Everyone waits impatiently for Valentine’s Day to shower their partner with love and surprises. Their first choice for this is always delicious food, whether they dine in or get it delivered. So, why not implement some Valentine’s Day restaurant ideas to take advantage of this choice?
However, your competitors will also be fighting for the attention of your target audience. If you stick with the same decoration of flowers and heart-shaped balloons, you might have a hard time standing out.
Therefore, you must use a mixture of traditional tactics and new, unique ideas to entice couples on this special day. This article will teach you exactly how to do that.
Why Should You Introduce Valentine’s Day Restaurant Specials?
Before we jump to romantic ideas for restaurants, let’s see the importance of doing so. Without this information, restaurant owners might not get the motivation to make the most of this day.
Firstly, introducing Valentine’s Day restaurant specials grabs the attention of passersby. The romantic atmosphere makes people want to experience it for themselves. Moreover, you can pair that with specific restaurant promotions like discounts or special offers. It would serve as the cherry on top.
Secondly, people usually search for new items on this special day. They want to cleanse their taste buds and try something new with their partner.
If you introduce a special menu for that day, your existing customers won’t choose your competitors. After all, they already like your food and venue. So, getting to try a new item within their favorite place will be more convenient.
Thirdly, it’s a chance for you to grow customer loyalty toward your business. For the money they spend, guests expect you to go above and beyond.
If you manage to dazzle them on their special visit during Valentine’s Day, they’ll want that treatment for every visit. It will turn on the loop of new customers becoming regular and regular customers becoming advocates for your restaurant.
Lastly, it’s your chance to show your creativity and become memorable. When guests see your creative ideas on this special day, you will be on their minds for other occasions as well.
Get Some Inspiration From the Best Restaurants for Valentine’s Day Around the US
Everyone has a favorite restaurant when it comes to Valentine’s Day. If you conduct a survey and compare the winners, you’ll see clear winners.
Of course, they might be your competitors. But knowing what makes them a favorite can help spark your creativity and give you inspiration for your venue. So, let’s discuss some of the best restaurants for Valentine’s Day.
- Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Palm Desert: People want to treat their partners to delicacies on this special day. So, steak is undoubtedly the most prominent part of a romantic meal. Pair the dish with a romantic ambiance full of jazz music and friendly staff, and you’ve got Sullivan’s Steakhouse. Its Prix Fixe menu even has options for people who don’t like steak.
- Iron Gate, Washington D.C.: Keeping in mind the significance of flowers on Valentine’s Day, Iron Gate has a Wisteria canopy and an intimate fireplace. Its specialties are Greek and Italian dishes, which are the top choices for this day.
- Per Se, New York City: Taking a break from the decoration, this restaurant is famous for its pretty plating. Apart from that, they use farm-to-table ingredients. People often use this as a chance to shower their partner with love, and that’s what makes this restaurant special.
- Toulouse Petit, Seattle: This restaurant is more popular among first dates where people aren’t sure of their partner’s preferences. Its sheer variety in the menu serves as a safe option for these people to make their Valentine’s Day special.
Valentine’s Day Restaurant Ideas To Bring More Couples to Your Venue
Did you know that this year, people will spend around 26 billion U.S. dollars to celebrate this special day? This is a very important day for someone.
But since that day is special, they expect something extra from you as well. They expect you to give them a unique experience that they won’t be able to forget. That is hard to achieve when you’re just focusing on the decoration. So, here are some Valentine’s Day restaurant ideas to spark your creativity.
Introduce Fast Food Valentine’s Day Specials
Not everyone likes to celebrate love with sweets and steaks. Some people still prefer regular fast food, even though it’s a special occasion. Therefore, if you don’t introduce fast food Valentine’s Day specials, you might be leaving money on the table.
Start by offering a deal where the customer can buy one thing and get another similar item for free. For example, if a customer orders a beef burger, give them a free burger of their choice.
While people want to shower their loved ones with treats, they won’t say no to such an irresistible offer. You could also consider adding a free side of french fries with every order exclusively for Valentine’s Day.
Add Some Fun for the Guests
When people like a restaurant, they want to feel like a part of it. Fun, interactive activities not only make the day more enjoyable for your guests, but they also spark an association.
So, introduce a fun activity where the couple can assemble a meal for their significant other. For example, create a separate burger menu with different options for meat and sauces. Let the customers assemble and see if they’re able to get the flavor right.
If the other person likes what their partner has assembled, celebrate by giving them a shoutout on social media.
Lastly, you can never go wrong with the classic heart-shaped pizza. Plus, if you top that with heart-shaped pepperoni, it will be perfect.
Pay Attention to the Decoration
While decoration alone isn’t enough to entice customers, you can’t entirely ignore it. A love theme will make the experience even more enjoyable for guests and take them on a romantic journey.
As cliché as they may seem, heart-shaped balloons and flowers never disappoint. People are familiar with these decorations, and while they ask for uniqueness, they subconsciously expect these traditional decorations.
