How Focusing on the Local Scene Can Help Your Restaurant Grow

December 23, 2019

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When you’re a restaurant owner, you know that promotion is an important part of the job.

For many owners, it's easy to get so caught up with promotion and marketing that you forget to reach out to local customers. Here are a few ways to connect with your local scene to grow your business in terms of both sales and positive reputation.

Connecting to Community

Getting involved with your local community is important. But how do you do it? If you're in a larger town or city, see if your location is involved in First Fridays. First Fridays are held, as the name suggests, on the first Friday of each month. During these events, many restaurants opt to have sampling booths outside of the restaurant, and many also have dinner specials. First Fridays also offer arts-based businesses an opportunity to connect with the public, making this event a great way to potentially connect with your local community on a large scale.

You also can host your own event or make sure you have a business presence at regular community events. Most festivals and parades give businesses the opportunity to have a tent or booth. Attending events gives your business more reach, and customers who try your food might eventually visit your restaurant.

Showing Up

In the digital age, many people use Google maps and similar services to find new places to eat. But if your business doesn’t have a strong presence here (or worse, if your business doesn’t show up at all), you’ll have a hard time reaching customers. Google maps marketing is a great way to make sure that you show up online for customers looking for your restaurant specifically and those just looking to try something new. Showing up on maps as more than just a pin can help attract customers who are looking for your restaurant.

In addition, it may be wise to consider listing your restaurant on GrubHub, Postmates, or one of the many other online services. These options effectively make it so customers can have your food delivered to them, without you needing to budget for delivery drivers. Of course, whether you choose this option will depend on the kind of restaurant you run. If your business is primarily a bar or a fine dining establishment, you may not want to deliver.

Community Service

This may sound like an unusual example, but when the public has a very positive opinion of your restaurant, it can go a long way towards drawing new customers. There are many ways your restaurant might be able to serve the community. One option is to donate food to a local shelter. This doesn't have to be an extremely large or ongoing donation, but offering food to those who need it will make your business look like a good corporate citizen. In some cases, donations like these draw press coverage, which is effectively free advertising, too.

Another way to connect with the community is by offering discounts for veterans, first responders, etc. Whether you choose a day a month or even a day a year to offer discounts, your business will show that you appreciate people who make sacrifices for the community. As it is with many promotional discounts, people who discover your restaurant through a promotion may be more likely to come back in the future.

Another service you may not have thought of is donating food to community events. If your community has 5Ks or other events, local businesses are sometimes invited to supply food. This may help you get your business name out into the public sphere.

Include Locally Sourced Foods

If you can, incorporating locally grown and sourced foods into your menu is a great way to connect with your local scene. This method also supports your local economy and other business owners. If you aren't sure if you want to commit to this method, you can always start small by only choosing an ingredient or two to include. For example, making a dish out of a locally grown vegetable is a good place to start. If your advertisement mentions local foods, this may mean more business automatically. A significant portion of people say they specifically look for local ingredients when choosing a place to eat.

This method of connection also makes it easier for you and other local businesses to cross-promote. Your menu might mention the farm that grew the ingredients you use and in turn, the farm can mention your restaurant in brochures, at farmers market displays, and more.

Being a newer business can be daunting. As you work to develop and tweak your marketing strategy, making sure that you tap into the local scene is an essential way to make your restaurant stand out. By making a plan and systematically reaching out to your community, your restaurant will be well along the way to even greater success.

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