I need help on advertising for a restaurant in a small town?

Question

my friend has just opened a restaurant in a small town. It'a a very cool restaurant/ bar. and it doesn't seem to be doing to good. I want to help out because I know how much he wants it to work. Anyone, Please give me some ideas on how to advertise and get people to come in and find out how cool it is.

Answer 1

You've had some really great suggestions on here. I especially like the "free drinks" idea. Here are my thoughts that you could use to help your friend out:

My fiance and I run a small computer business, and if there's one piece of advice I can offer for advertising, it's to keep it as inexpensive as possible. It's hard to worry about your budget, while still getting your marketing out, but try to avoid any high-end marketing with long-term commitments.

Some things that have worked for us include making up flyers at Office Max, using their bright paper. We usually get around 500 made, for about $20. Since it's a business expense, see if you can get them tax-free. We pass ours out to local businesses (with a few nice words to the owner, and the promise of extending our services to them for their graciousness, most businesses will let you put up flyers in the place.)

We've tried a little bit of everything--the newspaper, a magazine ad, even those inserts you see on the shopping cart at the grocery store. But the thing that has worked the best for us have been the flyers, and our one (expensive) ad at the local movie theater. If you DO decide to go with a large (expensive) ad somewhere, you MUST back it up with some other reinforcement. In addition to our ad at the movies, we have tons of flyers we keep at the theater and we also do service for the employees so that they are more likely to recommend us to people.

We also have a company car, which is really just our car that we had lettering put on. Granted, it's sometimes embarrassing to go places in the company car (you know, out to dinner), but it's really good advertising. I've had people stop me in gas stations, the post office, even on my way to the community college where I teach.

You mention you are in a small town, I'm assuming around St. Louis (since that's where this question was located). Your friend could try contacting the Post Dispatch, or another local paper, to see if a food critic could come out to write a review. This would get you some publicity.

Try holding an event that would be newsworthy (read: free publicity). Call the news stations, the paper, or even radio stations to see if they would be interested in covering it. Most news sources like to see philanthropy because it's good for their ratings. Try to take advantage of this (while also doing something good for someone else).

There are tons of people out there that sell advertising. But these folks are in the money-making business themselves. I try to be leery of these people, since they want to take my hard earned money away from me. Just keep an eye on how well one type of marketing is going, and don't be afraid to stop doing it if it's not working well.

Good luck!

Also, I'm interested in checking out this restaurant. Where is it, and what's its name?

Answer 2

I opened my restaurant a year ago july 23rd. (One year anniv. WoooHooo!). *smile.
Here's some tips that have worked out great.
I dont know if it's a seasonal place or not, But if so definately join up with your local chamber of commerece and visitors bereau. That's a good starting point.
Take this establishment, and gear your marketing torwards similiar clientell of other establishments. For example:
Look at your local bed and breakfasts or guest accomidations listed in the phone book. Set up gift certificates for the owners for so many referrals. If its a low key place, do the same with youth hostels. Another great way is to find other restaurants, and offer their employees say... 10 percent off. Getting other foodservice establishments, and local businesses on your side is HUGE in small towns. (And as someone did mention, word of mouth IS the best advertising). Besides..... 10 percent or gift certificates is a small price to pay, if you can fill the place up. Good luck! jj

Answer 3

In a small town word of mouth is really great advertising. When you are at other bars, or hanging out and you meet new people mention how great your friends place is. When a group of you and friends are going out suggest that bar.

Answer 4

one of the easiest things to do is go around the neighborhood and put fliers on everybodys doors with a coupon for a free appetizer or drink with purchase or buy one meal get one meal dine in only with coupon.. Also you can contact any of the local clubs in your town, like the Lions Club, The Shriner's, Masons, etc... and offer them a discount if they use your restaurant to hold there monthly meetings and special functions.

Answer 5

offer cheap beer and cool contest that include beer in them.beer. for example set up a little stage with a bar about 20 ft in front of it
have people who work at the restaurant walk back and forth like ducks in those carnival games, have people through some soft, non-hurting object at them (i.e. water ballons, wiffle balls, frozen water ballons, bricks) if they hit them in head they get a free beer if they hit 3 in a row anywhere they get a free beer, if they cause
hemorrhagic bleeding they get a free shot. or youcould go the traditional way and peddle a sexually charged atmosphere with things like wet t shirt contest and body shot contest. you could also go to a local strip club and tell strippers that they get to drink for free if they show up at your bar as regular patrons and flirt a little with other patrons. tell them to bring their friends to do the same and guys will flock there like crazy

Answer 6

since its a small town try advertising on the local cable network or sumthing

go to everybody house & start solicting

offer free drinks

put up flyers

threatin everybody

Answer 7

i live in a small town and there is a lot of advertising in the local paper and every one in a little Town reads the local paper handout flayers after Sunday mass

Answer 8

i work in a very small family owned restaurant and we usually put an ad in the newspaper for 10% off breakfast orders or something like that, but, handing out menus or putting them on cars has also worked for us, good luck!

Answer 9

You could print up flyers and put on people's windshields. Word of mouth also helps!!

If you have the money, you could make a commercial and have the local cable company air it in and around the area!!

Answer 10

Put coupons in our local paper and maybe in a paper with a larger circulation close by.