportunities, and, ultimately, profitability for your restaurant.
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