How do I promote a new restaurant?
Peter asked FSB's advice on promoting a new restaurant and bar. Do you have any ideas for Peter?
From Gabe, Tulsa, Oklahoma Start with your GeoTarget – businesses and homes within a 1-5 mile radius.
Develop partnerships with local organizations and retailers that will help you cross-promote. During your Grand Opening trade with these strategic partners for register-to-win prizes so you can begin collecting data on your customers.
If there is a local cause you can partner with, have a benefit at your store for them and have them pack it out for you. Donate a small amount back and get the press involved so everyone knows you are doing it. Again, collect customer data.
Direct mail is good and sampling to area businesses to promote catering is great as well.
Through all of this, build a good database, maintain it, and market through it.
From Dennis Maki, Calgary Canada Check the income levels for districts in your city- usually available on wikipedia.
Then, check your surrounding districts- shoot for a location where at least 4 of the top 10 are within a few/under 5/car minutes away.
Then- go slightly upscale so as to not frighten away female customers with deep pockets. You will be royally rewarded.
Check out the Cattle Baron in South Calgary- they have all of this, plus cater to about 2000 engineers in EPC companies at lunch. Always busy/no riff raff/make a pile of money.
If you want to use GeoTargeting, as suggested by Gabe above, you might try a marketing tool called Zimini (zimini.com). It lets merchants create digital coupons and promos using geotargeting, and demographic targeting. The software is free so you can try it out – you'll only pay when you actually distribute a coupon or promotion.