Now that you’ve opened your own restaurant, you may be looking for a way to draw in locals. Fortunately, you can easily do this by creating a relationship with those in the area. Here are seven ways to make your local restaurant part of the community.
1- Host Events
There’s a good chance that the locals need a place to host events on occasion. You can help them out and connect with them by hosting events at your restaurant. These events can include things like rehearsal dinners and birthday parties.
2- Add Mural Artwork
Are you trying to find a way to draw attention to your business while becoming a part of the community? If so, then you should consider adding mural artwork. It will draw attention to your business, and it will also increase the aesthetic quality of how the community looks.
3- Engage With Others On Social Media
No matter how big or small your community is, you can reach locals by engaging with them on social media. To do this, you first need to create a business page. You can then use advertisements to reach others. Encourage visitors to like and share your page so that others in the nearby vicinity will see your page as well. Make sure you answer any questions that visitors post on your page and post information about any events or specials that you currently have.
4- Use Local Resources
One of the best ways for your restaurant to become part of the community is to use local resources. Try to purchase produce and dairy products from nearby farms. Instead of purchasing paper goods and other supplies online, visit a retailer in your community so that you can talk to the employees in person and connect with them one-on-one.
5- Hire Locals
Your restaurant will benefit from hiring locals. You will also help those in your community who are in need of steady employment. In return, your employees will spread the word about your business and will help you build a connection with others around you.
6- Create a Loyalty Program
Who doesn’t like to get a good deal on their meal and feel like they are in some sort of special club? Many restaurants find that they can become a part of their community by creating a loyalty program. This type of program encourages locals to make qualifying purchases to get a discount or free food. You may even find that they visit your restaurant so much that you become friends with them and that they are some of your biggest supporters in your community.
7- Give Back
Locals may be more eager to visit your restaurant if they feel like you really care. You can show them that you want to be part of the community by giving back. You can do this by donating a portion of your sales to a local charity or volunteering once a month.
Local restaurants need to be a part of the community to have any measure of success, and thankfully, it’s quite easy to do so.