Let’s discuss parties! The festive season seems like a good time to do this.  But like dogs, parties aren’t just for Christmas.  Parties bring in lots of customers, of course, but here I want to talk about how to market parties for the maximum benefit of your restaurant.

Parties make you happy

Parties are very profitable. You get a lot of people into your restaurant and more diners’ means more total profit. Bigger groups are cheaper to service per diner – one order, one service, several repeat dishes – so profits per diner are also bigger. Parties happen in addition to your regular diners, so you get more customers. In short, parties are happy events. You want more of them.

Market parties to your regulars

Regular customers who know and love your restaurant are most likely to book parties and bring in other diners. When customers join your Gold Club or loyalty programme, make sure to ask them for their birthday so that you have their permission to email them about coming to your restaurant for their birthday. This is a great opportunity for you to tell them about your restaurant.  Make sure to email your Gold Club members about any other party times such as Christmas, office parties, stag and hen parties, or sporting events taking place near your restaurant. In addition to email however, you should also promote your party packages on the Internet and your Facebook page.

Market your restaurant to your party go-ers

Parties consist of all kinds of people, many of whom won’t have been to your restaurant before. If they enjoy the occasion they will want to come back. Now is a good time to get them to become regulars by joining your Gold Club.

Hot Tip: You may want to distirbute promotional cards at your parties so that your new customers have a reason to join your Gold Club.

All the best for the holiday season.