7 Practical Ideas to Drive Restaurant Sales During Slow Seasons

Every business faces low seasons at some point in time. It is completely natural. However, it’s what you do during this downtime that matters. Encountering slow seasons doesn’t mean you have to sit back and watch sales drop, just because you don’t know what to do. Or worse, you have the common misconception of so many other businessmen, “it will pass.” What if it doesn’t?

What if your revenue drops so low that you spend the next season growing, trying to settle debt or bounce back? You can still attract customers and boost your restaurant growth even in not-so-prosperous seasons. What you should not do, as a good business owner, is adopt a laid back attitude of acceptance. 

Want to drive restaurant sales during slow seasons? Gain the knowledge you need now, knowledge to help you, tips you can fall back on during the quieter months. Here are 7 practical ideas to drive restaurant sales during slow seasons and ensure your business stays active.

7 Ways To Drive Restaurant Sales During Slow Seasons

1. Launch Special Discounts and Promotions

Everyone loves feeling special, or at least, getting free items. Yes, including you that’s a restaurant owner. Getting an idea already? The irony of it is obvious, you’re going through a slow season and offering discounts. It’s true, however, it works. You’ll be surprised at the turn out. 

Customers love discounts and deals, especially when they’re feeling the pinch. Offering limited-time promotions can give people a reason to choose your restaurant over competitors. Some pointers to offering discounts are:

• Happy Hour Deals: You can introduce happy hour specials where customers get discounts on food or drinks during specific hours.
• Combo Offers: You can bundle popular dishes or drinks at a lower price to encourage group dining. What costs $5 for a beef burger can cost $8 for couples, or lovers' night.
• Loyalty Discounts: You can also give exclusive discounts to returning customers or those who sign up for your loyalty program to create more hype and buzz.

Another example is the “Buy One, Get One Free” scheme, you can make it a deal that can only be gotten on certain weekdays. It will definitely attract diners looking for value.

2. Host Events and Themed Nights

One of the most efficient ways to drive restaurant sales during slow seasons is hosting events or having themed nights. Let’s walk through it. Striving to bring life to your restaurant during slow seasons is not as hard as you think. Do not look at many that have tried and failed and tell you to just let it pass. Chances are, they didn’t even make any effort or they tried the wrong things.  

Well planned out events can create the excitement your restaurant sales needs, and attract customers looking for unique experiences. Here are some tips:

• Live Music Nights: You can hire local musicians to perform live music at your restaurant. If that is too expensive, create a section, where guests can come up and sing, like a karaoke, but not a karaoke. You could even charge for it. You get money, a live and funny band, and more attention. 
• Trivia Nights: You could even host trivia competitions with small prizes for winners. This encourages group visits and longer stays.
• Themed Nights: Organize special nights, like “Mexican Fiesta Mondays” or “Italian Pasta Thursdays,” or “Lovers’ Solo Nights.” It is all in the atmosphere and idea.

Themed events give customers a fun reason to visit, and word-of-mouth marketing can bring in even more people. Thank God for social media.

3. Partner with Local Businesses

Learn to collaborate with local businesses. If you’re trying to save cost, or trying to manage your restaurant sales during slow seasons, one way you can do this is to work with local businesses. This strategy can help you greatly to tap into new customer bases and drive traffic to your restaurant. Some ideas to do this are:

• Cross-Promotions: You can partner with local gyms, salons, or retail stores to offer discounts to their customers. For example, “Show your gym membership card and get 10% off lunch.”
• Work with Local Suppliers: Coincidentally, you can promote dishes made with local ingredients to attract eco-conscious customers. This is not for everyone of course, depending on your niche, this can be really helpful.
• Host Vendor Pop-Ups: You can also invite local artists, bakers, or crafters to display their products in your restaurant. Visibility for them, promotion and good publicity for your restaurant.

Partnering with other businesses benefits everyone involved, creating a win-win for attracting customers.