You can mix those with other restaurant design ideas to bring uniqueness to your venue. Moreover, go the extra mile. Search through your reservations and make a note of the tables that couples have reserved for Valentine’s celebrations.
Place roses on these tables and place two cards where guests can write their hearts out to their loved ones.
Change the tablecloth to red for these tables. But you will also get restaurant reservations for groups of friends and single people. Don’t make the mistake of placing the above decorations on those tables.
Instead, place simple friendship bands on the tables for friends. For single people, get funky with the decorations.
Place joke cards on these tables. For example, you could say, “Who needs a Valentine when you’ve got [the item the guest ordered]?” But again, this may come as offensive to some people. So, ask if they’re okay with jokes before implementing this.
Additionally, rethink the presentation of your dishes. Creating hearts on the place with sauces can elevate the presentation and add to the theme of love.
Also, cut tomatoes and other vegetables into roses and decorate the plate with them before serving to your guests.
You can also write words like, “Here’s to forever,” with sauces and vegetables on savory items or ganache on desserts.
Or you can simply take special requests from your guests. Plus, candlelight and romantic fireplaces make for a great ambiance.
As mentioned earlier, people usually look for new dishes to celebrate this day. Designing a menu for the celebration will let you seize this opportunity and bring more couples to your venue.
So, start by adding heart-shaped food to the menu. Of course, you can’t turn all items into hearts.
But if you think out of the box, you’ll find a lot of options for romantic dinners. For example, you can shape the pizza dough, chocolates, cupcakes, sandwiches, etc., into hearts.
Moreover, add more pink and red dishes to the menu. Pink sauce pasta, red velvet cakes, brownies, and tortilla roll-ups with deli chicken are some great options.
Plus, consider adding pink and red food coloring to bring a new touch to your regular menu.
Then there are romaine lettuce hearts that you can use to wrap chicken or meat mince. After all, not everything has to be red.
Additionally, couples consider crab cakes to be a delicacy and wish to treat their loved ones with this item. If you add that to the menu, even if you outsource them, you can attract more guests.
Lobster with mac and cheese also makes for a great choice for Valentine’s Day menu ideas. The combination of a regular favorite and a delicacy will leave customers satisfied with their investments.
Don’t Forget About the Children
While Valentine’s Day is mostly about couples, some people like to celebrate it with the whole family. They bring children and the elderly to these dinners to share some food and love. So, don’t forget this group when planning for this special day.
Everybody knows that children aren’t huge fans of crab cakes and other delicacies. They’ll probably throw a tantrum if nothing on the menu fits their taste. Let that happen, and you’ll have frustrated parents who might never return.
Therefore, add kid-friendly meals like heart chicken nuggets, fries, burgers, etc. You must also have options that feed a large family at affordable prices.
Use WiFi Marketing To Make Guests Feel Special
Another idea is to take advantage of your internet connection. WiFi marketing solutions come in handy on Valentine’s Day. Free guest WiFi connection will let customers include their distant relatives through video calls.
After all, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about couples. People also celebrate it with their family and friends.
Imagine the experience they’ll have when they don’t have to use their internet for their romantic night. Then, you can gather data and reinforce your brand with a custom splash page for the occasion.
They might even post their pictures on social media. Why miss the opportunity of free promotions and word of mouth?
Send Personalized Offers Through Email Marketing
To encourage customers to choose your restaurant instead of your competitors, using email is always a blast.
Restaurants have been using personalized emails for a long time now, and rightfully so. When people read an email that makes them feel like you’re talking directly to them, it makes them feel special.
This psychological strategy holds extra value when it comes to Valentine’s Day. After all, it’s a day when everyone wants to feel special. Not just to their loved ones but also to the businesses they invest their money in.
Therefore, segment your restaurant customers according to marital status and preferences.
Then, craft an email that can make them want to book a table then and there. Include exclusive discounts or remind them that you’re open to their requests.
Moreover, adding a small freebie for the special day never gets old. Let your loyal customers know that you’ll be giving out a box of chocolates or welcome drinks.
Take this chance to give back to your repeat customers by giving them early access to your restaurant specials.
Valentine’s Day Is Your Chance To Make Great Sales
When putting Valentine’s Day restaurant ideas into action, you don’t have to stay within the bounds of roses and balloons.
Special menu items, romantic decorations, pretty plating, and delicacies also make it to the list. In short, make yourself stand out with unique ideas without letting go of the traditional tactics.
But having great ideas is only half the battle in growing your business. The other is smart marketing tactics, like Wifi marketing and email. If you are looking for a way to automate your marketing campaigns and curate your online reputation, try out Beambox. With Beambox, you can:
- Get more reviews
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- Secure your WiFi with solid rotating passwords
- Speed up your internet connection with bandwidth management
- Reinforce your brand
- Grow your social media pages
- Email and SMS marketing campaigns
And, of course, get the word out about your Valentine’s day ideas and specials. Over 12,000 businesses are using Beambox to automate their operations and scale their business. Do you want to be next? Start your free trial today!
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