{"id":6642,"date":"2023-12-19T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=6642"},"modified":"2023-12-19T10:46:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T16:46:23","slug":"4-tips-for-promoting-happy-hour-in-your-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/food-entrepreneurship\/4-tips-for-promoting-happy-hour-in-your-restaurant\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Tips for Promoting Happy Hour in Your Restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

For many, happy hour offers a much-needed morale boost at the end of a hard day. It lets friends and coworkers gather to unwind, share a laugh, and get to know each other better.<\/p>\n

For restaurateurs, happy hour can be a boon to business, with deals and discounts turning formerly slow times into lively\u2014and lucrative\u2014service periods.<\/p>\n

But as consumer tastes have evolved, it\u2019s no longer enough to just rely on low prices to make happy hour profitable. So here are four happy hour ideas that you can use to spread the word and make the most of this valuable time slot.<\/p>\n

1. Add Food to Protect Your Bottom Line<\/h2>\n

If you and your competitor across the street are both offering discounted draft beers, why should customers choose you?<\/p>\n

Sweeten the deal with happy hour combos. While we may think of fast food when we hear \u201ccombo,\u201d this method can actually work very well for high-end restaurants, too. A fine dining restaurant with a raw bar, for example, could offer a champagne and oysters combination during happy hour. That\u2019s a beloved pairing, and it can make guests feel like they\u2019re getting a great deal.<\/p>\n

Another way this can work is to offer smaller versions of appetizers at a lower price point than on the dinner menu<\/a>. By reducing the serving size, you can protect your food cost. And you may also bring your restaurant\u2019s happy hour within reach for a wider demographic that might be more budget-conscious.<\/p>\n

For casual restaurants, packages can be a great enticement for groups of friends or coworkers to pay you a visit. A bucket of ice cold beers along with a tray of assorted appetizers for one easy price? That can make \u201cWhere should we go for happy hour?\u201d easy to answer.<\/p>\n

Pricing a menu and managing food costs are part of the curriculum in various degree and diploma programs<\/a> at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. With this background, chefs and restaurant owners may find optimizing their menu profitability to be an easier task.<\/p>\n

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Combining food and drink specials during happy hour can help attract new customers.<\/p><\/div>\n

2. Reverse Your Happy Hour<\/h2>\n

The purpose of happy hour deals is to get guests into the bar or restaurant during the slow \u201cpre-dinner\u201d time. But there\u2019s no reason that the concept has to be limited to those hours.<\/p>\n

A reverse happy hour applies the same concepts to the time block after dinner, to encourage late night sales. This can be especially effective if your restaurant is located near other nighttime activities, like a theater district. If people are already out and about in the neighborhood, give them a reason to make your restaurant a destination!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to go this route, make sure it starts late enough in the evening that you\u2019re not \u201cpoaching\u201d your own full-price dinner sales. If your reverse happy hour starts before 9pm, you may lose dinner reservations to the thrifty diners who prefer to wait for the cheaper prices.<\/p>\n\n\t\t

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Another version of this idea is \u201call day happy hour\u201d on your slowest business days, like Sundays or Mondays. As always with happy hour, pay very close attention to your bottom line<\/a>. A 50% discount on drinks means you\u2019ll have to sell twice as many to earn the same revenue. So you\u2019ll need a solid plan in place to attract more customers to your new specials. One way to do that?<\/p>\n

3. Invite Influencers<\/h2>\n

While it\u2019s easy to think of influencers as only existing online, the truth is that many local influencers<\/a> are truly dedicated to their community\u2019s food scene and are often eager to help promote their neighborhood eateries.<\/p>\n

Influencers also hold major sway with their audiences. According to influencer marketing experts, more than half of consumers<\/a> surveyed reported purchasing a product because of an influencer recommendation. Local influencers with fewer than 100,000 followers generally see higher engagement from their fans than the huge social media stars with millions of followers.<\/p>\n

They also need content for their social media feeds. That\u2019s where you come in!<\/p>\n

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A single influencer can use their platform to create new demand for your restaurant.<\/p><\/div>\n

When you are ready to market your new happy hour specials or hours, the influencers need to hear about it. Inviting either individuals or groups of local foodies to try your food and drinks is a great way to generate positive marketing and start some chatter about your restaurant.<\/p>\n

4. Don\u2019t Neglect Your Current Customers<\/h2>\n

When we talk about marketing and promotions, so much of the focus is on new visitors. But you may also want to put an emphasis on maintaining your current customer base. So what are you doing to promote your happy hour to your current fans?<\/p>\n

Within the restaurant, you can promote happy hour on:<\/p>\n