by Linda Duke, Chief Executive Officer, Duke Marketing, LLC.
Recipe for Success:
For those that celebrate, each spring, from Ash Wednesday through Easter, marks the time when those people give something up, or refrain from eating meat in many cases, as a symbol of faith. This forty-day period is called Lent. For those consumers who practice the tradition of Lent, it began on Ash Wednesday this year on Wednesday, March 5th 2014. For restaurant operators this forty-day time period provides a unique opportunity to try something new! If you have a fish, shrimp or vegetarian menu item, Lent is the time to promote it! If you don’t, now is your time to introduce it, for a limited time!
Ingredients needed:
- Signature fish, shrimp or vegetarian menu item to promote
- Photo of menu item and determine price and name to promote
- Table tents, window sign, counter card, poster, fliers
- Press release, email to media about new menu item
- E-blast—turn poster into an email and send to your customers email addresses
- Facebook and twitter—add new menu item photo and information to your Facebook page and twitter!
- Tell your guests and suggestive sell!
- Create a crew / staff contest for most Lent menu items sold over 40 days!
- List of churches in the 3-5 mile radius to drop off menus and fliers about the Lent menu items
Make your guests “giving up something for Lent” a pleasurable experience with something taste tempting. The 200 unit, San Diego based, “home of the fish taco”, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, typically celebrates the forty-day period of Lent by bringing back their amazing Crispy Shrimp guests have to wait for all year . The forty-day period provides an ample amount of time to create a buzz and give guests something different. And if priced right, can build frequency and sales and add to your bottom line!
Some guests practice Lent by abstaining from meat on the Fridays during the forty days of Lent. Smart restaurant operators will provide those guests with a Friday special. Each Friday during the forty days of Lent, promote “Fish Fry-Day” and offer fish and chips, or create a fun dish and name to offer a delightful choice each Friday during Lent. Price it right, and guests will get hooked and be back each Friday!
“Meatless Mondays” have started to catch on at restaurants throughout the United States. Monday is typically the beginning of the work week, the day when individuals settle back into their weekly routine, and typically a slow night in the restaurant business. Unhealthy habits that prevailed over the weekend can be forgotten and replaced by positive choices and consumers are looking for these today. During the forty days of Lent provides an opportune time to test Meatless Mondays and while you’re at it…add a Fish Fry-Day and see how both day-parts see sales lift!
Tips:
- Make your Lent menu creations memorable. Mama Fu’s Asian House restaurants in Texas offers Crab Rangoons for a memorable Lent-friendly appetizer and Pad Thai with Shrimp as an entrée which is incredibly delicious!
- Be sure to PROMOTE your Lent menu item to your existing guests and get their feedback.
- Create a VIP tasting event on the first Friday of the period of Lent, and kick-off the “Fry-Day” promotion with a tasting and media invited event at your restaurant. Offer complimentary wine and tastes of the new menu item and pass out fliers with the promotion information.
- When was the last time you went to church? Finding the churches in the 3-5 mile radius around any restaurant couldn’t be easier today. Look up the zip code of any restaurant, in any city, on the Internet and look up churches in that city with a click of the mouse. Print the list of those you plan to visit and take some menus and small fliers about your Lent specials. Invite the clergy into your restaurant and offer a complimentary meal—business card-style free meal card. Visit several churched in the community and drop off fliers and posters about the Lent promotion and watch NEW FACES come into the restaurant. Be sure your employees know to welcome them since many could be new patrons for the next forty days!
- Make sure to remind churches about fundraising opportunities at your restaurant.
- Churches often host weddings, family events and are great catering customers. Be sure to bring catering menus.
About Duke Marketing, LLC®
Duke Marketing, LLC. was established in 1989, and is a California-based full service marketing firm providing strategic communications and creative brand building expertise for multi-location and franchise organizations. Duke Marketing combines a full range of services with on-target strategies, fresh ideas and break-out creative concepts to offer complete marketing and sales driving solutions for multi-unit restaurants, retail and foodservice operations. For more information contact Duke Marketing at 415-492-4534 or please visit www.dukemarketing.com.
Contact:
Linda Duke
Chief Executive Officer
Duke Marketing, LLC
duke@dukemarketing.com
415-492-4534