Restaurant owners and managers face a harsh new reality due to the onset of the coronavirus crisis. At the moment, social distancing is restricting many businesses.
While our leaders try to help us cope with the most serious public health crisis in over 100 years, states and local governments have enacted severe restrictions on restaurants and other public venues to reduce the spread of the disease. All of these measures save lives, but at the same time, cause hardship on restaurants and other businesses.
In many locations, restaurant owners are no longer allowed to serve dine-in customers, remaining open only to serve to takeout or delivery orders. What can a restaurant owner or manager do to reduce the toll on his or her business?
Many restaurant owners and managers still have the ability to do takeout and delivery, so why not maximize this business?
While it’s true that dine-in business may generally constitute 80% or more of normal sales volume, this is not a normal time. It is just possible that many consumers will appreciate a well-run delivery or food takeout service as a welcome diversion in this time of social distancing.
So, what are the hurdles to quickly expanding or implementing a takeout or delivery program?
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How to Market Your Restaurant for Takeout During Coronavirus
Surely, the food needs to be freshly prepared, tasty and packaged for pickup or delivery. Perhaps some dishes are great for dine-out business, where others are best served in-house. You need a system to take the orders accurately, and to be sure they are ready on time.
The missing element in rapidly expanding your takeout business may be marketing. You need to let all potential customers know that you are open for takeout orders and want their business.
Obviously, a great website will help. Beyond that, though, there are other things you can do to generate business.
Check out these three business stationery ideas to help generate business during the coronavirus outbreak.
1. Takeout Menus
First off, an excellent printed takeout menu will help raise sales. Unlike an online menu, takeout menus will likely stay with diners at home if they like your food. The menu will remind them of their last meal with you and may generate another order. Be sure the printed takeout menu is designed well, professionally printed, and folded.
2. Door Hangers
Second, you may want to create door hangers or some other kind of leave behind to entice new customers to give you a call. Door hangers are inexpensive and can be used in your local area to find new customers. Best of all, you don’t need to see anyone to leave them behind.
3. Coupon
Lastly, you may want to consider some kind of coupon or special offer to help get people to give your takeout service a try. One inexpensive way to do that is to put the discount on the back of business cards. Another option would be to use a large size flyer to get noticed. A third idea is to put the coupon onto the takeout menu itself. You might limit the special offer to first-time users of your takeout service to build your customer base.
Coronavirus Impacting Your Restaurant? Print Your Marketing Materials Today!
While it may not be possible to make up the lost business from in house dining with takeout/delivery services, a successful takeout program could make a real difference in meeting your expenses.
If you are looking for a strong source for design and printing of takeout menus, flyers, door hangers or coupons, give the experts at The Print Authority a try. We have over 29 years of experience working with the hospitality industry and do both offset and digital printing.
Contact us today to get started! We can ship all your materials on the same day or the day after your order is placed!
