It’s 5 o’clock somewhere right? Which means its time to maximize your restaurant profits with a happy hour menu.
Alcohol counts for 20%-25% of restaurant beverage sales. If your restaurant doesn’t have a happy hour menu that includes both food and beverage specials, then you could be missing out on extra revenue.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of offering a happy hour menu at your restaurant and some ideas on how to promote your specials and make it unique.
Increase Sales During Slower Dayparts
With lunch being one of the busiest times of the day, create a happy hour menu to bring customers in during slower dayparts– the time between lunch and dinner or the time between dinner and closing. Business crowds like to wind down from their busy workdays in hopes of scoring two for one martinis – because let’s face it, two is better than one. Offer BOGO deals from 4pm-5pm. This new power hour of yours is sure to bring in more money and more customers.
Younger crowds are looking for happy hours with food and drinks at affordable prices. During your new happy hour, play music and set the ambiance for a more fun playful setting. By creating an atmosphere that is both casual and pocket-friendly, you can sit back and watch your sales increase and your customers truly enjoying their experience. When customers are happy they spend more money.
Attract New Customers With A Happy Hour Promotion
A beneficial marketing strategy, offering happy hour promotions gives you a leg up on your competition. Transform your slower hours by giving customers an incentive to dine at your restaurant during happy hour. It’s challenging to find new customers when there is competition nearby. Create a signature cocktail for your happy hour menu that customers can only get at your restaurant. Infuse your own vodka or create your own juice blends. Whatever your new cocktail is, adding your own spin on it will help you stand out from other restaurants.
Opportunities For Upselling
Happy hour is great opportunity for upselling items on your menu. When customers come in for happy hour, offer them an upgrade to a larger drink size for a dollar or two more. Drinking tends to make people hungry – plus, customers like to soak up the alcohol after throwing a few back. Let them know you have a great food menu with many options for them to do just that. Increase the customers check with special food promotions to go along with their drink orders. Create a food and drink combo that pairs cocktails with food items. Name it something quirky like “Drink Me, Eat This!” and put your upselling skills to the test.
Promote Your Happy Hour Menu
Use your social media, your website and even signage to build brand awareness and spread the word about your new happy hour menu. Share customer-generated content that your restaurant has been tagged in to spread the buzz about your brand. According to TouchBistro’s How Diners Choose Restaurants report, 80% of restaurant-goers will visit a new restaurant based entirely on receiving a discount or promotion. So, make sure to market your new promotion so customers know your restaurant is the place to be for happy hour.
Get savings on the ingredients you need to create your signature cocktails and menu items as a Dining Alliance member. Start saving today!
