Create Family & School Friendly Traffic Driving Programs

While retailers relish the back to school, most restaurants view August and September as the months before the holiday season rush. This is the time when what were the “summer fun funds” for things like eating out and treats are diverted to necessities like new clothes, shoes, school supplies and electronics, and dining out is traded for at home meals. While these facts exist, there are ways restaurants are combating the back to school sales slump and coming out winners with increased trial, repeat purchases, loyalty and a reputation for community/school support.

Family Discount - Kids Eat Free nights can be a deciding factor when spending limited resources from August through September. Many operators offer limited time kids eat free nights or offer an additional night to drive traffic during the back to school season.

Repeat Rewards - Give customers a reason to come back soon during the back to school season when budgets are tight. Take cues from the power players of the industry like Starbucks who saw a lag in afternoon sales and offered customers a deal during 3 to 5 pm when they brought back a recent receipt. Offering dollars off your next visit between a certain dates or times keeps customers returning over and over during times when the discretionary income is at a premium.

Increase loyalty - The days of giving out punch cards and hoping the customer remembers they have them are a thing of the past. Executing loyalty programs have changed with the rise of digital tools and social media. Signing up for digital loyalty program that is managed through an app on the customer’s smart phone is one of the simplest ways to reward your customers for the on-going loyalty, and most have push notification programs for special offers.

Get involved - Parents are hyper-focused on ensuring the school year gets off to the best possible start. They are constantly looking for ways to guarantee their school is receiving additional money it needs to provide the best educational experience possible. Fundraiser nights used to be for QSR’s, but many other segments have found that offering a fundraising night where a percentage of the proceeds go back to the school gives traffic a much needed boost, while creating goodwill among the school’s families.