Make The Most of Black Friday at Your Restaurant

Black Friday is almost here - is your restaurant ready to profit off it?

People tend to think of retail shops when it comes to Black Friday, but the important thing to remember is that there are going to be a lot of hungry shoppers running around town. No matter your location, there are almost certainly shops nearby, and all the extra shoppers could easily turn into new customers for your restaurant. A smart operation is going to be looking to turn Black Friday to their advantage, and lure in as much extra foot traffic as possible while everyone is going on their shopping sprees.

How can you prepare for Black Friday? There are numerous options, but here are some we've seen in years past that seem especially effective.

Seven Great Ways for Restaurants to Capitalize On Black Friday

1 - Invest in new outdoor furniture

You want your restaurant to look as attractive as possible to diners who've never eaten there before, making it a great time to pick up some new patio furniture. Assuming the weather is nice, your deal-chasing diners are likely to enjoy being able to sit down and cool off outdoors, so better patio chairs, tables, and other outdoor furnishings will make your restaurant look much more appealing.

Plus, you'll probably be seeing extra traffic throughout December and the year-end holidays, so this is an investment that can pay off during some of your busiest weeks.

2 - Offer coupons or gift cards

This is a great time to make use of your customer email database. By offering them promotions directly, such as Black Friday specific coupons, you can put yourself in their head before they even set off to do their shopping.

If you want to get in on the Black Friday discount fun, offering in-shop discounts on your gift cards is another good option. Since most people view gift cards as equivalent to cash, even moderate discounts - like 10% off - will seem like a great deal.

3 - Leverage social media

Don't only rely on your customer database - get the word out online as well! Whatever promotions you run; they should be heavily promoted on your social media accounts. There should be a run-up to the actual Black Friday specials, but also make sure to include plenty of posts on the day of as well.

People will be checking their phones periodically, but there's no way of knowing when someone might look. Don't be afraid to 'spam' your feed with promotions on Black Friday - you want as many people as possible to learn about you.

4 - Alter your hours, if possible

Depending on your situation, staying open for 24+ hours straight across Thanksgiving and Black Friday could bring excellent results. A lot of shoppers are going to be camping out overnight or visiting shops that are opening up especially early in the morning. They aren't going to have too many dining options at 4 AM, so if you're there to fill that void, you could make a lot of extra money outside your standard hours.

5 - Offer genuine discounts

The volume of traffic you're potentially going to see will easily justify offering some substantial price cuts - particularly on items, such as alcoholic drinks, that you're probably selling for a premium most other days. We've seen restaurants do particularly well with cheap drinks for this reason.

Take a look at the shops around you and their likely customer base, to help decide which drinks will do best. Also, take the weather into account. If it's warm out, offer cheap iced drinks like margs. If it's going to be cold, make Hot Toddy’s your special.

Entree discounts can work as well but be prepared. You don't want to run out midway through the rush.

6 - Have to-go specials

You probably shouldn't assume that everyone is going to want to stop and eat a full lunch. Some shoppers are going to want easy-to-go options that they can grab in between shopping sprees. Look through your menu for the most convenient, or quick-to-prepare items, and put those on special for takeout orders.

7 - Prepare your staff

Your staff should be well-prepared for your Black Friday promotions, whatever they are. Everyone should be well informed on all specials and promotions and prepped to handle what is likely to be a very busy day. They must provide the best possible customer experience, no matter how full the restaurant gets, so emphasize the importance of great service.

You'll likely be pulling in some new business, so this is an excellent opportunity to really impress your newcomers.

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