Carey Bringle, owner of Peg Leg Porker Restaurant, Bringle’s Smoking Oasis, Pig Star and Peg Leg Porker Bourbon & Lifestyle Brand.
Restaurants can face mixed customer turnout during the big end-of-year holidays. But even with the ups and downs that come with the season, consumers in the U.S. do often turn to restaurants during holidays. An online survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association in 2022 found that 77% of U.S. consumers planned to reduce stress tied to holiday chores by ordering from restaurants.
As restaurant and food business owners, that means we can trust that our customers are likely to visit us during seasonal holidays—good news for us. But the restaurant industry is rife with competition, even more so during the holidays. Being able to catch the attention of customers around any seasonal celebration can help boost foot traffic and sales for your restaurant.
That’s why mastering seasonal marketing is key.
Holiday seasonality in your restaurant marketing will not only provide your restaurant a competitive edge, but it will also connect you directly with existing and new customers during periods when they’re looking to celebrate and enjoy good food.
Here are a few tried and true tips on how to tailor your seasonal marketing for your restaurant.
1. Design limited-time holiday offers through your menu and events.
Holidays only happen once a year, providing the perfect opportunity to introduce limited-time offers. These offers should be directly tied to the holiday you’ve chosen to market toward and can be offered through your menu and special events. Limited-time offers can range from food items like a drink special that’s only on the menu for Valentine’s Day to a themed night for New Year’s Eve.
The key thing to understand about limited-time offers is that they work to generate both buzz and demand. Because they’re only available for a certain amount of time, your customers will naturally feel excited about them and feel inclined to participate in the offers before they end. A 2023 report by Circana found that 91% of consumers reported that they are more likely to visit a food service chain if they provide limited-time offers or new items. This data shows us that these types of offers are a major benefit for seasonal marketing—where the sense of a time limit is naturally baked in.
Approach your limited-time holiday offers strategically. Think about what would appeal most to your audience.
2. Plan seasonal promotions appropriate to relevant holidays.
Luckily for restaurant owners, there’s a wide range of holidays spread throughout the year that you can use to your marketing advantage. Seasonal marketing doesn’t have to be restricted to only the big holiday season at the end of each year, which gives you lots of freedom in how to approach holidays that resonate with you and your customers. For example, consider two spring holidays: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
These are two seasonal holidays that are very family-centered—where parents and kids celebrate time together, often by grabbing a special meal. Consider offering special breakfast or dinner experiences tailored to both days or a discount on meals for parents in particular. These are two seasonal promotions that target a specific customer segment among your existing audience and can be an extremely appealing way to get them in the door.
Many local lifestyle publications also publish round-ups of businesses offering specials for holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend and more. Participating in this type of seasonal marketing may also afford you organic PR opportunities.
3. Embrace digital marketing fully for seasonal campaigns.
Running a seasonal marketing campaign shouldn’t stop at your restaurant’s front door. Most restaurants have a website and social media, which makes it easier than ever to connect with existing and new customers. For my flagship restaurant, Peg Leg Porker, I’ve gone all in with a user-friendly website and accounts on several popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Your digital footprint is not something to overlook as you plan out seasonal marketing campaigns.
Most people in the United States use social media. A 2023 report by PYMNTS found that 37% of diners surveyed searched for restaurant information on restaurant social media pages. So when it comes to seasonal campaigns, it’s crucial to embrace digital marketing. This can be done in a few different ways. For example, you can set up organic social media campaigns, advertise limited-time offers on your website, and capitalize on trending holiday keywords and topics both on social media and in search engines.
Using trending keywords and topics can help drive traffic to both your website and your social media. For example, I capitalized on the trending topic of Christmas on Instagram in December 2024 to help promote a seasonal event at my spirits tasting room. I used relevant keywords like “Santa,” “jingle” and “December” in the caption and included a Christmas-themed photo. Your business’s digital footprint offers your restaurant a direct connection with your customers throughout the entirety of your seasonal campaign—no matter the time of year you’re running it.
Ultimately, seasonal marketing campaigns are a crucial element to any restaurant’s success. To get the most out of them, restaurants should be planning holiday promotions loosely at least a year ahead. Every quarter, start getting more specific in your marketing planning and have a solid outline with details ready to go a month before the holiday itself. Planning will improve your marketing and help you better connect with your customers.
Remember, as a restaurant owner, you know your customer base and the kinds of holidays and seasonal promotions that will hit just right. Utilize this knowledge to your advantage.
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