London Source - Jan 2007 - Restaurant Marketing

"I'm about to open an upmarket, 40-cover neighbourhood restaurant in West London. Should I spend money on marketing - and if so where - or just rely on word of mouth?"

If you are just about to open a restaurant then you would have spent a small fortune in the last few months and have creditors breathing down your neck for a return on investment. Therefore waiting for word of mouth can amount to commercial suicide for a neighbourhood restaurant that does not benefit from a lot of passing trade. Marketing is essential in today’s crowded market place; here are a few suggestions that will mean that you hit the ground running.

Launch party – Holding a launch party is always a good idea as it helps you to meet members of the local community and create goodwill. The people that you invite should be those that are going to be regular customers and that will be able to send business your way. Journalists will be the first set of people to invite – start by sending a Press Release that includes all the relevant information on the restaurant such as the type of cuisine you will serve, your background and the background of the key members of staff, the décor and the general ethos and unique selling points of the restaurant. Then contact them by phone to invite them and follow up with an invitation in the post. The other invitees should be those in your target market ie solicitors, the local chamber of commerce, accountants, important local residents, hotel managers and concierges. As the launch party will be typically champagne and canapés it’s a good idea to get some introductory discount cards printed to give to those at the launch along with a menu so that they can come and try the food at a discounted price.

Fliers – a professionally written and designed Trifold leaflet with menu samples and good photography is a great way of creating local awareness. Get 1,000’s printed and delivered to local residents, hand out outside local transport links and in local hotels.

Joint Ventures – Are a great way to get new customers for the 2 companies involved. For example a joint venture with a local gym could work on the lines of their customers get 20% off their bill at your establishment on production of a valid gym membership card. Your customers would get 20% off products and services available at that gym. To promote the offer supply them with posters for the gym and fliers for the new member starter packs. The offer should be limited to 3 months so people act on it sooner rather than later.

Internet marketing – these days most people use the internet to find restaurants rather than printed restaurant guides. A lot of these sites will allow for a free listing and description, so make sure that you are listed with as many as possible.

Discounts to large employers – offer the staff at large local employers a discount. Most company’s will help you to promote the restaurant and the offer by putting up posters in the staff room and including some information on the company intranet site.

Guy Holmes, Captivate Restaurants