Restaurant Equipment Spotlight: Using Tech to Promote Your Restaurant

You’ve got a great location. Your restaurant equipment is in great shape, and you have excellent employees ready to serve. Your menu is on point, and you’re ready to bring a top-level dining experience to your community.

So… where are the customers?

Having an amazing restaurant without doing proper marketing can be a lot like being “all dressed up with nowhere to go.” It can feel like all your hard work is going to waste!

Fortunately, technology makes marketing your restaurant easier than ever. Here’s how you can use tech to bring more customers to your location.

Apps to Encourage Loyalty

There’s an app for almost everything, and that includes restaurants. 83% of adults use electronic devices to look for restaurant locations and directions, 75% look at your menu online, and 55% read reviews. That’s not all – half of all adults use apps for rewards or special deals.

Offering off-peak discounts can help bring in customers during traditionally slow times. Some apps even give notification reminders to customers who are close to the restaurant, inviting them to come in!

You’ll have to decide what features are important to you in a restaurant app and how you want to use it. But if you want to bring in customers regularly, especially during off-peak times, an app is an essential part of your restaurant equipment.

Have Fun on Social Media

Social media is an incredible way to reach out to your community – if you do it right. Too often a restaurant throws up a Facebook page, posts occasionally, and when customers don’t come flooding in they declare it a failure.

The point of social media is to be, well, SOCIAL. Target the folks who live in your community. You can do this through targeted ads, hashtags on Instagram, creating a community-related Facebook group, and more.

Share live video from your restaurant. Allow a peek behind the scenes, showcasing your restaurant equipment, staff, and cleanliness. Be real, genuine, and honest. Oh – and showcase your amazing food. Food photos and videos are often the most-shared content online!

Harness the Power of Search

Local search marketing is a big business, and there’s a good reason – it’s effective!

When people search for “Mexican restaurant in Boise,” and that’s you, you want to be among the first search results they find. It takes time, but you can improve your ranking.

Here are some important steps to take.

• Claim your Google business page. Local business results are often listed first on a map image.
• Make sure your business shows up on Google Maps. If it doesn’t, click on “add a missing place” in the maps menu and add it.
• Make sure your accurate business information is also listed on Yelp and Facebook
• If your restaurant has a website – and it should – make sure you are using keywords that relate to your business
• Consider starting a blog that will bring fresh content to your website regularly. Not sure what to say? Why not write about your community and local events?

You may want to do paid search ads, but they can become expensive and may not be effective. Instead, focus on these basics and make sure you maintain your website like you maintain other key restaurant equipment.

Have the Right Restaurant Equipment and Tech For Your Business

As a restaurant owner, you want to consider your marketing technology as vital restaurant equipment. It’s just as important as the stoves, dishes, and refrigeration your business relies on.

Once your customers start coming in, you need to keep all of your equipment in top shape. We’ve been helping Little Rock restaurants get the cooking equipment and supplies they need for many years.

Do you need help with your materials? Contact us for a quote today!