Mexican restaurants aren’t the only businesses to benefit from Cinco de Mayo promotion ideas. Even though this holiday celebrates the Mexican military, its roots have found their way to the US. People might associate this holiday with drinks, food, and colors, but it’s so much more than that.
It is a remembrance of the Mexican army’s victory over the much larger French army in the Battle of Puebla. Surprisingly, Mexicans outside of Puebla don’t celebrate it as much as Americans, who honor Mexican-American culture and heritage through this holiday.
So, why not capitalize on this holiday and promote your restaurant business? This article will give you a detailed breakdown of its promotion ideas and some audience-targeting tactics for them.
Why Should Restaurants Celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Since many Americans partake in its celebrations, organizing Cinco de Mayo’s restaurant celebrations can be a smart move. It’s a chance for you to bring people together through the rich culture of Mexico.
Besides, any holiday is a great opportunity for you to bring more customers to your venue. More customers mean more sales, which will, in return, increase your revenue. That should be reason enough to celebrate this lively holiday in your restaurant.
Moreover, Mexican Americans turned it into a celebration in the US to resist the effects of the Mexican-American War.
In 2022, Mexican Americans accounted for almost 60% of the US Hispanic population. This number is only increasing, so you can resonate with a large audience during Cinco de Mayo.
Many people use the holiday as an excuse to party. However, celebrating Cinco de Mayo can be risky for restaurants.
That’s because the Hispanic groups in the US see this as a problem.
They claim it isn’t the Mexican way to celebrate the occasion, which takes away some of their appeal.
Therefore, restaurant ideas for Cinco de Mayo must be original and impactful.
Of course, you can’t skip Mexican beer, but balancing them with other things will work in your favor.
Here are four Cinco de Mayo promotion ideas to guide your strategy.
1. Introduce Mexican Food and Drink Specials
Any holiday promotion would be incomplete without a special themed menu.
It also serves as a great opportunity to bring variety to your menu. Who knows? Your customers might like the additions so much that they suggest you make them permanent. Here’s a brief guide to help you make that happen:
- Mole Poblano: The official dish of Cinco de Mayo, Mole Poblano is a meat dish with a spicy, chocolatey sauce.
- Flautas: Since tacos are a staple in any Mexican cuisine, Flautas are the perfect addition to Cinco de Mayo. These crispy rolled tortillas have chicken inside and sour cream, salsa, and cheese on top.
- Elotes: Another name for Mexican street corn. Elote is basically corn on the cob covered with mayonnaise, lime, cotija cheese, cilantro, and chili.
- Guacamole: Avocados are part of many Americans’ daily diet, but guacamole (avocado and chili) is actually a Mexican classic. You can serve it as an appetizer with tortilla chips, specifically on Cinco de Mayo.
- Tres leches cake: This indulgent cake, soaked in three types of milk, has made its way to many hearts globally.
In addition to the above, churros, sopapillas, enchiladas, Chiles en Nogada, and Mexican rice are also great choices.
Along with Mexican foods, consider introducing special drinks. There are many Cinco de Mayo bar ideas that can help you create Mexican cocktails for your customers.
Create deals where customers get something for free if they choose from the Mexican menu. Moreover, provide a specialty cocktail menu with discounts to keep up the spirit of the celebration. Remember, offers on dinner and drinks motivate customers to spend more time (and money) at your restaurant.
2. Decorate Your Venue With the Holiday’s Theme
Themed restaurant decorations on holidays have the same effect as a themed menu. In fact, your restaurant’s appearance is the first thing people will notice when strolling by. Customers might think you aren’t celebrating the holiday if you don’t incorporate the right decorations.
Use this to make an epic first impression on people celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
With that in mind, decorate your venue with plenty of colorful props like Papel Picado, pom poms, pinatas, and flowers.
Moreover, consider adding colorful garlands and the Mexican flag somewhere near your entrance. You can also display miniature versions of the flag throughout the restaurant. Just remember to add lots of color to reflect the Mexican heritage.
3. Come Up With Cinco de Mayo Giveaway Ideas
Promoting the holiday with Cinco de Mayo giveaway ideas is worthwhile since people love receiving gifts. But instead of making these gifts random, go for things with Mexican significance.
Some basic merchandise would be a great giveaway idea. For example, you can gift shirts with Spanish words, colors, or phrases like “Taco ‘bout a fun day.”
For people visiting with families, consider toys and plushies for children and flower garlands for women to wear.
4. Engage the Crowd With Music and Activities
Besides decorations, the atmosphere of your restaurant also matters when you want customers to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with you.
To take advantage of that, consider hiring an authentic Mariachi band. If you can’t afford to host live music, play some Mexican music on your restaurant’s speakers.
In addition to music, introduce restaurant entertainment ideas like Cinco de Mayo trivia quizzes and games.
People also like to include others when celebrating holidays by being charitable towards those less fortunate. Therefore, collaborating with charitable trusts during this holiday will work in your favor.
After discussing the promotion ideas, let’s look at some Cinco de Mayo advertising tactics. Without proper marketing strategies, you won’t be able to tell people you’re celebrating the holiday. In return, you might have fewer customers, even with the best discounts and promotions.
Speaking of discounts, try to use multiples of five, such as “15% off on desserts” or “$5 cocktails.” Why? Because Cinco de Mayo translates to the 5th of May. Therefore, it makes sense to incorporate the number five in your advertising campaigns.
Secondly, leverage existing Cinco de Mayo festivals to organize a pop-up stall. After all, the purpose of these restaurant ideas is to create a memorable customer experience in your restaurant.
Thirdly, try to use Spanish words in your advertising campaigns. This will help you resonate with those celebrating the holiday.
Fourth, offer free WiFi in your restaurant for the holiday. Encourage your customers to share photos on their socials with your special hashtag.
Lastly, start celebrating early instead of waiting for the 5th of May. Leave small hints in your ads to build anticipation.
Cinco de Mayo is a day of celebration. Since the US celebrates it even more than Mexico, you must take it as an opportunity to attract more customers.
These Cinco de Mayo promotion ideas will help you attract customers for this special day. However, if you want to fill your venue with customers consistently, try Beambox WiFi marketing. This platform allows you to collect customer data and automate marketing campaigns like emails or SMS.
Moreover, you can use it to grow your restaurant rate on local review sites by getting reviews on autopilot. Beambox has no hidden costs and requires no additional hardware. Start your thirty-day free trial now!
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