October Promotions

October is a supernatural month for restaurant promotion. Operators can choose from Halloween, Columbus Day, and the change of seasons, to name just a few promotional opportunities. To scare up new business, consider these opportunities.

Columbus Day Discoveries
Your restaurant can celebrate Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World by featuring Italian specialties such as pasta for appetizers or entrees, cannoli and tiramisu for dessert, and Italian wines to accompany dinner. You may also want to focus specials on Columbus's stopping points, including dishes from Spain or the Carribean. Try offering a complete meal for $14.92, that includes a special foreign entree (like Carribean Jerk Chicken or Pasta) and a uniquely American dessert like apple pie.

Harrowing Halloween
To get into the spirit of Halloween, ask your employees to come to work dressed in costume. Plan an employee pumpkin-carving contest. Decorate your establishment with cob webs (fake ones of course) skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. Play pipe organ music and dim restaurant lights to enhance the atmosphere. You could also cater the food for a local haunted house, a Halloween kids parade, or charity event that takes place on Halloween. Remember to invite local press to your Halloween event, as they will be looking for human-interest stories.

A Change of Season
To celebrate the coming of fall, create a rustic decor that uses potted mums, bundles of corn stalks, and scarecrows placed around your dining area. Add to the celebration by offering complimentary toasted pumpkin seeds. Now is also the perfect time for you to introduce new menu items. Add pumpkin or apple based desserts and appetizers to your menu. Or you can simply flavor your dishes with seasonal spices like cinnamon, maple syrup, or brown sugar. Ask your bartender to create an orange colored drink that uses licorice as a swizzle stick.

source: The National Restaurant Association