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The Evolution of Restaurant POS Systems: From Traditional to Modern Solutions
This blog will help you understand the evolution of restaurant POS software and how modern POS syste...
Read moreGift cards allow customers to make a purchase without worrying about deciding what they want. Studies show that 64% of customers entering a store will not buy an item because they are unsure what they want. It's no secret that restaurants are competing for COVID19 customers with COVID19 gift card marketing ideas. If you're interested in increasing sales during the COVID1 pandemic, we can be friends. This article will provide 15 restaurant card ideas, so you have everything you need for your next unique restaurant promotion idea meeting.
- How To Sell Restaurant Gift Cards: 10 Gift Ideas For Restaurant Lovers
- Promote it! Promote it
- Send Emails To Your Subscribers
- Encourage Customers To Self-Gifting
- Sell Gift Card Bundles
- Reward The Waitstaff For Promoting Your Gift Cards
- Come Up With Cross-Promotion With Other Businesses
- Your Loyalty Program Members Are The Best Way To Promote Gift Cards
- Promote Your Gift Cards Through Contests And Giveaways
- Customize Your Gift Cards For Customers
- Sell Different Gift Cards Levels
Gift Ideas for Restaurant Workers - 5 Ideas To Implement Now
- Everyone Loves Hard Cash Money
- Gift Baskets
- Foot Massages
- Sporting Event Tickets
- Adult Coloring Books
How To Sell Restaurant Gift Cards: 10 Gift Ideas For Restaurant Lovers
1. Promote it! Promote it
Habitual restaurant-goers are keen on knowing what offers they should go for. This is why you would want to take it up a notch and give them free gift cards, so they make a purchase fast. But this step requires you to create strategically placed advertisements.
If you are promoting the gift cards in offline channels, advertise your business on paper and advertise it through newspapers or magazines. Other examples include creating a special deal for customers to buy more than one gift card at a price lowered by 3%. Include the dates of your promotion if possible, so users will be able to see when you finish.
2. Send Emails To Your Subscribers
To succeed in business by selling food gift cards, you will need to get your materials out there and start building your list of buyers. There are many ways to do this, but email marketing is the best possible way to do this.
If you're the kind of person that believes in sending cards with something extra — say, a basket of handmade potato chips or a pitcher of delicious (you've picked) ice-cold water — to celebrate an occasion or special occasion, consider letting people know that you care through an email newsletter. By sending out exclusive offers and coupons, and discounts, you can draw people in and get them excited for the upcoming sale!
Related: 10+ Restaurant Newsletter Ideas for a More Engaged Customer Base
3. Encourage Customers To Self-Gifting
Encouraging customers to buy their own gift cards is a great way to showcase a business and cement customer loyalty. Then, whenever possible, enable them to use the card at a time when they need to treat themselves. Creating a self-gifting campaign will be sure to give your business a boost in the first quarter of the year.
4. Sell Gift Card Bundles
Selling restaurant gift cards in bundles is a great way to spread the word about your business. Get the word out by offering promotional deals when customers purchase multiple gift cards. This can also be a great marketing tool for targeting new groups of people like companies and owners who would like to do something nice for their employees by offering them a discount on bulk purchases.
5. Reward The Waitstaff For Promoting Your Gift Cards
The restaurant industry, especially franchises, highly depend on its employees to create a business. Give your employees a little incentive to sell gift cards by offering them bonuses and other perks. Your waiters can easily promote gift cards by simply letting their customers know about the limited offer of a special deal and a one-time offer that they may not be able to pass up on. Some ideas you can use include a bank of hours, a unique tip pool, or a free glass of wine at the next visit.
6. Come Up With Cross-Promotion With Other Businesses
Many people love going out to eat, so think outside the box and reach out to other local companies who might want to cross-promote with you. For example, if you own a restaurant, you can always sell gift cards to a nearby movie theater. This way, when people order gift cards for your restaurant, they get a discount on their tickets as well.
