Restaurant Consumer Trends – Engaging Theater patrons
If you run a restaurant, then you’re always on the lookout for ways you can recruit loyal, local customers. That’s why it’s a good idea to look into tapping into your local theater scene.
Why theater? Well, because theater patrons tend to be locals and they tend to have disposable income.
How do you get those local theater goers into your restaurant? Well there are a lot of potential methods you could try, but if you’re serious about tapping into that market then you should keep the following suggestions in mind.
Tip #1: Offer Them A Patron of The Arts Discount
Everyone likes getting a special discount when it comes to their night out, and by offering theater goers a break on their bill you can entice them to come to you instead of a competitor. After all, if they’re already going to have dinner and a show, why wouldn’t they go to somewhere that recognized them as being part of a unique subset that deserved special treatment?
That unique treatment is just as important as the actual discount, too. A touch of flattery in your wording (such as saying, “Giving back to those who support the arts,” for example) can go a long way toward getting these customers in the door.
Tip #2: Advertise At The Show
Most theaters provide advertising options for those who want to reach out to their audiences. For example, a theater may have a digital sign that it projects onto the curtain, or which is prominently displayed in the lobby. They might also have advertising space on the back of their programs, and they may include the name of advertisers in the show announcements the same way they’d thank other prominent patrons. Anything you can do to put your name in front of the audience will help plant the seed so that after the show your restaurant is the one that springs to mind as a place they should try.
Tip #3: Provide Coupons With Tickets
Rather than having a standing discount for theater-goers, try giving out coupons along with their tickets. This can make the patrons feel like they got something as a bonus for attending a show, and it means your staff doesn’t have to scrutinize tickets whenever someone comes in to take advantage of your discount. It also gives you a working relationship with a local theater (or several of them, if you have more than one near your restaurant), which you can use as a basis for future promotions.
It Never Hurts To Be A Friend Of The Arts
Theater patrons, as has already been said, tend to be local. They also tend to have the disposable income to see live theater, and to go out to eat. By positioning yourself as a friend of the arts as well, you are telling those patrons that you and they have something in common. And because you are both helping to support theater in your area, they’re much more likely to feel positively inclined toward you.
Once you get those patrons in your doors, all you have to do is provide them with a positive dining experience to turn them into long-term customers. Your restaurant might become their regular destination for post-show dinner, or you could even become one of the places these patrons go when they’re out and about. The point is that you need to reach out to your local theaters in order to make this connection in the first place. Because once the theater’s customers have become your customers, all you have to do is give them a dining experience that will stick with them in the best possible way.
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