How To Attract New Customers To Your Restaurant: 10 Ways

Every restaurant wants more new customers. Why wouldn’t they? A steady stream of new faces means more word of mouth referrals, and more overall business.

But bringing in new customers can be harder than it sounds. With all of the other responsibilities on your plate, you could probably use some fresh ideas on how to effectively attract new business that are simple to launch and test.

10 ways to bring new customers to your restaurant

The good news: Bringing in new customers to your restaurant can be fun and low-maintenance. Here are 10 easy ways to attract new patrons:

1. Host a themed event

A special, themed event can be a nice way to spice up your regular menu and to attract new audiences. These out-of-the-ordinary experiences give bored diners something to look forward to–and can pique the interest of customers who’ve never patronized your business before, too.

Not sure what type of themed event to try? Think outside the box. San Francisco restaurant Jardiniere hosts special menus with lower rates on slow nights that boast interesting themes like “Summer in Venice” and “Australia Day”, which bring in a whole new demographic of patrons, according to the Wall Street Journal.

WSJ writer Alina Dizick commented, “Rather than ‘Meatloaf Mondays’ or ‘Taco Tuesdays,’ these high-end theme events showcase guest chefs, hard-to-find wines, rare ingredients and seldom-prepared dishes, such as the sweet-and-sour sardines on Jardiniere’s Venice menu and its tropical Pavlova, an Australia Day dessert.”

When planning your themed event, consider what you can offer that will highlight the skills of your kitchen staff and that will resonate with the type of customer you’re trying to lure in.

2. Be active on social media

Everywhere you look, people have their eyes locked on to their phones. At the dinner table. Before a movie. In the car. Most of the time, they’re scrolling through their social media feeds. In fact, people average about 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day. Americans check their phone about 159 times a day.

We know that there is a relevant audience spending time here, so testing some Facebook ads, uploading videos to your own social media accounts, and tracking what other people are saying about your restaurant are all important ways to attract new customers. The beauty of Facebook ads is that you have control over many different aspects, like budget, runtime, targeted audience, and how the ad looks and sounds. The great thing about creating your own content is that it usually just takes time, so it’s generally easy on the budget. 

Within your social media, you might highlight:

• News about new dishes, promotions, or special events
• Employee spotlights, “Meet the Chef”, or your most loyal regulars
• Fun facts about your location, history, neighborhood, or atmosphere
• Unusual menu items, patron favorites, new specials
• And more

You can also monitor their effectiveness with new customers by including a “How did you hear about us?” form with every meal check. If you find that responses indicate a trend of new customers as a result of social media, you’ll know your efforts are paying off.

3. Use email marketing

Unlike social media, email is a more static environment with less likelihood that your information will be lost in an ever-moving feed of activity. Add to this the fact that small businesses spend about 7.8% of their marketing budgets on email–and it becomes more clear that this channel is not only relevant, but produces worthwhile results.

There are many different email marketing platforms you can choose from, such as Campaign Monitor, MailChimp, and others with different tiers and functionality. How you select your provider will depend on your specific needs.

Once you’ve picked an email platform, you’ll want to make sure there’s a place on your website and social media outlets for visitors to subscribe–but you can also ask for email addresses in-house, too. (Think sign-up lists, comment cards, information on customer receipts, etc.)

As your list of subscribers begins to grow, you can start sending out occasional messages about specials, events, new menu items, etc. and keep your customers in the loop with restaurant news. 

4. Make your menu more inclusive

If you’re looking to attract different types of eaters to your restaurant, it’s a good idea to add a few menu items for those with dietary restrictions (like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc.)

While some diners self-select their dietary restrictions, others are medically required to eat in a certain way. From a health perspective, The University of Chicago indicates that there are 3M people in the US who suffer from Celiac Disease, and other sources show that there are about 15M people with some type of food-related allergy. These diners often miss opportunities to dine at restaurants because of lack of options–but with a few changes to a restaurant’s preparation processes, these patrons can easily be accommodated.

