Whether you’ve recently launched your food truck or a bar, or you’ve been operating for a few months. One challenge is learning how to boost restaurant sales. The US hotel business, where more than 50,000 new restaurants start each year, makes it difficult to retain clients.
You need efficient restaurant marketing techniques to distinguish yourself from the competition. The profit margin for your restaurant won’t increase on its own. You need innovative outreach concepts that resonate with actual people.
The classic happy Hour is one such technique. When your business would otherwise be slipping behind, this can produce significant revenues.
What is a Happy Hour? Let’s take a closer look.
After a long day at work, we all want to escape our daily problems by going somewhere else. “Happy Hour” is the ideal time to relax and socialize with friends and colleagues after a dull day at work. It is a special time in a restaurant when they offer discounts or promotions to attract customers and increase sales.
Many people worldwide now gather for drinks and a snack before dinner or other evening activities. In reality, Happy Hour is a treat and a good way to celebrate a work well done in our minds.
Happy Hour offers guests the ideal setting to relax with friends and coworkers while enjoying half-priced nachos and discounted drinks. It’s a win-win situation for restaurant owners because it increases customer flow, boosts POS orders, and raises profits.
Reasons Why Happy Hour Is Good for Your Restaurant
Boost Your Restaurant’s Downtime
Happy hours typically occur from 4 to 7 p.m., between the end of the workday and dinner. You should consider other slow periods to fill empty seats, even though you know these hours are profitable. You can test new dishes and offer discounts on smaller portions of popular dishes. This way, you can build relationships with both old and new customers.
Offering deals makes up to 60.5% of the money that restaurants make each week, even with discounts. The average bill during Happy Hour is $68.99, which is around $8 higher than regular time slots, according to Nielsen.
Increase Upsell Orders
It may seem unusual that lowering costs or offering promotions results in bigger tickets, but it does happen. Customers are more likely to spend money when they believe they are receiving a better deal or more for their money. You can offer upgrades, like letting guests pay a bit extra for enhanced flavor in their cheaper cocktails. Or the choice to pay a little bit more for an upgraded side than the happy hour price.
Build Customer Loyalty
Happy hours can create a loyal customer base that associates your brand with value and outstanding experiences. Continual promotions can win over customers. According to Harvard Business Review, if a company can retain 5% more clients, their earnings can increase by 25% to 95%.
Ways to Market Happy Hours
- Distribute flyers to promote Happy Hour Specials with delivery orders.
- Utilize the header space of your kiosk, POS, or any other device for prominent headlines highlighting Happy Hour offers.
- Optimize TV Menus within the restaurant and craft engaging designs for display.
- Leverage the power of Social Media.
- Tailor banner images to align with your Happy Hour marketing strategy.
- Maintain a consistent social media presence, incorporate relevant hashtags, share captivating high-quality imagery, and engage with comments and reviews.
If you have a modern restaurant management system, you can easily check if your happy hour plans are profitable. Happy hour is a great way to attract more customers and make more money during slow times of the day. You can have a social hour after work or offer discounts on drinks at night. And if you do it right, you’ll draw in new customers.