7. Your Loyalty Program Members Are The Best Way To Promote Gift Cards
Most major retailers have loyalty programs that reward regular customers with extra savings for shopping with them. One way to increase sales is by cross-promoting gift cards with these loyalty programs to encourage shoppers to redeem their points or miles when purchasing a gift card.
For example
Offer a special incentive, such as "x" amount of dollars off per dollar spent on a gift card.
If you have a birthday reward program, try to get people to earn points for both programs by purchasing a gift card for their friend's birthday.
When used in this way, a gift card can serve as the focal point of all of your marketing campaigns -- not just the one it was created under.
8. Promote Your Gift Cards Through Contests And Giveaways
Restaurant contest ideas and giveaways are a versatile, powerful marketing tool that allows you to promote your business with varying degrees of complexity, from simple raffles to sophisticated sweepstakes. Gift card promotion is no exception. It’s incredibly versatile; you can offer a $1 off coupon for a gift card purchase or a gift card in exchange for a like on Facebook. You can even ‘gamify‘ gift card promotion by offering real-world prizes for the fastest sharers.
9. Customize Your Gift Cards For Customers
One of the easiest ways to make your restaurant cards ideas stand out is to personalize them with your customers’ favorite dishes. Some restaurants might even come up with a unique design that represents their restaurant. For example, a restaurant called The Compass Rose may have a compass rose on their gift card to represent the fact that they’re on the water! Not only does it look nice and hold some niche importance, but it also gives customers a face for their gift card.
10. Sell Different Gift Cards Levels
If you have a restaurant, you know that you don’t get paid very often. At the end of each month or fiscal year, what is left is what will make it to your pocket. That’s why restaurants need to do everything in their power to increase check averages. Selling gift cards in different levels makes sense because you still get paid up front for customers buying a $50 gift card (maybe they spent $30 the first visit), but the second time they come around, you are pretty sure they will spend more than a $50 gift card.
Gift Ideas for Restaurant Workers - 5 Ideas To Implement Now
A restaurant is a pretty unique place. A restaurant is not only where you serve food and drinks; it becomes home for some. It becomes the family to others. That’s why when you celebrate the holiday season with them. It’s essential to take advantage of the season of giving by providing your restaurant workers with thoughtful gifts.
1. Everyone Loves Hard Cash Money
Imagine walking into a coffee shop, and your barista hands you cash as a gift. How would you feel? Pretty good, right? Although it might be a little strange to do this for the people who work in your restaurant, cash is valuable and appreciated by anyone! So if you want to set a precedent for how you run your business and be seen as one of the good guys or gals, I recommend giving your employees a raise.
2. Gift Baskets
Gift baskets are one of the best ways to show your appreciation to restaurant workers. It doesn’t matter if you own a five-star restaurant or work in a diner. Gift baskets are for everyone.
3. Foot Massages
Foot massages are the best gift ideas for restaurant workers at any specific event. After all, most restaurant staff work hard every day because of the heavy workload. They need some relaxation, and a foot massage can provide them with just that.
4. Sporting Event Tickets
Sports tickets are always a popular gift. They're memorable and something employees can enjoy on their own time, not just at work. It's an excellent way for staff to bond with each other during a fun experience.
5. Adult Coloring Books
From servers to bartenders, restaurant employees are stuck in a hectic environment the majority of their day. By encouraging your staff to get into coloring books, you’re showing them that you recognize their hard work and that you care about their mental health. Surprisingly, creative activities like coloring can be great for reducing stress and increasing happiness. I urge every restaurant manager to consider this!
Conclusion of Restaurant Gift Ideas
As our customers may be stranded and helpless, we need to take full advantage of the situation while still providing them with a warm, safe place to go. While the above ten restaurant gift card marketing ideas should give you some food for thought, one thing is certain: if your plans fall through, you can always take advantage of the situation with some creative promotions and pandemic marketing ideas.