Increasing your options for diners also means your restaurant can then be added to websites that those with dietary restrictions use to discover new places to eat, like FindMeGlutenFree.com or AllergyEats.com.

5. Have flexible ways to dine

Offer a variety of ways to enjoy your food, whether that’s with delivery, takeout, DoorDash/UberEats/Grubhub, or premade meals customers can grab and go. The more ways you make your menu available to customers, the easier it will be for them to decide to choose your restaurant. Especially if they don’t have time to sit down and eat.

This variety also creates different price points of entry into your menu, so you can serve a wider variety of customers. Maybe someone can’t afford your dinner service, but they would be more than happy to pick up takeout for lunch.

6. Be good to your neighbors

If you haven’t yet taken the time to connect with your neighborhood through local outreach and neighborhood-specific events, now’s the time to think about starting some. It can be as simple as stopping by to introduce yourself, a free meal, or special events that make your closest neighbors feel like old friends.

Think about tactics such as:

• Neighborhood-exclusive pre-tastings
• Special “thank you” events for neighborhood supporters
• Occasional freebies for loyal diners
• Discounted catering options for nearby businesses

All of this outreach comes together to endear you to the people closest to your business. On days when things are slow, they’ll be the ones who come by to support your operation.

7. Attract and retain great employees

The key point of restaurant dining is the customer experience. And besides the food, your restaurant employees are what make that experience good or bad. When you’re hiring employees, make sure you choose the right people for the job. Hire for attitude, and train for skills. 

Plus, you can use software, like When I Work, to help you retain those great employees. When I Work makes it easy to give your workers a voice in their schedule, and make it more fair for everyone. That makes your team feel valued and respected, which will make them happier and more productive. Happy employees make for happy customers.

Want to learn more about how to use scheduling to retain employees? Check out our YouTube video here: Best Employee Scheduling App For Restaurants | When I Work 

8. Reach out to local media

Standard press releases may feel like a waste of time, but by reaching out to the media with timely, relevant pitches or perspectives, you can earn free press coverage for your restaurant. Don’t be afraid to chime in on an industry specific issue (like local liquor license changes) by reaching out to a specific reporter who covers the topic.

Make yourself known to local media as a go-to resource within your industry by providing thoughtful commentary when it’s appropriate. You can also use a resource like Help a Reporter Out to get emails about relevant stories journalists are working on (and are looking for sources on.)

9. Lead a community fundraiser

Build goodwill within your local community by giving back. Whether it’s a “Pack the House” event in which you donate a percentage of the night’s sales, or simply sponsoring a local sports team, these community-minded activities can bring in new customers who turn into loyal, long-time patrons.

Panda Express works with community organizations to share 20% of all pre-tax sales during fundraising events for schools, PTOs, church groups, etc. It’s a win-win for the restaurant, too–as these groups encourage more and more people to dine-in or carry-out, your restaurant brings in a higher volume of sales.

10. Offer promotions and incentives

There are plenty of ways to incentivize customers to come in and return to your restaurant. You can offer promotions like happy hour or lunch discounts. You can also offer loyalty programs like punch cards or take customer phone numbers to give discounts or free entrees. The point is to show customers that you appreciate their business and want to reward their loyalty—that makes them feel valued enough to return over and over again. 

How When I Work can support your restaurant

The most important part of your restaurant, besides your food, is the service. That means you want employees who are happy to be at work and productive while they’re in the restaurant. Use When I Work to schedule your employees—they love the app and how easy it is to use. They can set their availability and request time off right within the app, so you can see that while building the schedule. Respecting those choices makes your staff feel respected, which leads to higher employee morale and engagement. Yes, you can get all that with scheduling and When I Work! 

Great restaurants begin with great employees

Test out these simple strategies for attracting new customers and see how it impacts the flow of new faces into your restaurant. You’ll not only become more beloved by locals, but you’ll meet new patrons who are delighted by the treasure they’ve discovered!

Ready to have happier employees, who create happier customers? Sign up for your free trial of When I Work today!