5 Creative Ideas to Promote Thanksgiving Catering at Your Restaurant
We’ve turned the clocks back, we’ve managed to survive spooky season (IYKYK), and now it’s the best time of the year to promote Thanksgiving catering at your restaurant!
What can be said about Thanksgiving that hasn’t been said before? For some, it marks the beginning of decking the halls for Christmas; for others, it’s a time of giving thanks. But it is an opportunity for restaurants to get the creative turkey juices flowing! Throw your standard menu out the window and jump on the turkey wagon! Although you may want to turn your open sign to closed on Thanksgiving day, you should consider offering pick-up or drop-off catering this year.
Thanksgiving catering menus can take many different forms, so even if your venue isn’t ready to roast up a turkey and mash some potatoes, there’s no reason not to set up catering for Thanksgiving. Whether you specialize in BBQ, desserts, or even fine dining, there is probably a Thanksgiving opportunity that your venue hasn’t capitalized on yet. With a direct booking tool like TripleseatDirect, you can easily increase revenue for your restaurant with very little lift. We love showcasing innovative examples of how restaurants promote their venues and today, we’re going to highlight some of the best ideas we’ve seen for Thanksgiving catering options using TripleseatDirect.
Turn Turkey Day into a Goldmine
Here are five creative ways to promote your restaurant’s Thanksgiving catering offering.
1. Support the Local Community
One way to show your gratitude this year is by supporting those in need for the holidays. Easy Entertaining in Rhode Island is committed to the local community, and their Thanksgiving “Give a Meal” partnership with Amos House provides holiday meals for Providence’s food-insecure community. Anyone can sponsor a meal or a bundle of plates, and their team will prepare and deliver the food to Amos House to provide a warm meal to those in need on Thanksgiving. They have also made it easy to place a Thanksgiving catering order directly from their website in three easy steps: 1. Order Online, 2. Pick Up or Enjoy Delivery, 3. Re-heat & Enjoy. With this clear offer, they are not only helping others locally; they are showcasing how easy it is to order from them!
2. Include Your Offer Everywhere
Covering your bases when sharing any promotion is important to ensure customers can easily find your offer. Two restaurants have done a phenomenal job of just that with email newsletters, landing pages, social posts, and more.
Thanksgiving Catering Marketing Example: Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ has done this perfectly by featuring their Thanksgiving offer directly on their homepage with a link to pre-order your holiday meal. They have also used their Linktree to feature a link to “Book your Thanksgiving Meal with us.”
Thanksgiving Marketing Example: Lady Bird Grove & Mess Hall
Lady Bird Grove & Mess Hall took a similar approach to promoting their Thanksgiving offering but opted for an easy-to-read pop-up on their homepage with a link to order directly. Their email to customers presenting their packages included links and great photos of their meal kits. They also prominently added “Order Your Thanksgiving Feast” to their Linktree for use on social media.
3. Design Customizable Thanksgiving Catering Packages
When considering your event packages, offering packages and a la carte options is always smart, as there is no one-size-fits-all Thanksgiving meal. McKenzie’s BBQ does a great job of laying out the different pricing options for their catering packages so customers can easily decide what will work best for them. You can choose between pickup, delivery, or full service with different prices per person. BBQ Restaurants are quite savvy because they also link directly to their TripleseatDirect ordering page from their website.
4. Promote Exclusive Holiday Promotions
When you think of Thanksgiving desserts, the first thing that usually comes to mind is pie, but when we think of Thanksgiving, we think of cake, specifically Whiskey Cake. Known for their impressive whiskey cocktails and farm-fresh comfort food, Whiskey Cake restaurants are no stranger to the Thanksgiving and dessert game. Not only does Whiskey Cake offer a Thanksgiving Meal Kit that you can order directly online using TripleseatDirect from any of their locations here, but they also sell their famous whole whiskey cake for the holidays. The cake is usually only sold by the slice in the restaurant except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a great opportunity to increase your revenue by offering an exclusive holiday special that will delight customers. We wonder if they ship their cake? (Asking for a friend.)
5. Streamline the Process with a Direct Booking Platform
Whether you are sticking with the traditional Thanksgiving meal or offering exclusive holiday specials, it’s clear that a direct booking platform like TripleseatDirect can help simplify the process for you and your customers. A direct booking tool integrated into your event management software lets guests easily book catering or event spaces through your restaurant’s website or social media. This tool simplifies how you market Thanksgiving catering and the booking and ordering process. You allow guests to select menu options and process payments online, streamlining your management of these bookings. It’s particularly beneficial for catering services, especially during busy periods like Thanksgiving, by providing a hassle-free booking experience for your guests.
As we continue into the festive season, feel free to share your marketing examples of what works for you and your venues. In the spirit of giving, we love to hear what works for you and are happy to spread the wealth. To learn more about how Tripleseat can do way more than manage your holiday catering, set up a demo today!
