By Ed Avis
Are Tuesday nights turgid in your restaurant? Are Wednesday’s wicked slow? Try one of the following five tips to get those slow nights hopping:
1) Charity Time – Use a slow time during the week to help local charities and introduce new potential customers to your restaurant. Send a letter to charities like your local school PTOs, youth sports leagues, the United Way, etc. and tell them that they can hold a fundraiser at your restaurant on a slow night. Offer to donate part of the proceeds to their cause – you’ll make up the difference on new customers who come back on Friday night.
Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant, which has 24 locations in the Northeast, has a web page set up just for their charity opportunities, which they call Noche Mexican Fundraisers. Check it out by clicking here.
Another option is to use your slow time to respond to charity requests. For example, when charities approach Rick Enos, owner of Compadres Rio Grille in Napa, California, for gift certificates, he gladly gives them gift certificates that are valid only for his weekend breakfasts. Those times are a little slower so the people using the certificates help fill the room.
2) Special Nights – You might plan live music for Friday night, but consider some of the many other – less expensive – events you could hold on a slow night to get more traffic. For example, La Boca Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Middletown, Mass. has a trivia night every Tuesday. They give a $25 gift card to the winning team, and that’s basically the only expense. La Boca also has open mic every Thursday so aspiring entertainers can get some attention….and their friends and family can eat and drink! Other ideas include Funny Home Movies Night (invite people to bring in funny home movies and give prizes for the funniest); 1960s TV Night (tune all of your TVs to different stations showing classic old TV shows); or Euchre Night (or any other game that is popular in your community).
3) Teacher Tuesdays — Avocado’s Mexican Restaurant in Everett, Wash brings in new customers with Teacher Tuesdays, during which all school teachers get 20 percent off! Some other nights to try include New to the Neighborhood Night (invite all new residents for a special night during which they can meet other new residents); Business Mingler Night (invite other local business owners for a special night especially for them); Police/Firefighter Night (special prices for these important groups); Veterans Night (anyone who has served gets 10 percent off); Restaurant Employees Night (invite any restaurant employees in your community not working on that slow night for discounted apps)….you can think of many others!
4) New Menu Night – Create a new dish for every Wednesday night and offer it at half price. Maybe try a different regional Mexican dish every week, or a dish from another Latin American country. Your regulars will love the idea of trying something new, and as word spreads you’ll attract other adventurous customers. Plus, you might discover a dish that is so popular that you want to put it on your regular menu! Check out some recipes, including many regional recipes, here.
5) Spread Your Knowledge – Antigua Mexican & Latin Restaurant in Milwaukee offers cooking classes on Saturday mornings/early afternoons. They provide the ingredients, tools, aprons, and instruction for $50 per person. Recent classes have included Tailgating Latin Style, Latin Cooking with Spirits, and Salsas. Read more about their program here: http://www.antiguamilwaukee.com/Pages/CookingClasses.aspx If Saturday lunch is already a busy time for you, try holding a cooking class one slow weeknight each month. It could be a fun outing for families or couples!
Do you do something fun on slow nights to bring in customers? Share it with us and we'll send you a free cookbook! Email your ideas to editor Kathy Furore at kfurore@restmex.com.