How to attract more customers to a restaurant? 3 event ideas

The world situation continues to challenge the restaurant industry time and again. The weakened purchasing power is evident in many places with dwindling customer flows. For many restaurant owners, the thought of doing something about this is constantly on their minds. But where can one find more customers for the restaurant?

One of the easiest ways to attract customers is to organize various events. To make the organization as easy as possible, we have compiled ready-made event ideas for three different types of restaurant businesses: a karaoke restaurant, a cafe, and an à la carte restaurant. At the end of the article, you will also find tips for promoting events.

Karaoke restaurant: Try themed karaoke

Customers have been lured to the restaurant through theme parties since the foam parties of the 90s. However, you don't always need to make a mess with foam, as organizing theme parties can be easily done through karaoke. Themed karaoke refers to a karaoke selection limited to a specific theme (such as Pop or Party). For the karaoke host, this is a dream; when the theme of the night is Heavy Karaoke, ears can take a break from the summer in Lapland and the Passenger.

It's easy to build a whole evening or even a weekend event around themed karaoke. You can create theme-appropriate drinks and advertise them during karaoke performances. By instructing the staff to dress according to the theme and playing theme playlists from the background music service, you can create the right atmosphere instantly. If you have a karaoke booth, you can also use themed karaoke as a promotional tactic. What could be more suitable for birthday celebrations than a party karaoke?

How does themed karaoke work?

Running themed karaoke is effortlessly facilitated through the Feelment app. You only need a valid karaoke subscription and a Digital Ordering Subscription. Themed karaoke is activated through the settings of the Feelment app, after which the restaurant's digital karaoke playlists are filtered according to the theme. Advertisements related to themed karaoke will also automatically appear on the karaokelistat.fi website and on the karaoke screens.

Psst. Don't you have Feelment's karaoke yet?

You can organize themed parties as early as this weekend by taking advantage of Feelment's free trial period.

Psst. Don't you have Feelment's karaoke yet?

Due to today's busy lifestyle, many of us are fascinated by various mindfulness practices and ASMR videos. If you're unfamiliar with the term ASMR, it refers to soothing sensory experiences created by making various sounds. As this trend shows no signs of fading, it's definitely worth leveraging in the restaurant industry.

Organizing a mindfulness event is particularly well-suited for a café environment. You can schedule the event outside regular opening hours, such as during the early hours of the weekend mornings. Conducting a mindfulness session can be successful with the help of a collaborator, like a fitness instructor, or even with your own staff. You can find inspiration for exercises on websites such as Mieli Ry.

Appropriate background music can be found in playlists like Feelment's Nature Sounds, Relax, Yoga, or Spa. It's nice to conclude the session with breakfast or brunch, and a small entry fee may be reasonable. Reserve a specific number of spots for the event, and registration can be handled by creating a dedicated form, which can be done for free using tools like Google Forms.

À la carte restaurant: Introduce the tasting experience.

What's a lovelier way to enjoy good food and drinks than by tasting them as much as possible? Many à la carte restaurants offer tasting-menu-type selections on their menus, but actual tasting events are less common. Tasting events are great because they can be developed around various themes throughout the year. How about a French cheese tasting event or perhaps a beer tasting on Father's Day? By organizing a tasting event that reduces food waste, you also contribute to the environment.

It's advisable to plan tasting events well in advance, and it's good to implement them on a "reserve your spot for the event" basis. This way, you can anticipate the number of participants. If your usual table reservation system doesn't seem like a good fit, you can use a sign-up form, as mentioned in the context of the mindfulness event.

Tips for promoting a restaurant event

To ensure that customers know how to arrive at the restaurant, it's advisable to start advertising the event well in advance. The easiest way to spread the word is to create an event on your company's Facebook page. This way, customers interested in the event can also share information with their friends. You can find instructions for creating events in the Facebook Help Center.

Social media, in general, is an excellent way to promote events, so don't forget to highlight it on Instagram as well. In addition to a traditional post, we recommend creating a story about the event, where you can add a link to the registration form or the event's Facebook page. Traditional print materials are also quite effective, and it's worth printing them for restroom doors and table stands. On digital screens, you can easily display ads using an advertising service.

Are you looking for more event ideas for a restaurant?

Explore our free guides.

Are you looking for more event ideas for a restaurant?