4. Offer Seasonal and Limited-Time Menus

People are drawn to new things. Create an idea of novelty, or a limited-time menu, and watch the way customers flock in. The advantage of this idea is that it creates a sense of urgency. Customers are more likely to visit when they feel they might miss out. Some ways to do this are:

• Seasonal Specials: Try to use seasonal ingredients to craft unique dishes, like pumpkin-based items in the fall.
• Holiday-Inspired Menus: You can have your designer design menus around specific holidays or celebrations. For example, offer a Valentine’s Day dinner package.
• Limited-Time Offers: You can introduce exclusive dishes or drinks for a short period.

These strategies not only boost restaurant sales but also encourage customers to return for new experiences.

5. Focus on Online Marketing and Social Media

Online marketing is a game-changer for driving restaurant sales during slow seasons.  How will people show up to your restaurant if said people don’t know about your deals or events? You need to venture all the more into online marketing, ads, influencer marketing, social media adverts, etc. It’s one thing to have a kick-ass event idea, it’s another to advertise it the right way.

If you’re asking yourself, how do I get people to show up to my restaurant events, or themed nights, it’s not so hard actually. Of course, it all depends on your budget. Here are a few ideas:

• Promote Offers Online: You can use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to advertise discounts, events, and special menus. You can also make use of popular influencers to speak about your event, or even pay a visit and talk about it.
• Engage with Followers: You could run contests, post user-generated content, and respond to reviews to keep your audience active. If you have a social media manager, well, this should be very easy for you.
• Use Paid Ads: Invest in targeted ads to promote your restaurant to people in your local area.

One more tip: In addition to all these, you can try posting mouthwatering photos of your limited-time dishes. It can entice people to stop by for a meal.

6. Introduce a Loyalty and Referral Program

Loyalty programs are excellent for encouraging repeat visits, especially during slow seasons. What is a loyalty program? It’s almost like “buy-one-get-one-free.” People love rewards, and they’re more likely to return when they see value. Here are some tips to do this:

• Loyalty Cards: In your restaurant, you can offer points for every visit or purchase. For example, “Buy 5 meals, get the 6th one free.”
• Referral Discounts: You can train your staff on ways to encourage customers to bring friends by offering a referral reward, like 10% off their next bill.
• Exclusive Member Offers: Lastly, you can provide loyalty programs to returning members, padded with exclusive access to deals and events.

These programs help to not only drive restaurant sales during slow seasons, but boost traffic and even build a loyal customer base.

7. Optimize Takeout and Delivery Options

Not everyone wants to dine in, especially during off-seasons. You can offer take-outs and delivery services to such customers. Offering seamless takeout and delivery services can help you capture those who prefer to eat at home. It is a great way to expand your restaurants’ reach, and drive sales. Some tips are:

• Partner with Delivery Platforms: You can work with apps like Uber Eats, Chowdeck, or Jumia Food to make ordering convenient, depending on your location and which is easier for you.
• Create Takeout Bundles: Your restaurant could offer family-size takeout packages or meal bundles at discounted prices. It encourages people to order for 6 instead of for 1.
• Promote Online Ordering: Amongst all these, don’t rule out the power of social media. Remember to advertise your delivery options on all your social media platforms and website.

You can ensure your customers enjoy your restaurant regardless of the season. It just takes knowledge, diligence, and a bit of planning.

Final Thoughts

It is not so difficult to enjoy a period of abundance during lack. You just need to plan for the time of lack. If you want to drive restaurant sales during slow seasons, you will need creativity, strategic planning, and consistent effort. These practical ideas discussed have been tried and proven to be true. You can keep your restaurant buzzing with customers year-round, yes, it is possible.

The key is to remain proactive. Use these practical ideas, track what works best for your restaurant, and adapt as needed. With the right approach, slow seasons will no longer feel like a burden but an opportunity to grow.

Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.

Bobby Unser

All images are sourced from pixabay