7 Creative Ways for Restaurants to Overcome the Coronavirus Lockdown
OK so things have taken a REAL shift and it seems like from one day to the next, everything is uncertain… but don’t worry! It’s not over.
Your brand is SO MUCH MORE than its physical space. Your brand is a “feeling,” a lifestyle, a community. Although your sales may be affected, there are so many ways to get creative and make the most out of our current situation. Here are some cool ideas for you to grow your restaurant brand without having to be physically open:
1. Host a “Quarantine Kitchen” Virtual Event (maybe your family can help!)
Chefs all over the globe are hosting interactive live video sessions on Facebook & Instagram, and in doing so, they’re allowing their audiences to get to know their brands on a whole new personal & intimate level. Host a cooking class, have your kids help out, host live Q&A’s or “interview” style sessions by allowing others to join your call live, share you best recipes or easy swaps for when you’re low on X ingredient, the possibilities are endless! And remember, people love to see authenticity, so don’t worry about making anything “perfect” – just show up, and be yourself!
Some great examples of this are: Massimo Bottura’s Lockdown Family Kitchen, Quarantine Cooking With Joe the Baker, Health Chef Julia’s Free Friday Virtual Happy Hour and Chef Uno Immanivong’s Quarantine Cooking Show.
2. Share Cooking Tips
A loooot of people are spending a good chunk of their time cooking these days, so why not share what you know! There are endless “hacks” that may be obvious to chefs, but are absolutely not common-knowledge to your average joe.
3. Deliver Pre-Made Cocktails
One of my favorite bars in the NYC area, Ponyboy (located in Greenpoint) has been offering their delicious cocktails (bottled & ready to serve) for delivery or pickup. YUM! This can definitely turn a quiet night at home into a fun adventure.
4. Sell Digital Gift Cards
Did you know Square offers FREE customizable digital Gift Cards? It just takes about 5min to set up and boom! Your loyal customers can help you out by “pre-booking” future meals for them and their friends.
5. Delivery Incentives / Contests / Surprises
I don’t know about your particular location, but in NYC restaurants & cafés can still offer delivery. If you’re on that same boat, all you have to do is make sure everyone knows:
That you’re offering delivery (set up announcements on your social media & website)
Your open hours (be extra clear about hours during the pandemic)
Where to order
Any menu limitations
Last but not least, let everyone know you’re being extra sanitary, using gloves, masks, etc.
Once you’ve done that, you can get to the fun stuff, like offering special discounts, offers and surprises. It’s not often your audience is experiencing somewhat the same reality, but since the news is so stressful, sometimes it may be better to try and lighten the mood with creative campaigns. Here are some ideas to get your wheels spinning:
a “Mom is tired” family meal package
a large discount after X amount of orders
a “golden ticket” giveaway (1 order=1 entry / chance to win X prize with your delivery).
surprise your audience with a funny delivery costume or custom notes added to deliveries
6. Start a GoFundMe
To save the world, you can start by saving your staff. Many restaurants have been cornered into letting go of most of their staff, but one possible solution is to start a GoFundMe fundraiser to help raise money for your dear staff members.
7. Re-Organize & Get off the Hamster Wheel
If your restaurant is in any way similar to one’s we’ve worked with, you’re constantly running to catch up with all your marketing needs. This “down time” could be a blessing in disguise if you can use it to get truly organized and pre-plan your marketing. Get clarity for your branding and marketing strategy, set up reusable templates, establish an official brand guidelines book, schedule months-worth of content for your blog or social media, and get ahead of the curve!
We can help
organize & elevate your brand.
Let’s set you up with templates and guidelines so marketing becomes a breeze!