To many, Valentine's day is a product of consumer society. But for you, restaurateurs, it's the perfect opportunity to attract guests, provide them with an unforgettable experience, and bring them back all year long.
So here are some tips to turn Valentine's day into an exciting occasion to please your customers and try to capture them for life.
Let your imagination take the kitchen! What's Valentine day without a Valentine's day menu? In short, let your imagination cook and give amusing name tags to your masterpieces!
What about a Red menu made of tomato soup as an entree, beef tartar as a main course and strawberries for dessert? Of course, the courses would be accompanied with red martini and red wine.
Extra tip: You can be creative with the menu but don't take big risks. You can remix your signature dishes that people would undoubtedly love and come back for.
Delight customer with original names on the theme of the best love stories. For instance, rename the wine list "Gone with the wine", rename your cocktails ( "Vodkasablanca" , "Pretty Whisky"...)...
Mission: Seduction. Start wooing customers as soon as you can! Invade social networks, invite yourself in their inboxes, communicate on your website, share photos of what is expecting the customers and pictures of the upcoming decorations. There are many ways for you to be a buzz: Run promotions, promise a surprise, give your customers a list of clues, offer a bottle of your best wine to the customer who would have guessed it...
The aim is to make sure you're their choice for Valentine's day!
Coach your Cupids: The service must be impeccable, graceful and discreet. Make sure your servers are educated and motivated (for instance, the top wine seller gets a reward). You can also identify the one who promotes best alcohol and ask them to coach the others and give them some tips.
Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere! Stand out from your peers and create the best Love nest ever! Everything in your restaurant should be about romance : candles, warm colors, rose petals, a team disguised in Cupid...
Add a special touch: a singer would be an excellent idea, you can invite customers to choose the songs they'd like to hear and even design a love songs playlist from which they would make their choice.
In all cases, to drive people in your restaurant, your actions must be well planned and promoted. Don't hesitate to announce them through various channels: website, social networks or even with printed materials and ads in front of your restaurants for passers to see.
Charm them, captivate them! And fast please!
A tailored welcome. Go above and beyond to make your guests feel special, unique. Address them using their last name, personalize the tables with their names written on little cards or with rose petals, send out a glass of champagne upon arrival. If customers booked in advance, ask them their favourite dessert and revisit it! They will appreciate the attention!
Romance to go Please! If your restaurant is full.... Well congratulations !! But you can also make the most of this success by offering take-away Valentine's day menus for couples to enjoy both intimacy and your fabulous meals!
Open a lonely hearts club. Valentine's day can be a nightmare for single people so why not throwing an Anti-Valentine's day party? Celebrate freedom, again, play with the name tags ( "Serial dater", "Tinder is the night" , "The break up" cocktails), forbid pink or red clothing, throw a girls' night party or boys' night party, serve comfort food... Be playful, fun and engaging! Be different!
We hope you found inspiring tips for creating the best experience possible.
Your customer’s date may not be the start of a long term relationship with their guest but it could be the start of a long lasting relationship with you!
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