Special Report
Back to School Marketing for Restaurants
Jumpstart your fall season with proven strategies to win students, faculty, parents, and local campus business.
Opportunity Is Knocking — Are You Ready?
It's that time of the year again. Summer is almost over. Fall is just around the corner. Cheerleaders practice while the grounds crew preps the football field for another season. New and returning students arrive for another semester of learning. What does this all have to do with us restaurant owners? Opportunity. There are many money-making opportunities around school and university campuses that pizzeria and restaurant owners do not put into motion. Below are a few ideas that will help you jumpstart your back-to-school marketing plan.
Get Your Menu Into Every Student's Hands on Day One
All colleges and universities have some kind of orientation packet given out to all new and returning students. They are filled with maps of school buildings and surrounding areas, rules and regulations, and other information about activities, sporting events, and where to eat and shop off campus. This is your opportunity to get your takeout menu, business card magnets, and free VIP cards distributed to all. You can even offer to print some of these materials for free — in turn, your offer can be included in the packet. Hold a contest and give away a free gift certificate towards future food purchases. Getting information on new and returning students is vital for your restaurant's growth.
Make Students Feel Like Insiders
Put the college or school logo on one side and your discount or offer on the other side. Whether it's a 20% discount or a free appetizer, students and faculty will use these VIP cards and come to your restaurant. Have special offers for cardholders only — every student will want one and you'll become the most popular establishment in the area. These cards can be handed out free to all students, parents, faculty, and staff. This is also a great opportunity to promote your VIP cards on Facebook and Twitter.
Become the Official After-Game Hot Spot
Whether it's the lacrosse, cross-country, field hockey, or football teams, you can go to the head coaches and cut deals with them. Give free or discounted dinners to the teams after the games and in return have them mention your restaurant at the games. If cheerleaders, fans, parents, and faculty know the team will be at your restaurant after the game, they will all follow and spend money. You will become the new 'after-game hot spot.' You can also ask about advertising options on the field or in sports programs. Offer to print up the sports programs for free and save a place on the back to promote your restaurant. Give a discount to anyone with a ticket stub or program. Most importantly, always have someone handing out your takeout menus and VIP cards at every game and in the parking lots.
Dances, Plays, Pep Rallies — and Cast Parties
Colleges and schools always hold dances, plays, and pep rallies. Get in touch with the committees who put these functions together. They can order food to have at the dances. You can hand out your takeout menus at the pep rallies for late business. The director of plays and concerts can work out a 'dinner and a show' deal to sell to theater-goers. Offer a discount towards the total check when shown a ticket the day of the performances. Don't forget about cast parties — if the cast, stage crew, and production crew like your restaurant, you will host every cast party. Most theater departments do something called 'striking the set' after the last performance, where students take apart the set all night — a few pizza pies and sandwiches make it much more enjoyable.
An Untapped Market Right in Your Backyard
Faculty, parents, and staff all need to eat out. Target staff and faculty at colleges for luncheons, meetings, and deliveries on campus. Parents have to eat out when visiting their children for pep rallies, homecoming, parents' weekend, etc. Make up VIP cards just for parents giving them a discount. Find out from the college when special events are going on — homecoming, parents' weekend, alumni weekend. You can also contact the admissions office to find out about students who give tours to potential future students. After the tour they will want to eat somewhere. You can even work out a 'free lunch' deal with the college — what a lasting touch on parents making the biggest decision in their child's life.
Reach Students on Their Very First Day
Once students arrive at their dormitories on the first day of school, they always head for the long lines at the bookstore to get their books and accessories. Waiting in line can make students very hungry. Talk to the person in charge of the bookstore and invite them for a free dinner and tour of your restaurant. Ask if you can give out free samples of your food, takeout menus, and VIP cards outside the bookstore the first few days students return. This will give students a chance to taste your food and get to know your restaurant brand. Hand out your takeout menus, magnets, and any other marketing materials. This is why they call it 'branding' — the more they see your restaurant brand, the more they will buy from you.
Ready to Win the Back-to-School Rush?
Call or text us 10am–10pm EST, 7 days a week. We'll help you design the menus, VIP cards, and flyers that make these strategies work.